Lady Ming Yi stumbled as she was pushed aside by Xu Tianji. She let go of Ji Bozai’s hand, intending to leave. After all, she no longer cared to sit beside him today—what difference did it make where she sat when there was no meat to be had?
However, Ji Bozai didn’t release her hand.
He sidestepped to avoid Xu Tianji’s approach, pulling Ming Yi into his arms in one fluid motion. Without looking back, he walked to the main seat.
Xu Tianji was caught off guard. She turned back in disbelief, only to see him guiding Ming Yi by the shoulders to sit on the cushion beside him.
Ming Yi gave her a helpless shrug from afar.
It was blatant snubbing and showing off!
Xu Tianji, unwilling to give up and too afraid to leave, hesitated for a moment. Finally, she swallowed her pride and followed, standing in the space on Ji Bozai’s other side.
“My Lord,” she said, lowering her head. “This humble girl will stay here, ready to assist you without being in your way.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Ji Bozai said impatiently. “I appreciate intelligent people, but you aren’t one.”
Xu Tianji panicked. “This humble girl may not be the brightest, but I’m certainly not stupid. Why would you say such a thing, My Lord?”
Ming Yi couldn’t bear to watch anymore and kindly reminded her, “Miss Xu lacks some perceptiveness.”
Ji Bozai was a man who despised entanglements and trouble. When he liked someone, he naturally allowed them to be close. But once he grew tired of them, there was no point in trying to get close—the more one tried, the more annoyed he became.
She was genuinely trying to help, but for some reason, Xu Tianji seemed to become even angrier upon hearing this. Tears welled up in her eyes. “I’m speaking with My Lord. What business is it of yours?”
Youth breeds impetuosity, making her words sharp and reckless.
Ming Yi smiled slightly and, holding onto Ji Bozai’s arm, said, “This is my husband. When you speak to him, it naturally concerns me.”
Ji Bozai’s hand, which had been swaying carelessly, suddenly paused.
He glanced at her from the corner of his eye, then quickly looked down again.
Ming Yi didn’t notice his reaction and merely raised her chin at Xu Tianji. “Didn’t you say earlier that I had no status? Well, as you wished, the Grand Secretary just elevated me to the position of favored concubine.”
Xu Tianji was dumbfounded.
She had no idea what had happened yesterday, and upon hearing this news so suddenly, she felt as if struck by lightning.
Ming Yi had become Ji Bozai’s concubine. What about her? What was she to do now?
If her aunt found out that she had failed and even caused trouble for herself, would she even survive?
Her lips trembling, Xu Tianji looked at Ji Bozai with tear-filled eyes. “My Lord, why do you only care about her looks? Won’t her beauty fade and change with time? I am the one who can truly help you!”
Ji Bozai, snapping out of his reverie from Ming Yi’s sweet words, found Xu Tianji’s statement rather amusing.
What Xu Tianji called “helping him” was merely making him appear more familiar and preventing the other party from feeling embarrassed. Even without her, he wouldn’t lose anything. Why did she act as if he couldn’t do without her?
“Do you know the meaning of Chapter 8, Section 2 of ‘The Duelist’s Manual’?” he asked.
Xu Tianji’s face stiffened slightly, and she stopped her sorrowful act, lowering her gaze in embarrassment. “The teacher hasn’t covered that section yet.”
Ji Bozai nodded in understanding and turned to ask Ming Yi, “Do you know?”
“How could she possibly know?” Xu Tianji scoffed. A mere dancer might not even be literate.
Ming Yi scratched her head, looking slightly embarrassed. “I have read Chapter 8, Section 2.”
“Oh?” Ji Bozai’s interest was piqued. “Did you understand it?”
“I think I did,” she said, glancing at Xu Tianji, whose eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. Ming Yi continued softly, “It’s about the mindset of a duelist. Those who are overconfident often suffer crushing defeats. Therefore, when drawing upon one’s power, one must be fully focused and not distracted. Regardless of the opponent’s strength, they should be treated as a formidable adversary.”
After finishing, she couldn’t help but mutter under her breath, “It’s quite preachy.”
Xu Tianji’s lips had already turned pale as she listened to Ming Yi’s eloquent explanation. Upon hearing her final comment, she immediately shouted in anger, “Who do you think you are to criticize the author of ‘The Duelist’s Manual’?!”
Her voice was incredibly loud. Not only did the envoys from Chaoyang City seated at the main table hear her clearly, but even the scholars and duelists at the end of the table heard every word.
The banquet hadn’t started yet, and the Grand Secretary hadn’t taken his seat, so people weren’t as restrained. Someone immediately called out, “Who dares to criticize the legitimate son of the Ming family? The people from Chaoyang City are sitting right there!”
“Indeed, they must be tired of living,” another voice chimed in.
As accusations poured in from all directions, Xu Tianji raised her chin proudly and pointed at Ming Yi. “It was her.”
Ming Yi looked at her with pity in her eyes.
This young girl had such good conditions, but unfortunately, she wasn’t very clever. This was Tage Platform, a place in Muxing City. As a person from Muxing City, accusing someone of slandering people from Chaoyang City wouldn’t make the people of Muxing City happy. Similarly, although the people from Chaoyang were of high status, they were still guests and couldn’t dictate matters in Muxing City.
Such behavior would only make the situation awkward but wouldn’t put Ming Yi in mortal danger.
Sure enough, after a brief commotion, Shan Er from the main table spoke up, “This is a place for exchange and friendly competition. We should avoid taking words out of context. I hope the young lady will be more careful with her words.”
Xu Tianji was stunned, not expecting this reaction from the envoy. She quickly looked towards Shen Tianlin. Master Shen was Ming Xian’s respected teacher; how could he allow someone to slander his disciple?
However, Shen Tianlin, following the commotion, looked over with a smile and asked Ming Yi, “In your opinion, how should that section be written?”
Ming Yi didn’t dare to look him in the eye and simply mumbled, “Since it’s ‘The Duelist’s Manual,’ writing about dueling techniques should be enough.”
“That’s what I advised Ming Xian back then, but he wouldn’t listen,” Shen Tianlin laughed heartily.
He laughed so joyfully that the people around them were somewhat puzzled. It was just a nobleman’s wife making presumptuous comments about their Ming family’s heir; why was he so amused?
Xu Tianji’s jaw clenched so hard it ached. She raised her hand to speak again, but several palace servants appeared beside her, discreetly escorting her away.
The gathering used this as a conversation starter, and soon everyone was discussing “The Duelist’s Manual,” gradually forgetting about the incident. Ming Yi breathed a sigh of relief and leaned slightly to the side, only to hear Ji Bozai speak, “Shen Tianlin seems overly familiar with you.”
Ming Yi’s heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her eyes. “Master Shen is kind-hearted and treats everyone this way.”
“Is that so?” He nodded. “But ‘The Duelist’s Manual’ only reached Muxing City from Chaoyang City this year. Where did you learn about Chapter 8?”
Ming Yi was at a loss for words. She had calculated everything but overlooked this detail.
She opened her mouth but couldn’t say anything.
“No rush,” Ji Bozai chuckled, his dark eyes slowly scanning her face. “I have all the time in the world. Take your time to come up with a story.”
Since he had already accused her of making things up, there was no point in saying anything—he wouldn’t believe her regardless.
Ming Yi pouted, choosing to ignore him.
The pickled cucumbers on the table were quite appetizing. She picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, when suddenly she heard someone across the table say, “That young lady from earlier seemed quite knowledgeable as if she knew about dueling techniques. I wonder if she could demonstrate a thing or two?”