After the three of them took their seats, Yan Lingyi placed the memorial concerning the Beizhao Kingdom on the desk, pushing several state affairs problems over to the Prince Regent.
Others might consider this court confidential information and think that leaking it to the Prince Regent was somewhat dangerous, but Yan Lingyi did not care much at all because she knew that the Prince Regent would not live through the month. Who would worry about a dead person leaking secrets?
Yan Lingyi was more than eager to dig out some top-secret border defense matters regarding the Beizhao Kingdom from his mouth. Although fighting to the end in her past life revealed that the Beizhao Kingdom was not the primary cause of the nation’s downfall, she still needed to guard against them in future governance.
In her past life, the Prince Regent had died far too early, and Emperor Wenkang’s subsequent repeated failures at the hands of the Beizhao Kingdom all stemmed from an insufficient understanding of Beizhao.
The Beizhao Kingdom was situated north of Dajin. Here, midsummer lasted all year round with abundant rainfall and lush vegetation. Twenty-four mountains connected peak to peak, and seventy-two rivers intertwined water to water. From the outside, it looked like some scenic, picturesque mountain range, but once you stepped inside, it was entirely different.
Toxic mists lingered year-round in this place, and the plentiful rainfall nurtured towering trees alongside decaying swamps. The gaps between trees grew venomous fangs, and beneath the sticky mud spawned poisonous insects. Rumors claimed the Beizhao Kingdom was the place where Queen Mother West passed away and ascended to immortality, while the people of Beizhao were the children of Queen Mother West. Aside from the people of Beizhao, anyone who dared to venture inside would be devoured.
Yet the Prince Regent had garrisoned Beizhao for twelve years and had never once seen Queen Mother West.
He had only ever seen people fall into the swamps, swallowed by the mud, and have their eyeballs pierced to lay eggs and build nests by tiny, microscopic insects. He had only seen human-head-sized spiders with lifelike human faces on their backs, and snakes capable of human speech that used a human tone to lure people deep inside. All sorts of bizarre snakes, insects, rats, and ants pieced together the Beizhao Kingdom.
Even more hateful than the poisonous insects amidst the twenty-four mountains of Beizhao was the presence of sorcerers within the kingdom.
These sorcerers claimed to be envoys of Queen Mother West, born with the ability to command insects. Those bizarre insects in their hands could produce unexpected effects, capable of making men bear children and bringing the dead back to life.
The saintess of the Beizhao Kingdom coveted the vast, open plains of Dajin, launching wars to invade Dajin on several occasions. Ever since childhood, Ji Hengge had grown up listening to stories of the Beizhao Kingdom.
Starting from the age of twelve, he traveled far to Beizhao to garrison the borders, only returning to Jianye for brief reunions during festive seasons. Yet, brave and skilled in battle as the Prince Regent was, he had never achieved a sweeping victory over Beizhao.
At times, Ji Hengge felt the Beizhao Kingdom was quite similar to the Dajin State.
In Beizhao, extreme weather bred bizarre life forms, and various animals were endowed with facial features exclusive to humans. Human-faced spiders wore human countenances on top, snake crowns could utter human speech, and aquatic insects could survive inside a human body before manipulating the person to continuously drink water and propagate life. Yet these people retained their sanity, eventually fusing completely with the insects to become neither human nor insect. In Dajin, extreme power bred bizarre humans, and humans were endowed with the greed and cunning exclusive to beasts, able to commit patricide for power and child-slaughter below, remaining neither human nor beast.
Whenever Beizhao was brought up, Ji Hengge would think that when humans and monsters were placed side by side, there were times he could no longer tell which ones were human.
After the three of them knelt and sat down, Ning Yue stammered and could not ask any coherent questions, choosing instead to lower her head and play dead. Yan Lingyi, on the other hand, looked completely composed, ordering someone to fetch the border defense map, unfurling it, and questioning the Prince Regent in detail.
Initially, Ji Hengge had not taken Yan Lingyi’s words seriously.
Coming over today, he had merely sought a random pretext to test Emperor Wenkang, merely playing along with the previous lie. But when Yan Lingyi truly unfolded the map, knelt and sat behind the desk, and consulted him before her, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
Every single question Yan Lingyi asked hit upon the difficult points between Dajin and Beizhao, and she had clearly deliberated deeply over every single one.
Ji Hengge raised his gaze, sweeping an astonished look across Yan Lingyi.
He could not fathom how Yan Lingyi possessed such profound insight.
The two of them were similar in certain circumstances.
The Yan family was a lineage of military generals, and Yan Lingyi had practiced martial arts since childhood. Although trapped by her female identity from taking the field, she had studied a vast array of military treatises. After Emperor Wenkang indulged in hedonism in her past life, Yan Lingyi began handling state affairs. She had learned a great deal through Emperor Wenkang’s perspective, and relying on her past-life diligence in state affairs and foresight regarding certain matters, she was able to debate back and forth evenly with Ji Hengge.
As their discussion reached its climax, Yan Lingyi stared at the Beizhao Kingdom on the map and said, “The Beizhao Kingdom is easy to defend and difficult to attack, possessing geographical advantages. The reason they violated our national territory on multiple occasions is because they do not engage in agriculture and lack skill in weaving or food production, nor do they wish to continue drinking blood and eating raw meat. Although their citizens are barbarians, they possess numerous spiritual medicines and treasured artifacts. I often think that if we could establish trade routes with the Beizhao Kingdom, it would be mutually beneficial for both sides.”
Ji Hengge paused slightly, lifting his eyes to look at Yan Lingyi.
The young woman sitting opposite him was barely in the flower of her youth, with a round face and phoenix eyes. Although she could not be called a peerless beauty of a ruined city, her bearing was upright and possessed an inherent awe-inspiring aura. She resembled a lotus flower, neither contending nor vying, neither seductive nor coquettish, blossoming upright and open like that. Even if rooted in sludge, it mattered not, requiring no one else to worry about her, she still managed to bloom all on her own.
Noticing his gaze, Yan Lingyi lifted her eyes and offered him a faint smile.
For reasons unknown, this smile pricked his eyes. He averted his gaze, and meditating thoughtfully, he said, “The two countries have harbored deep grievances for long. If we negotiate peace in this manner, it would tarnish the prestige of my Dajin. How could that befit a sovereign of a fallen state?”
“The prestige of a state, how could it ever be more important than the common people?” Yan Lingyi retorted. “To stubbornly sacrifice tens of thousands of lives for the sake of empty reputation is the true hallmark of a sovereign of a fallen state.”
These words struck deep into Ji Hengge’s heart, evoking memories from a long time ago. He fell into a brief trance, wishing to lift his gaze to look at her, yet fearing another prick to his eyes. Instead, keeping his eyes lowered, he said, “This matter is fraught with danger. The common folk along the borders of both nations have harbored accumulated grievances for too long, and there are always those who place personal vengeance above the collective nation. The national strength of Dajin is not yet abundant; we cannot lightly experiment with this.”
Though Ji Hengge spoke thusly on the surface, in truth he had once entertained these very thoughts and even desired to put them into practice.
When the two nations first initiated an alliance, numerous problems were bound to surface. However, while this matter had disadvantages in the present, its merits would endure for a millennium. He believed it could be done, turning hostility into friendship so that the people of both nations could eat their fill was far superior to endless warfare.
Yes, the two countries had fought numerous wars and held mutual resentment for a long time, but precisely because of this, he wished to halt the war. He was not afraid of death, nor was he afraid of poisonous insects. He had never bowed to the Beizhao Kingdom, he merely bowed down to the innocent lives dying unjustly at the borders.
Yet the late emperor stubbornly guarded the territory, believing that peace talks would impair imperial dignity and refusing to permit it. Following the late emperor’s passing, the Empress Dowager guarded against him like a venomous snake or wild beast. If he had dared to utter the words regarding negotiating peace with the Beizhao Kingdom, the Empress Dowager would have immediately slapped him with the charge of treason and colluding with the enemy, causing him to gradually extinguish such thoughts.
Statecraft was precisely like this; loyal ministers did not necessarily survive to the end. Some matters, even when known to be beneficial, could not be executed. The interests of the dynasty and the people did not align with the interests of the emperor.
He simply had not anticipated that one day, he would actually hear these sentiments voiced by Yan Lingyi.
The more they talked, the more astonishment grew within him.
If the person sitting before him were a court minister, this individual ought to sit securely upon the primeval seat of the chancellor, becoming the ultimate stabilizing anchor for the entire Dajin. If these words were spoken by Emperor Wenkang, he could kowtow in reverence to the sovereign. Yet, as it happened, the person seated before him was a woman attired in brocade robes.
Silks embroidered amidst gold and jade, things capable of flying away at a mere gust of wind, were actually able to conceal such formidable sharpness.
The position of Empress and her illustrious background were the least noteworthy of merits where she was concerned. Today, he had indeed peeled away her outer layer of skin, but what he saw was not the anticipated rotting flesh and bones crawling with maggots, but an upright backbone of a gentleman paired with a brilliant intellect.
Although the Empress Dowager was cold and ruthless, dabbling solely in the manipulation of power, she had nonetheless nurtured a niece completely unlike herself. In Yan Lingyi, Ji Hengge once again caught a glimpse of hope for Dajin.
To have an empress like Yan Lingyi able to breathe an extra breath of vitality into Dajin was truly a fortunate blessing for the nation.
Right at this moment, Yan Lingyi suddenly raised her hand to pour tea. Just as before, she brought her two fingers together and pushed the cup toward Ji Hengge, saying, “Your Highness has been laboring body and mind for Dajin, which is indeed a fortunate blessing for the nation. Pray, lubricate your throat first.”
Ji Hengge’s thoughts, which had drifted far away, were instantly yanked back. Glancing downward with the corner of his eye at the clear cup of tea, he thought to himself that the Empress Dowager and Yan Lingyi were still exactly the same.
The method of drugging was completely identical, showing that the Yan family clearly possessed a hereditary family tradition in this regard.
Meanwhile, Ning Yue, catching sight of her imperial sister-in-law pouring water, also picked up the pot and poured a cup for herself.
During this, Yan Lingyi caught a glimpse of it, but hindered by the fact that Ji Hengge was sitting right opposite her, she could only pretend she did not see it, withdrew her gaze, and cast a covertly calculating look toward Ji Hengge.
Ji Hengge could only find this amusing.
Look at that, lifting a rock only to drop it on her own feet. He hadn’t been drugged, but shortly, she was going to drug Ning Yue first.
Nor could Ning Yue be entirely blamed for her lack of situational awareness. She understood far too little, remaining oblivious to what actions were correct. Yan Lingyi could fool her, and naturally others could fool her as well. Ning Yue truly fell for ten traps a day, each one different from the last.
At this juncture, Yan Lingyi glanced at Ji Hengge once more.
Since Ning Yue had already drunk it, if Ji Hengge failed to drink, she would truly lose her imperial sister-in-law and end up with nothing to show for it.
Of course Ji Hengge could choose not to drink, for he already knew what medicine Yan Lingyi was selling in her gourd.
However, when Yan Lingyi pushed the teacup across, as if guided by some mysterious impulse, he nonetheless accepted this cup of tea.
Seeing the Prince Regent consume the tea, Yan Lingyi’s brows curved, and she smiled with a brilliance that grew increasingly radiant.
Her smile was remarkably pretty, resembling a young maiden who had just successfully executed a bit of mischief. Joy that could not be suppressed lingered at the corners of her brows, and her sparkling eyes gazed intently at Ji Hengge as she said, “Your Highness has been seated for a long time, so you must be tired. Pray, move to the rear side chamber of the Imperial Study and rest for a while.”
Ji Hengge’s legs were crippled; his lower waist lacked strength, and his meridians were blocked, making prolonged sitting arduous. While ordinary people kneeling and sitting for a while merely suffered from sore and numb legs that recovered momentarily, Ji Hengge experienced agonizing soreness and discomfort after kneeling for even a short while.
Outsiders looking on all assumed Yan Lingyi was showing solicitude for the Prince Regent, but only Ji Hengge knew what scheme she was hatching.
This person truly regarded him as something molded out of mud. Failing to steal once, she still wished to attempt a second time. The women of the Yan family indeed possessed extraordinary perseverance.
Ji Hengge was both exasperated and amused. When he raised his gaze, he was dazzled for a brief second by her eyes. Staring at her smiling face, he thought to himself that he simply refused to let her have her way.
Since she wanted to take a bite of his flesh, she could not blame him for teaching her a lesson.
“The Empress is truly thoughtful.” The gentle and refined man seated behind the desk slowly curved his lips in a soft smile, murmuring, “Troubling the Empress.”
Yan Lingyi immediately dispatched attendants to escort the Prince Regent to the side chamber.
The Imperial Study was barely a hundred paces away from the side chamber. Passing through a long corridor allowed entry into the side chamber.
The furnishings of the side chamber’s rooms did not differ much from those of the Star-Picking Pavilion previously: an outer tearoom, an inner bedchamber, a low couch by the window on the left, and a washing room behind a screen on the right.
Ji Hengge had barely lain on the bed for a moment when he noticed the palace maids guarding outside the window being called away. Moments later, a rustling disturbance drifted over from the window behind the screen.
Ji Hengge closed his eyes, acting as though he had truly fallen asleep, while pricking up his ears.
His hearing remained exceptionally sharp, allowing him to clearly catch the slightest sound.
The window was pushed open, and someone tiptoed lightly inside.
Skirt hems brushed against the window frame, and gold hairpin tassels collided.
With a creaking sound, the wooden window closed shut.
Following that came a series of light footsteps, so soft they were almost inaudible.
Within a few shifting movements of her skirt hems, Yan Lingyi had already reached the bedside.
Ji Hengge lay quietly upon it.
Yan Lingyi gazed infatuatedly at his physique, slowly unfastening his collar. Upon beholding the scars across his chest, Yan Lingyi murmured in a low voice, “Forgetting family for the country, forgetting self for the public, the Prince Regent has guarded the borders for years, and Lingyi holds you in high esteem. If the heavens possess divine spirits, may Emperor Wenkang’s ten to thirty years of lifespan be exchanged for the peace and health of the Prince Regent.”
Had Ji Hengge remained robust and unfallen in her past life, relying solely on his exceptional military strategy, he would never have allowed the Nanshen Kingdom to obliterate them. Such an exquisite blade broken just like that, who could fail to feel a sense of regret?
The pity and tenderness in her words were entirely undisguised, flowing like a stream of crisp, clear spring water straight into the lingering wounds on Ji Hengge’s body, pouring into his parched chest and soothing his cracked bones.
Ji Hengge had given so much for Dajin without a single member of the imperial clan ever thanking him. He had never imagined that one day, it would be Yan Lingyi who thanked him.
His achievements were being sincerely appreciated, and his sufferings were genuinely sympathized with, causing a trace of tartness to sprout within Ji Hengge’s heart. A warrior would die for a confidant, yet a true confidant was hard to find.
Yan Lingyi’s hand descended upon his scar, sliding downward across his chest. As she slid, she murmured, “The Prince Regent is valiant and heroic, and I shall certainly not.”
She shall certainly not waste his bloodline! Giving birth to a child for her before his impending death could still be considered exhausting his loyalty to the country.
The slightly coarse, thin calluses brushed against his skin, not painful, but instead carrying a bizarre, comfortable friction. Ji Hengge suddenly felt his chest grow somewhat itchy, and his heart slammed violently into his ribs, as if something was about to burst forth from his deadened soul.
A fatal thought suddenly popped into Ji Hengge’s mind.
He wanted Yan Lingyi to press firmly against his itching flesh.