"proclaim oneself emperor?"
"What, is it not allowed?" Ji Xuan put down her teacup and smiled faintly, "Emperors are made by people too, why can't it be me?"
“That’s not what I meant,” Si Jin replied. “I was just curious, Princess…do you hate Zhu Ziqing that much?”
“Of course.” Ji Xuan took a deep breath and continued, not minding that Shen Yi was present, “I hate him. His father was afraid of our Prime Minister’s Mansion’s wealth and power, so he killed our whole family.”
“I was only seven years old that year. I remember it clearly. The day my house was ransacked was my birthday. My mother bought me a new dress, and I was trying it on.”
"Then she was pierced through the heart by a sword from the Imperial Guard and died right in front of me."
"Blood splattered all over me, and for a moment, everything in front of me seemed to turn red."
"By the time I realized what was happening, I had also been stabbed. I lay dying in a pool of blood, watching helplessly as the once harmonious Prime Minister's residence turned into hell."
"Later, I crawled out of the mass grave, found my father's old friend, and survived by clinging to life until now."
Twelve years have passed, but Ji Xuan's eyes still welled up with tears when she spoke of it.
Shen Yi quickly handed her a handkerchief. The girl wiped away her tears through her mask and continued, "But later, I also gained ability."
"When I grew up, I took control of all the underground banks in Nanliang and raised an army of 10,000 men."
"In order to bring down Wei Linyuan, Zhu Ziqing happily brought gifts to my door, wanting to acknowledge me as his sister. However, he repeatedly tried to kill me for the money and soldiers I had."
The woman scoffed, "Ha, he's dreaming."
"They say that since I'm a woman, it's useless for me to keep my money. I should learn from others how to be a good wife and mother and how to please men, but I don't believe it."
"Your Highness, I don't believe it."
Ji Xuan stared intently at Si Jin, the intense obsession in her eyes shocking even Si Jin.
She said, "I don't believe that being born a woman means I deserve to be subservient to others."
"I don't believe that being born a woman means only being a wife and mother."
"I can roam the martial world and cause chaos in the imperial court. I am a thousand times, ten thousand times better than that good-for-nothing Zhu Ziqing. Even Wei Linyuan has to cooperate with me and occasionally takes money from me as military pay!"
"Why... should I be allowed to stay comfortably in the inner quarters?"
After saying all this, Ji Xuan seemed to realize that she was a little emotional. She took two deep breaths to steady her heartbeat before giving a wry smile.
"I'm sorry, I've been keeping some things to myself for so long that I accidentally blurted them all out, making Your Highness laugh at me."
“However, I really want to help you overthrow the country. You are currently lacking people to contact your old subordinates. I can give you the 10,000 troops I have. Once you return to your peak, come back and help me kill Zhu Ziqing. It will be a win-win situation for both of us.”
Si Jin confirmed one last time: "Aren't you afraid I'll lie to you? That I'll abandon you after the country is overthrown?"
"I'm not afraid." Ji Xuan shook her head, and once again stretched out her left hand, just like that day in the secluded forest, and took Shen Yi's hand, a hint of pride in her eyes: "Because your little general has long been mine."
Shen Yi lowered his eyes, offering no explanation, but his ears turned completely red.
Si Jin sighed wearily, rubbing her forehead: "You really became a male concubine?"
Shen Yi, who was usually reserved, blushed at Si Jin's words.
Mu Mu nodded, then emphasized again, "He is the only true male concubine and the only husband."
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