The Sinful Woman's Golden Branch: The Jade-Faced Yama is Actually Me (Part 10)...
Ji Siyin looked at Ye Xiqing and gradually revealed a smile.
Yes, as long as the Empress is still alive, she will always be the most noble princess in the world.
...
The peaceful Dayu Dynasty was suddenly disrupted by several unsettling events.
There was the Prince of Nankang who was summoned back to the capital, and the current emperor who was suddenly given a divine medicine that restored his youth. There was also an emperor who had regained his youth and wanted to give the daughter who presented the medicine a fiefdom.
The people were at a loss as to how to deal with these several issues at the same time, just as they were unsure how to refuse the emperor's invitation to a banquet.
Ye Xiqing lay on the couch, barely alive: "Your Highness... I'm really ill... I can't get up... You should go by yourself..."
Ji Siyin flew into a rage: "Nonsense! I just heard yesterday that you ate a plate of fish, two plates of goose and duck, and a plate of steamed buns. How could you be sick today!"
Ye Xiqing: ...
That's utter nonsense. How could she have eaten so much by herself? She ate it with Zhao Yingying and Cui Xiaoyu.
Even the two of them were faster than her. Living in a modern world with abundant resources, Ye Xiqing, who had absolutely no experience in fighting for food, simply couldn't compete with them.
Now it all depends on her alone, very good, very good.
Glancing at Zhao Yingying and Cui Xiaoyu, who were covering their mouths and chuckling, Ye Xiqing simply closed her eyes and sprawled on the bed like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water.
"Your Highness, illness comes like a landslide and goes like a slow, drawn-out process. Look at me, I can't even get enough to eat, do I look like I'm in good health?"
"It's just a banquet. Why don't you go by yourself? That's your mother, not mine. What use would it be for me to go?"
Ji Siyin:...
That's true, but for some reason, even though she's her mother, Ye Xiqing seems to have a better way of dealing with her.
She wasn't going to face the gunfire alone. Seeing that Ye Xiqing was still pretending to be dead, she directly ordered the people around her: "Drag her down!"
"Alright, alright."
Ye Xiqing opened her eyes and was truly amazed by these powerful and arrogant giant babies from ancient times.
He slowly climbed out of bed and stated his bottom line: "Princess, I can go, but let me make it clear beforehand that I will absolutely not stand at the banquet from beginning to end. As for how I relieve my stress, don't ask."
Ji Siyin snorted: "I knew you wanted to slack off. If I become emperor in the future and give you an official position, what will you do? Will you not even attend court?"
Ye Xiqing looked at her earnestly: "Princess, you are now the emperor, yet you still want to bestow an official title upon me. Couldn't you go a step further and consider abolishing the standing-office system?"
Ji Siyin replied without hesitation, "Of course not. How can I show that I am the emperor if I cancel it?"
Ye Xiqing: ...
Do you know that someone like you, a remnant of feudalism, would be sent to labor reform in our area?
But in this era, we are still far from the progress of civilization, and Ye Xiqing has no choice but to submit to the princess's tyranny.
Fortunately, the princess fully demonstrated what it means to have no kind class, but to have kind slave owners.
"Alright, alright, when we get to the banquet, you can sit next to me. I won't make you crawl on the ground. Look at you, whining like that!"
"From now on, you can't just lie down anywhere when you see strangers. You represent my reputation now, understand?"
Ye Xiqing: ...
Listen to this, is this even human language?
She didn't condemn the bizarre system that made people stand for an entire day, yet the beneficiaries actually condemned her for lying around on the ground and disgracing her master.
There's really nothing in common with feudal rulers, so it's better to continue humiliating yourself.
He struggled to climb into the princess's carriage, then gave her a fawning smile: "Princess, could you prepare a soft pillow for me to lean on next time?"
Zhao Yingying: ...
Cui Xiaoyu:......
How dare you!
The colleague with the desk lamp was watching from the side, and was about to go crazy with anger.
The princess merely gave a look of extreme disdain before rolling her eyes and tacitly agreeing.
How can anyone be this lazy!
Ji Siyin no longer treats Ye Xiqing like a human being; she feels that Ye Xiqing is like her pet "Kunlun Snow Slave," who is not human at all.
That's wonderful! Ye Xiqing clapped her hands in delight.
Please don't suddenly decide to treat her like a human. Treating her like a human would be far worse than treating her like a noble cat.
As the carriage moved forward, Ye Xiqing leaned against the side of the carriage, finally finding a sense of purpose.
With a new goal in mind, the child looked longingly at the table and asked, "Can I eat the snacks?"
Ji Siyin:...
"eat."
...
In feudal society, it was incredibly satisfying to curry favor with a powerful princess.
Ye Xiqing's body can't eat much regular food, but it can have snacks every now and then.
Of course, this might also be the reason why she doesn't eat much proper food.
Ye Xiqing originally wanted to change this bad habit a little.
However, ingrained habits are too difficult to break due to physiological limitations.
This body was chronically deficient in both qi and blood, making even exercise unsuitable, so Ye Xiqing simply gave up struggling.
Life is about movement, and life is also about staying home. As long as you live long enough, you can even be a turtle.
He ate the pastries half-heartedly, his body weak and unable to muster any strength, so he chewed very slowly.
He would chew for a while and then sigh, forgetting to eat after he finished. He would rest for a while, then remember, swallow with difficulty, take another bite, and then continue to sigh, as if he had many worries on his mind.
As a member of the imperial family who never leaves his clothes or food behind, Ji Siyin's snacks on the carriage were basically just for show. But Ye Xiqing's eating habits were just too outrageous. Did he eat something and then start worrying about the country and its people?
Watching her eat was quite tiring, but perhaps it was the mentality of "If she eats like that, I certainly won't" that worked, Ji Siyin also picked up a piece of pastry, took a big bite of half of it, and thought, "Is this the right way to eat?"
The two men drank some tea and ate some snacks in the car and soon arrived at their destination.
Even Ye Xiqing was somewhat amazed by the magnificent palace.
In modern times, you would never see such a complete and unique ancient architectural complex.
But in modern times, one can never see a living emperor. Just thinking about having to "meet the emperor" again in a little while makes Ye Xiqing feel dizzy.
Fortunately, Ji Siyin kept her word and immediately arranged a seat for her as soon as they took their seats, letting her sit next to her.
This kind of low table isn't very comfortable to sit on, but it's still better than those two lamps behind it.
Because she was the Empress, the women at this time, even on formal occasions, mostly did not wear elaborate jeweled robes and hairpins, but rather simple round-necked robes with upturned hems, which further reduced the pressure on Ye Xiqing.
Fortunately, I traveled to the reign of an empress. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't be as carefree as I am now, no matter which dynasty I traveled to.
Without the crisis, Ye Xiqing was able to settle down and enjoy life.
I had imagined this palace banquet would be like those depicted in TV dramas, with a row of tables set up in a spacious hall.
When I arrived, I realized it was somewhat similar to the Pei family banquet, but much larger.
A group of people sat along the lotus pond, their seats arranged in a staggered pattern, enjoying their meal and the scenery.
As the emperor's only daughter, Ji Siyin naturally occupied the best position closest to the emperor, allowing her to look down on others.
Looking down from the high platform, you can see people even on the opposite bank of the river; it's highly doubtful whether they can hear the emperor speaking.
Of course, this was definitely part of the design. Even if a minor official had to convey the emperor's words, he would still need someone to relay them. This was to maintain a clear sense of hierarchy.
However, Ye Xiqing always felt that it would be more enjoyable to be on the other side of the river without the emperor watching.
Everyone took their seats in order, and the emperor finally arrived.
The entire shore was instantly filled with people kneeling down.
Li Wenyuan smiled and extended her hand to the crowd, and those who had knelt down gradually stood up again.
This kind of scene, where one can turn their hand to make clouds or rain, is what Li Wenyuan experiences every day.
The emperor took his seat, smiled at everyone, and showed them the "miracles" that had befallen him.
The system's cutting-edge technology is beyond the comprehension of even modern people, let alone the ancients.
Seeing that the emperor had indeed become more than ten years younger, everyone was filled with surprise, doubt, and mixed feelings.
However, at this moment, the best course of action is, of course, to shout "Long live the Emperor!" and praise the virtue of Heaven.
Li Wenyuan laughed heartily and invited everyone to enjoy themselves to the fullest, with singing, dancing, and feasting.
However, the purpose of this banquet was certainly not just to have a gathering with the ministers. In the midst of the revelry, Li Wenyuan dropped a bombshell—
"I intend to establish the Prince of Nankang as the Crown Prince and to make Dengzhou the fiefdom of Princess Yongning. I wonder what my beloved ministers think?"
The room fell silent instantly.
The first to express her joy was naturally the Princess of Nankang.
She returned to Beijing just to wait for this moment. Her family has finally seen the light at the end of the tunnel and made it through the tough times!
However, she felt a little unhappy when she heard that the Emperor had given Yongning something again.
Their family suffered greatly in Nankang, while this pampered princess enjoyed wealth and luxury in the capital. Now, she is even to be given a fiefdom.
It's outrageous that two children from the same mother would be so biased. How come that brat is so lucky?
Unlike the Princess Consort of Nankang, who was only angry about the princess's fiefdom, the members of the Li family stood up and looked at Li Wenyuan in shock: What's going on?
The fact that an empress emerged from among the daughters who married out of the clan made the members of the Li family extremely happy.
Now that their status is comparable to that of royalty, they naturally dream of ascending the throne.
Li Wenyuan's previous attitude was ambiguous, so why did she suddenly want to establish a crown prince?
They were naturally reluctant to accept the princess being granted a fiefdom, but compared to the insignificant princess, the matter of the crown prince was far more important!
Among the court officials were members of the Li family and members of the Ji family.
The Li family produced many newly rich and powerful individuals, while the Ji family produced many prominent clans.
Upon hearing that Li Wenyuan intended to establish the Prince of Nankang as the crown prince, seemingly with the intention of returning power to the emperor, the Ji family followed suit and were overjoyed, repeatedly praising the emperor's wisdom.
But is it acceptable to grant the princess a fiefdom?
Although Lady Ji followed the crowd, she wasn't really comfortable with it, but she decided to put the crown prince on the throne first!
The two groups, the Li family and the Ji family, argued so fiercely that the banquet turned into a courtroom battle.
A group of people on the opposite bank watched the gods fighting, completely bewildered as no one relayed any messages.
Annoyed by the argument, Li Wenyuan rubbed her forehead repeatedly. Finally, she slammed her hand on the table in frustration: "Alright, alright, if you don't want to establish it, then don't. But the matter of granting Dengzhou as the fief of Yongning is no longer up for discussion."
“My son was blessed with medicine by a celestial being, which shows that Heaven favors him. Who dares to contend with Heaven?”
"Heaven has been so kind to my son, so of course I must bestow a special reward upon her!"
Everyone: ...
This doesn't make sense, does it?
The two groups, arguing heatedly, then realized that they seemed to have done all the work for someone else!
Why bother establishing a crown prince? It's clearly just a way to give their daughter a fiefdom!
If Li Wenyuan had directly proposed granting land to her daughter, the court officials would have opposed it long ago.
However, because the matter of establishing a crown prince was of greater importance, both groups overlooked it and managed to gloss over it after fighting for a long time!
Realizing they had been tricked, voices against granting fiefdoms immediately rose.
Some say the enfeoffment is harmful, some say Dengzhou is important, and some say the princess already has a fief of four thousand households, which is even more than that of a prince, so why enfeoff her again?
Ji Siyin narrowed her eyes, taking note of each of those who opposed her.
His face showed no expression other than a smile, but in his heart he had already planned out how these people would die.
Faced with the wrath of their "master," a qualified lackey would naturally step in to resolve the problem.
With a clatter, Ye Xiqing rolled the wine glass on the ground and smashed it into the lake.
Such a commotion was hard to ignore, causing everyone to pause.
With an opening, Ye Xiqing had a chance to speak, and said with a smile, "Gentlemen, why be so stubborn?"
"His Majesty has already said that this method is implemented out of gratitude for the virtue of Heaven. Why bring up ancient methods to explain current affairs and argue back and forth? Wouldn't that be disrespectful to Heaven?"
"Moreover, there is no need to completely imitate the ancient methods. The officials of Dengzhou can govern themselves according to the laws, and all taxes can be collected as before, just like a newly established military governor."
"Lord Cui Siyuan, the military governor of Qingzhou, is already in charge of four prefectures: Qing, Mi, Lai, and Deng. How can he possibly manage such a heavy workload?"
"Wouldn't it be better if His Majesty sent the princess to share Lord Cui's burdens?"
A moment of silence fell over everyone. Who was this person?
Before they could ascertain the man's identity, Li Wenyuan, seated at the head of the table, clapped her hands and laughed loudly: "Well said! You, a group of high-ranking officials, are not as knowledgeable as a single maid!"
"The matter of bestowing the title of Yongning upon Dengzhou is no longer worth discussing. However, I suddenly remembered something: it is indeed too much for Lord Cui to be in charge of four prefectures at the same time. I fear he may not be able to handle it."
"In order to prevent a sudden outbreak of war, so that Cui Siyuan can concentrate on the border towns of Qingzhou, Mi and Lai prefectures, a new military governor will be dispatched to take up his post."
"What do you, my esteemed ministers, think?"
Everyone: ...
Before the previous problem was resolved, a new one arose.
The princess's acquisition of the strategically important Dengzhou must have been a source of endless trouble for her.
But the newly carved-out states of Mississippi and Leicester were so coveted that no one was willing to give them up.
The people below were all fighting amongst themselves, and no one cared about the original problem anymore; Ji Si was laughing so hard he was doubled over.
In a good mood, he tapped the table: What reward do you want!
Ah, it's rare to find a princess with a conscience. Ye Xiqing then pointed to the whole roasted lamb on the table and said, "I want to eat that lamb leg."
Ji Siyin was in a very good mood. She took out her waist knife, cut off the piece herself, and brought it to her.
Ye Xiqing turned back again: If you can't bite it, slice it into pieces.
Ji Siyin:...
She's the type who's happy when she's in a good mood, but she can also easily get carried away.
Ye Xiqing, however, liked to take advantage of people's kindness.
Ji Siyin was quite happy while cutting the lamb leg.
When she saw the film, she realized: Are you trying to take advantage of me?
Ye Xiqing looked at her seriously: Really? No, I don't think so. I've done such a great job, is it too much to ask for a slice of lamb?
Ji Siyin:...
I pondered for a long time but couldn't find anything wrong with it. But what was this vague feeling that something was off?
Turning her head, she looked at Ye Xiqing again, who was still staring at her expectantly—
What's wrong? Why isn't the movie playing yet?
Ji Siyin:...
Suppressing that subtle sense of injustice, this pampered princess, who was usually treated like royalty, actually started tearing the mutton apart and threw the shredded pieces onto her plate in a huff.
Eat, eat, eat! You can eat as much as you want!
Ye Xiqing kept thanking her: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you so much!
Li Wenyuan was extremely satisfied with Ye Xiqing's handling of the situation, and her opinion of her rose to a new level.
I never knew that this unknown Guan family girl had such intelligence, strategy, and quick thinking!
Li Wenyuan was overjoyed and looked at this talented woman whose talent had been overlooked with great interest, only to see her daughter tearing mutton for her.
Li Wenyuan was taken aback at first, then her mind went blank: Huh?
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