Chapter 104 Your Majesty, would you like to try some?
The pure black horse, seeing that the mud saddlebags that rightfully belonged to it were now being ridden by Ji Qingwu, flared its nostrils and snorted defiantly at her.
Ji Qingwu recovered from her shock and, seeing its dissatisfaction with her, defiantly raised her eyebrows at it.
Her pale hands were still patting the animal hide beneath her.
If Ji Qingwu had a tail, it would be wagging its tail high in the sky.
Seeing that the man and the horse could communicate without any obstacles, Emperor Wusu shook his head, suppressing a laugh.
The black horse stared at her with its big, moist eyes for a long time. Seeing that she had no intention of returning it, it finally turned its head, turned its rear towards her, flicked its tail a few times, then pawed the ground with its hooves and galloped away.
Ji Qingwu's eyes widened as he asked, "Why did it leave?"
Emperor Wusu said, "Don't worry about Tayun, it's gone off on its own."
It turns out this horse is called Ta Yun (Stepping on Clouds), and when it runs, it really does feel like it's stepping on clouds. It's also very intelligent and knows how to steer itself.
Ji Qingwu lay back down comfortably, using the ground as her mat and the sky as her blanket, gazing at the twinkling stars in the night sky. She had never experienced such a blissful moment before.
After she had seen enough, she propped her head up and looked at Emperor Wusu sitting to the side. He had kept the entire leopard skin for himself and sat down directly on the grass.
She then straightened up, feeling somewhat guilty, and said, "There's still room, Your Majesty. Please come sit down; the floor is cold."
"Only now do you remember to call me over to sit?"
This is not her fault. Ji Qingwu was dizzy when she dismounted and didn't even know where she was lying.
The woman's skin was as smooth as jade, and the night cast a halo around her face.
Her eyebrows were like distant green mountains, her eyes bright and her teeth white as blue water. Her gaze could express both joy and anger. Although she lay neatly dressed on a white animal skin, her languid posture made her appear alluring.
Emperor Wusu had to sit further away to suppress the urge to transform into a wild beast and devour it.
He said, "You should lie down. When I was fighting in the north, I even slept in the snow."
These days, Ji Qingwu treats him like an emperor, almost forgetting that he was once the General Who Pacifies the North in the Northern Territory.
The border region was bitterly cold, and the Western Jin Kingdom had repeatedly invaded. He had led his troops in at least a hundred battles. He had eaten grass, let alone sat on the grass, in times of crisis.
Emperor Wusu gazed intently at the distant, scattered lights on the downhill slope. Ji Qingwu followed his gaze and saw the myriad lights of Lin'an City.
The two looked at each other quietly for a long time. Ji Qingwu said softly, "Your Majesty, Beili will surely establish a long-term stable situation and achieve great peace."
He gave her a deep look: "You've already learned to read the Emperor's mind?"
"This humble woman dares not."
"Is there anything you dare not do? You may guess what I am thinking."
Since it was the emperor who granted her permission,
Ji Qingwu said earnestly, "Your Majesty is unparalleled in your time, and you established your career on horseback. As the founding emperor, you must have faced countless difficulties and setbacks. You must be pondering matters of state."
Emperor Wusu remained silent for a long time, then lowered his head and chuckled softly, "Awu's guess is wrong."
Ji Qingwu looked at him, and he took her hand and held it in his.
"I am wondering, among all these lights in the homes, is there even one that is lit for me?"
It's not a matter of national affairs, but a matter of family affection.
His palms were burning hot, but Ji Qingwu's palms began to sweat.
She understood the deeper meaning behind those words.
Ji Qingwu paused for a moment, then said with mixed feelings, "The lights of Lin'an City are so bright because of His Majesty."
That intense gaze fell on her face.
Ji Qingwu continued softly, "Throughout the Phoenix Palace, wherever Your Majesty wishes to go, that place will be illuminated for Your Majesty."
To be confined to the palace, to be a caged canary for others to admire, Ji Qingwu asked herself, for her now, freedom and joy were more important.
As she finished speaking, the light in Emperor Wusu's eyes dimmed, and obvious disappointment was revealed in his eyes.
Why the repeated rejections? For whom was her lamp meant to be lit? The emperor already knew the answer: it was none other than Wei Ting, who was far away in the northern military camp.
Ji Qingwu pursed her lips, about to speak.
Emperor Wusu, who was beside her, stood up and left. She didn't need to look at his expression; she could feel the man's obvious anger from his back.
She quietly followed the cold-faced emperor back to the tent she had seen on her way there.
A dozen or so black-armored guards from the Imperial City Guard were patrolling, while the rest of the group were roasting meat around a campfire, the aroma of meat and wine wafting to her nose.
Upon seeing Emperor Wusu, the Black-Armored Guards immediately rose and knelt in orderly obeisance. Si Duan Mingfeng quickly stepped forward and was visibly surprised when he saw Ji Qingwu.
The Emperor has never brought a woman here, not even the favored Consort Wei.
Duan Mingfeng bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."
Emperor Wusu waved his hand and said, "Do as you please." While the emperor maintained strict military discipline, he also exercised a degree of leniency. He asked, "Has Yuchi Lianping returned?"
Duan Mingfeng said, "The General has not returned yet."
Emperor Wusu nodded expressionlessly, then ignored Ji Qingwu and went into the central tent.
Ji Qingwu's mind was not on the emperor.
As she approached, she turned her head and stared intently at the sizzling, oily red meat roasting over the charcoal fire.
She twitched her nose slightly a few times and said, "It's almost burnt."
Duan Mingfeng didn't realize what she was saying.
After the emperor entered, the black-armored guards curiously examined the woman following behind His Majesty. She was not one of the concubines in the palace, and they didn't even bother with the roasted meat in front of them.
Ji Qingwu quickly stepped forward and deftly flipped the meat in the wire mesh over.
She said, "If we don't flip it over soon, the meat will burn."
Emperor Wusu sat at the large table in the tent for a while before Ji Qingwu followed him in.
He was also holding a metal tray filled with freshly roasted meat, its skin golden brown, cooked to perfection, and steaming hot.
Ji Qingwu just asked Duan Mingfeng and learned that this was a wild boar hunted in the mountains.
She had long heard that black pork was delicious, with a firm but not dry texture, but she had never had the chance to try it.
Ji Qingwu secretly swallowed, not because she was greedy, but because the aroma of the meat was so irresistible that it seemed to be wafting into her nostrils.
Especially when it's freshly baked, the outer skin is still crispy. Thinking about the taste and texture of the meat, she licked her lips.
Ji Qingwu broke the silence that the two had maintained since returning from the grasslands, and took the initiative to step forward and ask, "Your Majesty, would you like to try some?"
Emperor Wusu felt a throbbing pain in his forehead at her sight, and said irritably, "Use it yourself."
Ji Qingwu was waiting for these words. She didn't insist on urging him to eat. She immediately picked up the chopsticks from the plate, took a piece, and put it in her mouth. As soon as she bit into it, she felt the meat juice burst in her mouth.
Before she could even enjoy this delicious treat, her expression froze.
Emperor Wusu had just picked up a military book when he heard her hiss.
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