Chapter 278 The Emperor's Unease Amidst Countermeasures
The sarcasm in those words caused Emperor Wusu's body to stiffen for a moment.
Ji Qingwu continued speaking, still in a gentle tone.
"His Majesty says he doesn't care how history is written because outsiders won't point fingers at him behind his back, because they wouldn't dare."
Her eyes were clear and bright, without resentment or anger, as she calmly gazed at him.
"But will they let me go? What will I face, Your Majesty? Have you considered that?"
Zhao Mingyan's Adam's apple bobbed.
His voice was deep as he asked, "Why did you marry Wei Ting? Unless it's because..."
At this moment, Ji Qingwu chuckled softly.
She raised her hand to touch his face, pressing her index finger against his lips to stop him from saying anything more.
"No matter the reason, it's too late now."
The dark cloud in Emperor Wusu's eyes deepened several notches.
It was too late, she said.
The internal energy within him began to surge again, causing his internal organs to ache.
Ji Qingwu deliberately ignored the pain in his eyes and said what she really wanted to say.
"Your Majesty should know that the army's commander-in-chief left home on his wedding night to risk his life to defend the country against the enemy, while the emperor stayed in the general's bed at the general's home."
"Does Your Majesty truly not realize that this action will demoralize the hundreds of thousands of soldiers in the Northern Frontier?"
Most of the soldiers in the North were under the command of the Guardian.
The invasion of Xijin already made the situation critical, and the morale of the Beili army was further shaken. How could the soldiers possibly fight the enemy?
Ji Qingwu chose to marry Wei Ting not only for Yuan Heng, but also for the stability of Beili. She did not want the turmoil of the succession to the throne to cause countless more families to be destroyed.
Emperor Wusu was able to come to his senses, regardless of whether it was his doing or not, and regardless of how much deception was behind it.
She felt genuinely relieved and joyful; as long as he was still alive, that was enough.
Zhao Mingyan's voice was strained, barely containing his agitation, as he asked, "You want to stay by Wei Ting's side?"
Ji Qingwu said softly yet firmly, "This is a matter between the two of us."
us.
She said that she and Wei Ting were "us".
Zhao Mingyan stroked her long hair and said coldly, "Awu, how come you still don't understand anything? If you want him to die in the Northern Border, you can continue talking."
Ji Qingwu replied without pausing, "Does Your Majesty think I care about Wei Ting's life or death?"
Zhao Mingyan was surprised by her answer, and his fingers paused.
With an unusually bright light in her eyes, she said, "I don't care, I don't care about anything. His Majesty is lying in bed on the verge of death, and Wei Ting's power is so high that no one in the entire court can match him. So I married Wei Ting the very next day."
"Now that His Majesty has regained consciousness, Wei Ting will set out on the expedition tonight, and I am lying in His Majesty's arms once again."
What she meant was that she didn't care about anyone else, only about power.
Zhao Mingyan clasped his hands together, tightly grasping a strand of her hair, and for the first time, an uneasy look appeared on his face.
Ji Qingwu even smiled and moved closer to him.
His tone, however, was nonchalant: "Why should I care? My thoughts are no longer important, Your Majesty, don't you agree?"
After saying that, she closed her eyes, exhausted after all the torment.
Emperor Wusu gazed at her serene face and ultimately did not stay the entire night, leaving the Wei family at dawn.
He could tolerate Ji Qingwu arguing or crying with him, but he couldn't stand her calm self-deprecation as she spoke of all the injustice.
Ji Qingwu opened her eyes as the bed curtains were gently lowered.
There was no sign of weariness in her eyes. As she watched the figure leave, she turned her gaze and let out a long sigh.
The night can finally be over.
Emperor Wusu's birthday also passed amidst this chaos.
Ji Qingwu's eyes flickered slightly. What she had just said was nothing more than giving him a taste of his own medicine.
Emperor Wusu had his own schemes, and she certainly had her own thoughts as well.
The border conflict takes precedence over everything else.
Ji Qingwu had served as a military doctor in the army for several years and had also gone to the battlefield with the troops. On the battlefield, swords have no eyes, and soldiers who lick blood from the tip of a knife should not easily lose their lives because of their entanglements.
Matters concerning human life and death are the most important matters.
*
early morning.
Lanzhi quietly pushed open the door.
Seeing that Ji Qingwu had already dressed up and was sitting at the table, casually picking up a military book to read.
Lanzhi stepped forward and knelt down, crying, "Fifth Miss, it is this servant's incompetence."
After the emperor left, Ji Qingwu couldn't sleep. She changed her clothes and wandered around the room. Unexpectedly, she found a book that Wei Ting had read in the book box next to the tea table, and she picked one out.
Ji Qingwu discovered the joy of military strategy books, which actually has something in common with practicing medicine; both involve the moral principle of posing and solving problems.
She put down her book, looked at the maid kneeling at her feet, and said calmly, "Lanzhi, stop kneeling and get up to answer."
Lanzhi, with tears still on her face, said, "Last night I was in the kitchen preparing medicine for you, but I somehow fell asleep. I really didn't mean to be lazy."
Ji Qingwu said, "This is not your fault."
“But yesterday was the first day that Miss married into the Wei family, and none of the dowry maids were there. It was my fault for not fulfilling my duty.”
Lanzhi received Qiao's instructions and was prepared to do everything in her power to protect her master, but she made a mistake after only half a day.
She was not only terrified, but also filled with self-reproach.
If the servants of the Wei family also look down on Ji Qingwu because of this, she will be held responsible.
Ji Qingwu saw through Lanzhi's thoughts.
She emphasized, "Get up."
"No one dares to look down on me. Besides, you weren't the only one who messed up yesterday."
Emperor Wusu came and went freely, and none of the servants in the courtyard noticed him, presumably because they had all been dealt with using special methods.
Sure enough, Xuemei appeared at the door in a panic.
Seeing that Ji Qingwu was already dressed, she knelt down with a thud as soon as she entered the room, kneeling next to Lanzhi.
“It was my fault. I was supposed to be guarding the door yesterday, but Eunuch Li from the palace had important matters to discuss with the general, so I avoided him. But, but I don’t know how, I fainted in the corridor.”
Ji Qingwu raised her hand and said, "You all need to get up quickly. Your crying this morning has given me a headache."
She instructed one of them, "Lanzhi, go and see if Qiuqiu is awake. If she is, bring her over to have breakfast with me."
Lanzhi accepted the order and left.
Ji Qingwu then turned to the other and asked, "Xuemei, has breakfast been prepared?"
Xuemei shook her head and said, "No."
Ji Qingwu frowned. She hadn't eaten much last night and was feeling hungry. Even if Wei Ting wasn't home, surely the servants would prepare a meal for her?
Fearing she might misunderstand, Xuemei quickly explained, "The Wei family always has breakfast in the old lady's courtyard."
Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Does everyone have to go?"
The Wei family has at least a hundred descendants. If so many people go to Old Madam Wei's courtyard, it will be so crowded that there won't be enough room for everyone.
Xuemei noticed her doubts and said, "Madam, only the young masters and ladies who are favored by the old lady can dine in the main room; the rest dine in the side hall."
"I see," Ji Qingwu nodded.
Xuemei said, "This servant will accompany Madam there."
Ji Qingwu shook his head: "Who said I was going there?"
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