Chapter 444 What Phoenix Palace? It's nothing but a gilded cage.
Ji Qingwu's words came out of nowhere, and Zhao Mingyan was only momentarily confused before quickly realizing what she meant.
His chest heaved as he asked, "What one hundred and twenty-four characters?"
"His Majesty's edict establishing me as Empress contains a total of 124 characters."
The words that rolled off her lips, tinged with the bitterness of the northern winds and sands, were more intoxicating than the apricot blossom wine of Jiangnan.
Fearing he wouldn't believe her, Ji Qingwu spoke quickly, "I've already memorized it, and I can even write it from memory. I might not be able to recite it backwards perfectly, but I don't think it'll be too difficult."
“Ah Wu.”
Zhao Mingyan called out, his voice filled with tenderness and relief.
Every word he meticulously crafted in the Hall of Diligent Governance was firmly etched in her heart; such cherishing was enough.
"Don't speak yet."
Ji Qingwu stopped him again. She licked her dry lips, her eyes shining brightly.
"I haven't finished speaking yet."
Zhao Mingyan's Adam's apple bobbed. For the first time, he felt a sense of trepidation about what she was about to say, but because he couldn't quite figure it out, his eyes also showed a hint of anticipation.
Ji Qingwu took a deep breath and looked back at him.
"You never tell me what you're thinking or what you're going to do. I've thought about why, and the only reason I can find it is because you think I'm useless."
Zhao Mingyan didn't get the words he wanted to hear; instead, he received words that would cost him his life.
He immediately denied it: "Of course not."
Ji Qingwu continued with his second guess: "That is, they don't consider me one of their own."
Zhao Mingyan denied it even faster: "How could that be?"
Ji Qingwu offered a third guess: "That is, you are worried that I will be in danger and that I will get hurt."
Zhao Mingyan did not deny it again, his dark eyes staring intently at her.
Ji Qingwu pursed her lips again and said, "In the end, no matter how you beautify it, it's because you think I'm too weak, so I'm easily hurt."
Seeing her stubbornness and refusal to give in, Zhao Mingyan thought of the way she looked when he saw her again, covered in wounds.
He said coldly, "Isn't that right? What kind of face did you have in front of the granary? Your knees and hands were covered in injuries."
Ji Qingwu's gaze fell on his neck, and he said, "Isn't His Majesty also injured?"
Seeing the wrinkles between his brows deepening, she said indignantly, "Accidents are inevitable. If you do nothing because you're afraid of getting hurt, what's the point of living?"
Zhao Mingyan was angered by her last sentence, "There's no point in living."
"Ah Wu!"
This was the first time Ji Qingwu had heard him call her in such a fierce tone, but the light in her eyes grew brighter and brighter.
She pulled herself back from the distraction he had almost caused, bit her lip, and said, "I not only memorized His Majesty's edict establishing me as Empress, but I also carefully understood its meaning."
As Ji Qingwu continued speaking, circling back to the imperial edict, Zhao Mingyan gripped the edict that she had thrown back.
The anger in his chest could neither dissipate nor be expressed.
Zhao Mingyan turned his head to look at the tent flap and said coldly, "With your blockhead, what could you possibly understand?"
Ji Qingwu said, "The palace of Beili is named Phoenix Palace, but what kind of palace is it without His Majesty? It's just a gilded cage!"
“My home is by your side, not that damned Phoenix Palace.”
Zhao Mingyan's pupils contracted.
Ji Qingwu wasn't finished speaking; it was as if he wanted to pour out all the things in his heart at once.
"If I were afraid of getting hurt, I would stay far away from you instead of trying every means to appear in front of you."
Ji Qingwu released her hand, which had been marked with white marks by her fingernails.
"I'm not afraid, I'm not afraid of anything."
She stared at him with her moist, bright eyes.
"I just want to stay by your side. Am I being unreasonable? Am I being disobedient? Did I do something wrong?"
Zhao Mingyan was stunned. After realizing what was happening, he shook his head repeatedly.
He was rendered speechless by her three questions.
Ji Qingwu stepped forward and extended his hand to him. As Zhao Mingyan raised his arms, the corners of his lips also curled up in a smile.
But Ji Qingwu dodged his arm and picked up the imperial edict that had fallen on his lap.
"This is mine, I'm just lending it to you for a quick look."
Zhao Mingyan was completely speechless.
The part of his heart that was filled seemed to overflow with juice sweeter than honey, and this sweet feeling enveloped and enveloped his whole being.
As Ji Qingwu turned around to put the imperial edict back into her luggage, he stood up and put his arm around her slender waist from behind.
"Then whose am I?"
Ji Qingwu was firmly locked in his arms, her hands clasped together in his palms.
She could feel that his palms were sweaty, just like hers, damp and hot.
Ji Qingwu tilted his head, the strands of hair behind his head brushing against his straight nose.
"It wasn't written in the decree, so I don't know."
Zhao Mingyan kissed her playful hair, then moved his lips to her earlobe, coaxing her in a deep voice, "Awu, hold this imperial edict like a treasure."
He sighed and said, "What a coincidence, I'm also holding my most precious treasure."
Even though Ji Qingwu tried her best to purse her lips into a straight line, they still uncontrollably curved upwards.
Zhao Mingyan felt her body soften, and her lower back began to relax and lean against him.
He suddenly bit her right earlobe, grinding it between his teeth.
Ji Qingwu's right ear turned bright red instantly, with the tip of the ear turning a vibrant pink like a beautiful peach blossom.
She turned to look at him, raised her chin, and said reproachfully, "Is this how you treat a priceless treasure?"
Ji Qingwu pointed smugly at his chest and said, "If you bite it and break it, you'll have to pay for it."
Zhao Mingyan nuzzled her neck with the tip of his nose, his deep, hot breath spraying onto her delicate and sensitive skin.
"Pay up, I'll make you bite back."
Ji Qingwu laughed out loud, partly from the ticklish feeling, and partly from being amused.
Hearing her cheerful laughter, the wolf cub outside the tent stopped digging, pricked up its ears, and listened to the sounds coming from inside the tent, its bushy tail wagging along with the sound.
Li Yuzong let out a long breath. He had almost thought that Miss Ji was going to abandon her emperor again and run away with her bags.
He looked at the freshly dug pit in front of the main tent, dug by the mother wolf, picked up a shovel, and hummed a Wu dialect tune as he went to bury the soil.
Seeing that the hole she had just dug had disappeared, the mother wolf immediately sped up to dig the next one.
Inside the tent, the atmosphere warmed up.
Ji Qingwu didn't stay smug for long before she realized something was wrong, because her hands were tied up with a strap that seemed to have appeared out of nowhere.
"What is this for?" she asked in surprise.
Behind her back, Zhao Mingyan, his expression somber, said, "Awu, doesn't this look familiar?"
Ji Qingwu saw that he had produced another plain light green handkerchief.
Her eyes widened in panic, and she stammered, "It's...it's mine...why did you keep it...?"
This strap is no ordinary strap either.
It was something that had once bound his hands and feet.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
