Xiao Ji's movements as he applied the medicine powder and bandaged the wound were practiced, indicating that he did this frequently.
Shang Changge's attention was quickly diverted to Xiao Ji's palm, stained with her blood, and she wondered if she was seeing things.
She stared at it for a while longer, her long, beautiful phoenix eyes narrowing slightly.
A moment later,
The two strolled hand in hand through the garden of the Princess's residence, which was ridiculously large and planted with all kinds of precious flowers, trees and shrubs.
After the rain, the clouds parted and the sun shone brightly.
The air is fresh, filled with the faint fragrance of flowers, grass, and trees.
The lake's color echoes the sky, and there are also artificial mountains and strangely shaped rocks, pavilions and towers, waterside corridors, and small bridges over flowing water...
In short, it is a beautiful and dazzling scene of a royal and aristocratic back garden, full of power, wealth, and allure.
pity,
Having seen Shang Changge so many times that he was used to it and felt nothing, he had no heart to appreciate the beautiful scenery after such a spring rain.
She was thinking about the incredible scene she had just witnessed, so Xiao Ji did most of the talking the whole way.
There was only a 40% chance that his arm injury could be healed. Not wanting Shang Changge to be disappointed, Xiao Ji didn't say anything.
After reassuring Shang Changge that she didn't need to worry too much about her injuries, he brought up something related to the Ghost Market.
"Jing Xiuming came to see me today and asked me to ask you if you would be willing to take over the Ghost Market from the imperial court."
These words brought Shang Changge back to her senses, but she couldn't quite understand Jing Xiuming's decision to voluntarily hand over the Ghost Market.
After a brief moment of thought, she came up with a few guesses that she considered reasonable:
"Did you threaten him? Or Granny Hua? Or do you have some kind of leverage over them?"
Xiao Ji was both amused and exasperated. He pinched the woman's cheek and said in a wronged tone, "So this is the kind of person I am in the princess's heart?"
Shang Changge's beautiful face typed out the three large characters "Of course," and gave a fairly reasonable explanation:
"Because I am also that kind of person. General Xiao, haven't you heard the saying, 'Two kinds of people can't sleep in the same bed'?"
Xiao Ji: ...
Xiao Ji felt that his princess was absolutely right, and the smile on his thin lips deepened as he began to talk about what he had been hiding all along.
"Grandma Hua's terms for the deal included not only the Blood Jade, but also the right to use the residential land in the Ghost Market, the number of patrol soldiers, and so on."
I gave her everything she wanted, but from that day on, all the movements in the Ghost Market were under the control of the imperial court's spies..."
Shang Changge: "Wait a minute."
Shang Changge called a halt, his mind racing as he sorted through every detail and belatedly realized:
"The imperial court controls it? Not you. So you mean you directly told Aze about Granny Hua's conditions and everything about the Ghost Market?"
"Including the fact that Granny Hua was Lady Yu, a concubine of my grandfather, was something you were the first to discover and you were the one who told Aze."
Xiao Ji smiled, as always never stingy with praise for the woman he loved, and sincerely exclaimed, "You're all right, so clever."
Shang Changge remained silent, feeling slightly displeased at being kept in the dark, and questioned Wu Lian in succession:
"Then why didn't you just tell me directly? Instead, you beat around the bush and had Aze tell me that Granny Hua is Madam Yu?"
Am I no longer the closest person to you? Have we grown distant? Have you stopped loving me?
Xiao Ji was a mature and steady man. He was both tolerant and amused by his woman's sudden little temper tantrums, and patiently answered each one:
"At that time, I did not want the princess to know that I had other dealings with Granny Hua, so I did not let the emperor tell the princess about Lady Yu."
She's the closest person to me. As for distance... there was no distance back then, but now there is, though it's a negative distance. I love her very much.
...
...
...
Shang Changge was stunned and shocked by the man's loving smile as he uttered the words "negative distance." She pursed her lips.
He held back and held back again and again, but finally couldn't suppress the primal power within him and uttered the words he hadn't said for so long.
"Xiao Ji, you're so flirtatious."
Xiao Ji was very experienced with similar questions, and without changing his expression, he asked in return:
"Then, does the Princess like me like this?"
Shang Changge couldn't control his smile; it practically reached the sun, his arrogant and unrestrained grin radiating honesty.
"I love you to death, please keep it up, my husband. And keep striving for improvement and breakthroughs, so that one day you will impress me... no, I mean, make me unable to look at you."
Once the logic is clear, Granny Hua's initiative to hand over the ghost market becomes simple and easy to understand:
It seems Granny Hua discovered the existence of the imperial spies and realized that the Ghost Market was under the control of the imperial court. But what could she do? Could she challenge the imperial court?
cannot!
No matter how powerful the Ghost Market is, it can't surpass the imperial court. In the past, it went undetected in the shadows and still held the initiative.
The ghost market, though seemingly operating in the shadows, is actually in full view of the public and is completely on the defensive.
If the Ghost Market dares to challenge the imperial court, the court can send troops to destroy it in an instant.
However,
With such a powerful force as the Ghost Market, its presence in the capital would eventually become an eyesore to the emperor, so there's no point in remaining law-abiding.
The best option is to go with the flow and hand over the Ghost Market before the Emperor finds it an eyesore or decides to do anything about it.
In this way, if the emperor is pleased with the market, the ghost market can be preserved, and by making such a voluntary offering...
Whether it was out of consideration for Granny Hua's status as her grandfather's concubine or because of her adept interpersonal skills, Shang Changze...
They would not take over the entire ghost market from the imperial court, but would instead bring it under the court's jurisdiction.
As for control of the ghost market, it still belongs to Granny Hua, the owner of the ghost market.
After all, under the circumstances of national peace and prosperity, and barring unforeseen circumstances, the imperial court possesses a strong military and abundant talent.
The government doesn't lack people from the ghost market who serve the court like slaves, and those who don't follow the usual path in the ghost market are not suitable to work for the government.
"There's one more thing..."
Xiao Ji then mentioned the things Jing Xiuming had let go of. Apart from raising an eyebrow, Shang Changge made no further comment to Jing Xiuming, but instead brought up Mi Chan.
"It would be best if he could truly live up to his words and act as naturally as he claims in the future."
It just so happens that Mi Chan's birthday is in a few days, and Qing Yao mentioned to me that Mi Chan had invited me to her birthday celebration.
I won't go, but I can send someone to deliver a birthday gift.
Xiao Ji smiled, in a good mood. He was about to take Shang Changge's hand and interlock their fingers, but Shang Changge grabbed his hand first and pulled him toward a four-cornered pavilion surrounded by flowers.
A short while later,
After the two sat down on the jade benches in the pavilion, Shang Changge took Xiao Ji's hand and placed it in front of her eyes.
Manually open Xiao Ji's palm and carefully observe the texture of the skin on the man's broad palm, which has been damaged by a terrifying and hideous scar.
Xiao Ji: "These are old wounds, they don't hurt anymore, Princess, there's no need to feel sorry for them."
Shang Changge didn't even look up, still as honest as ever, still the master of ruining the atmosphere: "I know, I'm not heartbroken."
Xiao Ji: ...
What could cause an old, chronic injury to suddenly start hurting?
Just as the big bad wolf was pondering whether to use his long-unused self-inflicted injury trick to win his partner's sympathy, Shang Changge spoke up.
"Xiao Ji, don't you think your scar has faded a lot?"
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