Ji Fengyao followed Shanyu Heye's gaze and glanced at Xique and Linshuang.
Lin Shuang nodded and said, "Your Highness, this servant will go to the kitchen to see if your medicine is ready."
Ji Fengyao nodded and quickly went out.
The magpie remained motionless beside Ji Fengyao like a door god; as long as Ji Fengyao didn't tell her to leave, no amount of looking at her would work.
"Xique is like my own sister. You may speak freely," Ji Fengyao said, seeing that Chanyu Heye was wary of Xique.
Although Shanyu Heye was not used to Ji Fengyao's way of favoring her servants, Xique seemed quite loyal to Ji Fengyao, so she could only go along with the local customs and said, "Your Majesty, it is not appropriate for me to stay long today, so I will get straight to the point. I suppose Your Majesty already knows that Consort Jia invited me to the palace to see the Empress Dowager today?"
"Oh? Did Consort Jia go to see the Empress Dowager? She and the Empress Dowager have a very good relationship?" Ji Fengyao looked like she was just finding out about this, as if she had only just learned about it.
Consort Jin frowned slightly and continued, "Consort Jia and I are both from a surrendered kingdom, so we naturally have no connection with the Great Zhao royal family. However, if we request an audience with the emperor, it will be easier for us than for ordinary officials' wives. Isn't Your Highness curious why Consort Jia invited me to the palace and why she wants to meet the Empress Dowager?"
It's certainly not because you are all concubines of the Ninth Prince or princesses of the defeated kingdom;
It's not because the Empress Dowager is a woman and the Emperor is a man.
Ji Fengyao took a sip of warm tea, went over these words in her mind, and smiled innocently: "We are both strangers in a foreign land. Perhaps Consort Jia feels that she and Consort Jin are in the same boat, so she feels closer to you than to others."
"But I do not wish to be close to her." Seeing that Ji Fengyao, despite her bandit-like manner, was surprisingly tactful, Chanyu Heye had no choice but to make his point clear first: "I sincerely wish to form an alliance with the Princess."
Ji Fengyao looked at Shanyu Heye with a smile: "I am a bandit. Doesn't Consort Jin feel wronged for colluding with bandits?"
“Even a bandit who is so highly regarded by the Prince is better than us princesses who have lost our country and our homes. It’s just that Consort Jia can’t see this and doesn’t want to admit it, but I understand. Nothing is more important than living a peaceful life.” Shanyu Heye met Ji Fengyao’s gaze with determination and said firmly, “I only ask for one thing. If one day the Princess can come and go as she pleases, please allow me to leave the palace and leave Da Zhao.”
Ji Fengyao was slightly surprised that someone here was willing to leave: "You don't like the prince?"
“I like him, but Your Highness and I share the hatred of losing our country and family, so I can neither be his enemy nor his wife.” There was a deep struggle in Shanyu Heye’s eyes, and this struggle must have lingered in her heart for more than a day.
"Your reasoning sounds somewhat plausible, so I'll believe you for now. But what will I gain from forming an alliance with you? It can't be that I've made a profit just because you don't harm me, can it?" Ji Fengyao twirled the ribbon around her collar with her fingers, appearing somewhat nonchalant and unconventional, yet giving off a relaxed and comfortable vibe.
Shanyu Heye stood up and leaned close to Ji Fengyao, whispering a few words in her ear.
Ji Fengyao raised an eyebrow at her in surprise: "Are you sure you want to play like this?"
"Does the princess want to change her image and no longer want to be the villain?" Shanyu Heye showed his first smile since entering the room.
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