Shi Sheng had planned to have her people kill Duan Qingyun. But before they could do so, the Ning Princess arrived.
Jiang Zhi had led troops there herself.
The place was a mountain camp, home to a group of infamous bandits.
The inhabitants had already been killed and their corpses hauled outside, stacked into a pile.
Jiang Zhi sprinted inside.
Dai Yue had hadn’t arrived much earlier. She was ordering people to carry Duan Qingyun away when Jiang Zhi barged in.
Jiang Zhi didn’t even look at the unconscious Duan Qingyun. Her gaze first turned to the corpse covered by white cloth.
Her hands trembled as she pulled the cloth away to reveal his features.
One had to admit, the young man had been very good-looking. But right now, he wasn’t wearing even a single scrap of clothing. Besides the face…everywhere else was simply too ravaged to look at.
Dai Yue cast the unconscious Duan Qingyun a glance. ‘If I kill him in front of the Ning Princess, will she stake her life against me?’
In the end, Dai Yue decided to not act for right now. ‘The Ning Princess brought quite a few people. If I act now, she may label me as insubordinate.
I should just bring him back for Her Excellency to deal with. Her Excellency can be wilful, but I can’t.’
Since the Ning Princess is here, then we will hand over that one to you.
Dai Yue waved a hand to her people, signalling for them to leave with the unconscious Duan Qingyun.
As for dealing with the bandits…that wasn’t part of the Prime Minister’s jurisdiction.
Stop!
Jiang Zhi called out in a hoarse voice.
Is there anything else?
Dai Yue halted and turned to look at Jiang Zhi with neither subservience nor insubordination.
Qingyun is my husband. Where are you taking him?
Duan Qingyun has offended Her Excellency. Naturally, I am bringing him back to receive punishment.
Dai Yue replied matter-of-factly, as if she wasn’t taking away a person, but rather an insignificant object.
How has Qingyun offended Jun Liyou? She still hasn’t given up, has she?
Dai Yue,
…
‘Her Excellency only has Sir Ling Yue in her heart, okay? I never liked that Duan Qingyun. Now that there’s Sir Ling Yue to compare to, he’s not even worth mentioning.’
How did you find this place? How did Jun Liyou know he was here? Was this all part of her plan?
Jiang Zhi continued.
Dai Yue rigorously maintained the standards expected of the Prime Minister’s second-in-command.
It is easy for us to find someone with our strength.
‘Why plot against a mere Duan Qingyun? Her Excellency can smack him to death with one hand!’
Qingyun doesn’t like her, so why is she harassing him so much? What’s the point of obtaining him with these crude methods? Release him!
Jiang Zhi was of the firm opinion that it was Shi Sheng who simply refused to give up on Duan Qingyun.
Ning Princess.
Dai Yue took a deep breath and spoke with a hint of mockery in her tone,
If Her Excellency truly liked Duan Qingyun, she would never have annulled their engagement in the first place.
‘When the Empress proclaimed a decree annulling the engagement between Her Excellency and Duan Qingyun, Her Excellency especially went to ask for his opinion. It was only because Duan Qingyun wanted to annul the engagement that she didn’t oppose the Empress’s decision.
If Her Excellency was unwilling to accept it, what use would the Empress’s decree have?’
Jiang Zhi’s expression changed. She had lost some of her cool due to the young man’s death.
Originally, she hadn’t understood the extent of the Prime Minister’s power. But recently, she had witnessed it herself..
How has Qingyun offended her?
Jiang Zhi calmed down.
No comment.
Dai Yue nodded at her.
Farewell.
As Jiang Zhi watched Dai Yue take Duan Qingyun away, she trembled with fury.
‘Jun Liyou!’
After a long time, she turned around to carry the young man’s corpse and descended the mountain.
This man had always been very attached to her and was very obedient. If someone told Jiang Zhi to rank those she liked most, she would place him as her second.
The first place belonged to the man who had rescued her from Shi Sheng that night, Qin Hua.
……
By the time Dai Yue brought Duan Qingyun back to the Prime Minister’s residence, he was already awake. He appeared pretty much unharmed and his clothes were rather clean.
It was unknown why he’d been unconscious for so long.
Duan Qingyun finally made out the person walking in front of him.
‘Dai Yue… Did the Prime Minister rescue me? That must be the case!’
He turned to check out his surroundings. It wasn’t his first time in the Prime Minister’s residence, so he could naturally recognise the place. He couldn’t help but feel elated.
‘The Prime Minister still likes me after all!’
However, Duan Qingyun finally realized something was wrong the second he found himself locked in a firewood shed.
What are you doing? I want to see the Prime Minister!
Dai Yue coldly looked at him.
See Her Excellency?
‘In your dreams!’
Dai Yue got people to lock the door.
Let me out! I want to see the Prime Minister!
‘She likes me, so she wouldn’t do this to me! This must be the idea of these servants!’
Duan Qingyun shouted till he went hoarse, but still no one answered him.
……
When Shi Sheng heard that Dai Yue had brought Duan Qingyun back, she wished she could give the former a few solid smacks.
‘Why’d you bring him back?!
Even if you were afraid to make a move with the Ning Princess present, then what about when you descended the mountain?!
The way back is so long! You could’ve just killed him at any time and disposed of the body! Why’d you bring him back?!’
Dai Yue seemed to be able to read Shi Sheng’s mental shouting through her eyes.
Dai Yue rubbed her nose a bit awkwardly. ‘I was just thinking about how we’d answer to the Ning Princess if she comes looking for him after he’s dead…’
Go kill him! Right now! Immediately! At once!
Shi Sheng slapped the table before leaving to go coax her waifu.
Feng Ci used to just straight-up burn people when he was jealous. But due to this world’s setting, he could only storm off in a huff.
Shi Sheng didn’t manage to convince him even after spending what felt like the greater half of the day. In the end, not even sacrificing herself would do. She even ended up being chased off the bed!
Shi Sheng felt like she ought to mark this on Dai Yue’s record.
Dai Yue, who had been about to kill Duan Qingyun, sneezed several times.
…
‘Is Her Excellency thinking of me?’
Shi Sheng scooted over to the bedside to look down at the curled-up lump on the bed.
She poked him.
There was no movement.
I didn’t bring him back! Waifu, please be reasonable ah!
Shi Sheng tugged at the blanket.
Ling Yue clutched tightly onto the blanket, giving Shi Sheng no chance to pull it away.
If she tried to pull from another direction, Ling Yue would continue fighting her for it as though they were competing to see who was stronger.
Shi Sheng let go of the blanket with a headache.
#What do I do when my waifu ignores me out of jealousy? Pls, need help asap!#
She’d experienced first-hand just how jealous Feng Ci could get in their previous encounters. Sometimes people had ended up suffering simply because her gaze had lingered a beat too long.
So his current tantrum…was really just the tip of the iceberg.
Shi Sheng prattled on and on like a nagging mother.
Ling Yue curled up beneath the blanket. He wasn’t really all that angry. Instead, he felt a certain warmth and fuzziness inside. It was a warmth that seemed to settle into his very soul.
He liked the feeling of being coaxed by her.
Shi Sheng had to speak for nearly ten minutes, before Ling Yue finally poked his head out from under the blanket. Perhaps because there was insufficient oxygen under there, his face was already flushed through and a thin layer of sweat had formed on his forehead.
Shi Sheng helped him tidy up his hair.
You’re sweating, do you want to wash up? Otherwise, you’re going to be uncomfortable when you go to bed in a bit. Are you still angry?
Ling Yue grabbed her hand.
Promise me something.
Speak.
Shi Sheng nodded.
From now on…
Ling Yue’s lips moved, but no sound came out.
What?
From now on…
Ling Yue grit his teeth.
Let me be on top.
Shi Sheng blinked and suddenly smiled. She spoke in an indulgent tone,
Fine. If you want to be on top, you can be on top from now on.
Ling Yue hadn’t expected her to agree so quickly. Other than surprise, he felt joy.
In this day and age, if a woman was willing to let the man be on top, it was a pretty good indicator she was serious about him. It was the type of adoration that went as deep as one’s bones.
