Chapter 438: What Tea Tasting? He’s Clearly Drunk.

Chi Rui lowered his voice and said cautiously, "Someone’s in there. An old acquaintance of yours, General."

Before coming, Wei Ting had already prepared himself for the possibility of seeing Ji Qingwu.

The fingers beneath Wei Ting’s bracer suddenly tightened, but a scornful smile played on his lips.

"Wouldn’t that be even better?"

*

「A short while ago, inside the tent.」

Ji Qingwu followed behind Emperor Wu Su. The moment she entered, she asked, "Your Majesty, how exactly are the people of Xijin placing Gu on the beasts?"

Zhao Mingyan’s wide, black, dragon-patterned sleeve swept across the desk as he sat down and said, "I’m thirsty."

Li Yuzong was about to serve tea, but Ji Qingwu quickly took the task from him. She picked up the teapot, poured a cup of hot tea, and handed it to him.

The jade-green liquid rippled gently in the celadon cup. Zhao Mingyan took a sip and raised an eyebrow.

"Not bad. Good tea."

Bitterness welled up in Li Yuzong’s heart. He had served the Emperor for so long but had never received such praise. The same tea leaves and the same teapot, yet in the hands of another, it became a fragrant brew.

’How is this tasting tea? He’s clearly intoxicated! Drunk on the tender moment of a beauty offering him a cup.’

A thousand emotions surged in Li Yuzong’s heart, but he dared not let any show on his face. He presented a letter with both hands, holding it high above his brows.

"Holy Emperor, this is a secret letter from Mr. Lu. Please review it."

Ji Qingwu stepped aside. Since it concerned matters of the court, she could only swallow her curiosity for now.

Zhao Mingyan opened the memorial, his expression unchanged. The vermilion brush meandered across the Xuan paper.

He said lightly, "Grind the ink."

’Even the ink ground by this beauty’s hands would be fragrant.’ To ensure his Holy Emperor’s good mood continued, Li Yuzong reminded her in a low voice, "Miss Ji, the inkstone is over here."

Li Yuzong shot her a meaningful look, but he saw Ji Qingwu’s slender, fair hand shrink back into her sleeve.

"My hand still hurts."

Zhao Mingyan’s brush tip paused slightly. "Come here," he said.

Ji Qingwu simply didn’t want to get too close and see the contents of the secret memorial.

She shuffled her feet, slowly walking to his side to stand still, her gaze fixed straight ahead on the tent’s entrance.

Zhao Mingyan’s right hand continued to write with flourish, while his left hand rose to knead her knuckles, one by one.

"Where does it still hurt?"

His palm was warm. The tips of Ji Qingwu’s ears turned slightly red as she said in a tiny voice, "It doesn’t hurt anymore."

It hadn’t actually hurt; it was just an excuse. But now, having the Emperor, who was in the middle of reviewing memorials, massage her fingers made her feel a little guilty.

Ji Qingwu tried to pull her hand back, but he gripped it even tighter, rubbing it from time to time and stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

Zhao Mingyan suddenly spoke.

"Yu Wen Tianqing’s mother, the concubine, was from an Alien Clan. Rumor has it her flute’s music could bewitch people’s minds. The matter of Beast Taming might involve her."

Ji Qingwu turned to look at his profile, her eyes widening in astonishment. ’How could it be Yu Wen Tianqing’s mother?’

Yu Wen Tianqing’s mother was none other than Gao Zhao Yue, the very woman for whom Su Fengyue had betrayed his country and obsessed over until his death.

Ji Qingwu said, "But isn’t she already dead?"

Zhao Mingyan said, "The news of Gao Zhao Yue’s death was released by the Xijin Royal Family. Outsiders have no way of verifying it."

Ji Qingwu stared at him intently and asked, "Your Majesty knows she isn’t dead?"

Zhao Mingyan’s lips curved slightly. "The Beili Imperial Palace has spies from Xijin, and Xijin has my people as well."

Xijin’s Old Emperor is in poor health, bedridden all day. The Crown Prince, Yu Wen Tiancheng, is acting as regent. Gao Zhao Yue faked her death for some unknown reason and has now returned from the dead, joining forces with the Crown Prince to deal with Beili.

’That would explain it.’

Ji Qingwu said, "Xijin has also taken control of fierce beasts like jackals, wolves, tigers, and leopards. We must find a way to break the Spider Gu as soon as possible."

After speaking, she fell into deep thought. ’First, I’ll try my medicinal powders. If all else fails, I can still use the nation’s fortune in my hands.’

Zhao Mingyan set down his brush. After the ink on the memorial had dried, he pushed the document to Li Yuzong.

"Send this back to Lin’an by express horse."

Li Yuzong said respectfully, "Yes, Your Majesty."

As soon as he stepped out of the tent, his old face broke into a cheerful grin.

’Who said our Holy Emperor was cold and didn’t know how to dote on someone? Once he held her hand, he never let go.’

Li Yuzong ran right into the two men standing outside the tent.

Chi Rui didn’t have the guts to announce them and could only stand at the entrance, endlessly trying to persuade Wei Ting to wait before going in. If they walked in on something and displeased Emperor Wu Su, all his military merits would be for nothing.

As he continued his persuasion, Chi Rui’s eyes welled with tears. He even started spouting things like "the hounds are boiled after the cunning hare is caught," as if he could already foresee Wei Ting’s miserable future.

Wei Ting was long tired of Chi Rui’s nagging. The young vice-general was good at everything, except his imagination was too wild and his mouth was too loose.

He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Yuzong.

"Eunuch Li, please announce me. This humble general requests an audience with Your Majesty."

Li Yuzong’s eyes darted. He would be more than happy for Wei Ting to see the affectionate scene between the two masters inside, so that he could recognize reality sooner.

"Don’t be anxious, General. This old servant will announce you right away."

Li Yuzong announced in a loud voice, "Your Majesty, General Zhenbei requests an audience!"

Ji Qingwu heard Eunuch Li’s announcement and was about to pull her hand away, but Zhao Mingyan held her wrist and wouldn’t let go.

In the midst of the push and pull, he used a clever bit of force to pull Ji Qingwu onto his lap.

She whispered, "Your Majesty, someone is about to come in."

Zhao Mingyan held the warm, fragrant, and soft woman in his arms. "If I do not permit it, no one dares to enter," he said.

They both knew who General Zhenbei was.

Ji Qingwu pleaded, "Your Majesty, he must be here on urgent business."

Zhao Mingyan’s hand moved down from her waistline. "And is this not proper business?" he asked.

Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened. "How can this be proper business? Let me down, quickly."

Zhao Mingyan said in a serious tone, "Continuing the imperial line for the country is the foremost duty for an emperor and ruler."

Ji Qingwu, with a clear head, retorted, "That is the foremost duty of a fatuous ruler."

Then, she pushed him forcefully. Sensing her genuine reluctance, Zhao Mingyan relented, but still kept his long arm loosely wrapped around her.

Zhao Mingyan poked her over the heart with a long finger and said in a low voice, "So, in Ah Wu’s heart, the righteousness of family and country comes first."

The spot beneath his hand felt soft, and he poked it a few more times.

Ji Qingwu said, "Doesn’t Your Majesty think the same?"

Zhao Mingyan twitched his lips, not saying yes or no. ’Sometimes, I really do want to be a fatuous ruler.’

He lowered his head, his gaze wandering over her collar. His eyes fell upon a stretch of fair, smooth, and supple skin, and a dark glint flashed in his eyes.

Ji Qingwu suddenly gasped.

When Wei Ting entered the tent, Ji Qingwu was standing by the sandalwood desk grinding ink, while Emperor Wu Su was looking through a book on military strategy.

This beautiful scene—an emperor holding a scroll, a beauty grinding ink to add fragrance with her red sleeves—made Wei Ting’s eyes sting with redness.

He hastily suppressed his improper emotions and strode forward. "This humble general greets Your Majesty."

Zhao Mingyan said, "General Zhenbei, you are still injured. Sit down and speak."

Wei Ting cupped his fist in acknowledgment and sat on a chair to the side.

"Your Majesty, Lord Li has already sent men to escort the people from Black Wind Village over. The Hu Family’s Three Brothers are clamoring to see..."