Chapter 473: I Have a Special Ability, Coming Clean

The soft, lilting way she said "Ming Yan" instantly threw Emperor Wu Su’s breathing into disarray.

The sight of Ji Qingwu before him, clad in crimson wedding robes, was enough to make his heart race, to say nothing of her teasing.

Zhao Mingyan leaned in, heading straight for her lips.

But Ji Qingwu smilingly raised her wine cup, blocking him. He stared coldly at the cup between them.

"Didn’t you tell me to have a taste?"

Ji Qingwu shook her head and pressed the cup to his lips.

"I said the wedding wine is very sweet. Your Majesty, please taste this first."

Zhao Mingyan didn’t refuse this time. The arm around her waist tightened as he took the Dragon and Phoenix Cup from her.

They linked arms, tilted their heads back, and drank the wine.

The thirty-year-old vintage was sharp and pungent. Ji Qingwu fought back the burning sensation in her nose, frowning as she prepared to down the liquor in one go.

But Zhao Mingyan had already finished his wine and was watching her small throat bob up and down.

The corners of his lips quirked up, and he pressed down on her.

The Dragon and Phoenix Cup fell to the floor, and the flame on the Golden Chai Candlestick flared.

The wine still in Ji Qingwu’s mouth was swept away by his kiss, and even the lipstick on her lips was not spared.

Not until Ji Qingwu was nearly kissed breathless did she pound on his shoulder, finally able to breathe freely again.

Her lipstick was gone, but her lips were still a vibrant, lovely color—a freshness kissed into them.

"Sweet."

Zhao Mingyan’s voice was low and raspy. "So sweet it melts the heart."

But Ji Qingwu jumped off him, and the first thing she did was take off the golden crown on her head.

"Heavy."

She said, dissatisfied, "It’s so heavy my head is spinning."

The Emperor, suddenly finding his arms empty of her soft form, stared at her with an expression even more displeased than hers.

Ji Qingwu placed the phoenix crown on the table and kneaded the back of her neck. She felt like she’d come back to life, and her eyes brightened considerably.

Seeing his dark expression, she sidled closer to explain. "Aunt Fanghua said I could only take off the golden crown and freshen up after the wedding wine ceremony. This phoenix crown is beautiful, but I’ve been wearing it all day. My head hurts and my neck is sore."

Ji Qingwu pulled up a chair and sat beside him.

Zhao Mingyan was no longer enjoying the privilege of her throwing herself into his arms. He kicked the Dragon and Phoenix Cup that had fallen near his feet under the table.

Ji Qingwu continued to vent her grievances. "My back is sore, and my legs are sore too. That nine-zhang-high platform looked close, but it was such a long walk."

The grand wedding ceremony looks glamorous, but going through the whole process is utterly exhausting.

Zhao Mingyan recalled her performance today. It had been a model of decorum for all women in the realm; he, on the other hand, had been the one to misstep.

He asked, "Ah Wu, don’t you have a secret medicine for recovery? Why didn’t you use it?"

Ji Qingwu’s gaze flickered.

She wanted to brush it off, but then she remembered they were married now, one body as husband and wife.

They say a loving couple should have no doubts between them. Since he was already suspicious, she might as well explain things clearly.

Besides, before Emperor Wu Su had left for his campaign, she had already mentally prepared herself to reveal the truth to him.

Ji Qingwu suddenly sat up straight and cleared her throat. "Your Majesty, I have something incredible to tell you."

The Dragon and Phoenix Candle had already burned down by nearly half.

Zhao Mingyan’s eyes darkened as well. He confirmed, "What is it? Must you say it now?"

Without hesitation, Ji Qingwu nodded. "Right now."

Zhao Mingyan looked at the incredibly serious expression on her face, suppressed his romantic thoughts, and sat quietly, waiting for her to speak.

Ji Qingwu twisted her fingers together. After forcing herself to calm down, she said, "Actually, that secret medicine wasn’t something I made myself. It’s... a special ability."

She tried to choose words he could understand. If she directly mentioned the childbirth system, she’d have a mountain of explaining to do.

Although Zhao Mingyan had met his share of extraordinary people with strange talents, he had never heard of anything so peculiar. Her words piqued his interest.

"How did you acquire such an ability?"

Ji Qingwu watched his reaction closely. Seeing his calm expression, she noted that he wasn’t treating her like some kind of freak.

Her fingers relaxed a bit. She continued, "Because I treat women for infertility, I can choose to receive different special abilities."

As soon as the words were out, Ji Qingwu’s heart began to pound with anxiety again.

Those expressive, watery eyes gazed at him, and with a single glance, Zhao Mingyan knew what she was saying was true.

Zhao Mingyan pondered for a moment, then said, "So it’s like... if you do good deeds and accumulate enough merit, the gods and buddhas will grant your wish?"

Ji Qingwu couldn’t stop nodding. She praised him, "Your Majesty’s analogy is perfect! That’s exactly it."

Zhao Mingyan lifted her chin, studying her face. "Is Ah Wu’s Disguise Technique one of those abilities too?"

’His powers of deduction are incredible!’ Ji Qingwu nodded. "Yes."

Zhao Mingyan said, "That’s quite a useful ability." ’No wonder I could never see through it,’ he thought.

His hand wrapped around her back, pulling her into his embrace once more. He lowered his head and asked, "Is that all you wanted to say? Are you finished? The wedding night won’t wait."

Ji Qingwu was stunned. ’How did Emperor Wu Su accept her explanation so easily?’

But nothing could be better. The great weight on Ji Qingwu’s heart lifted. She gazed at his exceptionally gentle expression in the candlelight, squeezed his hand, and nestled into his arms.

’There’s no time like the present.’

’I might as well tell him about the national fate system too.’

She didn’t want him to face any more dangers and hardships alone; they could discuss things and face them together.

Ji Qingwu bit her lip and said resolutely, "Actually, I have another special ability."

Zhao Mingyan felt her fingers tense up. He rubbed her palm and said in a low voice, "The sudden downpour at the Northern Border, and the sandstorm that turned into a clear day."

Ji Qingwu looked up at him in shock, her lips slightly parted. "Your Majesty... you guessed?"

Zhao Mingyan said, "You also have the power to control the weather?"

Ji Qingwu said, embarrassed, "Not exactly. I’m not that powerful."

Zhao Mingyan had long guessed that these abnormal weather phenomena were related to her, but he didn’t know the reason behind it. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "Then what is it?"

"It’s just..."

Ji Qingwu found it hard to say, but she had to get the words out.

"This ability... has to do with you."

Zhao Mingyan’s eyes darkened. "How does it have to do with me?"

Ji Qingwu lowered her head and said, "As long as... I am intimate with you, I can increase Beili’s national fate."

The man holding her went completely stiff, his reaction much stronger than before.

Ji Qingwu had thought that he would find the matter of the national fate system easier to accept, perhaps even be happy about it.

But Zhao Mingyan’s expression seemed to freeze over.

Ji Qingwu said, "This does sound incredible, doesn’t it?" She racked her brain to follow his previous line of thinking. "Actually, you can also think of it as—"

Zhao Mingyan’s grip on her hand suddenly tightened, squeezing so hard her knuckles ached.

"Think of it as what?"

His voice was bone-chillingly cold, and Ji Qingwu shivered.