Chapter 511: IF Storyline 10: Only Success, No Failure

But she was more than just the woman fate had sent.

So he was willing to wait.

To wait for a tender seedling to sprout, blossom, and finally bear fruit.

After Zhao Mingyan said those words, Ji Qingwu’s eyes went wide.

She chided, “You… you scoundrel.”

His lips curled. “Isn’t this what you came here to do?”

Unable to push away the mountain that was him, Ji Qingwu mimicked his earlier answer. “I am, and I am not.”

Zhao Mingyan said, “Care to elaborate?”

“I’m aiming for marriage,” Ji Qingwu said seriously. “Not some casual fling.”

Zhao Mingyan laughed. “I haven’t even done anything, and it’s already a ‘casual fling’? It seems I’ll have to live up to the charge.”

It wasn’t that Ji Qingwu was against them doing something before marriage; in fact, completing her mission sooner would be for the best.

Besides, she also wanted to find out *why* he was supposedly unable to have children.

‘Some men can’t have children because they’re… unable to perform.’

‘If he was all show and no go, it would take a great deal of time to get him into condition, and she couldn’t let her childbearing mission be delayed.’

Ji Qingwu’s gaze drifted downward involuntarily, her brow furrowing and then smoothing out.

Zhao Mingyan asked, “What are you looking at?”

Once the seed of doubt was planted, it was difficult to uproot.

Without even thinking, Ji Qingwu said, “Seeing if it works.”

A normal man wouldn’t be able to tolerate such a thing, but Zhao Mingyan could endure what others could not. The expression in his eyes flickered, but ultimately settled into calm.

He said in a low voice, “You can’t tell just by looking. You have to try it for yourself.”

‘Try it?’

Ji Qingwu began to consider the proposition.

He had just finished bathing, and the bitter-cool scent of agarwood wafted from him. It was supposed to be a calming scent, but they were both feeling restless.

After a long moment, Ji Qingwu said with difficulty, “We can’t just ‘try’.”

Zhao Mingyan lowered his gaze, his long lashes concealing the darkness that had pooled in his eyes as he asked in a low voice,

“We can’t?”

Ji Qingwu didn’t detect the danger hidden in his tone, only a hint of dejection.

She said, “Of course we can’t ‘just try’.”

Zhao Mingyan raised his eyes to her lips—plump, delectable, and right before him.

“‘Trying’ implies that failure is an option,” Ji Qingwu said, trying to cheer him on. “We must approach this with the confidence and determination to succeed! Only success is allowed; failure is not an option!”

Zhao Mingyan hid the delight in his eyes and feigned a sigh. “But what if…”

“No ‘what ifs’ or ‘buts’. I’m here,” Ji Qingwu said, taking full responsibility. “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely find a way.”

‘Her system was useless for anything else, but it had plenty of tricks up its sleeve for having a child.’

Zhao Mingyan frowned and said with a forlorn air, “Really?”

Seeing him like this, Ji Qingwu took the initiative and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I mean it. Don’t rush. We’ll take our time.”

Ji Qingwu, armed with her conviction for victory, fell completely for it.

The childbearing mission had reached its most critical step, and the two had made substantial progress.

However, at the decisive moment of the final sprint, something went wrong—all according to someone’s careful design.

‘The flower had only just bloomed; he had no intention of rushing to bear fruit just yet.’

Zhao Mingyan picked up a cloth soaked in hot water to clean her. After being thoroughly devoured, Ji Qingwu, her eyes moist, comforted him.

“We were just inexperienced this time. We’ll be better next time.”

Zhao Mingyan pressed her into his embrace, resting his head in the crook of her neck. His dark eyes glinted, but his voice was heavy as he grunted in agreement.

Ji Qingwu patted his back and nuzzled his ear with her cheek as a gesture of comfort.

「After that day.」

Zhao Mingyan’s military tent started to accumulate quite a few new things.

Especially when he returned from leading his troops out on campaigns, he would discover new changes in the tent each time.

For example, at first, fresh flowers and plants began to appear on the long desk where he handled his official documents. Sometimes it would be a pine branch, complete with pinecones.

Then, the hard bedding on his cot was replaced with something soft and fragrant. A pair of small dolls made from tied cotton towels appeared, and even the bed curtains were changed to a soft blue.

His trunks and cabinets were no longer half-empty, but stuffed to the brim with all sorts of trinkets.

Gradually, a long strand of hair would occasionally be found caught on his armor, snagged there by accident when she saw him off to battle.

The generals from the Northern Border Army who came to discuss matters would first show expressions of disbelief upon stepping into the main tent, which would then turn to envy.

Because the entire military tent was no longer cold and sterile. It was now filled with vibrant colors and the scent of flowers and medicinal herbs.

And sometimes, a delicate beauty would be present, gracefully attending to him.

These wonderful, simple days continued for half a year.

The great edifice of the Daliang Dynasty had collapsed. The generals and the great clans were about to enthrone a new monarch, and there was no suspense as to who it would be: Zhao Mingyan, the Heir of Marquis Yong’an, who hailed from a great clan and held military power as General Dingbei.

Although conditions at the Northern Border were poor and the ongoing war meant they were often apart, Ji Qingwu’s heart was exceptionally at ease.

Aside from the fact that she had yet to become pregnant, there was nothing to be displeased about.

Now, Zhao Mingyan was returning to Lin’an, and she would certainly be going with him. But Ji Qingwu began to feel a sense of unease.

She found her bundle in a trunk and took out a pair of jade pendants. These were the items she’d had on her person when she first arrived here.

Ji Qingwu had asked the owner of a jade shop about them. He had said that based on the quality of the jade and the craftsmanship of the twin carps, they were clearly custom-made by the Yu Yuan Pavilion in the Imperial City. Furthermore, the Yu Yuan Pavilion only accepted custom orders from powerful and prestigious families.

‘My family is in Lin’an, and they’re a prestigious house.’

Her anxiety wasn’t about this, but about Zhao Mingyan’s ascension to the throne. A new emperor would need supporters, which meant he would inevitably be subject to their influence.

‘So where did that leave me?’

‘Throughout history, every Empress has come from a prestigious family. Should I go back and reunite with my relatives?’

The date for their return to Lin’an was quickly set. After traveling for two days and nights straight, General Dingbei’s carriage arrived, and the people of the Imperial City lined the streets to welcome him.

The Old Marquis of the Marquis Yong’an Mansion had already passed away. The household was now managed by his second wife, Ji Fangmin.

Her stepson was far more capable than her own son, so Ji Fangmin now held her head higher than anyone in Lin’an, especially after word spread among the great clans about the choice for the new emperor.

When Zhao Mingyan stepped out of the carriage, Ji Fangmin eagerly rushed forward to greet him.

She fussed over him with concern. “Yanyan, you must be exhausted from the journey. I heard you were injured? Is it serious?”

Zhao Mingyan glanced at the people gathered before the Marquis Mansion’s gate. He didn’t see his older sister, Zhao Tianhua, but his unruly younger brother, Zhao Minghong, was there, jumping about like a monkey trying to get his attention.

He shot Zhao Minghong a cold glance, and the latter finally quieted down.

His little sister, Zhao Jiayun, was afraid of him and hid behind the elderly nanny beside her.

Ji Fangmin pretended not to see Zhao Mingyan’s cold expression, wanting to display a scene of mother-son affection for the crowd of onlookers.

“I prepared your favorite refreshments first thing this morning—Snow Honey Soup and Sweet Dew Pastries. Hurry inside.”

The nanny beside her said with a cheerful laugh, “Princely Heir, the Marchioness made them herself in the kitchen.”

“What soup? What pastries?”

A woman’s soft, sleepy voice drifted from the carriage that everyone had forgotten.

Ji Qingwu had been so worried about what life would be like after returning to Lin’an that she hadn’t slept well for several nights. She had dozed off fitfully in the carriage during the day, not expecting to wake up just as they arrived.

She rubbed her eyes, lifted the carriage curtain, and said with a smile, “You said the General likes these? But the General can’t stand overly sweet things.”

Ji Fangmin’s expression changed.

More than the public humiliation, she was alarmed that Zhao Mingyan had actually brought a woman home with him.