The Prime Minister’s Daughter and the Marquis’s Fool – Chapter 199
by Little PandaWife, Kiss Me
Jin Mingyi wore a luxurious, deep indigo gown embroidered with patterns of clouds and bronze cauldrons. Flanked by two envoys of the Jin Dynasty, she slowly walked down the center of the hall. Observing the proper state etiquette, she performed the full kneeling kowtow before the Emperor, Qu Sheng, who sat high upon the golden throne.
“Jin Mingyi, Princess Wanyi of the Jin Dynasty, has been specially dispatched by our Emperor to represent our state today, offering congratulations to the Emperor of Quzhao on her ascension to the imperial throne.”
Jin Mingyi prostrated herself on the floor, and the two envoys behind her also knelt in unison.
In diplomatic relations between two states, unless one was a tributary dependency, a royal family member representing their sovereign would not be faulted for refusing to kneel. However, before Jin Mingyi set out, the ministers of the Jin court had unanimously agreed that she must perform the kneeling obeisance.
They shared blood ties with the Qu family, and the current Emperor of Quzhao also carried the bloodline of the Jin family in her veins. Therefore, their bowing would not humiliate their own people, and the true intention behind this kneeling was to signal weakness to Quzhao.
The Jin Dynasty was currently plagued by crises both within and without. Wars raged not only along their northern border but also in the west, while their surrounding tributary states were no longer willing to remain loyal, severing ties one after another.
If Qu Sheng chose to abandon rest and recovery at this juncture and instead march against the Jin Dynasty, she could conquer them. Though it would extract a heavy toll, the moment Quzhao deployed its forces, the Jin Dynasty would inevitably fall.
“Rise.” The tension in Qu Sheng’s brow eased slightly.
She and Jin Mingyi were still maternal cousins. When she had ordered her archers to shoot before the gates of the Jin capital, she had never intended to harm Jin Mingyi; she had only wanted to force them back inside and compel Jin Mingjun to show himself.
“We thank Your Majesty,” Jin Mingyi said. Keeping her head lowered, she stood, and the envoys behind her followed suit.
Jin Mingyi raised her head to look at Qu Sheng. Her tense expression softened a fraction when she saw the faint trace of warmth in Qu Sheng’s features.
“To celebrate Your Majesty’s ascension, our Emperor has specifically commanded us to present fifty million taels of silver and thousands of precious treasures, re-establishing our dynasty’s resolve to maintain eternal peace and friendship with Quzhao.”
The ministers standing below gasped at the mention of fifty million taels of silver, casting shocked glances at Jin Mingyi.
“And each year we will also present a certain amount of silver, gold, and cloth. The exact quantities will be negotiated between the two officials behind me and Your Majesty’s court officials, and it will surely satisfy you.” Jin Mingyi had always been a fast talker, but today she seemed to have deliberately practiced her speech; her composure and bearing fully befitted the grace of a princess.
Hearing this, Qu Sheng’s brow knit slightly once more. She lowered her gaze for a brief moment before fixing her eyes on Jin Mingyi. She understood the Jin Dynasty’s intentions; Jin Mingyi had stopped just short of using the word “tribute.”
Historically, only foreign vassal states offered tribute. The Jin Dynasty’s actions were undoubtedly a gesture of submission, declaring themselves vassals to Quzhao without stating it aloud.
Yet Qu Sheng knew they did not truly desire vassal status to seek Quzhao’s protection; rather, they wanted Quzhao to honor their agreement and refrain from launching a war while they were besieged on two fronts.
Qu Sheng let out a soft laugh. “Since your state has shown such sincerity, We ought to grant this request. However, We must still discuss the matter with Our ministers. Guesthouses have already been prepared for the envoys to rest. Why not recuperate first, then attend the state banquet We have prepared for you this evening? We can discuss this in detail then. What do you think?”
Having delivered everything she was tasked to say, Jin Mingyi lowered her eyes and bowed. “Everything shall be as Your Majesty says.”
Once the imperial audience welcoming the Jin envoys concluded, Qu Sheng returned to her private quarters to fetch Lin Xizhao, and together they set out for Nanting Courtyard.
The moment she stepped into Nanting Courtyard, Qu Sheng saw Jin Mingyi clinging to Jin Yunfei’s arm, affectionately calling her “Aunt.” She looked nothing like the solemn Jin princess who had stood in the grand hall formally negotiating terms.
“Empress Dowager, Your Majesty and the Commandery Princess have returned,” announced a maid waiting outside, hurrying in to report after seeing Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao walking back hand-in-hand.
Jin Yunfei looked toward the door with a warm, benevolent smile. As Qu Sheng and Lin Xizhao entered, they bowed in unison. “Peace and blessings to Imperial Mother.”
Jin Yunfei beamed, extending her hands. “Come, come quickly. I haven’t seen either of you in days.”
The two raised their heads. Lin Xizhao stepped toward Jin Yunfei, while Qu Sheng looked up at Jin Mingyi, who had suddenly shrunk back like a withered leaf.
Stealing a glance at Qu Sheng from the corner of her eye, Jin Mingyi caught her cousin staring and quickly averted her gaze.
Lin Xizhao cast a glance at Jin Mingyi. Seeing Qu Sheng’s relentless stare, she walked over with a smile and took Jin Mingyi’s hand. “Cousin, please stay a while longer this time. Sheng’er and I have missed you dearly.”
Jin Mingyi smiled awkwardly and mumbled under her breath, “She doesn’t miss me at all…” She still remembered that Qu Sheng had wanted to kill her.
The Jin family had committed such heinous deeds, even going so far as to threaten Qu Sheng’s family. If she were in Qu Sheng’s position, such deep-seated resentment would not be so easily brushed aside.
“How could they send you here?” Qu Sheng questioned as soon as she spoke, though her tone lacked the distance she had shown in the hall; she sounded almost as she used to when asking her things.
Jin Mingyi looked over cautiously. Seeing Qu Sheng’s furrowed brow but sensing that her cousin was no longer keeping her at arm’s length, she turned her eyes to Jin Yunfei and Lin Xizhao.
Noticing her nervousness, Lin Xizhao smiled gently. “There is no need to be tense. Within these walls, we only speak of family matters.”
If Qu Sheng truly harbored hostility toward Jin Mingyi, she would not have asked that question. She merely suspected that Feng Sugao was deliberately trying to play the emotional card with her.
Still somewhat skeptical, Jin Mingyi turned to look at Qu Sheng’s sullen face. “It was Uncle Feng who made me come,” she replied. “He said you wouldn’t do anything to me if I came, and even if you wanted to, Aunt would protect me.”
Seeing that Jin Mingyi was completely devoid of guile, Qu Sheng gave her a helpless look. “Did he have any other messages for you to deliver to me?”
“No,” Jin Mingyi answered swiftly.
“Alright, Yi’er has gone through a great deal of trouble to visit us. Do not frighten her,” Jin Yunfei interjected from the side.
Although Jin Mingjun’s actions had broken her heart, her elder brother had never betrayed them, and this niece of hers was still her own flesh and blood.
“Has Cousin eaten lunch?” Lin Xizhao chimed in at the perfect moment.
Jin Mingyi shook her head quickly. “Not yet.”
She had not gone to the official guesthouse. Having already inquired and found that Jin Yunfei resided here, she had prepared gifts beforehand and hurried over the moment she left the palace.
“I have already had lunch prepared. All of you must stay,” Jin Yunfei said.
Seeing Jin Yunfei so exceptionally joyful for the first time in a long while, Qu Sheng nodded in agreement.
While waiting for the meal to be served, Jin Mingyi went to visit her uncle, Qu Jinian. He remained in the same state as before: all his vitals were stable, but he simply could not wake.
However, as Qu Sheng stepped out of the room, Liu Wuxiang, who had been residing in Nanting Courtyard, came looking for her.
Sensing that the two of them had matters to discuss in private, Lin Xizhao guided Jin Mingyi back to the dining hall first.
Qu Sheng and Liu Wuxiang walked to an empty side chamber. They stood there awkwardly, both turning their faces away from each other.
After a brief, heavy silence, Qu Sheng cleared her throat first. “Has Princess Cheng Xi sent any letters?”
Liu Wuxiang turned his head at this. “She has. She wrote that she is coming. The letter arrived two days ago, so she should be arriving any moment now.”
“Oh,” Qu Sheng murmured, and they lapsed back into silence.
Liu Wuxiang stole a glance at Qu Sheng, then feigned a cough to clear his throat. “Regarding what this commoner spoke of… has Your Majesty…?”
Qu Sheng cleared her throat once more, the tips of her ears gradually flushing crimson. “We have not yet,” she replied after a long beat.
“But—but not yet will not do!” Liu Wuxiang appeared even more anxious than Qu Sheng herself.
Even though Qu Sheng had not explicitly agreed, he knew she had already been swayed the moment she inquired about the details the other day.
“Does Your Majesty require this commoner to… explain the methods to you?” Liu Wuxiang tilted his body, trying to catch a glimpse of Qu Sheng’s expression to gauge just how willing she truly was.
Sensing his movement, Qu Sheng shot him a look. Her chest rose and fell as she struggled to maintain a composed visage. “No need,” she said flatly.
How could she possibly let Liu Wuxiang instruct her on such intimate bedchamber matters?
Seeing that several days had passed and Qu Sheng had still made no progress, Liu Wuxiang turned most of his body away, averting his head. Shrugging his shoulders, he fished a thin book out from his sleeve.
“Perhaps Your Majesty might find this useful.”
Qu Sheng looked down at the slender volume in Liu Wuxiang’s hand. Stunned for a moment, she straightened her sleeves and took the book without suspicion, flipping it open to scan a few lines.
But she had barely read a few lines before she slammed it shut with both hands.
Hearing the sharp smack of the pages, Liu Wuxiang turned his head. Qu Sheng’s face was flushed an unbearable shade of red. At the sight of this, Liu Wuxiang did not even bother to salute, fleeing the room as fast as his legs could carry him…
A quarter of an hour later, Qu Sheng returned to the dining hall. The dishes there had nearly all been served, and the members of the Qu family had also gathered around. However, there was another person at the table who did not often come.
Zhu Ming’an.
Zhu Ming’an’s gaze was fixed entirely on Jin Mingyi, but Jin Mingyi deliberately avoided her eyes.
Half a year had passed since she had parted ways with Jin Mingyi, yet they had been unable to meet a single time. Zhu Ming’an had even traveled to the Jin Dynasty, but Jin Mingyi had steadfastly refused to see her.
Jin Mingyi’s silence sent a clear message: she wanted nothing to do with the past—and that included Zhu Ming’an.
Seeing Qu Sheng enter, Zhu Ming’an rose to her feet and bowed. “This humble subject, Zhu Ming’an, pays respects to Your Majesty.”
“No need for such formality,” Qu Sheng said, raising a hand to signal for her to rise.
The Zhu family had provided the Qu family with incalculable funds and provisions. Furthermore, utilizing her sharp negotiating skills, Zhu Ming’an had consulted with the Qu family’s garrison generals before personally traveling to the tributary states surrounding Quzhao to persuade them to deploy reinforcing troops. By invoking the principle of lips and teeth1, she successfully convinced those nations to send military aid, giving Qu Sheng a miraculous turning point when she had been hovering on the brink of death. Following Qu Sheng’s ascension, the Zhu family had been honored with the title of Royal Merchants.
Qu Sheng had bestowed various offices upon the Zhu family. Although Zhu Ming’an still managed her family’s businesses, she also held an honorary title that granted her a noble status, earning her a measure of respect from many court officials.
As Qu Sheng took her seat, Zhu Ming’an made no effort to act like a guest, continuing to stare directly at Jin Mingyi.
Lin Xizhao cast a glance at Qu Sheng, who had also noticed the tension. However, the emotional entanglements of these two were not something they could easily interfere with.
Once all the dishes were laid out, Jin Yunfei warmly invited everyone to eat. The family gathered just as they always had; apart from their official titles, nothing seemed to have changed.
“Auntie, can Mu’er sleep with you tonight?” Qu Zhimu sat beside Lin Xizhao, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
A warm smile bloomed on Lin Xizhao’s face. She reached out to gently stroke the little girl’s head, but just as she was about to agree, Qu Sheng beat her to it, flatly refusing: “No.”
Hearing this, Qu Zhimu looked at Qu Sheng, her small mouth pouting as she fell silent in fear. Seeing the child’s reaction, Lin Xizhao looked up at Qu Sheng, her voice carrying a trace of gentle reproach. “Sheng’er.”
The little one had gone through the trouble of asking, and she herself had not slept with Zhimu in a very long time.
Qu Sheng pursed her lips, her eyes meeting Lin Xizhao’s for a fleeting second before she reluctantly relented. “Very well.”
As long as Lin Xizhao spoke, Qu Sheng would never refuse her. Although she had objected at first, she had no desire to upset her.
The way Lin Xizhao had called her name, though gentle, clearly carried a hint of admonishment.
Hearing Qu Sheng’s permission, Qu Zhimu’s face instantly brightened with a grin, her grievance melting away as she looked up at Lin Xizhao.
Zhao Jiayu, her mother, sat to the side smiling in silence. Seeing that his younger sister had not changed her attitude toward Lin Xizhao one bit even after ascending the throne, Qu Yu could not help but chuckle.
After the meal, Jin Mingyi remained at the estate. Zhu Ming’an went to Jin Yunfei and requested a guest room adjacent to Jin Mingyi’s, but the princess retired to her quarters and did not step out again.
There was to be a state banquet that evening. Since the envoy was Princess Jin Mingyi and the majority of the current court officials were men, Qu Sheng requested Jin Yunfei to bring her two sisters-in-law to the palace to accompany them.
With some time remaining before the banquet, Lin Xizhao and Qu Sheng returned to their own courtyard. On the way back, Qu Sheng had complained of feeling slightly fatigued, so the moment they entered the bedchamber, Lin Xizhao went to prepare the bedding.
Qu Sheng glanced back at the open door. Driven by some inexplicable impulse, she walked over and shut it.
Inside the room, Lin Xizhao finished smoothing out the blankets. Hearing footsteps, she turned around to find Qu Sheng walking toward her.
“Rest here first. I shall wake you when the hour arrives,” Lin Xizhao said softly.
A look of slight confusion crossed Qu Sheng’s face. “Wife, are you not joining me?”
Lin Xizhao saw that Qu Sheng really wanted her to stay, and she glanced down at the bed. She had wanted to go and see Jin Mingyi and Zhu Ming’an.
She had heard that Zhu Ming’an had traveled to the Jin Dynasty several times, yet Jin Mingyi had consistently refused to meet her, and she did not know what exactly had gone wrong between them.
“Wife,” Qu Sheng said, making the decision for her when she saw her hesitating.
She wrapped arms around Lin Xizhao’s slender waist, gaze tracing the gentle flutter of her wife’s eyelashes, though she did not lean in to kiss her right away.
Discerning her intent, Lin Xizhao stole a glance toward the bright, sunlit window. In broad daylight like this…
Qu Sheng’s throat bobbed. Looking at the exquisite face of her wife, whose lowered eyes betrayed a hint of helpless indulgence, the illustrations and text from the book Liu Wuxiang had given her suddenly flashed through her mind. Driven by some inexplicable urge, she murmured, “Wife, kiss me.”
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