I have suffered enough in my previous life, my cousin will never marry me

Chapter 198 Still Feeling Sorry for Him

Everyone turned to look at the dust raised behind them, and saw a tall figure suddenly leap from his horse and stand steadily in front of Ye Wanshu and Emperor Zhaolie.

Seeing the familiar figure in front of her, like the dawn in the darkness, Ye Wanshu's tense nerves completely relaxed.

Having endured so much hardship, she was already exhausted, both physically and mentally. Watching her aunt, Gu Tingzhou, and so many soldiers die one after another, she thought she was in dire straits, but unexpectedly, he came to her.

She silently observed him for a long time, seeing that his body was covered in blood and the bloodshot eyes almost obscured the original color of his pupils. Ye Wanshu couldn't imagine how much hardship he had gone through on his journey.

Hot tears welled up uncontrollably in her eyes, and Ye Wanshu called out in a trembling voice, "Fu Mingchi."

No matter how much time has passed, she still likes to call him that.

"I'm late."

Fu Mingchi pursed his chapped lips, glancing at the menacing guards of the Prince Qi's mansion out of the corner of his eye. He forced himself to stand up, his body exhausted, and secretly mustered his strength.

Looking at his noticeably thinner and more haggard face, Ye Wanshu shook her head with heartache, and smiled as she reached out her finger to touch the congealed bloodstains on his face.

"They are all rebels; I am unharmed."

He pulled her into his arms, pointed his spear at the guards of the Prince Qi's mansion who were pressing forward, and shouted in a cold voice, "The Divine Might Army has come to rescue the Emperor. Who dares to act rashly?"

As the deafening sound of hooves approached from afar, everyone turned to look and saw a vast cavalry force beginning to surround them. Ji Ningxi and her guards exchanged glances, none daring to make a move.

"You...you are the Prince of Yongning?"

When Ji Ningxi first met the legendary Prince Yongning, she was completely dumbfounded.

His handsome face and incomparable features exuded an innate noble air, making him seem like a celestial being who had stepped out of a painting, captivating all who beheld him.

I'm afraid there will never be another face as beautiful as this in the world.

She suddenly understood why her mother had gone to such lengths to help her marry into the Yongning Prince's Mansion.

"Your Highness, didn't you go to the Northern Border? Why did you suddenly come to Lin'an?" Ji Ningxi asked with a flattering expression, glancing secretly at the prince who had been shot dead.

Fu Mingchi merely glanced indifferently at the Shenwei Army that had surrounded them before looking back at Ye Wanshu.

The two faced each other in silence, as if the air around them had frozen.

Ye Wanshu's feelings were incredibly complicated at this moment; she didn't know whether to be angry with him or to thank him.

They were clearly hoping for his appearance, yet they also felt he shouldn't give up such a golden opportunity to seize the imperial seal.

"cough."

Seeing the two staring at each other without saying a word, their intense gazes seemingly filled with endless resentment, Emperor Zhaolie grew somewhat anxious.

“Mingchi, you are truly foolish. The Empress Dowager and the Imperial Seal are both in Cining Palace. How could you not go to retrieve the Imperial Seal immediately?” Emperor Zhaolie feigned rebuke, “If the Imperial Seal is taken by villains, the consequences will be unimaginable.”

"The imperial seal can always be regained if it is lost, but once a person is gone, there will never be a day when they are reunited."

Fu Mingchi glanced at Ye Wanshu, then immediately knelt down and respectfully clasped his hands, saying, "Your Majesty, I am sorry that you have been late in coming to your rescue."

"It's alright, it's alright. It's good for my old bones to be stimulated a bit. Please rise."

Emperor Zhaolie secretly winked at Ye Wanshu: "Girl, I'm a little tired. Prince Yongning has been traveling all the way and probably hasn't rested in a long time. Please comfort him for me."

Having said that, he strode forward.

Looking at Ji Ningxi and the guards of the Prince Qi's mansion, Emperor Zhaolie's face turned cold: "What, you scoundrel, do you want to end up like your rebellious son?"

Ji Ningxi stared blankly at Fu Mingchi for a long time without blinking. Only when she heard the emperor's angry rebuke did she come back to her senses, grit her teeth, and kneel down in fear: "Your Majesty, this humble woman..."

"You, a subject's daughter?" The emperor interrupted her with a cold laugh: "You have willingly fallen into depravity, willingly becoming a concubine. Whose subject's daughter are you? Take them all away." With a wave of his hand, the Divine Might Army stepped forward and surrounded Ji Ningxi and the guards of the Prince Qi's residence.

Seeing the rebels being captured, Ji Yunze hurriedly rushed out of the crowd and headed straight for Ye Wanshu.

"Wanwan, are you alright?"

Just as Ji Yunze was about to rush forward anxiously, Fu Mingchi calmly raised his spear and pressed it directly against Ji Yunze's chest.

The imposing gaze, though not angry, startled Ji Yunze.

“Wanwan, I didn’t know Prince Qi would rebel.” Ji Yunze felt extremely guilty. “I almost caused you and His Majesty to lose your lives. I am guilty.”

Ye Wanshu was unaware of what had happened outside Lin'an City, but seeing Fu Mingchi's blood-stained battle robe, she knew that his entry into Lin'an City had not been smooth.

It seems Ji Yunze was behind it all.

She could understand Ji Yunze's thoughts, but she could not agree with his actions. If he really instigated a war between the Gu family and the Yongning Prince's Mansion, there would never be peace in the world.

Thinking about the situation in the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Ye Wanshu found it even harder to calm down.

If Ji Yunze hadn't intervened, Gu Tingzhou wouldn't have died, and Xue Ren and Ma Junsi wouldn't have been wiped out.

“Ji Yunze, I saved you because I didn’t want your hard-earned years of studying to be ruined. The Zhenfu Envoy’s help to get you out of trouble was also because I hoped you could stay true to your original aspirations and serve the country and the people.”

Recalling the advice she had given him outside Lin'an that day, Ye Wanshu felt deeply disappointed: "But you feel like a stranger to me now, and I don't want to see you again."

“That’s not how it is, Wanwan.” Ji Yunze shook his head sadly, “Everything I did was for His Majesty, and even more so for you.”

"enough."

Thinking of the innocent soldiers who died unjustly and the seriously injured Zhu Wencai, Fu Mingchi's face was no longer kind: "I will not kill you, but if you continue to harass my queen, we will settle all our old and new scores together."

Looking into Ye Wanshu's resolute eyes, Ji Yunze felt an immense pain in his heart.

He walked up to Emperor Zhaolie with a sullen expression, slowly knelt down, and pleaded in a deep voice, "This sinful subject has failed Your Majesty's grace, and begs Your Majesty to grant me death."

Emperor Zhaolie could guess that everything Ji Yunze was plotting was to restore the country to its former glory.

If he were decades younger, he might have been willing to adopt the scholar's strategy and let the Gu family and Prince Yongning fight each other. Unfortunately, he is now too old and doesn't have enough time to mend this broken land.

All he can do now is choose a capable and virtuous ruler for the future of the Daye Dynasty.

Ji Yunze ultimately failed to understand his own good intentions.

However, the problems in the Great Ye Dynasty had been accumulating for a long time, and the future court needed ministers who dared to speak frankly. He still had to spare the life of this scholar for his nephew.

"Step down," Emperor Zhaolie said, closing his eyes. "Ji Yunze, you are the top scholar I personally selected. I hope you understand that the head of an official should have compassion for the common people, not just be obsessed with power and profit."

Now, it's time to let him go out and see the hardships of the people.

With a wave to the commander of the Divine Might Army, Emperor Zhaolie immediately ordered, "Demote Ji Yunze to the position of Prefect of Qizhou and send him to his post immediately."

Watching Ji Yunze being escorted away, Ye Wanshu felt a mix of emotions.

It is said that one becomes like the company one keeps. If it weren't for Gu Tingchen's constant pressure, he probably wouldn't have become the way he is today, resorting to any means to achieve his goals.

I only hope that he will understand His Majesty's good intentions on this trip.

Fu Mingchi watched silently from the side. Seeing that his Wan'er's gaze remained fixed on the departing scholar, he suddenly thought of the scene on the city wall of Huizhou and felt a surge of dissatisfaction.

"Is Wan'er still feeling sorry for that bookworm?"