Mingyue was furious that Ji Shiyou dared to make demands of her.
"Don't rush, I'm just weak right now and shouldn't move. I was just thinking if you could take me in and let me rest at Lan Yue Palace for one night. If you disagree, I'll leave immediately." Seeing Mingyue like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, Ji Shiyou quickly explained. He tried to stand up from the brocade couch, but his legs gave out, and he fell to the ground.
"Your Majesty, what's wrong?" Hearing the commotion, Dongnan rushed in and held Ji Shiyou anxiously. He tried to pull him up onto the couch, but Ji Shiyou pushed him away. "Get away, Mingyue doesn't want to see me, I'm leaving immediately. Even if I have to crawl, I will crawl out of Lan Yue Palace!" Ji Shiyou struggled and crawled towards the door, a sight that made people's hearts ache.
"Alright, stay. You are the Emperor, the ruler of a nation. Crawling on the ground like this, what does it look like? But let's be clear, you can only stay in the side hall, not my sleeping quarters. This is your Lang Yue Kingdom's imperial palace, you are the master, you can stay wherever you like. This way, it looks like I'm bullying you." Mingyue said irritably and went out to find Yan Liu. She was a bit hungry and hadn't had dinner yet!
"Your Majesty, actually, I've already sent for the imperial carriage, so you don't need to crawl so hard. If you want to leave, there are so many guards outside. They can carry you out of Lan Yue Palace even if they have to." Watching Ji Shiyou crawl on the ground like a caterpillar, and seeing Mingyue leave, Dongnan said with a pained heart, "My master is too miserable!"
"What? You sent for the imperial carriage? Get out quickly and stop the imperial carriage. Take all the people outside with you. You will return to the Imperial Study tonight and are not allowed to leave. I don't need your service, nor are you allowed to send anyone to serve me. Get out now, get out!" Ji Shiyou glanced at the door, confirming Mingyue had gone far. He immediately stood up from the ground and kicked Dongnan hard in the backside. He then lay back down on the brocade couch. He was faking weakness and pity to stay at Lan Yue Palace. This damned Dongnan kept undermining him, even sending for the imperial carriage. If he weren't afraid of Mingyue finding out, he would have... beaten this clueless, useless servant within an inch of his life right now.
Seeing Ji Shiyou walking freely as if nothing was wrong, Dongnan immediately understood his master's intentions. His master was acting! Knowing he almost ruined Ji Shiyou's plan, he scrambled out of the room as if his backside were on fire. He called everyone to leave with him and then hurried out of Lan Yue Palace. Judging by the time, the imperial carriage would arrive soon. If he couldn't stop it, Ji Shiyou would skin him alive.
Ji Shiyou was in the main hall, and Mingyue didn't want to see him. So, she had Yan Liu set up the food under the osmanthus tree in the courtyard.
"Princess, here are the account books. I've organized them all, please take them. His Majesty sent over many good things. According to Eunuch Dongnan, His Majesty almost emptied half the treasury. Our Lan Yue Palace is now the wealthiest among the back palaces." Yan Liu set out the food, then handed a ledger to Mingyue as if presenting a treasure.
"Keep it. From now on, you will manage these things. Use them as you please, no need to ask me." Mingyue was not interested in these material possessions. Without even looking at it, she threw it back to Yan Liu. She tore off a chicken leg and ate it heartily.
"Princess, His Majesty's attendants have all left. Should we send some food to His Majesty?" Yan Liu carefully put away the ledger, then secretly glanced in the direction of the main hall and said softly.
"A little something bought you over? Why bother with him. He ate that big bowl of meat broth just now, and you're still worried he's hungry? Yan Liu, your stance is problematic! Remember, you are a Wu Man, and Ji Shiyou is an enemy of the Wu Man, do you understand?" Mingyue glanced at Yan Liu and said sternly.
"Princess, this servant knows her mistake, she dares not!" Yan Liu quickly agreed. Seeing Mingyue unhappy, she didn't mention it again.
"I don't like these two dishes, take them to him." After finishing the chicken leg, Mingyue pondered for a moment. She pointed to a dish of blanched choi sum and a dish of sweet and sour pork pieces, and ordered Yan Liu. She remembered Dongnan's words: Ji Shiyou had skipped lunch to choose dowry for her, and he had vomited most of that bowl of meat broth. She felt a little sympathetic, thinking that even if she starved Ji Shiyou for a meal, he wouldn't die. It would be futile and make her seem petty, so she asked Yan Liu to send dishes to Ji Shiyou. She didn't notice that the two dishes she casually pointed to were Ji Shiyou's favorites.
"This servant will not go. If I go, you will say I've been bought over and have betrayed you." Yan Liu, who was usually obedient and timid, actually threw a tantrum.
"You little brat, I say a few words to you, and you start acting high and mighty with your princess? If you don't go, I will." Mingyue poked Yan Liu's forehead with a finger. She cursed, and in a huff, placed the two dishes and a bowl of rice on a tray and walked into the main hall.
Seeing Mingyue personally bring the food, Yan Liu patted her chest. She had done it on purpose just now, but she had also dared to retort to Mingyue. As an outsider, she could see that His Majesty truly liked the princess. Although there was a deep blood feud between the princess and His Majesty, the dead were dead. She didn't want the princess to live in hatred forever. She wanted the princess to be happy, to be loved and protected. His Majesty should be that person.
"Eat." Mingyue entered and saw Ji Shiyou lying on the brocade couch. She guessed that Dongnan must have helped him there. She said coldly.
"I have no strength, I can't eat by myself. Perhaps you could trouble yourself to feed me?" Ji Shiyou still put on a dying act, speaking weakly.
"Eat it or don't, starve if you don't." With a clang, she threw the tray onto the low table in front of the brocade couch and turned to leave. She was just being idle, her brain must have been addled to come and deliver food to Ji Shiyou.
Watching Mingyue leave, Ji Shiyou regretted being too impatient. Mingyue ate her fill and then took a stroll in the small garden of Lan Yue Palace. After digesting her food, she bathed and washed with Yan Liu's help, preparing to return to her sleeping quarters in the back hall to rest.
"Why are you still here? Didn't I tell you to sleep in the side hall?" Mingyue saw Ji Shiyou still lying on the brocade couch. The food she brought was untouched and had long since gone cold. She asked.
"I have no strength, I can't stand up. Otherwise, could you help me over?" Ji Shiyou, who had been feigning sleep with his eyes closed, opened them and said pitifully.
"If you don't want to freeze to death, lie here. There are no blankets for you here." Mingyue said coldly and walked into the back hall. In her heart, she thought, 'Sleep wherever you want. It would be best if you caught a cold and died. That would save me a lot of trouble!'
"Are you really not going to care about me? Not even a blanket!" Ji Shiyou curled up on the brocade couch and muttered softly. It was early spring, and the weather was still chilly. It was bearable during the day, but at night, the wind was biting. Ji Shiyou couldn't stand it and had to circulate his internal energy to keep warm. By midnight, he couldn't bear it any longer, not only because he was cold, but also because he was hungry. He remembered the food Mingyue had brought and wanted to eat something. However, Lan Yue Palace had a diligent maid named Yan Liu. Seeing the food untouched, she thought Ji Shiyou wasn't hungry and had already cleared it away. Cold and hungry, Ji Shiyou got up from the brocade couch and looked around for something to eat. Suddenly, he heard sobbing coming from the sleeping quarters in the back hall.