A Cutie Spoiled by Her Seven Uncles-Chapter 620: Yunzhou Island
Chapter 620: Chapter 620: Yunzhou Island
"What did you say?"
A third voice suddenly interjected.
Xie Pan’Er and the Emperor turned their heads to look, both quite pleased.
"Youzhi!"
"Seventh Prince! You’re here too?"
The newcomer was Ji Youzhi. He walked slowly, placed his saber to the side, and found a stone to sit on.
"You two ran off with my precious niece, how could I not chase after you?"
Their expressions turned a little awkward.
"Strictly speaking, I was the one Xiaosuisui spirited away from the Imperial Palace!" the Emperor declared.
Xie Pan’Er hurriedly chimed in, "I can attest that it was indeed Her Highness the Princess who wanted to come to Yunhang."
Ji Youzhi cast a cool glance at each of them. "And you just let a child act so recklessly?"
Xie Pan’Er cried out in protest, "I’m truly wronged! When Her Highness the Princess was looking for writing supplies and black clothes, I did try to stop her."
"You tried to stop her? And yet you still ended up here with her?"
Xie Pan’Er felt deeply aggrieved. "Her Highness the Princess knocked me unconscious, dragged me all the way into the Imperial Palace, and then dumped me in its most secluded corner."
A corner of Ji Youzhi’s lips twitched.
Is that even possible?
The Emperor merely chuckled! He said nothing, instead speaking directly to Ji Youzhi, "Youzhi, your timing is perfect. I have an idea I’d like you to verify."
Ji Youzhi glanced at the Emperor, a flicker of annoyance in his eyes. "Are you not aware that you are the supreme ruler of this nation? Leaving the Imperial Palace so carelessly is dangerous enough, let alone venturing into a perilous region like Yunhang!"
The Emperor was momentarily speechless. He snapped open his folding fan, covering half his face as he feigned fanning himself.
Ji Youzhi reached out, snatched the fan from his hand, and promptly used it to stoke the fire.
The Emperor: "..."
He took a deep breath.
I am the sovereign of a nation, magnanimous and broad-minded. I will not stoop to bickering with this rebellious minister!
"What idea is it?" Ji Youzhi eventually asked, remembering his duty as a minister to alleviate his sovereign’s concerns.
"I want to know where the common folk from both sides of the Yunhang Coast have gone. Could there be islands in the sea here? Might the people have been relocated to them?"
Ji Youzhi’s expression grew grave. "You’ve considered this issue as well?"
The Emperor’s eyes widened. "Nonsense! If I couldn’t even think of this, would I still be fit to be Emperor? Wait a moment! What do you mean, ’I’ve considered this as well’? Could it be that you also..."
"To be frank, I arrived in Yunhang County half a day before you did. I’ve also investigated both sides of the Yunhang Coast. There isn’t a single genuine resident household, and the nearby land shows no signs of cultivation."
"Seventh Prince, you even investigated the state of land cultivation here. You truly live up to your title as Lord God Hunter! You think of so much more than we do!" Xie Pan’Er exclaimed.
Ji Youzhi offered a faint smile. "It was merely something I happened to consider."
When the Emperor saw the admiration for Ji Youzhi on Xie Pan’Er’s face, his eyes narrowed dangerously. "So, regarding the investigation of islands in the Yunhang Sea, Youzhi, can you handle it?"
"Your Majesty, I can tell you without any investigation that there are indeed islands in the Yunhang Sea."
"There really are?" the Emperor and Xie Pan’Er exclaimed in unison.
Ji Youzhi gave a bitter laugh. "To be honest, my mother is from the Yun Family. My maternal grandparents live on an island in the Yunhang Sea."
"Ah..." Both Xie Pan’Er and the Emperor gaped at Ji Youzhi, their faces etched with disbelief. "Such a coincidence?"
Ji Youzhi smiled wryly.
This was hardly a simple coincidence. He sincerely hoped the disappearance of the residents along the Yunhang Coast had nothing to do with his mother’s maternal family!
"Why have I never heard you mention this before?" Xie Pan’Er asked Ji Youzhi.
The Emperor, standing beside them, shot them a sharp look. "Are you two very familiar with each other?"
Xie Pan’Er dared not nod.
"Somewhat," Ji Youzhi replied.
The Emperor... inexplicably found his mood souring.
"I previously didn’t know that my maternal grandparents’ family was the Yun Family of Yunzhou Island in the Yunhang Sea; my mother never spoke of it," Ji Youzhi explained. "It was only a few days ago, when Liao Kong was trying to force our Xiaosuisui to take monastic vows, that my mother encountered him at Qixia Temple. They exchanged a few words. Only after I questioned my mother later did I learn the truth: my mother is from the Yun Family of Yunzhou Island. However, she refused to tell me more and warned me never to go to Yunzhou Island. She said if I absolutely had to go, I must not reveal that I am her son!"
"When your mother left the Yun Family back then, could there have been some hidden reasons?" the Emperor speculated.
Xie Pan’Er also nodded, her gaze fixed on Ji Youzhi, urging him to continue. However, Ji Youzhi remained silent.
"It’s getting late. Your Majesty, Miss Xie, you should go back and rest. I will keep watch here," Ji Youzhi said.
"I... I’m not sleepy! I’ll keep you company!" Xie Pan’Er said, lowering her head shyly.
Before Ji Youzhi could refuse, the Emperor jumped in. "My precious daughter is so young; she’ll be frightened sleeping alone in the wilderness. Miss Xie, please return and keep her company!"
Xie Pan’Er’s face stiffened. Biting her lower lip, she walked away.
"Do you like her?" Ji Youzhi asked bluntly.
The Emperor’s heart jolted.
Was it that obvious?
"I... do not!" the Emperor denied, though his words lacked conviction.
Ji Youzhi chuckled softly. "My second sister-in-law said long ago that you and she are fated to be entangled. If Your Majesty fancies her, you must seize the chance. Although Miss Xie comes from a humble family, she is kind-hearted and intelligent—truly a rare find."
The Emperor paused, startled. "I only knew that the Second Mistress possessed formidable martial arts skills. I never realized she was also a diviner!"
Ji Youzhi shot him a look. "Is that the main point?"
"To tell you the truth, I have considered this matter. As long as an Empress is not appointed, the Imperial Court will remain unstable. Those Noble Families and Ministers are all falling over themselves to offer their daughters to me. However, Xie Pan’Er’s family background is indeed too common. I fear she wouldn’t be able to command respect and maintain order in the Imperial Harem!"
Ji Youzhi slanted a look at him. "I recall someone vowing from a young age to marry only one Empress and absolutely not follow the example of his philandering father Emperor?"
The Emperor huffed. "If I were to marry the daughter of a minister with overweening power and influence in the Imperial Court as Empress, I could still dote on her exclusively in the harem, couldn’t I? After all, she would have powerful backing. But if I genuinely married Miss Xie and doted only on her, I’m afraid she would be branded a bewitching concubine leading the nation to ruin. She might even be dragged to an execution platform and sacrificed to the heavens!"
Hearing the Emperor’s reasoning, Ji Youzhi let out a low laugh. "You are quite considerate of her."
The Emperor and Ji Youzhi, sovereign and minister, sat by the fire and talked throughout the night. It wasn’t until daybreak, when they confirmed there was no further danger, that they returned to their tents to rest for a short while before rising to freshen up.
"Are we going back to Yunhang County today?" Xiaosuisui asked.
The Emperor picked her up and kissed her cheek, only for Ji Youzhi to snatch her away.
"I don’t think we can return to Yunhang County for the time being!" Xie Pan’Er said, crumbling a piece of flatbread to feed to Xiaosuisui.
.
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Chapter 620: Yunzhou Island
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