Buxiu lowered his head, not daring to respond.
Ji Bozhai finally grasped it—she wanted to fill her inner court?
A woman, openly selecting male consorts?
How absurd. Who could accept a woman embracing multiple men? Forget him—how many men would even be willing to participate in such a selection?
"Did the civil and military officials around her actually agree to this?" He couldn't believe it.
At this, Buxiu perked up and chuckled, "Of course they didn’t. They made a scene during the court assembly—over seventy people surrounded Ming Guniang, lecturing her on propriety and morality. Guess what she did? She issued Challenge Certificates on the spot, declaring that since every official in court owed their position to their Essence Power, anyone who opposed her could face her in combat."
"She said that since ancient times, the strong have always had priority in courtship. Anyone who could defeat her would be rewarded with ten thousand taels of gold. But if no one could best her, then she would have the freedom to pursue whomever she pleased."
Ji Bozhai: "..."
Pitting her Essence Power against those pampered officials—she was truly bullying them.
The outcome went without saying. Other than him, who could easily defeat her?
"Ming Guniang isn’t like previous city lords who forcibly selected women for their inner courts. She genuinely courts them herself—if she takes a liking to a young master, she personally asks if he’d be willing to join her inner court. Those who agree are taken in, and those who refuse aren’t pressured."
In other words, while he was bedridden, she had been out there scouting for men.
Fine. Just perfect.
His chest heaved as Ji Bozhai laughed in sheer fury. "So? Did anyone follow her back to the inner court?"
Buxiu counted on his fingers. "About twelve, I think."
"...What kind of decent man would rely on a woman’s power?" He narrowed his eyes.
Buxiu sighed. "You’d be surprised, my lord. Among those twelve are the Confucian master of Sunspire City, a young man whose Essence Power is strong enough to enter the Academicians' Court, and even someone from Star Yearn City. All of them have impressive backgrounds—and they’re all exceptionally handsome."
Ming Guniang truly had an eye for beauty. Each of her selections was strikingly handsome in their own way. Though perhaps none could rival Your Majesty’s grace and bearing, they weren’t far off.
Ji Bozhai took a deep breath—and promptly coughed violently.
Buxiu hurriedly patted his back, soothing him as he spoke. "Minister Yan said your illness stems from overexertion. You need proper rest—at least half a month."
Half a month? If he waited that long, she’d have an entire cavalry parading over his head.
Grabbing his robe, Ji Bozhai staggered out of bed, washed his face, and scrutinized himself in the bronze mirror.
He refused to believe anyone could surpass him in looks. Those men she’d gathered were nothing but pebbles—compared to him, they’d all pale in comparison.
Sunspire City was livelier than before, with more women bustling through the streets, whispering excitedly behind their sleeves about Mingyi’s next target.
On the first day, people still considered being chosen by her a disgrace, believing that living off a woman’s wealth was beneath a true man. But by the second day, some had begun lingering along the routes she frequented.
And why not? Who wouldn’t love a fair-skinned, stunningly beautiful, fabulously wealthy woman who knew how to charm?
Take the scholar Zhou Zihong, for instance—a disciple of a great Confucian master, a talent in statecraft, known for his aloofness and aversion to intimacy. Yet after just three meetings with Mingyi, he followed her into the palace.
His mentor angrily demanded an explanation. Zhou Zihong simply knelt and clasped his hands. "She needs me."At first, he also thought it absurd—a young lady going around searching for men, hardly befitting a noble family. But when she actually sat across from him, her autumn-wave-like eyes shimmering as she asked why he didn’t smile often, Zhou Zihong clearly heard the pounding of his own heart.
She was beautiful, but not like a delicate flower. Hers was a beauty with strength and poise. Even when he rejected her the first time, she didn’t seem embarrassed, merely saying to him with grace, “If you find me bothersome, just say the word, and I won’t come tomorrow.”
Was she bothersome? Of course not. Even knowing her purpose was to bring him into the inner court, he couldn’t bring himself to dislike her. He only felt a pang of melancholy—if he followed her, his future in officialdom would be forfeited, and that was truly a pity.
Mingyi looked at him and said, “I’m not afraid of the inner court meddling in politics. You and I can attend court by day and share spring nights by evening—each to our own affairs.”
Zhou Zihong flushed crimson at her words, sternly chiding her for speaking so improperly. Yet, the moment she rose to leave, he caught her sleeve.
“I’ll go with you,” he said.
Mingyi smiled brightly, pulling him up and giving him a light embrace. “I won’t treat you unfairly.”
“But you’ll have other men, won’t you?”
“I’ll only keep you for a year,” Mingyi tilted her head, studying him. “After that, if you wish to stay by my side, you may. If not, you’re free to marry another. I won’t hold you back.”
In other words, she would have other men, but she also didn’t mind if he had other women in the future.
Zhou Zihong suddenly felt a flare of irritation. “Then you don’t love me—you merely like me.”
Mingyi smoothed the furrow between his brows with a soft laugh. “If you have the skill, you can make me love you.”
Her fingertips brushed his cheek as lightly as a breeze before she lifted her skirts and turned away, waving at him. “Wait for me in the inner court. I’ll come for you in a few days.”
Zhou Zihong was unwilling to accept this—and it was precisely this unwillingness that drove him to move into the inner court without delay.
“Sister Ming is truly enchanting,” Situ Ling mused, resting his chin on his hand as he watched Mingyi approach through the window.
Fu Yue’s expression was complicated. “That is not a valid reason for you to enter Facing Sun’s inner court.”
“If others can, why can’t I?” Situ Ling arched a brow. “Besides, I think Sister Ming likes me more than the others.”
“She doesn’t like you in that way. She sees you as a younger brother and knows you don’t want to return to Muxing, so she’s keeping you here under this pretense,” Fu Yue stated bluntly.
Situ Ling’s face fell. “You’re as unpleasant as ever.”
“My lord,” Fu Yue sighed.
Situ Ling waved him off, unwilling to continue the conversation, and bounded off to open the door for Mingyi.
Mingyi strode in and downed a cup of tea before smiling at Situ Ling. “Have you packed everything?”
“All done. I can go back with you right now.” Situ Ling grinned, revealing a pair of small canine teeth. “But everyone in the inner court has a title. What title will you give me, Sister?”
Mingyi chuckled. “Everyone starts as a scholar. But for you, I’ll make an exception—how about directly appointing you as a Noble?”
“Thank you for your favor, Sister.” Situ Ling performed a proper inner court bow with exaggerated solemnity.
Mingyi laughed for a moment before her expression turned serious. “Since you don’t wish to return to Muxing, would you be willing to assist me in Facing Sun? My Ministry of Justice is short-handed, and I dare not trust outsiders with important matters.”"Since you've asked, sister, I have no reason to refuse," Situ Ling thought for a moment. "But there are still many of his people in the court, aren't there? If they try to trip me up, you'll have to help me."
"Don't worry, just go ahead and do it. I've got your back," Mingyi patted his shoulder.
Situ Ling smiled happily and stretched out his arms to give her a hug.
Such behavior would have been considered improper before, but Mingyi had grown accustomed to it recently and didn't find it strange. She casually ruffled his hair and took him back to the inner courtyard in the beast-drawn carriage.
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