Chapter 78

Tao Sheng knew she couldn’t hide anything from Ji Yanming, so she briefly explained what occurred during the trip.

Before she finished, she noticed Ji Yanming’s mood had noticeably darkened.

Feeling the pressure, Tao Sheng tried to comfort him: “Don’t be angry. King Rui was hurt by Su Cheng, and I kicked him a few more times. He couldn’t even touch me, so it’s even.”

Actually, King Rui wasn’t that unreasonable. The main issue was the person who had replaced the spices that day. It was unclear if she could find him successfully upon her return.

Ji Yanming simply replied, “Hmm.”

This situation certainly wasn’t fair. Thinking back, he realized he had been too lenient with King Rui. As long as King Rui remained a threat to Tao Sheng while on the throne, it might be better to confine him as a commoner.

This way, he could prevent harm to others.

When the delegation first arrived, Qinglingtai had prepared several maids. However, King Huan came with his team, so there was no need for extra help, and he didn’t want outsiders in his space.

Finally, King Huan insisted on sending all the palace servants prepared by Ling State back home.

King Huan was powerful, and Ling State didn’t want their plans exposed publicly. Since their main focus wasn’t on the delegation, they decided not to gather too much information from them. After receiving reports, Lord Li agreed to withdraw all servants beyond the safety line.

It was already late, and even if they had informed the steward to bring back the maid, it would take some time.

Tao Sheng didn’t mind doing things herself. She had lived this way before and was used to it.

When she worked in the yamen, some officials brought attendants for help, but since it was mostly men there, it was inconvenient to bring maids. Tao Sheng had never brought one along, so she did most things herself.

Fortunately, someone had brought hot water early, and she managed the rest without trouble.

Although Qiu Shui Residence had local characteristics, the overall structure was similar to those in Great Zhou, so Tao Sheng felt comfortable living there.

After Ji Yanming left, Tao Sheng took a bath, changed clothes, and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, she woke up refreshed. As she left her room, she saw a young maid cleaning.

The maid looked very young, about thirteen or fourteen years old, but she was quick and nimble. When she noticed Tao Sheng, she put down the half-wiped vase and approached to pay her respects.

“I’m the maid Qinglan, here to serve you at Deputy Envoy Ji’s order. He sent you porridge and snacks last night, but since you were sleeping soundly, he didn’t want to wake you.”

So Ji Yanming had chosen her to come here.

Tao Sheng felt relieved.

“You didn’t eat last night and went to bed. You must be hungry now. The adults are having breakfast in Jiyue Palace. I’ll help you get ready and take you there later.”

_

Jiyue Palace was not far from Qiushuiju. Tao Sheng and Qinglan arrived in less than a quarter of an hour.

As Tao Sheng was about to enter the hall, she noticed Qinglan stepped back and didn’t intend to follow her inside.

Tao Sheng realized that Qinglan’s situation was tricky.

Being asked to serve her was no easy task. If she did well, the master behind Ling State might reward her; if she didn’t, and if any mischief occurred… Ji Yanming and King Huan were not kind and would not spare her.

Qinglan was smart. In a tough situation, she kept her distance to avoid trouble. If anyone asked, she could say she didn’t know anything since she wasn’t allowed in the core area. This also helped her avoid suspicion of spying for Great Zhou.

King Huan and his companions held a morning meeting during breakfast. The main topic was how to handle problems with Ling and Dai, two bordering states.

Fu An insisted that they must not lose the defense line. Whether it was the struggle for the throne or political fights in the capital, these were internal matters. A war would cause suffering for millions at the border.

King Huan believed that since Great Zhou was the Celestial Empire, it should strike decisively against the smaller states to show its strength and prevent future troubles.

After both of them shared their views, it was Ji Yanming’s turn to offer advice.

Ji Yanming believed that the prince in the capital was too far removed from the situation. Even if they were in Ling State or the capital, they couldn’t influence the East Palace’s decisions.

There was no news from the emperor, making it hard to judge the emperor’s progress. However, since they were there and had some advantages, they should take the initiative to help solve the matter.

Tao Sheng understood Ji Yanming’s plan. He wanted to act while the delegation was still in Ling State to buy time for the emperor in Beijing.

Although she had read the original text, she couldn’t provide any advice.

The current world was different from the one in the original story.

In the original, the emperor fell ill due to the King of Chu’s accident and didn’t go to Chengde to escape the summer heat. Ji Yanming was still serving in the Hanlin Academy and didn’t join the Ling State delegation, so he wasn’t a sixth-rank deputy envoy.

Back then, there was indeed a war between Great Zhou and the two states. This war pushed King Rui onto the historical stage, making him a strong contender for the throne.

It’s just that this war has nothing to do with the main plot of the heroine’s family conflict, and it is mostly described briefly. Moreover, according to the original timeline, this war broke out about a year later, so even Tao Sheng did not expect that the two countries had started planning so early.

Ji Yanming’s plan sounded quite difficult. The envoys did not bring many people with them this time, but they were confronting the entire Ling Kingdom.

But Tao Sheng still chose to believe in Ji Yanming’s ability.