...
That autumn, Ji Pingxi and Yu Zhi met their uncle, who was so handsome that he looked nine-tenths like their father. The uncle was gentle and polite, and his smile was as bright as spring. It was hard to imagine that he could still be so gentle and composed after experiencing such a tragedy.
Ji Pingxi admired him and treated him with respect, and every few days he would enter the palace and step into that golden hall to keep his uncle company.
Gradually, I also learned the origin of the name 'Golden Palace'.
The Golden Palace was not made of gold; the real gold was the hearts of the brother and sister, which were more precious than gold.
Since ancient times, the imperial family has been known for its ruthlessness, yet Empress Yin raised two truly good children.
The brother and sister, who were born at almost the same time in the Hehuan Palace, were true siblings.
“You and celadon are the same.” Ji Ying said with feeling.
Ji Pingxi remembered her younger brother, who had complained to her about how difficult it was to handle state affairs just yesterday, and readily nodded: "Yes."
True brothers and sisters.
In this life, she has family, a lover, and friends. She can assist the crown prince or travel the world. Heaven has truly been kind to her.
And this autumn, in the golden October, she has another mother-in-law to take care of.
On the day Princess Yunzhang married Liu Boyan, Ji Pingxi and Yu Zhi made a scene in the bridal chamber, which angered and humiliated Ji Rong.
A basin of bathwater was splashed out, but it missed the niece who deserved a beating; instead, the foot bath water was used to wash chubby Cun Cun You.
This caused the two dogs to whine pitifully at the window.
"My niece is congratulating her aunt on her wedding!"
Ji Pingxi lit fireworks in the courtyard. The fireworks soared into the sky and exploded with a bang: "May Aunt and Mother-in-law have this day every year, and may they enter the bridal chamber every day!"
Princess Changyang, clutching her aching back, laughed until she was breathless.
Yu Zhi had no choice but to stomp on her boots, saying, "Are you asking for trouble again?"
Before Ji Pingxi could speak, Ji Rong came out of the bridal chamber barefoot, carrying a feather duster in her hand—it was a mystery why such a vicious object as a feather duster would be in the bridal chamber.
In short, Princess Changyang was held down by Princess Yunzhang and hit three times with a feather duster before she finally calmed down.
Ji Pingxi was utterly humiliated.
Yu Zhi laughed until tears streamed down her face, openly enjoying the spectacle and mercilessly saying, "Serves you right!"
When life gets too comfortable, it's easy to become complacent and lose your head. After being beaten by his own aunt, Ji Pingxi's arrogance subsided. With a wicked glint in his eye, he grabbed the beauty around the waist and flew towards her princess's residence.
On such a beautiful day, if I don't make love to her ten or eight times, then calling her a "lustful womanizer" would be a real injustice.
Zhenzumazuna!
If she doesn't pull herself together, the beauty will be riding on her face!
But... riding on someone's face?
Ji Pingxi's eyes darted around, and without any restraint, he pinched the beauty's slender waist and made her ride on his face, teasing her until she squealed and cried.
Ji Rong went back to her room barefoot, and Liu Boyan, wrapped in a quilt, looked over shyly with her beautiful eyes.
Their eyes met; one was lying on the bed, and the other was standing barefoot on the floor. They couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Ji Rong laughed and scolded, "Our 'son-in-law'..."
It's so noisy!
Isn't this just causing a ruckus?
The beautiful princess is the most qualified to speak on this matter.
Yu Zhi was so exhausted her back ached, and her light soul was almost trembling with fear. Liu Ye's eyes were filled with tears, and she was crying and panicking, her body swaying: "The bed... the bed is going to collapse..."
"It won't collapse!" someone declared confidently.
The words had barely left his mouth when a creaking sound followed by a loud crash—
The ivory bed has reached the end of its lifespan.
The world's greatest martial arts master, holding the beauty in his arms, speechlessly questioned the heavens—what, does this matter have to be a slap in her face?
Yu Zhi whimpered twice and poked her chest with her finger: "I already said it was going to collapse, and you're still making a fuss... Where are we going to sleep tonight?"
Ji Pingxi kissed her: "Sleep in my heart!"
"..."
The beautiful princess, her eyes brimming with tears, had recently learned a new phrase and immediately put it to use, her voice sweet, melodious, and full of charm: "You're so corny!"
Three parts shyness, seven parts allure.
Princess Changyang, half-bewitched, whispered, "Then you'll have to suffer it, suffer it for a lifetime."
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Author's Note:
The main story is finished; what follows is the epilogue.
Volume Two: The Years After Marriage
Chapter 98 Traveling Eight Thousand Miles Together
The winds and sandstorms in the northern desert are fierce. The north wind whips up dust and sand, which blows menacingly into people's faces, collars, and boots. In short, it's torture.
Walking on such a windy and sandy day would make even the most energetic person shed a layer of skin.
Two tiny dots, no bigger than sesame seeds or mung beans, approached from afar. The dots trembled and swayed, as if they would be swept away by the wind at any moment. Upon closer inspection, the tiny dots turned out to be two people.
Yu Zhi clung to Ji Pingxi's arm, so exhausted she was almost breathless: "Does the King of Mo want to... want to not kill you but exhaust you to death?"
Having lived a life of luxury in the princess's residence for too long, it's no wonder she couldn't bear it when she came to this harsh place with its endless yellow sand.
The "Ink King" she spoke of was not only the king of this entire desert, but also the ruler of an area spanning eight thousand miles. The Xuanmo Royal Court was also the number one rival of the Great Yan Dynasty during its prosperous and peaceful era.
Ji Pingxi was once ranked number one in the martial arts world, and countless people came to challenge her, but she defeated them all with a single move.
King Mo is undoubtedly the most passionate martial arts enthusiast in the world. Originally, Princess Ji Pingxi didn't need to come to this windy and sandy land alone to suffer, but the martial arts enthusiast said that if she could travel eight thousand miles across the northern desert on foot without the help of any party, and then defeat him in a straightforward and honest way, the Xuanmo Royal Court would be willing to submit to the Great Yan Dynasty forever and become the most loyal 'son' of the Great Yan Dynasty.
Such a good thing is hard to come by even with a lantern, so Ji Pingxi naturally had to go.
If even the King of Mo is not afraid of losing the eternal foundation of the royal court, then Princess Changyang, who enjoys a fiefdom, has even less reason to back down.
Before I even got there, my family was in an uproar.
Her aunt and mother-in-law tried to dissuade her from taking the risk. Her father and mother frowned, preferring to give up their adopted son, Prince Mo, rather than allow her to travel thousands of miles. Her younger brother clung to her leg and cried, but his good sister-in-law pulled him down in no time. The delicate beauty's eyes were filled with tears: "You can go, but take me with you!"
Wouldn't you just be causing trouble if you went?
Ji Pingxi didn't dare to say those words out loud.
He hesitated for a moment, almost drowning in the beauty's tears, so he could only rub his temples and mutter "Go away, go away" and "Okay, okay."
Once she's made up her mind, nothing can change it.
Mo Wang, a martial arts fanatic, had his eye on Ji Pingxi's title of "Number One Martial Arts Master in the World." Under the guise of a scheme, he harbored the intention of outright and fair exhausting this number one martial arts master without firing a single shot.
Both sides had their own plans, but Ji Pingxi was determined to make sure his father recognized a stubborn 'son' on this trip.
If Ji Pingxi can subdue the formidable enemy Xuanmo without bloodshed, then his achievement will be a great contribution to the nation and a benefit for future generations.
She was determined to become the number one meritorious official of the Great Yan Dynasty, and neither her father nor her mother could stop her. Yu Zhi gritted her teeth, wiped away her tears, and agreed to travel eight thousand miles with her.
They probably harbored the ambition to "die together, even if it means death."
To be honest, Ji Pingxi was quite touched despite his headache.
Even if she were the greatest martial arts master in the world, the journey of eight thousand miles would take her three years and three months.
"I told you not to come, but you wouldn't listen."
Ji Pingxi reached out and helped her onto his back: "Wouldn't it be better to stay in the Princess's residence and be a good princess? It's really foolish of you to suffer like this with me."
Yu Zhi lay on her back for a while before gathering some strength, and said aggrievedly, "With you not in the manor, what kind of princess am I? I don't want to be alone in an empty room..."
"How come I never noticed you were this clingy before?"
The beauty looked exhausted and her face was haggard. She hummed softly in her ear.
When she couldn't win an argument, she resorted to coquettishness, and Ji Pingxi had no way to deal with her. She then changed the subject, saying, "The Spirit Breath Pill that Yao Chenzi brought up is surprisingly effective."
The Spirit Breath Pill was a wedding gift from the divine physician Chenzi to his friend on their wedding day. At the time, he jokingly said that the pill was the most romantic thing in the world. She didn't understand it before, but now, well, she probably does.
If Zhizhi hadn't taken this pill a few years ago, she might not have been able to endure traveling eight thousand miles back and forth with her. Thinking about it in a lewd way, Yao Chenzi probably gave her this pill because he was worried that Zhizhi wouldn't be able to withstand her torment.
No wonder he praised this elixir as the most romantic thing in the world.
So that's how he was known for his romantic ways.
Ji Pingxi smiled.
Yu Zhi fell asleep, exhausted, leaning on her back.
On this trip, Ji Pingxi fought Mo Wang for 333 moves, finally defeating the martial arts fanatic before sunset.
Having lost the contest, King Mo kowtowed three times in front of his subjects towards the direction of the Great Yan Dynasty.
After that, Mo Wang kept calling her "big sister," displaying the uninhibited heroic spirit of a chivalrous person from the martial arts world.
Ji Pingxi once asked: If she loses the competition, what will Xuan Mo do?
The burly man stroked his beard and smiled: "Of course, we will raise an army to conquer Yan and build our Xuanmo into the strongest and most valiant nation."
In Xuanmo, everyone practices martial arts and loves martial arts, and they only wish to bow down and submit to the strongest person in the world.
Ji Pingxi received an even more extravagant welcome at the Xuanmo Royal Court than he had in his home country. In order to live a few more decades by hearing "little sister" a few less times, Ji Pingxi faked a smile for a few days, and after recuperating, he quickly took his beautiful wife and headed back home.
The imperial letter from the Xuanmo Royal Court, promising to forever acknowledge the Emperor of the Great Yan Dynasty as her father, was currently tucked into her bosom. The letter bore the seal of the Ink King, more precious than pearls.