Chapter 150 Appreciation

Chapter 150 Appreciation

Soon they had an answer, and the master and servants headed off into the distance.

After Xiang Ming returned, Consort Jin De listened and waved her hand.

Consort Jin De was naturally displeased. As the Consort, she held the highest position when the Empress was absent.

Yet this Hanwu Consort unexpectedly exchanged gifts back and forth with Qi Yunli. Shouldn't the gifts have been sent to her first?

She claimed not to care about material things, but being sidelined always irked her.

What kind of situation was this?

Lan Zhi understood her and whispered softly, "Don't be angry, Your Highness. Qiongmei is just scheming. His Majesty asked one question last night, and she was quick to seize the opportunity. We never saw her act like this in the palace before, so it's likely just a show."

"A show? Who doesn't put on a show? His Majesty even went to her last night, even if she's good at acting," the Consort snorted. "Forget it, this matter has nothing to do with me. Let's not dwell on it."

Lan Zhi agreed, thinking that if there were any mistakes, Qiongmei would bear the consequences herself.

Whether Qiongmei would bear them or not was uncertain, but at this moment, Yunli was very happy.

Naturally, she was like a knight, but coming here, she wanted to have some fun.

It didn't matter that she didn't have a horse of her own; Zhuding found one from the Forbidden Army.

Although it was a mature stallion, it was also castrated.

It looked majestic, but its temperament was good.

Yunli first befriended the horse, patting its head. "Let me ride you for a while, you're so handsome."

The horse seemed closer to Yunli than to people.

This horse had only seen soldiers on the training ground or on the road—mostly smelly men.

Where had it ever seen such a delicate and fragrant lady?

So they were relatively gentle in their approach, even taking the initiative to bow.

Yunli, petting the horse's head and ears, happily complimented it a few times before mounting.

Riding slowly, the horse was indeed very gentle, allowing her to ride for a long time.

She returned the horse with great satisfaction.

And even rewarded the horse's owner.

In He Jinli's tent, Prince Han Wu and others were present.

"My father Khan's health... the shamans have seen him. His early years of campaigning left him with many internal injuries, which now seem incurable," Prince Han Wu sighed.

"Do you need our imperial physician to take a look?" He Jinli asked.

"There's no need. The shamans are quite skilled, and two of them originally came from Da Jin," Prince Han Wu replied.

The shamans he referred to weren't the kind to perform exorcisms; they were legitimate physicians.

It's just that their term for it is shaman.

Initially, those shamans indeed practiced some mystical rituals, but that has since ceased.

Especially in recent years, with good relations with Da Jin, many physicians from here have taught quite a bit to those shamans.

Gradually merging into one.

"This time I came with this consideration as well. My father instructed me to convey a message to Your Majesty. If... if there comes a day, he asks Your Majesty to protect me," the Hanwu prince rose and bowed.

"Naturally, we value you and your father highly," He Jinli waved his hand, signaling him to sit.

Although the Hanwu's position is stable, with no room for discord among brothers of the same father, there are still many tribes in the Yuanzheng, not to mention his father's brothers and others.

After all, there are still some risks during the transition of power.

With He Jinli's assurance, Hanwu was satisfied.

Hanwu and his father have no objections to the current situation. Although they are vassals, the Emperor does not interfere in Yuanzheng's internal affairs.

They manage their affairs as they see fit. There is still grain supply even in famine years.

Isn't this better than years of endless wars and countless deaths?

After seeing off Hanwu and leaving his own attendants, there was concern among the generals: "I'm afraid that when the time comes, there will be trouble on the border."

"If they want our protection, they need to prove themselves. If Hanwu cannot handle his own affairs, how can we help him?"

Everyone expressed their thoughts, finally looking to He Jinli together.

"I'm not as capable as you all, after all, I haven't fought any major battles. With you generals here, I feel reassured," He Jinli smiled.

Everyone hurriedly expressed their humility, saying it was only natural.

"Hanwu, like his father, is a reasonable man. Their demeanor and attitude are the same, not weak or incompetent. They just dislike warfare. But we cannot be certain about others. Whether there can be eternal peace between Great Jin and Yuanzheng, nobody can say for sure. So, naturally, we must help them smoothly transition," He Jinli said.

The crowd naturally agreed.

He Jinli hosted the group for lunch, which naturally delighted them.

It was agreed that they would go on a border patrol the next day, which would take five or six days.

That night, He Jinli didn't go to find Yunli, but he summoned her to his tent.

After Yunli paid her respects, He Jinli waved for her to come closer.

"Beloved consort, did you have a good time today?"

"Hmm... When Your Majesty calls me 'beloved consort' in formal settings, and 'consort' in private, it means I've done something wrong. Did I do something wrong today? Is exchanging gifts with the Hanwu Empress considered wrong?" Yunli tilted her head.

He Jinli chuckled, "You think too much."

He just said it casually.

"With the consort currently untainted, why did you hit it off with the Hanwu Empress?" He Jinli asked, squeezing Yunli's hand.

"Currently untainted?" Yunli smiled, "Do my eyes grow toward the sky?"

She chuckled at herself before explaining, "Last night, watching her dance, I felt she was so confident. She's not young anymore, has she not borne several children already? Especially with her husband by her side, and a concubine from the Celestial Empire. Besides, Your Majesty sits with us, several concubines who are younger than her."

"But when I saw her dance, there was even a sparkle in her eyes. She truly exuded genuine pride and confidence. I felt... it was good."

He Jinli was momentarily stunned.

He didn't know what to say for a moment. He hadn't expected Yunli to think like this.

"So, I was just carried away for a moment, feeling that only a very good response would be worthy of her. I think she understands that too. So, she gave me gifts, and I returned the gesture. It was impulsive, without considering diplomatic relations or the feelings of the Empress Dowager and Princess Jingning," Yunli said.

"It's okay, since you said it was appreciation, you sent the gifts. I just didn't expect that you would appreciate her," He Jinli said.

"As Your Majesty, of course, you wouldn't pay attention to the Empress Dowager as a person. But I really feel she's very charming," Yunli said.

He Jinli smiled lightly. "Then maybe you're right; Hanwu dotes on her."

Yunli smiled, "That's good. I hope Prince Hanwu will continue to do so after he ascends. Perhaps, he'll appoint her son as the next Khan."

He Jinli chuckled, "You think far ahead."

But they both knew that He Jinli couldn't possibly appoint Meifei's child as the crown prince, and Hanwu couldn't appoint the child of a concubine either.

That was certain.

It was rare for Yunli and He Jinli to chat so lightheartedly about others, which was quite amusing.

Of course, they couldn't just chat innocently; they had to do what they hadn't done last night.

Yunli was exhausted in the end, and the next day, while the Emperor left, she remained in the tent.

The Emperor conservatively estimated he would be gone for five days, maybe six or seven.

During these days, he would eat and stay with the army.