Chapter 55
Unwanted Challenge
Ban Xiang immediately accepts the bottle.
Mo Qi Qi smiles, "Tell His Majesty that bengong said thank you."
"Yes! Then, this servant shall retreat first." Eunuch Li retreats away.
Ban Xiang is really happy with this progress, "Your Ladyship, His Majesty treats you really well. Even though you were rude to him, he cares about you just the same."
Mo Qi Qi harrumphs coldly, "He probably didn't want other people to think that he is a bad husband, that's why he pretended to be nice and sent me that."
Hearing that, Ban Xiang helplessly sighs, "Your Ladyship, let me apply it on your wound."
Mo Qi Qi nods, "Alright."
The news of the empress being vindicated has reached Jun Yue Hen, but he continues to wait for her outside, hoping she will choose to leave with him.
In the end, all he gets is disappointment. Jun Yue Hen waited outside the palace like an idiot for an entire night. By the time the sun rises, Mo Qi Qi still has not appeared.
One of his female servants, Wen Xuan tries to persuade him, "Wangye, Her Ladyship is not coming. You should go."
Jun Yue Hen laughs bitterly, "No matter how he treats her, the person she choose will always be him. Qi Qi, you are so foolish. He will not give you the happiness you wanted. Why can't you see that?" He shakes his head helplessly before walking away.
Mo Qi Qi sleeps a very peaceful sleep; she has forgotten the matter with Jun Yue Hen long ago.
When the other concubines hears about her being vindicated, they comes over to Feng Yang Palace to congratulate her.
"The heavens helped Your Ladyship because you are innocent."
"The empress is our lucky star, no one will be able to harm her!"
Mo Qi Qi laughs happily before straightforwardly saying, "All of you are so sweet-lipped. Sincere or not, bengong is really happy to hear all that. Since bengong has been declared innocent, bengong can now help Meimeis fight for favour. Let's continue studying about how to attract a ruler's heart. Today, bengong is going to teach all of you how to seduce the emperor using your bodies!" She gives those concubines an ambiguous look.
Those concubines put on shy looks, "You sounded too brazen, Your Ladyship! Using our bodies to seduce the emperor? Don't tell us you want us to undress the moment we see him?"
"Aiya, don't you think this is a little immoral? Hehe…."
Xia Fei immediately touches her own chest before speaking in confidence, "If we are talking about our bodies, chenqie is confident chenqie will not lose to anyone."
Mo Qi Qi helplessly gives them a big eyeroll, "Oh please. Can you people not be so dirty-minded? By saying 'using your body to seduce the ruler', I meant using your body language! Make him see your love; draw him in using your beauty. I am not asking you all to act like those women in the brothels. Granted, your motive is to sleep with the emperor, but before that; you must learn how to take care of yourself, how to carry yourself. You must make yourself more valuable. You must make him want you more once you sleep with him once. Once these lessons end, settling His Majesty will be a trip to the park!"
Hearing those promises, the concubines' hearts leaps in joy, "Your Ladyship, let's not waste time! Let's begin now!"
Mo Qi Qi pokes fun of Yue Pin, "Yue Pin, you sure are hasty!"
Yue Pin covers her face shyly, "Your Ladyship, y-you made fun of chenqie! Chenqie is not talking to you anymore!"
Mo Qi Qi laughs happily, "Alright, alright, alright. Not making fun of you anymore! Let's start our lesson now!"
Feng Yang Palace is filled with the boisterous chirpings of the concubines.
Hua Bei Camp,
The Hua Bei Camp is the camp under the care of Han Yi Xiao. Today, Bai Jiu comes to assume her new position. She changed into her official armors before being led by Han Yi Xiao to the camp to be introduced to the troops. After introducing her, Han Yi Xiao returns to his own barrack.
Bai Jiu looks at the soldiers in front before respectfully greeting them, "This is this general's first time here, I hope all of you will give me a lot of teachings. Let's work together to make this camp even stronger!"
"Haha, a frail, girly little kid like you wants to make this camp stronger? What a joke!" A burly, thirty-year-old-something guy ridicules her.
The rest of the crowd laughs.
Bai Jiu smiles mockingly, "If I am not wrong, you should be the Deputy General of this camp, Chi Cheng, right?"
"Correct, that is me! What, do you have a problem with me, General Bai?" Chi Cheng looks at Bai Jiu haughtily. She looks so frail and thin, completely not suitable to be leading a camp.
Bai Jiu naturally can see through Chi Cheng; she raise her thick eyebrows before saying, "This is the first time this General meets Deputy Chi, how can I have anything against you? It is more like Deputy Chi is the one not satisfied with me! I know, I am young and thin. I have only entered the camp and is immediately appointed as the General. I know a lot of people are unhappy because of that. But a General is not appointed based on how old he is or how long he has been in the military. A General is appointed based on his physical ability and his wisdom; which by the way, I believe I do not lose to any of you. If any of you is unhappy with this, come forward and let's learn from each other. We'll see if I deserve this place or not."
Chi Cheng howls in laughter, "You are so young, yet your tone is so big. If I beat you this time, I'm afraid, you will not be able to stay here any longer."
Bai Jiu boldly says, "If any of you beats me today, I will leave this camp. I will never step into this camp in the future!"
Chi Cheng roars, "Alright! Remember your promise! If I beat you today, you will leave Hua Bei Camp and will not show your face here in the future!"
Bai Jiu nods, "Alright. But what if I win?"
Chi Cheng readily answers her, "If I lose to you, I will leave the camp. I will become a commoner!"
Bai Jiu answers him, "Alright! The rest of the people here are our witnesses! Deputy General, please!"
"Be my guest!"
The two of them walks to an empty training field. The situation is tense and full of hostility. The two of them takes a spear each before having a go at each other.
Chi Cheng is really good at martial arts. The only reason he remains a Deputy for so many years is due to his hot-temper. He is unable to keep his cool during volatile times. Although he is very powerful on the battlefield, he is not suitable to lead people; that is why Han Yi Xiao never promoted him.
As for Chi Cheng, though he never really cares for positions and stuff, he is not willing to have a young brat working as his superior. He is worried that this brat will end up ruining the camp.
The duel becomes fierce. The rest of the soldiers watch them dumbfoundedly. They never thought that Bai Jiu would be that good, especially since she looks so weak.
Chi Cheng originally did not expect much from Bai Jiu. He thought she was just an ignorant kid who didn't know where she stood. However, after a couple of strikes, he can no longer be at ease. He begins to fight her whole-heartedly.
The news about their duel spreads like a wildfire and before long, it reaches the ears of Han Yi Xiao.
Han Yi Xiao is very calm when one of his people tells him that, "Alright, you can retreat."
"Yes!" That soldier then leaves.
Han Yi Xiao puts down the report in his hand, a smile making it's way to his face. He gets up and walks out of his barrack.
Serene: This chapter was brought to you by Mckenzie.