Yu Ji felt like she'd been hit by a stray bullet. She had been standing quietly to the side, saying nothing, just trying to be part of the background. How had the conversation suddenly turned to her? And the suggestion from this woman before her—even she, an immortal who had lived countless years, felt a surge of embarrassment hearing it, finding it utterly unbelievable.
Looking at the tall, voluptuous woman with her lazy demeanor, her eager expression, and shameless posture, Yu Ji burned with rage. Her temper flared uncontrollably, and she wished she could grind this woman to dust, chop her into ten or eight pieces, and throw her into the Yangtze River to feed the fish.
Yu Ji had none of the modern woman's camaraderie with her female peers. Her dislike for human contact applied equally to men and women—in her eyes, they were all the same. She would never treat a woman differently just because of her gender. Especially Liu Ji's attitude reminded her of the countless years of human malice and the covetousness toward her immortal body, which only fueled her fury further.
Yu Ji didn't control her emotions—not because she couldn't, but because she refused to. Unless it truly involved the people or matters she cared about most, she would never lower her proud head or temper her volatile nature, let alone humble herself or plead pitifully.
But Liu Ji's outrageous proposal had nothing to do with those she cared about.
Humiliated and enraged, Yu Ji narrowed her beautiful eyes slightly, her lips parting to reveal a pair of pearly white fangs. What truly angered her wasn't Liu Ji's words—it was her attitude.
Liu Ji felt a tremor in her heart. The intuition granted by her dragon bloodline allowed her to sense the killing intent. At first, she thought it came from Roy, but upon closer perception, she realized it was actually emanating from Yu Ji.
She was puzzled and couldn't understand why Yu Ji dared to show such an expression toward her in Roy's presence, especially when Roy hadn't even spoken yet.
In this era, women were almost always appendages to men. She had assumed Yu Ji was merely Roy's favored concubine. As such, a favored concubine should obey her master's commands—if Roy truly wanted Yu Ji to serve him in bed, she shouldn't refuse no matter how shy she might be.
'Could I have misunderstood their relationship?'
Liu Ji grew flustered, feeling that the mistakes she had made today nearly surpassed those of the entire past year. For some reason, the moment she saw Roy, the shrewd, thick-skinned, and incredibly lucky Duke of Pei suddenly turned into a fool.
Yet she still found it strange. Based on Roy's previous behavior, he seemed like an extremely domineering and overbearing man—how could he allow a woman who might be his favored concubine to act so rudely in front of him?
Just as Liu Ji was thrown into confusion over Roy and Yu Ji's relationship, Roy took a step forward, positioning himself between Yu Ji and Liu Ji.
He couldn't actually let Yu Ji kill Liu Ji here.
"My king..."
Yu Ji couldn't help but speak up. Seeing Roy actually trying to protect Liu Ji, she inexplicably felt even more irritated. An unfamiliar emotion surged in her heart, leaving her with an indescribable bitterness. Her anger only deepened, and the more she looked at Liu Ji, the more displeased she became.
At that moment, Yu Ji even wondered if she had gone mad, allowing such strange emotions to spread.
"My beauty, don't listen to her nonsense. I treat you with sincerity and would never demean you in such a way."
Roy's words made Yu Ji open her mouth, wanting to say that her anger wasn't due to Liu Ji's teasing words but rather her attitude toward her.
She didn't believe Roy couldn't tell why she was angry. But since he deliberately twisted her meaning, it meant he was determined to protect Liu Ji.
If she really tried to act, Roy would probably fight her.
At this thought, Yu Ji's heart ached even more, feeling hollow. But in the end, she silently retreated, submitting to Roy's command with resignation.
It wasn't that she thought she couldn't defeat Roy—she simply realized she didn't want to fight him at all. She didn't want any discord between them, only to live peacefully by his side. That was what she truly desired.
Yu Ji didn't care for human ethics or laws. She didn't even understand the concept of considering the bigger picture, acting entirely as she pleased. But when it came to someone she cared about, she would even kneel for them. Beneath her seemingly cold and detached exterior lay a heart burning with passion.
Seeing Yu Ji suppress her grievances like a wronged wife, Roy inwardly sighed in relief.
If a clueless, emotionally dense man were in his place, he might have smugly reveled in his triumph, only to later complain about how much he had sacrificed while the woman had given nothing when their relationship soured.
Little did one know that when a woman changes her behavior and temperament for you, when she endures grievances for your sake, that is the greatest sacrifice. If you fail to see this sacrifice, as time passes and these grievances deepen, it will eventually create an irreparable rift in the relationship.
Fortunately, Roy was a sensitive and attentive man. He clearly recognized and saw Yu Ji's sacrifices for him. He couldn't simply accept them as a given but had to respond in kind, exchanging sincerity with sincerity.
Roy nodded at Yu Ji, his eyes filled with unmistakable apology, before composing himself and addressing Liu Ji with righteous conviction: "...Lord of Pei, I must ask you to refrain from speaking such words in the future. My feelings for Lady Yu are genuine, and I do not wish for her to suffer any grievances."
"...Moreover, with the world in chaos, the tyrannical Qin dynasty ruling without virtue, and the people displaced and living in misery, how could I spare any thought for personal affairs? Every day, I strive diligently, treading on thin ice, focused only on finding the swiftest means to end this turmoil—so soldiers who risk their lives may return home to their parents, and their children may live in peace and prosperity...."
"I do not know why you rose in rebellion, Lord of Pei, but since you emerged from humble origins, you should understand the suffering of the common people. I care not for your personal desires, but I hope that in the future, you will not betray the trust of those in Pei County who supported you."
Liu Ji's lips parted slightly, her words faltering. Roy's righteous and stirring speech left her deeply ashamed. She reflected on her own reasons for rebellion—merely self-preservation and escaping her parents' nagging. If she could achieve something noteworthy, it would at least give her bragging rights.
She had never considered the plight of the people, nor had she ever thought about her own future.
Thinking of her parents toiling in the fields back in Pei County, she realized that without using the Red Sky Sword to deceive the locals and secure a minor official post under the Qin, her family would likely be destitute, barely scraping by. And how many others in Pei County—how many across the land—were just as impoverished?
Though Liu Ji was thick-skinned and ruthless when her life was at stake, at heart, she was a benevolent and sincere leader. Otherwise, so many capable ministers and renowned generals would not have followed her. Combined with a woman's sensitivity, she was easily moved.
She bowed deeply to Roy and said earnestly, "...General, your words are well taken to heart!"
This usually carefree and lazy rogue was now uncharacteristically serious.
Seeing Liu Ji finally drop her roguish demeanor, Roy felt relieved. Indeed, persuasion through reason was the true path—though if the other party refused to listen, he would have no choice but to resort to persuasion by force.
But judging by the admiration in Liu Ji's eyes and the newfound conviction she seemed to have awakened, Roy casually asked, "...Lord of Pei, have you ever considered becoming emperor?"
Liu Ji didn't hesitate and replied in her mature, older-sister tone: "...In my youthful ignorance when I saw the First Emperor, I once had such thoughts. But it was only because being emperor seemed impressive—I never considered the state or gave any thought to the common people."
"...If the general has such ambitions, Ji is willing to serve as your loyal subordinate, to join you in overthrowing the tyrannical Qin and help you become king—or even emperor!"
Huh?
Roy blinked. Looking into Liu Ji's fiery, sincere crimson eyes, he suddenly felt the script wasn't following the expected plot.
Wasn't this supposed to be the Chu-Han contention? How did it turn into Han assisting the King of Chu?