“You dare!” Yue Guanyi picked up the teacup beside him and smashed it hard against his face. The cup left a red mark on his incomparably bewitching face. He didn’t dodge, but stared straight at Qiu Shuzhi.

As if he was still expecting Qiu Shuzhi to protect him as she had in the past.

But Qiu Shuzhi didn’t. The distant gap between them made him feel a strong fear from the bottom of his heart.

She lightly held his wrist and pulled him up: “I believe that even for the sake of your tribespeople, you wouldn’t do this. Although I deceived you, my promise to the Miao is still valid. The court has already ordered the establishment of Yunnan Prefecture, and the situation of the Miao people has greatly changed. As the Holy Child of the Miao, you can live freely in Yunnan. Why bother to bring trouble upon yourself? It’s not worth it.”

He suddenly grabbed Qiu Shuzhi’s hand as she was about to leave and pulled her into his arms. His other hand cupped the back of her neck, and their lips pressed tightly together. He ravaged her mouth in an almost violent manner, not sparing any corner of her mouth. At that moment, she seemed to hear the fierce, pounding heartbeat bursting from his chest. By the time Qiu Shuzhi reacted and pushed him away, he had already bitten off a piece of skin from the corner of her mouth.

“What are you doing?”

Jiang Si looked at the fresh blood at the corner of her mouth and laughed softly: “Whether it’s worth it or not is for me to decide.”

The Dian King’s rebellion was quelled, and an imperial edict was issued to establish Yunnan Prefecture, stabilizing the hearts of various tribes in Yunnan.

Qiu Shuzhi and Yue Guanyi could finally return to the capital.

The caravan traveled along the winding official road.

On a small hill not far away, a figure in red stood.

The few short months spent with Qiu Shuzhi seemed like a beautiful dream to Jiang Si.

Later, he searched all the grass and trees in the mountains and forests, but could no longer find leaves that could blow bubbles, just as there was no longer any possibility between him and Qiu Shuzhi.

Poisoning Qiu Shuzhi was a desperate move he had to use to save his life at the time, but it ultimately hurt her body.

Yue Guanyi was right, he was a poisonous man.

He deserved to be unhappy.

After his mother died, his father followed suit.

He had always resented his father before, for sacrificing everything for an illusory love, only to end up with nothing, and instead letting himself fall from the high and mighty Holy Child into the mud.

But at this moment, he finally understood.

Love that penetrates to the bone cannot be severed.

Even if the other party only uses you, you willingly dedicate everything.

So he planted poison in her body again, only this time, the mother bug was in her body, and the child bug was buried in his body. This way, even if they were thousands of miles apart, he could still sense her existence, her heartbeat.

“Holy Child, Madam Qiu has gone far away, let’s go back.”

Jiang Si gazed lovingly into the distance, where the carriages had become small and blurry.

“Let me look a little longer.”

From now on, over mountains and rivers, wife-master, I will never see you again.

Qiu Shuzhi quelled the Dian King’s rebellion and returned triumphantly, shocking the court and the people.

The young Emperor was overjoyed and immediately promoted her to the cabinet.

There were few people in the history of the Great Qi who could enter the cabinet at her age.

However, this was also reasonable. During the time Qiu Shuzhi was away from the capital, many things had happened.

Qin Zheng died, Gu Zheng and Qin Qing confronted each other, and being at a disadvantage, were transferred to the frontier. The young Emperor seized the opportunity to gather the power of the clan and aristocratic forces. With the help of Qiu Shuzhi and Yue Guanyi, imperial power was further consolidated.

“Qiu Niang, now that Gu Zheng’s forces have been dealt with and the Qin clan is tottering, should we completely uproot the Qin clan?”

Yue Shen had her jet-black hair tied up, adorned with a golden dangling hairpin. With each step she took, the hairpin would gently sway with her movements, but it didn’t make the young Emperor appear unstable. Instead, it made her seem more graceful and dignified.

“Your Majesty, it’s easy to purge the Qin clan, but it’s difficult to purge the entire Great Qi. From the court to the common people, interests are intertwined from top to bottom, pulling one hair moves the whole body. The Qin clan cannot be eliminated in a short time, it’s better to proceed gradually. Especially since we have just pacified Yunnan, it’s not advisable to make big moves now. The Blue Consort also needs your favor, to let the Miao know that you value them.”

Yue Shen smiled faintly: “I understand. Qiu Niang always thinks thoroughly. I was too hasty. I will visit the Blue Consort more often.”

Qiu Shuzhi smiled: “There is one thing Your Majesty should indeed hurry with.”

Yue Shen raised an eyebrow slightly.

“In the past, Your Majesty was constrained and didn’t dare to let the harem concubines conceive royal heirs easily. But now no one in the court dares to say no to you, you should indeed extend your lineage.” Qiu Shuzhi said softly.

Yue Shen lowered her head and revealed a bitter smile: “Qiu Niang, I stopped taking that medicine long ago, and have tried to repeatedly favor several obedient and modest concubines from average backgrounds, but there has been no movement… I think it must be because the medicine I took back then was too strong and damaged my body… Qiu Niang, I might never be able to have my own children.”

Qiu Shuzhi was shocked and immediately knelt down: “Please forgive this subject, Your Majesty. It’s all this subject’s fault. This subject should never have given you those medicines in the first place.”

“Qiu Niang, what are you doing?” Yue Shen immediately helped her up: “I was the one who asked you to find the medicine, and I was the one who willingly took it. I knew what the consequences would be when I took those medicines. It’s not your fault, you don’t need to blame yourself.”

Even though Yue Shen said this, Qiu Shuzhi still felt deeply guilty.

The highest in the country, yet to be childless for life. The Yue clan only had Yue Shen left as the sole descendant. How would the royal bloodline continue? Who would inherit the throne?

Just as Qiu Shuzhi was struggling with these thoughts, Yue Shen’s voice sounded in her ear: “Qiu Niang, I will never have my own children in this life, but Great Qi cannot be without an heir. My elder brother is also of Yue bloodline. If he could have a daughter, and bring her up to adulthood, I want to establish her as the heir.”

Qiu Shuzhi looked at her in shock.

When an emperor has no offspring, adopting a child from a collateral line under their own name to raise would be most suitable.