Ji Feiyu suddenly understood. Indeed, every country secretly planted spies. Once successful, it was very difficult for the other side to get rid of them. There were taboos in talking to her about this, so she immediately shifted her attention to another topic.
"Are you... really sure you're going to take this path?" Ji Feiyu didn't quite understand why everyone wanted the supreme power. But wasn't the higher one stood, the lonelier one became? Just like when Ji Feiyu climbed to a high place in the palace and looked into the distance, there was always only the coldness of being alone.
Ji Feiyu thought Yong Yaxuan must feel the same way, which was why she must take him back. Maybe he was using this way to make himself less lonely...
She and Yong Yaxuan had tortured each other, but some things wouldn't be easily given up just because of that. For example, their beliefs and the responsibilities they took on when they went through hardships together. Before, she had been naughty and didn't understand his difficulties, while he had been maintaining the superficial balance of power to keep everyone in the best state.
Ji Feiyu had never thought about what would happen if this balance was broken one day. She just indulged her willfulness again and again. In the palace, Yong Yaxuan protected her again and again. All the concubines respected her. She thought this was the norm until she found that when he didn't stand by her side for the first time, her situation became so difficult. Outside the palace, the power and the warmth and coldness of people were even more obvious. She found that she was helpless against the bullying officers and soldiers. In the end, she could only fight violence with violence, and she once again felt her own insignificance. If it were Yong Yaxuan, he only needed to say a word, and those people wouldn't dare to act rashly. So it was said that imperial power was supreme, but what exactly was imperial power?
She didn't like imperial power, but she also enjoyed the benefits it brought. She was born into the royal family, grew up in it, and finally married into it. Could she really escape from imperial power?
These days, while she was recuperating from her injuries and undisturbed, she had thought a lot. When she was being used and wanted to escape the dilemma, she had thought about facing everything alone, but the loneliness at that time made her realize her own insignificance. When she was carrying her belief and wanted to break the situation perfectly, she could somewhat understand the pain Yong Yaxuan had to bear in his position, having to take everything into account.
She felt the pressure from the entire North Cold Kingdom, just as Yong Yaxuan felt the expectations of all the subjects of the Great Yong Empire. She knew that no matter what choice Yong Yaxuan made, there would always be people scolding him. Whether he chased after her or not, there would still be many people scolding him. In the palace, during the days when she waited for him, many days he was busy dealing with national affairs until dawn. While she waited and got disappointed day by day, she never thought that he would be tired. After coming to the North Cold Kingdom, she accidentally saw the express horses carrying official documents from the Great Yong Empire. It seemed that he didn't slack off even when he was away.
Strangely enough, after they had been separated for a while and she had experienced some things, she could understand him better. Being an emperor was really too hard and one had to give up a lot. The royal family of the North Cold Kingdom was calculating, shameless, and could even change their decisions overnight for the sake of interests. How could Yong Yaxuan sit firmly on the throne without using any means? It was just that he took all these dark things on himself and protected her, only letting her see the prosperity and peace of the Great Yong Empire.
Thinking of this, Ji Feiyu couldn't help but show a bitter smile. With him, she never seemed to have to think about how to deal with external changes. But without him, Ji Feiyu had to shoulder the honor and disgrace of a country alone!
"...What's wrong? Isn't the reason I gave you good enough?" The second prince's voice suddenly interrupted Ji Feiyu's thoughts. Ji Feiyu was stunned when she heard his last words and then remembered what she had asked him.
"Oh, since that's the case..." Ji Feiyu was too embarrassed to say that she hadn't been listening because his expression was so excited at the moment that she really didn't have the heart to dampen his spirits.
"Since that's the case, what?"
Ji Feiyu thought for a moment and then smiled at him. "Since that's the case, there should be rewards for efforts. You promise me two requests! I guarantee that as long as I get this promise, I'll help you ascend to the position you want when the time is right."
"What requests?"
"First, the Great Yong Empire and the North Cold Kingdom will never go to war again, not even border harassment... Second, you'll give me a thousand fine horses, and I'll take your Jingyun horse too!"
"You!" He was rarely stunned to see Ji Feiyu making such an excessive demand.
Ji Feiyu said, "Peace is the responsibility of a king; fine horses show your sincerity. Anyway, you'll own the whole North Cold Kingdom in the future. A few horses as a reward won't mean much, right?"
"You really are not an easy person." He looked at Ji Feiyu, clearly angry but helpless.
At this time, the fake Ji Feiyu he had placed beside Yong Yaxuan had been exposed, so he couldn't threaten Ji Feiyu with the excuse that "the fake Ji Feiyu might attack the guilt - ridden Yong Yaxuan at any time". So the cooperation between him and Ji Feiyu was now directly put on the table for negotiation as a win - win situation. Originally, it was about them leaving in exchange for his throne. Now Ji Feiyu suddenly added conditions. Compared with the throne, the conditions she added were really not worth mentioning. Therefore, in order to continue the cooperation, he had no choice but to agree.
"Okay, I promise you..."
Hearing this promise, Ji Feiyu felt all her gloom disappear and was greatly relieved. She sat up from the grass, took out a written agreement from her bosom, and asked him to sign it. "Since that's the case, with your promise, this paper serves as evidence."
Only then did the second prince realize that he had been tricked. He also sat up and asked in confusion, "You prepared this in advance?"
Ji Feiyu said honestly, "I thought this matter was too dangerous for me, so I decided to ask you for a little more. I really thought of this before."
The second prince laughed. "But in this wilderness, how can I sign?"
"I have a way! Give me your hand."
While the second prince was still hesitating, Ji Feiyu grabbed his right hand and bit hard on his index finger.
The second prince was in pain and quickly withdrew his hand, exclaiming, "What are you doing?"
Ji Feiyu said with a smile, "Look, now you can sign, can't you?"
When the second prince saw a drop of blood oozing from his right index finger, he was extremely angry. "You actually made me write a blood - letter!"
Ji Feiyu said, "What else can we do? We don't have the conditions to sign an agreement in a room now. The eldest prince's people are watching! But a verbal promise is not enough. If you don't give me something to make me feel at ease, how can I help you?"
The second prince couldn't help but roll his eyes at her. He was really annoyed.