TFSRITA Chapter 95

“She felt satisfied after scratching him, but if anyone dared to bite her, there was no way she wouldn’t seek revenge. Getting angry wouldn’t solve anything!

As for the report? Yan Qing didn’t feel like looking at it. She had just woken up and, in a reflex, scratched Ji Yecheng. Her head still felt a bit foggy.

However, after a glance, her expression froze.

The report mentioned the Wuling River, the largest river in the Da Qian Empire. This river nourished countless people but was also a source of danger.

When the water rose, it displaced many people, causing countless casualties.

Seeing her eyes focus on the report, the clarity in her gaze growing stronger, Ji Yecheng’s heart tightened. With a serious tone, he said, ‘This is a significant issue. In a few months, the rainy season will start, and if the water rises again, there will be more disasters.’

Yan Qing instinctively nodded, though she remained silent.

In this world, people typically focused on building dikes to hold back the floods.

But that was far from enough.

Yan Qing hesitated, her small hand gripping the teacup.

Ji Yecheng continued, ‘If this isn’t resolved soon, we could see more deaths and injuries this year. The Astronomical Bureau has predicted a particularly severe rainy season.’

Yan Qing’s heart tightened. She pursed her lips, her brow furrowing as her gaze remained fixed on the report.

Ji Yecheng suppressed a laugh, noticing her resolve waver. His eyes softened, and he refrained from persuading her further, sitting quietly to wait.

Sure enough, after a moment, her raspy, low voice spoke, ‘Dig channels to divert the water, plant trees…’

Concerned about the lives of the people, Yan Qing offered a few basic suggestions. Still unsatisfied, she asked Ji Yecheng to bring a map of the area, order the creation of a model, and lay out a detailed plan, including the budget, supervision, and personnel for the project.

Ji Yecheng listened intently. He trusted her judgment, knowing that her suggestions had never caused harm to the people. Whatever she proposed, he confidently implemented and immediately gathered the necessary personnel.

Watching her seriously explain the details, Ji Yecheng let out a slow breath. He wasn’t afraid of her acting up, only of her staying silent.

Yan Qing spent the entire day working on this matter.

Only when dusk began to settle did the planning come to an end.

The ministers left with their tasks, and Yan Qing finally relaxed.

As soon as she stretched out her hand, a cup of tea was offered.

Yan Qing drank it all in one go, the warm tea soothing her from within. But when she turned her head, she saw Ji Yecheng smiling at her, and her softened expression immediately turned cold.

Ji Yecheng didn’t mind and took a slow sip from his own freshly brewed cup of tea.

He hadn’t liked tea in the past because it was bitter. He preferred indulgences and disliked bitterness. But recently, he had grown fond of it. For some reason, after enduring the bitterness, he always tasted a hint of sweetness, which made him crave it even more.

With nothing else to do, Yan Qing’s attention returned to the second report.

Ji Yecheng noticed and quickly put down his tea, opening the document for her.

It turned out to be a victory report delivered that day.

The people Ji Yecheng had sent had successfully eliminated the leader of Mobei. Now, the region was leaderless, ready for their army to move in.

A wave of anxiety rose in Yan Qing’s heart, but she didn’t understand why. She forced it down and said, ‘Send the order. Do not massacre ordinary citizens. Even though the people of Mobei aren’t of our kind, they can be assimilated. They raise cattle and sheep, which provide food. Their wool can be made into blankets, clothes, carpets, and other items, which are very warm…’

‘Ha, ha…’ Ji Yecheng cleared his throat to suppress the laughter threatening to spill out.

This woman!

She was so adorably contrary at times.

Ji Yecheng felt a tingling sensation in his chest as he watched her, his fingers itching to reach out and touch her. But he restrained himself, standing upright as he said, ‘Alright, I’ll issue the order right away.’

He got up and pretended to leave.

Yan Qing kept her face cold and ignored him.

Ji Yecheng took a couple of steps before turning back. ‘There are a lot of reports here. If you can’t finish them all today, you can leave some for tomorrow.’

Then he signaled to Fu Rong, who had been silently sitting in the corner.

Fu Rong quickly ran to follow him.

After everyone left, Yan Qing sat in a daze for a while before instinctively returning to the reports.

Halfway through, Madam Qian saw her frowning and, assuming she had a headache, hurried over to massage her. Another maid came to knead her shoulders.

Yan Qing snapped back to reality. Why was she handling all this nonsense?

Could it be that Ji Yecheng’s victory in Mobei had stunned her?

She wanted to slam down her red pen in frustration, but seeing the half-finished report, she resigned herself to continue working.

It wasn’t until late into the night that she finally finished all the reports. Jiang Wende came to collect them, and the next day, fresh ones were delivered.

Everything seemed to return to normal, except for one change: the location of the office. Instead of studying in the Taiji Hall, the work had moved to the study in Lingyun Palace.

Naturally, it couldn’t be in the sleeping quarters—there were too many people coming and going, and the reports were important. Besides, Fu Rong needed to come by, and it would be inconvenient there.

As the only minister allowed to enter the inner palace, Fu Rong felt like he was walking on eggshells every day. He had thought the move to Lingyun Palace would spare him, but it only meant he spent even more time there, leaving him feeling overwhelmed.

Ji Yecheng reported daily, acting as a diligent little secretary, ensuring everything she needed was at her fingertips. He followed her instructions to issue decrees and summon people.

It seemed like everything was the same, yet it wasn’t. Yan Qing’s temper had grown worse.

She always kept a red whip by her side. Whenever something displeased her, she’d snap the whip—usually aimed at Ji Yecheng.”