binnovel Chapter 523: The Imperial Concubine is Pure and Elegant (273)
Chapter 523: The Imperial Concubine is Pure and Elegant (273)
Chapter 523: The Imperial Concubine Is Pure and Elegant (Two Hundred and Seventy-three)
Ji Mingjie thought of Wu Lan, the woman who refused to be his concubine and was unwilling to lead the Wu people to help him resist the Liang army, and said sarcastically, "Oh, she has great ambitions, unlike us, who had to flee in a hurry. She said she wanted to avenge the Wu people and overthrow the Liang Kingdom. Haha, I'll see how long she can survive before she shows off her power."
The prince raised his eyebrows. He didn't expect that the chief of the Wu clan was so arrogant. It was a pity that he turned his back on her. After all, she was once his father's fiancée. How could he have no feelings for her now?
Little did the prince know that Wu Lan now loathed Ji Mingjie, believing him to be hopeless. Even before the Ji capital was captured, she had already left the state with her remaining clansmen, preparing for another life, unwilling to serve such a fool as Ji Mingjie. Ji Mingjie and his son hid in a remote location, no longer addressing each other as "Father" or "Son." With plenty of money and servants to serve them, they weren't living in poverty.
After hiding his identity, the dull days made Ji Mingjie's son lose his fighting spirit. Restoring the country was too far away, so his father should not count on him. The former prince looked at the beautiful woman he had just married, reached out and touched her bulging belly. His father might as well hope that his future son could restore the country.
Perhaps Ji Mingjie noticed something was wrong, so he didn't take Moshi with him when he left, and he even deliberately sent Moshi away.
Both Mosh and King Lounan knew that the people left in the palace were just substitutes for Ji Mingjie and his son. They didn't know the whereabouts of Ji Mingjie, and they wondered if Wu Lan had rescued Ji Mingjie, but they also felt that Wu Lan didn't want to care about Ji Mingjie's life or death anymore, and it was probably Ji Mingjie who escaped on his own.
Now that the empire had just been pacified, Emperor Liang didn't believe Ji Mingjie could pull any tricks, so he didn't send anyone to look for him. If Ji Mingjie didn't behave, then let him behave himself forever. Prince Lounan did send someone to look for him, but when he couldn't find Ji Mingjie, he gave up the idea of killing the deposed emperor.
Drawing lessons from Qi's transformation into the Northern Frontier, Emperor Liang redefined the prefectures and counties, reappointed and dismissed local officials, and dispatched troops to assist in the reforms. Due to the prevalence of shamanic culture in the Ji State, the numerous tribes, and the conservative, backward, and radicalized people, Emperor Liang not only dispatched doctors, caravans, and troops to Southern Frontier to reform the local culture, but also relied on the power of the King of Lounan, the leader of a large tribe, to appease the people.
He ordered the Ji State to be renamed Nanjiang, and appointed Moshi as King Dingnan, who was responsible for garrisoning Nanjiang. The title could be inherited for three generations, and King Lounan assisted King Dingnan. The title could also be inherited for three generations, and the two kings jointly ruled Nanjiang.
This news made Ji Mingjie unable to eat meat and fish for several days. He also disliked porridge and side dishes. Even the fact that his new concubine was pregnant did not make him happy. He had never thought that Mo Shi was really the Emperor Liang's man and was now the King of Dingnan!
Although Ji Mingjie knew that both the King of Dingnan and the King of Lounan were merely ministers of Emperor Liang, it was impossible for Emperor Liang to allow the two kings to dominate the southern border. Officials in the southern border would be transferred after a three-year term, just like officials in the northern border, and would take turns serving in the western border, southern border, and the Central Plains.
The Liang Emperor would gradually weaken their power and assimilate the people of Ji State into Liang. From now on, there would only be Liang State, no longer Ji State, and both northern and southern borders would belong to Liang. The two kings couldn't possibly overthrow the Liang Emperor. If they didn't obey, they might even be killed by the next emperor in their later years. But Ji Mingjie was still furious, angry that Moshi was the Liang Emperor's man, that Moshi had stepped on him to ascend to power, and that he had become a fool.
In a rage, Ji Mingjie even sent someone to kill Moshi. However, Moshi spared the life of only one of the thirty-two elites who went to kill him, and sent that person to deliver a message to Ji Mingjie. The person didn't dare to return rashly, and recuperated outside, returning to see Ji Mingjie two months later.
"Master, King Dingnan has told me to tell you that if you want to live, be content. Otherwise, don't blame him for not remembering our past friendship. If he joins forces with King Lounan, you will probably die without a burial place."