Ming Yue was angry with herself for having no principles.
Ji Shiyou had only been gone for one night, and she was already unsettled.
She had waited for him all night, even worrying about him.
She wondered if he had interrogated the Bloodthirsty Hall about any other accomplices in Yue City.
Had Ji Shiyou encountered danger while personally apprehending them?
Thinking of this, Ming Yue's heart skipped a beat.
What was she doing? Ji Shiyou was her enemy.
She should hate him to death, and she should be happy if something happened to him.
Habits were truly terrifying. In Lan Yue Palace, she had lived and eaten with Ji Shiyou for less than half a month.
Ji Shiyou had only been gone for one night, and she already felt unsettled?
Ming Yue reflected sternly, condemning herself.
She was about to return to her room to catch up on sleep when she heard footsteps at the door.
Just as she had resolved not to be influenced by Ji Shiyou,
and absolutely not to care about her enemy, Ming Yue couldn't help but turn her head towards the door.
Her eyes held anticipation, wanting to confirm if Ji Shiyou had returned.
"Princess, you are already awake!
Your servant overslept and will now assist you with your ablutions and dressing."
Seeing Yan Liu enter with hot water, Ming Yue's eyes held a hint of disappointment.
She felt too embarrassed to admit that she hadn't slept all night because Ji Shiyou was not back.
She let Yan Liu wash her face, comb her hair, and change her clothes.
For the entire day, Ming Yue was listless and lacked energy.
Yan Liu was also in low spirits, and Lan Yue Palace was filled with a somber atmosphere.
Master and servant spoke not a word.
It wasn't until dinner that Ji Shiyou, accompanied by Dong Nan, entered.
"Are you treating this place like an inn, coming and going as you please?
Pack your things and get out of Lan Yue Palace. You are not welcome here!"
Upon seeing Ji Shiyou enter, Ming Yue's spirits lifted.
Then, she glared at him and said with disdain.
Her tone, as she ordered Ji Shiyou to leave, was remarkably like a wife who had been waiting for her husband to return.
However, Ming Yue herself was unaware of this; she was merely involuntarily expressing her anger.
"Are you angry? You're jealous because I was gone for just one night.
Don't worry, I didn't go to any other palace.
It's just that the fake Cen Ci revealed the locations of other accomplices in Yue City.
I took the Imperial Guards to apprehend them overnight, so I didn't return."
Ji Shiyou was not angry at all; instead, he looked gratified.
Shamelessly, he sidled up to Ming Yue and offered a fabricated explanation.
Dong Nan, standing to the side, grumbled inwardly.
Your Majesty, have some dignity! You don't even blush when you lie.
It was I who took the Imperial Guards to apprehend the Bloodthirsty Hall assassins overnight; you were nowhere to be found, likely sleeping.
Poor me, I haven't rested yet and am already exhausted.
But I am a servant, and Your Majesty is the master.
Whatever the master says goes, and I cannot expose him.
"I don't care what you were doing; it has nothing to do with me kicking you out.
Yan Liu, pack his things and throw them out.
Seeing this man irritates me; I want to kill him!"
Seeing Ji Shiyou approach, Ming Yue brandished the dagger in her hand.
She pointed it at Ji Shiyou and said fiercely, a surge of malevolent energy wanting to be unleashed within her.
"Do you really want to kick me out? You might regret it.
I brought you a gift, and if you send me away, the gift will be gone.
Never mind, I won't tease you anymore!
Xing Sheng, bring them in!"
Seeing Ming Yue acting like a startled beast, Ji Shiyou knew
that Ming Yue was on the verge of acting out. He immediately hit the brakes, not daring to test her further.
He took a step back and shouted towards the hall entrance.
As his voice faded, Xing Sheng, clad in black, walked in.
Behind him followed more than a dozen people, men and women of various ages.
"Granny Yang!"
Ming Yue, who had been furious, saw the group behind Xing Sheng.
Her emotions immediately broke free, and tears began to stream down her face uncontrollably.
She rushed forward and hugged a middle-aged woman in her forties tightly.
"Greetings, Princess!"
Except for the woman in green who was being hugged by Ming Yue,
the others knelt on the ground, kowtowing to Ming Yue, their eyes all red.
"All of you, rise. Cui Mu, Shi Wan, Ren Jia, why are you here?
I've missed you all so much. Are you all well?"
Ming Yue quickly told everyone to rise, calling out each of their names.
She was overjoyed; these were the people who had served her in her palace in Wu Man Kingdom.
The middle-aged woman in green, with a kind face, was her wet nurse.
Her surname was Yang, and Ming Yue had been nursed by her, making them extremely close.
Ming Yue regarded her as a mother and held her in high esteem.
The woman in yellow and green, with an oval face and a tall figure,
appeared to be seventeen or eighteen years old and was named Cui Mu.
She was the head palace maid in Ming Yue's palace and had grown up with her, like sisters.
Behind Cui Mu stood two identical sixteen or seventeen-year-old boys.
They were two young eunuchs, one named Shi Wan and the other Ren Jia.
Like Cui Mu, their names had been given by Ming Yue.
This was because when she was studying, she had read an ancient poem.
It contained the line, "Windy curtains, jade screens, stretching for hundreds of thousands of households."
She found it pleasant to the ear and thus changed their original names.
Although Shi Wan and Ren Jia looked identical, their personalities were completely different.
Shi Wan, the elder brother, was honest and taciturn.
Ren Jia, the younger brother, was mischievous and a chatterbox.
When Ming Yue went out to play in the past, she would always have these two brothers by her side.
Ming Yue called out the names of the remaining people one by one.
They were all people from her palace, and seeing them now was like seeing her own family.
Ming Yue's mood soared, as if she could fly.
"Princess, this servant misses you too!
Ever since His Majesty brought you here, this servant has thought of you every day.
I lost my appetite and lost over ten pounds."
Ren Jia, being a chatterbox, stepped forward when Ming Yue asked them.
"You glib talker, you look rosy-cheeked.
You seem fatter than Shi Wan; how could you have lost weight?"
Looking at the familiar faces, Ming Yue's smile never ceased.
She playfully tapped Ren Jia on the head, joking.
"I did lose weight initially, but then His Majesty decreed that we were to come to Yue City.
To continue serving the Princess, this servant became so happy that my appetite increased greatly.
I ate everything with gusto, and that's why I gained weight."
Watching Ren Jia's antics, Ming Yue glanced back at Ji Shiyou.
So, Ji Shiyou had arranged this. She supposed it made sense.
Wu Man Kingdom was thousands of miles away from Yue City.
The citizens of the kingdom were blockaded by the army of Lang Yue Kingdom.
The imperial palace was also heavily guarded. Without Ji Shiyou's consent,
even if Granny Yang and the others wanted to see her, it would have been impossible.
"Thank you for reuniting us, master and servants."
Thinking of Ji Shiyou's thoughtfulness, Ming Yue walked up to him and said sincerely.
"As long as you are happy, they will stay in Lan Yue Palace from now on.
They will serve you alongside Yan Liu. I have already instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs to register them.
Their ranks and monthly stipends will remain the same as in Wu Man Kingdom."
Ji Shiyou's heart filled with joy seeing Ming Yue so happy.
He had previously instructed the Ministry of Internal Affairs not to assign any palace staff to Lan Yue Palace for the time being.
He had wanted to bring these people over to serve Ming Yue.
With them by her side, perhaps it would alleviate Ming Yue's homesickness.
"Why is your face so pale? Are you injured?"
Ming Yue suddenly noticed that Ji Shiyou's complexion was not right and asked casually.
"Ah, it's nothing. I just didn't get enough rest.
You should celebrate your reunion with your servants.
I've asked the imperial kitchen to send two tables of food. I still have some memorials to read.
I won't delay your reunion; I'll leave now."
Ji Shiyou, fearing Ming Yue would notice something amiss, left in a hurry.
"Everyone, you've arrived at a good time. From today onwards, this Princess is no longer fighting alone.
Let us pool our wisdom and kill Ji Shiyou to avenge our fallen kin."
At the banquet, Ming Yue raised her wine cup and declared loudly.
There were no outsiders present, so she no longer held back.
"Princess, this old servant has something to report. You have misunderstood His Majesty."
Upon hearing Ming Yue's words, the room fell silent.
Granny Yang gritted her teeth, stood up, bowed, and said to Ming Yue.