Meanwhile, back at his residence, Zhou Siren regained his senses from his shock, with Yun Yaoyao's words still echoing in his mind.
His gaze grew increasingly entranced, to the point where he didn't even hear the servant outside his door announcing that it was time for dinner.
After a long while, Zhou Siren finally returned to his senses: "Water conservancy projects aren't so simple. Just the time alone would take at least several years. Not to mention the indefinite future of maritime trade. It's unrealistic. I can't think about this anymore."
But Yun Yaoyao's words buzzed in his ears like flies.
Zhou Siren began to waver: "But how can we know if it's possible without trying? Besides, the National Master said His Majesty would succeed. If it succeeds, the benefits would be enormous..."
"No! What if this is all fabricated by His Majesty? What if he deliberately leaked this information to win me over, to make me willingly work for him!"
"Though His Majesty is cruel, he's not petty. He wouldn't use the National Master's name in vain, and such a wondrous overseas world doesn't seem like something that could be made up..."
And so, Zhou Siren went to bed early, his mind burdened with countless thoughts and extreme indecision, after barely touching his dinner.
Lying in bed, he tossed and turned, unable to calm his mind, finally falling into a restless sleep in the early hours of the morning.
In his dream, he saw the mysterious black-skinned people His Majesty had mentioned. Their bodies were entirely black, making them invisible in the darkness except for their big white teeth.
As he walked dazedly into a patch of darkness, suddenly in the distance appeared rows of big mouths, with snow-white teeth, rapidly opening and closing as they spoke.
"Zhou Siren, traitors like Lou Jianshan who harm the country and its people will eventually fall. Find a new master soon!"
"His Majesty may be poor now, but following him has limitless potential. Once the canal is completed, the profits from North-South trade will be enormous, and maritime trade will bring countless treasures of gold and silver!"
"Zhou Siren, are you sure you want to miss out on His Majesty's future mountain of gold and silver?"
"His Majesty has already expressed his great admiration for your talents. Just submit to him!"
The rows of snow-white teeth swirled and danced around Zhou Siren's head as he looked on in terror.
"Just submit to him! Hee hee hee!"
Ahhhhh!!!
Zhou Siren woke from his nightmare with a start, sitting bolt upright, his back drenched in cold sweat.
His mind was filled with those eerie images and the echoing words "Just submit to him! Hee hee hee!"
Frightened, he took out the gold nugget hidden under his pillow and hugged it to calm himself. After a while, Zhou Siren wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes with his knuckles and thought to himself.
Maybe... I should just submit to His Majesty?
*
As dawn broke, another round of memorials and debates ensued in the Xuanzheng Palace.
After court was dismissed, Yun Yaoyao dragged her tired body towards Tu Shanjin's Yunning Palace.
Getting up early for court was truly torturous. She needed to comfort her disgruntled little heart with a few plates of delicious pastries from the tyrant's palace!
As soon as she entered Yunning Palace, Yun Yaoyao cheerfully called out: "Beloved Consort!"
Tu Shanjin was still unable to accept seeing such a lively and energetic expression on his usually cold and intimidating face.
He dismissed the servants and asked about official matters: "What was discussed at court today?"
Yun Yaoyao recounted what the ministers had reported at court, adding: "Work on the canal has officially begun. Lou Jianshan is convinced the project will fail midway and there's no profit to be made, so he's not paying much attention to it, which is convenient for us."
"Also, the Dragon Shadow Guard reported that Lou Jianshan's bad reputation has spread among the common people, and some scholars are criticizing him privately. It seems Di Shunzhi's new story is quite effective."
"Zhou Siren's attitude seems to be softening. At the autumn sacrifice three days from now, I'll give him a strong dose of medicine!"
Hearing Yun Yaoyao's words, Tu Shanjin knew she had another devious idea in mind.
He resisted the urge to look at Yun Yaoyao's cunning and scheming expression, took two deep breaths, and discussed the next steps with her.
Afterwards, Yun Yaoyao, having eaten her fill of snacks, let out a long, unladylike burp.
Tu Shanjin felt another twinge in his heart as he watched.
His image as the supreme ruler was slowly being destroyed by Yun Yaoyao.
Unaware of Tu Shanjin's inner thoughts, Yun Yaoyao took his hand and examined it closely.
"How is it? Does your hand still hurt?"
It must have been so painful to get such a big gash from that vicious tiger. Thank goodness it wasn't her who got hurt.
"What did the imperial physician say? How long will it take to heal?"
She wondered if it would leave a scar. Such beautiful hands shouldn't be scarred!
Seeing Yun Yaoyao's worried expression as she held his hand to her chest, stroking and massaging it, the warm sensation constantly transmitted, Tu Shanjin's arm stiffened. He quickly withdrew his hand, looking quite uncomfortable.
"It's nothing, just a small wound."
Yun Yaoyao grew anxious: "How can you call this a small wound? You must not be stubborn about this. You absolutely must follow the imperial physician's instructions, take your medicine properly, change the dressings, and let it heal quickly. Only then can I stop worrying!"
Men generally don't care about scars, but Yun Yaoyao feared this stubborn tyrant wouldn't take proper care of this body. She repeated the physician's instructions several more times.
Yun Yaoyao usually spent more time annoying and provoking him, so her sudden display of genuine concern made Tu Shanjin even more uncomfortable, unsure how to respond.
Tu Shanjin's mind flashed back to that moment when Yun Yaoyao had ridden towards him on horseback, leaning down to grasp his hand tightly. His heart stirred slightly.
In the past, many around him had wanted to kill him. For the first time, he experienced the feeling of someone reaching out to help him in a dangerous situation.
During this time, Yun Yaoyao had also cooperated with him in handling state affairs efficiently, even solving some of his worries on several occasions.
Perhaps this body swap wasn't such a bad thing after all...
"By the way, for your safety, you should have a trustworthy and skilled maid to protect you at all times. Who would be suitable?" Yun Yaoyao pondered seriously.
Looking at her concerned expression, Tu Shanjin became even more convinced of his thoughts.
Or perhaps this female demon had also given him a piece of her true heart during their daily interactions.
If Yun Yaoyao knew Tu Shanjin's thoughts at this moment, she would have jumped up and cursed him for being delusional and overthinking things!
As they were both lost in their own thoughts, a loud, excited voice boomed nearby.
"Little!! Sister!!"
Yun Yaoyao looked up in surprise to see a massive, mountain-like figure running towards them with great strides. The flesh on the figure's face quivered slightly, much like the ground shaking beneath their feet.
Behind, the well-trained palace guards drew their swords in pursuit, but for the moment, they couldn't catch up.
Yun Yaoyao exclaimed in amazement: "What a magnificent flying mountain eagle!"
Seeing this scene, Xiao Wuzi was terrified but still tremblingly stood in front of Yun Yaoyao to protect her.
"Insolent servant, how dare you..."
Before he could finish speaking, the small figure was sent flying three meters away by the human mountain.
With a thud, Xiao Wuzi hit the ground, feeling as if his entire body was about to shatter.
Yun Yaoyao marveled again: "Such ferocious strength!"
Only when she reached Tu Shanjin did Niu Xiu'er lean down affectionately and press her large face against his arm: "Little sister, I heard you were injured. Xiu'er was so worried. As soon as my injury healed, I rushed over to see you. Are you still in pain, little sister?"
Tu Shanjin immediately withdrew his arm, facing those deeply affectionate pea-sized eyes with disgust: "Get lost!"
Just as Niu Xiu'er was about to let out her cow-like cry of sorrow, Yun Yaoyao quickly intervened: "Your name is Xiu'er?"
Seeing such a handsome and majestic face for the first time, Niu Xiu'er stood stunned: "Ah... yes, my name is Niu Xiu'er. You can call me Xiu'er."
Yun Yaoyao marveled again: "What a unique name."
The young eunuchs had already helped Xiao Wuzi up. Angrily, he directed the arriving guards: "How dare you offend your superiors and show such disrespect before His Majesty! Seize her!"
As the guards were about to apprehend Niu Xiu'er, Yun Yaoyao stopped them.
"No need. All of you withdraw. We have use for this person."
Seeing this, Xiao Wuzi and the others obeyed and retreated.
When Niu Xiu'er realized who the person in front of her was, she immediately knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "Your... Your Majesty, please spare me! I was too excited to see the young miss just now and offended you. This is entirely my fault, and has nothing to do with the young miss!"
Yun Yaoyao lowered her head and stared at the back of Niu Xiu'er's head, her eyes flickering with intense light.
Wasn't this the perfect candidate right before her?
Strong as an ox, able to send Xiao Wuzi flying directly, and fast as a leopard – even the carefully trained guards couldn't catch up with her earlier outburst.
Most importantly, she was loyal enough. The novel briefly mentioned the fate of this personal maid who grew up with "Yun Yaoyao".
After the news of "Yun Yaoyao" being executed at the palace banquet reached the Yun Family, she exploded with rage and killed more than thirty servants and maids who had bullied the mistress and maid duo. In the end, while trying to assassinate Madam Yun, she was killed by the guards who arrived.
Such a loyal servant with formidable fighting skills must be kept!
Tu Shanjin understood Yun Yaoyao's intentions as soon as he saw her expression. He frowned and refused: "No."
Yun Yaoyao tried to persuade him: "Is there anyone more suitable than her? Your safety is crucial now. Think about your three lifetimes."
"In your next life, you'll be reborn as a floor tile in the new Xiongnu palace, and in the life after that, you'll be reborn as a sow..."
"Stop it!" Tu Shanjin's mouth twitched in anger.
"That's more like it. From now on, let Xiu'er serve you closely. When you exercise, you can train her as well, and teach her the rules of the palace..."
As Yun Yaoyao rattled on with instructions, Niu Xiu'er's face glowed with excitement. Looking at the faces of these two, Tu Shanjin closed his eyes.
He had a premonition that the peaceful days ahead were about to vanish completely...
