Ji Wushang took a breath and went with her. Ji Wuxia walked very fast and followed in front of Ji Wushang.
Before even reaching the pear orchard, Ji Wushang looked up and saw a large group of female guests gathered there, but he didn't know what had happened. Turning to look at Ji Wuxia, he saw that she had already disappeared, probably having come to call someone but having an unpleasant experience and having slipped away long ago.
Ji Wushang saw that Aunt Bai and Aunt Nangong were talking with the Princess of Zhenbei, and not wanting to disturb them, he noticed that Ji Yinxue was already waving from a distance. Ji Wushang quickened his pace and walked over to Ji Yinxue. After looking around to make sure no one was paying attention, Ji Yinxue said, "Where have you been? The Princess was just talking about you, but you've disappeared."
"I just went out for a walk to get some fresh air," Ji Wushang said, explaining everything in one sentence. Then he asked, "What's the purpose of all this gathering? It's almost time to go back to the manor."
"It's because the Prince of Zhenbei's son has returned to the manor. The Princess Consort was so happy that she invited everyone over to play. Aunt Bai said that if we go back a little later, Father shouldn't be angry."
"This... I'm afraid that's not a good idea?" Ji Wushang frowned. His father was a strict and disciplined man by nature; he might be punished for returning home late. But when he turned around, he didn't see Ji Meiyuan. This was strange. "Where's Meiyuan?"
"She? I don't know what she ate that made her sick. She kept vomiting after returning to the courtyard. She just drank some hot tea and went to sleep. She should be better soon." Ji Yinxue said with a slight worry.
Ji Wushang gave an "oh," immediately understanding. She must have drunk the tea in a huff after stepping down from the stage, and the tea served at the Prince's residence was top-grade dragon beard tea. She had just spilled her own rouge on herself, yet she drank this strong-tasting, refreshing tea; it was bound to cause some discomfort. It wasn't her fault. Anyway, an hour or two of sleep would be enough.
"Your Highness, the Prince has arrived." At this moment, a maid stepped forward and respectfully greeted the Princess. Upon hearing this, the Princess of Zhenbei was overjoyed. "Quickly, quickly!" she said, patting Aunt Bai's hand. Then she sat up straight and waited for Beigong Minhao to arrive.
Aunt Bai sat up, turned her head to look in the direction of the Ji sisters, and saw Ji Wushang there. She glared at her fiercely. Ji Wushang looked at her and coldly returned her gaze.
"Mother, your son is back!" A loud shout rang out, startling everyone. Everyone looked up at the sound and saw a stunningly handsome man walking out of the front courtyard. He took three steps at a time, his face full of smiles. "It's so lively here!"
Ji Wushang listened and looked over. He saw a rather slender figure, his face still bearing traces of youthfulness, but his thick eyebrows revealed his growing maturity. His thin lips moved slightly, his steps were light and agile, and his legs were strong. Judging from his voice just now, it was deep and powerful. Ji Wushang lowered his head and made himself some tea. He had been running a little too fast and his mouth was a bit dry. This man was handsome, but after his past relationship, he had sealed his heart away.
Beigong Minhao was beaming with joy, and wherever he went, it seemed to bring a gentle breeze and a warm moon, making everyone unable to take their eyes off him.
All the young ladies blushed with embarrassment. He was even more handsome than Nan Jinxue from before, and his status and position were much higher, so they couldn't help but feel shy.
"Oh, look at you, rushing around like that." The princess looked at them, feigning a change in expression and scolding them. Everyone was startled back to reality by the princess's words.
The young ladies lowered their heads shyly, but secretly glanced at the prince.
Ji Wuxia and Ji Yinxue were both stunned, never expecting to encounter such a handsome man here. The young men nearby, seeing their female guests so captivated, couldn't help but whisper amongst themselves.
"Your Highness," Nan Jinxue said, stepping out from the crowd, "It's been two years!"
"Young Master Nan, haha, let's have a few drinks another day to make up for the past two years!" Bei Gongmin said generously.
"Okay!" Nan Jinxue smiled, and from the perfect angle, she saw Ji Wushang sitting at the table, calmly and elegantly sipping tea from Bei Gongminhao's direction.
For a moment, Nan Jinxue was also stunned.
The princess happily took Bei Gongminhao's hand and said, "You're only arriving now, a little late. You didn't get to see the young ladies performing!"
"That's a real shame!" Bei Gongminhao shook his head, his gaze following Nan Jinxue's direction as he turned his head to see Ji Wushang pouring tea. Her tea-pouring technique was steady, precise, and exuded the elegance of a well-bred lady. Her slender fingers held the teapot, her eyes watching the tea slowly pour from the spout into the teacup. For a moment, Bei Gongminhao mistook her for a fairy offering tea to a guest.
As everyone watched, their attention was unconsciously drawn to them. The female guests were filled with envy, some were jealous of why they hadn't thought of such a way to attract the prince's attention, and some cursed Ji Wushang inwardly for being so scheming.
Ji Wushang then sensed the strange atmosphere and looked up at them, only to find that everyone was staring at her. She had only intended to pour herself a cup of tea while they greeted and chatted, but who would have thought it would turn out like this? And they were all staring at her… Ji Wushang felt a slight pang of regret; she should have followed their example and indulged in a little infatuation.
Ji Wushang rolled his eyes, poured a few more cups of tea, then put down the teapot, offered the tea to Beigong Minhao, and said, "Please have some tea, Your Highness." He then turned and offered the tea to the Princess Consort, saying, "Please have some tea, Your Highness." It was only right that he, the Prince Consort, be offered tea first since he had just returned, and the second cup was to show respect to an elder.
After several rounds of this, Ji Wushang served tea to the elders' wives and concubines. Everyone watching couldn't help but admire her in their hearts, thinking, "This young lady is both virtuous and talented!"
The princess nodded, inwardly praising him, but said aloud, "Wu Shang is truly sensible, but the task of serving tea should be left to the servants."
“The Crown Prince has just returned and should have a sip of dragon beard tea to soothe his throat. I also saw that the Princess Consort and the concubines were chatting happily, so I poured tea for them. It is Wu Shang’s duty to show respect to elders.” Ji Wu Shang bowed slightly.
Everyone nodded in agreement. They all thought to themselves, "The other day I heard that the eldest daughter of the Ji family confessed her feelings to Nan Jinxue, was rejected, got caught in the rain, and developed a high fever. But today, she doesn't seem like that silly girl at all. She's pretty, elegant, and knows how to handle people."
Aunt Bai glanced at Aunt Nangong, then said, "I didn't expect this girl to be so cunning!" Aunt Nangong rolled her eyes at her, drank the tea that Ji Wushang had served her, and whispered, "Let that girl from the American aid unit learn from her! So she doesn't end up bedridden for the rest of her life!"
Aunt Bai's face paled upon hearing this, and she snorted without saying a word.
Beigong Minhao smiled and took a sip of tea. "It has a delicate fragrance, just like a beautiful woman."
Ji Wushang lowered his head. Today's events were not his intention. Alas, he had miscalculated.
Nan Jinxue looked at Ji Wushang, a sense of loneliness flashing through her heart, and returned to her seat.
In that corner, a man was watching all of this from the shadows, his long, thin fingers tapping on the armrest of the wheelchair.
When I returned to the mansion, it was already dusk, and the lights were already on all around.
Ji Meiyuan was helped into the mansion in a daze, while Ji Yinxue had already returned to her own courtyard. Seeing that Ji Wushang was about to leave, Ji Wuxia pulled her to a quiet spot and said, "Eldest sister, I heard that you've been reading some medical books lately?"
Ji Wushang was taken aback. How did she know? She had already locked it in the secret compartment of the cabinet, and clearly no one but Zhu'er would know! How could Ji Wuxia know!
☆、021 With a little pressure, the maid surrendered!
Ji Wuxia smiled slightly. "Don't be surprised, elder sister. I just happened to be passing by and overheard it. It's nothing, so I came to ask. I have plenty of medical books here! If you need them, elder sister can have Zhu'er come and get them." As she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Ji Wushang, trying to discern something from his face.
Ji Wushang was taken aback. Was it Zhu'er? But no, he knew Zhu'er best. How could she betray him? Could it be that some other maids or servants had leaked the news? Or was Ji Wuxia really just passing by? Why would she be passing by? She always greeted people with a smile, but he never imagined this woman had such thoughts. He had truly misjudged her!
"Oh, Fourth Sister, where did you hear that? Your eldest sister has been busy with needlework. It's almost Grandmother's birthday, isn't it? Father said that Grandmother will be back on her birthday, so I have to hurry up and make a birthday screen. I don't have time to read any medical books!" Ji Wushang said with a look of great surprise. "But you, where did you hear that gossip? Instead of wasting time like this, you should think about what gift to give Grandmother. You know how rare it is for Grandmother to come back!"
These words stunned Ji Wuxia. Had she misread it? Just last night, her maid Jinzhi had clearly gone to the kitchen to stew lotus seed soup for her. She said she saw Zhu'er go into the medical room with her own eyes, probably to show Ji Wushang a medical book. Could she have guessed wrong? Did Zhu'er not go to get the book at all?
"Really not? I heard from Jinzhi that your maid Zhu'er went to the clinic!" Ji Wuxia blurted out without thinking in order to confirm what she knew, and immediately regretted it as soon as she finished speaking.
"Oh, I see..." Ji Wushang was relieved. "It's Zhu'er's younger sister. She told me a few days ago that her sister had some kind of illness, so I asked her to go to the clinic to have her checked out. Anyway, she seemed very anxious at the time." Ji Wushang's face showed a slight sadness. "Sigh, never mind. I told you, you should prepare the gift for Grandmother carefully and not make her angry."
"Yes." Ji Wuxia felt uneasy and could only return to the courtyard after saying that.
When Ji Wushang returned to Xinyuan, Zhu'er, Xian'er, and Yue'er immediately surrounded her, greeting her and helping her take off her coat.
Ji Wushang turned around, a sarcastic smile on his lips, and looked at Yue'er face to face. "Zhu'er, Xian'er, go and prepare some soup and rose petals for me. I'm going to take a bath later. Yue'er, please help me undress!"
Zhu'er and Xian'er listened and said "Yes" before leaving, while Yue'er's hands trembled slightly. Ji Wushang just looked at her calmly.
"What's wrong? Yue'er, why are your hands shaking?" Ji Wushang asked in surprise. "Have you missed dinner?"
"No, I've already used it." Yue'er was flustered, her hands still trembling. She was trying to unbutton Ji Wushang's clothes, but she couldn't get them off. Ji Wushang looked at her and couldn't help but find it amusing. He said, "Yue'er, I have a question for you."
"This servant dares not, this servant dares not!" Yue'er felt guilty and kept her head down, but thinking that she had to undress Ji Wushang, she had no choice but to use her hands to untie him.
"Oh? I was just asking, Yue'er, what do you think of how I usually treat those maids and servants?" Ji Wushang said with a slight smile, brushing Yue'er's hand aside and taking off his clothes himself.
"This servant, this servant..."
"Speak." Ji Wushang deliberately dragged out his words, causing Yue'er to finally lose her temper. She knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, crying, "This servant deserves to die! This servant deserves to die! Miss, please spare my life! Please spare my life!" Her face was filled with terror, tears, and snot.
Ji Wushang stripped down to only a white undergarment. Seeing Yue'er's state, he walked up to her, gently helped her up, and made her kneel without kowtowing. "I have always been honest with myself. I have treated you, Zhu'er, and Xian'er well, and I have always given them more than enough in terms of salary. Alas, some people are eating from one bowl while eyeing another, which has made me feel sad all day!"
"Yes, it was the Second Miss who made me do it! I, I really didn't want to do it! But, but my brother is in her hands! She said, she said that if I didn't put the medicine on the Eldest Miss's clothes, the Second Miss would sell my brother to a matchmaker! I, I really didn't want to..." Yue'er cried as she spoke, and Ji Wushang felt a pang of heartache as he listened.
My younger brother, I also have a younger brother. How heartbroken I was when I lost him in my past life! In this life, I am here to protect my younger brother from harm!
After a long pause, Ji Wushang said, "Let's drop this matter. I can let it go! But if I find out you've done anything to wrong me in the future, I will make you regret ever being born!" The dangerous message in Ji Wushang's eyes sent a chill down Yue'er's spine. However, she was already incredibly fortunate that he wasn't pursuing the matter.
"Thank you, Miss! Thank you, Miss!" Yue'er kowtowed repeatedly.
"Stop kowtowing." Ji Wushang said in a deep voice, "I will have someone bring your brother back from the American aid. What is his name?" I'll give you one last chance, considering... you also have a brother.
"Sier." Yue'er couldn't believe it. Did the young lady actually mean to ask for someone back?
"Three days later, Xier will appear before you, lively and energetic. You may leave now!" Ji Wushang saw Zhu'er order people to carry the soup into the room opposite.
"Thank you, Miss! Thank you so much, Miss! Even if I were to work like a cow or a horse, I could never repay your kindness!" Yue'er kowtowed in thanks, and Ji Wushang nodded.
For maids who are not motivated by money, one should try to win them over with affection, while some maids and servants require money to win them over. One should reason with them and appeal to their emotions.
Having just finished bathing, Ji Wushang heard a commotion in the front yard. Looking closely, he exclaimed, "Oh, who's here?!"
Madam Bei had just returned with Ji Dingbei when she heard from the maids and servants about their encounter with Nan Jinxue on the road, as well as everything that had happened in the Prince's mansion. One of the servants said that she had noticed Ji Wushang seemed a little dizzy when he went on stage. Coupled with the people they had met, Madam Bei found it strange and was worried, so she came to Xinyuan to check on things and tell them about the important events concerning her.
Ji Wushang looked on with a happy expression. As soon as he came into contact with Madam Bei, he smelled the faint scent on her body, which was exactly the same as the scent in her courtyard. Ji Wushang was a little surprised, but then he led Madam Bei into the inner room and said, "Please sit in Mother's room."
☆、022 Mother's words pleased Father
After Madam Bei was seated, Ji Wushang poured tea and said with a smile, "Mother, please have some tea."
"Ah." Madam Bei nodded, took a small sip, and then asked, "I heard from the servants that you met that Second Young Master Nan?" Madam Bei asked cautiously, afraid that Ji Wushang would be resistant to the name. However, seeing her daughter's calm expression, she couldn't help but have more questions. Sigh, she was thinking of asking the Marquis of Jinnan's mansion about what she wanted!
"Mother, nothing happened between me and Young Master Nan. I don't know why he suddenly came to apologize! Everyone knows that I was just playing around and forgot about the weather. Sigh, Mother, I promise you, I will live a happy and carefree life!" Ji Wushang looked at her worried expression and changed the subject.
"You're not young anymore, that's good. Your father will make other marriage plans for you and find you a good husband!"
"Mother, I want to stay by your side a little longer. My matters are not urgent." Ji Wushang thought to himself, he had to stay in this mansion for a few years, otherwise, who would take care of his parents and younger brother?
Madam Bei nodded. "Alright then! Oh, by the way, what about what happened at the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion? A servant said you almost fainted on the stage? What happened?"
She really didn't put her mother at ease. Sigh, she didn't tell her because she didn't want her to worry, but how did it still reach her ears? Ji Wushang felt a little annoyed, but still smiled and said, "It was a bit hot around noon today, and I felt a little unwell. Look at me, I'm perfectly fine, Mother, don't worry!"
After saying that, she smiled again, "Mother, tell me! Did you see Grandmother at the nunnery? What did Grandmother say? I miss her so much!" Ji Wushang tried to divert Madam Bei's attention by acting like a spoiled daughter.
Madam Bei beamed with joy and said, "Grandmother is so happy! I was overjoyed to hear that you had woken up from your high fever! Your father said that Grandmother's birthday banquet should be a grand affair, so please prepare some gifts. Grandmother will love them!"
"Hmm." Ji Wushang nodded. It had been a long time since he had seen his grandmother. Sigh! Ji Wushang vaguely remembered that at his grandmother's birthday banquet, he had foolishly listened to Aunt Bai's words and given the longevity peaches meant for his grandmother to the servants to eat! This made his grandmother very angry. She punished the servants and then treated him coldly and indifferently. This made his mother very sad. She pleaded for a long time to no avail. So much so that when his mother had a heart attack later, she didn't even ask about her. She kept herself locked in the nunnery and didn't associate with anyone.
Seeing that Ji Wushang seemed slightly lost in thought, Madam Bei couldn't help but gently touch her hand. "Wushang, what's wrong?"
"Mother, I'm fine. I just remembered some things." Ji Wushang nodded and smiled. He would never do that again in his life! Aunt Bai was trying to cause trouble, but he would definitely do the opposite and make her regret it!
"It's good that you're alright. Get ready. Your father is going to guard the frontier tomorrow and won't be back until your great-grandmother's birthday on the fifteenth of March. Go to the city gate tomorrow to see your father off." As Madam Bei spoke, Ji Dingbei was about to leave, and tears welled up in her eyes.
Ji Wushang gently patted her back to calm her down. "I'll go say goodbye to Father." March 15th is still more than a month away! I can use this time to make some gifts, nothing fancy, just something original. Poor Father, he still has to go to the frontier.
"It's getting late, I'll head back now. You should get some rest, you must be exhausted." Madam Bei turned around, wiping away a tear, trying her best not to let Ji Wushang see it. Ji Wushang sighed inwardly, but something else just happened to come to mind.
"Where is Father? Is he in bed yet?"
"He's still in his study! His Majesty sent someone to have him study something, but I don't really understand it either." Madam Bei stood up and straightened her slightly wrinkled clothes.
"Can I go see my father?" Ji Wushang asked, his bright eyes looking expectantly at Madam Bei.
"Of course you can, silly child." Madam Bei turned around, gently embraced Ji Wushang, and hugged her. "Go! I know your father loves you very much."
"Thank you, Mother."
Ji Wushang held Bei Madam's wrists with both hands, talking to her while carefully observing her pulse, speech, movements, and complexion.
After seeing Madam Bei off, Ji Wushang immediately took out several medical books from a hidden compartment in the box. He flipped through them and finally came across some descriptive words: "Its fragrance is faint, then suddenly becomes strong, and upon smelling it again, it becomes invisible..."
Having understood, Ji Wushang immediately put the book back and left Xinyuan without taking Zhu'er or the maid with him.
Ji Wushang went to the kitchen to ask Aunt Huang for advice on making some delicate snacks. After passing through several courtyards, he finally saw Luoshuzhai not far away, which was Ji Dingbei's study. He had written the large characters "Luoshuzhai" by himself when he was a child. He didn't understand it back then, but he insisted that Ji Dingbei hang up the characters.
Unexpectedly, Ji Dingbei didn't mind that his childhood handwriting was ugly and messy. He even had it made into a plaque and had it hung up. He ignored what the people in the mansion thought and refused to let them take it down. Even when some ministers from the same court came to the study to discuss matters, Ji Dingbei not only didn't feel ashamed, but instead openly introduced it as Ji Wushang's childhood "masterpiece"...
As Ji Wushang thought about it, tears welled up in her eyes. Where could she find a father like this? She didn't have many wishes, just for her family to live in harmony and peace! As she looked down, a tear fell into the still steaming lotus seed soup. Ji Wushang was startled and quickly stopped crying, blinking her eyes a few times to swallow the tears.