Bei Gongminhao helped push his wheelchair to the desk, then sat down in front of him and said, "The King of the Western Regions wants to enter the palace to request a marriage alliance and wishes to marry Princess Muchen to you!"
Upon hearing this, Nan Xuzong's dark eyes flashed with a cold light. "How did you know about this?"
Beigong Minhao immediately recounted what had happened the previous night.
"So, you've fought him before?" Nan Xuzong looked at him. "How skilled was he in martial arts?"
“He is unfathomable. I’m afraid you can’t defeat him either; at best, you’ll only manage a draw,” Bei Gongminhao said after considering the situation.
"Hmm." Nan Xuzong nodded. "I will never marry another woman in this life. I was just a useless person, how could I be worthy of any princess! Humph!" Nan Xuzong's tone turned cold.
Beigong Minhao looked at him, "Xu Cong, why do you talk about yourself like that?"
"That's the truth!" Nan Xuzong looked at him with a slight anger in his heart. "Fine. Let's not talk about it anymore! Now that I have Wushang, I am already satisfied and do not need to enjoy any more favors!"
"For many years, I have actually wanted to ask, Your Majesty, do you know that you are him..."
“I don’t know,” Nan Xuzong interrupted him. “Don’t ask me about such things!”
"In that case, let's go to the palace!" Seeing that he was a little excited, Bei Gongminhao immediately changed his mind and said, "It's better to strike first."
Nan Xuzong placed his hand on the wheelchair and tapped it gently, saying, "No rush. His Majesty won't easily bestow a marriage upon me. I am the posthumous child of a princess, and with the Empress Dowager's support, he should at least ask for my opinion! Besides, in matters of bestowal of marriage, marrying a princess of a country should be done by a prince, or at least a heir. I am merely a heir of a marquis's family, not worthy of such a prestigious treatment! Moreover, such an important matter should be discussed with the princess herself, not just by the King of the Western Regions!"
"So, you mean there's room for maneuver? Several princes already have consorts. The only ones who haven't married are the Sixth Prince, myself, and Jueshi."
"Yes, right now, the most important thing is for you to keep a close eye on Princess Muchen and not let her fall into the hands of the King of the Western Regions again!"
“She’s with Jue Shi, and Jue Shi will protect her,” Bei Gongminhao said. “So what do we need to do now?”
"Protect Princess Muchen well and force the King of the Western Regions to marry her! The Western Regions have been peaceful for too long; it's time to stir up some trouble and give the King of the Western Regions something to do!"
"you mean?"
Nan Xuzong's eyes darted around. "As far as I know, the former Queen of the Western Regions was a princess of Bohai, but not the biological mother of Yiyun Shangcheng. Now that the princess of Bohai has died in the Western Regions, the King of the Western Regions needs to give Bohai an explanation. Otherwise, the King of Bohai will not let this go!"
“Yes, I will have someone handle this.” Bei Gongminhao nodded. “And what about the Second Prince…”
“I have already assigned people to keep a close eye on him. He won’t take any action for the time being. However, his purpose is not yet clear, and we need to investigate him thoroughly.”
"good."
Just then, a maidservant approached Nan Xuzong's study. Gong Shu stepped forward and asked, "Is something the matter?"
The maidservant bowed and said, "Brother Gong, a letter has arrived from the palace. Please pass it on to the Crown Prince." With that, she handed over a letter.
Gong Shu nodded, "Go down!"
"Yes." The maid left, and Gong Shu looked at the invitation. He turned around, and before he could finish speaking, Nan Xuzong had already opened the door. "Bring it here."
"Yes, sir." Gong Shu stepped forward, handed the invitation to Nan Xuzong, then withdrew and closed the door.
Nan Xuzong lowered his eyes, opened the book, and after reading it, said, "A banquet will be held in the palace to welcome the King and Princess of the Western Regions."
"What? No way!" Bei Gongminhao exclaimed in shock. "Princess Mu Chen won't be in the hands of the Western Region King. Princess Mu Chen and Jue Shi are together. I believe they won't be separated!"
"Where are they?" Nan Xuzong asked immediately.
"September Tower".
"Quick! Go to Jiuyue Tower!" Nan Xuzong exclaimed in surprise.
Half an hour ago.
Bei Gong Jue Shi took great care of Yi Yun Muchen, personally brewing medicine for her and making her drink it, and then staying by her side.
"Your Gu poison has been almost completely removed." Bei Gong Jue Shi looked at her and gently stroked her dark hair.
"I'm so worried about our marriage," Yi Yunmu Chen said, looking at him. "Is there any way to help?"
"My brother thinks he will definitely find Prince Nan, so everything will be alright. Don't worry. Prince Nan only has Princess Nan in his heart and won't be interested in you. So, don't worry, he definitely won't marry you. The only one who can marry you is me." Bei Gong Jue Shi gently kissed her forehead.
“Peerless, I’m a little scared.” Yi Yun Muchen looked at him, a hint of worry in her eyes.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here with you... We'll face this together." He gently embraced her, allaying her concerns.
Just then, a gust of wind blew by, and suddenly, three men in black stood before them, each holding a long sword.
Yi Yun Muchen was startled, and Bei Gong Jue Shi immediately shielded her behind him, saying, "Hide behind me!"
The three men in black looked at Yi Yun Muchen and Bei Gong Jueshi, and the one in the lead stepped forward, saying, "Please come back with us, Princess!"
"I'd rather die than go back with you!" Yi Yun Muchen sneered. Bei Gong Minhao held her tightly and drew a soft sword from his waist.
The leader gestured to the two men in black behind him, and immediately, the three of them rushed forward together, their long swords blazing as they attacked Bei Gong Jue Shi!
Bei Gong Jue Shi protected Yi Yun Muchen, wielding his long sword, but it wasn't easy to unleash all his martial arts skills!
Yi Yun Muchen watched and stepped back, letting him concentrate on the battle. He reached into his robes and took out the Gu poison he had prepared. However, seeing Bei Gong Jue Shi's figure moving up and down, he dared not make a move rashly, for fear of hurting Bei Gong Jue Shi.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the three men in black kept pestering Bei Gong Jue Shi. Bei Gong Jue Shi's eyes gradually turned blood red, and he unleashed a fierce sword technique. The three men, entangled with Bei Gong Jue Shi, were gradually overwhelmed.
Yi Yun Muchen was delighted and followed.
Seeing this, one of the men in black immediately created an opening and attacked Yi Yun Muchen. Bei Gong Jue Shi was startled and immediately turned to attack the man in black. Yi Yun Muchen took a step back, but unexpectedly, he was pushed into someone's arms!
Yi Yunmu was startled and turned to look. "Ah, brother!"
Upon hearing this exclamation, Bei Gong Jue Shi was immediately surprised and unconsciously increased the force of his attack!
But Yi Yunshangcheng already smiled, "Mu Chen."
Yi Yun Muchen felt that the smile was like a demon's smile from hell, and she suddenly took a step back. However, he grabbed her arm tightly. Yi Yun Muchen was surprised and immediately thought of sprinkling the poison on his face, but he was as fast as lightning and snatched the poison from her hand. "Muchen, come back with me!" After saying that, he knocked Yi Yun Muchen unconscious with a chop to the waist and restrained her.
Bei Gong Jueshi cried out, "Mu Chen!"
Yi Yun Shangcheng sneered, "Second son of the king, I had already given you a chance, but you didn't cherish it, so I have no choice but to take Mu Chen back!"
Bei Gong Jue Shi was still furious. He gathered a force in his hand and struck Yi Yun Shang Cheng. Yi Yun Shang Cheng easily dodged the attack, but saw that the wall next to him had already collapsed.
He sneered, "Overestimating yourself. How can you protect Mu Chen with such a paltry trick!" With that, he turned and left with Yi Yun and Mu Chen without looking back.
Bei Gong Jue Shi's face was almost contorted with rage. The soft sword in his hand transformed into countless sharp blades, attacking the three men in black! The three men in black were already at a disadvantage, but due to the appearance of Yi Yun Shang Cheng and Bei Gong Jue Shi's distraction, they gradually gained the upper hand. At this moment, Bei Gong Jue Shi was extremely angry. His crimson eyes were bloodshot, and he used a ruthless move to slash the three men in black in front of him at the waist, killing them instantly!
Bei Gong Jue Shi chased after her, but Yi Yun Shang Cheng's figure was already out of sight!
Bei Gong Jue Shi felt a sudden, agonizing silence in his heart! No, Mu Chen cannot fall into his hands! Mu Chen! Bei Gong Jue Shi jumped out of the window and flew towards the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.
Bei Gong Jueshi rushed into Bei Gong Minhao's study, but couldn't find him. He had to grab a servant to ask him and learned that Bei Gong Minhao had gone to the Marquis's residence!
Bei Gong Jue Shi immediately turned back, only to find that Bei Gong Jue Shi and Nan Xu Cong had already entered!
The moment the three met, they all roughly guessed what was going on without needing to say a word!
The three of them entered the study.
"Brother, I...I failed to protect Mu Chen!" Bei Gong Jue Shi cried, looking at Nan Xu Cong and then at Bei Gong Min Hao.
Bei Gongminhao remained silent, then looked at Nan Xuzong, "What do you think the King of the Western Regions will do?"
"Control Princess Mu Chen and force her to go with him to discuss marriage with the Emperor!" Nan Xuzong's lips twitched. "Second Prince, do you believe in your love?"
"What do you mean?" Bei Gong Jue Shi was a little confused. The thought of her being controlled by someone made his heart ache! What was the meaning of the question posed by the Prince of the South?
“Even if the King of the Western Regions has Princess Muchen under his control, there are still ways to resolve this. It all depends on how resolute you are, and how much you love her,” Nan Xuzong said. “Some time ago, he used the same method to control Wushang…”
The two Bei brothers immediately understood.
I see, no wonder!
But what a twisted person it is to control their own sister for their own selfish gain!
"What is his ultimate goal?" Bei Gongminhao asked Nan Xuzong.
"It's nothing more than power and beauty." Nan Xuzong's lips twitched. "There's a banquet this afternoon. I'll create an opportunity for the Second Prince. Second Prince, you'd better hurry! If that doesn't work, take Princess Mu Chen away!"
"Yes!" Bei Gong Jue Shi nodded, but then seemed to remember something. "Didn't you say you wanted to join forces with me? If I take her away, you won't have me as your ally!"
"It's alright. Anyway, the King of the Western Regions won't make a move so soon. Just do what you think is best when the time comes." Nan Xuzong turned his gaze to Bei Gong Minhao. "Minhao, you used to be his friend, so you can choose to avoid him."
“No. I won’t avoid it.” Bei Gongminhao looked at him. “I received a letter, a letter between Prime Minister Gao and the Western Regions.” As he spoke, he took out a letter from his pocket and handed it to Nan Xuzong. Nan Xuzong opened it, glanced at it, and closed it.
"This letter means nothing; it's not enough to punish them!"
"Then wait until this afternoon!" Beigong Minhao put the letter he was handed back into his pocket. "It's only an hour away, it won't be long!"
Just then, a servant's voice came from outside, "Young Master, Second Young Master, His Highness wants you to go to the study."
"Hmm." Bei Gongminhao nodded and glanced at Bei Gongjueshi.
Bei Gong Jue Shi remained silent. Now that he was back, he naturally had to go before the Prince of Zhenbei to apologize!
Fine, I'll go then!
Nan Xuzong said, "Don't worry, Second Prince. The Prince of Zhenbei only thinks of you and won't make things difficult for you."
A cold glint flashed in Bei Gong Jue Shi's eyes. Without a word, he walked out.
Ji Wushang looked at the account books in the accounting room for a while when a maid came forward and said respectfully, "Princess Consort, Aunt Zhao wants you to go to Zhuangshu Garden. She said that Miss Zhao has arrived and wants you to meet her."
"Oh?" Ji Wushang turned to look at her. This must be Yan Shou, the head maid who serves Aunt Zhao. He had to go, otherwise people would gossip about him.
However, this Miss Zhao... Ji Yinxue once told me about her, but I didn't care.
"Lead the way!" Ji Wushang put down the ledger, ready to see what they were capable of!
Ji Wushang followed Yan Shou to Aunt Zhao's Zhuangshu Garden. Aunt Zhao was chatting happily in the courtyard with Nan Xianxian and Zhao Yirou, and Ji Yinxue was also there.
Ji Wushang stepped forward with a beaming smile, "Aunt, Third Miss, Sister-in-law." Her gaze fell on Zhao Yirou, and she smiled, "This must be Miss Zhao, right?"
When Aunt Zhao saw Ji Wushang arrive, she immediately stood up. "Yes, it's her. Come here, Yirou, she's just the Crown Prince's wife."
Zhao Yirou smiled broadly as she looked at Ji Wushang and gracefully bowed, "Greetings, Princess Consort."
Ji Wushang looked her up and down. She had a beautiful face, wore a light green silk robe, had a cloud-like bun on her head with a jade hairpin, a slender and graceful figure, red lips without any makeup, sorrow in her brows, and tassels in her eyes.
"Hehe, Miss Zhao, there's no need for such formalities." Ji Wushang chuckled. Was this a helper summoned by Aunt Zhao or a pawn she had manipulated? Hehe!
"Sit down and let's talk." Aunt Zhao had a kind and gentle expression on her face; she was truly a good aunt!
Ji Yinxue smiled and asked, "Sister-in-law, were you looking at the account books in the accounting room just now?"
“Exactly,” Ji Wushang nodded. “I dare not be idle. Auntie entrusted the management of the backyard to me, how could I not do my best? Therefore, shouldn’t I take advantage of the time to keep busy?” Ji Wushang’s words were reasonable, yet they were an imperceptible slap in the face to Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao hadn’t intended to entrust the management of the backyard to Ji Wushang in the first place, but Ji Wushang said it was her doing, which certainly made Aunt Zhao uncomfortable. Ji Wushang said she dared not be idle, while Aunt Zhao and Ji Yinxue chatting idly here was undoubtedly a form of idleness, even when entertaining Miss Zhao…
Aunt Zhao's expression changed, then returned to normal, and she smiled, "Wu Shang is really working hard!"
"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie!" Ji Wushang smiled as well.
“Miss Zhao has some family matters to attend to, so she’s staying here for a few days. Wushang, you don’t mind, do you?” Aunt Zhao changed the subject.