Hailing knew what her mother was thinking as soon as she saw her expression, and immediately snuggled into her arms.
"Mother, don't worry. Ling'er is fine. I will protect myself and you. Don't worry."
"Ling'er," the Fourth Madam hugged her daughter tightly. Although she couldn't protect her daughter, her love for her was very deep. She only hoped that one day, a man would truly see Ling'er's goodness. But how could she solve the current situation?
"The Emperor wants you to marry the Crown Prince, Ling'er, do you really want to marry him?"
Du Caiyue didn't want to bring this up, but she couldn't help asking. Hailing had become very opinionated in everything she did since she grew up, and even her mother mostly listened to her.
Hai Ling thought for a moment. To be honest, she had never thought about marrying the Crown Prince. Although the Crown Prince was handsome and powerful, and the ideal husband in the hearts of many women, he was not hers. However, the Emperor had already issued an imperial decree to grant the marriage. Even if she persuaded her mother to leave the Jiang family, her status was already set and could not be changed. Even if she left, the royal family would not let them go and would definitely hunt them down. Moreover, the people of the Jiang family would not let it go so easily. In that case, they would have offended two groups of people. It was not that she was afraid of the Jiang family, but so many people would be dealing with them, which would be troublesome. However, it was unrealistic for her to marry the Crown Prince. Not to mention that the Crown Prince was still an outstanding person and she was not good enough for him, even the Crown Prince himself probably did not want to marry her.
The reason he tacitly approved of this was because she was merely a pawn, a tool to be discarded once used. Therefore, he didn't care about such matters. However, he himself had become a victim in the power struggle within the imperial court. What had she done to offend or provoke this perfectly good girl that made her a sacrifice? Therefore, she wouldn't obediently become a sacrifice. The best solution at present was to devise a plan to make the Crown Prince unable to tolerate her any longer and angrily break off the engagement. Then, everything would be resolved.
"Mother, I have my own ideas."
Chapter 014 The Seventh Prince Offers a Terrible Idea
After Hailing finished speaking, she didn't mention the matter again. Seeing her peaceful expression, the Fourth Madam felt relieved. In the past two or three years, her daughter had become increasingly intelligent and wise. Apart from being slightly less gifted, she was ten or a hundred times better than ordinary people in other aspects. She hoped that there would be someone in the world to sweep away the dust and return the pearl to its rightful owner.
"Okay, Mother, I believe that Ling'er will not let herself suffer a loss."
“Yes, Mother is right,” Hai Ling nodded with a smile. She never suffered when she had nothing, let alone now that she has the Fire Cloud Boots, the Wind and Thunder Gloves, and the secret manual of the Golden Flower Eighteen Styles. Who is she afraid of? However, she was still very happy that her mother said so, and nestled gently in her mother's arms.
When she first transmigrated, she was terrified, uneasy, and even irritable. It was her mother who took care of her with utmost care and love, as if she were the apple of her eye. So she gradually adapted to life here. In her previous life, although she had a father, she did not have a mother. Her father was busy with work all day and had no time to take care of her. So in this life, she enjoyed the family affection that she did not have in her previous life. Her heart was much warmer than in her previous life, unlike her cold and indifferent personality.
Inside the hall, the mother and daughter nestled together. Rouge walked in from outside the door, smiling as she looked at Hailing and the Fourth Madam.
"Madam, Miss, I have settled those people."
“Hmm,” the mother and daughter separated and laughed at the same time. Du Caiyue lovingly reached out and tucked Hailing’s hair behind her ear, and said softly, “Alright, you two go about your business. Mother is fine now.”
“Okay,” Hailing replied, stood up and hugged her mother, then walked out with Yanzhi and headed towards the back of Qinfang Courtyard.
Now she should focus more on the Eighteen Golden Flower Styles and master them as soon as possible, so they will come in handy if anything happens.
“Miss, you hit the eldest young lady last night. She will definitely not let this go. We should be careful.”
"Yes, I must master the Eighteen Forms of Golden Flower as soon as possible."
Hai Ling nodded. Jiang Feixue knew martial arts. Born into a family of military generals, she was deeply loved by Jiang Batian and Liu Shi. She was raised like a boy from a young age, learning not only feminine virtues and needlework, but also horseback riding and hunting. So if she didn't master the Eighteen Golden Flower Styles as soon as possible, she might be ambushed by Jiang Feixue.
The two walked towards the back of Qinfang Courtyard while talking. It was always quiet there, making it convenient to do whatever they wanted, as long as Rouge stayed outside.
However, after they crossed a grassy path, before they reached the open space behind it, they saw a handsome young man standing by the bamboo grove on the riverbank. He was dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, with a python belt made of gold thread and crabapple leaves around his waist, and a fine, translucent jade pendant hanging from his waist.
The boy was sixteen or seventeen years old, not yet fully grown, and a little thin, but his features were very handsome. His dark eyes were like clear lake water, making it easy to see that he was still very innocent, unlike those who were unpredictable. But what was he doing here? Hai Ling and Yan Zhi belatedly realized what was going on.
Rouge stepped forward and pointed at the young man: "Who are you, daring to trespass into the General's mansion?"
"You are not worthy of my elder brother, the Crown Prince."
The Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, was not polite at all and spoke directly. After speaking, he squinted and looked Hai Ling up and down. On her chubby face, she had slender eyebrows, bright and piercing eyes, and a pretty nose. Her lips were also beautiful, but these features were not very attractive on her chubby face, making her unappealing at first glance. However, if you looked closely, she was not as bad as the rumors suggested. At least she had some advantages. For example, her skin was very fair and smooth like fine silk under the sunlight, making people want to touch it. In addition, when she smiled, her eyes curved into crescent shapes, which was quite cute.
The Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, stared at Hai Ling as he thought about it. Hai Ling was not angry when she heard his words, because he was right.
Moreover, from his words just now, she easily knew that this young man must be a prince of the royal family.
Besides Crown Prince Feng Zixiao, the royal family also includes Prince Ning, Feng Ziyu, who was granted the title of Prince, as well as the Fifth Prince, Sixth Prince, and Seventh Prince. Two other princes died young, so the person in front of them should be the Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe.
Hai Ling guessed the other party's identity and said with a smile, "Seventh Prince is right. Hai Ling is self-aware. If Seventh Prince can persuade the Emperor to retract his order, Hai Ling will be extremely grateful."
She was hoping the Emperor would retract his order; she didn't really want to marry the Crown Prince. What did it matter how good the man was? She didn't want to marry a man who didn't love her.
The Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, stared at Hai Ling with his mouth agape, his face full of curiosity.
It was truly unheard of for someone in the world not to want to marry his elder brother, the Crown Prince. He had initially thought the woman was just putting on an act, but upon closer inspection of her expression, he realized she was serious and genuine. So it must be true.
It seems this woman has gained two more advantages: she recognized his identity at a glance, which shows she is very intelligent; and she is also very self-aware.
There are many self-aware people in this world, but few are willing to admit it openly, especially since this person is a woman, truly a person with a distinctive personality.
The Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, grinned and looked at Hai Ling with less hostility and became more friendly.
"I didn't expect you to have such self-awareness. I quite like this personality. However, since Father Emperor has issued the imperial decree, he can't take it back. But I have a way to make it work."
Hai Ling looked at the young man in front of her, who kept calling her "young master" and acting like a roguish little boy. She couldn't help but feel both annoyed and amused, but the atmosphere was exceptionally natural, just like two friends. Hai Ling waved her hand to tell Yan Zhi to stand aside and not to be wary of this seventh prince.
"May I ask if this young master has any feasible methods? Please advise."
Hai Ling made a comical gesture of clasping her hands in a fist and bowing motion, and Yan Zhi couldn't help but laugh. She hadn't expected the Seventh Prince to be such a fun person, much more lovable than those treacherous and cunning fellows.
The Seventh Prince, Feng Zihe, didn't take it to heart. That was just his personality. He was very casual with people he liked at first sight. Although he was a prince of the royal family, he didn't use his power to oppress others and could easily get along with people. So when he saw Hailing teasing him and Yanzhi laughing heartily, he didn't care at all. On the contrary, he thought that the two of them, mistress and servant, were very straightforward and suited his taste. The Seventh Prince walked over from the edge of the bamboo forest, strolled to Hailing's side, circled her twice, carefully looked her over, and then spoke approvingly.
"Actually, you're quite good-looking. Although you've gained weight, you still have your merits. Moreover, your personality is very much to my liking. How about I marry you? We can go to the palace together to meet Father Emperor and tell him that we are in love. I believe Father Emperor won't make things difficult for you and will surely arrange a marriage for us. That way, you won't have to marry your elder brother, the Crown Prince."
Chapter 015 Old Cow Eating Grass
Beside the bamboo grove, the Seventh Prince spoke with great enthusiasm, believing he had come up with a flawless idea that could both relieve his elder brother, the Crown Prince, from his predicament and prevent Hai Ling from losing face. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that his idea was absolutely right.
Little did he know that his words had left Hailing and Yanzhi speechless, unable to process what he had said for a long time. Hailing's mind flashed back to the Seventh Prince's words: mutual affection? How could such words send chills down her spine? When had she and the Seventh Prince ever been in love? Besides, in her eyes, the Seventh Prince was just a naive little brat. In her previous life, she was already twenty-three or twenty-four years old, and three years had passed since she transmigrated to this life. So, in the eyes of a twenty-six or twenty-seven-year-old woman, a sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy was naturally just a little brat. But now the Seventh Prince actually wanted to marry her, and even said that the two of them were in love. It was truly speechless. It seemed that this man had thought for a long time and then came up with such a terrible idea, and he was even smug about it.
Not only Hailing, but even Yanzhi looked at her mistress with sympathy. Her mistress didn't even want to marry the Crown Prince, so why would she want to marry the Seventh Prince?
The master and servant each had their own thoughts, while the seventh prince, seeing that the two remained silent, assumed that his idea had been approved and was overjoyed.
"How about it? Don't you think I'm too smart? Don't admire me too much, I haven't shown my full potential yet. If you marry me in the future, I'll let you discover it slowly. You'll find that you married a treasure. But don't be too self-conscious. Although you're a little chubby, you're not really that ugly. Besides, your personality is especially to my liking, so..."
The Seventh Prince was boasting on and on, giving Hai Ling and Yan Zhi goosebumps and cold sweat. They really wanted to go up and cover the young master's mouth and yell for him to shut up, but considering the Seventh Prince's status, Hai Ling decided to be gentle. However, if she didn't speak up, the Seventh Prince would probably have more to say, so she quickly raised her hand to stop him.