Yu Zhi lightly scratched her flushed cheeks with her fingertips: "My mother married my father to repay a debt of gratitude, without any romantic feelings involved. Only after my father passed away did she realize who she loved."
"..."
Are you that slow to react?
"So, in that case..." Miss Wei recalled her earlier rude remarks and thought of a crucial question: "If she goes to Lingnan, she won't speak ill of me to your mother, will she?"
"Huh? This... I don't know either."
"Then what do you know?" Wei Pingxi asked, annoyed with her.
Yu Zhi gently hooked her finger: "I know your words really offended her."
"Yes, I offended her. Look at her, smiling like she's going to eat me alive to avenge you. Doesn't she realize that without me, would she be living such a good life now?"
"Without me, you would still be living a miserable life in Liushui Lane. She never shows up, causing your mother years of suffering, and now she comes here to threaten me? Does she think I'm easy to scare!"
She had a strange temper and wouldn't respond to force, so Yu Zhi tried to soothe her by patting her chest.
"You're taking advantage of me again!"
She glared at Yu Zhi, then put the matter aside and muttered to herself, "My aunt wanted me to befriend the Princess, but now I'm doomed. I've really offended her."
"Then what should we do?"
"Of course, we should write to my aunt and ask what kind of scheme this princess is up to."
She turned and took two steps: "That's not right!"
"What's wrong?"
"Why should I be afraid of her?" Wei Pingxi raised an eyebrow. "Jadeite, prepare the writing materials! I'm going to complain to my dear mother-in-law about her before the Princess arrives in Lingnan!"
Go chase after your wife! Why are you interfering with my pleasure?
eventful!
--------------------
Chapter 43 Reunion
Her actions were swift and decisive. When Yu Zhi realized what was going on and looked at the petty-minded fourth young lady, her first thought was that a cunning fox throws out a piece of cake to lure a hunting dog in order to steal a chicken.
Although this idea was disrespectful to the princess, she couldn't help it. Her willow-leaf eyes curved like a bitten moon in the sky, and her pupils sparkled with a crystal light.
Wei Pingxi turned to look at her, who was grinning mischievously, and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Yu Zhi held her tightly, her body trembling.
"baffling."
The fourth young lady muttered something, and her phoenix eyes curved into a smile.
She was ruthless when it came to ripping people off, and wrote a lengthy article of over a thousand words about it.
After finishing the letter, she showed it to Yuzhi: "So, what do you think? After your mother sees this letter, will she still let the Princess into the house?"
Yu Zhi said she was naughty, and laughed so hard tears streamed down her face as she leaned on her shoulder.
To deliver the message to Yu's mother before the eldest princess, Manao spurred his horse and rushed towards Lingnan Prefecture.
Agate rode the best horse from the Grand Tutor's mansion day and night, while Wei Pingxi continued his pleasure with his beauty in Qinghui Courtyard.
In broad daylight, Yu Zhi was so tired that her back ached and her pretty face was flushed. She begged the Fourth Miss for mercy in a soft voice.
Wei Pingxi wasn't satisfied: "Tired?"
How could she not be tired? Yu Zhi didn't have the good physique of the Fourth Miss, nor did she have her shamelessness. She used her last bit of strength to support herself by the window, her legs trembling.
"This is nothing."
That being said, she couldn't insist that Wei Pingxi force her, since things only get interesting if both parties are willing.
She carried Yuzhi to the bed and tucked her in: "You go to sleep, I'm going to write a letter to my aunt."
Yu Zhi glanced at her twice, then closed her eyes and peacefully drifted off to sleep.
After receiving several long letters from the Princess's residence and the Grand Tutor's residence, the Empress chuckled and scolded softly, "I told her to befriend Arong, but she's done something wrong. She's offended people so badly that she even wrote a letter to me to complain, and now she wants me to speak up for her."
The head palace maid Ning You chimed in, “Fourth Miss is straightforward and carefree. She treats Her Majesty as one of her own. If she were in the Wei family of Lingnan Prefecture, how many people would be willing to protect her? In my opinion, Fourth Miss is exceptional.”
"Are you taking her side?"
"I am speaking from my conscience."
Yan Xiu reread the letter her troublesome nephew had written to her, which was full of earnest requests for advice: "She is a prickly hedgehog when she gets into trouble, but she becomes a docile sheep in front of me."
The head palace maid covered her mouth and laughed, "Who can blame Her Majesty for liking it?"
My daughter isn't close to me, and of all my nephews and nieces, only my fourth daughter is bold. Things are valued for their rarity, and the same goes for people.
"Go get some paper and pen."
"yes."
The Empress's handwritten letter was swiftly sent to the Grand Tutor's residence. While Yu Zhi was still asleep, Wei Pingxi unfolded the letter written by his aunt. The letter was short, containing only a few words:
“Ji Rong is a man of deep feelings and true character. You can start with him and get what you want without asking anyone else.”
"You can get what you want without asking anyone for help?" She smiled. "My aunt really understands me. She knows I don't want to ask anyone for help. This is a good method. I can adapt to any situation by remaining unchanged. I'll just do my own thing and worry about the rest."
A person like Princess Yunzhang is a shrewd and discerning individual. She must have seen a lot. If you want to gain her favor and protection, you absolutely cannot have any intention of currying favor.
Trying to please others backfired spectacularly.
With her mind at ease, she stopped worrying about offending the princess. Whether she offended her once or twice, it was still the same. She decided to make herself comfortable first.
The winter sun was cool and clear. Miss Wei was leisurely petting her cat in the courtyard. The orange cat in the manor had given birth to kittens last month. The soft kittens were small enough to be held in one hand, with soft fur and tender voices, and she loved them the most.
Jade rushed over: "Miss, those scholars outside are calling to see you."
"What are you doing here? Trying to steal a peek at my beautiful face again?"
"..."
She's thick-skinned, and it's not like Jade didn't know that for the first time. What's infuriating is that while it sounds like she's thick-skinned at first glance, it makes a lot of sense when you think about it.
Scholars flock to follow the Fourth Miss all over the Great Yan Dynasty, isn't it just because she's beautiful? There aren't many unorthodox people in this world besides her, and they don't go to her door to preach to her.
Jade sighed, "Absolutely! Their intentions are impure!"
Wei Pingxi glanced at her: "Alright, you've become a drama queen without Agate around."
"May I ask, miss, what is a drama queen?"
She stroked the kitten and said casually, "It's a new term from Beijing, referring to a perfectly normal person who becomes an expert at acting."
Jade chuckled: "Would you like to meet them, Miss?"
"Well, I've got nothing better to do anyway." She took the cat and went out.
Outside the Grand Tutor's mansion, the Yan family's twins looked at the scholars who had come to block the door: "Is it appropriate for you to block my door like this? My cousin is currently recuperating at home. Even if it's extremely urgent, we have to wait until she's healed before we can talk about it."
“Young Master Yan, you are mistaken. It is precisely because the Fourth Miss is recuperating at home that we came together.”
Yan Ruyu asked, "What is the reason for this?"
"Being injured will prevent her from running around, and staying home will allow her to reflect on her actions in peace. Miss Si is usually hard to find, so it's really difficult to catch her. This is a golden opportunity, and we cannot go against the will of Heaven."
"What heaven-sent opportunity?" Yan Ruqing glared angrily at the scholar in his Confucian robes. "Are you cursing my cousin?"
"No, no, no, the opportunity I'm referring to is an opportunity to persuade the Fourth Miss to do good."
"Xiang Shan?" Wei Pingxi walked over slowly, carrying an orange and white kitten.
The scholars blocking the door all stood on tiptoe to get a better look at her.
There were so many people, a huge crowd.
Grand Tutor Yan was known for his integrity in the court and among the common people, and the Yan family was one of the most prominent aristocratic families in the capital. Because the Grand Tutor never argued with the common people, it gave a group of literati the courage to block the Grand Tutor's mansion.
Wei Pingxi gently soothed the shy kitten, raising her eyebrows and smiling slightly: "I said you are neither monks nor Taoists, and I am just a young woman. You have repeatedly annoyed me, but I am magnanimous and will not stoop to your level."
"But open your eyes and look where you are. This is the Grand Tutor's Mansion, not a vegetable market."
"You'd better have the ability to guide me to goodness. I am just an ordinary person, and my beliefs about good and evil are different from yours. We are on different paths, so we cannot work together. You may all leave!"
"Fourth Miss!"
"Fourth Miss, please wait!"
"May I ask, what is good and evil in the heart of the Fourth Miss?"
With her back to the crowd, she kept walking: "What I consider good is having a clear conscience, and what I consider evil is cowardly survival. I live to achieve my own goodness. Since I am already in goodness, how can I 'become good'? It is you who are full of grand principles but not sincere."
"..."
The area in front of the Grand Tutor's mansion was completely silent.
After a long silence, Yan Ruyu said, "Everyone, disperse. My cousin is injured, but she still came to see you. You should all be grateful."
The scholars exchanged glances and then left together.
"Did you see that?"
"I saw it, I saw it. They still have the energy to fight us. They don't seem like they won't live much longer."
"Still as quick-witted as ever!"
"She seems to be in a good mood? Wasn't she supposed to have been beaten by the Empress and fallen out of favor? How can she be so happy after falling out of favor?"
"The Fourth Miss is no ordinary person."
Someone else sighed, "It's a pity she only likes women; not a single good man in the world catches her eye?"
"So we should try to persuade her."
"It is extremely important, the task is arduous and the road ahead is long."
...
"They're all gone?"
"They left, one by one, shaking their heads and whispering among themselves."