Princess Zhenbei felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, but she could also see from Ji Wushang's expression that she didn't love Beigong Minhao. However, her son loved her deeply! As his mother, she understood her son best.
Bei Gongminhao listened, his heart aching. Was this also a rejection? Was he really inferior to Nan Xuzong? Yes, Nan Xuzong was a capable man, but what about him? He considered himself on par with him! In fact, his status and position were higher than that of the Prince of Nan, but did Ji Wushang truly love Nan Xuzong? Did he have no chance at all?
Ji Wushang was quite embarrassed at this moment and did not dare to raise his head. At this time, the Princess of Zhenbei said, "What the old lady said makes sense. General Ji is about to return in triumph. Then, it is fine for Minhao and me to wait for news."
"Thank you so much for your kindness, Your Highness. Wu Shang, why aren't you saying anything?" the old lady said with a smile.
"Wu Shang's marriage is to be decided by Father and Grandmother. Wu Shang dares not say anything more," Ji Wu Shang said.
Princess Zhenbei nodded. If Prince Zhenbei and Ji Dingbei could exchange a few words, would Ji Wushang still refuse to marry?
As for feelings, they can be nurtured slowly. It's rare that Minho likes someone, isn't it? As his mother, I should help him out!
Ji Wushang felt like she was going through a lot of torture that afternoon. First, she listened to her grandmother and the Princess of Zhenbei talk for a long time, and then she had to endure Beigong Minhao's burning gaze, which she couldn't escape at all.
After an hour or two, the old lady was tired and said, "Alas, my old bones are really no good anymore. Wushang, you should take the princess and the prince to tour this mansion and treat them well. Do not neglect them."
"It's really been hard on the old lady, having to keep us younger generation company for so long. Alas, it's our fault," Princess Zhenbei said earnestly. "Please rest well, old lady. Let Wushang keep us company."
"Yes. Wu Shang will certainly treat the Princess and the Crown Prince well." Ji Wu Shang nodded in agreement.
The matriarch nodded, and then, with the help of Granny Guo, went inside to rest.
Ji Wushang smiled and said to the Princess Consort of Zhenbei, "Princess Consort, please come with me to the mansion for a walk and a chat."
"Alright." Princess Zhenbei smiled and nodded. As she got up to leave, she stepped forward and took Ji Wushang's hand. Ji Wushang was stunned. This was too flattering. After all, she was a noble princess.
Princess Zhenbei wore a smile, seemingly oblivious to anything amiss. Ji Wushang could only smile and walk along as well.
Throughout the journey, Ji Wushang felt as if he were being held hostage, but he had to maintain a smile and endure the intense gaze from Beigong Minhao following behind him.
There was a small pavilion in front of them. Ji Wushang said, "Your Highness, Your Highness, there's a pavilion in front of us. Why don't we go inside and sit down?"
“Okay.” Princess Zhenbei nodded, and Beigong Minhao nodded in agreement.
Sitting in the pavilion, Ji Wushang asked a maid to bring some snacks.
Just then, Aunt Xie arrived. Upon seeing Ji Wushang, the Princess of Zhenbei, and Beigong Minhao, she immediately came forward with her maid, saying, "Is this the Princess of Zhenbei? This concubine greets you."
"Is this Aunt Xie?" Princess Zhenbei asked with a smile. She had heard that there had been some changes in General Ji's mansion a few days ago. Originally, Aunt Bai was assisting Madam Bei in running the household, but now Aunt Xie has taken over.
"It is indeed I." Aunt Xie stepped forward gracefully, and Ji Wushang greeted her before inviting her to sit down.
The three women were having a very pleasant chat. Ji Wushang became less reserved because of Aunt Xie's presence, but Bei Gongminhao was quite annoyed. These three women were chatting away, but what about him? He was left standing to the side, listening to them talk about the trivial matters of the household.
Princess Zhenbei realized that she had neglected her son, and knowing that Beigong Minhao was eager to talk to Ji Wushang, she quickly came up with an idea.
"Aunt Xie, you look younger and younger. What's your secret?" Princess Zhenbei seemed to admire Aunt Xie's delicate skin and sighed with admiration.
"Could anyone be more beautiful than the Princess? However, I do have some recipes passed down from my hometown!" Aunt Xie was naturally very happy to be praised.
"Oh? May I have the honor of seeing it?" Princess Zhenbei asked warmly.
"Alright, Your Highness, please come this way." Aunt Xie couldn't stop smiling. This was the Princess of Zhenbei. If she could get on her good side, there would be many benefits in the future, and it would also be of great benefit to her daughter, Ji Sisi!
Princess Zhenbei immediately stood up. "Miss Wushang, Minhao, why don't you two chat first? I'll go with Aunt Xie to take a look." Before Ji Wushang could react, only Ji Wushang and Beigong Minhao remained in the pavilion.
Bei Gongminhao was surprised that the Princess of Zhenbei would create such an opportunity for him and Ji Wushang. However, he was overjoyed.
He was so excited that he didn't know what to say for a moment.
Seeing that he was not speaking, Ji Wushang thought it suited him perfectly, but he didn't want him to keep staring at him, so he stood up and walked to one side of the pavilion.
"Hey." Beigong Minhao exclaimed in surprise. Why wasn't she talking to him? He immediately stood up and stood behind her.
"Wu Shang, I have a lot to tell you." Bei Gong Minhao said earnestly as he looked at her.
"Your Highness, shall we make a bet? Do you dare to bet with me?" Ji Wushang suddenly asked.
"What bet?" Beigong Minhao asked, before he could even say what he wanted to say!
“I bet you’ll meet a woman who’s even better than me in the future. She’ll stay by your side and be with you forever.” Ji Wushang moved his lips slightly. “And I, I’ll always be your friend, if you don’t mind.”
"No, I don't want this! Ji Wushang, how can you be so cruel? I, Beigong Minhao, love you, not anyone else! There will always be only a place for you in my heart, only you can reside there, and no one else can ever take your place!" Perhaps provoked by Ji Wushang's words, Beigong Minhao immediately shouted.
Ji Wushang was taken aback. Thankfully, no maids were serving him; otherwise, if he had heard such words…
“I,” Ji Wushang pursed his lips, “I just wanted to say…”
“You don’t need to say anything.” Bei Gongminhao stepped forward and grabbed Ji Wushang’s hand, pinning her against the pillar of the pavilion! Ji Wushang was shocked and tried to struggle, but his strength prevented her from moving at all. “I will wait for you. I bet I will wait for you forever, forever!” His face twisted into a ferocious expression as he spoke, leaving Ji Wushang stunned.
"I, Your Highness, why are you doing this?" After a long silence, Ji Wushang said, "Feelings cannot be forced."
"Feelings can be cultivated," Beigong Minhao said. "Right now, you may have feelings for him, but in the future, perhaps you will truly love me!"
Ji Wushang shook his head.
But then his tone softened, "Wu Shang, can't you give me a chance?"
“I… I didn’t have the chance to give you…” Ji Wushang said.
Upon hearing this, Bei Gongminhao's eyes widened like saucers. "What did you say? No chance? What do you mean?"
Ji Wushang didn't want to hurt Beigong Minhao, but matters of the heart are indeed something that cannot be severed. Love is love, and not loving is not loving. If you force yourself to lie, that is far more serious than any other kind of harm!
"I've always only considered you my friend," Ji Wushang said earnestly. "I hope the Crown Prince won't force me. As for marriage, who Wushang will marry in the end is not up to Wushang to decide. Can you understand that?" Ji Wushang spoke with deep helplessness, and Beigong Minhao slowly released her after hearing this.
“I will try my best. Your father should agree to our marriage. I’m very confident.” Bei Gongminhao said at this moment. “If you don’t love me, I will wait until you say you love me.”
"Why do you have to do this?" Ji Wushang felt a little sad. He was so persistent, and the hurt he would suffer in the future would be even more profound.
She was already helpless, so why did he have to keep pressing her?
"I'm leaving now. I'll come back another day." Bei Gongminhao looked at her, gently stepped forward, and actually wiped away a few tears from her face with his hand. Ji Wushang was startled and stepped back, but he wouldn't let her back down, continuing to press forward until she had nowhere to go.
He let out a long sigh and walked away.
Ji Wushang then looked at him, feeling both emotional and troubled.
Princess Zhenbei didn't come either; she was probably being entertained by Aunt Xie. Then she went back with Beigong Minhao. But that's another story.
Ji Wushang had just come to her senses and was thinking of returning to her own Xinyuan when, unexpectedly, Ji Meiyuan suddenly emerged from around the corner. She was accompanied by several maids and was heading towards the pavilion. As soon as she saw Ji Wushang, she immediately said, "Oh, it's eldest sister!"
"It's Second Sister. What brings you here?" Ji Wushang quickly returned to her usual self. Judging from the reactions on Ji Meiyuan's and the maids behind her, they probably hadn't seen what happened between her and Beigong Minhao. This put Ji Wushang at ease.
"Isn't it because the Princess Consort of Zhenbei and the Crown Prince came to propose to my eldest sister? Everyone is so envious," Ji Meiyuan said with a smile as she stepped forward.
"Hehe, Second Sister will be able to marry into a good family in the future. I heard that the second young master of the Ma family army guarding the city is quite good. If Second Sister is interested, Eldest Sister might as well talk to Grandmother about it." Ji Wushang also chimed in with a smile.
"Sister, please don't tease me. Everyone knows that Young Master Ma only cares about the Ma family army. Sister, please don't push me into the water." Ji Meiyuan said with displeasure.
"Hmph, pushing this into the water, sigh! I wonder who did it!" Ji Wushang shook his head slightly, then stood up. "I'm tired, I'll go back first. You can stay here and get some fresh air. Be careful, don't jump and run into a pillar just because you don't have any deficit." With that, Ji Wushang walked out, feeling annoyed.
"Hey, big sister, what are you saying!" Ji Meiyuan immediately shouted, "What do you mean?"
"Are you questioning me?" Ji Wushang turned around and asked coldly, his gaze turning into countless sharp swords, piercing Ji Meiyuan's entire body.
Ji Meiyuan was startled and lowered her head. "I wouldn't dare."
"Hmph!" Ji Wushang snorted coldly and walked away.
Ji Meiyuan was furious! She paced back and forth in the pavilion, thinking, "If Ji Wushang were to marry into the Zhenbei Prince's mansion, what would become of her?! As the heir apparent's wife, wouldn't I have to kneel before her every time I see her? Humph! No way! Absolutely not! I have to think of a way! She absolutely cannot marry into the Zhenbei Prince's mansion! As for that lame Southern Prince… let her marry him! She deserves to be with such a useless piece of trash!"
"Baoqi." Ji Meiyuan plopped down on the stone bench in the pavilion, and Baoqi immediately stepped forward. "Miss, what are your orders?"
“Give me…” Ji Meiyuan kept whispering in Baoqi’s ear, and finally said, “Sing her bad reputation! Let’s see who dares to marry her then!”
“Miss, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?” Baoqi frowned.
"Oh, you wretched servant, you're actually siding with outsiders? Tell me, who's your master? Didn't you see she was bullying me just now?" Ji Meiyuan roared, slapping Baoqi across the face. "Go, do your job properly! I refuse to believe that the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion would marry such a jealous woman!"
Baoqi nodded immediately upon hearing this, covered his slapped face, and left.
Ji Meiyuan was still angry. She was determined to marry someone of high status and great power; otherwise, she wouldn't be satisfied! No, if she really married the Prince of Nan, she would marry the Second Young Master of Nan! Only in this way could she forever suppress her! When she became the Marquis's wife, one day she would be able to drive her and the Prince of Nan out of the Marquis's mansion!
Ji Meiyuan had a lot on her mind!
——
Nan Xuzong was sitting by the window, watching the trees outside rustling in the wind. He was thinking about what happened that morning. He would know the outcome of the marriage in a few days, but why did he always feel a little uneasy?
Gong Shu brought in some fresh fruit from outside. "Master, would you like something to eat?"
"Leave it there." Nan Xuzong turned around. "Has anything happened at General Ji's residence?"
Upon hearing this, Gong Shu's face immediately showed worry, his eyes darting around as he hesitated whether to tell Nan Xuzong about it.
Nan Xuzong said solemnly, "Don't stammer, just say what you have to say, and report what's going on!"
"Yes." Gong Shu nodded. He knew that the truth would eventually come out, so he might as well tell the master about Bei Gong Minhao's marriage proposal to General Ji's mansion so that he could make a decision!
After Gong Shu finished speaking, Nan Xuzong remained silent for a long time. Gong Shu was startled and thought of asking a question, but Nan Xuzong had already gestured for him to leave.
Gong Shu had no choice but to leave.
Nan Xuzong fell even more silent. He wanted to disappear into the night, but he was truly unwilling to accept it. Why did everyone have to fight against him? He knew Bei Gongminhao's personality. He could joke and laugh with him on ordinary days, but when it came to matters of life or personal gain, he rarely backed down!
Yes, this time the target is Ji Wushang, who would back down? I absolutely won't either!
With the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion backing him up... Nan Xuzong smiled to himself, wondering if he really had no other choice.
——
Ji Wushang lay listlessly on the chaise longue in Xinyuan Garden, letting Zhu'er serve her, but she couldn't muster any interest. Just then, Ji Wusi entered Xinyuan Garden from outside. Seeing Ji Wushang's listless state on the chaise longue, she broke free from the maid's grasp and ran up to her, saying, "Sister, sister, has someone bullied you? Who bullied you? Tell me, I'll go beat them up!"
When Ji Wushang saw Ji Wusi return and speak like that, he immediately laughed, "Why do you think someone bullied your older sister?"
"I saw that my sister was unhappy, so someone must have bullied her!"
"Sister is troubled by some things, not bullied. Besides, if someone bullies sister, are you going to hit them?" Ji Wushang felt that he seemed a bit combative. Hit people?
"I must protect my elder sister!" Ji Wusi said earnestly.
Ji Wushang squatted down and said, "Wuzi, if anyone bullies you, don't fight back. Tell your sister and let her reason with them. Understand? You must first learn to reason; that's how you win people over." If all else fails, then it's not too late to fight! But Ji Wushang didn't say this last sentence aloud...
Ji Wusi nodded, "Wu Zi will heed elder sister's teachings!"
"Hmm, very good." Ji Wushang nodded. "What did the teacher teach today?"
As Ji Wushang asked questions, Ji Wusi answered, which gradually distracted Ji Wushang, and time flew by.
Before they knew it, evening had arrived. After having dinner, Ji Wushang returned to his own Xinyuan Garden.
Ji Meiyuan watched Ji Wushang walk away, then followed him, saying as she left, "Baoqi, how did things go?"
“Miss, everything has been taken care of! Tomorrow, everyone in the capital will know about Miss’s matter!” Baoqi stepped forward and whispered, winking at her.
Ji Meiyuan nodded, "If you do this well, I will reward you; if you do it poorly, I will punish you!"