The Fifth Miss of this household just died tragically, and now the Eldest Young Mistress, Mo Qiqi, has hanged herself. This mansion is so strange, so very strange!
Everyone was terrified, fearing that they would lose their lives if they did something wrong.
Madam Qin stood up, her expression recovering somewhat. "Help me go to the sunflower garden to check," she said. "Please, please, nothing bad has happened! There must be hope, there must be hope! If Mo Qiqi dies because of this, then I won't be able to live either! How could that young general Ji Tiankui let me off? And when Ji Dingbei passes away, will I still be able to stay in this general's mansion?"
She dared not think any further! Madam Qin was immediately helped to the sunflower garden by Zhu Cui and a somewhat plump nanny.
In the sunflower garden, Ji Wushang took out silver needles and inserted them into several acupoints on Mo Qiqi's body. At this moment, Nan Xuzong walked in from outside. "What's wrong?"
"Cong, please save her!" Ji Wushang looked up at him with pleading eyes. He was her god, her only salvation!
Nan Xuzong looked at Mo Qiqi, whose belly was slightly protruding, indicating that she was a new mother. If she died, all kinds of disasters would probably follow!
Mo Qiqi is the legitimate daughter of the Prince Zhong's Mansion, and she has three outstanding older brothers. If something happens to her, the Prince Zhong's Mansion and General Ji's Mansion will definitely become enemies!
Nan Xuzong stepped forward. "Wu Shang, don't worry, she'll be alright. Come on, help her up and sit up." Ji Wu Shang nodded and immediately did as he was told, knowing he would definitely have a solution.
Nan Xuzong immediately channeled his true energy into Mo Qiqi's back. The true energy surged into Mo Qiqi's dantian, and with the assistance of Ji Wushang's silver needles, she coughed violently!
"She's awake!" Ji Wushang breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness!
Nan Xuzong quickly examined Mo Qiqi, "She's fine, she just needs a few days of rest. But please, Seventh Princess, don't be too impulsive. You should cherish your life!" He himself wished he had a long life to accompany Ji Wushang, but none of these people cherished it. Humph!
After a while, Mo Qiqi's complexion improved considerably. She opened her eyes and looked at Nan Xuzong standing to the side and Ji Wushang sitting by the bed. Hearing what Nan Xuzong had just said, with a hint of grievance, tears welled up in her eyes. "Fourth Prince, Fourth Princess!"
"Sister-in-law." Ji Wushang stepped forward and gently hugged her. She glanced at Nan Xuzong, signaling him not to scold her too much, after all, she was the one who said, "Why did you suddenly have such a bad idea? If Father and Brother find out, they will definitely not let me off!"
"I...I'm sorry!" Mo Qiqi sobbed softly. She had only wanted to prove her innocence, which was why she had done such a thing!
Just then, someone outside announced that Madam Qin had arrived. A flicker of panic crossed Mo Qiqi's face. Given her current state, how would Madam Qin react?
Ji Wushang smiled and then let go of Mo Qiqi. These were things the two of them needed to face together; as an outsider, he couldn't help them.
Madam Qin stepped forward and, seeing that Mo Qiqi had just woken up, was deeply moved, tears welling up in her eyes. "Silly child, why couldn't you think of that?"
"I..." Mo Qiqi looked at her, trying to figure out what she meant, not knowing whether it was genuine or not!
Ji Wushang stepped aside slightly, dismissing the servants in the room. He then stepped forward and gently said to Nan Xuzong, "Let's go out!"
"This..." Is that alright? If that Mo Qiqi and Madam Qin were to start arguing or even fight each other, then even a celestial being couldn't save them.
Ji Wushang smiled, took Nan Xuzong's hand, and whispered, "It's alright, let's go, everything's fine now."
Nan Xuzong nodded and walked out with her, making sure to close the door behind him.
Madam Qin smiled slightly, went forward and sat down by Mo Qiqi's bedside, holding Mo Qiqi's hand, "Qi'er, don't do such a foolish thing. If your father and Tian Kui find out, they will definitely kill me. You must know that you are their precious child, you must never do anything foolish again!"
Seeing the surprised look in Mo Qiqi's eyes, Madam Qin realized she had spoken too harshly and immediately changed her tone, saying, "You're carrying a child, the flesh and blood of our General Ji's mansion, the hope for the future! Although I also have a child in my arms, the one who will ultimately inherit the position of Grand General in this mansion is Tian Kui, the child in your womb! I know what you're worried about... but please don't do that again! Speak frankly, and don't do anything extreme. If you're unhappy, you can talk to me!"
Mo Qiqi was stunned for a moment, "I..."
"Alright, it's better to talk things out than to keep letting them fester in your mind!" Madam Qin said. "I'm not afraid you'll overthink it. Back when I was still a concubine, there were so many upsetting things in this household! Open and covert struggles, that's how I lost my first child..." Madam Qin slowly recounted what had happened back then, tears streaming down her face, which made Mo Qiqi's heart tremble with fear.
After a long silence, Madam Qin finally spoke, "I no longer want to live that kind of strife, so I have always managed this backyard with a responsible attitude towards the household. However, I did not expect that the Fifth Miss's death was so suspicious, which has made both of us worried."
"Yes, sigh!" Mo Qiqi knew about Madam Qin's matter and knew that it was just a misunderstanding. She would be more careful about such matters in the future. "I was worried to death. Thinking about Mother's attitude towards me, I thought I shouldn't make things difficult for you. That's why I did such a foolish thing!"
"Oh, I know." Madam Qin gently patted Mo Qiqi's shoulder. "It's a good thing you're alright, otherwise, I would really be doomed! If something had happened to you, I probably wouldn't have survived either."
Mo Qiqi knew what she meant; she had indeed been inconsiderate before.
"I won't anymore, Mother. Let's just live our lives peacefully!" Now that everything's been discussed openly, there's nothing to worry about. I don't want to fight, which is why I chose this approach!
"Yes." Madam Qin nodded. "When your father retires from the army, I will go with him. At that time, you should serve Tiankui well. He is the hope of our General's Mansion and will surely make our General's Mansion even stronger!"
"Yes." Mo Qiqi smiled slightly.
Madam Qin smiled and continued chatting with Mo Qiqi about household management and how to handle matters in the backyard. She seemed to have completely forgotten about Ji Sisi's death.
Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong walked slowly down the corridor, holding hands.
He turned to look at Ji Wushang, "While you were talking to Madam Qin, I went to the Jingyuan Villa to see Grandmother. Her condition has improved a lot, and she has already woken up. Do you want to go and see her?"
"Okay, sure." Ji Wushang smiled.
"Wu Shang, I have something to tell you." Nan Xu Cong said, taking her hand as she was about to leave for the other courtyard.
"What is it?" she asked, looking into his dark eyes.
"My grandmother's physical functions are slowly deteriorating, and she probably only has about six months left."
“…Okay.” Ji Wushang paused for a moment, then said, “Birth, aging, sickness, and death are the natural course of life. Cong, I understand.”
"Mm." Nan Xuzong closed his eyes and nodded, taking her hand as they walked towards the Jingyuan Villa. "We'll return to the Prince Zong's Mansion tomorrow."
"good."
The courtyard was brightly lit. When Ji Wushang entered, he saw Granny Zhu, Xiaoyou, and Xiaomin serving the old lady together.
The matriarch, now somewhat alert, listened to the sound and sat up. "Is that Wushang?"
"Grandmother, it's Wushang, Wushang has arrived." Ji Wushang quickly stepped forward.
Granny Zhu and Xiaomin, along with the other servants, immediately stepped aside to stand.
Ji Wushang grasped the elder lady's wrist, and the elder lady smiled and nodded, looking at Ji Wushang and then at Nan Xuzong, who stood to the side like a god, and couldn't help but nod in praise, "Good, good!"
"Grandmother, please rest well and take care of yourself. You will get better," Nan Xuzong said, stepping forward to express his filial piety.
The old lady nodded at him, "This old woman greets the Fourth Prince..." Nan Xuzong immediately stepped forward to support the old lady, "Grandmother, please don't, please take care of yourself, please accept my bow!" Nan Xuzong smiled and bowed.
The matriarch smiled as she looked at Nan Xuzong. Back when he was the heir apparent of the Marquis's mansion, although he was confined to a wheelchair and had difficulty walking, he was upright and proud, and he cherished and doted on Ji Wushang to the extreme. Even though she was an old woman confined to her chambers, she could still see his true character! Now, although this man before her was the fourth prince and a princely noble, and his legs were healed, he was even more domineering, yet he was not blinded by greed and was humble towards others. Admirable, truly admirable!
I feel completely at ease entrusting Ji Wushang to him!
Ji Wushang looked at the two of them, smiled, and stepped forward to tuck the blanket around the matriarch of the family. “The Fourth Prince is right. The most important thing now is to take care of your health. Please get some rest.”
"Hmm." The matriarch smiled.
Nan Xuzong stepped forward to check the pulse of the matriarch, and after confirming that there was nothing seriously wrong, he said, "Grandmother, Wushang and I will be going back tomorrow. Please take care of yourself and take the medicine as prescribed. You will be fine."
"Very well, thank you so much for your wonderful help, Fourth Prince!" said the old lady. "I have come to accept it all. Life is unpredictable, and both life and death are necessary. Death is not necessarily a good thing or a bad thing; it is just another way of living."
Ji Wushang smiled slightly, "Grandmother, don't worry, you have a long life ahead of you!"
"Hehe..." The matriarch chuckled, "Grandmother knows her own condition. Before you came, Grandmother thought her days were numbered."
Ji Wushang listened, unsure of what to say, while Nan Xuzong smiled but remained silent.
The matriarch then dismissed the servants, leaving only Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong behind.
"I have something I want to tell you two," said the matriarch. "Come, help me up."
Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong went forward together to help the matriarch up and let her lean against the headboard.
After they finished, the two stood together and looked at the matriarch in front of them, waiting for her to speak.
"You are each wearing a phoenix jade hairpin, is this a newly made one?" The matriarch, who was in relatively good spirits, asked.
"One of the jade hairpins was part of my dowry that you made for me, Wu Shang, and the other was left to the Fourth Prince by his mother," Ji Wu Shang said truthfully.
The matriarch nodded, looked at Nan Xuzong, and said, "If Consort Zhen knew in the afterlife, she would surely protect you!" The matriarch sighed, and then began to recount that past event.
Madam Yuan, whose maiden name was Yuan Xianjing, was a highly respected person. Originally, Nan Xuzong's birth mother, Consort Zhenrong, and the former Princess Huangfu Xiuer were like sisters. Before her tragic death, Zhenrong entrusted her newborn child to Huangfu Xiuer to raise. Another child was given by Zhenrong to a palace nanny, who, when pursued, escaped and was raised by Yuan Xianjing.
At that time, Yuan Xianjing was already an elder. If she left the child in the mansion, it would definitely be discovered, and the entire General Ji's mansion would surely suffer disaster, since that dark force was not small.
In order to save the child's life and to protect the safety of the General's Mansion, Yuan Xianjing arranged for the child to be sent away and fostered by an ordinary family.
There were two phoenix jade hairpins left behind. One was kept by Huangfu Xiuer and later given to Nan Xuzong, while the other was originally intended for the matriarch of the family, and was later given to another child.
Who would have thought that things were in such a hurry that the matriarch of the family was unable to hand over the phoenix jade hairpin to the commoner couple and kept it with her instead.
At that time, Ji Wushang was married to Nan Xucong. The old lady naturally knew that she was Zhenrong's posthumous child, so she gave the phoenix jade hairpin to Ji Wushang.
Ji Wushang and Nan Xuzong were deeply moved after hearing this. They never expected that Nan Xuzong would have a younger brother or older brother!
"Is he my brother? Or my younger brother?" Nan Xuzong came to his senses. "He and I are twins, which means he looks exactly like me?"
“It’s your brother,” the matriarch said. “I think that since they are twins, they must look quite similar. Time flies so fast these days, I don’t know how things will turn out.”
Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong. If there was an exact replica of him, wouldn't he feel like he was going to die? If he found one, and if he felt that there were two Nan Xuzongs, wouldn't he go crazy?
No, the feeling is definitely different.
"Where is he now? Can we find him?" Nan Xuzong asked at this moment.
"After Wushang got married, I sent people to look for her. They found that the couple from back then were no longer there, and the place had completely changed. I guess your brother is probably no longer here."
After hearing this, Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong. Nan Xuzong's expression changed rapidly, and it was impossible to discern even the slightest bit of information from him.
"It's all my fault! I'll kneel down and apologize to the Fourth Prince!" The old lady said, struggling to get up and kneel at Nan Xuzong's feet. Nan Xuzong quickly helped her up. "How can you blame the old grandmother?" Ji Wushang quickly helped help the old lady back to her original position against the headboard.
"His Majesty is unaware that you have a twin brother. Alas, I did not wish to bring this up, but I do not wish to take this matter to my grave, so I will speak of it anyway!" The matriarch sighed.
"Grandmother, please don't worry. So many years have passed, and things have mostly faded away. There's no need to keep it in your heart and feel sad." Ji Wushang looked at Nan Xuzong. "Perhaps in the future, Cong will be able to find his brother."
"Hmm," Nan Xuzong hummed softly.
The matriarch smiled, "That's excellent. I'm merely telling you this matter; if you find this person in the future, cherish them together!"
"Yes," the two replied.
Nan Xuzong smiled slightly at this moment.
"Grandmother, I want to ask, what exactly happened to Granny Guo? Why was she suddenly sent to the countryside because of some kind of epilepsy?"
"That was done by some girls! I will definitely not let them get away with it! My illness is caused by them! They are all a handful!" The old lady said, sounding quite angry.
Ji Wushang helped her catch her breath and said, "Grandmother, since things are so quiet, we can find an excuse to replace the maids and nannies in the courtyard. Otherwise, we won't be able to rest easy in the future."
"Hmm." The matriarch nodded. "Grandmother has lived a whole life, what hasn't she seen? It was those little hussies who set a trap for her, almost causing her death. Sigh! Grandmother was thinking of just letting it go, but you young people haven't given up, so Grandmother must continue living!"
"Yes." Ji Wushang's lips twitched. Was this because his grandmother wanted to regain control or deal with the affairs of that courtyard? But it didn't matter anymore.
"Alright, alright, you've made a fool of yourself again!" The old lady realized that even at her advanced age, she still had to hold on to her pride and argue with those servants. Wasn't she just making herself a laughingstock?
“It’s no joke, Grandmother. You should rest well. Since you’ve asked, I’ll take care of it properly and find some nice, clever maids and nannies to serve you.”
"Good, good, Wushang is so sensible!" The matriarch sighed, closed her eyes, "You should go back now! We'll have to rely on you for the future."
"Then please rest well." Ji Wushang stepped forward to help the matriarch of the family to sleep.