The carriage traveled all the way to the residence of the Northern Lu General, the Ji Mansion. Above the gate were four powerful characters: Imperial-built Ji Mansion. This was a mansion bestowed by the Emperor himself. No one dared to be arrogant when they passed under this gate. In front of the gate were a pair of stone lions, standing on stone balls, roaring to the sky, with a majestic aura.
The vermilion gate was wide open, and guards were constantly moving about in front of it.
The carriage stopped by the street, and Shilan got out and went to the gate to see General Ji.
However, they received news that General Ji was not at home at all. In the end, Shilan consulted Hailing and requested to see Major General Ji.
Upon hearing that the guard was a friend of the young general, he immediately went in respectfully to report to the steward.
The steward quickly led several servants out to greet them. Shi Mei lifted the carriage curtain and helped Hai Ling out of the carriage.
As soon as she landed, the stewards, servants, and guards in front of the general's mansion were stunned, staring at Hai Ling without being able to react.
This young master is really handsome; he's comparable to their young general.
His handsomeness was different from that of the young general; it was like a snow lotus on the Tianshan Mountains, exuding a cool and refreshing aura. His every move was elegant and graceful, dazzling and noble.
These people were stunned, unable to find the words to describe this young master, until Hai Ling's clear and cool voice rang out.
"I am a friend of General Ji. Is General Ji at his residence?"
"So you're a friend of our young general. The young general isn't home; he's out on business. But you can wait in the main hall. I'm sure he'll be back soon."
"Thank you for your trouble."
The butler quickly led the way, his face slightly flushed. It was rare for someone so young to be able to stare at people so intently; he felt ashamed to admit it.
"Please, sir."
"Thanks."
The group entered the main hall of the general's mansion. Hai Ling looked around the spacious living room, which was luxuriously decorated but not extravagantly. Having grown accustomed to the splendor of the palace, Hai Ling felt that the furnishings of the general's mansion were quite appropriate, neither ostentatious nor shabby. It seemed that this young general was a man of propriety, who, despite his great achievements, was not arrogant or domineering. This was the way to survive in the long run. Therefore, although the Ji family had made great contributions in Bei Lu, they had not aroused the late emperor's suspicion, unlike the Jiang family of the Great Zhou Dynasty, whose achievements overshadowed the emperor, so the emperor was determined to get rid of them.
Both were ministers, yet their approaches were worlds apart.
In the living room, Hailing was looking around when she heard footsteps outside the door, followed by a sweet and cheerful voice.
"Steward Ning, have we received any guests?"
The general's steward, who was originally in the living room with Hailin, immediately greeted her at the door with a smile and spoke respectfully.
"Yes, Miss, she is a friend of the young general."
As Butler Ning respectfully finished speaking, several people walked in. At the front was a tall woman with bright eyes and white teeth. She had slender eyebrows, big eyes, a high nose, and sexy lips. She was a tall beauty and wore a deep purple dress made of fine fabric with exquisite embroidery. She looked like she came from an extraordinary family.
As soon as she walked in, a maidservant came over, took off her long hair, and handed her a hand warmer. The whole process was extremely elegant.
The servants in the living room were all very wary of this woman. Hai Ling secretly raised her eyebrows, a cold glint in her eyes.
Judging from the way the steward addressed her, it seems this young lady is Ji Shaocheng's cousin. But why is everyone so wary of her?
As Hai Ling was observing, the little lion Qiu Qiu lying in her arms stirred, immediately raising its head, moving its mouth, and wagging its tail. Its eyes were somewhat fierce. Hai Ling and Shi Mei knew the little lion's habits well, so it seemed that the little lion didn't like this girl.
The girl took off her cloak, picked up a hand warmer, and walked over to look Hailing up and down. Her eyes were like sharp knives, scrutinizing Hailing from head to toe. However, a look of amazement quickly flashed across her face. Was this her cousin's friend?
Who are you?
As she asked the question, the girl walked to the head of the table and sat down. Then she looked at Hailing, her words a test.
Hai Ling disliked the woman's sharpness, so she ignored her completely, her eyes cold and indifferent, and simply stared at her.
The woman sitting high above looked annoyed and glared coldly at Hai Ling.
When Steward Ning of the General's Mansion saw the situation, he was afraid of making things awkward. One was the steward's cousin, and the other was the young general's friend. He quickly came out, clasped his hands, and respectfully introduced the woman at the head of the table to Hai Ling.
"This is our cousin, Ye Liushuang, the lady's niece. The lady is not in charge of affairs at the moment, so all the big and small matters in the mansion are managed by this cousin."
So that's how it is. No wonder she's so arrogant. Hai Ling snorted inwardly, her expression unchanged. Her cold eyes stared at the woman at the head of the table, and it wasn't hard to see a hint of arrogance flashing across her beautiful face.
She's become the steward of the general's mansion at such a young age; she must have some skills. No wonder the servants in the living room are wary of her.
It seems that Northern Lu is indeed different from the Great Zhou Dynasty. The people are more open-minded, and young women can even take on management roles in public.
"So it's Miss Biao, no wonder?"
Hai Ling spoke softly, but before she could finish her sentence, Ye Liushuang, who was sitting high up, became somewhat annoyed and disliked the man's gaze, which seemed to contain a hint of disdain. A man who was more beautiful than a woman made Ye Liushuang jealous, and when she heard that Hai Ling was still the steward of the General's Mansion, she showed no respect whatsoever. If ordinary people knew that she was the steward of the General's Mansion, they would be very respectful.
"No wonder what?"
Ye Liushuang glared angrily at Hailing, her eyes radiating a chilling aura.
If she had known what kind of friend the person in front of her was to her cousin, she would have immediately kicked him out. How dare he be so arrogant in front of her, Ye Liushuang.
Hai Ling's lips curved into a faint smile: "No wonder you're so arrogant. So you're the steward of the Ji family. Could it be that the Ji family has no one left, and they have to make a young lady show her face in public?"
Upon hearing this, a chill swept through the entire hall, and Ye Liushuang stood up angrily.
She had never been ridiculed like this before. As the steward of the General's Mansion and a direct relative of the Ji family, Ye Liushuang had been sought after wherever she went in recent years. She never expected to encounter someone who didn't take her seriously today. It was truly hateful.
So what if this person is handsome? He's not a woman. It's pointless for a man to be handsome. I've never heard my cousin mention such a person before. He might not be an important friend at all. So Ye Liushuang's face darkened, and she waved her hand to order the butler standing in the hall.
"Get this man out of here. The young general doesn't have friends like this."
Butler Ning was conflicted. Miss Biao had asked him to kick out the young general's guests before, and the young general had reprimanded him for it. Now he had to do this thankless task again. He really didn't know how the young general would deal with her when he found out.
Although Miss Biao is the steward of the mansion, the young general is the true master.
This young lady is only temporarily in charge, and everyone knows what she's thinking. She likes the young general and wants to marry him to become the general's wife in the Ji family.