"This is for you, a small token of my appreciation from your brother."
It is an exquisite jade pendant.
"A gift for me?" She chuckled. "If Third Brother has something to ask of you, he might as well just say it."
She refused to accept it, so Wei San directly stuffed the jade pendant into the jadeite: "I have prepared gifts for the Empress and His Majesty. If you have some free time, Third Sister, why don't you take a look for your brother?"
What kind of person is Wei San? He values his reputation more than his life.
When Yan Ruqing slashed his face with her sword, he was so enraged that he dared to die with her. For him to say such words of 'compromise' shows that he has grown up somewhat.
When he mentioned His Majesty and Empress, Wei Pingxi had an idea and helped him choose from a variety of gifts that the Emperor and Empress might like.
"Thank you, sister. When I inherit the title, I will certainly treat you well!"
Wei San patted his chest and made a solemn vow.
Wei Pingxi smiled and stepped out of the door with a leisurely air.
Don't be too certain. What if you were involved in my 'past life'?
Blood debts must be repaid in blood; those who owe her must pay.
The newly built Marquis's residence retains the layout of the old Lingnan Prefecture, and the names of each courtyard remain unchanged. Wei Pingxi's residence is still called Jingzhe Courtyard.
Although the Wei and Yan families are related by marriage, they are the most hostile of all. When Wei Da died, the Wei family did not send a letter to invite the Yan family to the funeral. Now that the Wei family has come to the capital, the Grand Tutor's Mansion has only sent some housewarming gifts.
Leaving aside the grudges among the elders, Wei San cannot afford to make too many enemies if he wants to uphold the Wei family's reputation.
After lunch, Wei San insisted on taking his younger sister to the Yan family to pay respects to their maternal grandfather, while Wei Pingxi went to Qinghui Courtyard to fetch her beloved dog.
In the dead of winter, as snow fell, the fourth young lady sneezed twice while walking her dog. Her right eyelid twitched violently. She thought to herself: What could be more unlucky than having the Wei family all gathered right under her nose?
Emerald ran over excitedly, holding a letter in her hand: "Miss! Miss, Agate is coming back!"
"agate?"
In a split second, countless guesses flashed through Wei Pingxi's mind.
"Not only is Agate coming back, but the Eldest Princess and Madam Yu are also on their way back to the capital!"
"..."
oh.
She understood.
Wei Pingxi rubbed his sore nose and agreed: the only person more difficult to deal with than the Wei family right now is probably this eldest princess.
She tricked her.
She abducted her cheap mother-in-law.
The fourth young lady's clever mind worked for a moment, then suddenly she had a toothache.
Ah Yao shook his big head, and the delicate jade pendant around his neck fluttered along with it.
After holding it in for a while, Wei Pingxi said with a frustrated look, "Princess Yunzhang, why is she so 'dog-like'?"
Why isn't she flirting with her "little lover" in Lingnan Prefecture? Why is she back in the capital? Is it to trick her?
The big dog was indignant, its round eyes wide open: What's going on? Is there anyone more of a dog than it?
...
Wei San had met his maternal grandparents and their family, and his young face was beaming with joy. But when he saw the jade pendant hanging around the dog's neck, that joy froze into ice.
If Wei Pingxi could understand people's thoughts, she would surely hear her third brother's conclusion made through gritted teeth: In this world, who could be more dog-like than this dog than her third sister?
The seemingly close siblings arrived amidst the wind and snow, and returned carrying the same wind and snow with them.
Upon learning that the Princess had brought her mother to the capital, Yu Zhi was so worried that she couldn't sleep soundly at night.
She couldn't sleep soundly, and Wei Pingxi, who was holding her while sleeping, also found it difficult to fall asleep.
"How many times has this happened? You keep tossing and turning, keeping me from sleeping..." She yawned, her voice soft and languid.
Yu Zhi hugged her tightly in a panic: "Xi Xi, what if, what if Mother finds out..."
She always brings up topics that are hard to talk about.
Wei Pingxi was most eager for her at this time, and wanted her almost every night.
The country bumpkin seemed to have gotten addicted to eating the buns, and she ate them in many different ways. Before she had had enough, a dog named "Princess" came and tried to take her buns away.
That won't do.
If her cheap mother-in-law found out that her wife was not a wife but a concubine, it was bound to cause trouble.
It would be fine if she got tired of it, but the problem is that she not only hasn't gotten tired of it, she's still having a blast.
Wei Pingxi was just as concerned about this matter as Yu Zhi. She was anxious and worried, but who was she?
She dared to raise her sword against the Empress Dowager in Fushou Palace and challenge Princess Jiaorong. Having lived two lives, she had no shortage of courage.
"I'm not afraid."
Yu Zhi peeked out from under the covers, looking at him suspiciously: "Then why is your voice trembling?"
Wei Pingxi's eyes widened: "Nonsense! Which ear of yours heard me tremble?"
"..."
If she heard it with both ears, Yu Zhi was worried that the person would become angry and humiliated and cause her further trouble.
She said "Oh".
Wei Pingxi stepped on her feet in bed.
With her long legs crossed, Yu Zhi blushed as she was stepped on: "Alright, I must have misheard."
"That's more like it."
"It might have been possible to keep it a secret in the residence in Lingnan Prefecture, but it will be much harder to keep it a secret once we get to the capital."
In such a large city as the capital, with the astonishing speed at which news spreads, there are plenty of people who know that she is the concubine of the Fourth Miss. If Mother were to go out and overhear something, how could she possibly keep it a secret?
She stayed up late at night, causing trouble for others, so Wei Pingxi simply shut her up.
The night wasn't even over yet and she was already thinking about tomorrow. The energetic fourth young lady embraced the beauty and slept with her for several rounds, reaching the deepest point. Yu Zhi, with a soft voice, started to cry again.
On New Year's Eve, Princess Yunzhang arrived in the capital.
The carriage stopped at the Princess's Xiushui Villa, where Wei Pingxi, with his "brilliant foresight," had been waiting to welcome his mother-in-law to the mansion she had bought the day before at a high price.
When enemies meet, they are bound to be extremely hostile.
However, both of them were cunning and their eyes clashed several times during their first meeting, making it difficult to determine who was superior.
"Greetings, Your Highness."
She feigned a well-behaved demeanor, but Ji Rong's deep gaze prevented him from calling out to her.
Liu Boyan poked Rong Jie's arm with one finger. Ji Yunzhang suppressed the cold laugh in his throat, tilted his head and smiled like spring: "Yan'er, I didn't do anything to her."
Seeing her overly attentive and gentle demeanor, Wei Pingxi clicked her tongue lightly, her voice just loud enough for the princess and her 'little lover' to hear.
"Pingxi met with his mother-in-law and saw that she was unharmed, so Zhizhi and I were relieved."
Liu Boyan was wearing a thick cloak, covering herself up completely. When she heard the teasing tsk-tsk of her 'son-in-law', her face flushed slightly. She quickly broke free from Ji Rong's support and took a half step back.
This half-step back caused Ji Rong's face to darken like frost.
She had said before that Wei Pingxi was no pushover, and now that trouble was burning her with it. Because of her beloved, she couldn't retaliate, so she could only keep a deep grudge in her heart.
The eldest princess was busy holding a grudge. Liu Boyan waited for a while but her daughter didn't come forward. She asked in a puzzled voice, "Hasn't Zhizhi come?"
Wei Pingxi considerately supported her, too busy to pay attention to Ji Rong who was practically drowning in jealousy.
When asked about Zhizhi, she couldn't help but say, "Zhizhi, she missed you so much last night that her emotions were so turbulent that she went to bed late and couldn't get up this morning."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ji Rong was stunned, then realized what she meant and glared at her without any politeness.
"So that's how it is, this child..."
Yu's mother was deeply moved by her daughter's filial piety, and she spoke kindly to her "son-in-law" beside her: "It was indeed abrupt of me not informing you of my upcoming visit."
She had never experienced love in her youth, and even after she married, the scholar loved her dearly. Although they were husband and wife, they treated each other with the respect due to siblings.
Seeing that she hadn't considered the matter of the bedchamber at all, Wei Pingxi breathed a sigh of relief and said sincerely, "It's not presumptuous. Mother-in-law can come whenever she wants. Zhizhi and I will be happy whenever you come."
But while I was genuinely happy, I was also genuinely anxious.
She didn't trust the eldest princess, so naturally she couldn't let her mother-in-law live in Xiushui Villa.
Thinking of the beautiful woman's hoarse instructions while nestled under the covers, she perked up and said, "Mother-in-law, it's windy and cold, let's go home first."
Ji Rongxin jumped hard, no longer holding a grudge, and rushed over to say gently, "Yan'er, as long as you are willing, Xiushui Courtyard is your home."
"I don't want to."
Liu Boyan felt bad every time she was rejected, but she had a daughter and a deceased husband. How could she move into someone else's house without a proper status?
"Yan'er..."
"Xi Xi, let's go quickly."
Unable to bear her repeated pleas, Yu's mother helplessly started walking.
"Mother-in-law, slow down..."
Wei Pingxi carefully helped her into the carriage.
"Yan'er!"
"Hurry up."
Wei Pingxi lifted the curtain on the side of the carriage and looked at the anxious princess: "It's not that I want to go against Your Highness, it's just that my mother-in-law is unwilling. Your Highness, it's cold, you should go back quickly."
Agate drove the carriage, the wheels turned, snow fell from the sky, and Ji Rong was distraught.
When Yao Chenzi woke up, he was already in the Fourth Miss's newly built residence in a carriage.
"How have you been?" A young friend stood in front of the carriage, holding a hand warmer, and smiled at him.
He stretched and said, "I'm fine."
Are you confident?