Ji Yinxue listened and nodded, "Mm."
Ji Wushang and Ji Yinxue walked ahead. Bei Gongminhao and Bei Gongjueshi felt that the six iron guards were a bit of a nuisance. The two exchanged glances, and then, as the six iron guards followed Ji Wushang and the others, they swiftly struck the six men's pressure points.
The six guards immediately glared at Bei Gong Minhao and Bei Gong Jueshi. They knew they were royalty, but they couldn't treat them like this, could they? Besides, it was their duty to ensure the safety of the two young ladies!
Ji Wushang turned around and saw that the six iron guards were frozen there like statues. His face immediately showed displeasure. "Why? Let them go!"
"No way." Bei Gongminhao acted shamelessly. "We won't do anything to you. We just invited the two of you to come in and guess some riddles. Aren't we protecting you two enough? Do we need six of them?" As he spoke, he immediately made a gesture, and five or six people came out of the alley. They were all obviously highly skilled martial arts servants.
Beigong Minhao said, "Keep a close eye on them."
"Release them, otherwise, they won't be able to explain themselves when they return to the manor!" Ji Wushang looked at Tie Feng, "Tie Feng, do you know what to say when you get back?"
"Yes, miss, we understand." Tie Feng naturally wouldn't interfere in the ladies' lives, and these men disdained any gossip or idle chatter.
"Your pressure points will release on their own in an hour! My men won't harm you in the slightest!" Bei Gongminhao insisted. "Shall we take advantage of this fine weather and beautiful scenery and try some riddles?"
"Not good." Ji Wushang looked at the six iron guards. Their duty was to protect him, not to be here and have his pressure points sealed and then be guarded.
"Young Miss, Fourth Miss, please go and have fun! We know we weren't good enough, and our presence has hindered your enjoyment. We're only staying here temporarily, and we trust the Prince's men won't make things difficult for us. Please rest assured, Young Miss and Fourth Miss!" Tie Feng certainly knew how to talk.
Ji Yinxue tugged at Ji Wushang's arm, "Big sister."
"Open their pressure points," Ji Wushang said coldly, his gaze fixed on Beigong Minhao with unwavering resolve.
Beigong Minhao pursed his lips, clearly afraid of her. He nodded slightly to his subordinates, who immediately released the pressure points of the six Iron Guards.
"Is this satisfactory?" Kitamiya Minho asked.
Ji Wushang remained silent and walked ahead. Let them go their own way!
Ji Yinxue was overjoyed and quickly followed, while Bei Gong Jueshi bowed to the six iron guards and apologized, "I have offended you greatly, please forgive me!"
These six guards, of course, dared not. This was the king's second son, and there was a distinction between superiors and inferiors, so they naturally returned the courtesy.
Beigong Minhao immediately chased after him.
After watching the four men leave, Tie Feng immediately turned to the other five guards and said, "Under no circumstances should you report what happened today to Madam or Master, not even to my brother, understand?"
"Yes!" the five replied immediately.
"Follow them closely!" Tie Feng would naturally do so. Fortunately, these five were all people he had personally selected, and they were all loyal to him. They should not do anything to disobey his orders.
Everyone headed towards a garden, and Ji Wushang and Ji Yinxue followed. Behind them were two tall and handsome men, one impeccably handsome, the other with strikingly different eyes. Ji Wushang ignored them and went inside with Ji Yinxue.
Ji Wushang looked around at the bustling scene, and then noticed Beigong Minhao and Beigong Jueshi following behind him. He wondered how to shake them off. Then, seeing some lanterns for sale ahead, which seemed interesting, he went over to them.
These people are probably taking advantage of this time to sell lanterns so that young ladies and gentlemen can enjoy the festive atmosphere.
Ji Wushang picked up a small lantern, looked at it with great delight, and asked, "How much is this?"
"Five copper coins!" The woman was a peasant woman in her thirties. She smiled at Ji Wushang and said, "If you like it, I'll make it cheaper for you."
Ji Wushang wasn't complaining about the price; rather, he simply didn't have the loose change on him. However, he wanted to bring good luck, so he reached into his pocket to take out some silver. Sure enough, Beigong Minhao had already paid. "Here you go, keep the change!" The peasant woman looked at the silver ingot and was immediately surprised. "This, this, this old woman doesn't have that much silver to give as change."
Beigong Minhao nodded slightly, "No need for change, here you go." He then placed the silver in the peasant woman's hand, and she thanked him repeatedly before accepting it.
Bei Gongminhao was overjoyed. It was rare for her to like something, and he had even paid for it for her. He turned around, ready to talk to Ji Wushang, but she had already disappeared!
Suddenly, Bei Gongminhao was startled and looked around, but he couldn't see her! Instead, he saw Ji Yinxue buying a small wooden puppet in the shop next door.
Bei Gongminhao rushed forward and asked, "Fourth Miss, where is your eldest young lady?"
Ji Yinxue was slightly taken aback when she heard this. "Wasn't she just now..." She pointed to the place where they were selling small lanterns, but she didn't see Ji Wushang. She realized that Ji Wushang must have been trying to avoid Beigong Minhao, which was why she left like that.
"I don't know either," Ji Yinxue whispered. Bei Gongjueshi placed a wooden puppet in front of Ji Yinxue. "Here!"
Ji Yinxue looked on with joy in her eyes. She looked up at Bei Gong Jueshi's eyes, which, though different from her own, now reflected only her own image. Those eyes were full of pity and love.
Bei Gongminhao looked at the two of them and shook his head, guessing that asking wouldn't yield any results, so he might as well go find her himself! After looking around the area, he immediately walked over to a vendor and said, "Excuse me, did you just see another lady this tall wearing a pink dress? She's that tall." Bei Gongminhao gestured, but the vendor shook his head, indicating that he didn't know.
Bei Gongminhao's eyes flashed with disappointment. Looking in the direction everyone had gone, he shook his head. "Ji Wushang, do you really intend to avoid me, to hide from me? Am I that much that you hate me?"
At this moment, Bei Gong Jue Shi's eyes were filled with Ji Yin Xue. He was determined to break through the barriers of the world. Tonight, he decided to have a good talk with the woman he loved. Ji Yin Xue, in the face of love, was impulsive and would never back down in love. Naturally, she didn't care whether anyone was watching them. In short, she was determined to spend the night with him.
If people accuse me of having a secret deal, then so be it!
"Why don't we go sit over there?" Bei Gong Jue Shi looked at Ji Yin Xue with gentle eyes and a warm smile on his lips.
"Mmm." Ji Yinxue lowered her head slightly, her face flushed with shyness.
"You look so beautiful when you lower your head," Bei Gong Jue Shi couldn't help but praise.
Hearing this, Ji Yinxue blushed even more. "Second Prince Wang is making fun of my daughter."
"Don't laugh. Let's go!" Bei Gong Jue Shi was overjoyed. He wanted to hold her hand, but he didn't dare. He could only stay close to her and try to walk side by side with her. Over there was a tavern, probably a place for handsome men and beautiful women to rest and chat.
As soon as she entered, there were already people watching. Some chuckled softly, while others whispered among themselves, but Ji Yinxue simply kept her head down.
Bei Gong Jue Shi was clearly displeased. He glanced around at the people, and what he saw was alarming. The left eye seemed to be stained blood red, becoming extremely eerie! Instantly, everyone felt afraid and dared not look. Taking advantage of the situation, Bei Gong Jue Shi led Ji Yin Xue upstairs and found an inconspicuous place to sit.
Seeing that no one was following, Ji Wushang finally felt a little relieved, having shaken off Beigong Minhao. Yes, she knew what she was doing was wrong, but she was afraid that he would do something she couldn't accept right away, which always gave her a headache.
Ji Wushang tried to convince himself, then looked around and realized that he should have arrived outside the riddle-guessing garden! The trees around the garden were covered with riddle banners, and there were many people guessing them!
Just as Ji Wushang was thinking of stepping inside to take a look and enjoy herself, a voice suddenly rang out, "Miss? Shall we go into the garden? Let's buy a lantern!"
Ji Wushang stopped and turned to look at the side. He saw an older woman, about fifty or sixty years old, dressed in coarse cloth, selling lit lanterns. Strangely, each lantern had a different design and pattern.
Seeing her hesitation, the older woman said, "Look, here are all sorts of lanterns, only one of each kind. Every young lady who enters from this side buys one! At the exit of the garden over there, they sell the same kinds of lanterns, one of each kind. These two make a pair. If you go in carrying a lantern and happen to see another young man carrying the same lantern, that's a blessing from heaven! Most of these couples will eventually marry!" The older woman seemed very happy, her face beaming with joy. "Miss, buy one!"
Just then, Ji Wushang noticed a sign at the entrance of the garden that read "Entrance for Women." According to the old woman, that should be the "Entrance for Men." Looking further inside, he saw that both the female and male guests were carrying lanterns of various kinds.
"How about it?" The older woman seemed to read Ji Wushang's mind. "Buy one and take it in!"
"Okay." Ji Wushang nodded, looked at all the lanterns from top to bottom and left to right, and then looked into the garden. Seeing that someone had mentioned this one or that, he stopped buying it. Finally, he saw an ordinary white lantern without any decorations, with a yellow glow. Such an ordinary lantern, no one should be buying it over there!
With that thought in mind, Ji Wushang asked the old woman for the lantern, paid the money, and then carefully carried the lantern inside.
As soon as he entered the garden, he felt the intense atmosphere. There were people all around, and the trees and corridors were filled with riddles for guessing. Ji Wushang looked at them and forgot about the lantern in his hand. He picked up the lantern and started guessing one by one from the beginning.
Each correct guess filled Ji Wushang with joy, her face beaming with delight. She moved on to the next riddle, and so on, until she had guessed all the riddles along the entire corridor. Finally, Ji Wushang grasped the hanging plaque with the riddle and softly recited, "Up to down, down to up, both ends to the middle, the middle to both ends." Ji Wushang's delicate brows furrowed slightly. "What character is this?"
"Here." Suddenly, a voice startled Ji Wushang. Ji Wushang turned his head and saw that Nan Xuzong had arrived at some point!
“The top of ‘至’ is the bottom of ‘去’, and the bottom of ‘至’ is the top of ‘去’. The middle of ‘至’ is the two ends of ‘去’, the two ends of ‘至’ are the two ends of ‘去’, and the two ends of ‘至’ are the middle of ‘去’. So it is ‘至’. Miss Ji, tell me, am I right?” Nan Xuzong seemed not to see the surprise in Ji Wushang’s eyes, and spoke in a calm tone, as if he were questioning Ji Wushang.
Ji Wushang stared wide-eyed, unsure of what to say. He turned the plaque in his hand and saw that it was indeed the character "至" (zhi). He then changed his mind and said, "Prince Nan guessed correctly; it is indeed '至'."
Nan Xuzong nodded slightly, but the next second he seemed to see something and stared at the lantern in Ji Wushang's hand.
Ji Wushang was slightly taken aback and subconsciously looked at the lantern hanging next to his wheelchair. Unexpectedly, the lantern was exactly the same as his own!
It felt like an eternity, leaving Nan Xuzong breathless. He had originally planned to watch her meet Beigong Minhao outside the City God Temple, to see her with him, and then leave dejectedly. Turning to this spot, seeing the riddles, a sense of melancholy washed over him. He picked an inconspicuous little yellow lantern, never expecting to encounter her there. Was this fate?
I still remember the first time I saw her; she was so stubborn. Even though she was drugged, she still used the pain to stay conscious. I helped her because of that stubbornness, but I never expected her to retaliate. The second time I officially met her, I realized I had never met anyone smarter than her! The third time, the fourth time… I lost count. Anyway, it seems I've been poisoned by her… I had even thought that I would never love again in this life, because these legs of mine are no longer worthy of love!
Nan Xuzong didn't know what this feeling was. His eyes were fixed on Ji Wushang, just looking at her.
Ji Wushang stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to put the lantern he was holding.
Unexpectedly, a voice suddenly called out, "Miss Wushang!"
Ji Wushang turned around abruptly and saw:
☆、073 Conspiracy! Conspiracy! Aunt Bai!
Beigong Minhao.
Ji Wushang felt as if his breath had been sucked out. It wasn't that someone had seen him and Nan Xuzong here, but rather, he never expected that the person who had seen them was him!
Bei Gongminhao stared intently at Ji Wushang, then at Nan Xuzong, as if trying to analyze something, to find out something. His gaze towards Ji Wushang gradually turned cold. His eyes fell on the lantern in her hand, then on his own lantern—which was obviously different—and when he looked at the lantern on Nan Xuzong's wheelchair, his heart felt as if it had been cruelly slashed and then violently squeezed, the pain indescribable!
Nan Xuzong was momentarily speechless. They were usually good friends, but now, it felt like someone had seized on him. No, if this was about competing with Ji Wushang, then he wasn't wrong. The choice was in Ji Wushang's hands, not his or his. Of course, if he chose to withdraw, that would be his choice.
Ji Wushang looked extremely embarrassed. She stepped back, stopped talking, and immediately ran desperately towards the edge of the garden, as if someone was chasing her. The older woman saw Ji Wushang suddenly run out and was about to ask what had happened, but Ji Wushang had already run away.
Nan Xuzong spread his hands, his voice calm, "Your Highness, you scared her away."
Bei Gongminhao was clearly frustrated, mixed with anger. Yes, he was angry. He had thought that someone like Nan Xuzong, with his leg ailment, would know he was at least unworthy of Ji Wushang, the eldest daughter of the legitimate wife. But he never imagined that the seemingly emotionless and aloof Prince Nan would actually fall for Ji Wushang! How could he accept this? Had he been too confident? What was going on? Yiyun City? And now Nan Xuzong was involved? Had he never really understood these people?
He had always considered them his sworn brothers, his best friends, but how could they possibly fall for Miss Wu Shang? Bei Gong Minhao thought to himself, his gaze turning cold as he watched Ji Wu Shang run off. He turned back to look at Nan Xu Cong, whose face remained expressionless. Bei Gong Minhao looked at him and asked, "What are you doing here?"
"Everyone's running this way to play, and I'm bored!" Nan Xuzong joked, but the next second he changed his tone and said, "I have some things to do, so please take your leave!" With that, he turned his wheelchair and left in the direction Ji Wushang had gone.
Beigong Minhao looked on and thought to himself, "Hey!" He was about to wave and say something, but Nan Xuzong didn't even turn his head.
"And what a load of rubbish about friends!" Bei Gongminhao sneered, watching their departing figures with icy eyes.
Ji Wushang only stopped when he felt exhausted. What was all this about! Why did it all feel like he was fleeing in disarray? Why?! Ji Wushang took a breath and looked around. No one was chasing after him. Ji Wushang saw a stone bench ahead and walked over to sit down.
I really want to go back home; I can't keep coming out! Rather than run into these people, I'd rather stay home! It's a bit dull and boring, but at least it feels like an escape compared to encountering them! But what about Ji Yinxue? Where did she go?
At this moment, Ji Yinxue and Beigong Jueshi were in an awkward situation in the restaurant. The atmosphere was rather strange, and it was more of an awkward silence between them than a conversation.
Ji Wushang sighed, but then he saw Tie Feng leading several guards walking towards him. Ji Wushang was immediately delighted and stood up, "Tie Feng!"
"Yes, Miss." Tie Feng immediately stepped forward and asked respectfully, but he was puzzled to see that there was no one else with her.
Ji Wushang knew what he was thinking and said, "No need to look. I got separated from them. Take a few people to... that tavern over there and see if the Fourth Miss is there. If she is, tell her to come back! I'll wait for you here. It's getting late, we should go back, otherwise, Grandmother will worry."
"Yes!" Tie Feng responded, and immediately selected a few people to walk towards the tavern that Ji Wushang pointed to, while leaving two iron guards to look after Ji Wushang's safety.
Ji Wushang also felt bored, but looking at the two iron guards standing guard over him, he felt a little more at ease.
Tie Feng led his men to the tavern over there, and sure enough, they saw Ji Yinxue and Beigong Jueshi sitting together upstairs. However, neither of them spoke, and they were slowly eating some snacks.
Tie Feng was actually conflicted. This was, after all, the Fourth Miss, but for her to be with a man in secret, even though she was of high status, was still going too far. If people saw this, it would be terrible for her reputation!
Forget it, these kinds of things are none of my business. I should just mind my own business!
Thinking of this, Tie Feng pointed to one of his guards and said, "You, yes, you, go upstairs and ask the Fourth Miss to come down. Tell her that it's almost time."
"Second Boss, aren't you making things difficult for me? The Fourth Miss and the Second Prince are eating right now. How can we disturb them?" the selected guard said, naturally unwilling to go up and call for them.
Tie Feng rolled his eyes at him. If he dared to go up and call for help, he wouldn't have given the order! "Then you!" Tie Feng pointed at another one, but the guard who was pointed at shook his head like a rattle drum.
Tie Feng was helpless; no one dared to go!
But then he quickly came up with a good idea. Tie Feng stepped forward, beckoned the other three to come closer and listen, and immediately began to explain.
The three agreed.
Ji Yinxue ate her snacks cautiously, while Bei Gongjueshi, seeing her silence, remained silent as well. Ji Yinxue's eyes held a hint of attraction, and her eating movements were extremely elegant. Unexpectedly, just as Bei Gongjueshi was about to call the waiter, a commotion erupted downstairs.