"What an elegant name." Ji Wushang smiled and went inside with him.
Upon entering, a fragrant aroma of books wafted through the air. Ji Wushang looked around the building, which was neatly filled with many books, and he couldn't help but admire them.
Nan Xuzong picked up a book and waved it around. "These are probably your favorite books, right? Buddhist scriptures and medical books, I found them all for you. Feel free to take them and read them."
"Thank you." Ji Wushang smiled. He hadn't expected him to be so thoughtful. He had indeed come to like Buddhist scriptures and medical books. Firstly, Buddhist scriptures brought peace of mind and could also help cultivate one's character. Generally speaking, the people of the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty were Buddhists, not to mention that these wealthy and powerful families all liked this. It was definitely not wrong to pay more attention to these things.
Seeing that she liked it, Nan Xuzong said, "Take those medical books and look at them. You can ask me if you don't understand anything."
"Yes." Ji Wushang was delighted, so she leaned forward and stole a kiss from him before playfully running away.
Nan Xuzong looked at her and was immediately surprised. He never expected that she would kiss him first! Nan Xuzong stood there stunned, unable to react for a long time. He stood there dumbfounded, his right hand constantly touching his kissed face, and he kept chuckling to himself.
Ji Wushang wandered around for a long time, but found that Nan Xuzong hadn't followed. Curious, she turned back, only to find him looking dazed, touching his own face. Ji Wushang went up to him, asking softly, "Zong, what's wrong?"
"Uh, it's nothing, it's nothing." Nan Xuzong smiled immediately after being caught off guard by his outburst. "It's nothing. But there are some things I need to tell you."
“Okay.” Ji Wushang took a stool and sat down, then listened to him speak.
“This ‘Star-Picking and Moon-Playing’ building was left by my mother, and the books were collected by me, so you don’t have to worry about anyone disturbing you. My mother once said in her last words that the power over this building belongs to me, and I am handing it over to you.”
"Um."
"I often go out, so you need to know how to take care of yourself."
"Hmm." Ji Wushang nodded. "Is there anything I can help you with? Now that we're husband and wife, we should stand together through thick and thin."
“Yes.” Nan Xuzong nodded. “My mother’s death was a conspiracy, and I must find out the truth.”
"It's not just hearsay..." Ji Wushang had heard that his mother died in childbirth, but now things seemed a bit strange.
"What I'm saying is, whether it's my own mother or the princess's mother, their deaths were all murdered. My legs were murdered..." Nan Xuzong's voice gradually faded.
Ji Wushang stepped forward and took his hand, "We can find out who the mastermind is behind everything! We'll make them pay for everything they owe us!"
"Yes, I know you will definitely help me. The Second Prince is acting suspiciously now. I think he must be planning something. We must be careful. I already know most of what's going on. I just hope, Wu Shang, that you will stay away from him."
"I know that, and, Sixth Prince, I feel like he's treating me like a target in his game. I don't want this, but they're like ghosts, they just keep sticking to me. What should I do?"
"I will help you, Sixth Prince. Hmph, I will let him know the truth. He is not a good person. Don't be fooled by his innocent appearance. He is very cunning."
"Mm." Ji Wushang nodded.
"Let me tell you, Aunt Zhao is still in power. If there's anything you can't fight against her, just wait for me to come back."
"Cong, don't worry, I won't cause any trouble."
“I’m afraid you’ll cause trouble.” Nan Xuzong smiled and pulled her into his arms. “Also, you should stay away from Nan Jinxue. I don’t want to see you talking to him.”
"I try my best to avoid him. I hate that man so much."
"Hmm?" Nan Xuzong was quite surprised. Why would he say he hated someone?
"He hurt you?" Nan Xuzong's eyes darkened. "Tell me."
"You said, 'Looking back in a past life,' do you know what those four words mean to me?" Ji Wushang's smile had vanished. "For me, the past life was a nightmare, and meeting you in this life might truly be destiny."
“I don’t understand. I don’t want any nightmares. All I want is for you to spend this life with me.” Nan Xuzong pulled her into his arms. “The moment I saw you, I was deeply attracted to you.”
Ji Wushang lay in his arms.
"Let me show you around." Nan Xuzong looked at her, and then they walked into the building together. Ji Wushang was surprised to find that there was a large secret passage underground. Ji Wushang struggled out of his arms and went in, with him following behind.
"What is this place used for?" Ji Wushang touched the wall and looked at the huge secret room. There was a large long table inside, with many chairs around it. It should be a place for discussing important matters.
"I think you guessed it, that's right, this is a place to discuss important matters, and it can also serve as a temporary refuge if needed."
"When did you start preparing?" Ji Wushang touched the table and found that it was still covered with a lot of dust, which meant that very few people had been here, and no one had been here for at least half a year.
"It was early, but I was delayed because of some things, and also because of many things I didn't understand, so I put it aside for the time being."
"So, you mean to wait for the right moment to act? What I know is that His Majesty's health has deteriorated significantly in recent years. Fortunately, the border is relatively stable. My father often leads troops into battle, and he has only been idle in the last year or two. But I think it's definitely not that simple. What I know is that a usurpation has already occurred in the Western Regions. The prince of the Western Regions once came to our capital. Now, he should go back and reclaim his throne."
"It seems you actually know him, right? Wu Shang, let me guess." Nan Xuzong raised an eyebrow at her. "Actually, I roughly know that the one who controlled you before was probably the Western Region prince you mentioned."
"How...how did you know?" Ji Wushang asked, quite surprised.
"On the day you changed, I went to your mansion to find you, but do you remember me? You wanted to kill me... My Wushang, I don't believe you would treat me like this unless something important happened or something changed you. So I looked through many books and found that there is no drug in the Great Xia Zhou Dynasty that can control people's minds or change their thoughts, unless it is from another country."
For example, the soul-shifting techniques of the Bohai Kingdom, the ninjas of the Japanese pirates and their Crescent Moon Cult, and the Gu poison and spiritual arts of the Western Regions. After hearing what you just said, I immediately understood; it must be that the Western Regions prince you mentioned who controlled your mind… In that case, Wu Shang, I've met a formidable opponent… whether in love or in other competition.”
Ji Wushang was stunned, not expecting that he had analyzed it so thoroughly.
“But I know that your heart belongs to me. Otherwise, he couldn’t have controlled your mind to kill me, and you couldn’t bear to lay a hand on me. I was able to break his scheme because you love me, and I am already satisfied.” Nan Xuzong looked at Ji Wushang with affection.
Ji Wushang stepped forward and took his hand. "I've always rejected him, but he... he's so persistent, and he's changed. I don't know this kind of person anymore... I'm sorry, Cong, please forgive me for not telling you about this before, because I didn't want you to worry. I owe him, and I want to repay him, but I didn't know he would do this. He must have suffered too much... his father died, his sister disappeared, and he was even thrown into the sea. Luckily, he was rescued, but when I saw him again, he had changed..."
"Hehe." Nan Xuzong chuckled dryly. "My only regret is that I can't be by your side every moment to protect you and cherish you."
"I only hope that you will cherish and love me." Ji Wushang smiled as she looked at him.
Nan Xuzong smiled faintly, "We should go out now and show you some of the courtyards."
"Hmm." Ji Wushang followed him out. Unexpectedly, after walking along the secret passage, it suddenly split into two paths. Nan Xuzong stopped and said, "Going left leads directly to the outside of the city, while going right leads directly to my Moxuan Garden."
"Mm." Ji Wushang nodded.
"If anything urgent or unexpected happens, I think you must remember to be familiar with the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. The Gate of Life leads to death, while the Gate of Death leads to rebirth."
"I don't want to remember, I want you to take me out." Ji Wushang suddenly felt as if he was being instructed on something, and immediately said, "What Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams? I don't understand it, and I don't want to understand it."
Nan Xuzong smiled. If she didn't understand the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams, she wouldn't have opened the box he gave her and put on the phoenix hairpin.
Ji Wushang watched him walk out alone. He shook his head before following. Wasn't he living a perfectly good life? It was just that he was more afraid of the unexpected than the impossible.
Nan Xuzong led her around for a long time, and they walked through almost the entire huge mansion. For Ji Wushang, it was almost like revisiting familiar places, but there were still many places she had never been before.
The two returned to their shared home, Moxuan Garden, and Nan Xuzong had a meal brought in. The sky was rather overcast that day.
After a warm meal with Nan Xuzong, Ji Wushang was led to the study. Upon entering, she saw a painting of a beautiful woman hanging on the screen. Ji Wushang was surprised to find that the painting depicted her as none other than herself.
Nan Xuzong looked at her with a rather surprised expression, and the corners of his mouth widened a little. "When I can't sleep at night, I go into the study, catch a glimpse of your beautiful face, and talk about my longing and sorrow. I don't feel bitterness, but I know my own heart is at peace."
“I really like it.” Ji Wushang touched the painting, feeling it as if he could sense the technique the artist used when he painted it.
"Wu Shang, thank you for spending the days with me."
"Thank you for always being so understanding and caring towards me." Ji Wushang's eyes were filled with tears. "What's rare is your unwavering support. If one day you leave me first, I will never live on alone."
"No, it won't happen." He gently pulled her into his arms. "No, it won't happen." He sighed again and gently kissed her earlobe.
His kisses were delicate and tender. After kissing her earlobe, he moved down to her neck, and then to her delicate collarbone. Ji Wushang couldn't help but let out a soft moan, her whole body trembling slightly. She immediately pushed him away, saying, "This is the study."
“No one will come in,” he said softly, and began to unbutton her clothes. She shyly covered herself with her clothes, saying, “No, not here.”
"Alright then." Nan Xuzong looked at her with his deep eyes, then picked her up and hugged her in his arms, a little too eagerly. He slid the wheelchair forward and carried her back to the room.
With a flick of his sleeve, the door closed. Nan Xuzong gently kissed the woman in his arms. To be honest, he was a little annoyed that he couldn't move around and didn't even have the ability to carry her to bed himself!
Ji Wushang squirmed; this cramped space made it impossible for the two of them to do what they wanted freely. Nan Xuzong kissed her, "Let's go to bed!"
"Mmm." Ji Wushang responded shyly, pulled her clothes closer, and got out of his arms. Her face was still slightly flushed, but she carefully helped Nan Xuzong lie down on the bed before she also carefully lay down on the bed with him.
Nan Xuzong turned to look at her, "Wu Shang, thank you for your hard work."
"What's this talk of hardship?" Ji Wushang looked at him and smiled. "Go to sleep!"
"Mmm." He gently pulled her into his arms, without doing anything out of the ordinary, and she fell asleep peacefully.
Perhaps it's a difference in mindset, or perhaps there's still some lingering resentment between them.
He wanted to break down that barrier, but there was still some distance between him and the barrier.
The moonlight was like water, the night was deep, and a cold wind blew in a little from the window. Ji Wushang opened his eyes and looked at him, at his beautiful facial features, his sexy, knife-cut lips. From any perspective, he should be perfect.
She didn't mind his leg ailment, yet she could sense his inner humility. How could she make him more confident? How could she find the best way? Slightly distracted, Ji Wushang's hand lingered on his thin lips, his gaze wandering elsewhere, unaware that Nan Xuzong had even opened his eyes.
He gently licked her delicate hand, and she instinctively pulled it back. He was swift as lightning, grabbing her in an instant. "You're stirring up trouble," he said definitively.
She blushed. "I was thinking about something else."
"What is it?" Nan Xuzong gently kissed her hand. "It's making you so engrossed." As he spoke, his gaze drifted towards her.
It's definitely not something you can say about what's on your mind; it's best not to even mention it. Ji Wushang thought for a moment and then said, "I'm a little worried."
"Don't worry." Nan Xuzong looked at her, pulled her into his arms, kissed her hair, and then kissed her lips, slowly leading her into a state of pleasure.
He had originally intended to control himself and let her rest, but she had provoked him. So he decided to be gentler.
Ji Wushang gently hooked her arms around his neck, letting him savor her slowly.
The room was filled with the warmth of spring. Ji Wushang lay sprawled out, letting him have his way. Although Nan Xuzong had tasted the sweetness and was infatuated with her beauty, he couldn't accept too much because of her body. So, after releasing himself, he quickly took care of himself and fell into a deep sleep holding her, who was exhausted.
When Ji Wushang woke up the next day, she saw Nan Xuzong looking at her intently. Ji Wushang nudged him and said, "What are you thinking about? It's time to get up."
"Hmm." He nodded, grinning foolishly.
They got up and washed up, their movements perfectly synchronized.
The two chatted and laughed as they entered the main hall. On the first day, the newlyweds served tea together; on the second day, they had breakfast together in the main hall to establish the rules; and on the third day, they returned to the bride's parents' home.
Those around them watched the two enter intimately, each harboring their own thoughts, some jealous, some disdainful. Ji Wushang smiled and bowed to the Marquis and his concubines one by one, while Nan Xuzong also offered a few simple greetings.
Looking at Ji Wushang, Aunt Zhao said, "On the second day of a new bride's marriage, it is only right that rules be established. What do you say, sir?"
"Hmm." The Marquis nodded. "In that case, how do you suggest establishing it?"
"Father, I think we don't need to follow any rules anymore. Mother is no longer here, so who should Wushang set rules for?" Nan Xuzong sneered and glanced at Aunt Zhao.
Ji Wushang put down his chopsticks, looking at them with a smile. In his past life, they had set many rules for him! They were so restrictive that he could hardly breathe! Hmph, is this going to happen again?
"In that case, I wonder what rules Aunt Zhao intends to establish for Wu Shang?" Ji Wu Shang smiled. "I wonder what rules my sister-in-law intends to establish?"
Upon hearing this question, Aunt Zhao's face darkened. Indeed, Ji Yinxue had not established any rules, and being questioned by Ji Wushang naturally made her lose face.
"Well, these rules are for the sake of the Old Madam and the Master, of course." Aunt Zhao looked at Ji Wushang with a sharp look in her eyes. "Yinxue didn't have any rules set up because she wasn't feeling well. Could it be that you, Wushang, are also feeling unwell?"
"Heh." Ji Wushang sneered twice. "To put it bluntly, I am the legitimate wife of the Marquis's mansion. My sister-in-law has no rules, but the legitimate wife is the one who is made to follow them. I don't know how others will view our Marquis's mansion after this gets out."
These words made Aunt Zhao choke and have to put down her tea to catch her breath. The maid standing next to her immediately came forward to help her catch her breath.
"Alright, let's put this matter aside. Forget about rules and regulations, as long as the family is happy together!" Seeing that things weren't going well, the Marquis immediately smoothed things over.
“Since the master has said so, then let’s not mention this matter anymore and continue with our meal!” Aunt Zhao glanced at Ji Wushang.
Ji Yinxue stared at Ji Wushang, gripping her chopsticks tightly.
"No rush, Father, there's still one thing we haven't resolved!" Nan Xuzong's lips seemed to hold a hint of amusement.