It was obvious at a glance that his internal organs were shattered, and he was in so much pain that even he couldn't bear to look at him. Nan Xuzong was about to send him on his way with the golden silk, but when the guard saw that it was Nan Xuzong, he immediately struggled to get up. Although he was spitting blood, Nan Xuzong knocked the golden silk out and then pressed several acupoints on him to relieve his pain.
Nan Xuzong looked at him and stepped forward. "Last words." His face was cold and stern, and he didn't want to say anything unnecessary.
Last words are very important!
I will help him finish everything that is left unfinished!
"They're stopping you...stopping you...please stand up...stand up..." The guard gasped for breath, managing to utter these words with great difficulty.
Nan Xuzong narrowed his eyes slightly. He knew about the problem with his legs. It wasn't that he hadn't found a solution, but rather that the cost was too high, and he wasn't willing to pay it! That's why he hadn't gone to find those medicinal herbs!
But does what he mean by saying that someone wants to help him get back on his feet? Who is it?!
"Continue!" Nan Xuzong's eyes turned slightly cold, anticipating that he would say something more valuable.
Those around him were overjoyed to hear that Nan Xuzong might be able to stand up again, but looking at Nan Xuzong's cold and stern face, it seemed that it wasn't such a simple matter!
"Your Highness... Your Highness... He... He... He's gone..." The guard coughed up more blood, and finally, unable to recover, his head lolled to the side, and he died.
Nan Xuzong's face remained largely expressionless. He reached out and closed the guard's eyes. "A proper burial."
Nan Xuzong pushed his wheelchair out himself. The person he had just discussed matters with the Prince of Zhenbei was a master, and moreover, he had no idea such a person existed!
In that case, he must have been someone who went against me time and time again. He was very familiar with my methods before, and I almost got caught up in his trap!
Who exactly is this person?
Nan Xuzong's subordinates were all going about their own business, while the bodyguard was given a proper burial and a memorial service.
No one knows when they will die; only by living each day with a clear conscience can one avoid any regrets.
Nan Xuzong returned to the inner room, where Ji Wushang was still sleeping peacefully, but he himself was not sleepy at all.
Finally, unable to hold on any longer, she leaned against Ji Wushang's bed for a short rest.
In the early morning, Ji Wushang instinctively tried to find him, but found nothing. She woke up abruptly and saw Nan Xuzong sitting in a wheelchair, asleep by the bedside.
Seeing him like this, Ji Wushang knew he must have gone out in the middle of the night for some reason. Looking at his slightly tired face, Ji Wushang felt a pang of pain in his heart.
Ji Wushang woke up from the bed and gently draped a garment over him, but it was this small gesture that woke him up. Ji Wushang apologized slightly, "Did I wake you?"
"It's alright." Nan Xuzong smiled, then put away the robe she had draped over him. "I have some things to attend to, so I can't accompany you to the General's Mansion. I thought about it last night and decided to have a maidservant protect you personally. Zhu'er won't do, and neither will Xian'er, but I have a very good candidate."
"Who is it?" He was always very thoughtful.
Nan Xuzong straightened himself up and then said, "Hongfei."
"Her?" Ji Wushang asked. "Hong Fei knows martial arts?"
Nan Xuzong gestured for her to wash up together, and then Hongfei came in while the two were having breakfast.
Ji Wushang looked Hong Fei up and down. She had seen Hong Fei before, but she hadn't sensed that Hong Fei had any martial arts skills! It seemed that she had misjudged him again!
Hongfei knelt down, "Greetings, Your Highness and Your Highness's Consort!"
"I command you to stay by the Crown Princess's side from now on and protect her at all times. There must be absolutely no mishaps!" Nan Xuzong solemnly ordered.
"Yes!" Hongfei replied.
"Get up!" Nan Xuzong waved for her to get up and serve Ji Wushang.
Ji Wushang looked at Hongfei and said, "I'm used to Zhu'er serving me, so you and Zhu'er can serve me together. As for Xian'er, she can help me manage the courtyard and do other things with Yue'er. That would be fine too."
“Yes!” Hongfei stood beside Ji Wushang.
Nan Xuzong enjoyed his meal.
Ji Wushang, Hongfei, and Zhu'er sat in the Marquis's carriage, and the carriage rumbled as it headed towards the General's Mansion.
Someone had already been sent to inform the General's Mansion beforehand, so when Ji Wushang returned to the General's Mansion, there were already quite a few maids and nannies waiting for him.
Ji Wushang stepped forward, "Granny Li, where is Father?"
Granny Li smiled and said, "Master is not at home; he went to court and hasn't returned yet!"
"Oh, it's so late, and he hasn't come back yet!" Ji Wushang sighed. But thinking about it, it's possible that he was kept behind by other ministers to discuss other matters, or to do other things.
Ji Wushang went inside and saw that Madam Qin was having people tidy up the courtyard in the main hall, while she was also calling out, "Hurry up and move the flower pots over there, yes, a little to the left! That way, Miss will like them!"
Hearing the last sentence, Ji Wushang was pleasantly surprised. He looked at the pot of flowers and saw that they were daisies, the daisies he liked! However, the daisies he liked were the ones blooming in a field, which were sweet, beautiful, and gently warm.
Ji Wushang stepped forward and called out to her, "Mother." Upon seeing her, he called out again.
Madam Qin turned around and looked at Ji Wushang, "It's Miss! Come quickly, come and sit in the hall."
Ji Wushang stepped forward, followed by his two maids, Zhu'er and Hongfei.
Once inside the hall and seated, Madam Qin immediately instructed a maid to brew and serve the finest Pu'er tea. Sitting opposite Ji Wushang, Madam Qin asked, "How are you? Are you doing well at the Marquis's residence? I heard that the Prince of Nan treats you quite well, is that true?"
Ji Wushang looked at her and nodded. "How about I go to your West Garden to have a chat?"
Madam Qin immediately agreed. She knew that Madam Qin must have something she wanted to tell her.
“However, I would like to visit Grandmother at Jingyuan first. I heard that Grandmother has caught a cold. What happened?” Ji Wushang asked Madam Qin with a question in mind.
"She probably didn't sleep well, and the maid on night watch wasn't paying attention, so Madam Yuan kicked off her blankets and caught a chill. I've already punished the maid and called a doctor. The doctor said she just needs to take some medicine slowly. There's no need to worry too much," Madam Qin said.
Ji Wushang nodded, hoping so.
"Then Mother, I'll go to Jingyuan first. You go ahead with your work, and I'll come back to find you later." Ji Wushang stood up.
"Alright, go ahead!" Madam Qin stood up and watched Ji Wushang leave.
Ji Wushang entered Jingyuan Garden. Jingyuan Garden was so quiet that only occasionally could one see some maids going about their work.
Granny Guo peered out and, sure enough, saw Ji Wushang enter. She immediately went up to her and greeted her, "Young Miss!"
Ji Wushang looked at Granny Guo and quickened his pace, "Granny."
"Yes," Granny Guo replied warmly, "Miss, the Old Madam has been thinking of you for a long time!"
Ji Wushang frowned slightly. "It's my fault. I can't come back often to see my grandmother and show her my respect."
“You can’t say that. It’s not easy for you in the Marquis’s mansion either… Anyway, come in quickly, it’s still a bit cold outside.” Granny Guo stepped forward to greet Ji Wushang and invited him to come in.
At this moment, Madam Yuan was sitting on the kang (a heated brick bed), holding a string of Buddhist prayer beads in her hand and muttering incantations. When she saw Ji Wushang enter with two maids and Granny Guo, she immediately perked up and stopped turning the prayer beads in her hand.
Ji Wushang quickly stepped forward, "Grandmother!"
"Oh, Wu Shang!" The matriarch looked at Ji Wu Shang and smiled brightly at her.
Ji Wushang secretly observed her expression, then stepped forward and took the old lady's wrist. "Grandmother, I heard you are not feeling well, so I brought some tonics to show my respect to you. I hope you recover soon."
"Hmm, this child is really thoughtful." The old lady glanced at Ji Wushang, then smiled at Granny Guo.
Granny Guo said, "Young Miss is so delightful! The Old Madam has been telling you all not to find out! But I never expected you to find out anyway!"
"Grandmother, why didn't you let me know you were ill? Even though I'm married out, I'm still a member of General Ji's household, aren't I? If anything happens in the future, you must have someone tell me!" Ji Wushang smiled bitterly, her face clearly saying, "You must treat me as one of your own, don't think of me as an outsider just because I'm married."
The matriarch nodded. "Alright, alright, alright! I was afraid of disturbing your life in the Marquis's mansion! I know that the Marquis's mansion is not like our General's mansion. The Marquis's mansion is very particular about rules, and there are many concubines and young ladies in the mansion. If something happens, it will be really difficult to handle." Having been through the struggles in the high-ranking families in her youth, how could she not know the hardships involved?
Ji Wushang understood what she meant and nodded, "Grandmother, don't worry, I will handle these matters."
"That's good!" The matriarch nodded. "You can have lunch here. I'll have the kitchen prepare some of your favorite dishes."
"Thank you, Grandmother. Anything you make will do, as long as it suits your taste." Ji Wushang secretly took her pulse and knew that there was nothing seriously wrong with her body. She just had some coldness entering her body, and acupuncture or herbal medicine could cure her. There was no need to worry too much.
Just then, Ji Wushang heard a commotion outside. Ji Wushang frowned slightly, "Zhu'er, see who is making such a racket outside, disturbing your grandmother's quiet cultivation. Have they grown too bold!"
"Yes." Zhu'er nodded and immediately went out to check.
Before Granny Guo could stop Zhu'er, she could only look at Ji Wushang and say with a smile, "It should be that the Fifth Miss has returned from school. She's probably here at Jingyuan to see the Old Madam right now!"
Fifth Miss? Ji Sisi! Ji Wushang's eyes changed slightly. He hadn't seen Ji Sisi in a long time. He wondered how she was doing. It turned out she had started school. It seemed his father liked Ji Sisi quite a bit.
This so-called after-school program meant that the General's Mansion would hire tutors to give Ji Sisi lessons in poetry, literature, etiquette, music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and so on. She could only leave school at a certain time and be free to do as she pleased.
Ji Wushang's eyes were deep as he smiled and said, "I haven't seen Fifth Sister in a long time. I must have a good time playing with her now."
"Isn't that right? You were already married when Sisi came back. Sigh. But that girl is quite mischievous. Wushang, just tease her a little, don't go too far." The old lady didn't forget to remind her, "You can go down first, and come back to have dinner together later."
"Yes." Ji Wushang nodded and walked out with Hongfei. At this moment, Zhu'er walked over in quick steps, "Miss, it's Fifth Miss!"
"Yes, I know." Ji Wushang said and immediately went downstairs. He saw Ji Sisi wielding a sword, and she had the air of a daughter of a military family.
"Fifth Sister," Ji Wushang called out to her.
Ji Sisi, with two pigtails in her hair, immediately sheathed her sword when she heard Ji Wushang calling from behind. She turned around and was taken aback when she saw Ji Wushang dressed as a wealthy young woman. Then, she tentatively called out, "Is it Big Sister?"
"Hmm." Ji Wushang stepped forward. "So, when did you come down the mountain again?"
Ji Sisi sheathed her longsword and then said, "In early spring, my master said that I had mastered the skill, so he let me go down the mountain to train on my own. He also told me to take good care of my father and grandmother."
“Indeed, we should take good care of them.” Ji Wushang smiled and then went forward to sit on a stone bench. “Fifth Sister, come and rest for a while. Let’s chat.”
Ji Sisi nodded, placed the longsword in the sword box held by the waiting maid, turned around and sat opposite Ji Wushang, her big eyes sparkling, "It's been so long since I've seen you, Big Sister! You've become so much more beautiful!"
"Is that so?" Ji Wushang smiled. "Fifth Sister is like the rising sun; she will become even more beautiful in the future."
"Really? Really?" Ji Sisi sounded very excited. "I'm prettier than you, big sister?"
"Yes." Ji Wushang nodded, looking at the contours of her face, knowing she would definitely grow up to be a great beauty. However, her eagerness to compare her beauty with his right now...
"Have you been playing around in Jingyuan these past few days?" Ji Wushang looked around. There were quite a few maids around, probably the playmates who had just been playing with Ji Sisi.
Ji Sisi nodded. "Yes, there's nowhere else for me to go. If Daddy sees me playing too much, he'll scold me, so I came here to play. Grandma won't scold me!" Ji Sisi's beautiful eyes sparkled.
Ji Wushang felt genuinely pleased as she looked at him like that. Aunt Xie had died by hitting her head against the wall, yet she remained unaffected and as lively and cheerful as ever, which was truly remarkable.
"Big sister, didn't we give you a boxing manual back then? Show me a set!" Ji Sisi asked Ji Wushang with her big eyes.
"How come you know how to box? To be honest, after receiving the boxing manual from you, I really wanted to practice it, since it's for self-defense. But my body isn't in good shape. I'm already out of breath after just one move, so I've been putting it off. Sigh, I'm really ashamed of myself as your older sister!" Ji Wushang sighed.
"Big sister, forget it then! There's nothing to be ashamed of, hehe!" Ji Sisi chuckled. "I'll show you a set of boxing techniques!"
"Hmm? Sure!" Ji Wushang nodded, also quite interested in seeing her boxing skills. She was only ten years old, but her tone of voice and actions made her seem very mature and thoughtful. Ji Wushang didn't know if this was due to her master's teaching or her own personal growth.
Ji Sisi smiled at Ji Wushang, then rolled up her sleeves and began to practice her boxing skills with great skill and speed. Ji Wushang sat on the stool, looking at her bright and dim eyes, and felt something different in his heart.
Ji Sisi turned around and then resumed her boxing practice.
Ji Wushang took out his silk handkerchief from his bosom. After Ji Sisi finished her boxing routine, Ji Wushang stepped forward and said, "Fifth Sister, wipe your sweat."
"Thank you, elder sister!" Ji Sisi smiled as she accepted the silk handkerchief handed to her by Ji Wushang, and then carefully wiped her face.
After Ji Sisi finished wiping, a maid came forward and said, "Miss, Fifth Miss, the old lady said that you should have a meal together. Please follow me to the hall to dine."
"Okay." Ji Wushang nodded, then looked at Ji Sisi. Ji Sisi smiled at Ji Wushang, and hearing that it was time to eat, she quickly said, "Big sister, I'll go sit down first! Father taught me that I must wait for you there, otherwise it's impolite!"