Ji Wushang turned his head to look at Ji Meiyuan, who was already playing with the Jade Linglong in her palm, as if she were showing it off.
"Thank you, Granny." Ji Wushang took the green snake jade bracelet from the plate and put it into his bosom.
Granny Guo returned to Madam Yuan's side with a smile.
Ji Wushang looked up and saw that the version of "The Fairy Couple" had progressed to the point where the Seventh Fairy was captured by the Heavenly Court, and Dong Yong was going to Heaven to find the Seventh Fairy.
Ji Dingbei returned from the southeast coast, still wearing his armor, and anxiously went back to his residence. Upon arrival, someone had already informed the matriarch of the family.
When Ji Wushang heard that Ji Dingbei had returned, he was overjoyed. But seeing that the performance of "The Fairy Couple" on the stage was still going on, he felt a little relieved. This must have changed history. He could no longer follow the original path in his life. Everything had changed!
She felt a little happy, and everyone was preparing to go to the front hall to welcome Ji Dingbei and give him a warm welcome.
Seeing that the performance of "The Fairy Couple" was not yet finished, the old lady said, "You actors, stop now! Perform one more show tonight to amuse the master. After the show, you can rest for the night and go out of the city tomorrow morning."
When the opera troupe manager heard what the old lady said, he nodded in agreement.
Those opera troupes usually performed at the mansions of large families, and it was common for them to stay for several days after their performances.
Seeing that the actors had stopped, Madam Yuan led her entire family to the front hall. Ji Dingbei was already there, listening to Steward Xue report on what had happened in the mansion while his mind wandered elsewhere. Since learning of Ji Wushang's actions in the mansion, Steward Xue had become more restrained. He tried his best to please Aunt Bai, while also avoiding provoking Ji Wushang. He was trying his best to remain neutral in his words.
Moreover, Steward Xue knew that whether it was true or false, Ji Dingbei would definitely ask one or two servants or maids in the mansion. Besides, everyone in the mansion, big and small, was on Ji Dingbei's side. After all, who else would a first-rank Zhenbei General side with if not him?
Aren't all those ladies, concubines, young ladies, and young masters just following Ji Dingbei's lead?
Before Ji Dingbei could finish listening, he heard several cheerful laughs and voices ahead, so he told Steward Xue to stop. Upon approaching, he saw the matriarch of the family, along with several concubines and young ladies.
Everyone looked at Ji Dingbei and immediately bowed to him, while Ji Dingbei bowed to the matriarch of the elder family.
Everyone was happy and sat together in the front hall. They then divided into two groups and sat at two tables to talk.
They chatted and laughed, and didn't mention to Ji Dingbei that Ji Meiyuan had fallen into the water and wanted to frame Ji Wushang. Ji Dingbei thought to himself that since the whole family was not talking about it, he would just turn a blind eye. Not talking about it already meant that they wanted to suppress such a shameful matter, after all, it was not something to be proud of.
Before long, Ji Tiankui, dressed smartly and dashingly, entered from outside. He was tall and imposing, and walked with the air of a great general, which pleased Ji Dingbei.
Ji Tiankui bowed to Ji Dingbei and the others before chatting and laughing with them.
"Father, I... my marriage is imminent." Ji Tiankui spoke of his marriage with a hint of embarrassment on his face. He had not yet met the Seventh Princess Mo Qiqi, whom he was to be betrothed to, but had only seen her in paintings. She was extremely beautiful and seemed to be a well-behaved and quiet person.
"Yes, now that you've started a family, you should take on even more responsibility!" Ji Dingbei nodded, looking at the grown-up and robust Ji Tiankui with great satisfaction.
"Yes." Ji Tiankui nodded.
“Now, only Wu Shang and Mei Yuan are missing. Si Si is still young, so there’s no rush.” Ji Dingbei turned around and looked at Ji Wu Shang and Ji Mei Yuan, who were talking to the matriarch of the elders, and nodded thoughtfully.
As Aunt Bai listened to Ji Dingbei's words, she said, "Master, people from the Marquis of Jinnan's residence came a few days ago."
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei was slightly taken aback. Steward Xue hadn't even mentioned this yet. He immediately asked, "What happened? Tell me."
Hearing their conversation and seeing Ji Dingbei's expression, Aunt Nangong immediately came over. Upon hearing that it was about the Marquis of Jinnan's residence, Aunt Bai said, "It was Aunt Zhao from the Marquis of Jinnan's residence who brought the Second Young Master Nan to visit. They didn't explicitly say which girl they liked, but brought some gifts and said they wanted to see the Old Madam."
Ji Dingbei listened and nodded. At first, Wu Shang still liked Nan Er Shao, but what about her feelings now? Ji Dingbei thought to himself, his gaze drifting towards Ji Wu Shang. Ji Wu Shang felt as if several eyes were looking at her, and immediately turned around, only to see Ji Dingbei's gaze.
After reading this, the matriarch patted Ji Wushang's hand and said, "Your father probably has something to tell you."
Ji Wushang looked on and nodded, "Then, Grandmother, I'll go sit over there for a while!"
"Okay. Go ahead!" The old lady had Granny Guo bring over some snacks, and Ji Meiyuan and Ji Yinxue then chatted and laughed with the old lady in a flattering manner.
When Ji Dingbei saw Ji Wushang coming over, he smiled and said, "Wushang, come and sit down."
When Aunt Bai saw Ji Wushang coming over, she was naturally a little unhappy, but seeing that Ji Dingbei was happy, she naturally put on a smiling face and said, "Come over here, let your aunt see if you've grown even more beautiful."
Hearing this, Ji Wushang felt disgusted. This Aunt Bai probably wished she could be ugly all her life! All she knows is how to play the role of a hypocrite, how to show off her virtue in front of her father!
However, Ji Wushang remained seated next to Ji Dingbei, while Ji Tiankui listened silently as they watched the conversation turn to Ji Wushang's marriage.
But before they could finish speaking, a servant rushed in from outside and knelt down before everyone, saying, "Master, Madam, Concubine, Miss, the Prince of Zhenbei has returned in triumph from the frontier!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Dingbei was overjoyed, for this Prince of Zhenbei, Beigong Cang, was his good comrade-in-arms and brother-in-arms!
However, Ji Wushang was shocked. If the Prince of Zhenbei had returned, would the Prince of Zhenbei's heir, Beigong Minhao, really ask his father for permission to marry her? It would be fine if it was just a joke, but it had happened several times already... Beigong Minhao didn't seem to be joking... Ji Wushang was lost in thought for a moment.
"Yue Shisi!" Ji Dingbei called out as he walked to the door. Yue Shisi immediately appeared, bowing respectfully, "Master!"
"Get the army organized, I'm going to lead the troops to welcome the Prince of Zhenbei!" Ji Dingbei said, barely able to contain his joy. His thick, sword-like eyebrows were slightly raised, giving him an air of great general's majesty.
"Yes!" Yue Shisi accepted the order and left.
The matriarch was also delighted and said, "In that case, sir, please go quickly!"
Ji Dingbei bowed and took his leave of the matriarch, abandoning the large group of concubines, young ladies, and young masters.
The matriarch spoke up, "When the Prince of Zhenbei returns from the frontier, the capital city will probably be in an uproar. You may all go out of the mansion to have some fun and pay homage to the Prince of Zhenbei."
Ji Tiankui was already excited. He had followed Ji Dingbei since childhood and was basically the same as Ji Dingbei in temperament. Having obtained the permission of the Old Madam, he immediately bid farewell to the Old Madam and his concubine and slipped out of the mansion. The concubine, of course, had no intention of paying homage to the Prince of Zhenbei, and they all left. The Old Madam was also helped back to Jingyuan by Granny Guo.
Ji Yinxue was about to leave, but when she turned around, she saw Ji Wushang still in a daze, so she gently touched Ji Wushang and asked, "Big sister, what's wrong?"
Ji Wushang turned his head to look at Ji Yinxue, still feeling a heavy weight in his heart, "It's nothing."
"Why don't you go out and take a look? It's the Mid-Autumn Festival today, it must be very lively!" Ji Yinxue blinked her big eyes.
"No, I'm a little confused. If you want to go see them, then go with them!" Ji Wushang shook his head and rubbed his temples.
Ji Yinxue pursed her lips. "Since my older sister is unhappy, I can't really go out and have fun either. I'll stay with you!"
"Why bother?" Ji Wushang looked at her. She must be thinking about Bei Gong Jueshi, the second son of the Prince of Zhenbei. Anyone with eyes could see that the two of them were in love, but they had never told their parents about it and broken the ice.
Ji Yinxue blushed slightly as she listened, and lowered her head without saying a word.
"I guess I'm afraid of you. Let me go to the courtyard to change my clothes, and you should dress up nicely too." Ji Wushang frowned. Ji Yinxue was sometimes very timid, yet she still wanted to go and see others.
Ji Yinxue looked up. "Really?" Her eyes couldn't believe what Ji Wushang was saying, because she knew that Ji Wushang rarely changed his mind.
"What do you think? My fourth sister is so eager to see her sweetheart, how can I stop her?" Ji Wushang teased, making Ji Yinxue blush. "Eldest sister, please don't make fun of me!"
☆、071 Pilgrimage to the City God Temple, See You Again
Ji Wushang made this joke only because no one was around. Otherwise, if word got out, Ji Yinxue's reputation would definitely be damaged. Not to mention marrying Beigong Jueshi, it would be problematic for her to marry any official's son or second son with status.
After arguing for a while, the two went to Jingyuan to tell the old lady about the situation and leave the mansion. The old lady, considering that today was the Mid-Autumn Festival, said that they could enjoy the lanterns in the evening, but they had to return to the mansion before Hai Shi (9 pm to 11 pm Beijing time). In order to ensure the safety of Ji Wushang and Ji Yinxue, the two each brought three iron guards.
After leaving the mansion, the two rode together in a sedan chair, and then had a carriage pulled towards the official road leading to the capital. Along the road, many people were craning their necks to watch, eager to see the Prince of Zhenbei lead his army into the city. Everyone held the Prince of Zhenbei in high esteem; it was the Prince of Zhenbei and General Ji Dingbei who had brought peace to the borderlands, persuaded the Western Regions to withdraw their troops and forge a peace treaty, and restored tranquility to the southeastern coast.
The triumphant return of the Prince of Zhenbei during the Mid-Autumn Festival adds even more to the festive atmosphere.
Knowing that Ji Yinxue was eager to see Beigong Jueshi, Ji Wushang had the carriage stop on the official road. Ji Wushang gently lifted the curtain and looked at the situation outside.
The people outside all stood on both sides of the official road. Whether they had just bought vegetables or had just been bargaining with vendors, they all stopped and stood in line, waiting for the army to enter the city.
At this moment, Ji Dingbei, dressed in armor, and Ji Tiankui, also wearing the Battle Armor, stood one after the other, leading dozens of elite soldiers of the Ji family army, standing majestically at the city gate. They greeted the Ma family army guarding the city and maintaining order, and then stood alongside them.
After Ji Dingbei met with Ma Rong, the leader of the Ma family army, he introduced Ji Tiankui to Ma Rong, while Ma Rong introduced his son Ma Rui to Ji Dingbei. All four were delighted and waited on their tall horses for the Prince of Zhenbei.
From the bustling crowd, Ji Wushang spotted the people from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion waiting on the side. The Zhenbei Princess and several princesses were waiting in a carriage, while Beigong Minhao and Beigong Jueshi were waiting on horseback.
At this moment, Bei Gongminhao's handsome face was completely devoid of his usual playful mood. His face was tense, and his sinister eyes were fixed on the city gate. Bei Gongjueshi, on the other hand, narrowed his unusual eyes slightly as he looked at the city gate, seemingly unconcerned about the surging crowd.
Ji Wushang turned his head to look at Ji Yinxue and saw that she was looking around. Yanran did not see Beigong Jueshi and the others, so he said, "Fourth sister, look over there." As he spoke, he pointed in the direction of Beigong Jueshi.
Ji Yinxue's eyes lit up immediately upon seeing them; even from afar, she was already quite content. Ji Wushang, of course, had no interest in seeing the people from the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion. He was merely there to keep Ji Yinxue company; his mind wasn't on them. He was more worried about whether Beigong Minhao, as he had said, would report to his father, the Zhenbei Prince, and come to the mansion to propose marriage…
Ji Yinxue only glanced at him for a short while, and just as she lowered her eyes, Bei Gong Jueshi turned his gaze towards her. He saw Ji Yinxue draw the curtain. Bei Gong Jueshi felt as if someone had gently tickled his heart, a tickle that went deep inside.
"Later, when Father returns to the manor, Mother will surely celebrate there. We can only inform Father of your private matters after we have finished admiring the moon and everything is settled. Jue Shi, do you understand?" Bei Gong Minhao did not forget to remind him at this time. After all, as the heir apparent, he naturally had to do the things of an older brother. It was good to remind and nag Bei Gong Jue Shi.
However, Bei Gong Jue Shi did not respond for a long time. Bei Gong Min Hao turned around and saw that Bei Gong Jue Shi was looking to the side. He immediately followed his gaze and saw that the carriage of General Ji's mansion was leaning against the roadside. Around the carriage, there were six spirited iron guards guarding it, as well as some maids and servants standing to the side.
Upon seeing the carriage, Bei Gongminhao knew it must belong to the young ladies. The fact that it had attracted Bei Gongjueshi meant it must be the fourth young lady, Ji Yinxue.
A sense of disappointment crept into his heart; it wasn't Ji Wushang! Bei Gong Minhao coughed a few times at Bei Gong Jueshi, who then snapped out of his daze and looked at him, "Brother, what's wrong?"
"Did you hear what I just said?" Beigong Minhao asked, pursing his lips.
Bei Gong Jue Shi lowered his head, "Say it again and you will hear me."
Bei Gongminhao shook his head helplessly and repeated what he had just said. Bei Gongjueshi then said, "And what about you? You know, if the eldest young lady doesn't marry, the fourth young lady..."
"Ahem, I know, how could I not want to?" Bei Gongminhao said calmly and seriously, his eyes drifting towards the direction of General Ji's carriage, not caring whether Ji Wushang was actually in the carriage or not, as if he could see Ji Wushang sitting in the carriage.
Bei Gong Jue Shi nodded. This matter needed to be discussed with the Prince of Zhenbei. Ji Wu Shang's status should perfectly meet her parents' requirements. The heir apparent of the prince valued marriages between equals, and as the heir apparent's wife, she would naturally need to be able to keep the prince's household in check. As for Ji Wu Shang, she was the eldest daughter of a great general. Although her status was not as high as that of a princess or a noblewoman, thanks to the relationship between the Prince of Zhenbei and General Ji, this marriage could be considered a sure thing.
However, judging from Ji Wushang, she didn't seem to have much of a reaction to Beigong Minhao... Beigong Jueshi looked at Beigong Minhao, "Have you asked for her opinion?" Of course, "she" refers to Ji Wushang, and in public, "she" is definitely used as a pronoun.
Bei Gongminhao was taken aback. Her reaction was to run away and avoid the situation. Bei Gongminhao gently shook his head, "I'm not sure, but I will try my best. I believe I can do it."
Bei Gong Jue Shi sighed inwardly and remained silent.
The two of them then looked ahead together.
Sure enough, shortly after, the Prince of Zhenbei led his army into the city. He was dressed in silver armor, riding a tall, powerful Akhal-Teke horse. The horse trotted with great strength. The Prince of Zhenbei had phoenix-like eyes, silkworm-like eyebrows, bright, clear eyes, a square mouth, and a full forehead. Sitting on his Akhal-Teke horse, he resembled a tiger. Looking into the distance, he saw people welcoming them in the imperial city. His usually stern face softened slightly as he looked at Ji Dingbei and Ma Rong, and a hint of joy appeared in his heart.
Seeing this, Ji Dingbei and the others immediately stepped forward to greet them with clasped hands. After exchanging greetings, they entered the imperial city together, receiving the love and support of the people.
At this moment, a man rode swiftly on a tall horse, holding aloft a bright yellow imperial edict. The Prince of Zhenbei, seeing this from a distance, immediately raised his hand to signal his troops to halt. When the man carrying the edict was still some distance from the Prince and his entourage, he dismounted, raised the edict, and proclaimed loudly, "The imperial edict has arrived!"
Everyone dismounted and knelt to receive the imperial decree, and the surrounding common people also knelt down. Only the young ladies in the carriage remained inside, refusing to dismount due to societal constraints, and kept the carriage curtain tightly closed.
Ji Wushang stayed in the carriage and listened to the man read aloud. He said that because the army was so large, it would be too much of a disturbance to the people in the capital. So he ordered the Prince of Zhenbei to lead the army to the drill ground twenty miles away to settle the army. The Prince of Zhenbei was to be invited to the palace to meet the emperor the next day.
Some are pleased, while others are dissatisfied. The emperor's considerations likely stem from his fear of the Prince of Zhenbei's growing power. After all, the Prince of Zhenbei commands an army of 600,000, which is not to be underestimated. If all of them were stationed in the capital, it would easily threaten the safety of the capital. The Ma family army only has 200,000 troops stationed in the capital. Although the emperor directly manages the Prince of Zhenbei's residence, he inevitably has to be wary of the powerful Prince of Zhenbei.
The Prince of Zhenbei raised his hand to signal the soldiers to be quiet, and took the imperial edict from the eunuch who was delivering the edict, indicating that he was obedient to the emperor's will.
He had his reasons for doing so; after all, this was still the domain of the Huangfu family, not the domain of the Beigong family! Seeing that everything was going smoothly, the eunuch delivering the decree rode away.
Bei Gong Minhao and Bei Gong Jueshi exchanged a glance. Each had their own thoughts, but they went up to their father almost simultaneously and knelt down, bowing, "Congratulations on your triumphant return, Father! Congratulations on your triumphant return, Father!"
The Prince of Zhenbei looked at his two sons, and then his gaze fell on Beigong Jueshi. Seeing that he had returned from Wuxia Mountain, he knew that he had made progress in his studies. As for Beigong Minhao, he was quite satisfied. Although this son might be mischievous on ordinary days, he never disappointed him when he needed to be serious and ruthless!
"Get up, all of you," said the Prince of Zhenbei, then stepped forward and patted them on the shoulders. "From now on, I'll be relying on you!"
Upon hearing this, both Bei Gongminhao and the other felt a pang of sadness. The Prince of Zhenbei was currently in his prime, full of vigor and ambition, at the height of his life. How could he say such a thing? It carried a sense of melancholy.
"What are you standing there for? Let's go back to the manor!" The Prince of Zhenbei said in a deep voice when he saw that the two of them were silent.
"Yes!" the two replied in unison, bowing with their hands clasped.
Ji Wushang gently lifted the curtain and saw Ji Dingbei, Ji Tiankui, and the father and sons Ma Rong and Ma Rui following behind the army, retreating out of the city with the Prince of Zhenbei and others. Meanwhile, Beigong Minhao and Beigong Jueshi were escorting the Princess of Zhenbei and several princesses back to their residence.
Suddenly, Bei Gong Jue Shi turned around and saw Ji Wu Shang looking up, while Ji Yin Xue lifted the curtain to look.