"I wasn't busy." Ji Yinxue looked up at her, but there was a hint of resentment, and also a clear anger, but she hid it very well.
Seeing that Ji Yinxue clearly didn't even glance at the second young master, the old lady was slightly disappointed, but could only say a few words.
Ji Yinxue chimed in with half-hearted remarks, while Ji Wushang just laughed it off, and time passed quickly.
Seeing that the sky was almost dark, and knowing that Bei Juefeng and Bei Luojun were both perceptive people, the matriarch naturally took her leave.
Ji Wushang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that the two of them had been seen off by Granny Guo. He and Ji Yinxue then bid farewell to Madam Yuan and walked back together.
Seeing that no one was around, Ji Wushang pulled Ji Yinxue to a pavilion before saying to her, "Fourth Sister, did you just know that Grandmother was thinking of betrothing you to Second Cousin Bei?" Had he finally softened his heart? He was still thinking of asking about her affairs, helping her, and worrying about her. Was he not ruthless enough?
“Yes, but I can’t.” Ji Yinxue turned to look at Ji Wushang. “Big sister, you said you would help me.”
"I'll help you. I'll talk to Grandmother, I'll talk to... but, how should I say it!" Ji Wushang didn't know what to say for a moment. Did she really have to say that she and Beigong Jueshi were in love? It should be the man who came to propose marriage, not her, an older sister who was also unmarried, who had to talk to Grandmother!
Seeing that she stopped halfway through her sentence, Ji Yinxue couldn't help but sigh, "I knew it, sigh!"
"Fourth Sister, there must be a way. Doesn't your attitude show it now? You haven't even glanced at Second Cousin Bei, which means you don't like him. Grandmother shouldn't force you."
"But, elder sister, you don't know, I am a concubine's daughter, and my fate is different from yours. There are some things that I cannot decide. You must help me!" Ji Yinxue said, almost crying, but then she seemed to make a decision. Looking at Ji Wushang, she said firmly, "I only love Beigong Jueshi in this life. If I marry someone else, I would rather die!" After saying that, she gave a bitter laugh.
Ji Wushang was startled. Was she determined to follow Beigong Jueshi? But neither of them had indicated whether they wanted to marry her… “Did he really say he wanted to marry you?” Ji Wushang asked cautiously.
Ji Yinxue nodded, then shook her head, but her eyes were already brimming with tears. "I...I don't know why he hasn't come yet. If it's because of...because of Mother's matter, I...I have nothing to say..."
Ji Wushang's heart sank upon hearing this. Was he going to bring up his mother?
"Big sister, help me!" Unexpectedly, Ji Yinxue knelt down in front of Ji Wushang. If there were other people around, their maids would have been standing there watching, and someone might have thought that she was bullying her, a concubine's daughter!
"Get up, how can I help you?" Ji Wushang tried to pull her up but she wouldn't get up, so he had no choice but to ask.
"Marry my second cousin from the north."
Upon hearing this, Ji Wushang felt as if he had been struck by lightning! He immediately sat down on the stool next to him, saying, "You, what did you say?"
Ji Yinxue knew she had been hurt, but she said, "Big sister, to be honest, there's absolutely no way it's possible for you and Prince Nan to be together!"
"Stop talking!" Ji Wushang roared sharply.
Ji Yinxue was taken aback, wiped away her tears, and stood up from the ground. "You know very well in your heart that Prince Nan can't give you happiness at all. Big sister, aren't you afraid of being laughed at?"
Ji Wushang's face was slightly pale as she looked at Ji Yinxue, "Don't say anything more. I... I never thought about marrying him."
Ji Yinxue listened, paused for a few seconds, and then said, "Then, then eldest sister can marry second cousin Bei!"
"Impossible!" Ji Wushang stood up immediately. "I... I won't marry him either!" What did Ji Yinxue mean? Was she willing to ruin her own happiness for her sake? Indeed, it was unlikely that the Prince of Nan would be a good match for her, and she didn't know who she would entrust her future to. But, did she think she could just push her away like that? Did she think she should shield her from everything? Didn't she think that she had tried to ruin her reputation in the Buddhist temple and now wanted her to help her?
"Big sister, please!" Ji Yinxue knelt down before Ji Wushang again. "I know you resent me, but I really didn't mean it. For the sake of our sisterly bond, please help me. No, if you can help me cancel this marriage and let me marry Beigong Jueshi smoothly, I will definitely repay you with gratitude!"
"Get up first." Ji Wushang looked at her and said, "Grandmother never said you should marry your second cousin from the north. Why are you thinking so much? Your important thing is to see what Wang Cizi thinks, not what Grandmother thinks. If you can get there first, or let Wang Cizi get there first, then you can marry him. Why would you sacrifice my happiness? Two people who don't love each other will never be happy together!"
Ji Yinxue felt a little ashamed after hearing what she said. She lowered her head and stopped talking. She stood up silently, and after a long while, just as Ji Wushang was about to leave, she suddenly said to Ji Wushang's back, "Are you telling the truth? Second Cousin Bei really won't want me to marry him, will he?"
"Hmm." Ji Wushang said irritably. Maybe that second cousin from the North wasn't interested in her at all, so why was she in such a hurry? Why was she forcing herself to be in such a hurry!
"How can I tell the second son of the King about this..." Ji Yinxue said shyly, looking down.
"How would I know?" Ji Wushang rolled her eyes at her. "Alright, alright." She looked like she was about to cry again. Ji Wushang said, "Aunt Bai's medicine is probably almost used up. I just went to the clinic. I can talk to Aunt Xie tomorrow and we can go buy medicine together. You can see if you can run into him! Ask him what he thinks. Sigh, tonight, you can use a carrier pigeon to arrange a meeting place."
"Really? Really? I'm so happy!" Ji Yinxue said with wide eyes, not forgetting to wipe away her tears.
Ji Wushang was at a loss for words. This woman was capable of destroying someone else's happiness for her own; she was undeniably selfish. However, her tears and sorrow were her most potent weapons. He could only proceed with extreme caution. For the sake of their years of friendship, he would help her this once. If she remained unrepentant, then he would take everything back!
Ji Wushang said a few words, then left with Yue'er and a few other maids who were standing at a distance.
Ji Yinxue watched her departing figure, a slight smile playing on her lips, seemingly a hint of amusement, or perhaps, irony.
Ji Wushang returned to her Xinyuan Garden. Yue'er couldn't help but come up to her and said, "Miss, just now it seemed like you and the Fourth Miss were arguing. The Fourth Miss was crying and kneeling."
"It's nothing, don't ask any more questions." Crying and making a scene—isn't that part of her strength? Ji Wushang smiled inwardly and said, "I'm tired, I'll rest for a bit."
"Yes." Yue'er listened and didn't ask any more questions.
Ji Wushang returned to the room and saw the gold and jade brocade displayed there. He picked it up and examined it; it was indeed a superior material. After thinking for a moment, he had someone take it to Granny Fang so she could make a dress. He would use the remaining material to embroider a few purses.
Just as she sat down under the lamp to sew a purse, Zhu'er came in and said, "Miss, Aunt Xie is here. She says she has something to ask you."
It was expected that she would come to see him; otherwise, he wouldn't have agreed to Ji Yinxue's request to go outside and get some medicine for Aunt Bai tomorrow. Ji Wushang looked up and said, "Please invite her in!"
"yes."
Before long, Zhu'er led a beautiful woman over. The woman was wearing a light yellow embroidered horse-face skirt, a long robe with phoenix and butterfly patterns, and her hair was styled in a peony updo. She looked incredibly elegant and gave off a striking impression.
Ji Wushang looked at her and thought, "Is this what Aunt Xie really looks like? When she was following her grandmother, she dressed and ate very simply. Now that she's the mistress of the house, she's changed. It's really dazzling."
Ji Wushang smiled and bowed, then said, "Auntie has arrived, please sit down."
"Yes, I just came to see you. I heard you went to the Old Madam's Jingyuan Garden. I wonder what it was for?" Aunt Xie didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point.
“Two of my cousins came, so I went to visit them. I haven’t been back to the Right Prime Minister’s residence to see my maternal grandparents for days, and I’ve been missing them. My two cousins were free, so they came to Jingyuan to visit Grandmother!” Ji Wushang gave a brief account, and Aunt Xie nodded in agreement. Then she took Ji Wushang’s hand and smiled, “I came because of things at home. Didn’t the Old Madam say that she wanted me to manage the backyard with you? I really don’t know much about it, so please help your aunt.” She sounded very affectionate.
Ji Wushang smiled, seeing her so affectionate towards him, he knew she was trying to win him over. He wasn't planning on turning against her now; he'd see how she behaved later. If she went against him, he'd skin her alive. Ji Wushang laughed, "What are you talking about helping, Aunt? I don't know much about it myself; I just want to learn from you! As for managing things, we'll have to take it slowly. I'm just a nobody; how can I possibly help you, Aunt? Please, just ask."
"That's wonderful." Aunt Xie looked at Ji Wushang with a smile on her face.
Seeing that she was staring at him so intently, Ji Wushang brought up tomorrow's matters directly. "Auntie, it's like this. I know that there's a lot of work to do in the backyard. I just passed by the clinic and heard that there aren't any good medicines. How about this, tomorrow I'll go outside and get a few doses of medicine. I'll also see if there are any good shops. People often get sick, so we need to be prepared for it long-term."
"You're right," Aunt Xie nodded. "It's really not good that the General's Mansion doesn't have anyone decent. You should go tomorrow. Be careful on the road. Should you take a few guards with you?"
"Well, I'll have Tie Feng take a few guards and a few maids. That should be fine, right?" Ji Wushang was also worried about what might happen, so he was naturally cautious. "Auntie, I also want Fourth Sister to come along. She's been looking so worried these past few days, probably because of Aunt Nangong's matter. Taking her out for some fun during this time would be a good idea."
"Alright." Aunt Xie couldn't wait to get rid of Ji Yinxue. Now that everyone else had been dismissed, wasn't this her domain again? Although managing the Marquis's harem wasn't as easy as she had imagined, she was determined to manage it herself and earn the respect of the Old Madam Yuan! She knew Ji Yinxue wasn't someone easy to serve, so sending her away early was one solution, and ideally, she could marry off all the young ladies who were about to come of age immediately!
Ji Wushang looked at her and saw that she was deep in thought, so he knew that she must be thinking of something. However, he did not expose her, but smiled and saw her out.
Having settled things, Ji Wushang naturally thought about how to get Ji Yinxue and Beigong Jueshi to have a chat tomorrow. After thinking for a while, he asked Yue'er to go to Lan Garden and tell Ji Yinxue to prepare herself.
Ji Yinxue was overjoyed upon hearing the news and immediately rewarded Yue'er with a purse. However, after Yue'er left, she was in a dilemma. How could she possibly make an appointment with Beigong Jueshi? Should she ask for a pigeon? But she didn't have any pigeons herself, so she decided to ask the pigeons kept in the manor.
After finally getting the pigeon back, Ji Yinxue wrote the message on a piece of paper, tied it to the pigeon's leg, and tossed it into the sky, hoping it would carry her message to the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion.
Inside the grand and imposing mansion, a tall man dressed in magnificent clothes paced back and forth anxiously, waiting.
☆、096 A Bizarre Letter
Finally, someone pushed open the door and came in. Bei Gongminhao saw it was the maid carrying a bowl of lotus seed soup. Before she could speak, Bei Gongminhao impatiently waved his hand, "Get out!"
The door closed, and Bei Gongminhao looked at the night sky, muttering to himself, "Why aren't they here yet? Did something happen on the way? Father is going out with the troops again, and the Crown Prince is being restless, humph!"
The door creaked open again, and Bei Gongminhao angrily said, "I said no, so what?"
"Brother." Bei Gong Jue Shi, looking travel-worn, saw him and Bei Gong Min Hao immediately stepped forward. "How are you?"
“The plan is in place. With just one order, we can wipe out the Crown Prince and his men! Brother, what are you planning to do?” Bei Gong Jue Shi frowned and walked to the side to take a sip of tea.
"The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind! Prince Nan is not one to give up easily; we'll wait for his move!" Bei Gongminhao's lips curled into a slight smile.
"Him?" A hint of regret flashed across Bei Gong Jue Shi's face. "Isn't he your good friend?"
Bei Gongminhao remained silent, simply sitting back down at his desk. "If he can remain calm, then I can remain calm. If he can't, I'll move the plan forward! Don't you know enough about the massacre eighteen years ago?"
"Don't mention it again!" Bei Gong Jue Shi said, looking displeased.
“Your heart should be aching more than mine, and your hatred should be deeper than mine!” Bei Gong Minhao said coldly, turning his head to glance at Bei Gong Jueshi.
"I told you to stop talking!" Bei Gong Jue Shi looked at him, his eyes, those red heterochromatic pupils, turned even more blood-red, and his hands clenched into fists, as if he was about to explode!
At that moment, the two sensed something flying by, and immediately, Bei Gong Jue Shi struck out with his palm! The pigeon didn't even have time to cry out before it died and fell to the ground, without even bleeding, but its internal organs were shattered.
Bei Gongminhao looked somewhat surprised, realizing he shouldn't have provoked him, and sighed, "Jue Shi, are you alright?"
Bei Gong Jue Shi remained silent, stepped forward, picked up the limp pigeon, examined it briefly, then pulled a slip of paper from its leg and opened it. It read:
See you at the September Pavilion tomorrow at noon. Snow, stay.
As Bei Gong Jue Shi looked at the somewhat familiar handwriting, his murderous aura slowly subsided. Looking at the paper, his hands trembled slightly. This... this was a letter from her? And this carrier pigeon... Bei Gong Jue Shi looked at the carrier pigeon that he had killed with a single palm strike, feeling extremely guilty.
"What's wrong?" Beigong Minhao saw him standing there without saying a word, staring blankly at the paper, so he went over to him.
"I'm going out tomorrow," Bei Gong Jue Shi said. "You'd better think this through!" With that, he crumpled the note and placed it in his palm.
"Where to?" Bei Gongminhao looked at him, wondering if something was written on that piece of paper. "What's written on the paper?"
"She wrote it." Bei Gong Jue Shi felt a slight surge of joy, and before Bei Gong Min Hao could speak, she had already vanished. Bei Gong Min Hao watched her leave faster than anyone else and couldn't help but shake his head. Did she really trust her own feelings that much? He had never seen her change her mind so quickly! Perhaps only the Fourth Miss could do that.
Beigong Minhao shook his head helplessly and left.
Looking at the dead pigeon in his left hand, Bei Gong Jue Shi felt sorrowful. That very night, he dug a pit in his garden. The servants who watched him do this were all astonished. What was this cursed lone star planning to do? But they didn't dare to say anything and could only watch in fear.
Ignoring the astonished looks of the crowd, Bei Gong Jueshi buried the pigeon to his satisfaction, stood up, and looked at the servant standing to the side with his heterochromatic eyes, "Go and find me a pigeon, immediately!"
"Yes!" The servants immediately went to do it.
"We need pigeons exactly the same as the ones from before," Bei Gong Jue Shi said softly before the group had even left the garden.
Everyone was terrified. How could they have noticed what kind of pigeon it was? Just seeing him bury that pigeon was enough to scare them half to death, and he still made this request?
Bei Gong Jue Shi glanced coldly at the stunned servants, and snorted, "If I haven't seen an identical pigeon delivered to my room by 9 PM, you can all go and receive your punishment." With that, he returned to his own courtyard.
Those people looked at each other, wishing they could dig up the buried pigeon again to see what it looked like!
Fortunately, although he couldn't find an exact replica of the carrier pigeon, Bei Gong Jue Shi happily accepted it. His mind wasn't on ordering the servants, but rather on the paper. The handwriting was so beautiful that it warmed Bei Gong Jue Shi's heart.
A peaceful night passed, and a gentle breeze filled the city.
As the morning sun began to shine into the imperial city, a new day had already begun. Ji Wushang was still in his Xinyuan Garden when Zhu'er came in to report that Ji Yinxue had already arrived at the room.
Judging from this, it was clear she was anxious. Ji Wushang shook his head helplessly. He had already told her he wouldn't marry her off so soon, but she just wouldn't listen! After tidying up, Ji Wushang had breakfast with Ji Yinxue before going out.
Sitting in the carriage, Ji Wushang saw the excitement and slight anxiety on her face and said, "Don't be so nervous."
"Um."
"When did you make the appointment?" Ji Wushang asked, no longer bothering to question her as she still showed no signs of relaxing.
"Noon at three-quarters past noon," Ji Yinxue said after thinking for a moment.
"What?" Ji Wushang looked at her, speechless. It was already past noon! Oh well, he'd just have to put up with it! He'd just go buy the medicine and discuss the shop issues first!
"Isn't it too early?" Ji Yinxue turned her head and looked at her, her eyes almost innocent.
Ji Wushang wanted to crack open her head to see what its structure was like! "It's nothing, it's fine." Ji Wushang didn't want to talk to her, so he remained silent.
It was early in the morning, and there weren't many people on the street. Ji Wushang lifted the curtain and looked at the street, which was rather deserted. He saw Tie Feng and several guards walking beside him.