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Глава 17

"Let's...get married..."

Shock and bewilderment gradually turned into joy. Whether it was genuine or feigned, it no longer mattered. He reached out, embraced her, and responded with a smile, "Mmm."

...

He awoke early the next morning in his tent, slightly disoriented from the alcohol. He recalled her words, his heart filled with a bittersweet mix of sweetness and sorrow. He was momentarily annoyed at his own drinking, which had clouded his judgment, and he couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality…

Just as he was worrying, a group of maids lifted the curtain and entered, standing on both sides of the tent. Yu Chi Mingyue walked in with a flushed face, but did not step forward, instead standing to one side with her head down.

A burst of hearty laughter rang out, and the Prince of Nanling strode in. Mei Ziqi followed behind him, her laughter carrying a profound meaning.

Seeing that the Prince of Nanling had walked to the bedside, Di Xiu quickly sat up.

"Hey, you're injured, why are you getting up?" The Prince of Nanling gently pressed his shoulder and said with a smile.

Di Xiu felt flattered and couldn't help but look up at Mei Ziqi.

Mei Ziqi smiled and nodded.

Di Xiu was even more confused, but then he heard the Prince of Nanling say, "Mr. Mei, can you cure his illness?"

Mei Ziqi immediately clasped his hands in a fist salute and said, "Your Highness, rest assured, Chief Steward Di will recover his mind soon."

"Haha, that's good." The Prince of Nanling patted Di Xiu on the shoulder again and said, "If you can't achieve great things, wouldn't it be a waste for my Yue'er?"

He smiled at Di Xiu and said, "Also, the position of steward of Yuchi Manor is not good. I will send someone to ask Yuchi Siguang for you, and then this matter will be more appropriate."

"We also need to cancel his engagement with Miss Yuchi," Mei Ziqi reminded him with a smile.

“Of course.” The King of Nanling nodded and said to Di Xiu, “I left in a hurry and did not bring anything of value. However, the spirited horse you subdued yesterday is a rare and fine steed. I will give it to you as a gift.”

After saying this, the Prince of Nanling turned to his servants and said, "By my decree, the 'Spring Mountain Hunt' is to be stopped today. Dismiss everyone else and return to your residence!"

Everyone agreed.

The King of Nanling smiled and led his entourage out of the tent in a flurry.

Di Xiu sat blankly on the bed, his face full of bewilderment.

At this moment, Yu Chi Mingyue walked to his side, a little shy, and said, "You...you should rest a little longer. I'll come find you when we set off."

After she finished speaking, she lowered her head and walked out of the tent.

Only Di Xiu and Mei Ziqi remained in the tent.

Mei Ziqi smiled happily and bowed to Di Xiu, saying, "Congratulations."

Di Xiu frowned slightly and said, "How could this be..."

"Hehe, isn't it good that lovers can finally be together?" Mei Ziqi laughed.

Di Xiu looked up at him and asked, "Would you marry your granddaughter to a penniless idiot?"

“Of course not.” Mei Ziqi answered without hesitation. He paused slightly, then smiled and said, “But if this fool is handsome and skilled in both literature and martial arts, and recovers soon, then that’s another story.”

Di Xiu frowned and said coldly, "This is outrageous."

Mei Ziqi smiled and shook her head, then said, "What if your most beloved granddaughter begged you all night?"

Upon hearing this, Di Xiu frowned and remained silent.

Mei Ziqi said, "I watched Mingyue grow up since she was a child. Although she was spoiled, she is not a willful or reckless person. She would never have given her life away so easily without true love." He smiled at Di Xiu, "Although you never hoped for it, isn't this result good?"

Di Xiu remained silent for a moment, a look of fear gradually appearing on his face. His hands clenched into fists, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.

"Sir...that night I opened the 'Suppressing Pot' and saw the 'Heavenly Fox'..." Di Xiu suddenly spoke up, talking about something completely unrelated.

Mei Ziqi, unaware of what was going on, listened attentively.

“That fox is extremely powerful and no ordinary person can harm it… Perhaps it was just playing a trick, it asked me what I wanted…” Di Xiu’s eyes gradually became distant.

"What do you want?" Mei Ziqi asked, frowning.

Di Xiu closed his eyes, his voice tinged with regret and remorse, and said softly:

"I want to have the fourth young lady of the Yuchi family."

Chapter Twenty

"I want to have the fourth young lady of the Yuchi family."

Upon hearing this, Mei Ziqi laughed, "It seems that the fox is quite capable."

Before Di Xiu could speak, Mei Ziqi interjected, "...Ah Xiu, how come you look down on our Mei Valley just like Xiao Si?" As he spoke, he reached out and pinched Di Xiu's cheek again, laughing, "The fox's curse only harmed you."

Di Xiu gently pushed his hand away, shook her head, and said, "Sir, you don't understand..."

Mei Ziqi laughed and said, "If I don't understand, who else does? In short, you have her in your heart, she has you in her heart, she wants to marry you now, and her parents have given their approval. Such a wonderful thing, sir, I advise you not to belittle yourself and create trouble for yourself."

After saying that, he let out a long sigh, "Sir, I also need to go back and pack my things. Hehe, I'm going to be very busy from now on."

Seeing Mei Ziqi leave, Di Xiufu felt a pang of melancholy again. He remained silent for a long time, finally letting out a soft sigh before falling silent once more.

...

After leaving the mountains and heading south, it took less than three days to reach the Prince of Nanling's residence.

Everyone in the Prince's mansion had already received news of the Prince's return with Yuchi Mingyue, and also learned that the "Spring Mountain Hunt" had ended early because the Prince had chosen a husband for his granddaughter. Immediately, everyone was in high spirits and waited at the gates of the Prince's mansion.

Around noon, a large procession of carriages and horses came from afar.

Back at the Prince's residence, Yu Chi Mingyue was overjoyed. Before the carriage had even come to a complete stop, she hurriedly got out. Ignoring the help of the maids and nannies, she jumped down from the carriage on her own.

Upon seeing her, everyone bowed and greeted her, "Miss Mingyue."

Yu Chi Mingyue simply responded with a faint sound, then turned and ran to Di Xiu's carriage. After the servants helped him down from the carriage, she reached out to support him and walked into the mansion with a smile.

Seeing this, everyone understood. However, they didn't know how to address Di Xiu, so they simply addressed him as "Young Master."

Di Xiu lowered her eyelashes slightly and silently followed Yu Chi Mingyue into the mansion.

Just then, Yu Chi Mingyue spoke, her voice sweet with a smile, "Mother!"

Di Xiu looked up and saw a woman leading three or five maids slowly approaching. The woman was no more than thirty years old, with a beautiful face and graceful figure. Her bright eyes were like autumn water, and her lips were like a touch of rouge. Her appearance and expression bore some resemblance to Yu Chi Mingyue. However, there was a hidden heroic spirit between her brows, and her temperament and bearing were far superior to those of Yu Chi Mingyue.

This person is none other than the daughter of the Prince of Nanling, "Princess Qingyun", Ming Shuangchen.

Ming Shuangchen smiled calmly and said, "Ming Yue, come here."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue released Di Xiu's hand, ran a few steps to Ming Shuangchen's side, and called out sweetly, "Mother."

Ming Shuangchen smiled and took her hand, looking her over carefully before saying, "You've lost weight... Mother has prepared a feast, all your favorite dishes."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue gently moved closer to Ming Shuangchen's embrace, smiling innocently.

Ming Shuangchen smiled, then looked up and glanced at Di Xiu.

Di Xiu felt a sense of unease. Her eyes clearly held suspicion and a hint of hostility. He lowered his head, avoiding her gaze, and remained silent.

At this moment, Yu Chi Mingyue ran to his side again, took his hand, and said with a smile, "Let's go..."

Before she could finish speaking, Ming Shuangchen interrupted, "Mingyue, today is a family banquet. This young master is injured, so let him rest first."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue frowned, seemingly displeased. However, she ultimately obeyed her mother's wishes and reluctantly left his side.

...

The banquet was held in the garden of the Prince's mansion. It was March, and spring was in full bloom. Flowers were in full bloom, and the garden was a riot of colors, accompanied by butterflies and birdsong, making it a truly enchanting place.

When Yu Chi Mingyue took her seat, she saw the dishes on the table and smiled brightly.

Braised bamboo shoots with shiitake mushrooms, Longjing shrimp, diced chicken with peach kernels, dried scallops with osmanthus, drunken fish with Shaoxing wine...

Remembering how he had recited the names of each dish, her heart warmed with happiness. She had never imagined that, besides her family, there would be someone who would cherish her so carefully. And that person would soon become her husband…

Thinking of this, a slight blush rose to Yu Chi Mingyue's face, and a shy expression appeared in her eyes.

Upon seeing this, Ming Shuangchen frowned slightly and said to Yu Chi Mingyue, "Mingyue, I do not agree to your marriage."

Upon hearing this, Yu Chi Mingyue was startled and looked up to ask, "Why?"

Ming Shuangchen's voice was slightly cold as she said, "If my information is correct, he is the steward of Yuchi Manor and your father's confidant."

"So what?" Yu Chi Mingyue frowned, her displeasure evident.

“He is also engaged to your second sister,” Ming Shuangchen added.

Yu Chi Mingyue immediately retorted, "That was my father's idea; he didn't want it to happen."

"He's unwilling?" Ming Shuangchen shook her head. "If he's unwilling, why doesn't he object?"

“He…” Yu Chi Mingyue couldn’t answer.

Ming Shuangchen said, "For him, marriage is nothing more than a transaction. Whether it's due to circumstances, self-preservation, or something else, it just shows that true love is not as important as his own life. You can't marry a man like that."

Yu Chi Mingyue was both anxious and angry, yet she didn't know how to refute him. She could only turn to look at the Prince of Nanling and call out plaintively, "Grandpa..."

Seeing this, the Prince of Nanling smiled and said, "Shuangchen, don't say that. That Chief Steward Di is excellent in both appearance and martial arts, and it seems that he is truly sincere towards Mingyue these past few days. I think this marriage is quite suitable."

“Father, Mingyue is still young and doesn’t know any better. Why are you joining in her nonsense?” Ming Shuangchen said coldly.

The Prince of Nanling immediately fell silent, looking helplessly at Yuchi Mingyue.

Ming Shuangchen sighed softly and said, "Mingyue, if he truly loves you, you should definitely not marry him."

"Why?" Yu Chi Mingyue stood up, also extremely dissatisfied.

"To have you in your heart yet still marry another woman, how cowardly and despicable." Ming Shuangchen said with a contemptuous expression, "In short, I will not agree to this marriage."

Upon hearing these words, Yu Chi Mingyue retorted indignantly, "He's not that kind of person!"

"Then what kind of person is he?" Ming Shuangchen asked in return.

Yu Chi Mingyue couldn't answer.

"This is utter nonsense!" Ming Shuangchen frowned and rebuked, "I heard that his mind is sealed, and he acts like a child. If what you love now is his idiocy, you are not only humiliating him, but also humiliating yourself! You don't even know what he's really like, yet you dare to talk about true love!"

Yu Chi Mingyue was horrified and speechless. His true self? That despicable, shameless, ruthless, two-faced… “Chief Steward Di”? She had witnessed his gloomy coldness and his unscrupulous methods firsthand. She despised his actions and scorned his character, yet now, she had forgotten and forgiven them all. She had never considered what would happen after his recovery. If he returned to being “Chief Steward Di,” would she still be the same…?

Fear and trepidation arose in her heart. She frowned, bit her lip, and looked on the verge of tears.

Seeing this, the Prince of Nanling frowned and advised, "Shuangchen, that's enough."

Seeing her daughter's reaction, Ming Shuangchen calmed down and said softly, "Mingyue, think it over carefully."