20demayo Could it be that their affair was exposed in Chapter 10?
Could it be that their affair was exposed in Chapter 10?
Jiang Wan stared at him in surprise, but the man had already picked up his cup and started drinking tea.
Jiang Xun pondered his words carefully and found them to be quite reasonable.
After a moment, he stroked his beard and said, "Very well, since we are the ones who arranged the marriage first, we need to be even more thorough in our etiquette. It's rare to see you being so generous, so let's wait until Li'er gets married before discussing your marriage with Wan'er."
Jiang Xun then asked, "Wan'er, what's your opinion?"
Jiang Mian's face flushed red and then turned pale, and she stammered, unable to speak.
Jiang Li jokingly said, "Father, please stop asking. Look at Second Sister, she's so shy she can't even speak."
Xiao Hengzhi smiled at her and thoughtfully placed a red date in her bowl.
They looked so smug; anyone who didn't know better would really think the two of them were very close.
Jiang Mian glared at him, put the red date back into his bowl, and then stomped hard on his instep.
Xiao Hengzhi remained calm and unmoved.
He turned to look at her and said in a low voice, "Your foot isn't injured. Miss, pinching my leg would be more satisfying."
"ill."
Jiang Mian rolled her eyes at him, thinking to herself, "A madman is a madman; he's already showing signs of it."
She ate the meal with extreme discomfort, her temper flaring.
After leaving the inner hall, he quickly caught up with Xiao Hengzhi and stopped him.
"Xiao Hengzhi! Why don't you do as I say? Why don't you take the opportunity to refuse this marriage proposal?"
Xiao Hengzhi looked troubled and said, "Second Miss, how could I dare to contradict Uncle Jiang in front of everyone? I have already done my best to postpone the wedding date."
He really did his best; postponing the wedding was the biggest concession he could make.
Jiang Mian was so angry that she couldn't speak for a moment.
Well, Xiao Hengzhi is both cowardly and weak at this moment, what can we expect from him?
You still have to speak up yourself.
Jiang Mian turned and walked towards the main hall, where she saw Jiang Xun resting and drinking tea.
Just as she was about to enter the house, she heard a voice from inside: "Send someone to Mingxi Mountain another day to tidy up that house. After Wan'er gets married, if she wants to move out, she can go there. Her mother once said that if she wanted to marry into an ordinary family, she could live there for the rest of her life, avoiding family troubles and having a peaceful life... I didn't expect her to be right."
"But sir, should we move the things in that house?"
Jiang Xun paused for a moment, then said, "Keep them; they're all things her mother likes."
......
Jiang Mian paused, hesitant and confused.
Mingxi Mountain is where my father and mother met. Although he favored his concubines, he and my mother did have their moments of deep affection.
When their affection was strong, he would take his mother to Mingxi Mountain every year to escape the summer heat. Over time, they built a house there.
He never went back after his mother left.
I thought my father had forgotten...
Jiang Mian leaned against the wall, gazing at the sky.
She had insisted on marrying Xiao Hengzhi, even vowing to remain a widow for him even in death, but now her father was making serious arrangements for the matter.
If she were to change her mind now, people would probably think she was being too unreasonable.
"Hey……"
Jiang Wan sighed; she still had to think of another way.
In the courtyard, Ruilan was watering the flowers with a long-spouted watering can when she saw Jiang Mian standing alone at the door.
She asked the maid beside her, "Oh dear, why is Miss Xiao sighing all by herself here? Where is Young Master Xiao?"
"Perhaps they went back to their rooms to rest after their meal."
Her eyes lit up, a secret delight welled up inside her. She put down the kettle and picked a few flowers.
Ruiju, standing nearby, asked in confusion, "Why are you picking flowers?"
She replied with a smile, "Young Master Xiao has just moved to a new house, so it's quite empty. It would look nice if it had some decorations."
After saying that, she picked up the flower branch and walked quickly toward Xiao Hengzhi's house.
He opened the door and went inside, looking around, but saw no one.
"Strange...where did they go?"
Just as she was wondering, she looked through the courtyard corridor and saw a young master coming in from the front gate, and a group of servants ran over to greet him with smiles.
She walked forward and hid behind a pillar, listening to the servants calling out "Prince Li".
At the main gate, Li Zhijing walked briskly, clearly in a very good mood. He generously took out a bag of silver from his sleeve and distributed it to everyone, joking with them with a beaming smile.
However, after taking only a few steps, he was blocked from his way.
He paused, and upon seeing the person approaching, his smile immediately vanished: "Xiao Hengzhi, why are you stopping me?"
"Is the young master here to see the second young lady?"
"So what?"
"After all, the Crown Prince is an outsider. It is probably inappropriate for him to meet with female relatives so casually."
Li Zhijing scoffed, "When did it become your place to teach me manners? I'm in a good mood today, so I won't argue with you. Get out of my way." He was utterly impolite.
However, Xiao Hengzhi remained unmoved and replied, "The Second Miss is already engaged to me. If you have something to do, go back to your own wife and don't disturb her peace."
Li Zhijing clenched his fists. When had Xiao Hengzhi, who used to be timid and hesitant in front of him, ever dared to talk back to him like this?
Could it be that he's gained his courage because of his engagement to his second sister?
Thinking about this made him even angrier, and all his good mood vanished. He roared, "Get out of here!"
Seeing his annoyed expression, Xiao Hengzhi clicked his tongue lightly: "When you go to the battlefield in the future, will you also rely on roaring to scare away the enemy?"
He truly found it hard to imagine that this impatient young man would one day become a general who would protect the country.
However, he was also very grateful that his life had been spared, otherwise he really wouldn't know who to entrust Yu'er to.
Seeing his contemptuous expression, Li Zhijing shoved him away abruptly: "Nonsense, get out of here!"
Xiao Hengzhi wasn't paying attention and let him slip past.
He shook his head, his expression unchanged, showing no anger, and did not chase after them again.
He knew that Jiang Mian had no feelings for Li Zhijing. In her previous life, when she was so down on her luck, she would rather come to him than to Li Zhijing, which was enough to show that.
He was just a little annoyed that Li Zhijing and Jiang Wan's relationship was too intimate.
Xiao Hengzhi glanced at the pillar in the corridor and said softly, "Go to the Marquis of Pingnan's residence and invite the Crown Princess over. Also, have her bring a set of the Crown Prince's clothes."
Ruilan was startled, not expecting that he had already discovered her, and quickly responded and ran away.
The Pingnan Marquis's residence is not far away; it would take at most an incense stick's time to travel by carriage.
Wen Qian arrived quickly.
She rarely appeared in public as the Crown Prince's wife and had never visited the Jiang residence before. Therefore, she was very careful to identify herself to the servant at the gate and even considered in her mind how to explain if the servant did not believe her.
Fortunately, the servants of the Jiang family knew her because Li Zhijing often came to visit.
The servant politely led her to the tea room: "Please wait a moment, Your Highness. I will go and inform you."
After the servant left, Mo Ping stood aside and asked in a low voice, "Princess Consort, the maid who delivered the message just now didn't explain clearly what it was about. She just said she wanted to take the young master's clothes. Do you think the young master might have been caught having an affair with the second young lady of the Jiang family and wants you to come and fetch her?"
She gasped, covering her mouth in surprise, "Could it be that they already...!"
Wen Qian poked her head and said angrily, "Do you really think that every family is as chaotic and disorderly as the Wen family?"
Mo Ping muttered, "I'm just guessing, it's possible that the young master is so fond of Miss Jiang..."
Wen Qian glanced at the clothes under the brocade and shook her head slightly: "That's true, but the young master... is a person who observes propriety."
She recalled the time when they were both poisoned by the Spring Scarlet Powder. Li Zhijing's treatment of her was very awkward and he didn't know where to start, clearly indicating that he was not a person experienced in love.
Just as she was deep in thought, the servants in the courtyard suddenly bowed in unison in one direction—"Greetings, Second Miss."
Wen Qian looked in that direction and saw a beautiful young woman walking slowly towards the backyard after passing through the corridor.
Her figure was graceful, her light gauze dress fluttered slightly with her steps, and a thin belt wrapped with gold and silver threads outlined her slender waist as if it could be grasped in one hand. The thin gauze half-covered her, revealing a section of fair wrist and skin as smooth as cream.
I couldn't see her face clearly, but I could vaguely make out that it was a bright and cheerful face.
Although it is gorgeous, it does not have a trace of vulgarity; instead, it exudes a sharpness and confidence.
These are things she never had...
So this is the kind of woman Li Zhijing likes.
Wen Qian withdrew her gaze and stared listlessly at the clothes in her hands.
Mo Ping saw through her thoughts, but didn't know what to say. She just knelt down beside her and gently squeezed her hand.
Wen Qian knew she was trying to comfort her, so she looked up and smiled, "I'm fine. Anyone would admire such a radiant woman."
She had barely finished speaking when a commotion erupted in the inner courtyard.
Then came a loud roar.
"Xiao Hengzhi! I'll kill you!"
Wen Qian was startled and hurriedly stood up.
Mo Ping exclaimed, "Princess Consort! That's the Prince's voice!"