Chapter 78 When Jiang Zhuoying woke up, she was leaning against the carriage…

When Jiang Zhuoying woke up, she was leaning against the soft cushions of the carriage. When she opened her eyes, she saw Xiangyue and Xiangxing's anxious faces.

"Young lady? You're finally awake!"

Xiangyue almost burst into tears of joy and quickly handed over a cup of tea: "Miss, please moisten your throat first."

Jiang Zhuoying leaned against something soft and rubbed her temples: "What happened?"

All she could remember was that the carriage had stopped, and then she lost consciousness...

"We servants don't know either. When we woke up, we found you unconscious in the carriage, Miss. Fortunately, we are all safe and sound, and the carriage is still in its original place. Wu Jiu said there was something strange about this alley, that someone must have set a trap for us, but this person's target shouldn't be us..."

A gentle voice from Xiangxing reached her ears. Jiang Zhuoying lifted the curtains. It was already dark, and there were already many late-night food stalls in the alley, with groups of two or three people coming and going from time to time.

Everything seemed peaceful and normal.

"Miss? Are we still going to the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?" Xiangyue asked softly.

Jiang Zhuoying lowered the curtains, closed her eyes, and shook her head: "I'm not going. Let's go back to the manor."

"yes!"

With a clear response from outside the carriage, the carriage turned around and headed back home.

Jiang Zhuoying closed her eyes to rest, but no matter how hard she tried to recall, she couldn't remember anything that had happened after she fainted.

Even though she couldn't find any flaws on the surface, she knew in her heart that someone must have done it deliberately.

To prevent her from seeing Jiang Ying?

My aunt has been taken away by the Ministry of Justice. Who is this person?

A figure flashed through her mind, and the girl subconsciously pushed it away.

How could this be?

If it were him, why would he do such a sneaky thing?

Furthermore, what good would it do him to prevent her from seeing Jiang Ying?

Her mind was racing with thoughts that she couldn't make sense of, so she leaned against the soft cushions and slowly drifted off to sleep.

...

"Girl? Girl, wake up!"

Jiang Zhuoying was woken up, rubbing her eyes groggily: "What's wrong now?"

"The Duke is waiting for you!"

The drowsiness vanished instantly, and the girl's eyes cleared: "Okay, I'll go right now."

...

"Grandfather is referring to Xiao Wei, the current Minister of Justice?"

The old Duke nodded: "Xiao Wei is a newly appointed top scholar, and now he is extremely popular in the court. What does A-Zhuo think?"

Jiang Zhuoying slowly lowered her eyes. The first person she thought of was that face with deep-set eyes and a cold, aloof expression.

The girl shook her head slightly, telling herself to stop thinking about him; it couldn't possibly be him.

"A-Zhuo looks down on him?" It was clearly a question, but the tone was slightly heavy and the voice was stern.

Jiang Zhuoying stiffened slightly.

"This man is exceptionally talented. Despite his young age, he is adept at political maneuvering and has won the Emperor's favor. His future is limitless."

The old man spoke slowly, but every word carried an undeniable pressure.

The girl kept her head down: "I..."

"Come and see, this is a portrait of Lord Xiao..."

"According to Zhang Li, you young ladies all like handsome young men. This Lord Xiao is quite good-looking."

Jiang Yun waved his hand, and Steward Zhang, who was standing not far away, immediately presented a scroll.

Jiang Zhuoying's hands, hidden under the table, frantically kneaded the hem of her skirt, and in the blink of an eye, the scroll was unfurled before her eyes.

This person has deep-set eyes, thin lips like a blade, and a stern face; at first glance, he does bear a slight resemblance to the person in question.

Seeing the girl staring intently at the portrait, Jiang Yun chuckled twice, abruptly interrupting Jiang Zhuoying's thoughts.

"grandfather……"

"Hehe, is Grandfather not speaking recklessly?"

Jiang Zhuoying: "..."

"Ah Zhuo, most importantly, Xiao Wei has already made it clear to Grandfather that he will treat you well."

Jiang Zhuoying's heart sank, knowing that she could no longer refuse this marriage.

"Grandfather... Azhuo doesn't want to think about these things yet..."

Even though she knew the truth, she still wanted to try her best to struggle one more time.

"Nonsense!" The old man's face darkened instantly.

"Others may not know, but Grandfather knows that A-Zhuo is very clever. As things stand now, the fate of my Duke Rui's mansion is probably sealed."

Jiang Yun suddenly coughed heavily a few more times, and Jiang Zhuoying immediately stood up, her eyes instantly turning red: "No... Father, Father said he might still be alive!"

The old man gave her a meaningful look and handed the handkerchief to Zhang Li: "Even if Zheng'er were still alive, this marriage would still be a good one!"

"Xiao Wei stays out of the current struggle for the crown prince position. No matter what happens in the future, he will be able to protect you."

Jiang Zhuoying opened her lips, unable to refute.

She knew in her heart that Xiao Wei was the best for her.

The Duke of Rui's mansion is teetering on the brink of collapse, and many are waiting to see it fail, yet someone dares to openly declare their intention to marry her at this critical juncture...

"Azhuo, this is your opportunity, and it may also be Zheng'er's opportunity in the future, and the opportunity of the Duke of Rui's mansion."

Jiang Yunyan said, "This is the best marriage that your grandfather could find for you."

"But I..."

"Alright, let's go see him first and then decide what to do, shall we?"

The girl slowly lowered her head, her voice barely audible: "Okay."

*

Bamboo Shadow Alley, Yunqi Tea House

Chu Yixin peeked inside from the doorway, and a cool voice immediately came from within: "How is it?"

Chu Yixin immediately forced a smile and strode inside: "Hey! Coming, coming!"

Before she could finish speaking, a tall, imposing male figure appeared behind Chu Yixin…

"Your subject Xiao Wei greets Your Highness." The man nodded slightly, his attitude neither humble nor arrogant.

Qi Fan slowly moved his gaze from the tea, his expression softening slightly, and said calmly, "You've arrived? Please take a seat."

"yes."

Chu Yixin deftly closed the door behind her and stood respectfully to the side.

"Your Highness, this is the testimony of Cui Huan, a trusted confidant of the Zhao family."

Xiao Wei took out a few pages of paper from his chest, unfolded them, and handed them to Qi Fan.

The latter took it and carefully flipped through it...

"The crime of Zhao murdering He should be investigated in more detail."

His voice was neither warm nor cold, but it wasn't a tone that suggested negotiation.

Xiao Wei was sipping his tea when he heard this, and a look of surprise flashed in his eyes, but he remained expressionless.

"Okay." That's what he meant too.

Qi Fan looked up and saw him gazing out the window. He chuckled softly, "You can have that kind of expression too?"

The man opposite him stiffened slightly, then turned around, his expression unchanged: "I heard that a few days ago, Your Highness searched for a girl day and night in the outskirts of Luoyang?"

Upon hearing this, Qi Fan paused slightly in his work: "Exactly."

Although her voice was soft, one could not discern the joy in it.

Xiao Wei immediately raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise on his face: "It seems Your Highness has gotten what you wanted."

The man's usually straight lips curved slightly upward: "Not bad."

"In that case, I have a request that Your Highness grant."

The man nodded, signaling him to speak, and a rare sense of ease surrounded him.

"I wish to borrow this teahouse for a while."

"That's all?"

Xiao Wei paused slightly: "This teahouse is Your Highness's territory, quiet and undisturbed. I wish to meet the young lady and avoid giving rise to gossip."

"Oh? I wonder which girl has caught your eye?"

Even Chu Yixin, who was standing by the door, opened her eyes wide and pricked up her ears.

This Lord Xiao is now being courted by many, and even the Third Prince has extended an olive branch to him more than once.

Countless noble families wanted to form a marriage alliance with him, and I wonder which family has won this benefit today.

"The Second Miss Jiang from the Duke of Rui's Mansion."

Chu Yixin's vision blurred, and she almost fell to the ground on the spot.

Once he came to his senses, he immediately turned his head away.

But her master remained unperturbed, his thin lips pressed into a straight line, his voice deep and hoarse: "Second Miss Jiang?"

"Yes, Miss Jiang."

"I fell in love with her at first sight."

...

"Love at first sight? Cough cough... cough cough cough..."

Jiang Zhuoying choked on the pastry in her mouth and coughed incessantly. Xiangyue hurriedly patted her back, her face full of anxiety.

"Young lady, please slow down! Even if you like the pastries at Yunxi Tea House, you can't be so greedy!"

Xiao Wei had been watching the girl's every move. Seeing that she was clearly frightened by his words and was coughing with her face flushed, he slowly poured her a cup of tea and placed it in front of her.

"Miss Jiang, there's no need to be in such a hurry. Would you like some tea?"

Xiangxing was a step ahead of him, already holding a glass of warm water to Jiang Zhuoying's lips: "Miss."

Jiang Zhuoying drank the warm water from Xiangxing's hand, took a few deep breaths, and finally looked directly at the man in front of her who had uttered such astonishing words but remained expressionless.

"Lord Xiao? Are you... mistaken? I don't know you at all."

She had no memory of this Lord Xiao at all.

She went to the outskirts of the city many years ago and stayed at the manor without ever leaving. This Lord Xiao came from a poor family, so how could he have met her?

The man opposite her remained expressionless, his tone flat and even: "It seems Miss Jiang has forgotten me, but it's alright, I'll remember."

Jiang Zhuoying opened her lips, her mind blank: "..."

She had no other choice but to come here for a consultation. She couldn't go against her grandfather's wishes, nor did she want to upset him, so she thought she would just go through the motions and then see what the situation was like.

But Xiao Wei's immediate declaration of love for her threw her off balance.

She pulled out a handkerchief from her waist and, feigning composure, covered her forehead with it, blocking the other person's undeniable gaze.

"If Miss Jiang is willing to marry me, I am willing to sign a written agreement as proof that I will never take a concubine after marriage."

The girl's fingertips trembled, and the handkerchief fluttered down, revealing a shocked and embarrassed face.

Jiang Zhuoying knew all too well that in the eyes of her former aristocratic friends, the Duke of Rui's mansion was now on its last legs.

With so many things happening one after another, it's really hard to say what the future holds.

Aside from Fu Ce, who is already deeply in love with Jiang Ying, who would be willing to take on this hot potato?

But at this very moment, Xiao Wei jumped out, and she was both surprised and frightened, unconsciously furrowing her brows.

"Lord Xiao, the Duke of Rui's mansion can't offer you anything now."

The man paused slightly, then pursed his lips: "Miss Jiang, you misunderstand. Everything I have was not given to me by anyone else."

He frowned; the girl's flustered and uncomfortable state made him realize that he was being too hasty.

His palms were already damp with a fine layer of sweat. He was usually composed and shrewd in the court, but when he was actually in front of her, he was as clueless as a young boy.

He tried his best to keep his voice steady: "What does Miss Jiang think?"

...

Jiang Zhuoying was helped into the carriage, her legs still a little unsteady, her mind a jumble of thoughts.

Before coming here, she hadn't decided whether to agree to the marriage, but after meeting Xiao Wei, she was ninety percent certain of her decision.

But she couldn't agree to his proposal so easily.

She still needs some time to thoroughly investigate him.

Given Xiao Wei's current status, he has plenty of marriage options, if not too many to choose from.

Why make such a promise for her, a Duke's mansion with an uncertain future?