Trouble

Xie Qi waved his hand, "No rush, tell me first, what weakness did Xiao Fan exploit against you?"

Li Wan paused, then said vaguely, "It's some private matter, not convenient to discuss with outsiders."

Xie Qi stood up, his tall figure approaching her. He leaned down, placing his hands on the armrests of her chair, encircling her between him and the chair.

His narrow eyes drew closer, his thin lips were only half an inch away from hers, and his warm breath brushed against her nose.

"Jiang Feiwan, did you think I was easy to fool because I let you go at Zuiyue Tower last time?"

His voice was deep and ruthless. Li Wan wanted to lean back to avoid his lips that were so close to hers, but she found that she had nowhere to retreat.

He could only lower his eyes as much as possible, saying, "I'm not trying to fool you."

Xie Qi stared at her thick, trembling eyelashes, his long, slender fingers brushing through the fine hairs by her ear, twirling them between his fingers, his voice cold and clear.

"First you wrote a letter to plead your case, then you attracted attention on the street, then you tried to drug me at the Drunken Moon Pavilion, and now you've brazenly come here for help. What exactly do you want?"

Li Wan clenched her fingers on her knees; she knew that this conversation was very important.

She looked up, her long eyelashes brushing against his face, her obsidian pupils reflected in his eyes.

“Writing letters, attracting attention, and administering drugs were all forced actions, but today, I am here to stand with you with all my heart.”

"hiss!"

A strand of hair was pulled by a finger, and Li Wan gasped in pain.

"Stand with me? So, in your heart, I'm a good person?"

“Of course.” Li Wan replied without the slightest hesitation. A person who would be riddled with arrows by the enemy for the sake of his soldiers is certainly a good person.

Perhaps it was the sincerity in her eyes that made Xie Qi pause slightly. After a few moments, he sneered disdainfully, "Miss Jiang is bad at judging people. Don't regret it later."

Li Wan raised her hand, her slender fingers gripping the fabric at his waist, her eyes meeting his handsome phoenix eyes.

"Lord Xie, do you have someone you love?"

Xie Qi raised an eyebrow and looked at her without saying a word.

Li Wan gripped the fabric in her hand even tighter. "If you don't have someone you love, then marry me. I promise that no matter what happens in the future, I will stand by your side."

Afraid that he would refuse outright, she quickly added, "I know it's not easy for you in the court. Not only the Fourth Prince, but there must be others who want to harm you. Look, I'm not stupid. If you marry me, we can fight against those villains together."

Xie Qi's gaze swept over the brocade robe she had crumpled, a smile playing on his lips, but his eyes remained unusually calm.

He looked up, taking in everything about the woman before him, and glared at her, "What makes you think you can help me?"

Li Wan subconsciously pulled him by the waist, making him look down at her again.

“I know I don’t have the noble status of Princess Heshun, nor do I have a father who is the Grand Secretary like Princess Qiongying, but my father is the Minister of Revenue, which is not bad either. Moreover, I can be a double agent and can help you deal with the Fourth Prince right now.”

Xie Qi chuckled, stood up, took a step back, and looked down at her, saying, "Miss Jiang has wasted so much breath, only to have me help you get rid of the threat of the Fourth Prince."

Li Wan felt a chill in her heart. How did things come full circle again? She, a young woman, had swallowed her pride and talked to him about marriage, but he remained unmoved.

She made up her mind and said, "That day at Zuiyue Tower, we crossed the line. I can't marry anyone else now. Lord Xie has to take responsibility."

Xie Qi was taken aback, then his smile spread. "It was Miss Jiang who drugged and assaulted me. How can I be held responsible? There's no such logic in the world."

Li Wan blushed, really not wanting to continue arguing with him.

"Lord Xie, I am willing to marry you because I sincerely want to help you. Please think it over carefully."

"As for the Fourth Prince, he told me to get close to you within half a month, or I would suffer a terrible fate. I will accept my fate then."

"I have said what I needed to say. I have disturbed you for a long time. I will take my leave now."

Just as Li Wan was about to get up, Xie Qi sighed softly and said unhurriedly, "Miss Jiang, you've come to our door so openly today. Have you thought about Lord Jiang?"

Li Wan asked, puzzled, "What does this have to do with my father?"

Xie Qi smiled and sat back down in the main seat of the hall.

Li Wan glanced at him inexplicably, and seeing that no one was stopping her, she turned and left the Ningyuan Marquis's residence.

Xiuzhu waited anxiously outside, and only after getting into the Jiang family's carriage did she finally speak.

“Miss, forgive my bluntness, but you are truly blinded by greed, so infatuated with that Lord Xie. Today you made no attempt to hide your visit to meet a man outside the household, and by now the whole family probably knows. What are we going to do when we get back?”

Li Wan sighed. She didn't want to ruin Jiang Feiwan's reputation, but what could she do?

We can't just do what's in the plays, forcing Xie Qi to comply after the fact; that would be true self-degradation.

The carriage stopped in front of the screen wall of the Jiang residence. Li Wan was somewhat surprised to find that Jiang Nanyue's carriage had returned, but at this time on weekdays, he would not have finished his shift.

Li Wan walked nervously through the front yard, but was stopped by Granny Li, who was guarding the flower hall. "Miss, the master and madam are waiting for you."

Li Wan's heart skipped a beat, but she steeled herself and walked into the flower hall.

Jiangnan Yue sat solemnly in his armchair, his face as cold as ice, while Madam Zou paced anxiously in the hall.

"Father, Mother," Li Wan bowed, her eyes lowered.

Madam Zou stepped forward and helped Li Wan up, saying remorsefully, "It's all my fault. I didn't keep a close eye on Wan'er and let her leave the manor without permission, causing her to commit such a serious mistake. Master, if you want to blame someone, blame me instead of the child."

"Bang!" Jiang Nanyue slammed his hand on the table and said sharply, "Feiwan, where did you go just now?"

Li Wan lowered her head. "I went to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence and paid my respects to Lord Xie."

Madam Zou patted Li Wan and said with heartache, "Wan'er, you're so foolish. Even if you have feelings for Lord Xie, you are still a young woman, and your father is an official in the same court as him. How could you disregard your father's reputation and the Jiang family's dignity by rashly going to a man's residence to ask for an audience, making a scene known throughout the capital?"

Li Wan was startled. She went to find Xie Qi with the intention of establishing a relationship with him, and also to show the Fourth Prince. However, only an hour had passed since she entered the Ningyuan Marquis's residence. How could the whole capital know about it?

Seeing his daughter's confusion, Jiang Nanyue's heart softened. So be it. His daughter was raised in seclusion, how could she possibly think about the scheming and dirty tricks in the court?

He sighed and gently scolded, "Xie Qi is so young yet he holds great power and now commands the Imperial Guard. All the noble families, relatives of the emperor, and other powerful figures in the capital are watching him closely. You went there openly, and with the help of those who are stirring things up behind the scenes, the news naturally spread like wildfire."

Madam Zou sighed, "Now everyone outside is saying that our Jiang family is trying to climb the social ladder by having our daughter throw herself into Lord Xie's arms..." She glanced cautiously at Jiang Nanyue and whispered, "throwing herself into his arms."

Li Wan froze, finally understanding what Xie Qi meant by "Have you ever thought about Lord Jiang?"

She bit her lower lip, unsure how to explain herself.

Jiangnan Yue, not wanting to embarrass his daughter, asked gently, "How long have you been seeing Xie Qi?"

Li Wan whispered, "Less than three months."

"Three months?" Zou exclaimed softly. So much time had passed, and she hadn't even noticed.

Jiangnan Yue was also alarmed. He had been in contact with his daughter for so long, yet Xie Qi, who met with him in court every day, had never revealed anything about her. What was Xie Qi's intention?

Madam Zou clasped her hands tightly and hurriedly asked, "Has Xie Qi said when he will come to propose marriage?"

Li Wan looked up at Zou Shi with a moment of blankness before she realized what was happening.

Yes, this is not Niutian Village, where one can chat with the men while hoeing the fields. This is the capital city, where etiquette is strictly enforced. She is not Li Wan, who can catch fish barefoot in the stream. She is Jiang Feiwan, the legitimate daughter of the Jiang family.

Li Wan bit her lips until they turned white. She was only focused on resolving the defeat and the matter of the Fourth Prince, but she never thought about Jiang Nan Yue, who loved her dearly.

If Xie Qi does not agree to marry her this time, wouldn't Jiangnan Yue be in a difficult position in the court?

Li Wan wanted to slap herself, and her face grew paler and paler.

When Zou saw her like this, she thought to herself: Oh no, Xie Qi is probably just playing with Yu Wan'er and has never mentioned marrying her.

It's a pity. She was originally very happy to hear that Wan Jie'er and Xie Qi were having an affair today.

She had heard from her husband and other ladies from prominent families that Xie Qi was not only a member of the imperial family, but also an important official in the court.

Even the Crown Prince and other princes are secretly trying to win him over. If Wan'er could marry him, Che'er would have a secure future with such a brother-in-law.

However, judging from Wan-jie's current expression, it seems that she didn't mean it.

"You bastard!"

Jiang Nan Yue slammed his fist on the table in anger, “Who does Xie Qi think I am, Jiang Nan Yue? How dare he humiliate my son like this?”

He looked at his delicate daughter and comforted her, "Don't be afraid, Wanwan. Father will seek justice for you."

Li Wan lowered her head, her eyes stinging with tears, words stuck in her throat, unable to utter a single syllable.

During dinner, Jiang Feiche surprisingly left the palace early, and for the first time ever, the whole family dined together.

Although Jiang Feiche didn't say anything, Li Wan's heart sank to the bottom, because even people in the palace knew about it.

She was filled with doubt; she had only gone to the Ningyuan Marquis's residence, so why had the news spread so quickly?

As Jiangnan Yue said, there must be someone behind this stirring up trouble.

Could it be that the Fourth Prince, fearing she wouldn't be able to win Xie Qi's heart, spread rumors to force Xie Qi to marry her?

However, the Fourth Prince should know that Xie Qi is not someone who will be bound by public opinion. Otherwise, he should have used this plan from the beginning. Why did he have Jiang Feiwan write a letter first and then slowly lure him in?

Who could it be?

Eat your meal properly and don't let your mind wander.

Jiang Nanyue said coldly, "Since my health improved, my daughter has been eating very well and has finally gained some weight. But now that this has happened, she can't eat anymore."

Jiangnan Yue grew angrier the more he thought about it, wishing he could tear that hypocritical Xie Qi to pieces.

"yes."

Li Wan hurriedly put a big mouthful of scallion-flavored yellow croaker into her mouth, and Jiang Nanyue's expression softened slightly.

Jiang Feiche used serving chopsticks to pick up a piece of steamed sea cucumber and placed it on Li Wan's plate.

"I recently acquired some popular storybooks. I will send someone to deliver them to you, sister, later. You may find them to help you pass the time."

Li Wan knew that Jiang Feiche was comforting her, and her heart warmed. "Thank you, little brother."

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Madam Zou quickly said with a smile, "We're all family, no need to be so polite."

The dinner ended peacefully and amicably.

A strong wind blew at night, and the next day it snowed lightly again.

Inside the palace, before the morning court session had even begun, news arrived that the Minister of War had passed away.