Chapter 41 "Isn't Your Highness worried about the world's disapproval..."

"Is it inconvenient to say?" Bai Xuerou didn't believe it. If someone else said this, it might be a casual remark, but Wei Yi was a man of few words, and whenever he spoke, there must be a reason.

He was going to say it, but then he changed his mind; it must be because it was inconvenient for him to say it.

"I just suddenly remembered something, and I think you're tired of hearing it too."

"oh?"

"The prince's marriage," Wei Yi said.

Bai Xuerou chuckled. It was true; she was tired of hearing it.

"Why are you thinking about this too? You don't have any relatives." She said, then suddenly remembered and asked, "By the way, do you have any relatives?"

“No,” Wei Yi said. “They’re all dead.”

Bai Xuerou was speechless for a moment, and quickly said, "I'm sorry, I misspoke."

"It's nothing, it's all in the past," Wei Yi said gently. "Your Highness is the commander of the Zhenbei Army, and his marriage is a matter of great importance. Everyone in the Zhenbei Army is concerned about it."

“Indeed.” Speaking of the Zhenbei Army, Bai Xuerou became serious and said, “I asked him, and he said that the world is not yet settled, so there is no rush to get married.”

"If you are interested, you can ask him. Perhaps you and your master can get him to say something else."

Wei Yi said "okay" in a gentle voice.

Unwilling to get married?

She must have someone in her heart.

The New Year's banquet was lively until late into the night, and people only dispersed to go home after staying up all night.

The grand court assembly the next day was uneventful; it lacked the grandeur of the founding of the Great Qi Dynasty, when all nations came to pay tribute. It was merely a continuation of the previous night's festivities. After nightfall, the assembly gradually dispersed.

After dealing with the royal family, it's time for our own family's New Year celebrations.

On the first night of the Lunar New Year, the Prince of Zhenbei's mansion prepared a sumptuous meal.

The Prince's Mansion only had three masters. However, during the New Year, Ling Chong and his brothers, who had been separated from the main family, returned to the mansion. They sat at separate tables, yet the room was still quite lively.

It gets even more lively once the singing and dancing begin.

The Prince's mansion did not employ any singers or dancers; these were all recruited from outside, each with a melodious voice and outstanding dancing skills.

Seeing that Bai Xuerou liked it, Ling Xun thought about keeping a group of people in the Prince's mansion.

Madam Wu didn't talk much. She wasn't a particularly sociable person to begin with, and she became even quieter after Ling Ji'an left.

Wu San Niang's gaze kept drifting towards Ling Xun, and Ling Xun noticed it, frowning slightly.

When Ling Chong and his brothers saw Ling Xun again, they each had mixed feelings.

If people were initially somewhat resentful when Ling Xun ascended the throne, now they were convinced, no matter how resentful they were. If they were in their own shoes, they would honestly admit that none of them had the ability to eliminate Xue Wenxian.

When Ling Ji'an was in charge, he gave them opportunities to participate in military campaigns, but apart from Ling Xun, they all performed only moderately.

But that's all.

They thought to themselves that Ling Xun was only good at fighting; in other aspects, they might not be inferior at all.

Despite all this, they showed no sign of it on their faces, all offering toasts with smiles.

Ling Xun rarely drinks alcohol and doesn't like it; he only touched his lips with alcohol out of politeness.

Ling Chong and the others all have children. At first, they were a little afraid of this little uncle, but after sitting for a while, they forgot all about it and couldn't help but start playing around.

The room suddenly became even more lively.

At first, Bai Xuerou found it novel, but after a while, she just found it noisy.

Just as she was thinking of finding an excuse to go out for some fresh air, she heard Ling Xun speak up, telling someone to take the young masters to the side hall to play.

The group of children immediately quieted down, looking somewhat uneasy, but after glancing at their elders, they obediently followed the servants.

The hall immediately fell silent.

Xiao Jinyu laughed, "These little devils are finally gone. Children are most interesting when they're under three; once they get older, they become especially troublesome."

As she spoke, she carefully glanced at Ling Xun's expression above her, worried that she might have really angered him.

Back then, she wouldn't even bother to glance at Ling Xun; she never imagined things would turn out this way.

Now, the whole family has to live at Ling Xun's mercy.

Bai Xuerou is really lucky.

If she had known this would happen, she would have raised Ling Xun instead. There was an even bolder idea, which Xiao Jinyu dared not consider.

Ling Xun's expression remained unchanged, which put everyone at ease. They figured he probably just didn't like noise, and his sisters-in-law chimed in.

Bai Xuerou remained uninvolved, while her sisters-in-law watched her with mixed feelings.

When Ling Zheng first arrived, everyone felt sorry for her, that the beautiful Princess Zhenbei was gone. Some even secretly mocked her, saying that she wasn't a phoenix and that even if she flew to the top of a branch, she would fall down.

But later, seeing that Ling Xun treated her with respect and entrusted her with everything, and that she could do whatever she wanted every day, living a carefree and comfortable life that was no worse than when she was a princess, she felt a little envious.

Then, as if she had just regained her memory, she brought up the time when Ling Zheng wanted to arrange a marriage between her and the Lang family, making her a concubine, and then felt that she was better off now than before.

Then she muttered to herself, wondering if Ling Zheng's death was related to her.

All of this boils down to nothing more than being envious of others' success.

Bai Xuerou was naturally aware of how outsiders viewed her, but she didn't care and just lived her own life. While eating and drinking, she drifted off into thought, contemplating going to sleep after the banquet and then planning for tomorrow.

The invitations I received today have piled up, and there will definitely be a lot of people coming tomorrow, so I need to prepare them all.

After the banquet ended, Bai Xuerou got up to return to Zhiwei Courtyard.

She had only gone halfway when a servant rushed over and said that the prince had asked her to come over.

Seeing the panic on the maid's face, Bai Xuerou's heart sank; something had happened.

Assassination? Or something else?

"What's wrong? How is Your Highness?" She turned and walked back, asking as she did so.

The servant spoke up, saying, "Reporting to Madam, the Prince is alright; it is Lady Wu."

Bai Xuerou's heart first sank, then clenched again.

Wu San Niang? Could it be...?

"Tell me in detail." Seeing the servant stop, seemingly hesitant, Bai Xuerou immediately said.

The servant then continued speaking.

"The prince was originally going back to the front courtyard when he encountered Madam Wu, who was waiting there. She said she had something to say to the prince, but the prince didn't want to talk to her. She said she would leave after she finished speaking and would not bother him again."

"The prince didn't seem to care and was about to leave, but the lady from the Wu family was very bold and threw herself into the prince's arms." The servant said, his voice tinged with shock.

How dare she! And she's a noblewoman!

"The prince dodged it, but he was furious at the time. He ordered his men to keep an eye on Lady Wu and sent someone to invite the Dowager Consort and you, Madam."

Bai Xuerou closed her eyes. She really hadn't expected that Madam Wu would be so bold.

Ling Xun refused several times, but she not only refused to give up, she also dared to do this.

What was she thinking?

Where's your brain?

Ling Xun didn't go back to the front yard, but found a house nearby. Bai Xuerou and Madam Wu arrived almost one after the other. When they entered the house, they didn't see Madam Wu. Instead, they saw Ling Xun with a gloomy face and an overwhelming displeasure that made their hearts tighten.

The first thing Madam Wu did was apologize, repeatedly saying that Third Sister Wu had lost her mind and begging the Prince not to be angry.

Ling Xun ignored him with a cold face, and simply said to Bai Xuerou, "Sister-in-law, please sit down first."

Bai Xuerou glanced at Madam Wu, then hesitated before sitting down.

When Wu looked at her, there was a hint of pleading in her eyes.

At the banquet earlier, Wu San Niang said she had something to attend to and left first, but who knew she would do something so foolish as to run off to stop Ling Xun halfway there. Didn't she realize that Ling Xun had been so resolute in his refusal, what could she possibly change by going to him again?

They've really lost their minds.

But no matter what, she was still her own niece, and Madam Wu couldn't just abandon her.

Bai Xuerou didn't say anything.

Ling Xun was angry, and she couldn't very well make him hold back. There were some things she didn't care about, but she wouldn't force others to not care either.

We need to let him vent his anger first.

However, Ling Xun did not utter any harsh words or make any rash moves. After Bai Xuerou sat down, he directly said to Madam Wu, "Send Madam Wu back tomorrow. I don't want to see her again."

"Archie," he called out.

Aqi, his personal guard, immediately responded and ordered someone to bring out Wu San Niang, who was locked in the cell. She looked at Ling Xun with sorrow but did not plead for anything further.

Just like the rejection she just received, it shattered all her remaining hope.

Seeing her like this, Madam Wu was both angry and heartbroken. Without saying much, she hurriedly took her away.

After the two left, Ling Xun's expression gradually softened and he became less cold.

"Sister-in-law, what do you think she's thinking?" He was still somewhat annoyed.

Good question, Bai Xuerou wants to know too.

She felt that Wu San Niang was just like the female protagonist in those modern tragic love stories, who loved and gave wholeheartedly, and no matter how she was rejected, she still held onto hope, fantasizing that one day she would be able to move the male protagonist with her sincerity.

Unfortunately, Ling Xun is not the male lead in a tragic romance novel. His rejection is a true rejection. So-called sincere and persistent pursuit is just a nuisance to him, and there will be no so-called "wife-chasing-after-the-cremation" plot.

"Perhaps he's lost his mind," Bai Xuerou said slowly. "Or maybe he's been reading too many storybooks."

Ling Xun was feeling annoyed, but hearing this teasing remark made him feel relieved, and a smile appeared on his face.

“I think it’s very likely,” he agreed.

Otherwise, why would it seem like they can't understand human speech?

Seeing that he was finally in a better mood, Bai Xuerou smiled slightly and said, "Alright, she's leaving tomorrow, so don't think about it anymore. Go back and get some sleep, and you won't see her again tomorrow."

She felt a little awkward saying this.

I hope there won't actually be a scene involving a crematorium, right? No way.

It would be best if that didn't happen; Bai Xuerou's head was spinning just thinking about it.

She didn't want a situation where she finally managed to escape one plot point only to encounter a new one.

Ling Xun responded and stood up, saying, "I'll take my sister-in-law home."

"It's such a small matter, and you still have to trouble your sister-in-law to make the trip."

But Bai Xuerou really needs to witness this.

Bai Xuerou wanted to say no, but seeing how troubled he was, she thought it would be good for him to go for a walk and relax, so she didn't refuse.

At Huiyin Academy, Ms. Wu did not sleep well all night.

This time, Wu San Niang didn't cry uncontrollably like last time. She seemed to have truly given up, sitting quietly and apologizing to Wu Shi, carefully instructing her to be good in the future.

Seeing her like this, Madam Wu felt helpless and thought to herself, "What a tragedy!"

The next morning, the carriage left the Prince's Mansion to take Wu San Niang home.

The Prince's Mansion is now one person short again.

Wu became increasingly reclusive.

On the second day of the month, three generals came to the Prince's Mansion to pay their respects.

Ling Xun treated the guests well, while Bai Xuerou had a table prepared but did not show herself.

After the meal, Liu Meng and Guan Zhong left one after the other, leaving Wei Yi behind.

Ling Xun ordered all the servants in the hall to leave, then looked at Wei Yi, who was below him, and said, "Master seems to have something to say to me." This was the second private conversation between the master and disciple since Ling Xun returned to Chang'an.

Last time, it was Ling Xun who exposed Wei Yi's thoughts; this time, it's the other way around.

Seeing the other party's attitude, Wei Yi's heart sank slightly.

Ling Xun knew that he had seen through his scheme, but he was not afraid to dodge, clearly having made up his mind.

Isn't he afraid or worried?

"I heard from Madam Bai that the Prince doesn't want to get married for the time being?" Wei Yi tried to be tactful, but his heart was still filled with mixed feelings.

He didn't know when it started, but he had developed such awe for Ling Xun.

Ling Xun hummed in agreement.

“But Your Highness’s marriage is a major event. Even if you don’t want to get married, you should have some ideas in mind. I wonder what kind of wife Your Highness wants?” Wei Yi asked directly, looking at Ling Xun.

Ling Xun was also looking at him.

Their eyes met, and the room suddenly grew cold; the tense atmosphere was palpable.

"My marriage is none of your concern, Master," Ling Xun said.

"Is it because you don't need to worry, or does Your Highness already have a plan?" Wei Yi asked bluntly, "Madam Bai is your sister-in-law."

This statement is practically a direct statement.

An invisible aura pressed down on people, making them feel tight in their chests and almost unable to breathe.

The next moment, Ling Xun's voice broke the stagnant atmosphere. He said without wavering, almost as if it were a matter of course, "So what?"

Wei Yi frowned, not expecting him to remain completely unmoved.

"Isn't Your Highness worried about what the world will say?" he asked.

Ling Xun looked down at him and suddenly smiled.

“Criticism?” He said the word almost with amusement.

"Master, do you think I should worry about so-called criticism?" Ling Xun stood up, slowly walked around the long table, and descended the steps.

In just a few steps, he moved with the grace of a dragon and the stride of a tiger.

It was as if a tiger was slowly descending from his throne, and as far as the eye could see, it was his territory.

Bian said, "We must seize the world and take back the throne that the so-called legitimate Qi royal family has maintained for more than two hundred years."

"No matter how much the historians embellish the story in the future, in the eyes of future generations, we will all be seen as rebels who defied their superiors."

"In this matter, what do other things matter?"

The excitement and exhilaration in his heart made Ling Xun unable to calm down. Only after he finished speaking did he slowly stop in front of Wei Yi. The gold-embroidered unicorn on his round-necked robe shimmered in the sunlight streaming in from the doors and windows, exuding majesty and domineering power.

"Of course I know she's my sister-in-law, but Ling Zheng is dead, and neither of us is married. What's wrong with that?"

"And who dares to say anything?"