Chapter 216 · Extra 1
Having been away for only a little over ten days, apart from the weather being a bit hotter, nothing seemed to have changed in Beijing.
When they entered the city, Achan heard many people talking about the blizzard that had occurred two days earlier.
The people queuing to enter the city said with certainty that a local official was corrupt and abused his power, and that the people under his rule could no longer survive, so they cried out to heaven for justice, which finally alarmed the heavens and caused this blizzard.
This topic quickly attracted a group of people, who started speculating about which local official could be so utterly depraved.
Achan didn't quite understand how the topic was going. She tugged at Bai Xiuming's sleeve, and when he leaned down slightly, she whispered in his ear, "Why isn't anyone saying it's a sign of a natural disaster?"
Although she knew how the blizzard came about, for the uninformed people, guessing it was a natural disaster was more believable than a man-made one.
Her soft breath tickled Bai Xiuming's ear, causing a slight itch. Bai Xiuming's eyes darkened as he looked at her fair face, which was full of curiosity, before he slowly said, "Anyone who dared to say that is now reflecting on their actions in prison."
Omens of natural disasters are often exploited by those with ulterior motives to smear the emperor, and those below naturally dare not be negligent.
Achan glanced at him sideways: "So experienced, does Lord Bai always do these kinds of bad things?"
Bai Xiuming curled his lips into a smile: "I've never done this before, but I can start now. You just said something you shouldn't have. Have you thought about how to bribe me to shut me up?"
"Have you thought it through?" Achan whispered a few words in his ear, and Bai Xiuming's gaze suddenly became aggressive. He looked eager, as if he wanted to take Achan away right now to fulfill her promise.
Achan saw through his thoughts at a glance, placed her finger on his lips, and smiled sweetly: "I've heard that human men and women never meet in private before marriage."
Bai Xiuming:...
A bad feeling suddenly crept into my heart.
Achan's fingertips slid down his lips, moved to his chest, and tapped: "Lord Bai, do you want to get married, or do you want my bribe?"
Bai Xiuming grabbed her fingers and coaxed, "They are different from us."
Ah Chan lowered her eyes, her hair etched with grievance: "So, if others have it, why can't I have it too?"
Does he dare say no?
Bai Xiuming had no choice but to accept his fate and said, "Fine, I'll do whatever you say."
Achan immediately raised her eyes, her eyes no longer showing any sign of grievance, but full of smugness: "Then it's settled."
After saying that, she reached out her hand and beckoned Bai Xiuming with her little finger.
For a fleeting moment, Bai Xiuming felt as if his soul had been stolen.
When Achan saw that he didn't react, she directly hooked his little finger, and even shook it after hooking it, which was very ceremonial.
After they let go of each other's hands, she deliberately reminded them, "By the way, before getting married, don't we have to propose first?"
Bai Xiuming pressed the tip of his tongue against his cheek: "Yes."
From the initial proposal to the wedding, it would take at least three months. So, after he agreed today, he can't see her for at least three months?
He asked Achan, "Are you thinking about how to scheme against me every day?"
"No way," A-Chan quickly denied. "This is all normal procedure. Everyone else does it this way. Can't you do it?"
Bai Xiuming let out a breath: "...Okay."
He's not capable; he's resigned to his fate.
Achan nodded slightly, feigning modesty: "Then why don't you take me home?"
Bai Xiuming could only suppress all his romantic thoughts and send his little darling back to Changpingfang.
After leaving Changpingfang, he went directly to the Ming Prince's Mansion. If possible, he would prefer to personally handle the marriage proposal, but unfortunately, it was only safe if an elder in his family intervened.
Upon arriving at the Prince's residence, Bai Xiuming realized that he was off duty today. He heard from the steward that Lord Wen Chongwen was a guest at the residence.
Since Lord Wen was an acquaintance, Bai Xiuming didn't avoid him and went directly to the back garden of the Prince's Mansion.
Ming Wang was fishing with Wen Zhong by the pond in the garden when Bai Xiuming arrived. They heard voices saying, "The fish in my manor are too lazy to fish. That kid Bai Xiuming has a pond full of dragon carp. Let's go fishing there next time."
“Then we must find a day when Lord Bai is not in the capital, lest we catch fish and be unable to take them away,” Wen Chong replied.
"That's a good idea."
Then, the sound of their cheerful laughter echoed through the garden.
Bai Xiuming, who was at the center of the conversation, increased the volume of his footsteps, drawing the attention of both of them.
Thinking it was a servant from the Prince's mansion, Wen Zhong turned around and saw Bai Xiuming's face. He was only slightly embarrassed for a moment before recovering and even taking the initiative to greet him: "Lord Bai is back."
"Father, Lord Wen."
"You're back so soon? Where's Ye Chen?" Turning around, Ming Wang looked his son up and down, a satisfied look on his face. Good, he wasn't injured.
King Ming wasn't in a hurry to kill Ji Heng. He couldn't kill him now; it wouldn't be too late to do so after Ji Heng abdicated.
But his son was anxious and didn't even know how to persuade Ye Chen.
For some time now, Ming Wang has been puzzled. Ye Chen and he are incompatible according to their birth charts, so there's no reason why Ye Chen can get along well with his son. This is really strange.
Bai Xiuming replied, "He obtained the Azure Dragon Pearl and went straight back to the Dragon Clan."
King Ming was very satisfied: "Very good, they've finally left."
Then Bai Xiuming said, "But he should come again after a while."
If he were to marry Achan, his younger sister Amian would certainly have to be present.
"Why is he so persistent?" Mingwang complained disdainfully, then realized, "Wait, what's he going to do here in a while?"
"Come to my wedding." Bai Xiuming smiled. "Your son is eager to get married, so I'd like to trouble you, Father, to help me propose marriage."
Ming Wang accidentally crushed the fishing rod in his hand. He had never been this shocked when Xi Jing asked him to kill the Demon Emperor.
"You're getting married? How come I didn't know?"
"You know now, don't you?" Bai Xiuming said calmly.
"You unfilial son, how dare you be so unreasonable?" King Ming was furious. What family would inform their father directly when their son is getting married?
"I'm in a hurry, can you please understand?"
Bai Xiu Ming's words seemed to add fuel to the fire. Seeing that King Ming was about to get up and beat his son, Wen Zhong intervened in time and asked: "I wonder which girl is Lord Bai's sweetheart?"
"Her name is Achan."
"A-Chan?" Wen Zhong hesitated for a moment before asking, "Is it... Miss Ji?"
A few days ago, he went to the incense shop and bought mosquito repellent pills, but Miss Ji was not at home.
It's her.
After hearing their conversation and learning that he wanted to marry Achan, Ming Wang's anger finally subsided a bit. He snorted coldly, "Do you know what this is called? This is called a secret engagement. If Xi Jing were still alive, you would probably be beaten to death."
Bai Xiuming didn't want to either, but his word didn't count.
"Then, Father, will I trouble you with the matter of proposing marriage?"
"Don't bother me. Go to the palace and find the emperor. Let the empress make the arrangements. Once the marriage proposal date is set, I'll go in person."
The Ming King knew nothing about the marriage proposal process, so he could only push the matter onto the Emperor's family, who were completely unaware of it in the palace. After all, the Emperor had several sons, and princes would get married every now and then, so they must be familiar with it.
Bai Xiuming thought about the tedious and lengthy royal weddings he had attended before, and although he was reluctant, he had no other choice.
While Bai Xiuming was going to the palace to see the emperor, Achan was talking to Chen Hui about it.
"You mean, you're planning to marry Lord Bai?"
Chen Hui never expected that A Chan would have such thoughts of marriage after just returning from a trip to the demon realm.
"Yes, I do have that idea." Achan pinched a piece of dried fruit and took a small bite. The sweet and sour taste entered her mouth, making her squint her eyes.
"Why do you suddenly want to get married? I thought you didn't care about such things as titles and status?" Chen Hui asked curiously.
“I don’t really care, but he seems to really want to marry me; he’s said it several times.”
Whatever she wanted to do, Bai Xiuming would not refuse. What he wanted, Achan hoped he could have too.
Ah Chan recalled the day she said she was going back to get married, and the sound of his rapid heartbeat that she heard.
Marrying him and living together from then on seems like something to look forward to.
Chen Hui saw the smile in A Chan's eyes and smiled too.
She got up and went upstairs to the second floor. She took down a pile of account books and brought them back. As she looked through them, she said to Achan, "Marriage is a big deal after all. We should make some preparations in advance. It's not too late to embroider the wedding dress now. You also need to take stock of the land you own and use it as part of your dowry."
When Chen Hui mentioned the dowry, Achan was slightly dazed.
Seeing that she didn't respond for a while, Chen Hui asked, "What's wrong?"
Achan shook her head: "I just suddenly realized that all the land I own was originally Ji Chan's dowry, so it all benefited me."
Chen Hui paused for a moment before saying, "If they have spirits in heaven and know that you avenged them, they would be happy to leave these things to you."
To kill a Fifth Realm expert just to keep a promise she made to Ji Chan—only A Chan would do something like that. Compared to what she did, those fields seem insignificant.
“Hui Niang, come with me in a few days to build a cenotaph for Ji Chan, right next to her mother.”
The original agreement has been fulfilled, and it's time to return Ji Chan's name to her.
"good."
Chen Hui was very efficient. As soon as A Chan told her that she wanted to build a cenotaph, she went to find someone to carve the inscription. In just five days, everything was ready.
On the day of the tomb's erection, Chen Hui drove his carriage on a long detour to the Marquis of Jinyang's residence.
Today, the gates of the Marquis of Jinyang's mansion are tightly closed, sealed with official seals. The vermilion gates appear faded and dull, and the plaque above the gates has been removed.
The once illustrious Marquis of Jinyang's mansion has come to an end.
The carriage slowly passed in front of the Marquis's mansion and stopped outside a pastry shop on the street. Achan bought a bag of almond cookies, which Ji Chan had loved to eat since she was a child.
The first time she ate it was when Ji Mo bought it home. She always remembered it. Even A Chan, who had gained her memories, remembered the scene when Ji Mo squatted down and handed the snack to Ji Chan.
But Ji Chan will never know that the person in her memory was never her father. Even the things he gave her were cloaked in deception.
When Chen Hui and A Chan arrived at the cemetery, the people they had hired began to fill the grave with soil, and the group quickly built a mound.
The cenotaph contained only an empty coffin, with nothing placed inside.
After the grave was sealed with soil and the tombstone was erected, the hired workers left in twos and threes. Achan lit three incense sticks for her and Lin Shi, and then placed the almond cookies she had bought in front of the tombstone, piling them into the shape of a small tower.
After she finished stacking them, she looked up at the newly carved stone tablet.
The stone tablet is engraved with Ji Chan's name, along with her birth and death dates.
Ji Chan loved the name her mother gave her the most, so A Chan left her name here forever, to accompany her mother.
Achan raised her hand and touched the black characters on the tombstone, and said softly, "Ji Heng's soul has already been scattered. If there is a next life, neither you nor your mother will meet him again."
Just then, a gust of wind blew from the mountain, as if it were Ji Chan's response.
After the incense burned out, the two descended the mountain. By the time Chen Hui drove back to Changpingfang with Achan, it was already past 11:00 AM.
As soon as they got off the carriage, they saw several people standing outside their shop, especially the one in the lead, who looked quite imposing. Besides him, Achan also saw Wen Zhong among them.
Seeing this, Chen Hui didn't hesitate, went forward to open the door, and welcomed the person in.
She had already guessed what these people were up to, and before she could figure out how to start the conversation, the leader said, "My name is Bai Yu, and I wish to ask for Miss A Chan's hand in marriage on behalf of my son, Bai Xiuming. What do you think?"
Wen Zhong, standing behind the Prince, raised his hand to his forehead. They had clearly agreed to be tactful at the beginning to avoid offending the other party, but the prince hadn't listened to a word.
Chen Hui took a deep breath; the person in front of her was indeed the Ming King.
Before she could recover from her surprise, Achan had already poked half her head out from behind her: "I agree."
Wen Zhong: Well, none of them followed the normal procedure.
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