"Yes!" The two maids responded and were about to tie up Shangguan Ruoxue with ropes. Unfortunately, one of the maids was unlucky and slipped, fell flat on her face, and tripped another maid.
Shangguan Ruoxue fled in panic and ran all the way to the garden, where she soon found Ji Yunhuan standing there.
The path in the garden was narrow, and Ji Yunhuan couldn't avoid it even if he wanted to. He could only watch Shangguan Ruoxue kneeling straight in front of him, crying as if her whole family had died.
"Please have mercy on me, cousin, and let Xue'er go. Don't chase her away. Xue'er will definitely listen to you from now on. No matter what you do, I won't resist."
Ji Yunhuan took a step back and avoided Shangguan Ruoxue's hand. Qiao Yue immediately stood in front of Shangguan Ruoxue, with an expression of disgust written all over her face.
"My cousin, what you said is really interesting. It's not our young lady who wants to send you to the family temple. What does the order issued by the master have to do with our young lady?"
Shangguan Ruoxue knelt on the ground and moved over, and happened to kneel on the gravel, and a few bloodstains seeped out of her white dress.
"Sister Qiaoyue is right. It was Xue'er who said the wrong thing. This matter has nothing to do with you, cousin. But the master really loves you. Please plead for Xue'er. Xue'er is still young and doesn't want to spend her whole life in the family temple."
Qiao Yue reached out to pull Shangguan Ruoxue, impatiently saying, "Miss Cousin, please don't kneel. I'm a servant, and you're the master. I can't bear your courtesy. The master didn't ask you to live a secluded life forever. He will definitely find you a good marriage in the future."
Shangguan Ruoxue's big eyes were filled with fear. She had already imagined the miserable situation of being married to an old widower. The master and the mistress would definitely not arrange a good marriage for her.
"No! I don't want to! I won't marry. I want to stay in the Prime Minister's Mansion."
She is the cousin of the Prime Minister's Mansion. With this identity, she can go out and socialize often and see Brother Haochang. She knows that she is not worthy of Brother Haochang, and she will be satisfied as long as she can see Brother Haochang from afar.
Now even this little wish is being taken away from her, how can she not hate Ji Yunhuan!
While struggling, Shangguan Ruoxue fell to the ground. She was frail and her forehead was already red. It looked as if Qiao Yue had pushed her on purpose.
The steward in the front yard and two maids stood in the garden with their hands hanging down, not daring to breathe, for fear of displeasing the young lady.
It was common knowledge in the mansion that the young lady and her cousin did not get along. No one would offend Prime Minister Ji's beloved daughter for the sake of an orphan girl. When faced with such a situation, everyone pretended not to see it.
Ji Yunhuan sighed. This scene was so similar to his previous life.
In her previous life, Shangguan Ruoxue was not sent to the ancestral temple. Instead, she was under house arrest. Although she was called under house arrest, in fact, as long as she did not leave the house, no one dared to control her. Therefore, bullying Shangguan Ruoxue became her only pleasure, and Qiao Yue was her good helper.
In this life, it was Shangguan Ruoxue who came forward on her own initiative, but the effect was the same. No matter how you looked at it, it seemed like she was bullying poor Shangguan Ruoxue.
"Qiaoyue, please step aside and let me talk to her."
Qiao Yue felt very aggrieved. "I didn't push her. She's good at pretending. I just..."
Ji Yunhuan patted Qiao Yue's hand and said softly, "No need to explain, I naturally believe you."
Qiao Yue was happy then. As long as the young lady believed her, she didn't care what other people thought. After all, it was the young lady who gave her the monthly allowance and reward money.
Ji Yunhuan didn't touch Shangguan Ruoxue, leaving her lying on the ground, and said in a cold and hard tone:
"I really don't like you, but the Prime Minister's Mansion has raised you for so many years and has done nothing wrong to you. Father asked you to go to the family temple. If you don't want to go, go and beg Father yourself. What's the point of arguing with me? I'm still sick and don't have the energy to argue with you. Get out of the way!"
Shangguan Ruoxue's body trembled. Thinking of the master's serious face, she didn't dare to disturb the master at all. If she angered the master and sent her back to her hometown, her life would only be more miserable.
Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a glimpse of a green dress with elegant cloud patterns embroidered on the hem. The eldest young master had returned!
She rekindled her hope. If the young master was willing to plead for her, she would definitely be able to stay!
Shangguan Ruoxue struggled to get up, took off the white jade bracelet on her hand, and said tearfully, "I know my cousin doesn't like me, and I don't dare to argue with her. All the good things in the mansion belong to her. This bracelet was given to me by my eldest cousin, so I don't want it."
Shangguan Ruoxue forced the jade bracelet into Ji Yunhuan's hand and begged Ji Yunhuan to accept it.
Ji Yunhuan was baffled. "If I give it to you, it's yours. What do I need this for?"
With a crisp sound, the jade bracelet fell to pieces. Shangguan Ruoxue was stunned for a moment, as if in disbelief. Then she squatted down and picked up the pieces bit by bit.
"It's good that it was broken. It wasn't supposed to be mine in the first place. My cousin doesn't want it, so it's fine if it's destroyed. I just let down my eldest cousin's kindness. I'm sorry to my eldest cousin, sob, sob..."
Shangguan Ruoxue picked up the trash while crying, and did not stop even after her fingers were cut.
————
Ji Yunping had just returned from the palace. He was afraid that his servants could not invite a good imperial physician, so he went to the palace himself to find the experienced imperial physician Qin.
Being able to invite imperial physicians to the palace at any time is a unique favor bestowed by the emperor on the Prime Minister's Mansion.
As soon as he came back, he saw the two of them arguing. This was not the first time he had seen such a scene. His sister was spoiled and didn't like having a cousin in the family, so she always targeted Miss Shangguan.
But today he noticed something strange. His father was right. Sometimes weakness can also be a weapon.
"Huan'er, didn't you say you were sick? Why are you running to the front yard?"
Ji Yunhuan turned around and saw his elder brother. It was like seeing a ghost. Nothing like this happened in his previous life. His elder brother didn't like chaos at home. He lived in the Imperial College all year round and seldom came home.
I finally came back, but how could I encounter such a thing? I can't wash myself clean even if I jump into the Yellow River.
The eldest brother is a straightforward person and will definitely scold her again.
Ji Yunhuan hung his head and said sullenly, "I am sick, but I wanted to find my father, so I came out. Big brother, can you stop scolding me? I am a patient."
Ji Yunping rarely saw his sister like this. She looked listless. In the past, she would try to make excuses when she made a mistake, and would be even more unforgiving when she was right. But today she was behaving well.
He reached out and touched his sister's forehead. It wasn't hot, but rather a little chilled by the cold wind. His face darkened. "I really want to scold you. You're running around before you're well. What if you catch a cold again?"
Ji Yunhuan felt the warm big hand on her head, rubbing her hair just like when she was a child. Her nose felt a little sore. It turned out that her elder brother really cared about her.
In her previous life, she actually ignored these family members who cared about her, and instead devoted herself to Long Haochang. She was simply blinded by greed.
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