Chapter 70 I'll Marry Him
Zhao Zhiyu sighed, "Do you guys still remember Jin Yihuai?"
Lu Jinlan laughed and said, "Of course I remember. She was the student council president when we enrolled. Didn't we fight with her several times? Later, when we made up and caused a scene in the cafeteria, she even brought people to help us."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "Speaking of which, she treated us to drinks at the beginning of the year. Later, we were making arrangements to return the favor, but before we could set a date, she and the other senior students were hastily summoned to the front line."
Yan Wuxin thought for a moment, "It's been half a year since we heard from her. Why did Your Highness suddenly bring her up? Are the senior students about to return to the capital? We need to hurry up and arrange a banquet, so they don't think we're stingy."
The three of them smiled, and Zhao Zhiyu shook his head sadly, "She sacrificed herself."
The laughter inside the room abruptly stopped, and the atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
Zhao Zhiyu said in a deep voice: "Last night, the palace received an urgent report that the front line had suffered a defeat. Jin Yihuai and several senior students led a small team of Ling family soldiers who were ambushed by the Jiang Kingdom army and were all killed in action, with no trace of their bodies."
The atmosphere inside the room was unusually heavy, and everyone was stunned and didn't know what to say.
Zhao Zhiyu said, "Lord Jin received the news last night, and the mourning hall should be set up by now. Funerals require uninvited guests. Although we had a falling out with Senior Jin, we later became friends. Lord Jin has many sons, but only this one daughter. I think it would be good for us all to go and pay our respects, say a few words of comfort to the old man, and do our part."
Lu Jinlan nodded repeatedly, "Of course. Please wait a moment, Your Highness, while we go change our clothes."
The incident happened suddenly. When Lu Jinlan told Lu Jinzhao, Lu Jinzhao hurriedly said, "We should go. Have the funeral offerings been prepared?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head repeatedly. She had never attended a funeral here before and didn't know the rules.
When asked, Zhao Zhiyu said she had only ever attended royal funerals and was unaware of the customs of ordinary people. She thought it was the same as the royal funerals, where all that was needed was for people to show up.
Lu Jinzhao hurriedly ordered people to prepare four sets of funeral offerings, including money, sacrificial items, and some cloth. He also instructed the four young men on what procedures to follow when they arrived at the funeral home, and to find out the time of the funeral procession so that they could arrange the roadside memorial service, etc.
The four arrived at the Jin residence with their belongings, only to find white banners hanging at the entrance and the entire residence draped in mourning.
The mourning hall was filled with family members dressed in mourning clothes, all kneeling with their heads down, silently wiping away tears. Occasionally, suppressed and restrained sobs could be heard.
The four were led over, where they paid their respects before the coffin, offered condolences, and the family members returned the gesture by bowing.
Amidst the chorus of wailing, Yan Wuxin caught a glimpse of a face that surprised her greatly.
Isn't that the little moon that Xiang Ruzhen has been longing for?
She touched Xiang Ruzhen's arm, trying to give her a reminder, but Xiang Ruzhen grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.
The four of them left the mourning hall one after the other. Zhao Zhiyu said, "The steward said that Lord Jin has fallen ill due to a sudden illness. It seems that it is not convenient to disturb him at the moment. I will return to the palace first. We will meet again at the roadside memorial service."
After seeing Zhao Zhiyu off, Yan Wuxin hurriedly said to Xiang Ruzhen, "Didn't you see your little moon kneeling among the family members?"
Xiang Ruzhen nodded. "I saw it."
Yan Wuxin exclaimed in surprise, "Don't you want to say a word to him? At a time like this, even just a word or two of comfort would be helpful."
Xiang Ruzhen sighed helplessly, "I do want to. I've thought more than once that if I see him again, I must say hundreds or thousands of words to him. But this time and place is really not the right time."
Lu Jinlan looked around and lowered her voice, "I saw him too, but he kept his head down and didn't see us. Are we just going to leave like this?"
As the three were discussing in hushed tones, the butler came over and invited them to have tea in the side hall where guests were received.
Xiang Ruzhen: "No need to trouble yourself, we'll be going now."
Yan Wuxin coughed lightly, "My throat is a little dry, let me have a cup of tea before I go."
Lu Jinlan nudged the two of them, "You two go first, I'll go and inquire."
Yan Wuxin pulled Xiang Ruzhen toward the side hall, where servants quickly served them refreshing green tea.
Xiang Ruzhen took a few steps with her tea in hand, and unknowingly walked to the side door. Standing there, she could just see one side of the mourning hall.
She was facing him, looking at him from afar. He seemed to have lost even more weight, kneeling there frailly, a small, delicate figure.
The oversized, pure white mourning clothes seemed to envelop him entirely. His eyes were red from crying, even the tip of his nose was red, making his face appear even paler and more pitiful.
Xiang Ruzhen stood there, and Lu Jinlan leaned over, following her gaze, and said softly, "I found out that his name is Jin Xueqing. He is the youngest son of Lord Jin and the younger brother of Senior Yi Huai, who shares the same mother and father. He is the ninth child in his family and just turned sixteen this year. He is not yet engaged."
Xiang Ruzhen looked at her in surprise, "You asked these questions at the funeral, and no one hit you?"
Lu Jinlan said helplessly, "It's not my fault. I was just asking for your name. That old man is so gossipy. As soon as he heard I was Lu Jinlan, he thought I was going to do something and blurted everything out. What do we do now? Are you really going to leave without saying a word to Young Master Jin?"
Xiang Ruzhen pursed her lips. "I don't know what to say to him either. Never mind, let's go."
She turned her head and suddenly realized that Jin Xueqing had disappeared.
Xiang Ruzhen frowned. A young servant trotted in with his head down and whispered, "Please come with me, Young Madam Xiang."
*
Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin quietly followed behind, and when no one was around, they jumped onto the artificial hill.
The two lay prone on the hill, watching as the male servant led Xiang Ruzhen behind the artificial hill in the garden before turning and leaving.
Just as Xiang Ruzhen was puzzled, Jin Xueqing slowly walked out from the side and stood in front of her.
The two met again after half a year, and when their eyes met, they were speechless for a moment.
Jin Xueqing silently shed tears, and Xiang Ruzhen silently handed her a handkerchief. The two of them just stood there.
Yan Wuxin and Lu Jinlan lay on the mountain, watching anxiously.
Yan Wuxin: "They haven't said a word, and I'm starting to doubt my ears. But these two haven't moved their mouths either. Could it be that Ruzhen can speak ventriloquism?"
Lu Jinlan shook her head, equally puzzled. "I've never encountered anything like this before, I don't understand what's going on. This young master Jin looks so delicate, yet he's quite bold. Last time he sneaked into the academy, and this time he's having a secret rendezvous with another woman. He should just see her, say what he wants to say quickly, otherwise if someone sees him, his mother will definitely punish him. But all he did was cry..."
As Lu Jinlan was speaking, Jin Xueqing suddenly threw herself into Ruzhen's arms, startling both Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin.
Xiang Ruzhen probably hadn't expected him to lose control like this. She paused for a moment, hesitated, then raised her arms and hugged him tightly. The force creased his mourning clothes.
Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin had never seen Xiang Ruzhen so engrossed in her love. The two hurriedly came down from the artificial hill, and before they could even stand firmly, they saw the Imperial Censor Jin Yunning standing not far away like a ghost, staring at the two who were tightly embracing each other.
Jin Yun Ning, nearing seventy, had aged considerably overnight after the tragic loss of her beloved daughter. The last time I saw her, her hair was gray, but now it was completely white. She stood there leaning on her cane, like a candle flickering in the wind, her light seemingly destined to fade in an instant.
Yan Wuxin stumbled, looking nervously at Lu Jinlan. Lu Jinlan quickly said, "Let me go explain a few things first."
She hurried forward. "Lord Jin, do you remember us? Last time in the academy cafeteria, Senior Yi Huai introduced us. We are all students of the Royal Academy, not bad people, especially Xiang Ruzhen, she is an absolute gentleman. We were shocked to hear the bad news today, so we came together to pay our respects. We didn't mean anything by it, but... by the way, we heard you fell ill. Are you feeling better now?"
Jin Yun Ning nodded slightly, but her gaze remained fixed on the two people.
Yan Wuxin said urgently, "Things are definitely not what you think. Ruzhen is not a frivolous person. She was about to leave, but then... uh..."
They actually wanted to say, "It was your son who took the initiative," but they couldn't bring themselves to say it, feeling that anything they said at that moment would be seen as shirking responsibility.
Moreover, given Ruzhen's temperament, even if she were misunderstood as having a frivolous relationship with a respectable husband, she would likely take the blame without uttering a word of denial.
The two were at a loss for words, but they were afraid that Jin Yun Ning would blame Ru Zhen for it.
Just as he was hesitating, he heard Jin Yunning say in a deep voice, "Have Xiang Ruzhen come to my study alone."
After Jin Yun Ning finished speaking, she turned and left. They had no choice but to walk over and cough twice, forcibly interrupting the two's embrace.
Jin Xueqing turned away awkwardly, while Xiang Ruzhen remained extremely calm. She wiped away his tears and said gently, "Go back first and wait for my news."
Jin Xueqing nodded and quickly left.
Lu Jinlan took a deep breath. "Lord Jin wants you to see her alone in the study."
Xiang Ruzhen said, "Okay."
Lu Jinlan: "She just saw you two hugging."
A hint of surprise flashed in Xiang Ruzhen's eyes, then she said, "Alright."
She grabbed a passing servant and asked, "Where is Lord Jin's study?"
The servant led Xiang Ruzhen to the study. Lu Jinlan and Yan Wuxin looked at each other and sat down on the stone steps, sighing.
The two have always been quite worried about Xiang Ruzhen's love life.
My inner understanding went through three stages: My righteous friend is not interested in men; My friend is a strong and independent woman, but she is captivated by a seemingly weak young man of unknown identity; At the funeral, I finally learned the young man's identity, but he took my friend to a secret rendezvous in the garden, and the two embraced, only to be caught by his mother...
There is no stage where one can feel at ease.
*
Xiang Ruzhen entered the study, straightened her back, and knelt respectfully before Jin Yunning. "Xiang Ruzhen has come to confess her sins and begs for your punishment, Your Excellency."
Jin Yun Ning leaned back in her chair, opening her eyes wearily. "What crime have you committed? I saw it; it was Qing'er throwing herself into my arms."
"No!" Xiang Ruzhen hurriedly said, "It was because I indulged and condoned him that he lost his mind for a moment. If you want to punish someone, punish me. I will take responsibility for this."
"Take responsibility? How will you take responsibility?" Xiang Ruzhen said decisively, "I'll marry him."
She said calmly and respectfully, "If you are worried that this matter will damage his reputation if it gets out, I can explain to everyone that it was my fault. But if you still feel it is inappropriate, please betroth him to me, and I will cherish him with all my heart."
“I know it’s not appropriate to say this now. But I want you to know that this has been my thought all along, and it’s not something I just decided on a whim today.”
"Perhaps you don't understand me, or you think I have ulterior motives. Perhaps I am unworthy, but I want to do my best for Xueqing. If you have any doubts about my character, you are welcome to investigate. As for my family background, I will now be frank with you. I come from Mianzhou, and my family..."
Jin Yun Ning waved her hand, "No need to say anything, take a look at this first."
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