Chapter 127 Brother Ali is already 23 years old, which is quite depressing

Ji Jinyou was so excited about the reunion that she didn't notice anything strange in Xue Yili's tone. She just nodded stupidly and said yes. Then she continued, "My father and mother prepared dozens of portraits for me. My brothers and sisters have already helped me screen them. Now there are only ten people left. I have met them all..."

Xue Yili interrupted her: "Have you seen them all?"

Ji Jinyou nodded: "Yes, there are a few I already know, and the rest I haven't seen. My sixth brother organized a banquet at home and invited everyone, so I met them all."

Xue Yili: "How?"

Ji Jinyou: "Every one of them is good-looking. Among them, there is one named Yuan Jinxuan, who was the top scorer in both civil and military subjects last year. He is the best-looking."

Seeing that the girl kept praising those men for their good looks, and her expression and tone did not show any rejection, Xue Yili's mouth, which had been smiling since they met, sank unconsciously: "How good-looking are they?"

This time Ji Jinyou heard something wrong. She turned her head to look at Xue Yili and saw that his face, which had been as cheerful as spring breeze before, seemed to be a little colder for some reason.

She recalled that when she was at home, she praised the top student in two subjects in front of her brothers. Her brothers also asked the same question with a sullen face. Ji Jinyou couldn't help laughing.

The corners of Xue Yili's mouth sank again, "Is it really so beautiful?" It was so beautiful that the little girl smiled like a flower when she mentioned him.

Ji Jinyou hurriedly pulled his sleeve and shook it: "No matter how good-looking you are, you are not as good-looking as Brother Ali. Brother Ali is the best-looking person in the world."

The girl's sweet words successfully made Xue Yili happy. He reached out and rubbed her head: "This time, you should stay a little longer. Ah Yao is getting engaged. If you are not here, she will definitely make trouble with you."

Ji Jinyou had originally planned to do so. Hearing this, he nodded and said, "I have already promised Sister Yao, but I don't know whether the date will be before or after the New Year. If it is before the New Year, I can still rush back to celebrate the New Year."

Xue Yili said: "After the New Year."

Ji Jinyou wondered: "Has it been decided?"

Xue Yili nodded: "Just decided."

Ji Jinyou said, "No wonder Sister Yao didn't know. If it's after the Chinese New Year, then I can only stay here for the New Year."

Xue Yili smiled slightly: "Very good."

Ji Jinyou followed Xue Yili into the palace, first went to pay a visit to Concubine Yun, and then went to the palace specially prepared for her by Xue Yili to bathe, change clothes, have a meal and rest.

After everyone had eaten and fallen asleep, Xue Yili went back to work. On the way, he whispered to Cong'an, "Go to the Yun Mansion and tell Lord Yun that Yun Yao's engagement party will be held after the New Year."

Cong An received the order and left the palace. When he came back after delivering the message, Yun Yao followed him into the palace angrily. As soon as they met, she complained: "Brother Crown Prince, it's still three months before the Chinese New Year. Why do you have to let me get engaged after the Chinese New Year?"

Xue Yili flipped through the documents in his hand without even raising his eyelids: "I want Youyou to stay here for the New Year."

Yun Yao didn't understand: "Then just celebrate here. What does this have to do with my engagement party?"

Xue Yili put down the memorial and looked at Yun Yao: "Youyou said that if your engagement party is not held before the New Year, she will rush back to celebrate the New Year."

Yun Yao understood and was furious. She and her fiancé were in love with each other and wanted to marry him immediately and live together forever. Now she was interrupted and was furious.

She put her hands on her hips and stamped her feet: "Then you have to find a way to keep her. Why did you postpone my engagement party? I was thinking of getting engaged at the end of this year and getting married in the first half of next year. Now, we have to postpone the wedding until the end of next year."

Xue Yili took out a box from the drawer, opened it, took out a stack of banknotes, and put it on the table: "Add some makeup."

Yun Yao's eyes lit up, and she immediately went forward to pick it up and counted it. There were actually one thousand taels. The corners of her mouth curled up wildly: "Brother Crown Prince, I don't have any other intentions. It's just that I have already agreed with Gu Ciyuan..."

Before Yun Yao finished her words, Xue Yili took out another stack of banknotes and placed them on the table.

Yun Yao grabbed it and compared it to the stack in her hand, it was just as much as the one in her hand. She smiled so hard that she couldn't stop: "Brother Crown Prince, what about when after the New Year? You know, Gu Ciyuan is already grown up. He is the only male in his family, and they all hope that he can..."

Xue Yili simply pushed the box over and looked at Yun Yao quietly.

Yun Yao picked up the box and took a look. She was ecstatic and beaming with joy. "Brother Crown Prince, in my heart, you are my biological brother. How can I not listen to you? I will discuss with Gu Ciyuan later and postpone the engagement."

"But we can't postpone it too late, otherwise, Youyou might have to go back first and come back after I get engaged. Otherwise, how about postponing it to March next year? Brother Crown Prince, is that okay?"

Xue Yili also thought so. He nodded slightly and said, "Okay."

After the two of them agreed, Yun Yao walked out quickly with the box in her arms, as if she was afraid that Xue Yili would go back on his word and take back all the banknotes.

---

The next morning, Yun Yao came to the palace to have breakfast with Ji Jinyou, and told her the news that her engagement party had been postponed.

Ji Jinyou was shocked to hear that the marriage was postponed to March next year: "Sister Yao, why is it so late? Didn't you say before that you wanted to marry Brother-in-law Gu earlier?"

Yun Yao glanced at Xue Yili, who was sitting next to him drinking tea. He was holding the teacup steady as a rock, and he asked as if he had no idea what was going on. "Yeah, why are you so late?"

Yun Yao was furious, but she felt she had received a favor. For the sake of the five thousand taels of silver, she had no right to accuse anyone. She smiled at Ji Jinyou and said, "My mother said that I was still young and couldn't bear to see me leave home so early. She told me to wait another year, so the engagement party was postponed a bit."

Ji Jinyou thought about it and agreed. Yun Yao was only one year older than her, so getting married next year was indeed too early, at least in her opinion.

Just as Xue Yili and Yun Yao expected, upon hearing that Yun Yao's engagement party would be postponed for a few months, Ji Jinyou thought for a moment and said, "How about I stay for a month or two, go back to celebrate the New Year, and then come back after the New Year?"

Yun Yao looked at Xue Yili and saw that Xue Yili winked at her. Yun Yao understood that this meant that she should stay. Yun Yao sighed in her heart that money was not easy to make, and then hugged Ji Jinyou and kept shaking her: "Youyou, I will get married in another year, and I will not be so free in the future. You should stay and accompany me."

Ji Jinyou had never spent the New Year outside of home, and was a little hesitant: "But..."

Yun Yao didn't wait for her to finish, and hugged her and rocked her vigorously, acting like a scoundrel: "I don't care, I don't care, I just want you to stay with me."

Yun Yao was the best at nagging people. Ji Jinyou couldn't stand it anymore and had to nod and say yes. Yun Yao was so happy that he held her in his arms and spun around, then put her down. "Youyou, I have something to do these two days. I'll come to see you when I'm done." After saying that, she bowed to Xue Yili, turned around and left.

Looking at the impetuous figure, Ji Jinyou spread his hands and said teasingly: "Brother A Li, you said Sister A Yao was such a person, she clearly asked me to stay with her, but she ran away first."

Xue Yili put down his teacup, smiling: "Ah Yao is just like that, don't pay any attention to her."

Ji Jinyou knew that Yun Yao was in a hurry to accompany her lover, so she naturally wouldn't be angry with her. She was just talking.

Xue Yili stood up and said, "Let's go and sit in the Imperial Concubine's Palace."

The two of them went to Concubine Yun's palace together. Concubine Yun held Ji Jinyou's hand and said lovingly, "Did you sleep well last night?"

Ji Jinyou nodded: "Thank you for your concern, I slept well."

Concubine Yun held the little girl's hand and asked caringly, "I heard from your brother A Li that you are choosing a son-in-law now?"

Ji Jinyou nodded generously: "Well, Brother Ali asked me to give him some advice, so I brought the picture book with me."

Concubine Yun smiled and said, "That's great. Show it to me tomorrow so I can see what kind of young masters they are."

Ji Jinyou was about to say yes, but Xue Yili spoke first: "Mother, Youyou will not be back until next year, there is no rush for this matter, it won't be too late to talk about it later."

Ji Jinyou was not in a hurry at first, but since Concubine Yun mentioned it, she thought it would be okay to show her the portrait first, so she said, "Brother Ali, let Concubine Yun take a look at it first, and then you can take a look at it later. If neither works, I can write to my father as soon as possible and let him tell others. It's not good to keep them hanging."

Concubine Yun also said, "That's exactly the truth."

Xue Yili had always been obedient to Ji Jinyou, but for some reason he was very stubborn about this matter: "There's no rush, mother. Didn't you prepare jewelry and new clothes for Youyou?"

Seeing Xue Yili forcibly changing the subject, Concubine Yun was stunned.

Before Youyou came, Ali told her about Youyou's choice of a husband, and said that the girl was young and had poor judgment, so he would have to help her make a selection personally.

She clearly remembered that when Ali said that, he was open and honest, acting like a brother who was worried about his sister.

But at this moment, she suddenly felt that there was something strange about her son.

Ji Jinyou also thought Xue Yili was a little strange. It was he who asked her to bring the picture album, and it was also he who repeatedly said he would not look at it.

Seeing that Concubine Yun and Ji Jinyou were both staring at him, Xue Yili put his fist to his lips and coughed lightly, "I think Youyou is still young, there is no need to rush."

Concubine Yun Gui looked at her son's changing expression and suddenly an idea flashed in her mind, a thought she had never had before.

She looked at the ignorant little girl beside her and couldn't help but smile. She looked at Xue Yili meaningfully and took the little girl's hand: "Ali is right. We are still young. There is no rush. Come on, let's go and take a look at the new jewelry."

Ji Jinyou was led by Concubine Yun to the inner room, and the topic of their conversation shifted to the styles of jewelry and the materials of new clothes.

Xue Yili watched the two people's backs disappear behind the screen, rubbed his hands on the armrests of the chair twice, and stood up to go out.

Concubine Yun took Ji Jinyou to sit at the table and placed the newly made jewelry on the table one by one, letting the little girl look at them. She sat aside and looked at her with a smile: "Our Youyou is also a big girl, but your brother Ali is so old, but he has not arranged to get married. This palace is really worried about her hair turning gray."

Seeing Concubine Yun sighing, Ji Jinyou also sighed: "Yes, Brother Ali is already 23 years old, it's really worrying."

As soon as he finished speaking, Ji Jinyou remembered that in the original plot, Xue Yili did not get married and have children, and his heart suddenly skipped a beat.

Oh no, could it be that Brother Ali has some problem that he cannot tell others about?