Chapter 273: Family and Country Are the Most Important
The next morning, Si Lianhuan was sitting in the inn eating breakfast when he heard one of his men bring him a piece of news.
"Princess, Miss Caiwei did not encounter any difficulties after arriving at Prince Ning's mansion yesterday. On the contrary, according to her, everyone in Prince Ning's mansion was quite polite to her, at least on the surface. Prince Ning himself was also quite gentle to her. Apart from asking her to sing a song, he did not ask her to do anything else."
The secret guard paused and continued, "She also said that Prince Ning seemed to have some interest in her from the beginning. When His Majesty said he wanted to lend her to Prince Ning, he agreed without hesitation. She was originally worried that Prince Ning would torture her, but now she realizes that she was worrying too much, and Prince Ning's mansion is full of beautiful women, each with their own style."
Si Lianhuan paused while drinking porridge. "Could it be that the man is a playboy? I haven't heard Prince Yi say that before. If that's the case... let Caiwei stay in Prince Ning's mansion for now."
Rather than being a vase in the palace and never being able to get close to the emperor, it is good to arouse Song Yunchu's interest.
"What is Prince Yi doing now? Ask him to come and see me."
Si Lianhua was thinking about asking Jun Tianyi for more information about Song Yunchu, but she heard the secret guard respond, "Prince Yi went out early in the morning. He said he was bored staying in the inn and wanted to go out to relax. After the princess's reprimand last time, he also realized that he should not hang around acquaintances, so he will choose to walk around some places with fewer people, so he won't cause you any trouble."
"He said that even if he was really unlucky and got into trouble, he would never bother the princess to help him again, and he would never tell anyone about your rescue."
Upon hearing this, Si Lianhuan snorted coldly, "That's just nice talk. It seems that he only has me as his helper now. If he encounters any problems again, do you think he will come to me?"
At first, she thought Jun Tianyi was a man of integrity, but after spending some time with him, she also discovered that when a person is extremely poor and even has problems with food, clothing, housing and transportation, his integrity will be worn away.
Otherwise, how could he have endured her scolding that night? If it were in his former glory, no one would have dared to say harsh words to him.
"Princess, please forgive me for speaking frankly. This person seems to be very arrogant. I'm afraid he won't be willing to follow you. I'm a little worried that if this continues, he will cause you trouble one day. After all, he has a special identity..."
"He used to be a glorious prince, but now he is down and out. It is naturally difficult for him to obey me. In fact, I can guess what he is thinking. The reason why he followed us to Tianqi Kingdom is probably because he wants to find a chance to take revenge on King Ning."
Si Lianhua smiled when she said this: "Do you know why I agreed to let him go? With how much resentment he has towards Prince Ning, even if we don't bring him here, he will definitely not want to stay in Xiling Country and wait for death. Instead of trying to come here by himself, it is better to bring him here and put him under my nose. Let the secret guards keep an eye on all his movements, and I will feel more at ease."
"I understand. Actually, I have already repaid him for saving me two years ago. I could just let him die. No one can say I am heartless. But given his current situation, he will die if he is caught... After all, I still want him to be alive."
She would not help him get revenge, but she was also reluctant to see him fall into a dead end. After all, his appearance two years ago made her experience what it was like to fall in love for the first time.
If possible, she really hoped that he could understand that his so-called revenge was a pipe dream, and he could not return to his previous high position. His best choice now was to depend on her.
Apart from this, he had no other way out.
…
There is abundant water and grass at the foot of Cuifeng Mountain.
Jun Tianyi was leaning against the trunk of a big tree, holding a small jar of wine in his hand.
There are few people here, and even if Si Lianhuan knew he was here, she wouldn't nag him.
Of course, he didn't come here just to relax.
Today is the anniversary of Jiang Rumin's mother's death.
Jiang Rumin usually visits the graves in the morning, and this place is her only way.
He has been sitting here for more than half an hour. Calculating the time, she should be here by now, right?
After a while, he saw three slender figures appearing in the distance, and he knew that it was Jiang Rumin coming with two maids.
Si Lianhuan's secret guard was watching not far away, so he had to lead the man away first.
Thinking of this, he jumped off the tree and headed in another direction.
Seeing this, the people who were staring at him naturally followed in the direction he left.
Jiang Rumin and his two servants walked for a long time and finally stopped in front of a tomb.
The maids placed offerings for worship and kowtowed to the deceased lady together with Jiang Rumin.
"Mother, I am doing well now. You can rest in peace in your grave."
Jiang Rumin had just offered the wine when he suddenly heard thunder in the distance.
The master and his servants looked up at the sky and saw that the originally clear sky had suddenly become dark, as if it was going to rain soon.
The three of them then realized that the weather had been a bit changeable in the past two days. When they went out, they saw that it was a sunny day outside and they didn't even think of bringing rain gear.
"Hurry up and pack up. Let's find a place to shelter from the rain first."
As Jiang Rumin spoke, fine raindrops began to fall.
Suddenly, brisk footsteps were heard behind her. Jiang Rumin turned her head subconsciously and saw a green oil-paper umbrella in her sight.
The visitor was dressed in a sky-blue brocade dress, with a handsome face and a tall and graceful figure. While holding an umbrella for her, he also handed the other umbrella in his hand to the two maids behind her.
Jiang Rumin was a little surprised, "Why is His Royal Highness Prince Qi here?"
Shangguan Qi said, "A'an had some rashes on her face. The doctor in Prince Gong's Mansion gave her some medicine, but it didn't work very well. I thought your medicine might be better, so I took her to Ruihe Hall. I learned from the waiter that you came to Cuifeng Mountain to visit the grave, but it seemed that you didn't bring any rain gear, so I rode here on horseback."
"I see. Then how did Your Highness know the exact location of my grave?"
"I rode my horse alone, which was faster than your carriage. In fact, I had already caught up with you before you arrived at Cuifeng Mountain. However, the weather had not changed at that time, so I could not show up rashly to disturb you. I only came here when I saw the rain falling."
Listening to Shangguan Qi's explanation, Jiang Rumin lowered his eyes.
It's not that she can't understand Shangguan Qi's feelings, but she is no longer the confused person who only seeks true love.
No matter how much he shared her interests and no matter how much he cared about her, they were not from the same country.
"It's my fault for having a bad memory. The weather has been changing a lot these past two days. I should have made more preparations before going out. Your Highness, thank you for making this trip. We will definitely remember to bring rain gear next time."
Listening to Jiang Rumin's polite words, Shangguan Qi felt a little disappointed.
He remembered that a few days ago, they appreciated paintings and discussed music together. He could sense that Jiang Rumin was still happy at that time, and she did not seem to be opposed to interacting with him.
But her behavior today is much more distant than before.
He originally thought that she would at least treat him as a confidant. After all, there were many things they could communicate about. However, her expression at this moment did not seem like the attitude she showed towards a confidant. Instead, she was even colder than an ordinary friend.
He couldn't help but start to think whether there was anything wrong with his words and actions in recent days.
Jiang Rumin didn't intend to let him guess, and turned to look at the tombstone a few feet away.
"When I was young, I heard my mother sigh to the nanny, saying that the best destination for a woman in this life is to marry a man who loves her. It's a pity that she didn't marry the right man. She only hoped that I could find a good man in the future and never follow in her footsteps."
"I know she was doing this for my own good, and I have kept her words in mind. Even though I no longer agree with her words today, I cannot deny her love for me, because that is what her mother taught her."
Shangguan Qi saw a look of reminiscence on Jiang Rumin's face, so he did not respond, but listened to her story quietly.
"At that time, I didn't know what kind of man would be considered an ideal husband. Until one time, when my mother and I went out for an outing, we saw a noble lady bitten by a poisonous snake. I quickly rescued her. Later, I learned that the noble lady was Prince Yi's mother, Concubine Yi. She took a liking to me and came to the mansion to propose marriage not long after. Naturally, my father was happy to become a relative of the prince's mansion, and he happily agreed."
"It is said that Prince Yi is tall and handsome, and he has such a noble status. This marriage not only makes my father happy, but my mother is also relieved. After all, being a princess is a blessing that many noble ladies cannot ask for. Seeing my parents happy, I can't help but have expectations in my heart. Under the arrangement of Concubine Yi, I met Jun Tianyi."
"The first time I saw him, I felt that the rumors were true. He was indeed handsome and full of vigor. He seemed dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by the elders, but he was polite to me on the surface. I thought at the time that I was marrying above my station, so it didn't matter if he was a little cold to me. After all, feelings need to be cultivated."
"Later, my mother passed away, and the second lady became the new mistress of the Duke's Mansion. From then on, my life became difficult. My second sister Yuxi's food and clothing expenses were several times better than mine, but I couldn't even get the money to buy herbal seeds, so I had to beg her mother for money. I was eager to get rid of that kind of life, and I could only hope that Jun Tianyi would support me."
"But I was still naive. So what if I was engaged to Jun Tianyi? This didn't stop him from falling for my sister. I felt bad, but I couldn't make a fuss because I still regarded him as my best way out. Especially when he occasionally showed me tenderness, I would be more determined. I wanted to be the Princess of Yi. Obviously, I got the chance first, so how could I be willing to give him to Yuxi?"
Shangguan Qi felt sad listening to her calm narration.
In fact, he knew a lot about her past. Now, hearing her speak out her past thoughts in person, he could sense that she had truly let it go, but he still felt indignant about everything she had been through.
In the years after her mother passed away, she was truly isolated and helpless. Her family, including her fiancé, did not love her but bullied her.
She wanted to escape from the Duke's Mansion too much, and was too easily contented, so she was full of expectations for Jun Tianyi, and Concubine Yi was indeed better to her than her family. In her opinion at the time, going to Prince Yi's Mansion would definitely be better than staying in the Duke's Mansion.
"Later, I met my benefactor, Prince Ning. To be honest, I really have to thank His Majesty for bringing Prince Ning and I together. What I mean is not the marriage between a man and a woman, but the guidance of a master to a lost person."
"At that time, he was still the Prime Minister of Song, and was known as a domineering and powerful official. Because of his bad reputation, I was very wary of him. I always caused trouble for him, but he didn't think I was a troublemaker. Instead, he helped me everywhere. He prepared hidden weapons for me to defend myself, found a place for me to open a clinic, and took me to fight the epidemic. To be honest, although I have excellent medical skills, my current reputation was cultivated by him. Without him, there would be no Jiang Rumin today."
"After gaining fame and fortune, I reflected for a long time. Why do women have to be obsessed with true love? In fact, it doesn't matter if you can't get love. Real gold is always more real than true love. With wealth and fame, there is nothing missing in life."
"He has cultivated me for so long, and I have also worked hard for so long. Finally, God has rewarded those who work hard. In the land of Tianqi, I have become a famous doctor praised by everyone. I have a new house, a new family, and a new life. In the future, I will consolidate everything I have now and help King Ning."
"As the heavens have said, as the 'Jingxing', I can benefit the people of Tianqi. This is my supreme honor. While enjoying fame and fortune, I will devote my life to this land."
"Your Highness Prince Qi, do you agree with my idea?"
Shangguan Qi listened to the words and was stunned for a long moment before he came to his senses.
He had understood what she meant.
She was almost telling him that no matter how he felt about her, no matter whether she had ever been attracted to him, it didn't matter. What mattered was that she would never leave Apocalypse Country in this life.
But he is the prince of Beichen Kingdom. If she follows him, she would be going against her conscience.
Instead of struggling with your heart, it is better not to be moved.
It’s not that she doesn’t care about her daughter, but her family and country are the most important.
Such a state of mind made him respect her, but her rejection made him sad.
Seeing that she was waiting for his answer, Shangguan Qi finally responded, "Of course I agree."
Jiang Rumin smiled faintly, "Your Highness is indeed a reasonable person."
Shangguan Qi also raised his lips towards her, but his heart was full of mixed feelings.
He knew her past and understood her future plans, so even if she was rejected, he had to respect her wishes.
What the two of them didn't know was that behind a big tree a few feet away, a pair of eyes were watching their every move, with a hint of coldness in their eyes.
Jun Tianyi deliberately led Si Lianhuan's secret guards far away and got rid of them. He knew the location of Jiang Rumin's grave and rushed here just to see her as soon as possible, but he didn't expect to encounter such a dazzling scene.
When did Shangguan Qi become so close to her?
Even though he cannot stand beside Jiang Rumin openly now, he will never allow others to take advantage of the situation!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
