Chapter 45 Threat
Pei Xingjian's eyes reddened slightly as he called out, "Shu'er."
Ji Shu stopped in her tracks and said coldly, "Your Highness, I thought I had made myself clear enough."
Pei Xingjian staggered back a few steps, a tear falling from his eye: "I want to ask, if I didn't have this marriage, would you... be willing to marry me?"
Ji Shuzhen thought about it seriously for a moment, then her eyes turned cold and desolate: "I don't know either, because from beginning to end... it's impossible for you and me."
Seeing that he was still not giving up, Ji Shu looked at the rugged artificial mountain in the distance and said, "Your Highness, you are the future ruler of Yanzhou, and even more so, the future monarch. In one's life, one will like many people. No one can guarantee that they will only like one person for a lifetime. You also cannot make me live the life I yearn for."
"It's cold and the dew is heavy, Your Highness should go back early."
"So... what kind of life do you want?"
Ji Shu said calmly, "Don't you understand? This is the life I love most right now. Your sudden intrusion will only shatter everything I cherish."
Now that she's involved with his father, if she doesn't cut things off quickly, things might get even more out of control.
Therefore, it's best for them to forget each other and go their separate ways.
Pei Xingjian's eyes were filled with disbelief as he looked at Ji Shu's cold expression, and a flood of emotions welled up inside him.
Finally, he lowered his head and said, "I understand."
He remained silent for a while before saying, "At least until I've resolved everything, I won't bother you anymore."
Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, a look of deep sorrow flashed in his eyes. He nodded slightly to her and then left.
After that day, perhaps because he was too heartbroken, or perhaps because he wanted to prove something, Pei Xingjian took Wei Heng and Wei Ziming back to Yanzhou.
The next day, when it was still early, Ji Shu packed her things and prepared to return to Chongzhou.
Since he's willing to stay, let him stay.
They set off early in the morning in a swaying carriage. Meanwhile, Pei Yanzhi was listening to Lu Changming's report.
Pei Yanzhi leaned back in his chair. "She's gone?"
"Yes, I noticed that Madam Ji didn't look too well when she left."
"Where is the Crown Prince?"
“The young master did not rest here last night, but returned to Chongzhou overnight. When he left, I heard from the servants that even though it was raining, Madam Ji did not offer him lodging.”
Lu Changming observed his lord's expression and continued, "I wonder what happened, but it was probably unpleasant."
Pei Yanzhi scoffed coldly, "She's always been sharp-tongued. I thought she cared a lot about Xingjian, but it seems she's nothing special, so fickle."
Lu Changming: "..."
Both the lord and the young lord had been rebuffed by Lady Ji, and now they spoke in the tone of women in brothels, full of jealousy and resentment.
Pei Yanzhi pushed open the door and entered Ji Shu's room. Before he had gone far, the room was filled with the sweet fragrance of a young woman.
Looking around, Pei Yanzhi walked to the dressing table, where there was a half-empty box of unused floral hairpins. He casually picked one up.
With a bronze mirror in front of him, one could easily capture the delicate young girl applying makeup and embellishing her eyebrows without any effort.
Since his son is so idle, it's time to send him back to Yanzhou.
"Let the Crown Prince take the Wei siblings back to Yanzhou first, and safely deliver the grain that has been raised. Also, tell him about the annulment of the engagement. If he has the ability to cancel it, I will not interfere."
Looking at his lord's back, Lu Changming wondered if his lord was going to remove Lady Ji from his heart.
But I felt things weren't that simple, so I didn't dare to speculate and respectfully agreed.
In the days that followed, Ji Shu lived a truly peaceful life, almost forgetting that there was still that person in Chongzhou.
That day, Chunzhi went to the street and handed the prescription she had written in advance to the manager of Furong Pavilion. On her way back, she happened to run into Ji Congwen being pushed and beaten out of the gambling den.
Ji Congwen cursed as he got up from the ground, dusted himself off, and spat fiercely at the entrance of the gambling den.
"Pah, I'm having a bad day. I'll try again tomorrow."
The thug standing at the door sneered, "Second Master Ji, you'd better pay back the debts owed by the gambling den, or we'll use your precious daughter to pay them off."
Before Ji Congwen could finish speaking, the man slammed the door shut.
Ji Congwen staggered to his feet, feeling increasingly resentful. Ever since that day when he left his mother's courtyard, nothing had gone right.
On one hand, Ji Shu actually came to the door with these IOUs to ask for the things back; on the other hand, she hadn't won a single penny at the gambling den these past few days and had even accumulated a huge debt.
Watching his departing figure, Chunzhi hurriedly ran back to tell the girl the news.
Ji Shu remained silent after hearing this, without giving it much thought.
The next day, Chang Wu hurriedly returned to report that Master Ji was making a scene at the East Gate shop, smashing and damaging things.
The shop assistants, seeing that it was the second master of the Ji family and that he was the young lady's uncle, dared not ask him to leave and could only watch him cause trouble.
Ji Shu knew that Ji Congwen was desperate and wanted to make things difficult for himself since he had no money to repay his gambling debts.
He raised an eyebrow and sneered, "Let him smash it. Make a list of all the property he damages and go ask my dear second aunt for it."
Chang Wu responded, "Yes."
Another day passed.
Ji Shu originally planned to look for a shop after finishing her breakfast.
Ji Congwen actually led a group of thugs to the door, declaring that he would take everything out of the mansion.
Looking at his imposing manner, Ji Shu glanced at everyone and said softly, "Second Uncle, have you forgotten that everything in this ancestral home has long since been unrelated to you?"
"Or perhaps we haven't learned our lesson from the losses we suffered recently."
A sinister glint flashed across Ji Congwen's lean and shrewd face as he pulled a letter from his sleeve: "My dear niece, you probably don't know this yet, but your grandmother bequeathed the ancestral home to me before she passed away. How can you, an unmarried granddaughter, compare to me?"
Ji Shu's eyes darkened, and she gave Chang Wu a look. Chang Wu stepped forward, took the document, and handed it to Ji Shu. Ji Shu looked down and saw that it indeed had the old lady's private seal on it.
"Ha! My grandmother has passed away. Now you're giving me this ancestral deed. Do you think I'll accept it? Or do you think the government is stupid?"
"Besides, you didn't bring it out when Grandmother died, but now that so much time has passed and you're drowning in gambling debts, you're finally bringing it out. Anyone with eyes can see that this is a forgery!"
Ji Congwen's eyes twitched slightly. He knew he had underestimated his niece. Fortunately, he had brought a large group of people with him today, and he had also made arrangements for everyone.
He composed himself and sneered, "Haha, my dear niece, you say it's a forgery, so it's a forgery? Can't the government authenticate it? Since I've come to your door in such a public place, I naturally have every right to be confident."
Ji Congwen stepped closer, his voice laced with threat: "You may not know this, but with this ancestral deed, not only your shop, but even your future marriage is entirely up to me. It's because the Ji family has no male heirs now."
After saying that, he pretended to sigh with regret, "Alas, it's just a pity that I have to take on this huge mess."
Ji Shu's expression changed slightly. She would never hand over the ancestral home or the shop to Ji Congwen.
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