Chapter 26: Contract Signed - Ji Yucheng Succumbs to Love
"You mean, Yu Er had prepared an umbrella from the beginning?" Zhu Xuanning took a spoonful of mung bean iced milk tea to cool down before comfortably squinting her watery eyes and asking.
Splashing ink and fanning herself with a silk fan, she responded softly to Zhu Xuanning's question and recounted in detail what she had seen and heard at the time.
If an umbrella was prepared in advance, why didn't you just have someone bring it up? Instead, you first shielded her from the sun and fanned her, and only then handed the umbrella to Po Mo?
Zhu Xuanning flicked the spoon handle and began to recall her previous interactions with Yu Xuan.
"Haven't you found out anything about Yu Er's life yet?" After changing her target and having more usable money, Zhu Xuanning instructed Po Mo to do this.
He splashed ink and shook his head.
Zhu Xuanning was somewhat disappointed, but she could understand it after thinking about it. To find out information without alerting the other party, they had to find a good way and spend a large sum of money. And all they had now was money.
Unable to figure it out and without getting the information she wanted, Zhu Xuanning finished her iced milk tea and went to her study. She listed out all the information she had come across, pondered it repeatedly, and tried to find some clues.
Two hours passed in the blink of an eye, and Zhu Xuanning actually found some useful clues from them.
She picked up her pen and circled "sweet bubble," "thin cocoon," and a line of poetry by Yu Xuan.
"Was he like me, born into poverty? Or was his mother from a poor background? Or was he once unloved?" Zhu Xuanning asked three questions in a row.
"Why do you ask that, Miss?" After Po Mo finished asking, Zhu Xuanning beckoned her over and pointed to several related clues that she had circled.
"Sweet pomelo is a kind of wild fruit from the mountains. Why would an ordinary nobleman embroider such an unrefined wild fruit on his handkerchief?"
"Even if a noble young master who never lifts a finger practices martial arts, there wouldn't be any calluses on his hands."
"If these two things are as I guessed, then do you think these two lines, 'After a hundred turns, the pufferfish's resentment is dispelled; after a thousand boils, its unique flavor is refined. Let the lingering taste drift away with the waves, and let the long wind rise to the blue sky,' are describing the removal of pufferfish toxins and the brewing of a delicious soup; or are they describing his persuasion to accept the power and benefits of the Yu family, let go of hatred, and rise to the top?"
Only in this way can we explain why Yu Xuan was close to her.
Po Mo was taken aback, but soon came to his senses and decided to start his investigation from the perspective suggested by Zhu Xuanning.
There's no need to collect Yu Xuan's life story; it's relatively easy to gather evidence that corroborates Zhu Xuanning's conjecture.
Not long after Po Mo left, Zhu Xuanning had her dinner and then took a walk in the courtyard. Soon after, a maid from the outer courtyard came to announce that Ji Yucheng was requesting an audience.
"They said they wanted to take your pulse to see if you have any heat in your body. Would you agree?" the maid asked cautiously, anxiously awaiting Zhu Xuanning's answer.
Zhu Xuanning knew she was in trouble, but she still came anyway. After she nodded, the maid smiled and withdrew, unconsciously clutching the coin she had put in her purse.
Ji Yucheng approached Zhu Xuanning's courtyard as he wished, and a maid told him that the young lady was waiting for him in the study.
Ji Yucheng unconsciously tightened her grip on the medical kit, but her expression remained unreadable.
The study door was half-open, letting in a bright, dim light. Ji Yucheng saw the girl sitting upright in the shimmering lamplight.
Her skin was as white as snow, and her hair hung down like clouds.
Hearing the commotion outside, the girl, who had her back to him, turned her head and looked back. The flickering candlelight seemed to fall into her eyes like starlight, then trailed over her dark blue hair and blurred the cherry blossom color on her lips.
Ji Yucheng paused for a moment, then lowered his eyes, pretending to be nonchalant, and closed the study door.
He took Zhu Xuanning's pulse according to the normal procedure, and then prescribed a formula to regulate her body.
After all the preparations were completed, Ji Yucheng took out four sheets of paper with ink on them from his medical kit. He raised them with a slight smile and presented them to Zhu Xuanning with both hands: "Look, this is the contract signed by Yu Er as the middleman. I have already invited the official documents from the yamen's rites department to your residence."
"Xuan Ning, once you sign, the contract can be registered."
Zhu Xuanning's eyelids twitched. She reached out and took the book. After reading it word by word, her heart sank.
She thought that if she did this, Ji Yucheng would at most be angry and she could coax him back to normal; she never expected that this person would act first and ask for permission later, simply making the decision without giving her any room for choice.
Ji Yucheng stared at her, and when she remained silent for a long time, the light in his eyes gradually dimmed. But he still asked in a slow voice, "Is there anything wrong? Does it need to be changed?"
He was born with a face like cold snow and jade, and now, dressed in a dragon robe and crown, he exuded a powerful and oppressive aura, even more so than Song Zhaohan.
Zhu Xuanning inevitably tightened her grip, her breathing becoming slightly erratic. She tried her best to calm down and think about how to answer that question.
It's too late to back out now. With Ji Yucheng's actions, even Yu Xuan doesn't know if they can get close to her again.
"Is that piece of paper also a contract? Why don't you bring it over?" Zhu Xuanning held the three contracts in her hand and tried to divert Ji Yucheng's attention, which also served as a rough explanation for her silence.
Ji Yucheng indeed composed himself somewhat, his expression softening as he handed over the fourth sheet of paper, saying, "No. These are three auspicious days I chose for the betrothal, intending to discuss them with you after you sign the contract."
"Take a look, are there any dates you like? If not, I can find another one."
Zhu Xuanning met his gaze, knowing she had nowhere to hide. She bit her lip, pondered for a moment, made a decision, and picked up her pen to write.
From the moment the contract was established, Ji Yucheng felt that his emotions had finally settled. He took a few steps forward, carefully put away the contract on the desk, and even the frost on his face melted away, revealing a gentle joy.
Ji Yucheng couldn't help but touch Zhu Xuanning's shoulder, but the other woman turned her body to avoid it.
He paused, his initial joy fading slightly, and he became more cautious when presenting the auspicious date: "Xuan Ning, take a look."
Zhu Xuanning glanced at Ji Yucheng and took in his attitude. She chuckled, her tone even more audacious than before: "You are the high and mighty Marquis Chengjue. You don't even need to discuss changing the date of signing the contract with me. Why do you need me to pick a date for the engagement? Why not just change the betrothal letter, come to my door to place the engagement, and then notify me when the eight-bearer sedan chair arrives at my residence!"
A barbed remark made Ji Yucheng bend over and lower his eyes, but even though he felt wronged and upset, he knew that he was in the wrong first.
Whether facing Yu Xuan or his beloved, he always wore this official robe, which already conveyed an aggressive attitude.
"Why did you have to change the date after I met with Young Master Yu today? Why not earlier or later? Ji Yucheng, do you think I have an affair with him?" Zhu Xuanning didn't give Ji Yucheng a chance to explain and directly questioned him, continuing from the previous sentence.
"No." Ji Yucheng finally realized what was happening and subconsciously retorted, a growing panic appearing in Leng Yue Rushuang's eyes.
Feeling insecure, he reached for the girl's drooping sleeve, only to have it brushed away, creating a significant distance between them.
Zhu Xuanning stood up and faced the bent-over boy, revealing a hint of coercion, but her pale face, like a flower in the rain or the moon in the mist, showed a fragile strength that she was trying to maintain.
As she questioned him sharply, tears streamed down her face: "Then tell me, if you don't doubt me, why are you forcing me in this way? How are you any different from Song Zhaohan back then?"
Zhu Xuanning's voice trembled noticeably in the second half of her sentence, and her already pale expression was now almost broken.
Ji Yucheng had never seen his beloved so pitiful and broken. He could hardly think rationally and could only rush forward, raising his hand to try to comfort her, but she dodged him again.
Zhu Xuanning turned her face away and took a few steps back. Before Ji Yucheng could react, she began to sob.
The beauty who weeps because of you is someone many people feel sorry for, especially since you have indeed made a mistake and that beauty is your beloved. In this situation, no one can calmly think things through anymore; they will only blame themselves for all the mistakes and try every means to coax the beauty to smile.
Ji Yucheng thus fell into such a trap. Zhu Xuanning's plan was even more ingenious. Just as Ji Yucheng was about to step forward, she simply and undignifiedly removed the pearl hairpin from her hair.
The young girl's face was streaked with tears, and a few strands of her hair clung pitifully to her small face. Her eyes held only deep sorrow.
Ji Yucheng dared not step forward again, her jade-like voice revealing a hint of uncontrollable sobs and trembling: "Xuan Ning, put the hairpin down."
He still remembered what happened that day. Song Zhaohan's questioning drove her to the point of wanting to die to prove her innocence. At that time, he coldly questioned Song Zhaohan, and now he had become the one who was forcing Xuan Ning.
A hint of pain flashed in Ji Yucheng's eyes. A single sentence, like a dagger, pierced deep into his mind, causing his eyes to redden.
The next moment, the pearl hairpin was suddenly thrown at him. Ji Yucheng did not dodge and was hit on the face with a shocking mark.
The argument ended with Ji Yucheng backing down.
As Ji Yucheng left the study in a disheveled state, she heard uncontrollable sobbing behind her.
His heart ached, and as he moved, he covered his eyes, a few wet drops falling from his fingertips.
Ji Yucheng sat in his study for a long time. When Jingxin couldn't help but come over to ask, he vaguely remembered the official documents he had forgotten in the corner.
"No need, just send them away." Ji Yucheng's voice was no longer as clear and crisp as before, only hoarseness and utter exhaustion remained.
He mustered his strength and wrote a prescription to calm the mind and instruct Jingxin to prepare it and send it to Qichun Courtyard.
Jingxin did as instructed, and when she went to deliver the medicine, she happened to run into Pomo who had returned and learned what had happened. As a result, she received a subtle but veiled thank you from him.
Although Jingxin was a bit slow-witted, she still sensed the change in Pomo's attitude. After telling Ji Yucheng the whole story with a sense of grievance, she noticed a hint of bitterness on her master Leng Siyu's face.
"It's good that you accepted the medicine. You've had a hard time on this trip." Ji Yucheng murmured, gave Jingxin some reward money as compensation, and sent him away. Then he didn't make any further moves.
Upon learning that it was a calming tonic, Zhu Xuanning drank it all in one gulp.
After carefully putting away the bowl, Po Mo brought out a plate of preserved candied fruit for Zhu Xuanning to help alleviate the bitterness.
“Miss, is it really not just the Second Young Master Yu?” Po Mo sighed. Although she had said a few sarcastic words to Jing Xin, she still felt that the young marquis was already good enough. He was from a noble family and had no parents. If she married him, she would become a marquis's wife and have sole power over the inner quarters.
Yes, Ji Yucheng is good enough. If Yu Er hadn't stepped in this year, perhaps she would have chosen Ji Yucheng.
However, the young nobles who were independent and had their own families could not compare with the Yu family, which had many disciples.
"You'll understand later." Zhu Xuanning smiled, carefully finished eating the candied fruit, and then washed up and rested.
Zhuangzi remained quiet all day. Perhaps fearing that Zhu Xuanning would be offended, Ji Yucheng only prepared medicine and sent it over, and returned both contracts to Zhu Xuanning in their original form.
Ji Yucheng did not show himself, but this gesture expressed his concession and compromise. He returned the choice to Zhu Xuanning.
Zhu Xuanning accepted the contract with a sigh of relief, but she didn't let anyone see it on her face. After thinking for a moment, she said to Po Mo, "Go and inform the Marquis to stop the things that the young master sends every day. We will be setting off back to the manor soon, and we can't be so ostentatious anymore."
Xi Yin whispered the message, and Ji Yucheng heard it. He sat quietly on the edge of the bed for a while before nodding and saying, "I understand." His voice was devoid of emotion, yet it inexplicably evoked a sense of heartache.
This time, Ji Yucheng only asked Xiyin to adjust the prescription for him to see. After reviewing it, he ordered the servants to prepare the medicine and send it to Zhu Xuanning.
Po Mo relayed Zhu Xuanning's words to Xi Yin and immediately returned to the Zhu residence to retrieve the carriage.
She explained her purpose to Madam Zhu, and was then warmly led out of the main courtyard by an old woman.
On the way, the old woman told Po Mo that the carriage that originally belonged to the Fifth Miss had broken down and could not be used, so the Madam had given the Fifth Miss a new one.
Before long, they arrived at the garage in the outer courtyard.
Po Mo took a step forward and immediately saw the slow-moving old ox that panted after only a few steps. Her face immediately turned ugly.
The old woman beside her pretended not to see anything and replied with a smile, "Madam is considerate of the young lady's poor health, so she specially found such a gentle and slow-moving horse. The young lady is filial and polite, so she will surely understand Madam's good intentions."
What consideration? It's clearly just deliberate torture. The mountain road is bumpy, and the old ox keeps stopping and starting. By the time they get back to the mansion, they're practically falling apart, but they still have to hold on and greet the mistress.
If a mistake is made when paying respects, it will result in a bad reputation; if one does not personally pay respects upon returning home, it will give others grounds for criticism.
The other party accused the girl of being filial and polite, and she couldn't even refute or refuse the ink-splashed attack.
She was angry and her gaze towards the old woman turned cold: "The young lady is so pure and filial, how could I refuse the madam's care? It's just that the young lady is currently staying at the Tianshan Imperial Estate. The mountain road is far away, and I'm afraid that if she walks too slowly, she will have difficulty returning home after dark."
The old woman used filial piety to pressure the girl, and when she splashed ink, the girl retaliated with filial piety.
My daughter is very filial. Even if the lady mistress mistreats my daughter in front of princes and nobles, my daughter will just endure it! My daughter dares to endure it, but do you dare to mistreat her?
Sure enough, the old woman's face changed instantly, her legs trembled, and she left, suppressing her horror.
Qin was shocked and furious upon hearing this. She was so angry that she couldn't even drink her tea and kept cursing the little slut. In the end, she could only suppress her temper and have the old woman smile apologetically at Po Mo and bring out the best carriage in the mansion.
Po Mo let out a furious sigh, and when he got back, he told Zhu Xuanning everything that had happened.
“This is the effect of power.” Zhu Xuanning smiled, feeling pleased. She temporarily put the matter aside and only asked Po Mo to instruct people to take good care of the animals pulling the cart. She would return to her residence as soon as Yu Xuan left.
Another day, Yu Xuan dressed neatly and set off in his carriage. Before his departure, Yan Hengdan came to see him off, but Ji Yucheng did not appear. Instead, he sent Xiyin a pair of real gold toads made from plucked cassia branches.
Yan Hengdan covered her lips, her gaze shifting from the golden jade toad to Yu Xuan, and asked with a mixture of curiosity and doubt, "Did you quarrel with Jingzhi?"
He found it very strange that a mild-mannered person could argue with a cold-faced, sullen person.
Yu Xuan simply told Shu Qing to put the pair of golden toads away without replying. Xi Yin quickly tried to make amends, looking apologetic: "You misunderstand. The Marquis has been studying the prescriptions these past two days without closing his eyes. He couldn't hold on any longer and fell asleep this morning, so he was unable to see him off."
Yu Xuan didn't point it out, but nodded to Yan Hengdan and said, "Let's leave it here." When he turned to Xiyin, his voice became indifferent again: "Let your lord rest well."
After speaking, Yu Xuan stepped onto the carriage on a small stool and disappeared into the thin mist.
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