Chapter 124 An Unstoppable Husband's Family: I Want a Grand Wedding
Madam Ji's body was hunched over, and her eyes were no longer as clear as before.
Looking at Ji Qingwu was like looking at someone else.
“Ever since your third brother passed away, I have had to bury my son again, and my health has been deteriorating day by day. Your father is still serving in Yongcheng, and the Ji family only has these few children left.”
Ji Qingwu simply comforted her softly, "Grandmother, don't be too sad. Everyone has their own destiny."
Madam Ji continued, "Qingwu, I have many questions these days, but I only want to ask one question now: do you have any plans to enter the palace as a concubine?"
A glimmer of light appeared in the old woman's cloudy eyes.
Entering the palace as a concubine... Did Madam Ji learn something, or see through something?
Ji Qingwu had assumed that he would answer this question without the slightest hesitation, just as he had done before.
But she paused for a moment to think; she knew exactly what Old Madam Ji was planning.
Under the other person's almost piercing gaze, she still shook her head and said, "I don't want to."
If the old lady and the empress dowager already knew that Yuan Heng was her son, wouldn't they have made a big fuss about sending her to the Phoenix Palace overnight to solidify the Ji family's favor?
Madam Ji was indeed unaware of the details of this matter.
The last glimmer of light in her eyes slowly faded.
Ji Changlin was transferred to Nanchu, and his return date was unknown. There were no more sons to rely on at home.
Having experienced the pain of losing her grandson, Old Madam Ji and the Empress Dowager were also estranged. If Ji Changyan hadn't spent his days mingling with Prince Yong, he wouldn't have developed such a lawless nature and committed such a disastrous act that harmed the family. Prince Yong must have been inescapably involved behind the scenes.
Now, her health is deteriorating day by day, and the Ji family urgently needs someone they can rely on.
It was through these incidents that Madam Ji guessed that the emperor might value this granddaughter to some extent.
Seeing that Ji Qingwu refused so readily, Madam Ji thought for a moment and decided that since she did not want to enter the palace, it was fine.
The old lady sighed and said, "Qingwu, I know you are a person with your own ideas, and I will not force you, but you need to think carefully about your marriage."
Ji Qingwu hadn't expected that the matter of asking her to enter the palace could be so easily dismissed.
She said gently, "Thank you, Grandmother."
Madam Ji sat up with the help of her hands on the couch and said, "A while ago, the old lady of the Li family, a Grand Secretary of the Imperial Academy, came to deliver a letter, saying that she wanted to find a suitable girl for her third son. The third son of the Li family is currently the Director of the Court of State Affairs, which is a high-ranking official position. There are no concubines or maids in the family. He can comfortably become the mistress of the house once he enters the family."
Why bother talking to her about such trivial matters concerning women confined to their homes?
Ji Qingwu pretended to be confused but knew the truth, and nodded, saying, "Grandmother should help the Li family by carefully examining the case."
Madam Ji said, "Scholar Li is a first-rank official. It is fortunate that he can marry into such an upright family."
There are only five first-rank officials in the entire dynasty, so the Li family is indeed extraordinary and not an ordinary family.
Ji Qingwu exclaimed in surprise, "Such a wonderful marriage?"
Madam Ji looked at her and said, "Qingwu, your grandmother thinks this is a good marriage. Do you have any thoughts?"
This is the first time that Madam Ji has taken the initiative to arrange a marriage for Ji Qingwu since she returned home.
First, he asked her if she had any intention of entering the palace, and then he talked about the third son of the Li family.
As luck would have it, this Grand Secretary was the same one her maternal grandmother, Madam Qiao, had mentioned before—the one who jumped over the moat for her when they were young. She also overheard her grandmother telling her some rumors about Grand Secretary Li's family.
Ji Qingwu had a gentle smile on her lips, but her eyes were devoid of any emotion.
"My fourth sister is a year older than me, why didn't Grandmother leave it to her?"
Madam Ji paused for a moment, then said, "With such a good marriage, you were the first person my grandmother thought of. As you know, Qingyuan is single-mindedly focused on entering the palace and is deeply in love with the Emperor. She doesn't care about other men at all. It's pointless for me to talk to her."
"Has Grandmother told Madam Li about my situation?" Ji Qingwu asked, raising an eyebrow.
Madam Ji smiled and said, "The Li family has an open-minded family tradition. They even said that a widow with a child means she is easy to raise, and they couldn't be happier. You will be happy to marry into the Li family and won't suffer any mistreatment from them."
Ji Qingwu put away her smile, looked directly at the other person with her bright eyes, and said, "The Li family is really open-minded. I wonder if Grandmother has heard that the third young master of the Li family does not love beautiful women, but loves men. Marrying such a person will only be glamorous on the surface. In the back, he will not only live a widow's life, but also be ridiculed by others. Is this the good marriage that Grandmother is talking about?"
When she was exposed to her face, the old lady's face darkened.
Seeing that her reaction suggested she had known the truth all along, Ji Qingwu felt her heart turn completely cold.
She stood up and said coldly, "Grandmother, you don't need to worry about my marriage."
When Madam Ji saw her get up to leave, her voice suddenly became hoarse.
“Your surname is Ji, and you have the blood of the Ji family in your veins! Don’t think you can cause any trouble just because you have your mother and maternal grandparents’ family. As long as I am still a member of the Ji family, I will not agree to your marriage! No matter what kind of people your husband’s family is, you can forget about marrying him!”
After yelling, Old Madam Ji coughed and gasped for breath. As long as she was alive, she would be hindering Ji Qingwu's marriage. As long as she didn't back down, they could keep going on and on.
Hearing the commotion, Granny Feng came in from outside the door and hurriedly ran to the bedside.
“Madam, you are already feeling unwell, how can you get so angry? Fifth Miss, how can you be so insensible? Quickly apologize to Madam.”
Ji Qingwu stood at the door, her figure slender, and glanced back at the old lady on the couch.
A gentle smile returned to her lips.
"Grandmother, once you've recovered, you'll be waiting for your granddaughter to find a husband whose family you can't stop or hinder. I'm determined to have a grand wedding."
*
Three days have passed in the blink of an eye.
Yuchi Lianping has been extremely busy these past few days. He knows what is important and what is not, and he always prioritizes military affairs.
This very morning, just before he was about to set off for the campaign, while it was still barely dawn, he sacrificed his sleep and took a moment to return to the Princess's residence.
He pushed open the door to the main room, where layers of gauze curtains concealed the woman's figure on the bed. He lifted the curtains one by one and went inside.
Princess Huachang has been sleeping poorly these past few days, waking up several times during the night.
When she groggily opened her eyes, she saw a large, dark face staring at her. Even with her good upbringing, she couldn't help but scream in alarm.
The maid outside rushed in and lit the candles.
Princess Huachang then saw clearly who the man was, with his arms crossed and leaning against the bed frame.
She closed her eyes, suppressing her temper: "Get out."
The maids bowed their heads and left the room.
Princess Huachang gritted her teeth and said, "You go out too."
Yu Chi Lianping remained motionless, staring intently at her with an almost greedy look, as if he would never see her again.
"Princess, I'll be heading to the Northern Border in an hour. Are you excited?"
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