Chapter 185 Never to be seen again, endangering the imperial heir
"You're Ji Wu?"
With his back to Madam Wei, Ji Qingwu smiled.
When she turned around, the smile on her face vanished completely.
She stroked a strand of hair that had fallen down her temple and said shyly, "This junior greets the old lady."
A strange look flashed across Madam Wei's eyes.
With such a young and beautiful face, even heroes have always found it hard to resist the charms of a beautiful woman; no wonder her grandson would want to marry her.
The old lady had always thought that no one could compare to the beauty of her daughter, Liru, but it seems there are always people better than you.
But when it comes to marriage, one should choose a virtuous wife. Wei Ting is the eldest grandson in his family, and the wife he marries will be the eldest grandson's wife, as well as the wife of a general. How can he be so hasty?
Madam Wei originally trusted her grandson's judgment.
Even if she is a girl from the Ji family, once she marries into the Wei family, she will become a member of the Wei family, and they can be trained slowly in the future.
Seeing is believing, and Ji Wu's mere presence exuded a seductive charm that could seduce men, leaving her utterly disappointed.
Ji Qingwu seemed oblivious to her dissatisfaction.
He said warmly, "Has the old lady finished her Buddhist prayers? Is she going home? Why don't we go together?"
As he spoke, he was still oblivious to his own limitations and tried to take the old lady's arm.
Granny Pan immediately separated Ji Qingwu from her.
Looking at her innocent expression, Old Madam Wei felt even more disgusted.
But no matter what, Ji Qingwu is still a daughter of the Ji family, and it's not her place to discipline her.
Since this girl would have no connection with the Wei family from now on, she didn't want to waste too much breath and ignored her outrageous behavior.
Granny Pan said coldly, "Miss Ji, please make way. Our matriarch is going back to the manor."
Ji Qingwu didn't get a definite answer from the old lady, so she was still worried.
With a slight shift in his gaze, he said, "Alright, Madam, please take care. You are welcome to visit the Ji family when you have time."
The Wei family members looked rather displeased upon hearing her words.
The Ji family and the Wei family have never met. Except for royal banquets that they cannot refuse, the matriarchs of the two families will never appear at the same table at any other banquet.
To them, Ji Qingwu's words were a blatant provocation.
With her deep-set eyes and sharp gaze, Madam Wei said, "This is the first time I have met Miss Ji, but I hope it will also be the last time."
Upon hearing this, Ji Qingwu pursed her lips, a look of sorrow appearing on her face, and she almost burst into tears.
Lanzhi kindly handed her a handkerchief. After taking it, she paused for a moment, but soon tears welled up in her eyes, which were red and swollen, making her look very pitiful.
Ji Qingwu said sadly, "What the old lady said doesn't count. I will definitely see you again. General Wei said he would marry me!"
The young woman from the Wei clan couldn't hold back any longer and said indignantly, "My brother was just temporarily blinded by love. He would never marry someone like you as my sister-in-law. Just give up on that idea!"
Ji Qingwu, who desperately wanted to give up, looked hesitantly at Old Madam Wei.
"As an old woman in the Wei family, I have never had a word that doesn't go my way. As long as Wei Ting acknowledges me as his grandmother, he will not marry you."
Ji Qingwu's eyes were red and swollen, but her gaze was as bright as if it had been washed with water.
She and Lanzhi stood there, watching their family, young and old, leave Hanshan Temple.
After a while, Ji Qingwu turned his head, pinched the handkerchief with two fingers, and disdainfully threw it into Lanzhi's arms.
She asked, with a hint of something amiss, "Why are you starting to improvise too?"
Just now, Lanzhi handed her a handkerchief with a pungent fragrance added to it. As soon as she took it in her hand, her eyes immediately started to water from the spiciness.
The maid said timidly, "Fifth Miss, I'm just worried that you won't be able to cry, or that your crying will be too fake, and that they'll see through it in the end."
Ji Qingwu's eyes were still red. She said, "You don't need to doubt this. Your young lady has two great skills. One is medicine, and the other is crying."
She could choose from all sorts of ways to cry, and she never made a mistake.
*
Hanshan Temple was bustling for a while.
The morning court session in the Golden Palace was equally lively.
Emperor Wusu, seated on the dragon throne, continued his good mood from the previous day, appearing even more relaxed, with his long legs spread apart and his posture casual.
An official from the Imperial Observatory stepped forward, his expression grave: "Your Majesty, I have recently observed the stars and discovered something unusual."
Abnormal celestial phenomena can affect the fate of a nation and are of great importance.
Emperor Wusu asked in a deep voice, "What's unusual?"
Gao Minda, from the Imperial Observatory, respectfully said, "Your Majesty, the phenomenon of Mars guarding the heart of the sky has appeared. According to my deduction, this celestial phenomenon will be unfavorable to the imperial heir."
The ministers began to whisper among themselves.
The emperor has only one son. If the celestial phenomena are unfavorable to the imperial heir, wouldn't the line end?
Lu Juan, who preferred to avoid idleness, stepped forward and said without looking to the side, "Is this celestial phenomenon really that serious? Lord Gao, are you exaggerating?"
Faced with Lu Juan's questioning, Gao Minda loudly replied, "These past few days, Mars has been lingering in the Heart constellation of the Twenty-Eight Mansions, which is definitely not a good omen."
Lu Juan pondered for a moment: "If such a celestial phenomenon is indeed present, we should pay attention. His Majesty currently only has one prince, and there must be no problem with the matter of the imperial succession."
He glanced sideways at Gao Minda, who was standing beside him: "May I ask, Lord Gao, how should this be resolved?"
Standing in the front row, Wei Ting was not interested in this astrological theory.
He watched Lu Juan and Gao Minda sing in unison, wondering what kind of performance the two were going to put on today.
Emperor Wusu remained silent, listening expressionlessly to their conversation in the hall.
Gao Minda continued, "All things, including the heavens, earth, sun, moon, stars, and so on, are qi. The light and pure rise to become the heavens, while the heavy and turbid sink to become the earth. By combining the celestial phenomena, I have also discovered the root cause of the anomaly."
Emperor Wusu asked, "What is the reason?"
Gao Minda said earnestly, "The earthquake caused an excess of Yin energy, and the sky cracked due to a lack of Yang energy. The Yang energy in the south of the city is too strong. Considering the recent events, I believe that the marriage proposals of the military generals have harmed the imperial offspring."
These words caused an uproar throughout the hall.
Wei Ting lowered his head slightly, then finally raised it.
So all that buildup was for what happened the day before yesterday.
I thought that since the emperor didn't mention it yesterday, the matter would just be dropped.
The whole of Lin'an knows that the fifth young lady of the Ji family has feelings for him and has even given birth to a daughter. As long as he can persuade the Ji family to agree, the marriage can continue.
Unexpectedly, this celestial phenomenon was seized upon by those with ulterior motives.
Lu Juan said, "I think what Lord Gao said makes a lot of sense. The largest official residence in the southern corner of the city belongs to the Ji family. More than ten men are seeking to marry women from the Ji family, and all of them are military officers. This can be described as an extreme manifestation of yang energy."
He said earnestly, "I urge you, my lords, not to jeopardize the imperial heir and destabilize the Northern Li kingdom because of this marriage proposal. As subjects, we must prioritize the affairs of the state and put aside personal feelings."
Anyone who insists on marrying Ji Qingwu is undermining the foundation of Beili.
No one can bear such a grave crime, including General Wei Ting, the General Who Guards the North.
Emperor Wusu sighed softly, "Since that's the case, and it's the will of Heaven, my dear ministers, please relinquish your attachments."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
