Chapter 26 Directly Proposing Marriage
The Marquis of Wuyi's family is a staunch supporter of the Crown Prince. The current Empress and the Marquis of Wuyi's wife are full sisters, and the two were once known as the "Twin Beauties of the Capital." Xie Qi, in particular, grew up with the Crown Prince, and their bond is extraordinary. Even if it weren't for her, Xie Qi would still have taken action against the Earl of Zhongqin's family.
I can take advantage of this to achieve my desired goal.
That's why I saved him in the first place.
"Of course, I, Xie Qi, keep my word and will certainly not go back on my promise."
Xie Qi's original plan was to have Jiang Zhi find a suitable and desirable person, and then secretly arrange the marriage himself.
But now that Miss Jiang has brought it up, I realize that my initial thoughts were too naive.
If she had a suitable and desirable man, he would have come to her door to propose long ago, and Yan Wenkang would have been out of the picture.
But then Jiang Zhi sighed again, "It's just that the marriage alliance is imminent. I'm afraid that before the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion falls, my father will have already arranged my marriage."
"Don't worry, Miss Jiang, I will buy you time and won't let Minister Jiang make a decision so quickly." Xie Qi already had a plan in mind.
He was a martial artist and wasn't afraid of reputation. If the Jiang family really wanted to arrange a marriage, he would have his mother go directly to their door to ask for the bride. The Marquis of Wuyi's family was of a higher social standing than the Earl of Zhongqin's family, and the Jiang family would not want to offend either of them, so they would definitely consider it carefully.
"There are too many people and too much talk today, so it's not convenient to discuss this further. How should I contact you afterwards?" Xie Qi asked again.
It was always inconvenient to have my mother deliver messages.
Jiang Zhi thought for a moment and hesitated, "My stepmother is in charge of the household, and apart from my maid Qingxing, I don't have anyone I can trust..."
“It’s alright,” Xie Qi said. “I will be staying in the capital for a while this time. If Miss Jiang doesn’t mind, I can come to see you directly, away from everyone else.”
Jiang Zhi nodded.
This matter is of great importance; the fewer people who know about it, the safer it is.
After talking for a while, seeing that Yan Wenkang's struggles in the lotus pond were getting quieter, Xie Qi said, "Miss Jiang, why don't you go change your clothes first? The private room is not far away at the back. I will handle Yan Wenkang's matter and will definitely not let him get involved with you."
"Thank you for your help, Your Highness." Jiang Zhi had indeed been out for too long, and if she didn't go back soon, she might arouse suspicion, so she curtsied to Xie Qi and left.
Xie Qi stood there for a while before slowly walking towards the lotus pond.
Seeing the weak figure struggling in the lotus pond, he snorted coldly and spoke condescendingly:
"Oh dear, young master Yan, what brings you to play in my lotus pond?"
*
When Jiang Zhi returned after changing her clothes, the banquet had just begun, and she sat down next to Jiang Yunqian.
Seeing that she had been gone for so long, Jiang Yunqian couldn't help but sarcastically say, "Sister, why did it take you so long to change your clothes? Anyone who didn't know better would think you were having a secret rendezvous with your lover."
“I just got lost in the garden on my way back,” Jiang Zhi said calmly. “Sister, you are so outspoken. It seems that Father did not learn his lesson when he made you reflect on your mistakes by keeping you in seclusion.”
Jiang Yun choked slightly and pouted.
What do you mean by getting lost? Could it be that you're thinking of bumping into some rich young master on the road, taking the initiative to throw yourself into his arms, and marrying yourself off as soon as possible?
Jiang Yunqian carefully examined Jiang Zhi but couldn't find anything unusual about her. However, when her gaze fell on the gilded ring on Jiang Zhi's crossed hands, she couldn't help but chuckle.
"If you need money, just tell me, so that outsiders won't see you wearing such shabby things and think that Mother mistreats you and deliberately gives you such cheap jewelry."
Jiang Zhi twirled the gilded ring on her hand and curled her lips indifferently, "Thank you for your concern, little sister. I will."
Jiang Yunqian was given the cold shoulder by the indifferent tone.
Suddenly, a commotion arose at the banquet, followed by a woman's shrill voice, "Kang'er, Kang'er, what's wrong with you? Don't scare your mother!"
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound.
Outside the hanging flower gate, a man, soaking wet and with his eyes closed, was being carried away by several servants. Beside him, a beautifully dressed noblewoman looked anxious; she was none other than the Lady of Zhongqin.
"What happened?"
The old lady of the Marquis of Wuyi was already tired and went to rest. Now, the host of the banquet is Lady Song Zhuyue, the wife of the Marquis of Wuyi.
Granny Cui reported, "Madam, the young master just sent someone to report that the young master Yan from the Zhongqin Earl's family has accidentally fallen into the water and is unconscious. The imperial physician has been summoned to diagnose him."
Since something happened at her own banquet, Song Zhuyue, as the matriarch of the family, had to go and see what was going on. So she apologized to everyone present and got up to leave.
Many noblewomen and young ladies who were acquainted with the Earl of Zhongqin went along, including the women of the Jiang family who had previously wanted to arrange a marriage with the Earl of Zhongqin's family.
Jiang Zhi mingled in the crowd and saw that Yan Wenkang had already been dressed and placed on a soft couch in the side room, and the imperial physician rushed over to take his pulse.
"How could this happen? Why would he fall into the water?" Lady Zhongqin was both anxious and angry. "The lotus pond is in the backyard. Why would Kang'er go there for no reason?"
"Yes, this backyard is where the women of my Marquis's mansion live," a cold voice came from behind. "I wonder what Young Master Yan is doing there after leaving his seat?"
One sentence made Lady Zhongqin's face turn ugly instantly. "What do you mean by that, Young Master Xie? Are you saying that my son deliberately broke into the Marquis's mansion's backyard?"
Xie Qi chuckled, "Only Young Master Yan himself knows that."
At this moment, a voice rang out from the crowd, "I remember now, I saw Young Master Yan being called away by a little maid. We can find out by simply calling that little maid over and asking her."
"What? Where is that wretched maid? Find her for me right now, I'll skin her alive!" Lady Zhongqin immediately glared angrily.
But after searching for a long time, the maid seemed to have disappeared; they searched the entire Marquis's mansion but could not find her.
Jiang Zhi looked towards Xie Qi from afar, and the two exchanged a knowing glance before quickly looking away.
It seems that this young master Xie has done his job well and has already made arrangements for the maid.
Lady Zhongqin's face grew increasingly grim. "It must be that slut who seduced my Kang'er! Madam Song, this happened in your Marquis's mansion, you have to give me an explanation!"
The expressions on the faces of everyone present were strange.
The whole of Kyoto knows about Young Master Yan's character; he's the one who ruins innocent girls, so who would dare to provoke him?
Song Zhuyue was already displeased, but as the hostess, she couldn't turn her back on her.
He could only force a smile and say, "Right now, saving Young Master Yan is the most important thing. We'll know everything once he wakes up. Please be patient."
Yan Wenkang, under the direction of the imperial physician, had his servants help him vomit out the water that had filled his stomach, but he still did not wake up.
Lady Zhongqin began wiping away tears with her handkerchief. "My poor Kang'er, he came to the Marquis's mansion for the banquet in good health, and now he's in this state. How can I live like this! I must find the murderer and avenge my son!"
Someone else chimed in, "That maid is of average appearance. Young Master Yan wouldn't be interested in her. She might just be passing on a message. Perhaps Young Master Yan has an appointment with some young lady."
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