"Since it's not bad, then find one for me!" Madam Li snorted.
"Mother, haven't you heard a saying?"
"What saying?" Madam Li asked.
Ji Wuran said, "Better to have none than to have a bad one."
Madam Li sneered, "Fine, 'better to have none than to have a bad one.' I don't need that. Hurry up and find one for me. I want to hold my grandson, hold my grandson."
Madam Li repeated it several times.
Ji Wuran felt a headache coming on. "Mother, what do you think I'm looking for? How can it be so easy?"
"I can't control that. If you still can't find one, don't blame me for arranging a marriage for you," Madam Li said fiercely.
"Mother, even if you arrange one, I won't agree," Ji Wuran said calmly.
Madam Li was angered by his words. "You won't even listen to me anymore? Wuran, you've truly grown up, no longer listening to your mother. When you were so small and picked up by mother, you were so obedient. How did you become so disobedient now?"
Ji Wuran was slightly taken aback. "Aren't you afraid outsiders will know I was picked up?"
Madam Li scoffed, "What am I afraid of? It's a fact. Unlike your father, who cares so much about face. What's wrong with picking someone up? I treated you as my own child. But he, for the sake of face and status, gets angry just by mentioning it."
Ji Wuran's indifferent gaze softened slightly. "Although you say that, haven't you still acted according to father's wishes?"
Madam Li took his hand and said slowly, "That's because mother truly considers you her own child, Wuran. You can feel it."
Ji Wuran blinked slightly. "Yes."
Madam Li's stern face suddenly changed. Her smile hid a hint of cunning. Ji Wuran felt a slight shift in his heart, knowing that Madam Li's smile likely meant a trick. But Madam Li couldn't wait for him to change his mind. "Since that's the case, mother has already set her sights on Miss Wen. Wuran, what do you think?"
Ji Wuran slowly withdrew his hand from Madam Li's. "Not good."
"Wuran, Miss Wen is truly excellent. I've seen her. She's beautiful, well-read, and sensible. Moreover, she's a princess conferred by His Majesty. She's a perfect match for you." Madam Li looked at Ji Wuran eagerly.
"A princess? Mother, are you talking about Miss Wen from the Changsheng Earl's estate?" Ji Wuran asked.
Madam Li nodded. "Naturally. Otherwise, who else would be conferred the title of princess?"
Ji Wuran's lips curved slightly. It seemed it was time for him to visit the Changsheng Earl's estate.
"Wuran, do you agree or not? If you don't agree, I..."
"Mother, it can be arranged," Ji Wuran said.
Madam Li was stunned and asked with disbelief, "Wuran, what did you just say?"
"If Mother can't hear it, then forget it!"
"No, how could I not hear? I just can't quite believe it." No matter how she persuaded him before, Ji Wuran would never agree, let alone go and see. But today, he was so compliant that it made her a little unaccustomed.
Madam Li was overjoyed. "I'll go arrange it right away. My good son, you are truly my good son."
Madam Li left with a smile.
Watching Madam Li's overflowing joy, Ji Wuran felt a sense of happiness in his heart.
"An Ye." Ji Wuran suddenly said.
"Master, your subordinate is here."
"Continue to keep an eye on the Changsheng Earl's estate. Report to me immediately if there are any developments."
"Master, rest assured, your subordinate will go and watch now."
Ji Wuran raised his head, a playful smile on his lips. The Changsheng Earl's estate? Very well.
Jiahe Palace
Consort An looked at Jiang Xiuyi, who was on the verge of death from starvation, and said with disdain, "If you weren't the niece of the Jiang family, I would really have wanted to let you starve to death."
Jiang Xiuyi, lying on the ground with no strength left, still clenched her fists tightly. Even without strength, she had to remember the humiliation of this moment at all times.
"However, I also have a benevolent nature. Jiang Xiuyi, I know what you're after. It's nothing more than a good destination, and my nephew, Meng Jiangming, is your good destination. But I told you before that I would agree to you becoming Jiang Ming's concubine. And since I promised, I won't go back on my word. Why did you act on your own?"
Consort An said coldly. If Jiang Xiuyi hadn't acted on her own, the Emperor wouldn't have known about this matter, and he wouldn't have summoned her brother in anger. Not only did her brother get reprimanded, but it also made the Emperor wary of her, after all, Jiang Xiuyi was now considered someone from her palace.
None of this was important. What was important was that the Emperor, in his fury, nearly died. If he had passed away, what would happen to her Tianyue? She wasn't entirely confident in ensuring Tianyue could ascend to the throne.
It was all this Jiang Xiuyi's fault for nearly causing her to fail. Starving her for a few days was still letting her off easy.
"Your Ladyship, spare me. Your servant was forced," Jiang Xiuyi could only beg for mercy. She didn't want to be forcibly dealt with by Consort An before she could even become her cousin's woman.
"From now on, you'd best be honest and well-behaved. Otherwise, I don't mind ensuring you never leave this imperial palace again," Consort An said coldly.
Without waiting for Jiang Xiuyi's reply, Consort An waved her hand impatiently. "Take her away and guard her strictly."
Jiang Xiuyi was dragged away.
Consort An was about to change her clothes to see the Emperor when she noticed a young man standing at the door.
She was startled and quickly got up. "Tianyue, why are you here?"
Did he see that scene just now?
As Consort An was thinking, she heard Xue Tianyue ask, "Mother Consort, what offense did that palace maid dragged out just now commit?"
"Tianyue, don't concern yourself with these matters. The affairs of the harem are not as simple as you think."
"Mother Consort, that was a life too. Although you manage the six palaces, you cannot treat human lives as trifles," Xue Tianyue said.
"I treat human lives as trifles? Tianyue, why don't you ask her what she did before slandering your mother consort like this?" Consort An said, somewhat annoyed.
Xue Tianyue was taken aback and said, "Mother Consort, even if she made a mistake, you can discipline her."
Consort An frowned slightly and said word by word, "She attempted to seduce Young Master Meng. Tianyue, do you think I can tolerate that?"
Xue Tianyue was startled and suddenly remembered something. "Is... is he your aunt's future husband?"
Consort An nodded. "Yes. Not only did it tarnish the reputation of the Duke of Ning's estate, but it also brought shame to the royal family."
Upon hearing this, Xue Tianyue bowed. "It is my son who has misjudged Mother Consort. I beg Mother Consort's forgiveness."
Consort An helped Xue Tianyue up. "Tianyue, some things are not as simple as you think. You can be kind, but you cannot be kind without boundaries. Do you understand?"
Xue Tianyue nodded. "Mother Consort's lesson is correct. Your son will remember it in his heart."
"You may withdraw. Mother Consort is a little tired," Consort An said.
"Mother Consort, please rest well. Your son shall take his leave now!"
Watching Xue Tianyue's receding figure, Consort An tore at the handkerchief in her hand.
What she did was wrong, but what Xue Xingyue did was right.