“Young Master Meng, if you continue to delay like this, I’m afraid you’ll attract the people from the manor,” Ji Wuran said faintly. Hearing this, Meng Jiangming quickly shut his mouth, gritted his teeth, and stood up, leaning on a nearby tree. “Let’s go!”
Ji Wuran turned towards the door. Seeing the carriage parked outside the manor, Meng Jiangming, disregarding his foot injury, scrambled onto the carriage. Once seated, he let out a sigh of relief. He had finally escaped.
Ji Wuran lifted the carriage curtain and was about to board when he suddenly stopped, looking towards a certain spot. His clear, frosty eyes met someone else’s.
Seeing Ji Wuran’s hesitation to enter the carriage, Meng Jiangming lifted the curtain and asked, “Wuran, why aren’t you coming in?”
Ji Wuran withdrew his gaze and entered the carriage.
“Is that person Young Master Ji An Hou, Ji Wuran?” Xue Xingyue asked.
Feng Wu replied, “Indeed.”
After speaking, Feng Wu suddenly remembered something and continued, “Your Highness, the carriage is occupied by the Young Master. Should I…”
“There’s no need. Where the Young Master goes is none of my concern,” Xue Xingyue said coldly. She was merely passing by the Duke of Ning’s manor by chance and hadn’t expected to see Young Master Meng here.
However, she hadn’t expected Ji Wuran to be with Meng Jiangming.
As the carriage moved away from the Duke of Ning’s manor, Meng Jiangming’s heart finally settled. He looked at Ji Wuran and said, “I thought Yan Luo would come to rescue me. I never expected it to be you, Wuran.”
Hearing this, Ji Wuran raised an eyebrow and said coldly, “I cannot? Then perhaps I should send Young Master Meng back to the Duke of Ning’s manor?”
Meng Jiangming quickly said, “Look at you. I was just a little incredulous, and you want to send me back.”
Ji Wuran said coldly, “Let Zhao Yan Luo pick you up again.”
Meng Jiangming responded with a wry smile, “What’s the point? If it causes more trouble, Mother might find out.”
Ji Wuran raised his eyebrows at this and said no more.
Meng Jiangming also closed his mouth obediently. In truth, he hadn’t interacted much with Ji Wuran, usually hanging out with Zhao Yan Luo. Thus, Ji Wuran’s appearance had surprised him immensely.
However, it didn’t matter who came to his rescue, as long as he could get out of the Duke of Ning’s manor.
Upon arriving at Wan Jun Restaurant, Meng Jiangming finally relaxed completely. As he entered the establishment, the innkeeper, being very familiar with Meng Jiangming as a regular patron, was quick to greet him. Moreover, Meng Jiangming’s status was undeniable; everyone knew that the current Emperor’s most favored Consort An was Meng Jiangming’s paternal aunt.
The innkeeper hurried forward as soon as Meng Jiangming stepped into the restaurant. “Young Master, your presence here truly brightens this humble place.”
Meng Jiangming smiled, patted the innkeeper’s shoulder, and asked, “Where is your master?”
The innkeeper quickly replied, “He is waiting for you upstairs.”
Meng Jiangming went up to the second floor and pushed open the door. He saw a man seated inside, clad in a jade-green brocade robe. The man stood up, his handsome face graced with a smile. “Young Master, you’ve arrived.”
Meng Jiangming stepped forward and said, “Yan Luo.”
Zhao Yan Luo stood up and said, “I’ve been waiting for the Young Master for a long time.”
Meng Jiangming plopped down onto a chair and said, “Yan Luo, you have no idea what kind of days I’ve been having.”
Zhao Yan Luo slowly replied, “I thought after marrying Princess Xingyue, the Young Master would no longer look down on us.”
Hearing this, Meng Jiangming quickly waved his hands. “How could that be?”
Zhao Yan Luo leaned forward and asked, “Young Master, what does Princess Xingyue look like? I’ve heard she’s a burly woman, with a broad waist and thick back, a manly appearance.”
From the next room, Feng Wu heard Zhao Yan Luo’s words and abruptly stood up. She looked at Xue Xingyue and said through gritted teeth, “Your Highness, allow your subordinate to smash his teeth.”
Xue Xingyue replied faintly, “His mouth is his own. Can’t he speak his mind? Feng Wu, you are being rather overbearing.”
Feng Wu looked at Xue Xingyue’s nonchalant expression and said indignantly, “How can he speak of Your Highness like that? Clearly, Your Highness…”
“Feng Wu, just listen.”
At this moment, hearing Zhao Yan Luo’s words, Meng Jiangming’s mind drifted back to the time he met Princess Xingyue. Her beauty was peerless. Though her wispy bangs covered her fair forehead, they couldn’t conceal those clear, frosty eyes, like the cold dew of a late autumn night, piercing one’s heart.
“Young Master, what’s wrong?” Zhao Yan Luo asked, sensing Meng Jiangming’s distraction.
“N-nothing…” Meng Jiangming lowered his gaze. For some reason, these past few days, whenever he thought of Princess Xingyue, his heart beat a little faster than usual.
“Young Master, I’m asking you a question. Is Princess Xingyue as rumored?” Zhao Yan Luo pressed.
Meng Jiangming replied indistinctly, “She’s… she’s just like that.”
Seeing this, Zhao Yan Luo’s gaze became slightly smug. “Young Master, what do you think of the third daughter of the Chang Sheng Bo manor?”
Meng Jiangming blinked in surprise, then asked, “Is that the daughter who was just recently enfeoffed as a Princess this year?”
Zhao Yan Luo nodded. “My father intends for me to marry Princess Lingxi.”
Meng Jiangming said, “This is joyous news.”
Zhao Yan Luo, with a look of joy, said, “However, thinking of the Young Master’s marriage, I feel a sense of guilt.”
Meng Jiangming blinked in confusion and asked, “Yan Luo, why do you feel guilty?”
Before Meng Jiangming could finish speaking, there was a crashing sound. He looked up to see that the door was broken, and a person stood at the entrance.
Seeing the tall figure and familiar face, Meng Jiangming suddenly recalled that night when he mistook this person for Princess Xingyue. His chest churned with emotion.
Zhao Yan Luo was startled and, upon reacting, shouted angrily, “How dare you! Do you know where you are? To cause such a disturbance, guards!”
Hearing this, Feng Wu glanced at Zhao Yan Luo. Zhao Yan Luo felt as if his entire body was unable to move.
He watched as the person approached him step by step, a sense of fear rising in his heart. “What… what do you want?”
Feng Wu lifted Zhao Yan Luo with one hand, gritting his teeth. “What did you say about Princess Xingyue?”
“Who… who are you?”
Meng Jiangming almost fell off his chair. How could Princess Xingyue’s guard be here? Does that mean Princess Xingyue is also here?
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Xue Xingyue was talking with someone.
“Your Highness, please rest assured, with the strategist here, everything is proceeding as usual.”
Xue Xingyue nodded. “However, proceed with caution. This place is not Zhenwu Pass. I still intend to relinquish my military command after the wedding. Only then can the court feel at ease with the army.”
Just then, a voice came from outside the door. Xue Xingyue glanced at the man opposite her. The man bowed and said, “Your Highness, your subordinate will take his leave!”
Xue Xingyue nodded. “You may withdraw.”
“Your Highness, Feng Wu has gone to settle scores with Young Master Meng,” Feng Ming said as he entered, addressing her. Da Feng Novel Network
Xue Xingyue frowned. She knew Feng Wu wouldn’t ignore being spoken about like that.
“Quickly take me there,” Xue Xingyue said.