Seeing that Lord Yu had no objections, the others didn't dare to say a word. After all, it was his son. The Crown Prince waved his hand, signaling the servants to carry out the punishment immediately. Yu Zixi was dragged away and beaten in the side hall, howling in pain. The miserable screams could be clearly heard even in the inner courtyard.
Lord Yu noticed that the Crown Prince remained silent and didn't want to get involved further. He stepped forward, bowed to Second Master Qi, and said, "As for my son tarnishing this young lady's reputation, the Yu Mansion is willing to choose a day to marry her into our family, giving the General's Mansion an explanation."
The people from the General's Mansion thought, "Is getting married just an explanation? With the way his son is, isn't this just pushing Miss Dongling into the fire pit?"
Second Master Qi sighed inwardly and replied, "Lord Yu is an upright and considerate man. He is truly a role model for us. We'll leave the matter of Miss Dongling entirely up to Lord Yu. However," after saying the polite words, he changed the subject, "although Miss Dongling is just the steward of the General's Mansion, we've never treated her like a servant. If she were to be a concubine, the General's Mansion would never agree."
The Crown Prince looked up at the second - in - charge of the Qi General's Mansion. He thought it might not be the General's Mansion that disagreed, but Second Master Qi himself. However, he remained silent. After all, she was just a servant, and how these two families handled the matter had nothing to do with him.
"This young lady has a humble background," Lord Yu was a bit embarrassed that the second - in - charge of the General's Mansion dared to make demands in front of the Crown Prince. But he still replied, "Let her be a side wife first. If the young lady taught by the General's Mansion truly has excellent character and gives birth to an heir after a year, she can be promoted to the main wife. What do you think, Steward Qi?" Anyway, his good - for - nothing son had never caught his eye, and it didn't matter who he married.
Moreover, with all the intrigues and power struggles in the inner courtyard, if this girl were really married into the family, it was even a question how long she could survive.
Wei Dongling had no idea what Lord Yu was thinking. She raised her eyebrows. All she had done was soak in a fish - soup bath with a scumbag, and now the marriage was so carelessly arranged?
And she had to serve a one - year probation period and only be promoted to the main wife after having a child?
Wei Dongling was reluctant. She roared inside, "Hey! Scumbag, come out quickly and stop your father! I don't want to get married yet!"
Before she could protest, Second Master Qi readily agreed, "We'll leave it entirely up to Lord Yu." After all, Wei Dongling had a humble background. He originally thought it would be good to plead for her to be a side wife, but he didn't expect Lord Yu to offer to promote her to the main wife in the future. This really surprised him. At the same time, he couldn't help but sigh. This was the only way to arrange it. Wei Dongling was a woman. She couldn't ruin her reputation and be unable to get married, spending her whole life as a steward in the General's Mansion.
The onlookers thought, "The main wife? A servant can marry into a first - rank official's family as the main wife. The General's Mansion is amazing! This is a sure - win deal!"
In the boudoir, Qi Jinxuan, who had been eavesdropping, was so angry that her face turned red. Her good friend was going through hell for her! Her heart felt like it had been stabbed several times, and tears were about to fall.
The Crown Prince and his entourage were invited by the second - in - charge to the main hall of the General's Mansion to drink tea and chat.
Surrounded by a group of maids and old servants, Wei Dongling dried her messy long black hair in the young lady's boudoir and changed into clean clothes.
Qi Jinxuan waited behind the screen. Her eyes were red.
That summer when she was eight years old, Wei Dongling was brought back to the General's Mansion by the second - in - charge. That was the first time Qi Jinxuan saw her.
At that time, Qi Jinxuan was being punished to kneel. Because of her playfulness, she slipped while playing in the small pond in the inner courtyard and almost drowned. All the maids and servants kneeling in the room were whipped severely by the furious second - in - charge.
Qi Jinxuan was crying as red - eyed and heart - broken as she was today. In the end, it was Wei Dongling who gave her a newly - caught little sparrow that made her stop crying and smile.
"Wei Dongling, shall we be sisters for a lifetime?" Qi Jinxuan's small and delicate face was so beautiful that it caught people's attention. Her bright starry eyes looked at Wei Dongling full of energy, as beautiful as a flower.
"Miss Jinxuan, I'm just a servant doing odd jobs," Wei Dongling said with a black - faced sweat on her wheat - colored skin. The basket full of trumpet creepers she had just picked from the tree was in full bloom, making the young lady extremely happy.
Even then, Wei Dongling knew in her heart that a wild girl from the countryside could never be a sister to a young lady like her.
But Qi Jinxuan never minded.
"No matter, no matter," Qi Jinxuan pouted, cute and proud. "I'm two months older than you. You have to call me sister."
Thinking of the past, Qi Jinxuan's heart softened. From then on, the two had been like sisters. Wei Dongling had always stayed by her side, never leaving.
But now, just because she had stepped in to teach a lecher who offended Qi Jinxuan a lesson, Wei Dongling had to be forced to marry that disgusting man! Thinking of this, Qi Jinxuan felt a sharp pain in her heart.
When she saw Wei Dongling come out after changing her clothes, Qi Jinxuan couldn't hold back anymore. She stepped forward and grabbed her hand, crying, "I'll go beg the second - in - charge now. I don't want you to marry that man!"
Wei Dongling knew exactly what was on her young lady's mind. She quickly comforted her, "It's okay, Miss. Whether this marriage will actually happen is still a question. Besides, if I really marry into the Censor - in - Chief's family as the main wife, even if you become the Crown Princess in the future, we won't be separated because of our status. We can still be good sisters for a lifetime."
Well, thinking this way, it wasn't so bad. She, Wei Dongling, was clearly marrying above her station. Not only would she have no worries about food and clothing after marriage, but she could also be considered a noble lady.
But when Qi Jinxuan heard her say that she would marry the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess in the future, she couldn't hold back her sobs anymore and burst into tears.
The onlookers:......
Wei Dongling continued to comfort her, "If I really can't get along with that cheating scumbag, can I come back and rely on you?"
What did "cheating" and "scumbag" mean? The servants were all surprised, but they didn't ask in detail. The young steward had always been like this, and they were already used to it.
"No," Qi Jinxuan cried so pitifully that anyone would feel sorry for her. She shook her head and said, "I don't want to marry the Crown Prince."
Wei Dongling waved away the embarrassed servants and softly comforted her, "Don't say such things casually in the future. What if it spreads and people start gossiping?"
Qi Jinxuan's face was full of tears. She looked up at Wei Dongling and suddenly pleaded, "Dongling, can you help me send something out of the mansion?"
Without thinking, Wei Dongling nodded and agreed. She saw Qi Jinxuan get up, take something out of the small drawer beside the pillow, and hand it to her.
Wei Dongling took a closer look. It was a small and exquisitely embroidered brocade pouch made of silk.
It was usually a token of love embroidered by an unmarried girl and given to her sweetheart.
Goodness! When did the young lady embroider this? And she had hidden it so secretly. Wei Dongling had no idea.
"Dongling," Qi Jinxuan looked at her steadily, her eyes full of expectation. "Please take some time to go to the Prince's Mansion and hand this to His Highness, the Heir Apparent Shangguan Yun."
The Heir Apparent Shangguan Yun?
The most handsome man in the capital, whom all the girls were crazy about?
Wei Dongling was extremely shocked. Then she heard Qi Jinxuan say firmly, "If he is willing, please ask him to come and see me before the Crown Prince proposes marriage."