A blush crept up Qi Jinxuan's face and spread all the way to her fair neck. She looked at Wei Dongling and whispered, "Father said in his letter that a woman's virtue is of utmost importance. Since I fell into the water with Prince Yun, to avoid being gossiped about in the future, when he returns to the capital soon, Father will petition the emperor for a marriage decree."
"Ah!" Wei Dongling was so excited that she almost jumped up. In her excitement, she twisted her waist and gasped in pain.
Qi Jinxuan's face was flushed. She chided gently, "I haven't told anyone. Keep your voice down! Take care of your injury."
Wei Dongling was overjoyed. If it weren't for her injured leg, she might have climbed onto the roof. Suddenly, she thought of Yu Zixi. She quickly grabbed Qi Jinxuan's hand and asked, "When does General Qi plan to return to the capital? This matter needs to be hastened!"
Qi Jinxuan thought Wei Dongling was just happy for her. Blushing, she smiled and said, "He didn't mention it, but it should be soon."
While happy, Wei Dongling felt a faint worry in her heart. Naturally, she hoped that Miss Qi could marry into the prince's mansion and live in harmony with Prince Yun. But what if Prince Yun still refused the marriage decree from the emperor?
Based on her understanding of Shangguan Yun, would a man who dared to defy the empress dowager accept the arranged marriage?
But Qi Jinxuan in front of her was shy and smiling, full of expectation. How could she bear to voice such doubts?
The two chatted for a while longer. It wasn't until Second Master Qi sent someone to urge them that Qi Jinxuan got up to leave. Shyly, she said, "I'll come to see you every day from now on."
She clearly had other motives.
"Sure! That's great!" Wei Dongling nodded vigorously and quickly told Cuihuan to see Qi Jinxuan out.
At noon, Shangguan Yun came to have lunch with her. A large table of delicious dishes was served.
Wei Dongling ate heartily, which made Shangguan Yun beside her smile brightly.
When it was time to take the medicine, Cuihuan couldn't help but whisper curiously, "Miss Wei, does Prince Yun have feelings for you?"
The medicine in Wei Dongling's mouth choked her. She coughed, filling her mouth with a bitter taste. With teary eyes, she looked at Cuihuan.
Cuihuan nodded to herself and said, "He must have feelings for you. The way he looks at you is clearly different from others!"
Wei Dongling wiped the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief and sighed, "Well, maybe he just took me in for Young Master Yu!"
Cuihuan put her hands on her hips and spat, "Bah! Do you think I'll believe that?"
Wei Dongling ignored her. She brought the bowl to her mouth and continued to drink the medicine with her head down.
Cuihuan blinked and whispered, "Don't worry. I won't tell Young Master Yu! By the way, Prince Yun is really as handsome as the rumors say!"
Wei Dongling rolled her eyes and spat, "As Young Master Yu's concubine, do you think it's appropriate for you to say such things?"
Cuihuan waved her hand and said, "I'm just a decoration anyway. It doesn't stop me from admiring Prince Yun, does it?"
Wei Dongling was speechless.
At night.
After Cuihuan helped Wei Dongling take a bath, she applied medicinal wine to her foot, which was swollen like a big radish, and gently massaged it.
Wei Dongling grimaced in pain and pleaded with tears in her eyes for her to be gentler.
Suddenly, the calls of a cuckoo came from afar. Wei Dongling quickly asked Cuihuan to carry her out.
The quiet long street was empty. The calls of the cuckoo were getting farther away. Wei Dongling asked Cuihuan to put her under a big tree and waved her to go away.
After a long while, Jingzhe, dressed in black and with his face covered, quietly jumped down from the tree. His eyes fixed on Wei Dongling's bare feet. He stood there stunned, a look of surprise in his eyes. "What happened to you?"
Wei Dongling waved her hand indifferently. "Well! I was bullied by Queen Zhao's people when I entered the palace. I was outnumbered and couldn't fight them."
Jingzhe was speechless for a while. He whispered, "There's an old nanny beside Queen Zhao. Her martial arts are quite formidable. Did you meet her?"
Wei Dongling pouted. "It was Nanny Gao! She hit me twice, and my foot was beaten like this..."
Jingzhe was stunned for a moment and quickly asked, "She hit you twice? Is it serious?"
Wei Dongling pouted and said aggrievedly, "My internal organs are almost displaced."
Jingzhe clenched his hands tightly into fists. The veins on his neck bulged, and the dark scar like a centipede behind his ear became more obvious. He said angrily in a deep voice, "After I finish my business here, I'll go and teach her a lesson for you."
Wei Dongling was startled and quickly shouted, "Don't act rashly. There will be plenty of time in the future. We can deal with her slowly later. How's your investigation on the matter in Liaocheng?"
Jingzhe was silent for a moment and replied, "Following the ledger, I found that the Zhao family's tea house in Liaocheng was secretly trading with a winery. They transported iron ore by water from Xingshan. I never thought the Zhao family was secretly smelting iron ore and selling it privately. This is a serious crime that could land them in jail."
Wei Dongling replied in a low voice, "That's not all. The owner of Xuyang Winery, Young Master Mingyang, is actually the Prince of Xiliang who entered the palace that day."
Jingzhe was greatly shocked. His narrow eyes stared directly at Wei Dongling and asked, "Are you serious?"
Wei Dongling nodded. "I saw it with my own eyes!"
Jingzhe's body trembled slightly. He murmured, "The Zhao family actually dared to do such a thing! No, I have to go back and report this to the Crown Prince quickly."
Wei Dongling nodded and whispered quietly, "That Young Master Mingyang is extremely ruthless. You must be very careful."
Jingzhe nodded and replied, "That nanny's palm technique is very strange. You mustn't provoke her again! I'm afraid you'll need a long time to recover."
Wei Dongling nodded and said, "Okay, don't worry. I'm relatively safe in the prince's mansion."
Jingzhe nodded. "I'll leave first. I'll come to see you when I'm free." With that, he turned around and flew away. After a few leaps, he disappeared into the vast night.
Cuihuan came from afar to carry Wei Dongling back. She casually asked, "Who was that person just now?"
Wei Dongling smiled faintly. "An old acquaintance."
The two climbed over the wall and went back.
True to her word, Qi Jinxuan came to the prince's mansion every day under the pretext of visiting Wei Dongling. Occasionally, when she caught a glimpse of Shangguan Yun from afar, her face would flush with excitement, and she would be happy for a long time.
However, Wei Dongling clearly felt that whenever Miss Jinxuan was around her, Prince Yun would deliberately keep his distance and not come. He would always come for lunch after Miss Qi left.
This made her feel a little sad for Miss Qi, but she couldn't say anything.
Fortunately, her body was recovering well.
The doctor came to check on her from time to time. Seeing that Wei Dongling's injury was getting better day by day, he nodded in satisfaction and prescribed some other prescriptions.
How could it not get better?
Shangguan Yun took great care of her diet, and there was never a shortage of tonics.
Wei Dongling looked down at her bulging stomach and asked Cuihuan, "Huanhuan, quickly help me see. Am I getting fat again?"
Cuihuan was tidying up the table. She replied with a soft smile, "You're not fat, you just weigh more."
Wei Dongling was speechless.