Holding the wrapped pastries, Song Yihuan walked out of the Delicacy Workshop and subconsciously looked in the direction where the accident had just happened.
The stalls on both sides of the street had been restored one by one, and the fallen crazy horse had disappeared.
As for Ji Lingchuan and that strange man, they were nowhere to be seen either.
Song Yihuan had no choice but to suppress the faint worry in her heart and turned back along the original path towards Xiyang Tower.
At this moment, in a private room of the Drunken Immortal Tower, Ji Lingchuan, who had taken off his clothes, had a shocking wound on his shoulder. His right hand trembled slightly due to the pain, but he never frowned from beginning to end.
Beside him, Ji Zihuan looked at the wound and clicked his tongue in wonder. "Such a serious injury. If I were a woman, I'd be eager to marry you, cousin. No wonder you refused to let Miss Song Si see it."
"Come on, are you afraid she'll feel heartache?" Ji Zihuan asked with a smile.
Ji Lingchuan, who had been indifferent to the pain on his shoulder, looked up after hearing this and said,
"... It has nothing to do with her."
Ji Zihuan sized him up and said half - smilingly, "Cousin, you're really no fun. I really don't know what Miss Song saw in you. In my opinion, why don't you let her come to my mansion to accompany me? With Miss Song Si around, I'm sure my mansion will be very lively."
Ji Lingchuan looked at Ji Zihuan. Before he could say a word, Ji Zihuan said, "Alright, alright, I know. This is your family matter, and it's not my place to interfere."
Ji Lingchuan: "..."
Taking a deep breath, Ji Lingchuan explained on his own initiative, "The betrothal between the Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion and the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion has already attracted a lot of speculation. If another daughter were sent to your mansion, even your mother wouldn't agree."
Ji Zihuan applied the wound medicine for him and sighed, "Cousin is right. My marriage has never been up to me. It's really a pity for such a beauty as Miss Song Si."
The Empress Dowager chose Song Nanxin to marry into the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion just because she didn't want the daughter of the Marquis of Ding'an to enter the palace to be Ji Zihuan's concubine.
After all, when the late emperor was still alive, the Marquis of Ding'an had had a close relationship with another prince in private.
Letting the daughter of the Marquis of Ding'an marry Ji Lingchuan could not only control the Marquis of Ding'an and make him stand on Ji Zihuan's side but also balance the situation in the court.
This Empress Dowager, who was in power behind the curtain, was really quite capable in political affairs.
Ji Zihuan seemed to have thought of something and became interested again. He said to Ji Lingchuan, "Since cousin has no feelings for Miss Song Si, it means that if I promote the second - place scholar, Gu, I'm sure cousin won't have any objections."
Ji Lingchuan was stunned. "What?"
Promote the second - place scholar, Gu? Gu Yunzheng?
He had only been in the Imperial Academy for a short time. Why was he going to be promoted?
"The second - place scholar, Gu, is young and talented. He has repaired the loopholes in the history books of the previous dynasty within just half a month after entering the Imperial Academy. It's really a waste of his talent to be just a compiler in the Imperial Academy. I'm going to promote him one level, from a seventh - rank compiler in the Imperial Academy to a sixth - rank magistrate in the government office. What do you think, cousin?"
Ji Lingchuan pondered for a while and said, "The imperial examination has just ended. According to the old rules, the top three scholars of the new session need to enter the Imperial Academy to train for two years and then be promoted according to the assessment results. Only in this way can it convince the public." "Moreover, if only the second - place scholar, Gu, is promoted while the top three scholars of the new session enter the Imperial Academy together, it may arouse the dissatisfaction of the first - place and third - place scholars."
"So, as long as the top three scholars are promoted together, it will be reasonable?" Ji Zihuan looked at Ji Lingchuan with a smile.
Ji Lingchuan took a deep breath and said, "It's worth a try."
A burst of indescribable pain came from his shoulder. Ji Lingchuan couldn't help but let out a muffled groan, and Ji Zihuan's cheerful laughter rang in his ears.
"I really thought cousin was insensitive. It turns out you can also cry out in pain. Sorry, sorry. I'm a man and have never served anyone before. I accidentally used too much force. Please forgive me, cousin."
"It would be great if Miss Song Si were here. She would surely take good care of cousin's wound." Ji Zihuan mentioned Song Yihuan again.
But this time, Ji Lingchuan didn't refute.
Soon, Ji Lingchuan's wound on his shoulder was bandaged. But Ji Zihuan's technique was poor, and the bandage was wrapped in a mess.
Putting on his clothes without changing his expression, the stoic Ji Lingchuan seemed as if nothing had happened.
At this time, the emperor and his subject finally talked about the real purpose of their incognito visit out of the palace today.
The runaway crazy horse in the market just now was actually the mount that Ji Zihuan was riding.
The matter of their leaving the palace today was very secret, but the incident of the horse going crazy made both the emperor and his subject vigilant.
Ji Zihuan's whereabouts might have been exposed.
But after discussing for a while, neither of them could find any clues.
Ji Lingchuan tapped his fingers on the table and said, "The birthday banquet of the Dowager Lady of the Duke of Jiang."
Ji Zihuan still wore that very ordinary mask on his face. He said with a meaningful smile, "I won't be able to leave the mansion that day. Cousin, I'll leave the matter of investigation to you."
Before leaving, Ji Lingchuan subconsciously looked back out of the window. People were coming and going on the street, and a certain figure had disappeared in front of the Delicacy Workshop. When Song Yihuan returned to the outside of Xiyang Tower, Song Nanxin hadn't come out yet, which made her secretly heave a sigh of relief.
Putting on her veil hat again, Song Yihuan stood quietly waiting beside the carriage. There was a commotion inside Xiyang Tower. Song Yihuan looked up and saw her elder sister and Cui Yinger walking out of it, chatting and laughing. There was no longer the tension when they first met in the Jewelry Pavilion.
They were just like old friends who happened to meet outside.
This change made Song Yihuan narrow her eyes slightly.
After her elder sister and Cui Yinger got closer, through the veil of her hat, Song Yihuan felt Cui Yinger's eyes sizing her up unscrupulously. Finally, Cui Yinger spoke to her:
"Goodbye, Miss Song Si."
Song Yihuan was puzzled. Goodbye? What did this mean?
But Song Nanxin had already urged her to get on the carriage. Sitting in the carriage, Song Yihuan took off her veil hat. Song Nanxin didn't mention the conversation she had with Cui Yinger just now. Instead, she asked,
"Did you buy anything outside just now?"
Remembering Ji Lingchuan's instructions, Song Yihuan didn't mention the thrilling scene just now. She only said, "I bought some desserts for Xuan'er."
Seeing that she was so obedient, Song Nanxin was very satisfied.
Mentioning the birthday banquet of the Duke of Jiang's Mansion, Song Nanxin said, "You'll go to the Duke of Jiang's Mansion with us for the banquet the day after tomorrow. Remember to always stay by my side there. Don't wander around, lest you offend the noble people in the Duke's Mansion and let others say that our Marquis of Ding'an's Mansion has no rules."
"Also, before we set off, I'll send someone to deliver the clothes and jewelry for the occasion to your yard. Remember to wear them this time. I'm already married and represent the Prince of Ningqin's Mansion. But you're different. You're the fourth miss of the Marquis's Mansion. When you're outside, don't disgrace the Marquis's Mansion."
Song Yihuan looked up at Song Nanxin.
She clearly remembered that during the trip to the Guanyin Temple, her elder sister had specially sent her a gaudy set of clothes. She had thought it was inappropriate and had managed to change it. What was her elder sister's intention this time when she specifically told her to wear them?
Lowering her eyelashes to hide the meaning in her eyes, Song Yihuan agreed.