Chapter 485 - 263: He Lan Yun Got Away, but Xie Linlang Cannot Escape

Chapter 485: Chapter 263: He Lan Yun Got Away, but Xie Linlang Cannot Escape

Song Yunzhao was not someone who believed in fate. If she were, she wouldn’t have made it this far.

She had always believed that man could conquer destiny—that as long as you worked hard to change things, you wouldn’t be forced to walk the same old path.

But now, when it came to Ji Yunting, this supporting male character, she suddenly felt a bit hesitant.

In the book, Linlang became his concubine. Now, Ji Yunting wanted to marry her as his wife.

It was still a little different, but she couldn’t understand why Ji Yunting would make such a decision.

Given his status, position, and pride, he would never marry the daughter of a merchant. Could it be love at first sight just because he saved Linlang?

She didn’t quite believe it. But then she remembered that although this was a court-intrigue novel, its core was still the romance between the emperor and the female lead. At the end of the day, it was a romance novel.

That made it very difficult to guess what Ji Yunting was truly thinking.

Just then, the First Madam requested an audience. Song Yunzhao quickly had Xiangxue lead her in.

The First Madam saw Yun Zhao and stepped forward to curtsy. "Greetings, Zhaoyi."

"Aunt, please rise. Sit down and let’s talk," Yun Zhao said.

The First Madam sat as she was told and looked at Yun Zhao. "I figured Your Ladyship must be anxious about Linlang’s situation. Some things are hard to explain through a messenger, so I came to see you myself."

"Thank you for your trouble, Aunt." Song Yunzhao sighed softly. "I must burden you with my worries again."

’You’d need three heads and six arms to do the First Madam’s job.’

"It’s no trouble at all. It’s what I ought to do." The First Madam shook her head with a smile. Her children had received the Zhaoyi’s favor, so it was only right that she helped her. As members of the same family, they should support each other. Only then could the Song Family enjoy lasting peace and prosperity.

Song Yunzhao was a little anxious and asked directly, "What is this about Ji Yunting wanting to marry Linlang? It seems to me he’s lost his mind. How could Madam Ji allow him to be so reckless?"

The First Madam looked at Yun Zhao and said, "When I first heard the news, I truly couldn’t believe it either. So I went to see Linlang first to ask about the specific circumstances."

Song Yunzhao nodded.

The First Madam continued, "Linlang told me that she was surrounded by a crowd of young ladies and didn’t know anyone well. To make matters worse, Ye Xi and Hong Jiao hadn’t received invitations that day, and I wasn’t even aware that Linlang was attending the banquet."

"Neither Ms. Xi nor Hong Jiao received an invitation?" Song Yunzhao’s expression darkened as she asked.

The First Madam nodded. "That’s right. Linlang didn’t know at the time that Ye Xi and Hong Jiao hadn’t received invitations. She thought she would be able to see them at the banquet, but who knew there would be such a mix-up."

Song Yunzhao sneered. "Linlang has always been thorough. She must have been misled by someone from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion into thinking Ms. Xi and the others would be attending, which is why she didn’t send a message to the manor to check."

The First Madam glanced at Yun Zhao and nodded lightly. "The Zhaoyi’s guess is correct. Linlang was indeed misled by the person who delivered the invitations from the Marquis Wuxin Mansion."

"It seems Marchioness Wu Xin and the Wang Family must have reached some sort of agreement on this matter." Song Yunzhao sneered again. "How thoughtful of them."

The First Madam could see that Yun Zhao was suppressing her anger. She said softly, "For now, let’s put the matter of the Marquis Wuxin Mansion and the Wang Family aside. If we blow this up, it’s still just a small squabble between young ladies. If the Zhaoyi were to make a big deal of it, I’m afraid it would only make you a laughingstock."

"You are right, Aunt. That’s precisely why that Wang Yunhua dared to make a move against Linlang," Song Yunzhao said coldly.

"The root of this matter still lies with Lord Xiao Ji." The First Madam frowned slightly.

"I also find it strange. Why would Ji Yunting suddenly want to marry Linlang as his wife?" Song Yunzhao asked.

The First Madam looked at Yun Zhao. "From the news I’ve gathered, it seems to be a power struggle between Lord Xiao Ji and Madam Ji."

"What do you mean?" Song Yunzhao’s brow furrowed even more.

The First Madam considered her words before speaking slowly. "The news came from the Ji Family. It’s said that Lord Xiao Ji had a dispute with Madam Ji over this. The mother and son had a huge fight, and the commotion was so great that Madam Ji was too busy being furious to restrain the servants, which is how the news leaked."

At this point, the First Madam looked up at Yun Zhao. "The Wang and Ji Families were interested in a marriage alliance, and Madam Ji was very satisfied with the young lady from the Wang Family. The marriage would have been a perfect match in terms of social standing, but for some reason, Lord Xiao Ji simply refused to agree. Because of this, Madam Ji has been unable to finalize the engagement with the Wang Family."

"Unfortunately, the Wang Family is currently bogged down in the treasury silver case and needs the Left Minister to lend them a hand, so they cannot afford for this marriage to fail. Who would have thought that at this critical moment, Lord Xiao Ji would propose marrying Linlang? Never mind Madam Ji refusing—the Wang Family won’t let go so easily either."

"So we still don’t know why Ji Yunting is so insistent on marrying Linlang?"

The First Madam hesitated, a look of reluctance on her face.

Seeing this, Song Yunzhao asked, "Aunt, is there really something more to it?"

The First Madam chose her words carefully. "It’s only a rumor, and it hasn’t been verified yet, so I wasn’t sure how to tell the Zhaoyi."

"Aunt, just say it." ’What could possibly be so unspeakable?’ Song Yunzhao thought.

Hearing this, the First Madam sighed softly. "I heard that when Lord Xiao Ji saved Linlang that day, he injured a... vital place..."

Hmm?

Song Yunzhao froze. ’Does she mean what I think she means?’

The First Madam met Yun Zhao’s gaze, paused, and then gave a slight nod.

Song Yunzhao: ...

’What a juicy piece of gossip!’

’Is it real?’

"Has an Imperial Physician seen him?" Song Yunzhao asked.

The First Madam replied, "How would we know that? We don’t know if this news is true or false yet. It still needs to be confirmed."

For a moment, Song Yunzhao was at a loss for words. Then her expression turned grim. ’If Ji Yunting really did injure *that* place, and he still insists on marrying only Linlang, isn’t this using his good deed to demand repayment and ruin Linlang’s lifelong happiness?’

’If this turns out to be true, wouldn’t Madam Ji hate Linlang to death? If she marries into that family, she’ll be walking right into a pit of fire.’

Watching the rapidly changing expressions on Yun Zhao’s face, the First Madam thought for a moment and said, "This matter isn’t confirmed yet, so the Zhaoyi shouldn’t be too anxious."

"If it’s true, and the Ji Family comes to demand marriage as repayment for his kindness, I’m afraid the Xie family won’t be able to refuse," Song Yunzhao said.

The First Madam shook her head helplessly. "Every sip and every peck is preordained. If it really comes to that, and the Xie family rejects the proposal, I fear they will find it difficult to survive in the Capital City."

Although Ji Yunting’s luck hasn’t been great these past two years, his reputation precedes him, and he remains an ideal candidate for a husband in the hearts of the Capital City’s young ladies.

Besides, Wang Yunhua is watching like a tiger. If the Wang and Ji Families cannot form a marriage alliance because of this, the Wang Family will truly come to despise Xie Linlang.

Song Yunzhao had a splitting headache. Even she couldn’t think of a perfect solution that would satisfy everyone.

’If Ji Yunting really did injure a vital part, what daughter of a prestigious family would still marry him?’

Thinking of it this way, Ji Yunting’s desire to marry Xie Linlang actually made sense.

’Ji Yunting is a huge pit, and in the end, someone has to be buried in it.’

’He Lan Yun managed to run, but Xie Linlang can’t escape.’

’This is worrying me to death.’