Ji Xinglou sneakily ran back to his room. Ji Xinglan, while counting the sugar candies in the box, loudly asked, “Brother, where did you go?”
Ji Xinglou was startled and quickly put his finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.
Ji Xinglan blinked twice before understanding and mimicked her brother’s gesture, seriously nodding her head.
Ji Xinglou stole a glance at Wujing’s expression. Seeing him standing at the dressing table with his back to them, he relaxed a bit and stopped sneaking around, boldly walking into the room and climbing onto the chair next to Ji Xinglan. He said with some disdain, “Why do you eat so much candy? It’s sticky and greasy, it’s awful!”
“Tastes good!” Ji Xinglan unwrapped her favorite deer milk candy and tried to stuff it into Ji Xinglou’s mouth.
“I don’t want it!” Ji Xinglou immediately turned his head to avoid it.
“Oh…” Ji Xinglan put the candy into her own mouth and said unclearly, “Oh right, Dad gave you a box of candies. He said you must finish them, and if you can’t, find someone to help you finish them, or else he’ll spank you! Do you want me to help you eat them?”
“You’re so talkative!” Ji Xinglou grabbed a handful of rice candies from the box and stuffed them into Ji Xinglan’s mouth.
Ji Xinglan’s mouth was so full of candy that her cheeks puffed up softly. She glared at Ji Xinglou with her beautiful almond-shaped eyes, mumbling incomprehensibly.
Wujing listened to the conversation between the two little kids and knew that the box of candies had been successfully delivered to Gu Jianli. His tongue flicked over his teeth, and the corners of his lips curled up in a satisfied smile.
He leisurely looked around Gu Jianli’s room. Since she had moved in not long ago, the furnishings were simple.
The bed canopy was a very light pink, covering the bed. The bedding on it was soft apricot-colored, embroidered with peony patterns.
A dressing table was placed in front of the window, and opposite it, there was a small table in front of the wardrobe. The small table seemed to be rarely used, now covered with candies by Ji Xinglan.
Wujing picked up a wooden hairpin from the dressing table. Although it wasn’t worth much, it was intricately and elegantly carved. Wujing casually opened the drawer, finding it empty.
He closed the drawer and turned to the two children, saying, “Go take a bath and come back to sleep. Can you bathe yourselves?”
The two children nodded together, jumped off the chairs, and Ji Xinglan lagged behind a step, asking, “Where will we sleep?”
Wujing glanced at the bed and slowly said, “Maybe we’ll have to sleep together.”
The children went to take a bath with incredulous expressions. In the past few years, Wujing had been bedridden most of the time, and even when he was slightly better, he had never been this close to them recently! They were both excited and nervous…
In the main hall, Gu Jingyuan was casually chatting about current affairs with Ji Lan while playing chess. Gu Jingyuan, being a military officer, wasn’t good at chess and lost quickly.
He laughed heartily, saying, “No more, I’ve lost three games in a row to Your Highness.”
Ji Lan smiled and said, “It’s not about winning or losing in a game of chess; it’s about who you play with. Talking with the general today has been very enlightening.”
“Your Highness is too kind.”
“General Gu, you’re too modest,” Ji Lan shifted the topic, “I almost forgot the gifts I prepared when we started our game.”
“Haha,” Gu Jingyuan laughed heartily, “Your Highness is too polite. As a commoner now, I don’t deserve such attention. If Your Highness calls it a reward, that would be more fitting.”
Ji Lan didn’t respond immediately. He took two brocade boxes handed over by a servant and placed them on the table, then said, “Among the tributes received from various regions at the beginning of the year, these two sets of jewelry stood out. Such treasures should be given to beautiful women.”
Gu Jingyuan looked deeply at Ji Lan, then laughed and thanked him, “If it were anything else, I wouldn’t dare accept it. But gifts for my daughters, of course, I’ll happily accept! To be honest, my daughters mean everything to me.”
There was no need for him to say this; the world already knew how much Gu Jingyuan adored his daughters. Ji Lan was playing to his preferences.
Gu Jingyuan’s gaze rested on the chessboard, and he sighed, “It’s a pity that my daughters’ marriages haven’t been satisfactory.”
Ji Lan smiled elegantly and said, “Not necessarily.”
Gu Jingyuan’s eyes shifted, and he spoke with a hint of probing, “It’s unfortunate that they have been married before.”
Ji Lan shook his head with a smile, “The beauty of the twin jade of Anjing is renowned throughout the land. Even if they have been married before, they are still desired by all men.”
He paused and added half-jokingly, “I feel the same.”
Having gauged Ji Lan’s attitude, Gu Jingyuan didn’t pursue the topic further and changed the subject.
Before long, Ji Lan stood up and said, “It’s already so late. I won’t disturb you any longer. Next time, we’ll drink and talk more while playing chess.”
Gu Jingyuan personally escorted him to the door. After returning to his room, he stared at the chessboard, lost in thought.
The greatest regret of his life was choosing unsuitable husbands for his daughters. Originally, with his overwhelming power, the standards for a son-in-law were merely that his daughters liked them and they would treat his daughters well. He didn’t mind the Chen family’s decline or Ji Xuanke’s youth, as long as he was their support.
Who could have predicted a sudden downfall…
Now, with the Third Prince’s intentions clear, Gu Jingyuan couldn’t help but reconsider the remarriage of his daughters. Although he was satisfied with Ji Lan, aligning with him involved risks, especially given the need to carefully choose sides. Moreover, he had to consider his daughters’ opinions. No matter how advantageous the match, it wouldn’t work if his daughters didn’t like it.
“Master?” Madam Tao gently knocked on the door.
“What is it?” Gu Jingyuan sat down, looking exhausted.
Madam Tao walked in.
Gu Jingyuan looked at Madam Tao, his expression softening slightly. His First Madam had given birth to Gu Jianli prematurely, and her health had been poor ever since. She passed away before Gu Jianli’s first birthday. Gu Jingyuan had no intention of remarrying. But as a general leading troops, he was often away from home, with his longest absence being two and a half years. He never knew when he might lose his life on the battlefield. Without a female head of the household, he worried about his two daughters. Even so, he hadn’t planned to remarry until he once saved Madam Tao from drowning. Having seen and held her, he found her to be a virtuous and kind woman who wouldn’t mistreat his daughters, so he married her.
In their nine years of marriage, he fulfilled his duties as a husband. He left the household to her care and, being a prince, did not keep any concubines to trouble her. However, there was no deep affection between them, and his temperament wasn’t the best. They lived together respectfully but without intimacy.
Originally, this arrangement was meant to continue indefinitely. But after the recent incident, where Madam Tao chose not to leave even at the cost of falling out with her own family, Gu Jingyuan found it harder to maintain his previous cold and stern demeanor towards her.
“Master, Jianli has brought Ji Zhao back.”
“What?” Gu Jingyuan stood up abruptly, his face darkening instantly. His chest heaved with anger, “Ji Zhao? She brought that lunatic Ji Zhao back?”
“Please, calm down!” Madam Tao hurriedly approached him, trying to soothe his anger. “Ji Zhao’s health isn’t good, and she lives far away. Jianli brought her back out of concern. As soon as Jianli returned, she wanted to tell you, but knowing you had a guest, she waited outside…”
Gu Jianli knew her father’s guest hadn’t left yet. Feeling uneasy, she wanted to wait in the courtyard. The afternoon snow had blanketed the ground in white. She walked through the snow, holding a box of candies, eating white jade lotus candies one after another.
Ji Lan exited the main hall and saw Gu Jianli in the snow from a distance. She wore a simple tan and teal robe, her figure graceful and ethereal under the moonlit snowy night.
Ji Lan thought for a moment and then took a detour to leave from another side.
Gu Jianli had eaten half of the white jade lotus candies in the box when Madam Tao beckoned her. She quickly lifted her skirt and ran over, chewing the candy into a mush before swallowing it. She handed the box to Madam Tao, took a deep breath, and with Madam Tao’s encouraging look, walked in with her head held high.
Gu Jingyuan sat upright, his face stern.
“Father…” Gu Jianli’s confidence deflated instantly.
Gu Jingyuan glared at his daughter, silent and angry.
Gu Jianli moved closer, bracing herself, “Father, when I was at the Marquis of Guangping’s residence, he saved me several times. Seeing him weak and unable to walk outside, I brought him back.”
She waited and waited, but her father did not respond. She had no choice but to speak again, “Father, you taught me to repay kindness…”
Gu Jingyuan remained silent.
Gu Jianli took two steps forward, grabbing Gu Jingyuan’s sleeve and shaking it, using a coquettish tone, “Father…”
Gu Jingyuan asked, “You put him in your room?”
“Yes, I’ll share a room with my sister tonight,” Gu Jianli quickly replied. She lifted her head, carefully observing her father’s eyes for any hint of his emotions.
Gu Jingyuan was full of anger. But seeing his youngest daughter’s anxious expression, he had to suppress the rage boiling within him. He tried to control his murderous urge and spoke as calmly as possible, “It’s late. Go back to sleep. We’ll discuss this tomorrow!”
Gu Jianli quietly breathed a sigh of relief. Her father hadn’t immediately ordered the person to be thrown out! By tomorrow, she could take Ji Wujing away.
She smiled and softly said, “Father, you should rest early too. Your health hasn’t fully recovered, so you need to take good care of yourself.”
Looking at his daughter’s face, so much like her late mother’s, Gu Jingyuan’s gaze softened. He nodded, “I know. Go on back.”
Gu Jianli happily left, took the white jade lotus candies from Madam Tao, who was standing outside, and joyfully went to her sister’s room.
Night deepened, and all the lights were extinguished.
Gu Jingyuan grabbed a heavy knife and went to Gu Jianli’s room. Of course, by this time, Ji Wujing and the two children were sleeping there.
Gu Jingyuan used the knife’s hilt to lift the bed curtain, squinting as he scrutinized the bed. Ji Wujing was sleeping on the outside, with the two children cuddled together on the inside.
Gu Jingyuan sat by the bed, tapping Ji Wujing’s chest with the hilt and sneering, “Stop pretending to sleep.”
Ji Wujing didn’t open his eyes; he merely yawned lazily, his voice tinged with weariness as he spoke slowly, “Keep your voice down, don’t wake the kids.”
Gu Jingyuan took a deep breath and tapped Ji Wujing’s chest twice more with the hilt, growling angrily, “Ji scoundrel, do you have no shame? Sticking around like a leech, deceiving my little girl! You’re old enough to be her father!”
“Don’t,” Ji Wujing scoffed, “An eleven or twelve-year-old can’t father children. I’m far from being her dad.”
“You…” Gu Jingyuan paused, adopting a different tactic, “Brother, are you willing to call me father?”
Ji Wujing chuckled, “If you add some New Year’s money, I wouldn’t mind having another dad. Tsk.”
“Ji scoundrel!” Gu Jingyuan’s rage burned through his insides. He abruptly stood up, drawing his blade.
