I have suffered enough in my previous life, my cousin will never marry me

Chapter 151: Turning against guests
In the bustling city of Yuzhou, Dong Rong helped Ji Yunze and followed an old woman through the crowd, stopping in front of a teahouse in the east of the city.

The old woman stopped Dong Rong, pointed inside the curtain, and said with a smile, "Your Excellency, my mistress is inside. She wants to see you alone."

Dong Rong was a little worried, but Ji Yunze secretly shook his head at him and slowly walked into the tea room with his cane.

As soon as he went in, the door outside was slammed shut.

Ji Yunze was cautiously looking around when he suddenly saw a woman in a scarlet dress walk out from the inner room.

Although he did not grow up in Yuezhou, he knew quite well about the Yongning Prince's Mansion and knew that the woman in front of him had an unusual status in the mansion. She was Zhao Yingying, the only daughter of Princess Qining, and had grown up with the Yongning Prince. She was very much favored by the mansion.

Now that Fu Mingchi is about to marry Miss Ye, this woman is probably the most unhappy person in the entire Yuezhou.

They were in the same boat, so Ji Yunze gave Zhao Yingying a lukewarm bow and asked, "What brings Miss Zhao here?"

"Why is the Academician in such a hurry?" Zhao Yingying smiled at him. "I have long admired the Academician's talent and reputation, and I only regret that I cannot meet him sooner. Please take a seat, Academician, and let us talk slowly."

Just as she was about to step forward to help him sit down, Ji Yunze remained frozen in place, his expression turning cold: "I have official duties to attend to. Miss Zhao, please speak frankly."

Zhao Yingying was extremely dissatisfied with his arrogant attitude. He was just a useless education commissioner, and she didn't know what he had to be so arrogant about.

But thinking about the purpose of her visit, Zhao Yingying patiently smiled and said to him, "I know that the Academic Commissioner is unhappy about my cousin and that Miss Ye, but this is not my cousin's fault."

She sat down at the coffee table and said in a low voice, "It's all because that Miss Ye is too fickle and loves to climb the social ladder, which has made the Academician a laughing stock."

Upon hearing this, Ji Yunze's expression darkened almost imperceptibly.

Zhao Yingying was completely unaware of the change in his expression and continued, "It is indeed unpleasant to be abandoned. I can understand the suffering of the Academic Commissioner the most, so I want to help the Academic Commissioner vent his anger."

Ji Yunze pursed his lips slightly, looking at her with a half-smile: "I wonder how Miss Zhao plans to help me?"

"That little slut from the Ye family is a menace in this world. She must be torn to pieces to quell the raging hatred in the heart of the Academician."

Zhao Yingying truthfully revealed her thoughts: "I can help the Academician get rid of her."

"If you dare to hurt her even a little, I'll make sure you die a horrible death first," Ji Yunze glared at her fiercely.

Zhao Yingying was so frightened that her body went limp, and she shrank back in fear.

"How could the Yongning Prince's Mansion have such a despicable person as you? You are simply disgracing the manor's reputation."

He had thought she might have some brilliant ideas, but he never expected her to be so vicious and despicable. Ji Yunze shook his head in disappointment and turned to leave.

"Ji Yunze."

Zhao Yingying's angry voice suddenly came from behind. Ji Yunze turned around and saw that she had stood up. Her crimson dress suddenly fell to the ground, revealing her fair shoulders.

Ji Yunze was taken aback: "What does Miss Zhao want to do?"

"You have to get on my boat today, whether you want to or not," Zhao Yingying glared at him fiercely. "Otherwise, I'll tell everyone that you're trying to take advantage of me."

Although she disliked this kind of weak scholar from the bottom of her heart, she knew his importance among scholars all over the country. If she wanted to get rid of the Ji family father and daughter, she had to make good use of him. Seeing that Ji Yunze was obviously afraid, Zhao Yingying threatened him with righteous indignation: "Your Excellency, you'd better think carefully. If you walk out of this door today, I will make sure you are disgraced."

“Miss Zhao is indeed smarter than I thought,” Ji Yunze said with a cold smile. “However, I would like to know if Prince Yongning will accept you again after learning that Miss Zhao would rather ruin her own reputation than let me go?”

"I," Zhao Yingying choked on her words.

Ji Yunze had already realized that this woman was not cunning at all; she just liked to act recklessly because of her good family background.

Thinking of this, he became much calmer. He looked coldly at Zhao Yingying and smiled, "Perhaps the Prince of Yongning can sympathize with you because of your momentary fierceness, but as time goes by, he will only despise you for the past when you were slighted and will stay away from you from now on."

Hearing these words, Zhao Yingying fell into deep thought.

My cousin doesn't care about me anymore. If it's true that Ji Yunze took liberties with me, he'll probably be even less likely to marry me.

Seeing that she seemed to be moved, Ji Yunze also made some judgments in his mind.

Princess Qi Ning enjoys considerable prestige in Yuezhou. If this mother and daughter truly intend to kill Miss Ye, it will undoubtedly be of great harm to her.

He absolutely cannot stand by and watch this happen.

Looking at Zhao Yingying, Ji Yunze's smile turned sinister: "Miss Zhao, you've put on such a show just to marry into the Prince's mansion smoothly. I can indeed help you with that."

"What's your idea?" Zhao Yingying asked anxiously.

Ji Yunze gestured for her to put on her clothes, and after she sat down again, he spoke slowly and deliberately: "Miss Ye is the daughter of the Grand Secretary and a princess personally appointed by His Majesty. If you openly harm her, you will undoubtedly be courting death. Miss Zhao wants to marry Prince Yongning. The best way right now is to persuade him to rebel."

"Treason?" Zhao Yingying was shocked. "Ji Yunze, you are the top scholar appointed by His Majesty. How could you say such treasonous words?"

“Miss Zhao is mistaken,” Ji Yunze said dismissively.

This was the method he had come up with after much thought these past few days. Now that the imperial power had fallen into the wrong hands, the Gu family was powerful, and the Prince of Yongning held military power and ruled a separatist regime. If he wanted to clear the world for His Majesty, the only way was to make these two forces fight to the death so that the country could be restored.

Only then will his marriage to Miss Ye be accepted by the world, and no one will be able to stop them from being together.

“Miss Zhao knows better than anyone else that you are no less capable than Miss Ye. Your only disadvantage is your family background.”

Ji Yunze coaxed and lied, saying, "If the Zhao family can help Prince Yongning enter Lin'an, then who in the world can compare to the Zhao family's achievements in the future? The only person who will accompany Prince Yongning to rule the world will naturally be Miss Zhao."

Zhao Yingying was eager to try it, and had to admit that his method was indeed very good.

Everyone, including my aunt and the relatives of the Prince of Yongning, longed for my cousin to take over Lin'an, and the marriage alliance with the Ji family was precisely for this purpose.

But how can those civil officials in Lin'an be trusted? If they were to trick my cousin into going to Lin'an, he might end up like the old emperor.

"As expected of the Imperial Academy Scholar, who was personally selected by His Majesty, your knowledge is far from ordinary," Zhao Yingying sincerely complimented, her eyes filled with respect. "I will go back and propose it to my mother. As for whether it will be successful, we will have to rely on the Imperial Academy Scholar's strong support."

"Of course, of course," Ji Yunze said with a forced smile, then turned around, his face darkening, and slowly walked out of the tea room.

Having received Ji Yunze's guidance, Zhao Yingying felt enlightened and couldn't wait to go back to see her mother. After Ji Yunze and his men left, she also led Zhu's mother back in a hurry.