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

Chapter 219 Losing to this princess is not shameful
The entire city of Lin'an was in an uproar over the change of the crown princess, but the Mu Cang Zhai remained calm and peaceful.

Seeing their daughter acting as if nothing had happened, Chunhong and Xingtao were extremely worried.

"Girl, are you really just going to stand by and watch His Highness the Crown Prince marry the princess of Daqiu?" Chunhong asked indignantly.

Ye Wanshu casually trimmed the winter plum blossoms by the window and said with a faint smile, "Of course I can only watch. Otherwise, would I run to His Majesty and cry my eyes out?"

“Miss,” Chunhong said anxiously, “You have worked so hard to plan for the Crown Prince, but in the end, it has all benefited someone else. I really feel sorry for you.”

At this moment, Ye Wanshu didn't know what to say to the two maids, and simply said, "Alright, some things are beyond our control. If we gain them, it's my fortune; if we lose them, it's my fate."

No sooner had he finished speaking than a clear laugh came from outside the door: "What a fine saying, 'To gain it is my fortune, to lose it is my fate.'"

The three of them looked over at the sound and saw Ji Ningxuan walking in with her personal maid.

"Does the Third Miss also want to mock my daughter?" Chunhong pouted in dissatisfaction.

Ji Ningxuan glanced at Ye Wanshu with a half-smile: "Why would your elder sister care about the opinions of the world? You two girls are just worrying unnecessarily."

Ye Wanshu realized that the girl had guessed something, so she instructed Chunhong and Xingtao, "Go and get some of the oranges that were picked a few days ago."

Ji Ningxuan also had some things she wanted to say to her elder sister alone, so she sent her maid away as well.

Once only the two sisters remained in the room, Ye Wanshu spoke first: "Third sister, you came all this way just to catch up with me?"

"I came just to ask my elder sister if we should make some good preparations for Laba Festival?"

Ji Ningxuan said, "Although we are still in the mourning period for Father, Chu Lin's succession to the title is a major event for the family. I thought we should prepare a vegetarian feast so that everyone in the family can gather together to welcome him."

The fact that this matter was brought up at this critical juncture made Ye Wanshu realize that she was testing her.

"Third sister, are you still willing to support Chu Lin?" she deliberately said. "Right now, I am disliked by the Crown Prince, and the whole of Lin'an City is laughing at me. If you want to help your cousin from the Zheng family be adopted, it will not be difficult."

“Elder sister, there’s no need to lie to me,” Ji Ningxuan said. “I know my brother-in-law’s character well. If he were willing to abandon you, why would he wait until now? He wouldn’t have taken such a big risk to come to Lin’an alone in the first place.”

Knowing that her elder sister did not trust her, Ji Ningxuan continued, "Back then, my brother-in-law could have clearly led his troops straight into the palace and seized the imperial seal and Empress Dowager Gu, but he chose to go through the difficult task of intercepting my second sister and the people from the Prince Qi's mansion. Based on this alone, I can see that in his heart, you are more important than anything else."

Ye Wanshu felt a warmth in her heart when she realized that the other woman had noticed something amiss.

The reason she dared to gamble with Fu Mingchi was because she genuinely believed in him.

From Qizhou to Lin'an, everything he did was worth risking my life for.

"Elder sister, whether you can become the Crown Princess or not, I am willing to believe in you."

Ji Ningxuan said sincerely, "From the moment you broke off the engagement with the Gu family at all costs, I knew that you were no ordinary girl. I knew that my elder sister could manage this family well and would not let Father's hard work over the years go to waste."

Seeing her sincere eyes, and recalling how she had always stood firmly by her side since returning to the manor, Ye Wanshu's resentment towards her vanished completely at that moment.

Although she didn't have much affection for the Ji family, her father had gone to such lengths for her, so she had no reason to complain about him anymore and should take care of the family for him.

“Ning Xuan, I am very grateful that you can be so open with me.” Ye Wanshu no longer hid anything from her: “I am very sorry about what happened to your stepmother, but you can rest assured that you will be reunited one day.”

Although Fu Mingchi spoke harshly that day, Ye Wanshu knew him all too well. He wasn't a bloodthirsty person like Gu Tingchen, and he would never kill someone just because Aunt Zheng and Ji Ningxi had disturbed their intimate moment. Moreover, he knew that she had entrusted the Ji family's affairs to Ji Ningxuan, so he wouldn't go to extremes.

It seems he hid the person.

Hearing this, Ji Ningxuan sighed softly: "My mother is indeed confused. I thank you, elder sister, for still having a kind heart towards her."

Ye Wanshu pulled her to sit down by the stove, poured her tea, and said gently, "There's no need to be so formal. Now there are only the three of us sisters left in the manor. I hope we can work together to manage this family business for Father."

“But Aunt Sun.”

At this point, Ji Ningxuan's expression turned somewhat gloomy.

"Let her make a fuss."

Ye Wanshu smiled calmly: "However, Ning Rui should not be raised by her anymore. When Tingfeng and Chu Lin return, I will ask Tingfeng to invite the clan leader over so that you sisters can be adopted by your mother. This will make it much easier for you to find a husband in the future."

Upon hearing this, Ji Ningxuan looked at her with undisguised excitement: "Elder sister, is what you said true?"

“You have me in your heart, so as the eldest sister, I should naturally think more about my younger sister.”

Ye Wanshu took a sip of tea, then changed the subject: "Right now, our household is in the eye of the storm, so let's not make a big fuss, lest it arouse suspicion."

Ji Ningxuan understood her elder sister's thoughts; she was worried that outsiders would discover her scheme with the Crown Prince.

"Don't worry, elder sister, I will definitely cooperate with you and brother-in-law to play this role well."

As soon as she finished speaking, she frowned deeply again: "I'm worried that Aunt Sun really did invite the clan chief with my uncle and aunt."

"Wouldn't that be even better?" Ye Wanshu said with a smile. "At this critical juncture, the more chaotic our household is, the better."

Seeing her elder sister's confident demeanor, Ji Ningxuan knew that she didn't take the matter to heart at all, and her anxiety subsided.

"Then I will follow my elder sister's arrangements."

Ji Ningxuan had just taken a leisurely sip of tea when Chunhong and Xingtao's voices suddenly came from outside: "Princess Helian, you cannot barge in. My young lady is not at liberty to see you."

Upon hearing the sound, Ye Wanshu and Ji Ningxuan both looked towards the door, where they saw Helian Jiu swaggering in.

“Princess Helian, you are being far too rude,” Ji Ningxuan said displeasedly. “This is, after all, the Prime Minister’s residence.”

"It's alright." Ye Wanshu raised her hand to stop Ji Ningxuan, and glanced coldly at Helian Jiu. Looking at her arrogant attitude, she knew that she did not take anyone seriously.

"Princess Jinghe, please don't be offended. I'm just too curious and want to see you as soon as possible."

Helian Jiu approached with feigned friendliness, saying, "Princess Jinghe is truly a rare beauty; no wonder the Crown Prince is so enamored with you."

“Your Highness is too kind,” Ye Wanshu said calmly. “How could I possibly compare to Princess Helian?”

“That’s true,” Helian Jiu said without the slightest modesty. “After all, a man wouldn’t give up his great empire for a mere woman. It’s not shameful for Princess Jinghe to lose to me.”