Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

Princess Jianing was confident that Zong Xian would choose her.

The woman was just a helpless orphan with no power or influence, and could not provide any assistance to his career.

On the other hand, she has the backing of a general's mansion, and countless people in the capital hope to climb the social ladder by associating with her.

If Zong Xian isn't stupid, he'll choose her.

Thinking of this, Princess Jianing regained her confidence, completely concealing the humility she had just displayed. She slightly raised her chin and regained the pride of a noble lady.

The man, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped, slowly turned half of his body to the side, and his cold gaze fell on her.

"The princess has made a mistake."

Princess Jianing was taken aback. "What?"

Zong Xian slowly stroked the jade thumb ring on his finger, a haughty air spreading across his face.

He said, "This marriage between us is not something I, Zong, actively sought; it is a marriage decree bestowed by His Majesty, which cannot be disobeyed. In other words, my wife must be a princess."

He was born proud and never coerced.

While the general's mansion's control of 300,000 troops was indeed formidable, his elder brother, Zong Heng, was stationed in the southern border, commanding 250,000 soldiers.

In truth, the General's Mansion, whose foundation in the imperial court is still weak, needs this marriage alliance far more than he does.

For Zong Xian, entering into a marriage agreement with the General's Mansion was merely icing on the cake; it could strengthen his power, but it was by no means an indispensable lifeline.

His realistic words completely shattered Princess Jianing's arrogance.

The woman, swaying precariously, asked one last question with resentment: "In all this time we've spent together, have you ever felt any joy for me?"

"Never."

Her response was her husband's indifferent attitude.

So, all the kindness he's shown her these past few days has been out of politeness and a sense of responsibility?

Princess Jianing closed her eyes, two lines of tears falling. "I understand, you may leave!"

Her inherent pride wouldn't allow her to bow down to Zong Xian again.

...

Mingyi had already lowered the curtain and was waiting quietly for Zongxian to return.

Although she couldn't hear what they were saying, she could tell that they parted on bad terms.

It's probably because of her.

Not long after, the carriage curtain was lifted, and Zong Xian bent down to get into the carriage, sitting down beside her.

Mingyi turned her head to look at him and couldn't help but ask, "The princess is crying so hard, her face is streaked with tears, it's truly pitiful. Why don't you show the slightest emotion, sir?"

Zong Xian looked up and met her gaze, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Looks like you've been secretly watching from here for quite some time."

As he spoke, he took her hand, which was holding the hand warmer, and rubbed it in his palm.

Mingyi turned her face away and did not answer.

After a while, she added, "She is, after all, the man's fiancée. It would be very unpleasant to make such a scene in public before the wedding is even over."

"Yes, Jiaojiao is the culprit."

Mingyi then went along with him, saying, "Then what should we do? Sir, you can just take me, the culprit, to the General's Mansion to plead guilty!"

Zong Xian laughed and pulled her to his side, his warm breath enveloping her. "So Jiao Jiao is so considerate of me."

Who's thinking about him? He's sick.

Mingyi's expression remained calm, and he did not speak again.

Zong Xian broke the silence, asking her, "Aren't you curious about what she told me?"

Mingyi's tone was indifferent, with a hint of perfunctoriness: "If I were curious, would you have told me, sir?"

"nature."

Zong Xian held her hand, carefully observing her reaction, and said slowly, "The princess wants me to abandon you."

Mingyi naturally replied, "The master didn't agree, did he?"

If he had agreed, Princess Jianing wouldn't have been so heartbroken.

Zong Xian chuckled softly but remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Mingyi smiled faintly, looked into his eyes, and said in a gentle tone, "My lord is really foolish. You have angered the princess and the general's mansion because of me. It is not worth it."

Zong Xian took her hand in his and gently kissed the back of her smooth hand, feeling a strange sense of reverence.

Even if it means completely offending them, it would be worth it for me.

Such sweet words, coupled with the tenderness in his eyes, would likely have stirred the heart of an ordinary, simple-minded woman, who would have willingly succumbed to his deep affection.

But Ji Mingyi wouldn't be fooled by him in the slightest.

...

The carriage did not return to the Zong residence, but instead turned around and slowly proceeded along the winding mountain road.

Looking at the unfamiliar mountain scenery outside the window, Mingyi asked, "Where are you taking me, sir?"

Zong Xian said, "The desolate wilderness is the perfect place to kill someone and dump the body."

Mingyi turned to look at him, saw the smile on his face, and said reproachfully, "You're good at scaring me, sir."

She seemed to be in good spirits; her expressions were much more lively and vivid.

Zong Xian's heart stirred, and he reached out to pull her close to his waist, unable to resist whispering sweet nothings in her ear.

After a while, the carriage slowly came to a stop in the mountains.

Zong Xian got out of the car first, then reached out to help her to the ground, and carefully adjusted her cloak hood to protect her from the cold mountain wind.

Mingyi looked up at the surrounding scenery and his eyes lit up.

What comes into view is a plum grove covering the mountains and plains, with thousands of branches and countless blossoms, and snow-white plum blossoms adorning the gnarled branches.

The mountain breeze swept through the forest, rustling down delicate petals, and a subtle fragrance drifted on the wind, refreshing and invigorating.

"This is Tianchi Mountain, where the plum blossoms are a sight to behold," Zong Xian said gently.

A winding bluestone path leads through the plum grove, with a pavilion built against the mountain in the distance.

Zong Xian took the girl's hand and climbed to the railing of the pavilion, where he could take in the entire scenery of the plum garden.

Looking at the boundless sea of ​​plum blossoms, Mingyi unconsciously loosened her fingers that were tightly wrapped around her cloak and softly exclaimed in admiration, "There is such a beautiful place."

Plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums have always been known as the flowers of gentlemen. Among these four flowers and trees, she particularly favored the winter plum blossom, which is why she embroidered white plum blossoms on her handkerchief.

Zong Xian stood beside her, his gaze not on the blooming flowers, but only on the girl's fair profile. "I've wanted to bring you here for a while, but you had a leg injury and it was inconvenient for you to travel, so it was delayed until today."

Mingyi was genuinely happy and smiled at him, saying, "Thank you for bringing me here, sir."

The wind rose again, and several red plum petals drifted gently onto the railing, one of which landed precisely on Mingyi's hair.

Zong Xian raised his hand, his fingertips gently plucking a petal, his fingertips inadvertently brushing against her temple.

...

The fragrance of plum blossoms lingered in the mountains. The two strolled slowly along the flower path and soon arrived at the elegant village deep in the forest.

A bamboo fence and a thatched gate, a courtyard surrounded by bluestone, snow-covered pine trees inside, and wisps of smoke rising from a warm stove.

This is Fan Siyuan's residence.

The gatekeeper respectfully led the two inside.

"Young master, it's the Grand Secretary."

Fan Siyuan, who was brewing tea around the stove in the courtyard, looked up when he heard the sound, and his gaze immediately fell on the woman beside Zong Xian.

The girl was wrapped up tightly, with only her exquisitely beautiful, delicate face peeking out from under the hood of her silver fox fur cloak.

A genuine look of surprise flashed across Fan Siyuan's eyes.

He had known Zong Xian for many years, but this was the first time he had ever seen him bring a woman with him.

He set down the silver teapot he was using to brew tea, a playful smile playing on his lips. His gaze swept between the two men: "What wind has blown you here today, sir, to my humble abode in the mountains, and with your beautiful lady by your side?"