Chapter 65: Sneaking out of the mansion

  Xu Mingjin took it over and slowly read through it line by line.

  After finishing, Xu Mingjin sighed and said: "Actually, Mrs. Xu's previous life wasn't that bad."

  Yu Zhu said: "Yes, although her family is a side branch, they also have the surname Ye. She has benefited from the glory of the Ye family. Her brother even passed the imperial examination and became a jinshi. With her conditions, marrying an official below the fifth rank would be more than enough for her. Why did she insist on marrying Master as his concubine, who is older than her father? After marriage, she has so many children with titles, doesn't she feel anxious?"

  Xu Mingjin sighed, "Everyone has their own thoughts, who knows what is honey to one person and poison to another? Maybe she's taken a liking to my father. Although he's old now, he still has some of his youthful charm left. Besides, my father holds a high position and great power, so even if she's just a second wife, she's still a proper lady, not some concubine or servant girl, of course she'd be willing."

  Jade Bamboo pouted: "If it were up to me, I would absolutely not be willing."

  Xu Mingjin took out the red agate phoenix hairpin that Mrs. Xu had given her and played with it in her hand: "This is not an ordinary product, with her family background, she can't afford such a good thing. Then there's only one possibility, this is the gift prepared by the Ye family for her to meet, I don't understand this, I remember Chun Xing said that Mrs. Xu's dowry was very poor. Moreover, they were all things that were showy but not practical, the Ye family wasn't afraid of losing face, but instead feared that she couldn't bring out a decent gift, and even personally prepared one for her?"

  Yu Zhu said: "Madam Xu's dowry was insufficient, so she had to rely on the Ye family. This is the Ye family's means of controlling Madam Xu. They were afraid that once she arrived at the Xu family, she would no longer be under their control. As for the betrothal gift given to Miss and Young Master being more valuable than those from other masters, it should be to make Miss and Young Master the target of public criticism."

  Xu Mingjin nodded and said: "What you said is very right, the Ye family actually supports Ye Yiniang. However, if Madam Xu gave birth to a son, who do you think the Ye family would support?"

  Yu Zhu hesitated and said: "...... Ye Niangba? After all, she is the eldest daughter of the Ye family, while Mrs. Xu is just an unimportant person in the Ye family."

  Xu Mingjin shook his head and said, "You're wrong. There are no eternal friends, only eternal interests. Family members are the same. Yeheniang has only one daughter. If she marries well in the future, the Ye family will continue to support her mother and daughter. On the other hand, if her sister marries poorly, they will become abandoned children of the Ye family. If Mrs. Xu gives birth to a son, her status in the Xu family will rise greatly, and it will be impossible for Yeheniang to humiliate her publicly like today. In this way, Mrs. Xu will secure her position as the main mistress, and the Ye family will naturally support Mrs. Xu who is useful to them rather than Yeheniang."

  Jade Bamboo nodded and said: "Miss, how did you know that Big Miss would have a bad marriage?"

  Xu Mingjin said: "Do you think last night's matter can be suppressed? Paper cannot wrap fire."

  "Miss, do you want it to be spread out?"

  Xu Mingjin rolled her eyes and said, "Her reputation is ruined, all the girls in the Xu family will be affected, I don't have the face to go out, why should I let this matter spread?"

  "But you just said she would have a bad marriage."

  Xu Mingjin said: "I'm just saying maybe."

  Bamboo "......"

  Xu Mingjin looked at Yu Zhu's face with the same speechless expression as Chun Xing, and laughed. Suddenly, he remembered something and said, "Call Chun Xing in."

  Just then, Chun Xing hastily ran in and said: "Miss, what task do you want me to do?"

  Xu Mingjin smiled and said: "There's nothing for you to do, I called you here to discuss something with you."

  Spring apricot washes ears and listens respectfully.

  Xu Mingjin said: "You tell me, you are not often borrowing the excuse of going out to buy snacks for me, secretly meeting with Zhangzi?"

  Spring apricot's face turned red to the root of her neck. She was too shy to speak. Xu Mingjin asked again, and Spring Apricot nodded shyly.

  Xu Mingjin said: "Alright! I'll arrange a wedding for you next year!"

  Chun Xing was taken aback and said: "Miss, when did I ever say that I wanted to get married?"

  Xu Mingjin said: "That day when I returned from the Temple of Protecting the Country, I went to see my uncle. He acted on behalf of Zhang Shuangzi and proposed marriage to you for him, asking to marry you. He also said that Zhang Shuangzi is now in charge and has saved enough money to get married."

  Her face turned even redder as she stuttered: "Miss, y-you promised?"

  "Of course not."

  The red glow on Chun Xiang's face immediately dissipated, and she turned pale, saying: "What, what did I say?"

  Xu Mingjin burst out laughing and said: "What if I agree? What if I don't?"

  Chun Xing was stunned and didn't know how to answer Xu Mingjin's question.

  Xu Mingjin smiled and said: "Okay, Yuzhu was teasing you, I promised Uncle."

  "What? You agreed?" Chun Xing exclaimed.

  Xu Mingjin said with a puzzled expression: "I don't agree and you're unhappy, I agree and you're still unhappy, what do you want exactly?"

  "I, I, I won't marry!"

  Xu Mingjin's face turned cold and he said, "I don't want any old maid by my side."

  "Miss, what I mean is that before you get married, I won't get married either."

  Xu Mingjin said: "Are you stupid? You got married first, and later you'll be my concubine. Do you still want Mrs. Xu to stuff people in here for me?"

  Chun Xing stopped talking. Xu Mingjin saw her like this and told her to go down and think carefully about it herself.

  Xu Mingjin was bored and said to Yu Zhu: "Let's go out of the mansion to have some fun?"

  "Miss, what reason do you have prepared?"

  Xu Mingjin said: "I'm too lazy to make excuses, let's just slip out through the back door!"

  "Miss, this won't do. Ever since you sneaked out last time, the original gatekeeper was quietly replaced by Madam Ye. That person must be one of Madam Ye's people. And now she's still in charge of the household, and she hates you to the bone. If you sneak out from there, aren't you just handing her a handle to use against you?"

  Xu Mingjin heard this and exclaimed in surprise: "The person at the back door has been replaced? How come I don't know?"

  Miss, you are a noble person and often forget things, I have reported this matter to you before.

  Xu Mingjin smiled awkwardly: "Let's not talk about that for now, how are we going to get out? Let me make one thing clear, I'm not going to look for Aunt Ye, and I don't want to climb through the dog hole either."

  "Miss, don't worry, I won't let you, a dignified daughter of the Minister, crawl through dog holes. I'll take you flying over."

  Xu Ming's eyes lit up: "Fly? That's great!"

  The two of them dodged the crowd in the mansion and came to the place where Chun Xiang had drilled into the dog hole last time. All they saw was a high wall standing in front of them, at least three feet high. Xu Ming Jin looked worriedly at Yu Zhu, she could fly over herself, but with Yu Zhu being a big living person, would it be possible? Yu Zhu smiled confidently at Xu Ming Jin, grabbed her hand, took a deep breath and exerted her strength, carrying her to jump over the three-foot-high wall. Then they landed steadily on the outside of the wall, where there was a quiet little alley. At this time, the alley was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves, Xu Ming Jin suddenly realized that it had already been deeply autumn. She looked up and saw that the trees on both sides of the alley were all hung with bright yellow leaves.

  Xu Mingjin stood there quietly for a moment, then walked out, with Yu Zhu following closely behind.

  Since the incident last night, Xu Mingxia has been in a slump. For a whole day, she didn't eat or drink, and her whole person was haggard beyond recognition. After Madam Xu found out, she was heartbroken and ordered the kitchen to stew many ginseng bird's nests to send over, but they were sent back untouched.

  Mrs. Xü was both angry and anxious, but there was nothing she could do. She had no choice but to order Xü Ruòyì to go and see Xü Míngxiá.

  Xu Ruoyi took some time out of his busy schedule and rushed to Xu Mingxia's Cuimicro Pavilion. He said one sentence: "Don't worry, all the people who know about this have been silenced by your father. If you want to marry the young master of the Pingxi Wangfu, your father will help you fulfill your wish." Xu Mingxia immediately returned to normal and started eating again, finishing everything that Old Lady Xu had sent over once more.

  Mrs. Xu heard this and finally put down her worried heart.

  Because of Xu Ruoyi's words, Xu Mingxia perked up and quickly regained her former radiance. On this day, she heard that Xuan Yuan Xizhi was drinking with someone at the largest wine house in the capital, Hua Xiang Lai. Unable to contain her excitement, she found an excuse to slip out of the mansion and headed towards Hua Xiang Lai Wine House.

  It all started nine years ago when Xumingxia first met Xuanyuan Qiyue. She was seven years old, and he was eleven. That year, she followed her mother to the Pingxi Wangfu as a guest, where she saw Xuanyuan Qiyue leaning against the Pingxi Wangfei's chest. At that time, he didn't look like he does now; as a child, he looked beautiful, just like a little girl. She really liked him and went over to play with him. As they were both young children, the adults didn't pay much attention, and soon the two became good friends. However, this attracted the jealousy of other girls, and she was pushed to the ground by a spoiled and arrogant little girl at the banquet. She cried out in pain, and he rushed over to beat up that nasty little girl. As a result, he was scolded by the Pingxi Wangfei and ordered to apologize to that spoiled little girl. Xumingxia heard the Pingxi Wangfei call her "Princess".

  He just wouldn't, and Princess Pyehye was at her wit's end, so she had to comfort the little princess for a while, muttering under her breath: "This disobedient child." From then on, she knew he wasn't a girl, but a boy. But in that moment of realization, she also fell irreparably in love with him, and couldn't extricate herself. Now nine years have passed, he has become an incomparably handsome young man, and she has become a beautiful maiden. Originally, she thought they were a match made in heaven, but during their last encounter, he had already forgotten her.

  Yes! He didn't remember, his eyes scanned her in the crowd with calmness. One glance and he never looked back at her again. At that time, her heart sank like an iceberg. After returning, she comforted herself, it's okay, she would make him fall in love with her again.

  Sitting in the carriage, Xu Mingxia's heart was sometimes excited and sometimes nervous.