All people only knew that after that day, the Third Prince, Feng Jingxuan, fell seriously ill and was bedridden. It took half a month for him to gradually recover.
During the half - month when he was seriously ill, his former fiancée, Bai Di, never once visited the Third Prince's Mansion. However, Princess Yunxi came to the mansion every day with tonics, good medicine, and a group of famous doctors. Her concern even exceeded that of Concubine Su Mulin in the mansion.
No one knew whether it was the effect of the precious medicinal materials and famous doctors brought by Princess Yunxi or that the princess's attentive care touched the heavens. Anyway, Feng Jingxuan didn't end up bedridden like his younger brother, the Fourth Prince Feng Jingyang.
Instead, after more than half a month, he gradually regained his spirit and gladly accepted the imperial edict of marriage bestowed by Feng Linche -
Yunxi, the legitimate princess of the Western Liang State, is gentle, virtuous, and well - behaved. She is proficient in the inner virtues and has a kind and noble character. She is hereby named the princess consort of the Third Prince and will get married soon.
After hearing this news, those who were originally in the Third Prince's camp could no longer sit still. They rushed to find Feng Jingxuan one after another, almost breaking down the threshold of the Third Prince's Mansion.
No one knew how Feng Jingxuan persuaded them. Those who went in with sad and anxious faces all came out with relaxed eyebrows and high spirits.
The situation in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty changed completely because of the issuance of this imperial edict of marriage.
This change not only took place in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty. During the half - month when Feng Jingxuan was seriously ill, several major events also occurred in Yongding City.
First, in the General's Mansion -
After General Bai Yizhang endured fifty blows of the cane, he was carried back to the General's Mansion by Zhao Shi, Bai Sheng and others.
No one knew what skill the executioner used. Bai Yizhang's injuries seemed not serious on the surface, but after several doctors came to check, they all said that the tendons and bones of Bai Yizhang's legs were broken. From then on, he could no longer stand up.
The General's Mansion was filled with wails for a while. They closed the door and refused to see anyone for several days.
With Bai Yizhang's paralysis, the military token of the General's Mansion returned to Feng Linche's hands.
From then on, Bai Yizhang was no longer the glorious general who commanded four hundred thousand troops of the Great Zhou Dynasty, but an empty - titled general with no troops and no real power.
Although, in order to appease the General's Mansion, Feng Linche ordered Bai Nianyin, the eldest son of the General's Mansion, to be promoted to the third - rank General of Martial Might, the General's Mansion could never regain its former glory.
In the past, when Bai Yizhang just had a slight cold, many people would come to visit him with medicine and express their concern. But now, the General's Mansion was deserted.
Of course, the reason why these shrewd people in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty turned their backs so obviously was not only because of the change in the General's Mansion, but also because a very low - key wedding was held in Yongding City not long after the news of Bai Yizhang's paralysis spread.
The groom of this wedding was Chen Jianzhi, the second son of the Duke Chen's Mansion who was despised by everyone, while the bride was Bai Di, the second young lady of the General's Mansion who had just held a grand engagement banquet with Feng Jingxuan.
Before everyone could figure out the reasons for these series of changes, a rumor suddenly spread in Yongding City. In almost all the teahouses, the storytellers were all telling the anecdotes of the General's Mansion.
As a result, in front of all the teahouses in the city, there were crowds of people and a constant stream of carriages. People queued up one after another waiting for the teahouses to open, just to rush in and sit in the first row to listen to the storytellers tell the scandals of the General's Mansion.
For a while, everyone in Yongding City was talking about it. The General's Mansion had become the topic of people's after - dinner conversations.
Since childhood, General Bai had been duplicitous. He flattered and killed his younger brother, and alienated the relationship between mother and son. Even after he grew up and took the position of general, he still spared no effort to frame his younger brother.
And Bai Di, the second young lady, spread rumors and framed her cousin Bai Zheng. Regardless of their sisterhood, she seduced her prospective brother - in - law Chu Feng and colluded with bandits to try to kill Bai Zheng.
After Chu Feng was imprisoned, Bai Di turned to seduce the Third Prince Feng Jingxuan and the second young master Chen. When she was having an affair with the second young master Chen, she was caught in the act by the Third Prince. The Third Prince was so angry that he angrily cancelled the engagement.
The reason why Bai Di was so eager to marry the second young master Chen right after the engagement was cancelled was that she was already pregnant.
General Bai didn't think his daughter was wrong. He even broke into the holy palace to plead for his daughter, so he was beaten fifty times by the emperor, which hurt his tendons and bones, and he could no longer stand up...
"What else did they say?" Bai Di lowered her eyes. Her voice was calm. Her slender fingers gently twisted the gauze stained with medicine juice and patiently applied it on her face bit by bit.
Seeing Bai Di like this, Zisu felt a sense of fear rising from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.
The second young lady had changed.
Since she came back from the palace last time, she had become very silent and calm.
Neither Bai Yizhang's paralysis, the blame from the old lady He, the subsequent wedding, nor the repeated humiliations from Chen Jianzhi after marriage could move her.
Both the General's Mansion and the Duke Chen's Mansion were in a complete mess, but Bai Di had been quietly staying in her own room all the time, sitting there stupidly without saying a word.
If someone brought her food, she would take a few bites. If someone brought her medicine, she would patiently apply it. If no one paid attention to her, she would just sit there quietly without urging or making a fuss.
If it weren't for this time, when a few young maids in the Chen Mansion didn't know the rules and were chattering outside Bai Di's window about the amorous affairs of the second young lady that were being spread in the teahouses in Yongding City, Bai Di wouldn't have taken the initiative to ask Zisu about the rumors outside.
"They said..." Zisu carefully glanced at Bai Di and murmured, "that the second young lady was secretly pregnant with someone else's child behind the back of the Third Prince. The Third Prince didn't want to be the step - father, so the second young lady had no choice but to seduce the playboy Chen the Second..."
Zisu felt that she really couldn't say any more. If it had been in the past, Bai Di would have surely smashed all the things within reach.
But Bai Di didn't.
She gently pressed the gauze on her face. After this period of treatment, the swollen parts had gradually subsided, and the wounds had scabbed over. The scars criss - crossed on her face, looking very terrifying.
She slightly lowered her eyebrows and eyes. Her long eyelashes fluttered as she looked at the empty space in front of her and said faintly, "Is that all?"
"Y - yes, that's all..." Zisu secretly blamed herself for being talkative and shook her head repeatedly.
Bai Di pursed her lips and suddenly put down the gauze on her face. "I haven't looked at the mirror for a long time. Bring me a bronze mirror."
Zisu frowned. Seeing the scars on her face, she quickly tried to stop her. "Miss, it's cloudy today. You can't see clearly in the mirror. How about waiting for a brighter day..."
Bai Di raised her eyes. Her eyes were calm as she looked at Zisu and said slowly, "It doesn't matter. Just bring it."
Zisu still wanted to refuse, but seeing Bai Di's calm eyes, for some reason, she believed her words "It doesn't matter".