Ji Yuchen returned to the mansion and headed straight for Ji Yunxi's courtyard without even hearing the butler's message behind him that Li Jiuge had come.
Ji Yunxi was entertaining Li Jiuge with some small dishes.
"Yunxi!"
Ji Yuchen was rarely so unsteady. His voice came even before he arrived.
Ji Yunxi turned her head and saw her elder brother smiling. However, when she turned back, she saw Li Jiuge's hand, which was about to pick up some dishes, frozen in mid - air. Li Jiuge seemed to be fixed by someone.
"Jiuge? What's wrong with you?"
Li Jiuge suddenly put down her chopsticks and quickly tidied up her clothes and hair ornaments.
Ji Yunxi was a bit puzzled, but Ji Yuchen had already walked over quickly.
"Yunxi... I didn't expect the princess to be here too. Your servant pays respects to the princess."
Li Jiuge's voice suddenly became gentle: "Please rise, Prime Minister."
Ji Yunxi had never heard Li Jiuge talk like this before. She was a bit shocked for a moment and stared at her with wide eyes.
Li Jiuge nodded slightly, looking like a well - bred young lady. Ji Yunxi almost forgot who that wild girl was who couldn't even wait for her to serve the dishes and was eager to eat just now.
"Prime Minister, have you just returned from the court?"
"Yes."
Ji Yuchen replied and then found a chair to sit down, very close to Li Jiuge.
Li Jiuge unconsciously tightened the corner of her dress and didn't dare to move much.
Ji Yuchen smiled and said, "Just call me Big Brother Ji. It makes me uncomfortable to be so formal."
Li Jiuge pursed her lips and smiled: "Okay, Big Brother Ji."
Ji Yunxi suddenly remembered that during her father's funeral, she was deeply grieved. Li Jiuge sent meals every day and never forgot about her elder brother.
At that time, Ji Yunxi just thanked her for her care during that period. Now that she thought about it, even if the Ji Mansion was very busy, it shouldn't be unable to prepare meals for Ji Yuchen, right?
When did Li Jiuge start to have such feelings?
Ji Yunxi thought that she had no mood to notice these things at that time. Now that she thought about it, it seemed quite strange.
While Ji Yunxi was in a daze, Li Jiuge had already chatted with Ji Yuchen a lot.
After a while, Ji Yuchen finally told the servants around to leave and said to the two of them, "Feng Qi came to see me yesterday."
Li Jiuge unconsciously stood up: "Big Brother Ji, I'm not very convenient. I'll leave first."
Ji Yuchen and Ji Yunxi both grabbed her: "Jiuge, you don't have to be like this. You've known about this for a long time. We don't need to avoid you."
Li Jiuge felt a sense of being accepted and happily sat down.
"Feng Qi said that Prince Feng found that the poison was related to the black mandala, and this thing only grows in Beidi. They suspect that it was done by the Wangyue Pavilion. I heard that you were attacked by the Wangyue Pavilion before."
Ji Yunxi said seriously: "Yes. When we were about to enter the Xirong City, the people from the Wangyue Pavilion appeared and attacked us."
"Brother, I also found something today..."
Ji Yunxi told Ji Yuchen all about what happened in the prince's mansion yesterday and what she had investigated after coming back.
"... So, brother, we need to be more careful. This Jiang Yaoji is not an ordinary person, and neither is Ji Yuyan. We have no idea what they are going to do."
Ji Yuchen immediately said, "Don't worry about this. I'll send someone to keep an eye on Ji Yuyan right away."
After the three of them discussed, the sky gradually darkened. Ji Yunxi saw Li Jiuge off.
Li Jiuge walked while being curious: "It's really strange today. Why didn't His Majesty send someone to arrest me and take me back?"
Ji Yunxi stuffed some pastries into her bosom: "As soon as you came, I've already told His Majesty! You sneaked out. Li Jiuge, you're definitely going to be punished when you go back!"
"Ji Yunxi! You traitor!"
Ji Yunxi couldn't help laughing: "Jiuge, are you..."
The two had been close friends for many years. As soon as Ji Yunxi opened her mouth, Li Jiuge knew what she was going to say. She blushed and quickly urged Ji Yunxi to leave. She refused to say another word no matter what.
The carriage drove away. Ji Yunxi returned to her own courtyard to rest. In her dream, she seemed to be in a pale world.
There was a sword in front of her, summoning her. Ji Yunxi walked forward uncontrollably and gently held the hilt. The sword immediately trembled for a moment, as if it was sensing Ji Yunxi's touch.
Feng Xingzhi's face seemed to suddenly appear in front of her. It seemed that he was handing this sword to her.
"... From now on, Nian Yun will be yours..."
The next day.
Qing Xuan was still sleeping soundly in the spiritual sea. Ji Yunxi suddenly felt that the spiritual power around her had changed abruptly.
Lushu somehow entered the prime minister's mansion and stood directly in front of her.
Ji Yunxi was not surprised to see Lushu. She had long expected that Lushu would come to find her again.
Lushu walked around her a few times and then sat down curiously opposite Ji Yunxi: "You don't seem surprised at all. Did you know I was coming?"
Ji Yunxi reached out to pour a cup of tea and handed it to Lushu: "I did guess. And even if you didn't come to find me, I would find a time to see you."
Lushu thought this person was a bit strange, but he couldn't tell exactly why.
"What do you want to tell me?"
Ji Yunxi asked, "Who is the owner of the Jiang Pavilion?"
Lushu was stunned for a moment, then quickly recovered and showed some hostility: "The owner's name is Jiang Yunxi. She is the master's first wife."
Ji Yunxi smiled faintly and retorted, "Your master just got engaged to me. Where did his first wife come from?"
Lushu snorted: "You don't need to worry about this! My master loves the pavilion owner the most. I advise you not to overestimate your capabilities."
Ji Yunxi raised her eyebrows, and her tone was not as gentle as before: "Overestimate my capabilities? As the legitimate daughter of the prime minister's mansion, except for the royal family, I have the highest status. Moreover, my spiritual power and cultivation are both excellent. Even you're not sure you can defeat me, right? So I'm the best woman your master can marry. Are you sure I'm overestimating myself?"
Lushu felt that the teacup in front of him was a bit hot: "My master is a prince!"
"So what if he's a prince?" Ji Yunxi replied without hesitation, "Since you insist that A Zhi's first wife is your pavilion owner, then let her come out. I'll take her to His Majesty in person to explain this clearly."
Lushu paused. He also wanted to find the pavilion owner, but how could he do that?
Seeing him silent, Ji Yunxi's anger finally subsided.
"What if I say I'm your pavilion owner?"
Lushu immediately looked up, sized her up and down, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes, but it quickly disappeared.
"So what?" Ji Yunxi thought it was funny. This Lushu didn't seem like someone who could control the Menghua Pavilion at all. He was too easy to understand.
Just by looking into his eyes, one could seem to see through him.
However, this was a bit similar to his master.
"You do look a bit like the pavilion owner, and your names are also similar..." Lushu's tone was full of speculation.
Suddenly, he seemed to understand and let out an "oh": "I understand!"
Ji Yunxi's eyes lit up. She thought Lushu really knew something and looked at him expectantly.
But Lushu's eyes suddenly became a bit strange, as if there was both disgust and a trace of pity.
"Why are you looking at me like this?" Ji Yunxi felt a bit creepy under his gaze.
Lushu clicked his tongue twice.
"So, you're just a substitute!"