Ji Yunxi was rather silent on the way. On one side was her bosom friend, and on the other was her own elder brother.
She couldn't make a choice, nor did she have the right to do so.
It was almost time to reach the next town when Feng Xingzhi finally stopped the carriage for a rest.
As soon as the curtain of the carriage was lifted, Li Jiuge immediately hid behind Ji Yunxi, as if in this way Feng Xingzhi wouldn't be able to see her.
"Get out."
Li Jiuge immediately tugged at the sleeve of Ji Yunxi's dress.
"Hiding behind Yunxi won't work. Hurry up and get out of the carriage."
Feng Xingzhi rarely wore a straight face. Li Jiuge had no choice but to obediently get out of the carriage. She even tried to get away with acting coquettishly: "Cousin..."
"I'll send someone to take you back."
"I'm not going back!"
Feng Xingzhi frowned. "We have important things to do. If you're like this..."
"I won't cause any trouble! I really don't want to go back. You always lock me up in the palace. I still don't know what the world is like. What if one day I'm married off? Where will I have any freedom after marriage? Can't you, cousin, just leave me alone?!" Li Jiuge suddenly loudly questioned, which left Feng Xingzhi speechless for a moment.
Ji Yunxi couldn't bear to watch any longer. She stepped forward and patted Feng Xingzhi on the arm. "Azhi, calm down. Jiuge is no longer a child. She's been restricted since childhood. This time we're going to Kunlun Mountain to seek medical treatment. There won't be any danger. Just take her with us, okay?"
With Ji Yunxi's persuasion, Feng Xingzhi reluctantly nodded. Hearing this, Li Jiuge immediately let out a scream and hugged Ji Yunxi. "Thank you, cousin - in - law!"
This remark made Ji Yunxi blush. She couldn't help but pat Li Jiuge on the arm. "Stop being naughty!"
Feng Xingzhi was quite satisfied. He immediately nodded. "She has really grown up. She's quite observant."
Teased like this, Ji Yunxi got a bit annoyed and huffed back into the carriage. Feng Xingzhi thought she was really angry and wanted to step forward to apologize.
Unexpectedly, Ji Yunyi pulled him back. "Come on, my sister is shy. Don't go up and bother her."
"Is Yunxi not angry?"
Ji Yunyi looked surprised. "She's your fiancée after all. What you said is the truth. There's no reason for her to be angry. She's just shy."
Li Jiuge shook her head on one side. "Tsk, tsk. It turns out that it's you, cousin, who has no sense of propriety."
After a while of joking around, everyone felt happy. The gloom of these days was finally about to disperse.
After traveling for several days, they finally arrived at the foot of Kunlun Mountain on time.
Although Li Jiuge was lively all the way, Feng Xingzhi still noticed a bit of loss in her emotions.
Knowing that he shouldn't always restrict her, while Ji Yunxi and Lu Shu were going to the Dream Flower Pavilion's stronghold to handle affairs, he proposed to go out with Ji Yunyi and Li Jiuge for a stroll and also to gather some information.
"Master, the spies from the Northern Di reported that not long ago, Sang Yuanyi somehow learned that you were on good terms with the Empress of the Northern Di. So he asked the Empress of the Northern Di to write a letter to plead for mercy. He also brought ten thousand taels of gold and some precious items, hoping to exchange for Sang Qingzhou's life."
Lu Shu received this news on the way, but he didn't mention it until they reached the Dream Flower Pavilion.
Ji Yunxi took the list of gifts from his hand. The Eight - Treasure Glazed Lamp, the Wanchao Fang Zun... Almost all of them were rare treasures.
"The Sang family really has a lot of good things."
Lu Shu smiled. "That's right. I'm afraid even the royal family may not be able to obtain these things. He is really willing to part with them."
Ji Yunxi was also quite puzzled. "Logically speaking, Sang Qingzhou has no real skills, but Sang Yuanyi values him very much. He even took out these things. What on earth is the reason?"
Lu Shu understood what Ji Yunxi meant. "I'll look into this matter further."
"It's not impossible to release him. Sang Qingzhou is in the business. We can't put all the blame on him. But now Sang Qingzhou is in the hands of the Emperor..."
Lu Shu grinned. "Master, don't worry. I've already reported this matter to the Emperor. The Emperor said that since it was you who captured him, it's up to you to decide."
Ji Yunxi raised her eyebrows. Lu Shu was really getting better at handling things.
"Alright. Since General Sang has gone to such lengths, and the matter in the Southern Yan has already been resolved, I'm sure he won't dare to cause trouble in the future. This deal is worth it!"
After discussing the matter of Sang Qingzhou, the stewards of the Dream Flower Pavilion came one by one. By the time all the affairs were dealt with, three sticks of incense had already burned.
"Ashu, haven't Azhi and the others come back yet?"
"No. Maybe they're having too much fun strolling around?"
Ji Yunxi knew that Feng Xingzhi wasn't such a person. She was a bit worried, so she decided to go out and look for them.
She searched with all her heart, but she couldn't find them on the street for a long time. Finally, when she did find them, Ji Yunxi saw a woman of extraordinary appearance tugging at Feng Xingzhi.
The woman was dressed in luxurious clothes and had an elegant demeanor. Her goose - yellow dress made people feel good about her. But that was only if she didn't tug at Feng Xingzhi.
Ji Yunxi felt annoyed. She immediately stepped forward and pulled them apart, looking at the woman warily.
When Feng Xingzhi saw Ji Yunxi coming, his cold eyes immediately softened. He asked tenderly, "Yunxi, why did you come?"
"I saw that you hadn't come back for a long time, so I came to look for you."
The love in Feng Xingzhi's eyes was almost overflowing.
Seeing this, Li Jiuge provocatively glanced at the woman, but the woman's face remained unchanged.
"Yunxi, since you're here, let's go back quickly!" Li Jiuge didn't want her cousin to talk to that woman any more, so she urged Ji Yunxi to go back.
Hearing this, the woman immediately asked coquettishly, "Are you the elder sister who came with Brother Azhi? I just heard Brother Azhi mention you."
"Brother Azhi?" Ji Yunxi got goosebumps all over. She turned to look at Feng Xingzhi.
Hearing this, Feng Xingzhi was afraid that Ji Yunxi would misunderstand. His face darkened, and he frowned severely. "I'm not familiar with you, miss. Please don't be so affectionate."
Li Jiuge stepped forward, showing disgust. "Have you had enough? It's already been said that he already has a fiancée. Why are you still pestering him?"
The woman looked innocent and surprised. "Did this miss misunderstand something? I have no improper thoughts about Brother Azhi. Besides, this elder sister is as beautiful as a celestial being. Naturally, she is well - matched with Brother Azhi."
"You!" Li Jiuge had never seen such a woman before. It was clearly she who was tugging at Feng Xingzhi, but now she was saying that they were well - matched?
She was truly crazy.
"Elder sister is really beautiful." The woman walked forward with a smile, even reaching out her hand as if she wanted to touch Ji Yunxi.
Ji Yunxi didn't understand what she was going to do. She immediately took a step back, full of wariness.
Feng Xingzhi raised his hand to block her. "Don't touch her!"
"Brother Azhi really has a strong possessive desire! But elder sister must like it. Such a cold and beautiful beauty should be matched with a man like Brother Azhi."
She just rambled on by herself, completely ignoring that the people around her didn't want to listen any more.
Ji Yunyi took a deep breath. "Do you need to tell us whether they're well - matched or not?"