Chapter 81: Will you marry me?

Xiao Yichen finally realized he regretted it, and he regretted it deeply.

He stared blankly at the person in wedding attire before him, her face becoming blurry.

Yuanzhi…

"Chen-gege?"

Yuanzhi!

However, after this face became clear again, it was completely different from the face he had imagined.

Only then did Xiao Yichen realize that regret had come too late.

The one he was going to marry was Yunxi.

He had to marry Yunxi, otherwise the emperor would be furious, and it wouldn't be just him suffering; the entire Xiao family would be implicated, and his career would be ruined.

But, did he really have to marry someone he didn't like?

Xiao Yichen asked himself, hand on his heart, but had no answer.

He tried to get an answer from Pei Yunxi, so he asked her: "Yunxi, if I don't like you, would you still want to marry me?"

If Yunxi wasn't willing, wouldn't that be a perfect chance to call off the engagement?

With a buzz, a huge roar exploded in Pei Yunxi's mind.

What did he say?

"Chen-gege said he doesn't like her?"

Why?!

Pei Yunxi finally convinced herself that even if he liked Mu Yuanzhi a little, it didn't matter; she would soon be his wife, and he would surely come to love her wholeheartedly—but now he actually said he didn't like her?!

Not liking her—could it be that he only likes Mu Yuanzhi?

Pei Yunxi couldn't accept it, she couldn't accept it!

"Yes, I want to marry you, I want to be your wife, Chen-gege!" Pei Yunxi threw her arms around the man before her, crying tears that streamed down her face, smudging her makeup.

She had only one thought: as long as she was his wife, someday he would surely like only her.

He was merely confused at the moment!

"Chen-gege, you can't abandon me!" Pei Yunxi sobbed.

Xiao Yichen instinctively looked toward Mu Yuanzhi's direction, only to discover that the two people not far away had already left at some point.

His inner sense of loss spread and quickly expanded; even if someone held him tightly, he felt like driftwood with no support.

Pei Yunxi's crying again made him agitated; they were still in the Internal Affairs Office, and if she kept crying and making a fuss, it might draw others' attention.

"Don't cry, I was just saying 'if'." Xiao Yichen comforted her by patting her.

"Will you marry me?" Pei Yunxi lifted her rain-soaked pear-blossom face to look at Xiao Yichen.

"Of course, we'll get married next month." Xiao Yichen said this without any emotion, as if merely stating a most ordinary fact.

A great sense of injustice once again enveloped Pei Yunxi's heart, but even so, Xiao Yichen's answer still could reassure her.

As long as she was his wife, she had won!

Ten days later, there were only a few days left until the twenty-fifth.

Inside Weiyang Palace.

"Master, what are you doing?" Hongdou asked curiously of Mu Yuanzhi, who had been hard at work for days.

"Making a set of arm guards." Mu Yuanzhi said.

"Arm guards, who are they for?" Hongdou asked again.

If it were before, this set of armor would undoubtedly be for the Second Prince, but now they all know the master no longer gives gifts to those people, and even the arrows made for the Second Prince are just routine.

"Making it for Gu Rongjin." Mu Yuanzhi didn't even look up.

"At the last gathering of virtuous talents, Xiao Yichen said she had never sent any gifts to Gu Rongjin, so she would send them, and do so often!"

"Even stray cats and dogs could receive so many of her gifts, but Gu Rongjin not only had to have them, he had to have more than they did!"

"This set of arm guards she made could not be penetrated by blades or spears, could conceal hidden weapons, small explosive bombs, was beautiful and practical, and he would definitely find use for it!"

"Young Master Gu will surely like it." Hongdou's words weren't mere flattery, after all everyone knows the master's weapons are unmatched in the world!

Mu Yuanzhi couldn't help imagining Gu Rongjin's expression upon receiving her arm guards, a smile appearing on her face.

"Master! Something's wrong, master!"

Xiao Nianzi came running in, hubbub and all.

"Xiao Nianzi, early in the morning, how can your words be so inauspicious?!" Hongdou glared at the rushing Xiao Nianzi.

"No! Something really happened!" Xiao Nianzi looked panicked at Mu Yuanzhi in the room: "Prime Minister Xiao has surrounded the Pingnan mansion with a large force, and Young Master Gu's whereabouts are unknown!"

"What?!" Hongdou gasped in shock.

Mu Yuanzhi's arm guard clanged to the ground, she didn't care about anything else, anxiously asking: "What do you mean? Explain clearly!"

"It happened suddenly; even I'm not entirely clear, but I heard Prime Minister Xiao, acting on imperial orders, went to arrest Young Master Gu, saying Gu Rongjin is the chief culprit in the arson and extermination case at the Ministry of Justice's residence!" Xiao Nianzi was anxious like an ant on a hot pan.

"What nonsense is this! How could Young Master Gu do such a thing?!"

"I want to go to the Pingnan mansion to see!" Mu Yuanzhi's mind was in turmoil; she needed to go to the Pingnan mansion to find out what was going on!

"Master! You can't just leave the palace!" Hongdou urged anxiously.

Xiao Nianzi: "Just dig through the dog hole I usually dig!"

"Linglong: "How can the master dig a dog hole?""

"Whatever the time, a dog hole's a dog hole!" Xiao Nianzi said, about to lead the way.

"At that moment Xiao Yunzi spoke: 'Since Young Master Gu's whereabouts are unknown, what use is it for the master to go to the Pingnan mansion?'"

"No matter what, I'll go." Mu Yuanzhi said.

She had decided.

When Mu Yuanzhi arrived at Pingnan Wangfu, a crowd of onlookers gathered outside, pointing and gossiping.

"Did Young Master Jin really slaughter the entire household of the Minister of Punishment?"

"His Majesty has already issued an order to arrest people!"

"It seems they say Young Master Jin fled to avoid punishment, and even Pingnan Wangfu couldn't find him."

"The future heir's consort has arrived."

Someone saw Mu Yuanzhi, voluntarily made way, and everyone's gaze shifted to the hurriedly arriving Mu Yuanzhi.

Mu Yuanzhi only wanted to know the situation at Pingnan Wangfu; she stepped inside, the servants in the mansion had already fled, leaving only soldiers who ransacked chests and cabinets, no different from when they searched her Weiyang Palace.

"Yuanzhi." Xiao Yichen frowned when he saw Mu Yuanzhi.

He had thought she might come, but seeing her actually arrive, still so nervous, his heart gave a twinge.

"I said I would definitely punish Gu Rongjin!" Xiao Yichen's eyes filled with sharp sarcasm: "Now you know I was right—Gu Rongjin is no good person."

But when he saw her face, unchanged by his words, instead glaring angrily, he unconsciously lowered his gaze.

Things have come to this, and she still trusts Gu Rongjin?

Mu Yuanzhi said nothing; she now knew Gu Rongjin was indeed absent, otherwise Xiao Yichen would have dragged him out to show off.

Her first reaction was to breathe a sigh of relief.

He should be all right for now, right?

"Mu Yuanzhi!" Xiao Yichen grew somewhat angry, cold light flashing in his eyes.