The Cousin Is About to Marry，The Abstinent Young Lord Loses Control-Chapter 138: Madam, Go Soothe the Young Master!

Chapter 138: Chapter 138: Madam, Go Soothe the Young Master!

After leaving the Crane Dance Hall, Xie Yunzhen exuded a chilling aura.

He had an air of "do not approach."

Ji Mingzhu felt a chill down her back, her heart was also flustered, and she dared not return to the East Courtyard with him.

Touching her neck, she said, "I have urgent matters to ask Aunt. I’ll visit the second branch first, you can go back by yourself."

Xie Yunzhen stared at her steadily, an overwhelming sense of pressure coming over him, making it hard for her to breathe.

After a long pause, the man spat out two words with his thin lips, "As you wish."

Xie Yunzhen had already walked far away, yet Ji Mingzhu’s heart was still unsettled.

Thud thud thud...

One beat after another, clearly reached her ears.

Gold also felt the same way.

"Madam, the Princely Heir is so frightening."

Ji Mingzhu touched her heart, "Ignore him."

Gold thought to himself, with the Princely Heir’s imposing presence, how could ignoring him make him disappear?

In a low voice, he said, "You should try to appease the Princely Heir, otherwise, with him being like a block of ice, we’ll end up frozen to death sooner or later."

Block of ice, indeed a fitting description.

Ji Mingzhu rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the chilly feeling.

"I’ll find Aunt first."

As for Xie Yunzhen, let him be angry if he wants to.

After all, it wasn’t her body that was hurt.

Second Branch Main Courtyard.

When Ji Mingzhu arrived, Mrs. Guan was poring over the accounts.

Two housekeeper mothers stood by her side, awaiting orders.

Without disturbing them, Ji Mingzhu first went to chat with Yun Ling for a while.

Half an hour later, the housekeeper mothers left, and only then did Ji Mingzhu go to the main room.

"Did you encounter any troubles when you entered the palace today?"

Even though Ji Mingzhu stood well before her, Mrs. Guan couldn’t help but ask a few more questions.

Ji Mingzhu shook her head, "I didn’t encounter any trouble, but Aunt, I have something to ask you."

Gold was sent away by Ji Mingzhu, and seeing her serious face, Mrs. Guan knew that the matter wasn’t trivial.

She sent the housekeeper mother to stand guard at the door.

To prevent eavesdropping.

She then asked, "What is it? Why so serious?"

Ji Mingzhu lowered her voice, "Today, I met Her Majesty the Empress. The Empress said she was a classmate and friend with my mother, but I never heard my mother mention it. It makes me uneasy, so after much thought, I came to you for answers."

The Empress’s attitude toward her was peculiar.

It seemed like she disliked her.

Yet amidst the loathing, there was a trace of care.

These two emotions... very contradictory.

Since she would have to enter the palace occasionally, she could not avoid dealing with the Empress.

Clarifying the situation would help reduce the likelihood of mistakes with Her Majesty.

Mrs. Guan sighed, "Upon hearing you entered the palace, Aunt knew this matter might not be kept secret."

There were indeed secrets involved here.

Ji Mingzhu hurriedly said, "Aunt, please tell me."

Mrs. Guan’s expression was complicated, as if finding it difficult to speak.

"You must know about your mother’s and her family’s relationship. They sent her to the Women’s Academy in hopes that one day she would be presented to the Regent King."

"The Regent King was ruthless, and all women favored by him either ended up injured or dead the next day, with no good outcome for any of them."

"A noble lady managed to escape from the Prince Mansion, her body was covered with wounds, and later she went mad, it was terrifying!"

"Your mother didn’t want to enter the Regent Prince Mansion, yet your grandfather imprisoned her at home. If she hadn’t been smart and escaped, the consequences would have been unthinkable."

"I originally suggested she go to the bustling Jiangnan to lay low, but who would’ve known that someone as timid as she would run to the frontier and meet your father."

These were things Ji Mingzhu did not know.

All she knew was that her mother severed ties with her family, never expecting there was more to it.

Imagining such a scene, Ji Mingzhu felt suffocated.

Forced marriages were unfortunate enough, let alone marrying a brutal bloodthirsty man, who wouldn’t want to flee?

Suppressing the foreign sensation within her, Ji Mingzhu asked, "What does this have to do with the Empress?"

Mrs. Guan sighed, speaking quietly, "Before Her Majesty was married, she admired your father, and it seems your father had some feelings for her too."

"The Zheng family looked down on military generals, seeing your father as nothing but a brute who only knew how to fight and kill. Later on, when your mother returned from the frontier and your father proposed marriage, she felt your mother intentionally deprived her of her love. From then on, she severed ties with your mother."

Afraid Ji Mingzhu might misunderstand, Mrs. Guan added a few more explanations.

"I asked your mother; she encountered an accident at the frontier, was nearly abducted by outsiders, but it was your father who saved her. Because she was knowledgeable in medicine, he temporarily kept her in the military camp."

"They spent a year on the frontier, but the Zheng family still wouldn’t relent. The Empress was eventually married to the then-Crown Prince, now the Emperor. Your father then decided to let go and be with your mother."

Ji Mingzhu’s voice was tinged with bitterness, "So, in my father’s heart, there was no place for my mother?"

What did it mean for her mother, who was gravely ill, to chant sutras and transcribe scriptures for him?

"Perhaps not initially, but your mother didn’t lose out either. She completely cut ties with her family, never having to worry about being sent to someone else’s mansion one day."

"Later on, your father must have loved your mother greatly. One year, he braved snowstorms from the frontier just to cook her a bowl of longevity noodles for her birthday. The following year, you came into the world."

Mrs. Guan held Ji Mingzhu’s hand, saying, "This matter must not be spoken of; it concerns the Royal Family’s reputation and must remain a secret."

Back then, not many knew that General Ji was Empress Zheng’s beloved one.

After all, a woman’s reputation is precious, and when things are uncertain, they cannot be spread carelessly.

Ji Mingzhu is not one to gossip, and with it involving her parents, she naturally vowed to keep it a secret.

Understanding the situation, she now knew why Her Majesty’s attitude was so peculiar.

It was a residual affection, extending love to everything related.

This revelation was a significant shock to Ji Mingzhu, given her counterpart’s high standing, with both harsh and benevolent imperial grace.

However, to accept such goodwill felt like a betrayal to her own mother.

Mrs. Guan said, "You don’t need to feel awkward. If Her Majesty is kind to you, just accept it. If she makes things difficult, we’ll find a way to avoid it. Surely your parents, watching from the heavens, wish for you to live well, free from these burdens."

"Aunt, I understand."

Mrs. Guan breathed a sigh of relief, pinching her nose.

"Call me Second Aunt. If you don’t change your address, the old madam and Commandery Princess will hold it against you."

Ji Mingzhu intentionally softened her voice, "Second Aunt, is there a fee for changing how I address you?"

On her wedding day, Mrs. Guan had already added to the dowry.

Now she laughed, pulling off a jade hairpin and placing it in Ji Mingzhu’s hair.

Patting her on the cheek, she said, "Such an obedient niece-in-law."

Ji Mingzhu: "..."

She stayed in the Second Branch for most of the day, not returning to the East Courtyard until night fell.

The study room was lit by candlelight.

Xie Yunzhen hadn’t gone out again.

Gold whispered, "Madam, they said the Princely Heir hasn’t had dinner yet. Could he still be angry?"

Ji Mingzhu felt a headache coming on, "He’s not a child. Would he starve himself to death?"

"Madam, perhaps you should go comfort him; the Princely Heir’s cold demeanor is truly frightening!"