Chapter 267 - 266: Holding a Grudge
Xie Yunling spoke with ease, but felt some lingering fear in her heart.
This man was reckless, and if he got angry and wanted to harm her, she couldn’t defend herself.
She quickly said, "Young General, I’m taking my leave!"
"Don’t go!"
Young General Wei felt anxious, realizing that Xie Yunling’s misunderstanding of him had deepened.
He wanted to explain himself further.
Tianshui stepped forward to block Young General Wei, "If you have something more to say, you can visit another day. Today, both the time and place are inappropriate. I hope the Young General respects himself."
If this continued, the reputation of their young lady would be entangled with that of the Wei family.
With the engagement discussions imminent, nothing could go wrong.
Young General Wei also knew that the Duke Mansion was preparing to find a match for Xie Yunling.
This was also why he was eager to explain.
If he missed this chance, they might each marry someone else and have nothing to do with each other anymore.
Glaring coldly at Tianshui, his patience was waning, "Don’t think that because you’re with Xie Yunzhen, I’m afraid to lay a hand on you."
Tianshui remained calm and composed, "Our young lady hasn’t finalized any engagements. The Young General’s persistence—who’s right and who’s wrong, justice is in people’s hearts."
Irritated by this back and forth, Young General Wei shouted, "Get lost!"
Tianshui stood firm.
The two began to exchange blows.
Xie Yunling stomped her foot in frustration and decided to run back to the inn to get help.
With her brother there, she wanted to see how the Wei family could continue their impudence!
As Young General Wei came out with attendants, seeing Xie Yunling leaving, one moved to block her path.
"Our Young General hasn’t given the word, Miss Xie, you can’t leave yet."
"I’m not a slave of the Wei family, what right do you have to restrict my freedom?"
"We’re not restricting your freedom, just hoping you’ll wait, or have them stop fighting and talk things out properly with the Young General."
Xie Yunling was fuming, "I belong to the Xie Family, this is a public road, your Wei family mustn’t bully people too much!"
No matter which direction she tried to go, they wouldn’t yield.
They maintained a respectful demeanor, "Miss Xie, our apologies, once our Young General finishes speaking, we’ll let you go."
"You’re such scoundrels!"
Not far from the bridge, Zhao Yuqing stood with her maid.
She had thought that with the Emperor’s betrothal decree, she could reclaim her position within the social circle, no longer having to defer to certain noble ladies.
Unexpectedly, Young General Wei had someone in his heart.
The maid whispered, "The master clearly said that the Young General’s proposal to Miss Xie was for the Empress’s sake. As long as you enter the Wei family, cautious and discreet, you’ll surely be rewarded in the future. How... how can the Young General cling to Miss Xie so publicly, as if he doesn’t care about appearances."
The Duke Mansion and the Wei Family wielded power and influence, no one dared to say a word.
But their young lady was different.
After today, those who bullied her would undoubtedly become more aggressive.
The maid said with resentment, "The Young General’s actions completely disregard your dignity, it’s too much!"
Zhao Yuqing laughed bitterly, "One’s power is inferior to another’s, aside from enduring, what else can I do?"
This marriage was of no benefit to Young General Wei.
But it was of immense benefit to her.
Marriage talks involve families of equal status, without the Emperor’s decree, she could never enter the Wei family.
"It’s only natural for him to have feelings."
The maid wanted to say more, but saw her young lady heading toward the center of the commotion.
She hurriedly followed, "Miss, we better not get involved in this mess. If trouble arises, we can’t bear the consequences."
Zhao Yuqing walked faster, determination in her eyes.
"Miss Xie doesn’t fancy him, but I don’t want to miss this opportunity, so I must help Miss Xie out."
If their entanglement continued, and rumors spread, with pressure from the Duke Mansion and Wei Family combined, the Emperor might change his decision.
This marriage, landing on her, was sheer luck.
It absolutely couldn’t be spoiled!
Tianshui was skilled, but compared to a General steeped in military life, he was lacking.
After a few moves, he began to lose ground.
Xie Yunling was flushed with anger, "Young General, is this your way of discussing matters?"
At her words, Young General Wei barely restrained his punch.
Seizing the moment, Tianshui kicked him into the river.
"Young General!"
The lackey blocking Xie Yunling didn’t care about anything else and rushed to save him.
Zhao Yuqing hurried onto the bridge, exclaiming in panic, "Young General, we haven’t married yet, you mustn’t have anything happen, or what would I do?"
Then with a splash, Zhao Yuqing slipped and fell into the river as well.
Xie Yunling was dumbfounded.
If her eyes weren’t deceiving her, this Miss Zhao had jumped in on her own.
For a man, ignoring her life, it seemed improper no matter how she looked at it.
She quickly leaned over to see, and noticed Miss Zhao struggling continuously in the water.
Young General Wei could swim, originally not intending to save Zhao Yuqing, but with her shouting for help and mentioning their engagement...
With everyone watching, Young General Wei couldn’t ignore her plea and swam toward her.
Xie Yunling secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
On such a good day, if there was a casualty, it would be bad.
Not wanting to get involved, Xie Yunling signaled Tianshui, "Let’s go, find my brother and Sister Mingzhu."
Tianshui didn’t regret kicking him into the water.
After all, the Wei family man was being relentless and didn’t know how to respect a lady.
If Madam and Lord were to know, they would only commend him for doing a good job.
But with this Miss Zhao in trouble, things had escalated.
Seeing Young General Wei pulling her out, only then did he feel relieved to follow Xie Yunling.
Inside the inn.
Xie Yunling ran back, out of breath, Ji Mingzhu put her meal aside and asked urgently, "Why are you in such a hurry? Did something happen?"
"I ran into Young General Wei earlier, he insisted on talking to me and was kicked into the river by Tianshui."
Ji Mingzhu assessed Xie Yunling, "Are you hurt?"
"No, but his fiancée fell into the water too."
In their private room, Ji Mingzhu could see part of the river view, but the incident happened out of sight.
Ji Mingzhu couldn’t care about that, as long as Yunling was okay, that was enough for her.
"His fiancée fell into the water—that’s Young General Wei’s concern, let him handle it."
Xie Yunling felt uneasy, "It was Tianshui who kicked him, won’t the Wei family seek an explanation from us?"
Ji Mingzhu snorted, "He troubled you first, and it was his own lack of skill. If he dares to demand an explanation, doesn’t he fear being laughed at by others!"
Previously at the border, Young General Wei had impulsively acted, nearly costing Xie Yunzhen his life.
This incident was something Ji Mingzhu could never forget.
Even after so much time had passed, she hadn’t forgotten the fear and despair of that moment.
Xie Yunzhen laughed inappropriately.
As Ji Mingzhu’s sharp gaze flitted his way, he hastily said flatteringly, "Madam, you’re avenging me, I understand."
Xie Yunling sat beside Ji Mingzhu, curious, "What exactly happened then, Sister Mingzhu, quickly tell me."