Chapter 5

When we triumphantly returned to the court, Huang Yue distributed rewards based on merit and had long assigned me a residence according to my rank. Selfishly, I hadn’t wanted to separate from Ji Wenmu, so I always pretended that residence didn’t exist.

Now, it was a perfectly wonderful place to go.

When I announced I was moving out of the Ji Manor, the expressions around the table varied. Aunt Ji seemed somewhat hesitant. “Min-min, are you tired from all the blind dates lately? We can take a break.”

I smiled and said, “No, it’s just that I feel I’m not young anymore, and since I have my own estate, it goes against propriety to keep living in the manor.”

Aunt Ji furrowed her brows. “Has someone been running their mouth? I’ll tear them apart.”

I spent a long time explaining before Aunt Ji’s expression softened slightly, though she didn’t relent immediately. Ji Wenmu remained silent the entire time, acting as if he hadn’t heard my announcement to move out, sitting there like an invisible person.

In the end, Aunt Ji and I reached a compromise: I could move out, but I had to listen to her and properly look for a husband’s family.

I didn’t share her confidence. Every young master in the capital had eyes on the top of their heads, favoring those who idled among flowers and willows or desired a beautiful woman adding fragrance to their studies. I had never met a noble young master who didn’t prefer a young, beautiful, and delicate bride, instead favoring an average-tempered but highly combat-capable martial artist.

Therefore, after failing to find a match for three consecutive months, it was hard for Aunt Ji not to feel disheartened. She held my hand and cried softly, “What are we going to do, Min-min? Auntie can’t find you a good home. I shouldn’t have let you practice martial arts and go to the battlefield back then. How is that something a girl should do?”

I comforted her instead. “Think about it, Auntie. What other girl in Great Jing can go to the battlefield, establish military merit, and receive the Emperor’s reward? Isn’t it all because of your good upbringing?”

She seemed to feel a bit better. The carriage suddenly stopped, and a maid called out from outside, “Young Master.”

Aunt Ji wiped the tears from her face, paused her movements, and looked up at me inexplicably. “Min-min, what do you think of Wenmu?”

My heart gave a sudden leap.

The carriage curtain was pulled open, and outside light instantly poured in. Ji Wenmu poked his head inside, got halfway through calling “Mother,” and upon seeing me, the second half of the word got stuck in his throat.

Ever since the paper window between us was pierced, my interactions with him appeared no different than before. But only he and I knew how awkward it was to meet and converse, our eyes involuntarily darting away whenever they met.

Sweat formed in my palms. Ji Wenmu glanced at me and said, “Is this how you act as a general? Neglecting your duties. Aren’t you coming back to the camp with me?”

I felt a surge of gratitude in my heart. Aunt Ji gave him a hard knock on the head. “If Min-min’s lifelong happiness isn’t resolved, are you going to take responsibility?”

He clutched his head, crying out in pain. “What’s the rush? I haven’t even married yet, why should she be in a hurry to marry? Worst comes to worst, we can just wait for the imperial court to assign a marriage.”

“Isn’t Min-min older than you? Besides, you getting married? Look around, which family’s precious daughter would fancy you?”

“I am a dignified fourth-rank General Weiyuan, a young talent, possessing illustrious military merits and striking appearance. How could no one fancy me?”

Their argument escalated. I wanted to intervene, but I couldn’t get a word in edgewise. Ji Wenmu simply sat down next to Aunt Ji, the two of them getting louder and louder.

I lifted the curtain to look outside. Fortunately, something had happened up ahead, and the crowd had all gathered there, paying no attention to the quarrel over here.

Just as I was about to drop the curtain, I heard wailing and crying from the front.

I said to them, “I’ll go see what happened.”

They were locked in fierce combat, Aunt Ji’s hand already reaching for Ji Wenmu’s ear.

I paused for a moment, decided to ignore them, and simply stepped down from the carriage.

The maid told me, “It seems the doctor from that clinic treated someone to death, and the family came demanding an explanation.”