PDLP Chapter 71 I haven't had a chance to tell you yet
Chapter 71 I haven't had a chance to tell you yet
Jiang Feng had always had a feeling that everyone in the world could potentially betray him, except for Zhao Ming'er.
There are only two possibilities for Zhao Ming'er's appearance here: either she has been used by someone, or she discovered that he was in danger and came here specifically to help him.
Based on his understanding of Zhao Ming'er, the first scenario is more likely.
Did Empress Dugu want to execute him? Or did Guanyin Bodhisattva want him to get married?
It probably wasn't the emperor, since he still had to save his own life. Sending Li Jing to inform him was probably just to watch him make a fool of himself.
As he frowned in thought, everyone present focused their attention on him.
Some people wore amused expressions, while others looked on with disdain.
Another man stared at Zhao Ming'er with gleaming eyes, clicking his tongue and saying, "Jiang Feng is quite the lucky man, willing to abandon such a beautiful young lady. If you don't want her, you can give her to me..."
Yang Guang turned his head and glanced at him, then said coldly, "Yang Xuangan, if you don't want your tongue anymore, you can cut it off and feed it to the dogs."
Yang Xuangan was furious. He turned around and saw that the person who spoke was the Prince of Jin. He quickly shut his mouth.
Seeing this, Empress Dugu smiled with satisfaction and said in a stern voice, "Jiang Feng, you abandoned your wife and children. Do you know your crime?"
Jiang Feng snapped out of his daze and looked at Zhao Ming'er with a strange expression: "We have another child? How come I didn't know?"
Zhao Ming'er smiled happily: "Not one, but two. We'll have a son and a daughter after we get married. I just dreamt about it a few days ago, but I haven't had a chance to tell you yet!"
Empress Dugu's expression changed, and she exclaimed in surprise, "Ming'er, the child was born in your dream?"
Zhao Ming'er retorted confidently, "So what if I was born in a dream? It's still giving birth, what's the difference!"
Empress Dugu: "@#￥%￥#@……"
The difference is huge!
You didn't say that in the Guanyin Temple. You said things like he tilled the fields while you wove cloth, he carried water while you watered the garden, and you even knew the names of the two children. Now you're telling me that was all a dream?
If I had known you were just talking nonsense, would I have dared to confront Jiang Feng at the banquet today?
To her utter surprise, the little cotton-padded jacket she had just finished was riddled with holes. Wearing it made her feel cold all over. Was this what it felt like to be betrayed?
While Empress Dugu was filled with resentment, Yang Guang stepped in to smooth things over: "Mother, let's stop the jokes for now and settle my sister's title first!"
Empress Dugu forced a smile: "Second Prince is right, then I will stop joking. Tomorrow, since you are from Zu'an County, Yangzhou, I will bestow upon you the title of Princess Zu'an! Your fief will consist of two thousand households! I will also grant you a princess's residence, which will be immediately ordered to be constructed by the Yangzhou General Administration."
Everyone present looked surprised.
Apart from Princess Yang Lihua of Leping, whose fiefdom consisted of 5,000 households, the other princesses had a maximum fiefdom of 1,500 households.
Zhao Ming'er is just an adopted daughter, yet she receives such preferential treatment from the Empress. It seems that Empress Dugu truly dotes on her!
As the banquet began, Zhao Ming'er, as the protagonist of the day, sat next to Empress Dugu.
Looking at the dishes being served, Zhao Ming'er picked up a plate of sliced roasted lamb leg and went to Empress Dugu's side to ask considerately, "Mother, do you like lamb leg?"
Empress Dugu felt a warmth in her heart and smiled, "If your mother doesn't like it, you can eat it yourself."
"Oh!" Zhao Ming'er reached out and picked up the plate of roasted lamb leg from Empress Dugu's table, and brought it to Jiang Feng along with her own plate.
Empress Dugu: "..."
I'm heartbroken and regretful. Why did she just say she didn't like it?
She finally understood that as long as Jiang Feng was around, she couldn't foolishly expect Zhao Ming'er to come and take care of her immediately!
When the roasted lamb leg was brought over, Zhao Ming'er didn't care at all about other people's opinions and sat down with Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng ate a piece of roasted lamb leg before asking, "What brings you here?"
Zhao Ming'er said, "Guanyin Bodhisattva appeared to me in a dream, asking me to come and recognize Empress Dugu as my godmother, so as to resolve the conflict between you and her."
Jiang Feng thought to himself, "Just as I thought," and laughed, "This Bodhisattva is really troublesome."
Zhao Ming'er smiled and said, "Who says otherwise? She wants Empress Dugu to bestow a marriage upon us and even asked me to persuade you to go to the Western Paradise to obtain the scriptures."
As she spoke, her eyes shone brightly, and she stared intently at Jiang Feng, saying, "I think we can turn the tables and just get married without going on the pilgrimage. It's like eating candied hawthorns—eat the sugar coating and the hawthorn, and spit out all the seeds!"
Jiang Feng: "..."
What a load of bull! You're just trying to take advantage of me!
After a moment of silence, he explained, "I made an excuse before that I wouldn't go on the pilgrimage if I wasn't married, but if we were really married, I wouldn't have any reason to refuse anymore."
If I go back on my word, Guanyin Bodhisattva will definitely turn against me, and might even put a golden headband on my head, leaving me in a state of unbearable misery.
Zhao Ming'er frowned: "Guanyin Bodhisattva is truly cunning; she never mentioned this to me. Let's postpone the wedding and have the baby first!"
Jiang Feng's eyes widened immediately: "No... can't you think of anything else?"
Zhao Ming'er snorted in dissatisfaction: "If I don't strike first, and Yang... cough, Cui Ying beat me to it, where will I go to cry then?"
Jiang Feng was speechless for a moment, then began to eat heartily the several plates of roasted lamb legs in front of him.
Zhao Ming'er watched him eat, resting her chin on her hand, and said, "Eat slowly. I can tell you haven't been eating well these past few days. Tomorrow I'm going to Cui Peng's residence to donate braised pork knuckle. Remember not to eat dinner tonight."
Cui Peng: "..."
Am I so poor that I need charity to barely make ends meet?
After the banquet ended, Jiang Feng led Cui Ying, Ao Ying, and the others away from the palace, leaving Zhao Ming'er with a reluctant gaze.
Empress Dugu said irritably, "Stop looking, everyone's gone. You brat, you've really screwed me over today."
Zhao Ming'er stuck out her tongue playfully and said, "You can't blame me for this. It's all because you, godmother, wanted to deal with Jiang Feng without telling me beforehand!"
Empress Dugu sighed helplessly: "I can see that you truly love Jiang Feng. After the memorial service is over, I will grant you a marriage."
Zhao Ming'er's expression turned serious: "No, I will not marry him!"
Empress Dugu was completely bewildered: "Why is that?"
Zhao Ming'er said in a serious tone, "I had my fortune told by a fortune teller, and he said he's bad luck for me!"
Empress Dugu: "..."
Then why are you still getting close to him!
Seeing the speechless Empress Dugu, Zhao Ming'er stepped forward and took her arm: "Marriage is impossible, but Godmother, you can give him to me as a male concubine~"
Empress Dugu's eyelids twitched: "Go to sleep, you can have anything in your dreams."
"He even offered you a gigolo! Do you believe that if I dared to do that, he could blow my head open with that magical grenade right there and then!"