I have suffered enough in my previous life, my cousin will never marry me

Chapter 19 Preference
Ji Yuan was just humiliated by Prince Yongning, and now he encountered the bastards from the Gu family coming to his house to make trouble. He was so furious.

Looking at the messy yard, Ji Yuan glared at Gu Tingzhou and said angrily, "Young Master Gu, are you treating my Ji family like a market? You come and go so casually. It seems that you have ignored my words today. From now on, you are not allowed to approach my Wanwan again."

Gu Tingzhou snorted coldly: "Ji Yuan, you are so self-righteous. From now on, even if you beg me to enter your Ji family, I will never get close to your Ji family again."

After leaving these harsh words, he walked away.

"It's totally outrageous."

Ji Yuan was furious: "In broad daylight, he flaunted himself in public with a prostitute in his arms. How can he behave like a prince of a Duke's mansion?"

But when he thought about his daughter's engagement being broken off twice in one day, he felt distressed. He quickly suppressed his anger, walked to Ye Wanshu, and deliberately softened his tone.

"Wanwan, don't bother with this bastard. Although your engagement was broken off today, His Majesty still admires you and has granted you the title of Princess of Tongyang. From now on, your family will be even more prestigious than the Duke of Rong's."

"I actually became a princess?" Ye Wanshu was a little surprised.

Although she was a little disgusted just now, it was also expected, so she was too lazy to get angry about the Gu family's affairs.

I thought I was lucky to be able to successfully break free from the shackles of the Gu family, but I never expected to get the identity of a princess. This was truly an unexpected surprise.

After pondering silently for a moment, Ye Wanshu guessed that this was the emperor's way of humiliating the empress dowager and the Gu family.

But no matter what, as my father said, with the status of a princess, my future life will indeed be much smoother.

"This time it's all thanks to my father for planning for his daughter." Ye Wanshu expressed her sincere gratitude.

"Silly girl, you are my daughter, so of course Daddy will side with you."

Ji Yuan suppressed the sadness in his heart and didn't want to tell her about King Yongning.

After all, she is her own flesh and blood. Even if she hates her mother, it is impossible not to feel sorry for her daughter.

When I first wanted to arrange this marriage with the Prince of Yongning, besides considering my own future, I also really wanted to make plans for my daughter. I never thought that my daughter would be humiliated.

Fortunately, she didn't know about this.

"Wanwan, now that you're back, stay home and have a good time."

Ji Yuan's eyes were filled with sincerity as he spoke earnestly, "Father knows that you harbor resentment about the past. Please give me a chance to mend my ways. I will do my best to make up for all the neglect I've done you over the years."

Looking at his sincere and apologetic eyes, Ye Wanshu felt a little confused.

I have never seen him like this in my memory. It was as if he had committed some terrible mistake and was eager to be forgiven.

Ji Yuan's words flowed like a continuous drizzle, "If it weren't for my father's negligence, you wouldn't be trapped in the Rongguo Mansion, being manipulated by that family and looked down upon."

As he spoke, tears welled up in his eyes.

Ye Wanshu was even more surprised. She herself didn't feel wronged about the incident at the Duke of Rong's Mansion, so why was her father so upset?
Doesn’t he also hope to sever ties with the Gu family?

"Dad, what happened to you today?"

Ye Wanshu slowly approached him. "Although the engagement was broken off, His Majesty has already canonized his daughter as a princess. This should be a joyous occasion, and Father should be delighted."

Ji Yuan suddenly fell silent, unable to tell anyone about his sorrow.

He seemed to be living a glorious life these years, but in fact, he was in fear at every step and had to walk on thin ice every day. He thought that if he endured humiliation and supported Prince Yongning to ascend the throne, he could hold the throne like the empress dowager. If his daughter lived up to her expectations and gave birth to a prince, he would be able to control the court permanently in the future.

But years of planning were ruined by just one sentence from Fu Mingchi.

"Father is naturally happy." Ji Yuan forced a smile. "Our Ji family has lived in poverty for generations. Now that we have a princess, how glorious it is. Father has no other wishes in this life except that my Wanwan will never suffer any more injustices."

Every word he said came from the heart. For a moment, Ye Wanshu was deeply touched and really wanted to stay in the Ji family and be his jewel in the crown.

But after experiencing the hardships in her previous life, it is difficult for her to believe anyone's sweet words now.

Anyway, the ceremony of conferring the title of princess would still take a few days. Since she had promised her father to stay at home for a while, she couldn't go back on her word. She would just consider it as a way to thank him for helping her break off the engagement.

Just when the father and daughter were about to break the ice, Aunt Zhou quietly led Ji Ningxi and a group of servants out again.

Ji Ningxi had been feeling aggrieved for most of the day and had no place to vent. Now, seeing her father comforting her elder sister with a kind face, she felt so sad inside.

"Daddy."

Just as she was about to pounce on him and act coquettishly and complain, she was stopped by a look from Aunt Zhou.

Ye Wanshu watched this scene silently.

"Master, I have already had dinner prepared. Could you please notify the concubines and children of each room to come to the feast?"

The master got what he wanted by canceling the Gu family's marriage, but he was not in a good mood. Aunt Zhou guessed that the matter of Yongning Palace must have come to a conclusion, so she spoke very cautiously.

"No."

In the past, the people in the mansion were all concubines and illegitimate daughters, and Ji Yuan had no taboos about it. But now that the legitimate daughter is back, he has to be more cautious.

Giving Ye Wanshu a faint smile, Ji Yuan instructed, "From now on, let the concubines eat in their own courtyards. Tonight's meal should also be sent to Mu Cang Zhai. Wanwan just returned, and I have something to discuss with her in private."

After saying that, he led Ye Wanshu directly to Mu Cang Zhai.

Seeing this, Ji Ningxi was so angry that she stamped her feet. "Why? My dear, look at her. She's a wild girl who has been away for more than ten years. Why did Dad abandon us and stay with her all the time after she came back?"

"Shut up." Aunt Zhou's eyes turned stern, but she didn't seem unhappy in her heart.

Just now, she had heard the servant beside the master secretly report that the eldest girl had been canonized as a princess.

The fact that she has been favored by His Majesty shows the importance of being a legitimate daughter. I am afraid that even if I fight to the death, I will not be able to get such a future for my daughter.

She had to strike while the iron was hot and facilitate the marriage between Prince Qi's Mansion and the eldest daughter as soon as possible so that Xier would have hope of marrying into Prince Yongning's Mansion.

Without crying or making a fuss, he dragged his daughter back to his own Jialan Courtyard.

……

On the way back to Mucangzhai, Ye Wanshu looked at her father from time to time.

She has not yet recognized her ancestral roots, and strictly speaking, she is not considered a daughter of the Ji family. However, her father is so considerate that he does not let her dine with her concubines and sisters, which really gives her enough respect.

Empress Dowager Gu was regent for decades. Although she failed to make the Daye Dynasty rich and strong, she was quite strict in matters of etiquette and education. Even though my father doted on Concubine Zhou, he did not dare to make her his wife.

Given Aunt Zhou's spoiled personality, she had been unwilling to be a concubine for so many years, and she was just ignored by her father, but she did not complain at all. She even stopped Ji Ningxi from acting coquettishly and complaining, which did not necessarily mean that she respected her legitimate daughter.

There is only one reason why she is so humble, and that is that if she goes along with me, I can get her more benefits.

Ye Wanshu pondered for a moment and became more certain of her previous guess.

It seems that my father is almost certain to have me marry into Prince Qi's mansion as his second wife.

(End of this chapter)