By a twist of fate, the illegitimate son of the Marquis's family marries the county princess.

Wen Zongji arrived at the back hall, led by a maid, where the Princess and Pei Rujing were still having breakfast.

Wen Zongji stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Your son-in-law greets your mother-in-law."

Pei Rujing lowered her head to eat, and the Princess didn't even glance at Wen Zongji.

Wen Zongji remained hunched over.

If you go to someone's home to apologize, you should show the proper attitude; it's normal to encounter some difficulties.

After the princess finished her soup, she looked up and feigned surprise: "When did Zongji arrive?"

Wen Zongji said, "I have just arrived."

"Please sit down and serve the young master some tea."

The maid then served the tea that had been brewed.

The eldest princess looked at Wen Zongji and said calmly, "Jing'er has been back for a few days, and I haven't seen you come. I thought you two had a fight."

This statement was clearly an accusation that Wen Zongji arrived too late.

Wen Zongji said apologetically, "It was my fault for upsetting the county princess."

The eldest princess thought he would gloss over the truth, but seeing him readily admit it, her anger subsided slightly: "You've only been married for a year, it's normal for you to have arguments and quarrels, just talk it out."

The eldest princess stood up: "Talk to Jing'er properly. How can the couple stay at odds forever?"

After saying this, the princess left the room, and the others in the room followed suit.

Granny Feng and the others tactfully left, leaving the room to Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing.

Pei Rujing didn't react at all and continued drinking the soup.

Wen Zongji turned to look at her. After not seeing her for several days, she seemed to have become more haggard. Her former bright appearance was gone, and she had become somewhat melancholy.

Wen Zongji felt a pang of pain in his heart.

In his past life, he often saw online that if a girl encounters a scumbag, her spirit will be tormented, and no matter how bright she is, she will be tormented until she loses her radiance.

Wen Zongji never expected that he would become the scumbag.

Not expecting Pei Rujing to take the initiative to talk to him, Wen Zongji said, "These past few days I've been thinking about how to appease my wife, but after thinking for so long, I still haven't come up with a solution."

Pei Rujing frowned.

What does this mean?

Does not having a clue mean I don't need to comfort her?

Pei Rujing took a big bite of the pastry, feeling quite resentful.

Wen Zongji continued, "My wife says she no longer dares to believe what I say, so whatever I say will be useless. But actions speak louder than words. From now on, my wife doesn't need to listen to what I say; just watch what I do."

Pei Rujing blinked in confusion, finally answering him: "What do you mean?"

Wen Zongji said, "I once read a storybook where the marriage between a man and a woman wasn't entirely based on parental arrangement and matchmaker's words; there was also affection involved. In that storybook, if a man liked a woman, he would actively pursue her until she reciprocated his feelings, at which point they would get engaged and eventually marry."

"My marriage to you was a mistake. From this day forward, let's pretend we're not married yet. I will do my best to pursue you, and once you truly feel my sincerity, we'll resume our status as husband and wife. What do you say?"

Pei Rujing was completely confused: "What kind of storybook is this?"

Traditionally, marriages have always been arranged by parents and matchmakers. Any marriage not arranged by parents can be considered a private engagement.

Wen Zongji stared intently at her: "What storybook we're talking about isn't important. What's important is whether my wife is willing to let me pursue you?"

This was a solution he had come up with after thinking about it for a long time.

Pei Rujing wanted his heart, but she was hesitant to trust his words, so he decided to let his actions speak for themselves.

He will prove to Pei Rujing through his actions that his words of affection for her were sincere and not just empty words to deceive her.

Pei Rujing looked up and met Wen Zongji's gaze. She felt a burning sensation, then looked away, muttering softly, "If I said I disagreed, could I stop you?"

Wen Zongji laughed: "Of course not, my determination to pursue my wife is very firm."

Pei Rujing turned her head away, trying to tell herself not to be soft-hearted, but the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly.

……

The eldest princess sat in the courtyard enjoying the breeze, watching the two of them emerge from the room together. She looked them over, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "Have you made up?"

Pei Rujing raised her head slightly and said arrogantly, "I just feel that if I stay here for a long time, people will inevitably gossip, and I don't want to become someone else's fodder for gossip."

Wen Zongji clasped his hands in agreement: "Thank you for your understanding, County Magistrate, for sparing me from being teased by my colleagues."

The princess looked at the two of them and suddenly felt that all her worries these past few days had been like feeding a dog.

The two of them were singing in unison, making her feel like an outsider.

She said irritably, "Then hurry up and pack your things and go back, so I can have a peaceful life."

Pei Rujing was displeased upon hearing this. She went over and took the princess's arm, saying in a coquettish voice, "Mother, are you sending me away?"

The eldest princess sneered, "Then I'll let you stay with me for a few more days. Will you stay?"

Pei Rujing was speechless.

Wen Zongji said, "With the county magistrate absent, Yun Guang Courtyard lacks a leader, and the staff are no longer focused on their work."

Pei Rujing immediately stepped down the stairs: "I was worried that something might go wrong at Yunguang Academy."

The eldest princess tapped her forehead and shook her head helplessly.

Although she didn't say anything, she was inwardly cursing her for being so weak, as Wen Zongji could coax her back with just a few words.

Pei Rujing didn't dare to look the princess in the eye.

She told herself that her agreement to go back with Wen Zongji was not because she had reconciled with him, but simply because she was considering the bigger picture and didn't want rumors to spread.

She'll let Wen Zongji pursue her for a very, very long time!

……

Although Wen Zongji came to pick up Pei Rujing today, he couldn't leave immediately; he had to talk to the princess.

The topic inevitably came up with the Beijing Daily.

"I heard that the cabinet has agreed to establish branch offices of the Capital Reporting Bureau in various prefectures of the Great Chu?"

Wen Zongji nodded: "I learned about this from the Crown Prince yesterday. The Cabinet will issue an order in the next few days to have all the prefectures supervise this matter. Setting up a new government office is no easy task. It will probably take several months before everything is ready."

"That's perfect. The Beijing Gazette Bureau has recruited another batch of people. Once they fully understand the Beijing Gazette, they can be sent to branch offices to oversee things, which will make it less likely for problems to arise."

Wen Zongji and the Crown Prince both wanted the imperial gazette to spread throughout the Great Chu as quickly as possible, but in reality, this matter could not be rushed.

The Great Chu was vast, with more than a hundred prefectures. Considering the speed of news transmission in ancient times and the time needed to prepare government offices, there was no use in being anxious.

It's already mid-September, and it's highly unlikely that it will be completed this year.

As the first chief editor of the Beijing Gazette Bureau, Wen Zongji could not leave before the division of the bureau was implemented.

In other words, Wen Zongji's official position will not change this year.

The eldest princess said, "You have managed the Imperial Gazette Office very well; the Emperor has praised you several times."

Wen Zongji said, "It's good that we haven't disappointed the Emperor and the Crown Prince."

"We are one family. The Emperor has seen everything you have done."

Wen Zongji and Pei Rujing were husband and wife, and in a sense, he was one of Emperor Shun'an's own people.