Taking her into his tent, he incurred the wrath of a powerful and mad minister, from which he could

In the original novel, Princess Jianing died suddenly, poisoned by someone.

The one who killed the princess was Zong Xian's favorite concubine.

The concubine was actually Wei Zhao's man; she poisoned the princess in order to turn the General's Mansion against Zong Xian.

Although the emperor intervened and the General of Zhenbei was unable to avenge his daughter, he harbored a deep grudge against Zong Xian and secretly vowed to kill him with his own hands someday.

This also sowed the seeds for the eventual downfall of the Zongfu.

The concubine also met a tragic end; she was turned into a human pig by Zong Xian and sent to Wei Zhao's residence.

Wei Zhao's eldest son, on whom he had placed high hopes, was timid by nature. Upon seeing the living human pig, he was driven insane and could no longer function normally. This can be considered as karmic retribution.

Mingyi was lost in thought for a while, so Fan Jing waved her hand in front of her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

Mingyi snapped out of her reverie, took a sip of tea, and said calmly, "I wish he would let me go."

"Are you sad?" Fan Jing asked.

"Why am I sad?" Mingyi asked, somewhat puzzled.

Fan Jing asked, "So, he's getting married. Aren't you a little sad?"

Without hesitation, Mingyi replied, "No!"

Zong Xian is getting married soon, so he won't have time to take care of her, which makes it even easier for her to run away!

She was very happy to see it!

Fan Jing: "You're really good at taking things in stride."

"It's perfectly normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines. If you can't accept that, wouldn't you be miserable?"

Fan Jing, having been through it all, shook her head: "If you truly loved him, you wouldn't be so magnanimous. But seeing that you're not sad at all, I'm relieved."

The girl's face showed no sadness or dejection whatsoever; in fact, her eyes were bright, as if she, not Zong Xian, was the one who was to marry the princess.

Zong Xian noticed the joy and anticipation in her expression.

His face darkened.

Without making a sound, he withdrew his gaze, sat down behind the screen, and Fan Siyuan and Lin Han sat down immediately afterward.

Bai Xiang Lou is now thriving, with every seat filled.

The unique menu attracted many people, but those who had truly tasted delicacies didn't care much for the food; they were just looking for something new.

...

Mingyi planned to run away on the night of Zongxian's wedding, when there would be many people around and no one would notice her.

She didn't intend to tell Fan Jing about this plan.

The fewer people who know about this, the better.

Fan Jing assumed that she would stay in Kyoto afterward and told her in detail about the current situation of Bai Xiang Lou and its future plans.

He held Mingyi's delicate hands affectionately and said, "Mingyi, I'm so happy you're back. I plan to take over the neighboring shop and expand the restaurant. You don't need to worry about anything; just enjoy the profits. Every year, you'll get 20% of the earnings!"

Given Bai Xiang Lou's current prosperity, this 20% profit is already a very considerable income.

Mingyi quickly declined, saying, "How can I accept this? I can't just take your dividends for nothing."

Fan Jing immediately feigned annoyance: "How is it taking it for free? If it weren't for your help back then, Bai Xiang Lou would have ceased to exist long ago. You are the benefactor of my restaurant; if you refuse today, it would be treating me like an outsider!"

Fan Jing felt guilty towards Ming Yi because she hadn't protected her last time, which had kept Ming Yi up at night and caused her much distress. She was a warm-hearted and righteous person who remembered favors most.

Mingyi really couldn't refuse, so she had no choice but to agree.

She also thought that she could never have too much money; with money, she would feel more confident wherever she went.

Seeing that she readily accepted, Fan Jing smiled again, let out a hearty laugh, put one foot on the chair, and enthusiastically described her grand plans for the future.

Mingyi looked at her like this, and seeing her awkward accent, he couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Behind the screen, Zong Xian listened attentively to the entire conversation.

If he hadn't happened to come to Baixianglou today, he wouldn't have known that this young woman was so capable.

Fan Siyuan, standing to the side, stroked his chin and pondered to himself, "Why does Manager Fan's voice sound so familiar?"

She looks exactly like the female bandit who robbed him back then!

Hurrah!

It really was her!

"Why do you look so pale?" Zong Xian looked at him with a puzzled expression.

Lin Han's attention was originally on the girl next door, but he looked over when he heard the sound.

Just as Fan Siyuan was about to speak, his gaze suddenly fell upon a large group of people ascending the stairs.

He raised an eyebrow, turned his head and whispered to Zong Xian, "The princess has arrived."

The woman at the head of the group was dressed in an elegant brocade robe, her figure proud and haughty. She was surrounded by servants and maids, and she was none other than Princess Jianing.

Princess Jianing surveyed the hall, and when her gaze fell upon Zong Xian, her eyes lit up. She immediately lifted her skirt and stepped forward with a smile.

"What a coincidence, my lord is here too!"

Unfortunately, she came specifically to see him.

He complained that the place was too small, so he ordered the waiter to remove the screen that was in the way and bring over a chair.

After the screen was removed, Mingyi finally saw Zongxian, and her expression stiffened.

Zong Xian didn't look at her.

But she knew he must have already discovered that she was there.

Women in Northwest China are generally forthright and bold, with their likes and dislikes readily apparent.

It's clear that this noble Princess Jianing is extremely fond of her fiancé, Zong Xian, and dares to call her beloved "Young Master".

In the strictly regulated capital city of Kyoto, an unmarried young lady addressing a man as "Young Master" would certainly be considered improper by others.

Princess Jianing clearly didn't care about any of that; her heart and soul were completely focused on Zong Xian.

Blinded by love, the girl couldn't see the superficiality and impatience hidden beneath the man's gentle facade.

Mingyi, who was observing from the sidelines, saw it clearly.

She couldn't help but feel thankful that she had been careful with her words and hadn't spoken ill of him. If she had accidentally said something and he had overheard, how could she have gotten away with it?

Mingyi remained calm, but Fan Jing was stunned and quickly covered her mouth, "Why is he here? We didn't say anything, did we?"

Fan Jing then asked, "Should we find somewhere else to sit?"

"No need, I'll just sit here," Mingyi said calmly.

She hasn't done anything wrong, so why does she want to change places?

Besides, almost all the dishes have been served.

Fan Jing glanced at Princess Jianing discreetly and sighed softly, "So this is the daughter of the General of the North. It's true what they say, seeing is believing."

General Zhenbei was a decorated general who protected the peace of the region and was deeply loved by the people.

After a moment, Fan Jing suddenly spoke up: "Have you ever heard of Bei Liang?"

Mingyi: "Of course I've heard of it, what's wrong?"

Fan Jing lowered her voice: "I used to deal with the people of Beiliang. Their royal family is surnamed Tang, and it is said that they are in great turmoil. Otherwise, given the fierce and warlike nature of the people of Beiliang, if the whole country united against a common enemy, the Zhenbei Army might not necessarily have been able to win."

The meaning remains ambiguous.

At this moment, Princess Jianing tugged at Zong Xian's arm, pleading, "How about we go horseback riding after dinner?"

Zong Xian smiled, but his eyes held no warmth: "Princess, you've lived in the Northwest for so long, riding horses every day. Haven't you had enough?"

Upon seeing the man's warm smile, Princess Jianing was momentarily stunned, her heart pounding.

She blushed and turned her head away, withdrawing her hand as well. She said shyly, "This isn't the Northwest. Riding horses in the capital has its own charm. Besides, you're the one I'm riding with. I'll never get tired of it, no matter how many times."

Zong Xian remained calm, straightened his sleeves which she had crumpled, and said, "Tomorrow."

As he spoke, he glanced to the side.

Seeing that Ji Mingyi was chatting happily with others and didn't even glance at him, Zong Xian's face darkened even more.

Fan Jing's sigh still echoed in my ears: "If you truly loved him, you wouldn't be so magnanimous."