If not abolished

"I came to the banquet with my elders, so what about you? Why are you here too?" Hu Shanxiang asked back.

"I came here to see Lord Du on business. Do you think I'm as free as you?"

"Okay then, you go ahead and do your thing. I'll take my leave now." Hu Shanxiang bowed and prepared to leave.

"Hey, why are you leaving? After all, we know each other and we haven't seen each other for so long, let's chat." When Zhu Zhanji saw that she was about to leave, he immediately stopped her.

Hu Shanxiang stopped and asked, "What do you want to talk about?"

"I heard that the Du family went to your house to propose marriage?"

Hu Shanxiang quickly came over to cover his mouth, "It's still in someone else's house?" If other people heard this, this matter would have no chance of success. If it didn't work out in the end, they would be laughed at.

Zhu Zhanji broke away from her and just touched her hand when he suddenly heard Hu Shanxiang hiss, "What's wrong?"

Hu Shanxiang covered her elbow. She didn't notice it just now, but now she was bumped by Zhu Zhanji and it turned out that her elbow was injured.

"You are injured. How did it happen?" Zhu Zhanji said as he pulled her hand and rolled up her sleeves. Her elbow was red and bleeding. "How did it happen?" Zhu Zhanji asked again.

"Accidentally fell."

"You fell down. Are you three years old? My six-year-old sister wouldn't fall like this when she's just walking. What happened?" Zhu Zhanji obviously didn't believe it. How could she fall like this when she was just walking?

"It hurts." Hu Shanxiang could only pretend to be weak for now.

When Zhu Zhanji heard her say that she was in pain, he naturally felt distressed, "Wu Cheng, go ask if there is any medicine for the wound in the mansion?"

Wu Cheng responded quickly, but before he took two steps, Zhu Zhanji called him again: "Wait, let's go directly to mine. Forget the trouble of going back and forth. Let's go directly there." Zhu Zhanji took Hu Shanxiang's hand and was about to leave.

"Your Highness, wait, it's not good for us to go out like this and be seen by others, and I haven't told my grandmother yet."

"It's okay, let's go inside and give you the medicine and come back."

"Inside?" Hu Shanxiang didn't understand.

Zhu Zhanji led Hu Shanxiang deeper into the cave. They came to a wall and stopped.

"Your Highness, is this a wall?" Hu Shanxiang said.

"Your Highness, bring the ladder." Wu Cheng brought the ladder over.

"Climb over?" Hu Shanxiang was stunned. She thought Zhu Zhanji had built some secret passage or something, but she didn't expect that he actually used a ladder to climb over.

"Well, what did you think? Did you think there was some secret passage?" Zhu Zhanji looked at her surprised expression and probably guessed what she was thinking.

"Shouldn't it be like this?" Hu Shanxiang asked.

"I have only been in Jining for ten days. Besides, this is a minister's house. I have not done anything sneaky. Why would I need to build a secret passage?"

"Oh, then you go first." Hu Shanxiang made a gesture of invitation. The wall was quite high, so he had to try it out to see if it was safe.

Zhu Zhanji turned his head and looked at Wu Cheng, "You go up first."

Wu Cheng went over first and put the ladders on both sides in place.

"Your Highness, it's done." Wu Cheng shouted.

Afterwards, the two of them went over.

"I can do it myself." Zhu Zhanji found the ointment and was about to apply it on her, but Hu Shanxiang refused.

"You can't even see how to get here, don't move, I'll help you."

Hu Shanxiang continued, "Isn't it possible for you to send a maid?"

"I don't have any maids here, they're all men, and you still want others to see it."

"Then what are we doing? Your Highness, this is not in accordance with the rules."

"So you mean you want me to marry you?" Zhu Zhanji said as he put down the plaster.

"What are you talking about?"

"You've been saying it's against the rules, isn't that what you mean?"

"I... then I won't trouble Your Highness. It's just a minor injury. I can go back and deal with it." After saying that, Hu Shanxiang stood up and prepared to leave.

"You, I'm scared of you. I won't say anything. Please take care of your wound, okay?" Zhu Zhanji saw that she was really ready to leave, so what else could he do but coax her.

Hu Shanxiang came back and sat down only after hearing what he said.

Zhu Zhanji first used clean water to wipe her wound, "It will be a little painful, just bear with it."

Hu Shanxiang wanted to hold it back, but she couldn't help the reaction of wanting to pull back when her hand felt pain. Zhu Zhanji could only be gentler and gentler. He finally started to apply the medicine. As soon as the ointment was applied, waves of burning sensation came over Hu Shanxiang, and tears came to her eyes.

Zhu Zhanji was so distressed, "How did it happen? You still won't tell me?"

"I just did it accidentally while playing."

"When you were playing, who did you play with?"

"I don't know the girl here very well."

"You have offended the girls in Jining City so quickly. Are they going to harm you?" Zhu Zhanji understood immediately.

Hu Shanxiang was puzzled, "I haven't even met them, how could I have offended them?"

"I can hear the rumors about your marriage with the Su family. I'm afraid that those families who have been in Jining for many years know a little bit. The son of the Du family is very popular."

"But this matter has not even started yet?"

"If you hadn't gone to the Du family's banquet today, they would have believed that this was just groundless talk. But you're here today, and everyone must have thought that your two families have already made the deal. Young Master Du is very popular in the city."

"So, I've been implicated?" After being reminded by Zhu Zhanji, Hu Shanxiang realized that she was being targeted by Du Ruhui's suitors.

"Well, that's about it. Who started bullying you?"

"What are you going to do? You're not really going to take revenge on them, are you? Never mind. I'll just ignore them next time."

"How do you feel about the Du family?"

"Before I saw it, they all said that the Du family was such a wonderful place. Now that I've seen it, I feel that it's just like that. Except for the rule about not taking concubines, there are all other things to deal with and all the elders to deal with. When you think about it this way, it's just like that." Hu Shanxiang talked about her feelings this time.

"So, you care more about the complicated clan relationship than being together for life." Zhu Zhanji immediately grasped the key point.

"Your summary is correct. Wait, how do you know what a lifelong couple means?"

"Well..." Zhu Zhanji was exposed at once.

"You sent someone to monitor me again?" Although Hu Shanxiang asked a question, she basically confirmed it.

"I just want to know if you are really interested in Mr. Du. You are the one who lends and gives the umbrella. Aren't you just a little faster than me? Otherwise, I would be the one lending you the umbrella."

"Your Highness was there at the time?"

"Ah."

"Can I ask your Highness a question?"

"You ask."

"Your Highness, you approached me before deliberately, and now you have this attitude. What exactly do you want to do?"

"I...I still think the same as before. I want to marry you into the palace."

"Your Highness, don't you feel guilty for saying this? I heard that you fell in love with Miss Sun at first sight when you returned to the capital from Beijing. What a wonderful story. How can I believe what you said?"

"I can explain that."

"How do you explain this?"