After my soul traveled to ancient times, I don't want to be cannon fodder

"Why? Didn't Miss Li declare publicly that she would rather marry a peddler and live a miserable life than marry into a noble family as a concubine?"

Zhong Ning's voice was slightly cold as he continued, "Could it be that you are just joking and making fun of me and the other ladies in public?"

"No...I..." Li Chengxiu was so frightened by Zhong Ning's sudden aura that she took three steps back. She wanted to defend herself, but when she saw the other ladies looking at her with extremely sarcastic eyes, she swallowed her words back.

No, it's not like that.

That's not what she meant.

She said this just to make it clear that she would never be a concubine. Shouldn't the correct approach be to demote the merchant's wife to a concubine and then welcome her into the family?

Li Chengxiu looked at Chengyang Bo in a panic, but saw that Chengyang Bo was looking at her with disappointment in his eyes. His eyes seemed to be saying, I thought you were of noble character and would never be a concubine.

Who would have thought that you have such a unique vision that you look down upon his earl's mansion and only want to marry a peddler.

Cheng Yangbo shook his head in disappointment, then said in a deep voice:

"Although I saved Miss Li, there are other ways to repay her life-saving grace besides repaying her with my own body. Since Miss Li has made such a great ambition, I dare not ruin her life."

Having said this, Cheng Yangbo turned and looked up, "Mother, I will go to entertain the guests first. You can take care of the subsequent arrangements, mother!"

After saying this, Cheng Yangbo turned away.

Li Chengxiu was left standing there, stunned.

That's not the case. That's not what she meant. She is willing to join in. She is willing to do so.

It’s all because of Princess Zhaohua. If she hadn’t spoken suddenly, how could the uncle have misunderstood her like that?

Thinking of this, Li Chengxiu suddenly looked at Zhong Ning with resentment in his eyes.

How could Zhong Ning not feel such strong hatred? She curled her lips slightly and said lightly, "Miss Li's eyes, are you resentful of me?"

As soon as Zhong Ning finished speaking, everyone looked over and saw the resentment on Li Chengxiu's face that he had no time to retract.

One of the ladies sarcastically said, "This Li family is truly well-educated. They contradict themselves with their own words, and yet they still dare to resent Your Highness... How shameless!"

Another lady joined in, "Madam Li, this young lady of the Li family should be properly educated. Otherwise, what will happen if she marries a peddler and her husband gets tired of her?"

"Yes, Madam Li, there are so many peddlers and porters here. We must carefully select them so that we can choose a good son-in-law to marry into our family. Then he can help relieve the worries of the court!"

"You are but the daughter of a fifth-rank official, yet you dare to offend the emperor and deceive him. In my opinion, you deserve thirty lashes of the cane as a punishment!"

........

The sarcastic voices came one after another, and Li Chengxiu's eyes turned red with tears. She picked up her skirt and rushed out!

But then she was also shocked by the words of those around her: She really has no manners. Her Royal Highness the Princess is here, and she actually ran away...

Mrs. Li's brows were throbbing with veins, and her face had turned blue with anger.

This daughter of mine is really a waste. She plotted against Marquis Chengyang first, and then made a promise. What's more outrageous is that she even dared to hate Her Royal Highness the Princess in public and was caught red-handed.

With a "slap" sound, Madam Li used all her strength to slap Li Chengxiu hard. Li Chengxiu touched his red and swollen face, his eyes full of disbelief, "Mother, you, you hit me..."

"If I hadn't woken you up, you wouldn't have known how big a mistake you were going to make. Our family is a clean family, and your father has always valued his reputation the most. But today, you've completely ruined his reputation for half his life..."

Madam Li's eyes were bloodshot as she shouted these words in a roar. She knew that she had lost her composure today, but her daughter had offended the princess. If she didn't slap her, she would be charged with deceiving the emperor.

The day before yesterday, the Duke of Fuguo's Mansion offended Princess Zhaohua. The Duke of Fuguo personally brought his son to the door of the princess's mansion to apologize, but was still stripped of his title by His Majesty.

If she didn't react in time, her master would be implicated by this rebellious girl today.

"Your Highness!" Madam Li slowly knelt down and pleaded for her daughter. "My daughter was naughty and did not intend to offend Your Highness. I am here to plead guilty on her behalf. Please forgive me, Your Highness!"

Zhong Ning waved her hand and replied calmly, "Madam Li, there's no need to be so polite. It's normal for a young girl to be impolite at times. I won't hold it against her, but since your daughter's wedding is imminent, Madam Li should take her back and teach her a lesson!"

"Yes..." Madam Li hesitated for a moment and asked in a low voice, "What my daughter said just now was just a random remark...she..."

"Madam Li," Zhong Ning's voice suddenly turned cold.

"Today, not only am I here, but all the other ladies are here too. I have never had the slightest intention of forcing her. She herself said that she would never marry a noble man as a concubine, and only wanted to marry a commoner!"

"What? Miss Li was so confident one moment, and the next, she's regretting it? What's the penalty for breaking her promise and deceiving the emperor?"

"This..." Mrs. Li was suddenly speechless.

If Princess Zhaohua was alone, she could kneel down and beg for mercy, asking her to spare her daughter, but this rebellious girl made such a big oath in front of all the ladies.

Even if she wanted to protect him, there was nothing she could do.

"I know I'm not good at educating my daughter, so I'll take her home and discipline her properly," Madam Li bowed deeply again. "I'll take my leave!"

After saying that, she stood up and pulled Li Chengxiu out of the hall.

After watching the show, it’s time to leave!

Zhong Ning stood up and said goodbye. Everyone bowed their heads and saw him off respectfully. Xu Hanwei, with her bulging belly, personally saw him off all the way to the door.

Zhong Ning looked at her, pregnant yet so haggard, and couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Before leaving, he pulled her aside and whispered, "You're a good person, but you just have bad taste. Why did you choose such a family? You can't even buy a shred of respect with all your money. What are you looking for?"

Xu Hanwei's eyes turned red when she heard this, and her voice became hoarse:

"My parents' orders and the matchmaker's words, my father was attracted by the status of the Bo family, and the Bo family was attracted by my family's wealth. We are working together, so who would ask me what I think? After all, we are just pawns..."

Zhong Ning sighed slightly. As the eldest daughter in the family, she had no choice but to arrange marriage for the future of the family. Even in modern times, this kind of situation was not uncommon.

What’s more, this was the ancient time when men were superior to women.

Zhong Ning patted her hand and whispered in her ear, "Now that you have a child, you have a foundation for your life. Raise him well, and you will have good fortune in the future..."

Xu Hanwei's eyes moistened when she heard this. Could it be that His Highness meant...?

Zhong Ning nodded slightly, then turned and left: "Go back, taking care of yourself is the most important thing!"

After saying this, he stepped onto the carriage and followed the imperial carriage back to the palace.

Xu Hanwei stood there, looking at the direction where the carriage gradually disappeared, and stopped for a long time.

When she returned home, she gently stroked her slightly raised belly with her hand, her eyes filled with determination.