I think my luck is turning around.

Mingrun was naturally happy. According to Ji Ran, the sandalwood bracelet in Mr. Ji's hand might end up in his hands, or at the very least, it would be another good thing.

Mingrun's mood improved a lot, and he felt like admiring the flowers. The four of them went to admire the flowers together. Ange was dragged out of bed; otherwise, she would have taken a nap there.

There were only six people with the Imperial Noble Consort on her side. At this moment, a person emerged from the flower bushes, dressed in a light blue dress, her overall appearance exceptionally beautiful. A meal was already laid out on an empty table, as if waiting for this person to appear.

"Does the Eldest Princess mean she wants my Ran'er to marry Ming Cang?"

Ji Xia's voice didn't reveal any displeasure. In truth, Ji Ran's fate couldn't be among the princes, but it also couldn't be inferior. Ming Cang, as the child of the eldest princess, was naturally not inferior; it all depended on Mr. Ji's decision.

"I wonder if this is alright, sir?"

"I don't know that. Ji Ran's marriage is her own decision. If she doesn't want to, there's nothing anyone can do."

Ji Xia had already made her point; her marriage was her own choice. Ji Xia glanced at the others, her smile unwavering, then looked at her own table. On it were savory pancakes made by the imperial kitchen; everyone knew Mr. Ji didn't like sweets. Ji Xia ate them with satisfaction, immediately recognizing their culinary skill.

"Let the children make their own choices! We shouldn't interfere too much; they have the right to choose. Children are generally sensible; it's the children who lack self-awareness who have meddlesome parents."

As Ji Xia spoke, she looked outside. Not far away, a group of people were approaching – it was Ming Run and his group. To be honest, there weren't many people here, and they wouldn't have come if they knew who they were. Those who were coming wouldn't be just anyone.

"The flowers here are quite beautiful; everyone should go and take a look."

Since Ji Xia had said so, they were prepared to go and see, but after everyone else had left, Ji Xia looked at the emperor sitting motionless on the throne and knew that he already knew. The emperor said, "Feng Yuan, you may step down."

Only when they were alone did Ji Xia begin to recount her recent discovery.

"Those people are being far too obvious. Want to see how it goes? How about we go all out?"

"I'm curious who's behind this. I agree, sir, you can handle everything!"

"Aren't you afraid they might be members of the royal family?"

"I was recommended by my teacher, so wasn't I the one everyone wanted to go?"

"No! You're just the best of a bad bunch. Only you are of decent quality. Compared to Emperor Gaozu, you're still a little bit lacking."

"Great Ancestor? He can't compare. Even if he's only slightly inferior, I'm still very powerful, okay!"

"Stop joking around. The timing of this event is inaccurate. We need to be prepared at all times."

Suddenly, a voice came from the flower bushes. Ji Xia looked in that direction and saw a person emerge from the bushes, holding a cat in their hand. The cat was a beautiful calico. An Ge was standing in the flower bushes. An Ge looked at Ji Xia, who was dressed in bright colors, and burst out laughing.

"Why are you dressed like that? You look like a peacock."

How did you get here? How did you get in?

"I came in with Li Yuesheng. As the eldest sister-in-law, Yang Jiao'er is naturally concerned about his marriage, so I just came along to take a look."

The reason seems plausible; it's probably to have Li Yuesheng keep an eye on Li Yu. Another major reason is that An Ge is here to watch the show, and today's performance is sure to be spectacular. In a little while, Ji Xia will be heading to the men's section to check it out; she'd love to witness the drama unfold live!

"Do you know when that big event will happen?"

An Ge thought for a moment before speaking.

"One week."

An Ge placed the cat on the shelf, then used the edge of the shelf to climb up into the pavilion herself. She straightened her clothes, continued to hold the cat, and sat down next to Ji Xia.

The emperor looked at An Ge curiously. Was this person here to replace Hua Zhiluo? That older sister also disappeared suddenly. It seems that the people around Mr. Ji weren't always there.