C25

Ji Yunkai looked like a scoundrel who did not mind at all. Imperial Advisor Ji was furious, he raised his leg and kicked the rattan chair she was lying on: "You evil creature! You still don't make amends despite causing so much trouble! Do you really think I don't dare to beat you to death?!"

With a *bang*, Imperial Advisor Ji sent the rattan chair flying. It was evident how much strength he used.

"The news of you embracing the Son of Prince Duan on the street yesterday is now known to everyone. Even if I were to beat you to death now, Prince Yanbei's Mansion would not say a word more." Imperial Advisor Ji's feet were aching, he did not dare to move recklessly. He only stood at his original position and stared at Ji Yunkai.

"You, you, do you still have any shame?" The calmer Ji Yunkai was, the more furious Imperial Advisor Ji became.

Ji Yunkai said indifferently: "It was just a hug. How did it come about that I don't have any shame? Did Prince Yanbei say that he was unhappy, or did he say that the marriage would be cancelled tomorrow?"

The entire Ji Manor was quiet, without a single trace of joy or festivity. They did not have the slightest intention of celebrating her marriage. If it were not for the decree that stated that the marriage was to be held tomorrow, she would have suspected that tomorrow would not be the day of her wedding.

"Prince Yanbei has not woken up yet. How can he cancel the marriage?" Imperial Advisor Ji was glad that Prince Yanbei was unconscious; otherwise, he would have to deal with Ji Yunkai. Even if the Emperor bestowed him a marriage, Prince Yanbei would definitely use these rumors as a reason to cancel the marriage.

Ji Yunkai continued to speak indifferently: "Since the marriage is still going on, Father, why aren't you happy? I'm going to get married tomorrow anyway, and it has nothing to do with the Ji Family." She knew that Prince Yanbei's Mansion could not easily cancel the engagement.

The person who pushed the rumors behind the scenes might have made a mistake.

"You lost face as someone from my Ji Family! Others will say that my Ji Family did not raise a good daughter!" Imperial Advisor Ji was so angry that his fingers were trembling. Every time he spoke to this evil girl, he would never gain the upper hand. This evil girl would never give in. With every word he said, she would say ten more.

Ji Yunkai said with a smile that was not a smile: "Don't worry, as long as Ji Lan obtains the Emperor's favor, others will envy Father." Others already envied the Ji Family for selling their girls for glory and relying on their daughters to get the upper hand.

"Your sister is indeed good. Luckily, she didn't learn you, or else I would have lived less than twenty years." By mentioning Ji Lan, Imperial Advisor Ji could not help but smile.

Ji Yunkai casually curled her lips. Taking advantage of Imperial Advisor Ji's presence, she asked: "Father, I'm getting married tomorrow. Where is my dowry?"

"Your dowry list has already been prepared. I thought you were going to marry the Emperor, and the preparations for the dowry were very generous. Now that you are marrying into Prince Yanbei's Mansion, your dowry is now only 10% of your original dowry. This was Madam's suggestion." Imperial Advisor Ji did not feel that there was any problem with this and he immediately agreed.

Ji Yunkai's dowry was mostly prepared by the Yun Family in the South. The Yun Family was extremely wealthy, and was one of the Four Wealthy Families in the South. With a granddaughter marrying into the royal family, they would naturally not be stingy.

Every year, heaps of good items would be delivered to the Ji Family in order to nurture Ji Yunkai, a granddaughter who was about to become the empress. It was a pity that 99% of the things that the Yun Family sent over would not be used on Ji Yunkai at all.

Ji Yunkai questioned: "Father, if I remember correctly, my dowry was prepared by the Yun Family, right? What right do you have to cut down my dowry?" In her memories, Imperial Advisor Ji did not even discuss the dowry with the original owner. Instead, it was settled immediately by the Ji Family.

"The Yun Family prepared it to give it to the future empress, right?" Imperial Advisor Ji said disdainfully.

Ji Yunkai was not angry, and said, "Did the Yun Family say that when I marry into Prince Yanbei's Mansion, that they will take back the dowry that they prepared?"

Imperial Advisor Ji said, "The Yun Family still doesn't know that you are going to be married into Prince Yanbei's Mansion. Do you have any objections?" From the time the Emperor decreed the marriage to now, it only had been a span of seven days. The distance between the North and the South was over a thousand li. How could he deliver a letter to the Yun Family and expect a reply by then?

"Since the Yun Family didn't say anything, then the dowry should still be mine. Father better find someone to count it out and give it to me. Otherwise, I'll make a ruckus at the wedding tomorrow and refuse to marry no matter what." Ji Yunkai did not really care about money. She could feed herself. How would she use those things?

She was just unhappy. The Yun Family gave her so many things every year. It was fine that the people of Ji Family were greedy, but why did they not even give her any of the scraps?

When she woke up this morning, she wanted to find money to make a new mask. However, she found that, apart from jewelry, she did not even have a single piece of silver. All of her private savings were only a few copper coins.

Seeing just those few copper coins, she almost fainted again.

The dignified First Young Miss of the Ji Family, the granddaughter of the Yun Family, who was part of the Four Wealthy Families, she was so poor that no outsider would ever have thought that of her, right?

"Causing a ruckus? If you didn't remind me, I'd forget about this matter. I'll get someone to give you medicine tonight, making you deaf and mute. Let's see how you continue to cause trouble then!" Imperial Advisor Ji was not threatened this time, but said this coldly.

Ji Yunkai did not reply, she only looked at Imperial Advisor Ji coldly. Imperial Advisor Ji was naturally not afraid. His eyes silently told Ji Yunkai that he really would do it.

"Father, you win!" After facing each other for a moment, Ji Yunkai took the initiative to look away, "I don't want the dowry. I won't cause trouble at the wedding. I will obediently marry him."

"What do you want?" Imperial Advisor Ji knew Ji Yunkai too well, so he asked her first without waiting for her to speak.

Ji Yunkai said, "Yesterday, I left an orchid mask in the hands of the Emperor. Please help me to retrieve it. Also, it'd be best to find someone to repair it. I want to use it tomorrow."

Because of the mask, she had not slept well last night and had been having nightmares about it. If she could get the mask back, then she would not want the money. It wasn't like she did not have the ability to support herself.

"An orchid mask? The piece that was crushed by the Emperor? " Imperial Advisor Ji knew a little about this.

Of course, he was definitely not worried about Ji Yunkai. He was only worried that Ji Yunkai would cause trouble in the palace. That's why he paid attention to her.

Ji Yunkai nodded.

"Sure, I'll send someone to deliver it to you tomorrow morning. You have to be honest and wait for marriage." Ji Yunkai rarely gave way to him, so Imperial Advisor Ji was afraid that she would go back on her words; hence, he immediately decided to not give Ji Yunkai any chance to speak.

However, when he returned to the study room and calmed down, he realized that something was wrong.

"I was obviously looking to trouble her because of the rumors, how did it turn into my helping her get back her mask?"

"The matter of the dowry was decided long ago as well. How did it become her concession?"

"Was I actually being led by the nose by her all this time? That little bastard has grown up!"

Imperial Advisor Ji was surprised and angry at the same time. He tried to get up and look for trouble with Ji Yunkai a few times, but, the moment he moved his right leg, he felt pain. In desperation, he sat obediently in the study room and quietly wiped the medicinal wine onto his leg by himself.

It was best that no one else knew about such a humiliating matter.