Chapter 29: Good Words Can’t Persuade a Stubborn Ghost

“Miss, Miss Xu has arrived.”

After Wang Baochuan finished her third cup of hot tea, Xu Wanning finally arrived.

She stood outside the crowd. Xu Wanning wanted to pay her respects to the Crown Princess, but she had to pass by Wang Baochuan first. Although her reputation was tarnished, she had a Prime Minister father after all. These people might despise her in their hearts, but they had to greet her politely on the surface.

“Miss Xu.” Wang Baochuan called out to her.

She looked at Wang Baochuan in confusion, “You are?”

Qingqing quickly stepped forward to introduce her, “My miss is the third Miss Wang of the Prime Minister’s mansion.”

“Wang Baochuan?” Xu Wanning covered her lips and chuckled, “I’ve heard of you.”

Wang Baochuan didn’t care, “Those rumors are likely to pollute your ears, Miss. It’s better not to listen.”

Xu Wanning was straightforward. She shrugged, “I haven’t heard any rumors. I heard about you from Xue Lang.”

“Xue Lang said you are kind-hearted and intelligent.” Her tone was sour, and her eyes scanned Wang Baochuan up and down.

Wang Baochuan was embarrassed, “Miss Xu, are you very close to Mr. Xue?”

Xu Wanning raised an eyebrow, her face flushed with shyness as she replied, “Of course.”

“Since you have no feelings for Mr. Xue, I advise you to stay away from him. Don’t disappoint his feelings.”

Her words were cold and sarcastic, full of warning.

Wang Baochuan was both angry and amused. She had come with good intentions to remind Xu Wanning not to act impulsively and make a decision she would regret, but Xu Wanning thought she was trying to steal her man?

Good intentions were met with ingratitude.

“So you’re not going to disappoint him?”

“Of course. He said he would be there on the day of the marriage proposal ceremony with the embroidered ball.” Xu Wanning said firmly.

“Then, Miss Xu, have you thought about what kind of life you will have if you marry him? What will you do if your father doesn’t agree to your marriage?”

Xu Wanning was a little anxious, “My father wouldn’t! If he really doesn’t agree, I’d rather elope with Xue Lang!”

“As for our future life, you’re just saying that we’ll live in poverty, right? I’m not afraid of hardship. The books say that love can sustain one.”

Wang Baochuan saw that she couldn’t be persuaded to turn back, so she could only join the boring snow-viewing banquet.

She listened to a group of ladies and noblewomen reciting poems and composing verses, and a group of beautiful women fluttered before her eyes. Although the scene was pleasing to the eye, it was also very noisy.

She finally endured until the banquet ended and quickly left the Crown Prince’s Mansion, getting into the carriage that would take her back to the mansion.

On the way, Xu Wanning chased after her, still worried, “Wang Baochuan, I know you are the daughter of the Prime Minister’s mansion, and your status is higher than mine, but if you want to break up Xue Lang and me, I’m telling you, you’re dreaming!”

“Miss Wanning.” Wang Baochuan was exasperated, “You really need to think carefully. If you offend your father to marry him, you won’t have the opportunity to attend these banquets in the capital in the future.”

“What if I don’t attend? I don’t want to associate with those noble ladies anyway!”

Wang Baochuan had nothing to say. She finally understood how disappointed her mother and second sister were when she insisted on marrying Xue Pinggui in her previous life.

Unfortunately, good words can’t persuade a stubborn ghost. She could only say so much.

A few days later, Wang Baochuan heard that Xu Wanning had indeed thrown the embroidered ball to Xue Pinggui on the day of the marriage proposal ceremony.

Censor Xu was so angry that he immediately called for a doctor. He refused to let his daughter marry a penniless boy who was hanging out with beggars.

But Xu Wanning insisted, saying that she would rather die than be with Xue Pinggui.

In a fit of anger, Censor Xu forced her to choose between the Xu family and Xue Pinggui. They didn’t sever their father-daughter relationship with three claps, but Censor Xu warned her that if she insisted on marrying Xue Pinggui, she would never be allowed to return to the Xu family.

Xu Wanning was also stubborn. She knelt down and kowtowed three times to Censor Xu and his wife, then turned around and left without looking back, following Xue Pinggui.

Wang Baochuan listened to Qingqing vividly describe these events and ate half a bowl of braised pork that melted in her mouth and tender and soft crystal elbow with tears in her eyes.

“Miss, why are you so concerned about Miss Xu?” Qingqing was puzzled.

“Qingqing, I ask you, if there was a poor man who didn’t even have a piece of land who loved you and said he wouldn’t marry anyone else but you, would you marry him?”

Qingqing sighed slightly and reminded her rationally, “Miss, Qingqing is a servant who has sold herself. I can’t get married without my master’s permission.”

“Besides, I have everything I need in the Prime Minister’s mansion. Why would I marry a man and suffer?”

Wang Baochuan nodded in satisfaction. Good.

On Wuji Slope, in the cold kiln.

Xu Wanning and Xue Pinggui held a simple wedding ceremony with a few friends as witnesses.

Although Xu Wanning didn’t even have a decent wedding dress, she only wore a piece of red cloth she had found somewhere, and she entered the bridal chamber.