Dugu Jingyao is reborn as Li Chu's beloved

Chapter 472: Guo Fengmin Tests Li Xi

However, Li Xi did not come the next day, which made Guo Fengmin a little disappointed. She felt that it was a good thing that Dugu Jingyao stopped her from going to Li Xi yesterday, otherwise it would seem that she was desperate to marry Li Xi, and who knows how this matter would be spread in Chang'an City!

She was so angry that she couldn't help cursing inwardly: "Li Xi, you are a big liar! I trusted you so much!" While cursing, she hit the pillow.

Naturally, her reaction was reported to Guo Ziyi and his wife. Guo Ziyi believed that Guo Fengmin had seen through the Li family's insincere attitude towards her, so he said, "Go and call Fengmin over."

Not long after, there was a knock on the door of Guo Fengmin's room. She stopped cursing and asked, "Who is it?"

The person at the door responded, "Miss, it's your servant. The master sent someone to ask you to come over."

Guo Fengmin calmed herself down, stood up and walked towards the door. After opening it, she said, "Let's go. Don't keep father waiting for too long." Guo Fengmin then led people to Mrs. Guo's yard.

Guo Fengmin first greeted Guo Ziyi and Mrs. Guo politely, and then knelt down and kowtowed.

This frightened Guo Ziyi and his wife. Guo Ziyi was so distressed that he asked, "My dear Minmin, what are you doing? Get up quickly..."

Guo Fengmin stood up and shook her head, saying, "It's my daughter who has caused you so much worry. I shouldn't have disobeyed you."

Mrs. Guo said, "Good child, it's not your fault. You are still young and have met too few people. It's normal for you to be confused. It's good that you have figured it out now." She walked forward and helped Guo Fengmin up.

To be honest, Guo Fengmin had rarely cried since she was a child. Even when she felt pain or tired from practicing martial arts, she could hold back her tears. But today, she felt helpless. After Mrs. Guo helped her up, her tears kept falling.

Mrs. Guo hugged Guo Fengmin and comforted her while saying, "Okay, okay, good girl, let's not think about it anymore."

Although Guo Ziyi felt distressed, he still maintained his dignity and said, "Alright, Minmin, it's not too late for you to marry the Prince of Nanyang. Don't worry, if you don't want to marry, no one can force you. If you are really determined to marry, your father will never let him hurt you in the slightest. If he does hurt you, your father will risk his life to make you two divorce!"

Hearing this, Guo Fengmin, who had stopped crying, burst into tears again. Even Mrs. Guo was made to cry by her. Guo Ziyi did not interrupt them. After all, it was a rare opportunity to vent their emotions.

The mother and daughter hugged each other and cried for a quarter of an hour before they calmed down. They asked the maid to prepare warm water for them to wash their faces before returning to their seats.

Guo Ziyi said, "Okay, Minmin, since you've figured it out, I'll lift your house arrest."

But Guo Fengmin said: "Thank you, father. But..."

Guo Ziyi asked curiously, "What's wrong?"

Guo Fengmin told Guo Ziyi and Mrs. Guo the plan that Dugu Jingyao had told her.

Guo Ziyi and his wife understood immediately: "Although Guo Fengmin has come to her senses, she still doesn't want to admit that she was deceived by the Li family. Shouldn't she give him a chance?"

Guo Ziyi thought for a moment and said, "Okay, then let's do as Minmin said and give him a try. If Minmin doesn't meet your requirements, would you still want to marry him?"

Guo Fengmin was still a little hesitant. She said, "I... I haven't thought about it yet. If he can't even meet these requirements, then I definitely won't even think about it. But... if he agrees to all of this, I think I might consider it."

Guo Ziyi sighed and said, "Okay, if that's the case, let's give him a try tomorrow."

Guo Fengmin nodded slightly and said, "Thank you, Father." The family chatted for a while before Guo Fengmin returned to his room.

The next day, after returning from court, Guo Ziyi met Li Xi at the gate of the mansion.

Guo Ziyi dismounted and was about to pay his respects to Li Xi when Li Xi stepped forward, gave Guo Ziyi a slight hand, and said, "Master Guo, there's no need to be so polite. Please stand up."

Guo Ziyi had a bad impression of the Li family to begin with, so he naturally didn't hesitate at this moment. He stood up and said, "Thank you, Your Highness."

Then he pretended not to know and deliberately asked, "I wonder what Your Highness is doing at the gate of my humble residence?"

Li Xi knew Guo Ziyi must have some prejudice against him, but he didn't care. He asked anxiously, "I heard that Miss Feng... Guo was ill and bedridden. I was worried, so I wanted to come and visit her."

Upon hearing this, Guo Ziyi said coldly, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. My daughter just caught a cold and will be fine after a few days of bed rest. Your Highness and I don't have much contact, so there's no need for Your Highness to come and visit me in person."

Li Xi leaned closer and whispered, "I understand that Lord Guo is concerned about Miss Guo's reputation, but I'm really worried about her. I hope Lord Guo will be flexible and allow me to meet Miss Guo once. Just once will be enough. I can pretend to discuss business with Lord Guo, so that Miss Guo's reputation won't be damaged. What do you think?"

Guo Ziyi thought: Minmin also wants to try this guy, so why not take advantage of his own trick.

So he cleared his throat and said, "Well then, Your Highness, please follow me in."

Li Xi continued in a low voice, "Thank you, Lord Guo." After that, the two of them entered the mansion one after the other.

After they entered the mansion, someone Guo Fengmin had arranged at the door to deliver a message to her. She put on some makeup and looked in the mirror. Her face was pale and bloodless, and she looked sick. Then she lay back on the bed.

Sure enough, about two quarters of an hour later, Li Xi, Guo Ziyi, and Mrs. Guo came to the courtyard where Guo Fengmin lived. Guo Ziyi asked, "How is the young lady?"

The maid bowed respectfully and said, "Master, the young lady has just had some porridge and vegetables, and is now sitting on the couch reading a book."

Guo Ziyi said, "Okay, open the door, we'll go see Minmin." The maid opened the door as she said, and Li Xi, Guo Ziyi and Mrs. Guo entered the bedroom. The maid prepared tea for them and quietly left and closed the door.

Guo Fengmin asked weakly, "Your Highness, why are you here?" She wanted to bow, but Li Xi stopped her, saying, "You are ill. There is no need for formalities."

After Guo Fengmin thanked him, Li Xi asked, "I heard that Miss Guo was ill. I wonder how she is doing now?"

Guo Fengmin replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. It's just a cold. I should be fine in a couple of days."

Li Xi nodded slightly and said, "It's good that nothing serious has happened. If that doesn't work, Lord Guo, take my token and go to the palace to summon the imperial physician. Don't let your health get worse."

Guo Ziyi said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. However, we will not need it. We have invited Dr. Murong from Baicaotang. She is the disciple of the genius doctor. Her medical skills are naturally not inferior to those of the imperial physician."

Li Xi smiled bitterly and said, "I was overthinking it."

Guo Fengmin continued, "Thank you very much, Your Highness. However, I am not feeling well and I am afraid that my illness may have passed on to Your Highness. Your Highness, please leave quickly!"

Unexpectedly, Li Xi subconsciously said, "I'm not afraid!" Then, realizing that Guo Ziyi and Madam Guo were still there, he coughed lightly to ease the awkwardness and said, "Ahem, I'm saying that I'm in good health, so I'm naturally not afraid."

Guo Ziyi saw that Li Xi had something to say to Guo Fengmin, so he said, "Your Highness, if you have something to say to my daughter, my wife and I will be waiting outside. However, for the sake of your reputation and my daughter's, we will not leave the room, so as to avoid rumors that you two are alone in the same room."

Li Xi also expressed his understanding and thanked him. Guo Ziyi and his wife retreated to sit at the tea table in the outer room.

However, Li Xi originally wanted to sit on the edge of the bed, but then he thought it was inappropriate and looked around, feeling a little embarrassed.

Guo Fengmin couldn't help but want to laugh when she saw his awkward look, but she managed to hold it back. She pointed to the embroidered cushion behind her and said, "Your Highness, there's an embroidered cushion over there. Please take it and sit on it."

Li Xi nodded quickly and said, "Okay." Then he went over to move the embroidered cushion over, sat in front of Guo Fengmin, and chatted with Guo Fengmin under the supervision of Guo Ziyi and Mrs. Guo.

Li Xi asked in a low voice: "Feng Min, why did you suddenly fall ill?"

Guo Fengmin sighed and said, "It was because I didn't listen to my father and mother. My father punished me by making me kneel, and then it suddenly started raining. He wanted me to get up, but I got stubborn and refused to get up. Isn't that why I caught a cold?"

There was some tenderness in Li Xi's eyes, and I don't know how much sincerity there was, but he said softly: "Why are you so stupid? This body is your own, how could you hurt it like this?"

Guo Fengmin said in a low voice, "I'm fine, Your Highness, don't worry. I'll be fine in two days. By the way, Your Highness, is there anything you want to tell me?"

Li Xi then remembered the purpose of his visit today and said, "Oh, by the way, Feng Min, what do you think about the matter I asked you before?"

Guo Fengmin pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Your Highness, I... I'm afraid I can't agree to your request..."

Li Xi was a little excited, but thinking of the two people behind him, he lowered his voice and asked, "Why?"

Guo Fengmin said somewhat dejectedly, "Although I only caught a cold, it doesn't have much effect on me. It's just... because the cold air invaded my body, I now have a cold uterus and am not suitable for conception... I know how much the royal family values offspring, so... I can't harm you."

Li Xi was also stunned when he heard this. He did approach Guo Fengmin in the beginning and wanted her to become his princess for the sake of Guo Ziyi's military power.

But after spending some time with her, he found that he seemed to really like Guo Fengmin, and he could often recall her every move and smile.

If Liu Jingyue knew about this, she would probably laugh at him for being "love-brained".

So he said, "That doesn't matter. I didn't marry you just to have you give birth to my children. If you want, it's fine even if you don't give birth in your lifetime..."

Guo Fengmin's next question left Li Xi at a loss. She asked, "But Your Highness, I hope to find someone I love and we'll be together forever. But if I can't have children, then the Emperor and Concubine Xiao will definitely force you to take a concubine to continue your family line. I can't accept that."

Li Xi really didn't know how to respond. On one side was the person he loved, and on the other was power. He wanted both, and didn't want to give up either. But if he really had to give them up... Anyway, it was just empty talk now, so of course he had to take care of the person in front of him.

As if he had made a great decision, he looked at Guo Fengmin affectionately and said, "If you marry me, I promise not to take a concubine. After all, you are just not suitable for pregnancy, not completely infertile. At worst, you can take your time. I can wait."

Guo Fengmin seemed to see through his thoughts and asked, "If Your Highness were to choose between me and power, which would you choose?"

Li Xi said, "Why do I have to choose? Don't you believe I can have both?"

Guo Fengmin understood Li Xi's intention. He wasn't willing to give up the throne for her. It seemed that if she married him and truly didn't plan to have children, he would take a concubine just to secure the throne. Her wish for a lifelong lover would never come true, and he wouldn't even offer her a verbal promise. That last glimmer of hope was shattered.

Guo Fengmin pretended to cough twice and said, "Your Highness has great ambitions, and I admire you very much. However, I am tired and want to rest. Your Highness, please return."

After saying that, she no longer paid any attention to Li Xi, and just lay down on her own, turning her body sideways.

Li Xi was bewildered, but because Guo Fengmin had already spoken, and Guo Ziyi and Madam Guo were watching, he could not say anything else. He could only say, "Then you should have a good rest. I will come to see you another day."

After saying this, he walked out, and Guo Ziyi and Mrs. Guo also followed Li Xi out of the bedroom. After they all left, Guo Fengmin covered her head with the quilt and cried secretly.

At the Prince Guangping's Mansion, after Li Chu finished his official business, he went to Wangyuexuan to visit Dugu Jingyao.

At that time, Dugu Jingyao saw that the weather was great today and was basking in the sun in the yard.

When Li Chu arrived at the courtyard, a maid came to greet him. Dugu Jingyao turned around and saw Li Chu, revealing a gentle smile. Li Chu also smiled back and walked quickly forward and said: "The sun is nice today, it's suitable for sunbathing outside."

Dugu Jingyao saw that Li Chu seemed to be in a good mood today, so she asked, "Donglang, is there something good? You look very happy!"

Li Chu supported Dugu Jingyao and continued walking, saying as he walked, "I heard Feng Shengyi report that the Li family went to the Guo residence today."

Dugu Jingyao asked again: "What happened next? Guo Ziyi didn't let him into the mansion?"

Li Chu shook his head and said, "No, you guessed wrong this time. He went in and stayed there for a while. I don't know what he did, but he was quite depressed when he came out."

Dugu Jingyao guessed that maybe Guo Fengmin tried the method she told her, but the result was not what she wanted, so she drove Li Xi out of the Guo Mansion?

Seeing Dugu Jingyao looking thoughtful, Li Chu called out, "Ayao, Ayao..."

Dugu Jingyao pulled back her thoughts and asked, "What's wrong?"

Li Chu asked, "Ayao, what are you thinking about? Why are you so absorbed in it?"

Dugu Jingyao said, "This... I guess I gave Feng Min a trick, and she used it to test the Li system, but the Li system failed to meet her requirements."

Hearing this, Li Chu asked curiously, "What new tricks have you come up with?"

Dugu Jingyao rolled her eyes at him and said, "What do you mean by a devil's idea? I was just helping her. She didn't insist on marrying someone from the Li family. I was afraid she'd regret it after marrying, so I let her give it a try. And Fengmin told me that she originally liked my brother, but... my brother liked Zhenzhu and was already engaged to her, so she didn't want to force my brother and make him annoyed with her. At least we can still be friends..."

Seeing Dugu Jingyao getting a little excited, Li Chu said, "Alright, alright, I said the wrong thing, don't get excited, Yao." He seemed to have discovered something and said, "It seems that my brother-in-law is also quite popular!"

Dugu Jingyao nodded and said, "Yes, even I didn't expect that Feng Min actually likes my brother! But it doesn't matter. You can look back and introduce other suitable men to Feng Min."

Li Chu nodded slightly to show that he understood.

The two of them walked quietly like this. When they were tired, they sat down on the recliners to rest for a while. It was very comfortable.