Rebirth: Marry a General instead of a Prince

The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared up.

As soon as the sky was getting light, we heard the sounds of people worshiping Buddha from Puhua Temple.

Bai Zhiyuan turned over and since he couldn't sleep, he just got up.

Ling Xiao was combing her hair when Xia Qing said outside the door, "Miss, the servant of King Jin wants to see you."

Bai Zhiyuan thought to himself, "The King of Jin has finally lost his patience."

She turned her head to Ling Xiao and said, "Let him in."

The servant of the King of Jin came in and bowed respectfully, saying, "County Lady, my Highness invites you."

"Oh?" Bai Zhiyuan raised an eyebrow: "Where is His Royal Highness Prince Jin?"

The servant said, "Your Highness is waiting for the county lady under the old tree in the backyard."

Bai Zhiyuan was more and more confused about the King of Jin. Logically speaking, he had been hiding his strength for many years, so he should not have made the move to meet him in such a conspicuous place. However, his recent behavior seemed to no longer hide himself, and he even openly opposed the King of Yan several times.

What does he mean?

Bai Zhiyuan thought for a moment, then said to the servant who lowered his head, "Tell the King of Jin that I will be there soon."

After the servant left, Ling Xiao combed Bai Zhiyuan's hair and said, "Miss, why has the King of Jin been so attentive to you recently? Now is the time for you to discuss marriage, will the King of Jin..."

Bai Zhiyuan shook her head: "Probably not." She was thinking that when she was in the northern border, Xie Yunsong told her that he had confessed the affair between the two of them to King Jin. King Jin was a good friend of Xie Yunsong, so naturally he would not have any improper thoughts about her.

But Ling Xiao didn't think so. She said, "Miss, why not? I think he is interested in you and wants to marry you."

Bai Zhiyuan was also somewhat confused, and said, "Whatever his purpose is, I will find out when I meet him."

But Ling Xiao was worried, and said, "Miss, everyone in the government and the country is watching your marriage now. Will your meeting with the King of Jin like this catch the attention of someone with ulterior motives?"

Bai Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Even the King of Jin is not afraid, so why should I be afraid?"

Ling Xiao nodded slightly and said, "That being said, the world has always been unfair to women. Men can have three wives and four concubines, but if a woman has too much contact with a man, her reputation will be ruined."

Bai Zhiyuan raised his eyes and said, "Ling Xiao, you are right. But women should not be confined to the backyard. Women can also go out and swing their swords in all directions like men. Reputation is something that people use to trap women. We don't need to care about it."

Ling Xiao nodded as if he understood, and quickened the pace of his hands to comb Bai Zhiyuan's hair.

Bai Zhiyuan led Ling Xiao out of the wing room and walked towards the backyard. At this time, the queen had already taken all the concubines to the Buddhist temple to worship Buddha. The entire temple was empty with few people.

It rained yesterday, so the air in the mountains is fresh today. Bai Zhiyuan met Princess Heyue as he wished last night, and he was in a good mood this morning.

When she brought Ling Xiao to the backyard, Prince Jin was already waiting under the ancient tree.

He was wearing a snow-white straight-collared robe and a wide belt with a moon-white auspicious cloud pattern around his waist. Hanging on the belt was a piece of extremely fine black jade. He looked very high-spirited.

Not far away were probably his guards, standing guard from a distance, perhaps to prevent anyone from getting close and eavesdropping.

Bai Zhiyuan walked closer to him. He heard the voice, turned around, and saw that it was Bai Zhiyuan, and smiled gently.

Bai Zhiyuan bowed and said, "Greetings, His Royal Highness Prince Jin."

The Prince of Jin gave her a false support and said, "No need to be so polite, County Lady."

Bai Zhiyuan stood up and looked at the ancient tree behind him. Perhaps because it rained yesterday, the ancient tree looked more shiny today. The red wish strips on the tree had dried up and were swaying in the wind, continuing to carry the wishes of others.

King Jin watched Bai Zhiyuan staring at the wishing cloth and said, "This ancient tree is hundreds of years old. Ancient trees are spiritual, with lush branches and leaves. The red silk ribbons on the tree are the wishes of the people who come here. They write them on red cloth and then hang them on the tree, hoping that the ancient tree can fulfill their wishes."

"My Lady, if you have any wishes, you can write them down and tie them to the old tree. Women often pray to meet a good man. My Lady, do you have any wishes?"

Hearing this, Bai Zhiyuan raised his head and chuckled, "Does Your Highness Prince Jin really believe that an ancient tree can fulfill a person's wish?"

Prince Jin raised his eyebrows: "Oh? The county lady doesn't believe it?"

Bai Zhiyuan replied: "If you have a wish, work hard towards achieving it. In my opinion, writing it on a red cloth and hanging it here is completely useless."

Prince Jin was stunned at first, then he laughed and said, "The county lady is indeed different. No wonder even Yun Song, who is always impatient with women, looks at you with new eyes."

Bai Zhiyuan paused and asked, "I wonder if His Royal Highness the Prince of Jin has invited me here today for some important matter?"

The Prince of Jin waved his fan and said, "When the county lady left the capital, she told me that she was willing to help me. Now two years have passed, I want to ask the county lady, do you still mean what you said?"

Bai Zhiyuan was startled, not quite understanding what he meant. After thinking for a while, she said, "Of course I take it seriously. Although I am a woman, I also know that once a word is spoken, it cannot be taken back."

"I just don't know if Your Highness has encountered any difficulties? If you need me, I will do my best."

The King of Jin smiled and waved his hand, "You are too kind, County Lady."

Then he changed the subject and said, "Now everyone in the court is watching the county lady's marriage. I wonder if the county lady has any solution?"

Bai Zhiyuan didn't understand, and after thinking for a moment, he said, "Your Highness Prince Jin, marriage is always decided by parents, but for people like me, marriages are always arranged by the emperor. If the emperor arranges a marriage for me, even if I don't want to, what can I do?"

Prince Jin nodded and smiled, "When the county lady didn't want to marry Fifth Brother, she also tried to cancel the engagement, didn't she?"

Bai Zhiyuan was stunned for a moment and asked, "What exactly does Your Highness want to say?"

The eyes of the King of Jin became unfathomable, and he said, "I wrote a letter to the Northern Territory before, and mentioned that I wanted to marry the county lady. Looking at the court, anyone who marries you will only benefit. I naturally considered this point. But Yun Song replied to me immediately that he and you have already secretly decided to spend their lives together in the Northern Territory. Yun Song and I have been friends for many years, so in this case, I naturally gave up this idea. But I know very well that it will be extremely difficult for you to get married. Sure enough, not long after, the county lady returned to the capital alone. I heard that you and Yun Song have separated, and the Queen Mother is also preparing to grant Yun Song and Shen Zhiyi a marriage."

King Jin finished speaking in one breath, silently observing Bai Zhiyuan's expression, but Bai Zhiyuan's expression did not change from beginning to end. Seeing Bai Zhiyuan's silence, King Jin lowered his eyes and thought for a moment, then spoke again: "In this case, why don't you and I..."

Bai Zhiyuan interrupted him, looked up at him, and said casually: "Does Your Highness like me?"

Prince Jin paused, as if he had not expected her to be so straightforward, and did not know how to start the conversation for a moment.

Bai Zhiyuan was not in a hurry either, and just stared at him motionlessly.

After a while, the King of Jin frowned and said, "As a man, I am naturally attracted to the county lady, but I am a prince, and the county lady knows my ambitions. I am not a sentimental person, but if you are willing, I can promise you that I will keep your Bai family safe in the future."

The words of the King of Jin were sincere. Bai Zhiyuan was silent for a moment before he said, "Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness. But since Your Highness knows about my relationship with General Xie, it is inevitable that others will know about it. If I marry you, this matter will become a grudge between you and Xie Yunsong, and it will also become a reason for others to mock you..."

Prince Jin: "Of course I understand what you said, but I still have some feelings for you. As a woman, you are different from most women. You are brave, decisive and resolute. If you can stand by my side, I will naturally be more powerful."

Bai Zhiyuan laughed: "Your Highness, are you choosing a princess or an aide?"

Prince Jin faced the wind, smiling as before, and said, "County Lady, you can consider it. If you marry me, not only will it solve your urgent problem, but the Queen Mother will no longer target you. As for Yun Song, he will also give up on you... County Lady, you can think about it carefully, and there is no need to rush to answer me."

Bai Zhiyuan nodded.

When King Jin saw that she agreed, he knew that this was not a place where they could talk for a long time, so he left.

Bai Zhiyuan was left alone, standing under the ancient tree, letting the wind mess up her hair.