Xiao Ze's words struck Su Xiaoqi like a thunderclap, shattering her into pieces.
For a long time, she couldn't quite process what he had said.
Xiao Ze was also a resolute person. Seeing Su Xiaoqi looking at him in disbelief, he repeated himself.
"Come with me. The sixty-four dowry chests I prepared for you are still here. I will marry you as my wife!"
Not only Su Xiaoqi but even Xiao Yi, who was standing beside them, couldn't listen to this anymore. He nervously glanced around and quickly stopped him, "Brother Ze, don't say any more!"
Brother Ze didn't know how many capable and extraordinary individuals were in the Zhuangyuan Mansion, but he certainly did.
Even though Lord Shen had left, he would definitely know what they had discussed here upon his return.
Xiao Ze's eyes instantly sharpened. He ignored Xiao Yi's dissuasion and only looked at Su Xiaoqi.
His sharp gaze was filled with immense anticipation.
Although Su Xiaoqi had let him down,
He had never forgotten her, not for a moment.
When he was exiled, in the military camp, and even when he was once buried in a pile of dead bodies, teetering on the brink of life and death.
His constant thoughts were of her.
As soon as he gained a sedikit foothold, he immediately wrote letters to find them.
Unfortunately, all those letters vanished like clay cows entering the sea, with no news whatsoever.
They didn't know his struggles, nor how he had survived these past two years.
Su Xiaoqi did not evade his gaze. Instead, she met it directly, her gaze firm and her voice clear:
"Xiao Ze, you've seen it. I'm already married."
Let alone in this ancient era, even in modern times, someone who was married and not divorced could not possibly remarry.
This was a basic moral issue.
With red eyes, Xiao Ze ignored it, "I don't care. Just tell me if you'll come with me."
He was confident he could manage to snatch a person or two from a fifth-rank civil official.
Moreover, he had already inquired, and Shen Yun was not part of the Crown Prince's faction.
If they succeeded, it was uncertain whether he could even survive.
"Xiao Ze, whatever you think, I will not go with you, nor will I marry you."
"You, Xiao Qi, have you forgotten?"
Forgotten the words they had spoken when they were together.
Su Xiaoqi shook her head, "I haven't forgotten."
In fact, the original Su Xiaoqi hadn't truly fallen for Xiao Ze.
It was just that at that time, she was rather materialistic and thought she was quite perceptive of the situation.
She felt that given her status and appearance, Xiao Ze might be her best option.
That's why she had been half-hearted in accepting Xiao Ze's advances, without outright rejection.
This gave Xiao Ze the illusion that their feelings for each other were deep.
Looking at Su Xiaoqi, whose appearance had changed dramatically, Xiao Ze's love for her was almost overflowing.
He dropped his previous fierce and resolute demeanor and persuaded her gently.
He brought up their past vows.
Su Xiaoqi refused him and said, "I know why you're here this time. I want to advise you, it's best not to act."
She hadn't known originally, but seeing Shen Yun leave hastily just now, along with Xiao Ze's identity and his tone of voice, she deduced that he was on the Crown Prince's side.
She advised him not to be an accomplice to evil.
Xiao Ze glared at Su Xiaoqi, his face showing disbelief.
When did Su Xiaoqi become so intelligent?
She used to only care about how much money he could bring her each day.
And what good food he would buy for her.
When did she start understanding these matters of court politics?
He thought of Shen Yun, who had just left.
His face instantly turned cold.
"Did Shen Yun tell you to say that?"
Su Xiaoqi shook her head, "He didn't. I wanted to say it myself."
Xiao Ze didn't believe her and provocatively said, "If you come with me, I'll agree to anything you want."
Su Xiaoqi felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, "I'm doing this for your own good, not to negotiate terms with you.
They already know about your arrival in the capital."
Of course, the information Su Xiaoqi knew was that the Xijiang Army had infiltrated the capital.
At that time, she didn't know Xiao Ze was one of them.
And perhaps even a leader of one of the units.
Their actions had long been exposed to Shen Yun and his party.
Therefore, Su Xiaoqi was trying to save him by saying this.
Xiao Ze was dismissive, "Do you think our Xijiang Army is made of straw? Is General Huang someone who can be easily manipulated? To just let them mold us as they please."
Su Xiaoqi fell silent. She could see that Xiao Ze greatly respected the General Huang above him.
For a moment, she didn't know what to say, so she sighed and remained silent.
Fortunately, Xiao Ze didn't bring up anything difficult for her to handle during this time.
He merely stared at her intently, his eyes as sharp as carving knives, his gaze shifting as if he were etching Su Xiaoqi's face into his heart.
Su Xiaoqi felt very uncomfortable being looked at by him like that.
Admittedly, Xiao Ze, having undergone the baptism of the battlefield, was also different from his past self.
He exuded an aggressive aura.
When he looked at her, it made her feel pressured.
She didn't want to deal with him anymore.
After all, facing her original boyfriend as a married woman made her feel very awkward.
She offered him tea as a polite way to ask him to leave.
Xiao Ze, however, acted as if he didn't see it, his gaze fixed on her.
After a long while, he asked, "What do I have to do for you to come with me?"
Su Xiaoqi looked at him in disbelief, "Did I not make myself clear enough?
No matter what, I won't go with you."
Xiao Ze looked a little hurt but still refused to give up, "You think my official rank isn't high enough, or that my salary isn't as good as the Zhuangyuan's."
This was quite a blunt thing to say.
Xiao Yi, who was beside them, could barely listen anymore.
He whispered a reminder:
"Brother Ze, you probably don't know, but Sister Xiao Qi lacks for nothing when it comes to money now.
That supermarket from before, that was opened by Sister Xiao Qi, and, and..."
Xiao Yi hesitantly explained the general foundation Su Xiaoqi had established.
Xiao Ze looked hurt. So, she had become successful and now looked down on him.
He suddenly felt a sense of unease.
When they had nothing, they could be together.
But now that they both had a certain foundation, they couldn't be together.
It would have been better to go back to the past.
When they had nothing, yet could enjoy the happiness of being together day after day.
This was what Xiao Ze thought, and this was what he said.
When Su Xiaoqi heard his simple answer, her eyes lit up.
She stopped persuading him or saying anything about their lack of fate. She beckoned and said, "Xiao Xique, Xiao Sanzi, Xiao Liu, and Xiao Jiu are all in the capital.
Since you're here, you should see them."
Xiao Yi also nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, yes, Brother Ze, weren't you always thinking of Xiao Xique? She's doing very well now."
Xiao Ze's attention shifted.
To him, Xiao Qi was very important.
But in one respect, he was the same as Su Xiaoqi.
The younger brothers and sisters who had followed them back then also occupied a significant place in his heart.
So, when Su Xiaoqi mentioned them, he temporarily put aside his obsession with her.
He got into the carriage with Xiao Yi.
Xiao Yi, having been reminded by Su Xiaoqi, took Xiao Ze to Liuyuan Garden.
He met Xiao Xique.
After a long time, they met and were both very emotional.
Xiao Xique knew about Xiao Ze's feelings for Su Xiaoqi and immediately became worried.
Seeing Xiao Yi constantly hinting at her, she began to understand.
She immediately arranged the matters at Liuyuan Garden and then took Xiao Ze to find their brothers and sisters who had come to the capital.
Su Xiaoqi thoughtfully had the restaurant prepare a table of dishes and sent them over for them to gather.
However, while the food and wine arrived,
She did not.