Chapter 157

Chapter 157 – Who Bumped Into Who?

Chapter 157 Who Bumped Into Who?

“What? Fourth Lady Qu was injured from the fall?” Ji Youran was dumbfounded as she listened to the ridiculous conclusion.

It was a maid who was knocked down. What did it have to do with Qu Moying? It was said that the maid reacted quickly and immediately pushed Qu Moying away from danger. Qu Moying managed to stabilize herself with the help of the rockery. But now, she was injured from a fall. How fake could this be?

This was Crown Prince’s Mansion. This Qu Moying seemed to be a good person, but she was clearly hypocritical and lowly. She actually had the nerves to make a scene in front of the Crown Prince!

“Your Highness, is the lady of Vice Minister Qu’s family low in intelligence?” Ji Youran couldn’t help but mock.

She had really never seen such a noble lady. No matter how stupid a noble lady was, she would never do such a thing and wouldn’t say such words. Did Qu Moying really think that she was Ji Hanyue’s own cousin sister? Did she think that Ji Hanyue was in charge of this mansion?

Ji Hanyue was already dead. So what did Qu Moying want?

Ji Youran was so angry that her face changed drastically.

“You… what do you mean?” Pei Luo’an’s face sank. His eyes were as cold as ice. He stared at Ji Youran gloomily. Even though his face looked pale as ever, Ji Youran was shocked when she met his bone-chilling gaze. She immediately snapped back to her senses and quickly wiped the corner of her eyes with a handkerchief as she explained, “The one who fell just now was Fourth Lady Qu’s maid. It was clear that it was not Fourth Lady Qu. What was her intention?”

“A maid was knocked down?” Pei Luo’an’s face became darker and darker, and he looked at Ji Youran gloomily.

“Your Highness, a servant came to report that Lord Wei and Fourth Lady Qu bumped into each other. I don’t know how Fourth Lady Qu bumped into Lord Wei. Lord Wei only came to visit for a while, and he went to rest because he was unwell. Unexpectedly, he almost bumped into Fourth Lady Qu on the way. Fortunately, the maid and young servant were in the front, and they fell after knocking each other down. Nothing else happened.”

Ji Youran composed herself and reported reverently in a low voice. For some reason, she felt that something was wrong. Her heart panicked, and her actions became more and more cautious.

“Is Lord Wei okay?” Pei Luo’an asked lightly. Toward this harmless younger brother, Pei Luo’an was a good elder brother.

“Lord Wei is fine. He was just frightened,” Ji Youran answered with a face full of worry. Then, with a face full of anger, she said, “I have sent people to visit him. It is said that Lord Wei is fine. So I wonder what Fourth Lady Qu is up to when even Lord Wei is fine? She was clearly fine at that time, and the one who fell was not her.”

No matter what Qu Moying was planning, Ji Youran would not give her a chance to get close to Crown Prince. It was best to use Lord Wei as an excuse now.

She wanted to let Crown Prince understand that Qu Moying was a fickle woman. Not only did she want to seduce Crown Prince but also Lord Wei.

“You… seem to have a prejudice against Fourth Lady Qu?” Pei Luo’an did not continue what she was talking about. He sized her up a few times and asked slowly.

In the past, regardless of whether she was in front of others or behind others, Ji Youran always looked protective of Qu Moying. In front of the Crown Prince, she repeatedly showed sympathy to Qu Moying. Now that the Crown Princess was gone, she said she would definitely wholeheartedly treat Qu Moying as her own cousin.

After hearing Ji Youran repeatedly saying so, Pei Luo’an felt that Ji Youran was sincere to Fourth Lady Qu. The more Ji Youran showed kindness to the people who were close to Ji Hanyue in the past, the better it would be for the entire Crown Prince’s Mansion, and the fewer people would doubt Ji Hanyue’s death.

This was also what Pei Luo’an was most willing to see.

Pei Luo’an was very satisfied with this. Ji Youran was indeed good-natured and devoted to him. Moreover, her ability was not bad, and she was a good help to him.

However, Ji Youran lost her composure just now, and he heard another intention behind her words. Pei Luo’an had never paid much attention to Fourth Lady Qu, even much less than to Third Lady Qu. Naturally, he would not have any improper thoughts. What he wanted was for Ji Youran to show goodwill to Qu Moying—the kind of goodwill she had because of Ji Hanyue.

Only in this way would he be able to keep what had happened in the past a secret.

However, right now, Ji Youran was showing a different attitude. She was actually jealous of a woman with bad eyes? Moreover, she was so jealous that she lost her usual calm and even said evil words. And all this was shown in front of him. What if it were in front of someone else? Would they notice something?

This made Pei Luo’an very unhappy!

Thinking about it carefully, how could Lord Wei encounter Qu Moying so coincidentally and almost bump into her? The Fourth Lady Qu could not know the matters in the Eastern Palace, and Eastern Palace’s servants could not be so rash.

So, could it be that this so-called bumping was actually plotted by Ji Youran? Did she think there were not enough troubles going on in her own mansion and want to cause trouble again?

“I… I have no prejudice against Fourth Lady Qu. I just think that Fourth Lady Qu has gone a little too far. It was clearly her maid who fell down. How did it become her now?” Ji Youran lowered her head when she saw Pei Luo’an’s cold gaze. She bit her lips and carefully explained.

Pei Luo’an did not say anything and continued to lock his gaze on her coldly. Ji Youran’s palms were sweaty, and she did not dare to move.

“Do you think that you can just bump into anyone in my Eastern Palace? With Fourth Lady Qu’s identity, could she bump into Lord Wei so randomly? Doesn’t that mean that it is easy-peasy to bump into Lord Wei? If someone tries to assassinate Lord Wei in my Eastern Palace, it will be a very simple matter then?” Pei Luo’an stared at Ji Youran and asked.

These words were serious and meaningful. There was even the implication of Ji Youran deliberately harming the Eastern Palace in those words. Although Lord Wei had a sickly body, no matter how weak his body was, he had to be alive and well. If something happened to him in the Eastern Palace, the Emperor and the officials would not let Pei Luo’an go.

Feeling a chill on her back, Ji Youran suddenly fell to her knees. She raised her head and wailed with tears, “Your Highness, I really do not know about this matter. Your Highness, you know how I am to you. How could I dare to frame you in this kind of thing? It’s just that… just that I deliberately let Fourth Lady Qu bump into Lord Wei in… in a moment of anger.”

Ji Youran did not dare to deny it now. This kind of thing was difficult for others to investigate. But if Pei Luo’an sent people to investigate, they would still be able to find out how she sent someone to invite Lord Wei over and lead Lord Wei and Qu Moying onto the same route. In this Eastern Palace, only she, the only inner yard Master, could do such a thing.

Originally, Ji Youran thought that Pei Luo’an would not ask anything about such a small matter, but now that he had suspected it, Ji Youran did not dare to hide it anymore and could only use the excuse of her own fit of rage.

“In a moment of… anger? Why were you angry?” Pei Luo’an frowned, his expression still very ugly.

Ji Youran cried weakly. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she could not even breathe. She looked up at Pei Luo’an, and her face was already full of tears. “Your Highness, when Fourth Lady Qu talked to me about you… I… I was very sad. So I… I got angry…”

She had no choice but to continue making up excuses.

“What did she say?” Pei Luo’an continued to ask.

“She… said that you are a well-behaved gentleman, Your Highness, and that you are deeply in love with the Crown Princess, and she even said that she was envious of the Crown Princess… Your Highness, how could this be something that a cousin of the Crown Princess should say? How… How could she say such words? I was so angry that I thought of a way to make… make her meet Lord Wei. ”

Ji Youran looked at Pei Luo’an with tears in her eyes, and all the grievances were blamed on Qu Moying.

This was indeed not something that a cousin should say. The Crown Prince frowned, and he grew a little unhappy with Fourth Lady Qu. If it were really like what Ji Youran said, this Fourth Lady Qu was indeed not a good person.

Her cousin’s remains were scarcely cold yet, yet she dared to think of such a thing.

“You want to match her up with Lord Wei?” Pei Luo’an understood Ji Youran’s intention.

“Yes, since she wants to enter the imperial palace, then… then Lord Wei would be more suitable.” Ji Youran lowered her voice and looked at Pei Luo’an timidly.

This kind of gaze that carried a bit of affection and a bit of gentleness was what Pei Luo’an liked the most in the past, but now, he inexplicably felt annoyed.

“Ji Youran, you should know your identity, right?” Pei Luo’an said coldly.

“Your Highness, I know my identity. I should not be angry, not be bothered, and I shouldn’t have done this in a fit of anger. But this is also because Fourth Lady Qu went a bit too far…” Ji Youran cried and argued.

“Even if it’s too far, you have to endure it!” Pei Luo’an glared and scolded harshly, “You said before that you wouldn’t be jealous of Hanyue, nor would you be jealous of any woman by my side. What are you doing now? Could it be that you want people to suspect that your purpose in coming to Eastern Palace is not for taking care of Hanyue but for me?”

“Yes, Your Highness, I was wrong. No matter how much I explain, I can’t cover up my mistake. Your Highness, I won’t do it in the future. No matter how far Fourth Lady Qu goes in the future, I will treat her as my cousin, just because she is the Crown Princess’ cousin.”

Ji Youran hurriedly lowered her head and cried out in grievance. Her hands rested on Pei Luo’an’s knees. Her eyes were filled with love as tears flowed. Just looking at her made one feel pity for her.

There was only a flash of hatred in her eyes. She originally thought that everything would be over if Ji Hanyue died. She did not expect that even though Ji Hanyue died, the latter still did not rest easy and even brought in a cousin to ruin her life. If there was a chance, she would definitely make sure that Qu Moying could not stay. Of course, she would not carry out any plan in the Eastern Palace again.

For some reason, she felt that Qu Moying was as annoying as Ji Hanyue. There was a dull pain in the injured part of her face. The injury was because of Ji Hanyue, and after Ji Youran recovered, the injury was affected by Qu Moying. There was still a faint mark left. The Imperial Doctor said that it was difficult to heal perfectly. This was all because Qu Moying had used the sleeve stained with medicine to wipe her tears.

The Imperial Doctor also said that if this spot of her face was injured again in the future, the scar would definitely not be insignificant.

“If there is any similar case in the future, I will not forgive you. Ji Youran, you have to remember, you are a concubine, and not a legitimate one,” Pei Luo’an warned.

“Yes, Your Highness, I know.” Suppressing the hatred in her heart, Ji Youran had to admit defeat.

“Get up first. Deal with the matter of Fourth Lady Qu. She fell just now at the rockery. I heard that she fell accidentally and even bumped into Uncle Yun.” Pei Luo’an reached out and rubbed the space between his eyebrows that were throbbing with a dull pain. He really did not want to care about such a thing, but it happened in his own mansion.

Pei Yuanjun? What was he doing here today? Why did he bump into Fourth Lady Qu? Was it really like what Ji Youran hinted? That Fourth Lady Qu was indeed up to no good?

Pei Yuanjun was not Lord Wei, Pei Qingmin…