Chapter 451 Add Fuel to the Fire
The Old Lady hesitated, reluctant to let Ji Youran go, but seeing her determination, she knew she couldn’t stop her. Besides, Qu Qiuyan’s status had changed significantly.
With a sigh, she reluctantly nodded.
Ji Youran smiled and nodded back at the the Old Lady before following Qu Moying out.
During the journey, Ji Youran tried to gather information from Qu Moying with a friendly demeanor. However, whenever she approached the crucial points, Qu Moying skillfully avoided providing any substantial details. By the time they reached the yard, Ji Youran hadn’t obtained any useful information from Qu Moying. This made her even more determined to find evidence from Qu Qiuyan.
Qu Qiuyan had already received news of Qu Moying accompanying Ji Youran. She had her maids waiting for their arrival and greeted them at the door.
Qu Qiuyan’s face remained pale, and the burns on her arms had yet to heal completely. They were severe burns, with large blisters that were swollen. She couldn’t lift her arm, making her appear frail and weak.
“Your Highness.” Qu Qiuyan said, bowing slightly as Ji Youran entered.
Ji Youran quickly went to her side and offered support. “No need for formalities. How is your health?”
Her hand touched Qu Qiuyan’s burned hand, causing Qu Qiuyan to wince in pain. Her face turned even paler, and Ji Youran couldn’t help but feel puzzled. Was Qu Qiuyan really unwell, and is it quite serious for her to react this way with just a slight touch?
Qu Qiuyan had indeed been hurt by the accidental touch, and she tried to calm herself down. Her lips trembled, and she finally managed to compose herself enough to say, “Your Highness, please take a seat!”
The pain from the earlier touch had almost made her cry out loud.
Ji Youran could see that Qu Qiuyan’s condition was genuine, and it made sense why she hadn’t woken up earlier. However, Ji Youran was unsure if the problem lay with Qu Qiuyan’s own health or if there were other underlying issues causing the prolonged coma.
Qu Moying observed their actions silently, her lips curved into a sneaky smile. After paying her respects to Qu Qiuyan, she took her seat as well.
She pulled out a handkerchief and played with it casually, attentively listening to their conversation.
“How did you suddenly lose consciousness for such a long time? What did the Imperial Doctor say?” Ji Youran asked with genuine concern.
“The Imperial Doctor didn’t say much, only that I should rest and recover properly.” Qu Qiuyan replied, lowering her head and shaking it with bitterness.
“He didn’t mention what specifically is wrong with you?” Ji Youran was quite surprised.
“No, just that my body was already not in good condition, and the anger that surged suddenly… led to this situation. I apologize for causing trouble for Your Highness.” Qu Qiuyan said softly.
“Anger causing this condition? What exactly happened?” Ji Youran was interested in finding out, and her concern grew, making it seem like she and Qu Qiuyan were close sisters. Qu Moying found this display of concern nauseating.
It reminded her of how Ji Youran had “cared” for Ji Hanyue in the past.
“In fact, it’s just a misunderstanding… County Lady Jingyu misunderstood me.” Qu Qiuyan said vaguely, looking at Qu Moying, indicating that there were some things she couldn’t say openly with Qu Moying present.
Ji Youran understood the message and turned to Qu Moying with a smile, “Fourth Lady, could you please go back and relay a message to the Old Lady?”
“What message?” Qu Moying raised her gaze and asked.
“It’s something I wanted to ask earlier, but I didn’t have a chance. I’m planning to go to pray for the late Crown Princess in a few days. I want to see if you are available to accompany me.”
Ji Youran said with a glint in her eyes.
“To offer blessings to our cousin?” Qu Moying asked, “Where?”
“To Qingyun Temple. Inside the Eastern Palace, there is a place where the female head from Qingyun Temple presides. His Highness the Crown Prince holds a great faith in them.” Ji Youran explained.
Qu Moying nodded, stood up, and after giving a slight bow to Ji Youran, she left with Yu Dong. Ji Youran had strategically separated Qu Moying to speak privately with Qu Qiuyan, giving them the opportunity to discuss matters freely.
She was expecting her to create this chance for them.
Since they wanted to discuss privately, Qu Moying allowed them to have their space to talk freely.
“What exactly caused you to faint?” After Qu Moying’s figure disappeared from the doorway, Ji Youran turned to Qu Qiuyan with a smile.
Qu Qiuyan lowered her head and used the handkerchief to gently wipe her eyes, tears falling down.
“In truth… it’s just a misunderstanding.” she said, her voice choking.
“What’s wrong? From now on, you’ll be part of the Lord Wang’s Mansion, and I’m a consort of the East Palace. Our relationship won’t be that of ordinary people. If you have any grievances, please feel free to share them.” Ji Youran said, her voice growing even more gentle.
“Thank you very much, Your Highness.” Qu Qiuyan said, wiping her tears with a handkerchief.
The sudden turn of events caught her off guard, leaving her unable to handle the situation immediately. Everything seemed different from what she had imagined, even her current position was not something she had wished for.
Filled with grievances, she couldn’t find anyone to confide in, not even her father, who was not treating her well either.
“Is it County Lady Jingyu?” Ji Youran asked cautiously.
“County Lady Jingyu misunderstood me. I truly didn’t intend to harm anyone. It was just an accident with a sachet. Later, I sent a maid to retrieve it. The sachet that ended up in young master Yonging’s hands has nothing to do with me. How could I have County Lady Jingyu’s sachet in my possession?”
Qu Qiuyan tearfully explained.
“County Lady Jingyu’s sachet ended up in young master Yongning’s hands?” Ji Youran had heard some rumors, but she wasn’t entirely clear.
“I… I don’t know… I just heard… that’s what it seemed like…” Qu Qiuyan panicked, hurriedly covering her mouth with the handkerchief and shaking her head miserably.
“So, the sachet of County Lady Jingyu is lost?” Ji Youran rephrased the question.
“I don’t know, Your Highness, please don’t ask me. It was my own carelessness that caused people to misunderstand and think I wanted to harm my fourth sister. But there really was no such intention. Otherwise, the subsequent events wouldn’t have been unrelated to my fourth sister and only linked to County Lady Jingyu.” Qu Qiuyan seemed to want to explain, but her explanation only made matters more confusing.
After speaking, she anxiously used her other hand, the one that wasn’t injured, to gesture wildly, her face becoming even paler. “Your Highness, I mean… the Duke Qi’s Mansion misunderstood the situation between me and my fourth sister…”
The more she explained, the more suspicious it sounded.
“Alright, you don’t be distressed. It’s all in the past now. Focus on taking care of yourself.” Ji Youran said, having already learned what she needed to know. She smiled and reassured Qu Qiuyan.
“Thank you.” As long as she didn’t inquire further about the incident, Qu Qiuyan managed to calm down. She composed herself and looked at Ji Youran gratefully.
Both of them had their own hidden motives, and combined with Qu Qiuyan’s intentional flattery, they managed to maintain a courteous atmosphere.
After a while, Ji Youran excused herself under the pretense of not wanting to disturb Qu Qiuyan’s rest and left. Qu Qiuyan, with great effort, accompanied her to the door.
As Ji Youran departed, a cold smile appeared on Qu Qiuyan’s face. County Lady Jingyu was the future Crown Princess, and Ji Youran was the side consort of the Crown Prince’s Mansion. Their relationship was destined to be adversarial, and Qu Qiuyan was well aware of the implications behind those titles…
As Ji Youran walked halfway, she encountered Qu Moying who was approaching. The two walked back together.
The Old Lady didn’t want Qu Moying to be too involved in matters related to the East Palace, as every move there was under close scrutiny. However, Ji Youran warmly invited Qu Moying, citing the matter concerning the late Crown Princess and Qu Moying’s favor with the Crown Princess. She had no choice but to agree to their visit for blessings.
But she was worried that Qu Moying’s involvement with the Crown Prince’s Mansion would be excessive. She didn’t agree to Ji Youran’s request for Qu Moying to accompany her but suggested that she could bring Qu Moying along when she visited the late Crown Princess and then go to the temple separately.
Ji Youran had initially extended the invitation, but seeing her insistence, she had no choice but to agree to her suggestion.
After the arrangements were made, Ji Youran left with her attendants, and Qu Moying saw her off at the entrance of the courtyard. Then she watched as Granny Wu led the Princess away.
As she observed Ji Youran’s satisfied departure, a deep, subtle smile appeared on Qu Moying’s face…
Once Ji Youran got out of the carriage, she knew that Pei Luo’an was in the study, so she headed there with just one maid.
“Your Highness.” the chamberlain stopped Ji Youran at the door.
“Is His Highness inside?” Ji Youran asked softly, lowering her voice.
“His Highness has just returned from the palace and is resting inside.” the chamberlain replied.
“Allow me to request an audience with His Highness.” Ji Youran pleaded.
“Wait a moment.” the chamberlain replied with a smile. He turned around, went inside to report, and shortly after, he came out again, extending his hand and guiding her inside. “His Highness invites you to enter.”
Ji Youran nodded and walked in.
Pei Luo’an was seated in the study, wearing a pensive expression. Upon seeing Ji Youran enter, his face remained impassive. He merely glanced at her, his gaze cold.
“Your Highness!” Ji Youran approached gracefully and bowed to Pei Luo’an.
“What is the matter?” Pei Luoan gave her a stern look and inquired.
“Just a while ago, I went to visit the Fourth Lady Qu. I heard that she was involved in an incident, so I stopped by the Qu Mansion to check on her. Unexpectedly, I stumbled upon some surprising news…” Ji Youran paused for a moment, looking up at Pei Luo’an, her expression showing a sense of difficulty.
“What news is that?” Pei Luo’an asked.
“Third Lady Qu mentioned that the matter might be related to Liu Jingyu. It seems that her sachet accidentally ended up in the hands of young master Yongning.” Ji Youran’s eyebrows furrowed with concern. “It’s likely a misunderstanding on Third Lady Qu’s part, but regardless, it reflects poorly on the reputation. She is now Lord Jing’s concubine and is about to enter Lord Jing’s Mansion. Since I went to Qu’s Mansion to see my cousin, I thought I would also take the opportunity to check on her.”
She deliberately avoided directly focusing on Liu Jingyu, almost as if she genuinely didn’t know that she was the future Crown Princess!
