She glanced at the sky; it was already past midnight and her precious daughter still hadn't gotten out of bed. She asked, "Is she feeling unwell?"
Agate smiled and said, "Miss is in good health."
Despite being perfectly healthy, she woke up late. Madam Wei's expression remained unchanged: "Xi Xi's personality is just too playful."
Those who were in the moment dared not accept such a response.
"Miss, Madam has come to see you."
Wei Pingxi leaned listlessly against the headboard, holding the storybook he had snatched from Yu Zhi in his hands. He replied as usual, "Please come in quickly."
Yuzhi sat on the edge of the bed and fed her porridge.
She was so engrossed in the dramatic plot that she didn't lift her eyelids, kept her head down as she ate her porridge, and never looked away from the storybook.
Madam Wei stepped in, took in the scene inside, and looked at her with doting eyes: "What are you looking at so intently? You're too lazy to even get out of bed."
“Mother.” She looked up.
Yu Zhi put down her bowl of porridge and greeted her, and Yan Qing called out softly.
Her gaze lingered on the favored concubine for a few moments before she took two steps forward, picked up the half-bowl of porridge from the small table, and sat down in the spot where Yu Zhi had been sitting: "What are you looking at? Read it to your mother."
The rice porridge was slightly sweet, and it also contained longan pulp, which Wei Pingxi liked. After swallowing a few times, she said, "It's a story about a bad woman."
"A bad woman?" Yan Qing raised an eyebrow and teased, "Even you call her bad, so how bad must she be?"
Feeling embarrassed by her playful teasing, Wei Pingxi said, "Mother, just keep making fun of me."
Yu Zhi secretly frowned.
She always felt... felt that Madam Wei was strange.
The phrase "how bad" would undoubtedly be her flirting with the fourth young lady if she were to say it. If it were her mother, it would sound normal at first glance, but it wouldn't stand up to scrutiny.
She had long felt that there was something strange about the atmosphere between the mother and daughter.
Perhaps she was overthinking it.
Yu Zhi boldly looked over—Madam Wei still retained her charm, and sitting with the Fourth Miss, they didn't look like mother and daughter; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say they looked like sisters.
The mother and daughter each had their own food and care.
If it were her lying in bed at 9 AM, not eating properly, even with her gentle nature, her mother would inevitably nag her. She wouldn't be like Madam Wei, who patiently fed her spoonful after spoonful, spoiling her to no end.
This is hardly the act of spoiling a daughter.
this……
She was consumed by jealousy, and her stomach felt nauseous.
Human hearts are made of flesh and blood. Although Wei Pingxi resented her mother for causing her to be separated from her family, she still could not ignore the kindness of raising her over the past eighteen years.
Eighteen years is not a short time; it is more than 6,500 days.
In the Wei family, where kinship is weak, Yan Qing was her only "close relative" in these 6,500 days. When she was hurt or in pain, only Yan Qing loved and comforted her.
If even the last bit of warmth in the Wei family is to be completely severed, it would undoubtedly sever all the love and care she has held for the word 'mother' over the years.
After the porridge was emptied, and after feeding her breakfast, Madam Wei was busy returning to the small Buddhist hall to worship Buddha. Wei Pingxi finally got out of bed.
After a night of feeling down, you have to pull yourself together and keep going.
As I said before, if a mother doesn't let her down, she is still her mother.
She is willing to respect and honor her, and if the truth comes out, she will protect her and save her life.
Wei Pingxi, dressed in his undergarments with his feet on a wool blanket, said, "Prepare pen and ink; I want to write a letter."
"Yes, Miss."
Before long, Jade and Agate arrived carrying the Four Treasures of the Study. The brush was dipped in ink, and the white paper was spread out. Wei Pingxi had an idea: "Zhizhi, turn around."
Yuzhi did as she was told.
The Xuan paper was laid on her back, and the fourth young lady, supporting the beauty's back, wrote with flowing, graceful strokes.
The beauty pursed her lips, and her tense nerves relaxed.
She would rather see the Fourth Miss recklessly provoke and bully her than see Wei Pingxi, who was depressed yesterday, again.
The Wei Pingxi she knew was always unrestrained and free from worldly constraints, a free and unconventional figure, a free and unrestrained landscape.
They don't give up easily when faced with setbacks, nor do they become despondent. Instead, they maintain their spirit, are confident and decisive, have a rebellious streak, and live arrogantly.
Daring to draw a sword in the Palace of Fortune and Longevity, daring to take a concubine in a world where men are superior to women, daring to risk one's life and be brave and fearless in pursuit of a life that pleases one's heart, living a dazzling and self-assured life.
This is the stunningly beautiful Miss Wei who has captivated the world.
Although her temperament is changeable, her flaws do not outweigh her virtues. It is precisely because of her sometimes wicked nature and her soft-hearted and considerate demeanor that she is even more captivating.
Yu Zhi chuckled softly with her back to her.
"What are you laughing at?" Wei Pingxi finished writing the letter, blew on the paper until the ink was dry, and handed the letter to her trusted friend, Agate: "Send a letter to urge them to investigate this matter thoroughly."
"yes!"
Agate doesn't know about this matter, but whatever the Fourth Miss wants to do, she and Jade will support her until death.
After finishing the letter, the fourth young lady raised her arm and sniffed it, sniffing herself and then sniffing Yuzhi. Yuzhi blushed at her little action: "What are you doing?"
"I didn't shower last night, and I got all sweaty from holding you. How about we go for a walk in the bathhouse?"
She extended the invitation.
Yu Zhi's legs went weak: "I washed last night and this morning..." Let's just let her off the hook! She's really been feeling weak lately.
"Will you help me wash?"
Aren't you tired?
Wei Pingxi said seriously, "You don't understand. I need to absorb the essence of a beauty to recover."
"..."
I don't understand.
Yu Zhi reluctantly gave in to her.
Upon entering the bathhouse, the man became unusually well-behaved.
While enjoying the beauty's back massage, the fourth young lady thought about the 'Forget-Me-Not' poison she had been poisoned with in her previous life.
It's ridiculous that she's in the Wei family, and everyone suspects her of having a bad influence over her.
Her expression was somber.
Yu Zhi was dazzled by her beauty, but she tried to calm herself down and kissed the back of the fourth young lady's neck: "Don't think so much. As long as you're alive, why worry about the truth not coming out one day?"
With vigilance and precautions in place, it will be difficult for those behind the scenes to harm others.
Wei Pingxi lay in her arms, then suddenly smiled and turned around to tease her, "Come on, let this young lady inhale your breath."
What she called "□□气" was actually inhaling the milky fragrance from the beauty's chest.
Despite not having done anything as outrageous as before, Yu Zhi was so ashamed that she stammered, "You, you..."
Seeing her silly, shy expression, Wei Pingxi felt instantly better.
Yes, as long as we live, the truth will eventually come out.
Whether it's a human or a ghost, what does she have to fear?!
...
"I'm so angry!"
Princess Jiaorong circled the Empress Dowager angrily: "Grandmother, Mother treats Wei Pingxi too well! She's given her food and countless rewards, she—"
She lowered her voice: "She doesn't know, does she?"
Or is the power of blood relatives really that great? The Empress is calm and measured in her actions. She had promised to keep her distance from Wei Pingxi a while ago because of Wei Pingxi's suicide attempt, but now she has changed her mind.
What are they trying to do? Are they deliberately trying to embarrass her?
Empress Dowager Yan flipped through the secret letters presented by her servants—all records of her good daughter's daily interactions with Liu Boyan in the courtyard on Xuanwu Street.
She said calmly, "There are probably two reasons for such blatant favoritism: one, it's just the nature of mother and daughter; two, she has some suspicions."
Ji Qingyao leaned more towards the latter reason than the other: "What should we do?"
"Just stay put. Anything you do now will be wrong. But there's one thing you have to do—go to the Gan Ning Palace and make a scene, saying she's biased. Then go to His Majesty and cry, saying you're jealous. On the surface, this matter will be over."
"Just making a fuss and crying?"
Yan Hui glanced at her: "Otherwise what? No matter how much suspicion there is, it's useless without evidence. Even if there is suspicion, doesn't Yan Xiu still have to protect you? Afraid that something will happen to you?"
"That's true." Ji Qingyao sneered: "I heard from the Crown Prince that my mother and father were heartbroken because I didn't go on New Year's Eve."
"This is it, help Grandma to torture them properly."
"Grandson knows what to do."
Just then, a trusted confidant of the Empress Dowager rushed over: "Your Majesty, we have found the midwife's whereabouts."
"grandmother!"
Empress Dowager Yan raised her hand to stop her shouting, her face ashen: "Are you sure it's her?"
"Confirmed." The confidant whispered, "Disfigured, crippled, living in Jiuliu Hutong, well hidden, and has changed a lot. It was only thanks to the alertness of my subordinates that we were able to follow the clues and find her whereabouts..."
Just a moment ago they were saying there was no evidence, but now a witness has jumped into their palms. A murderous glint flashed in Ji Qingyao's eyes: "Grandmother, that old woman must not live."
"Then kill him."
...
"Your Majesty, the news has been released."
"Keep a close eye on things, play the long game, and don't let anyone actually die."
In the Imperial Study, Ji Ying held a paintbrush and patiently painted an orange cat on white Xuan paper: "Wait for the fish to bite the hook, then use a substitute to smuggle the person in. I have a great use for them."
"yes."
"Go down."
"This servant takes his leave."