Before Chizhu could finish speaking, the woman beside her darted past her like a gust of wind and headed straight for the main courtyard.
She was startled, and when she came to her senses she realized what Ji Yunwan was trying to do, she quickly tried to stop her, but Ji Yunwan pushed her away with a stern face.
"Miss Ji! Miss Ji!"
Chizhu couldn't stop her or hold her back. Seeing that the commotion had already attracted the attention of others, she could only stomp her feet and watch her enter the main courtyard.
...
Yao Youqing was talking to Zhou Mama when she heard the voice of "Miss Ji the Second" coming from the courtyard. Immediately afterward, Ji Yunwan stormed in angrily.
Although it was indeed she who had someone bring her in, it was still impolite to barge into the room so abruptly without being led in by a servant.
Yao Youqing frowned, about to ask something, when she heard her ask first: "I heard you injured the prince's foot?"
After he said that, the room immediately fell silent; you could hear a pin drop.
Even though Yao Youqing has a good temper and rarely gets angry, she couldn't help but purse her lips and her face tense at this moment.
How did you know?
“You don’t need to know how I know,” Ji Yunwan said. “I’m just kindly reminding you that the Prince is not only a vassal king of Daliang, but also a key general stationed on the border. He cannot afford to make any mistakes!”
"As his queen, you should serve him well, not occupy his courtyard today and injure his foot tomorrow!"
Ji Yunwan didn't have much contact with Yao Youqing when she was in the capital. The few times they met were only at some gatherings, but they didn't have any interaction.
In her memory, Yao Youqing was gentle and timid, always hiding in the background and rarely showing her talent. If it weren't for the fact that the Crown Prince of that time, now His Majesty, had taken a liking to her, many people in the capital probably wouldn't even know her.
After arriving in Hucheng, her encounters with Yao Youqing deepened this impression. She felt that this woman was utterly useless, and that she didn't even dare to utter a word when her husband gave away the gifts bestowed upon her by the palace to others in front of her. She was destined to be nothing more than a decoration.
What good are the most capable servants around such a person? If he can't stand on his own two feet, he's still a useless piece of trash!
Even if the prince, out of momentary infatuation, didn't mind that she was Yao Yuzhi's daughter and touched her, given her personality, she wouldn't amount to anything.
Just like when she barged in and questioned her, she only asked in a weak and coquettish voice, "How did you know?"
But now, this frail woman frowned and said to her, "Miss Ji's kindness should be used elsewhere, not to concern herself with other people's private affairs."
Her voice remained as gentle as spring water, but the words she spoke sounded particularly harsh.
Ji Yunwan was taken aback, her face flushed with embarrassment and anger.
“My sister was the prince’s fiancé back then. The prince called me ‘sister’ for several years. What’s wrong with me showing some concern?”
Yao Youqing said, "The one engaged to the Prince is Miss Ji, not you. Even if she were your own sister, there would be no reason for her to concern herself with the private affairs between her elder sister and brother-in-law. Besides, Miss Ji has passed away, and the Prince's wife is me now, no longer your sister."
These words struck a nerve with Ji Yunwan, causing a sharp pain in her heart, yet she couldn't find any words to refute them.
Before she came in, Yao Youqing only had some doubts, but now she was basically certain. After thinking it over carefully, she felt it was better to just lay it all out in one go.
“Miss Ji, you come from a noble and scholarly family. You should know etiquette and manners. It is inappropriate for an unmarried woman to stay away from home for so long, let alone frequently entering and leaving the Prince’s mansion. Now you are even inquiring about the private affairs of a married man.”
"Your actions make me suspect that you want to come to the Prince's mansion to become his concubine, but don't forget... you are the legitimate daughter of the Ji family."
Although the people of Daliang are open-minded, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children has a long history. The more prestigious the family, the more they care about these distinctions. This is why Yao Youqing never thought about this aspect when Ji Yunwan came several times before.
She herself was the legitimate daughter of the Yao family, and knew that her family would never allow her to become a concubine. It had nothing to do with whether she was favored or not, but only with her status. So she judged others by her own standards and never thought that Ji Yunwan would have such a thought.
She tore off the last thin layer of skin from Ji Yunwan's face, her face flushed, and decided to speak frankly as well.
"I'm going to marry the Prince, what are you going to do about it? Don't forget, the only reason you're by the Prince's side now is because of the late Emperor's decree! He was forced to marry you! He has absolutely no feelings for you!"
Yao Youqing was not embarrassed or annoyed by her words, but shook her head.
“Miss Ji is mistaken. My marriage to the Prince was indeed arranged by the late Emperor. However, given the Prince’s status, even the late Emperor could not force him to refuse if he insisted on it. It was he who personally agreed to the marriage in front of all the civil and military officials in the court that made me marry into Shangchuan.”
"Furthermore, only the principal wife is entitled to marriage. Since Miss Ji wants to be a concubine, she has already given up the traditional marriage ceremony. Even if she enters the household, it will only be a matter of taking her in as a concubine. Moreover, she can only enter through the side gate in a small sedan chair, and she cannot even wear bright red wedding clothes."
"Besides, even if you were to become a concubine, you should have someone speak to the prince properly and ask him if he agrees, instead of secretly inquiring about his private affairs. Your overstepping of boundaries will not please the prince, even if he finds out."
Her words, though laced with anger, were soft and gentle, seemingly lacking any real threat. Yet, Ji Yunwan felt as if she had been skinned alive, her eyes turning red and her fingernails digging into her palms.
"What right do you have to speak up for him! You're not a prince, how do you know he'll be unhappy?"
Enraged, she shouted.
Yao Youqing frowned and stepped back, whether from being startled by her voice or from being afraid of her spittle hitting her face, it was unclear.
"In that case, I'll send someone to ask the Prince if he's busy. If he's not busy, I'll have him come back so you can ask him directly."
"Besides, being right doesn't mean raising your voice. You don't need to speak so loudly; I can hear you."
After saying that, he really wanted to send someone to ask Wei Hong.
Ji Yunwan certainly didn't dare to actually send someone to invite Wei Hong, because she knew she was in the wrong. She had only rushed in because she had suddenly heard that Wei Hong was injured and felt that Yao Youqing was easy to bully.
But she didn't want Yao Youqing to notice anything, and just as she was clenching her fists, not knowing what to do, someone outside the door suddenly announced that the prince had sent something over.
The tense atmosphere in the room was temporarily broken. Yao Youqing asked someone to bring the things in first, but the servants brought in several large boxes instead.
"What's this?"
Yao Youqing frowned, puzzled.
The servant laughed and said, "Didn't Your Highness throw away the gifts that the palace sent to the Princess Consort? We were afraid you would be unhappy, so we asked us to go and buy you new ones exactly the same."
“It wouldn’t have been difficult to find originally, but His Highness insisted on buying two to compensate you, which made things a bit troublesome. That’s why it’s only been delivered to you today.”
In fact, these things had been prepared long ago, but Cui Hao instructed them to keep them for now and deliver them when Miss Ji Er arrived, which is why they waited until today.
Even those words they just said were taught to them by Cui Hao.
Yao Youqing nodded, then looked at Ji Yunwan: "But weren't those things given to Miss Ji before?"
Why do you say it was thrown away?
She truly didn't understand, but Ji Yunwan instantly grasped the situation. Her face turned deathly pale, tears welled up in her eyes, and she turned and ran away.
Panxiang chased after her, calling out, "Miss, wait for me!"
Chapter 42 Misunderstanding (1000 new words added)
Chu Yan was recuperating in her small courtyard when she heard that Ji Yunwan had arrived. Fearing that Yao Youqing wouldn't be able to handle it, she took Wan'er with her to the main courtyard. However, they almost bumped into Ji Yunwan, who was running out crying, on the way.
Wan'er cried out and rushed over to shield her, narrowly preventing her from being hit.
Ji Yunwan stopped, saw that it was Chu Yan in front of her, and squeezed out two words through gritted teeth: "Bitch!"
Wan'er immediately got angry and opened her mouth to retort, but Chu Yan stopped her and stepped forward herself, smiling and saying, "I can't compare to you, Miss Ji."
If Yao Youqing's accusation was righteous and indignant, then Chu Yan's words were undoubtedly sarcastic and barbed.
Ji Yunwan was taken aback: "What did you say?"
She wasn't that she didn't hear clearly, she just couldn't believe that a concubine in the Prince's mansion would dare to speak to her like that!
Chu Yan still had a smile on her face, which made her tear-streaked face look particularly disheveled.
"I said, I can't compare to you, Miss Ji."
“At least I was personally brought back to the manor by the Prince, and he personally took me in as his concubine. Unlike Miss Ji, who needed her father’s name card to enter the house, and who stayed in Shangchuan for months without accomplishing anything and refused to leave, she has lost face for herself and for the Ji family.”
Ji Yunwan's already unpleasant expression became even more ferocious because of her words. She shrieked, "You're nothing but a lowly servant girl who only managed to catch the prince's eye because of your face! Do you really think you're the master?!"
Chu Yan chuckled: "It's one thing for others to say such things, but how could Miss Ji say them? Didn't you also want to get in with this face? What, you're jealous of me now that you didn't succeed?"
He moved slightly closer to her and lowered his voice, saying, "Not only am I not dead, but my face isn't ruined either. Aren't you extremely disappointed?"
Ji Yunwan felt her hair stand on end and instinctively pushed her.
Chu Yan fell to the ground, her expression pained.
Wan'er was shocked and rushed forward to help her, anxiously asking, "My lady, are you alright?"
Then he looked up and questioned Ji Yunwan, "Why did you hit her? My wife is injured. What if you aggravate her injuries?"
The others who had been watching from a distance without stepping forward also gathered around, helping Chu Yan up with their hands and feet, their eyes filled with dissatisfaction as they looked at Ji Yunwan.
No matter how noble Ji Yunwan's status is, she is still just an outsider to them. This outsider is neither liked by the prince nor the princess, and now she dares to openly make a move in the prince's mansion.
Chu Yan stood up, clutching her shoulder and saying in a trembling voice, "It was wrong of me to suspect Miss Ji without any evidence, but if you feel offended, you can explain to the Prince or Princess and let them deal with me. Why did you have to take action against me? Could it be that I really hit the nail on the head?"
These words left the people around them bewildered, wondering what they had just said.
Ji Yunwan's face turned pale, realizing that she had done it on purpose.
Knowing that she would make a mistake if she said anything more, she took a half step back, said "I don't have time to listen to your nonsense," and left.
Wan'er stomped her foot angrily and asked someone to fetch a doctor. She then helped Chu Yan up and said, "My lady, let's go back and have the doctor take a look at your injury. We can go to the Princess's place another day."
Chu Yan had only intended to go because she was worried that Ji Yunwan would make things difficult for Yao Youqing. Now that Ji Yunwan had already left, it didn't matter whether she went or not. So the two of them returned to their own courtyard together.
When they got back, Wan'er wanted to take off her clothes to see the injury on her shoulder, but she shook her head and refused.
"It's okay, it doesn't hurt. I was just pretending."
Wan'er suddenly realized and asked in a low voice, "My lady, is your injury really related to Miss Ji the Second?"
“I don’t know,” Chu Yan said. “I only have a suspicion, but I have no evidence.”
Wan'er exclaimed, "Then why did you say those things just now? What if the Prince finds out and sends someone to investigate, and it turns out it has nothing to do with Miss Ji?"
"It doesn't matter, as long as he checked."
Chu Yan said.
"If it turns out there's no connection, at most they'll think I'm making a fuss over nothing and scold me a bit, but if there is a connection..."
She smiled and said, "Then Lord Ji's calling card won't be of much use."
Even if you brought up Miss Ji, let alone Lord Ji, it wouldn't make a difference.
The reason why the prince is still giving Ji Yunwan some face and patiently seeing her is simply because she hasn't done anything excessive except for refusing to leave. Out of consideration for Lord Ji and Miss Ji, he can't refuse her entry, so he's just waiting for her to give up and leave on her own.
But Miss Ji's skin was clearly thicker than they had imagined; she hadn't left even after all this time.
The prince is often not in the manor, so he can't always run into Ji Er, but the princess is there every day, and he's always bothered by her.
Although the princess is kind and compassionate, there's no reason why she should be bothered by someone like Ji Er.
Since the prince couldn't find a reason to send Ji Er away, she would find one for him. If this didn't work, there would be a next time; there would always be a way.
Wan'er roughly understood what she meant and said with a smile, "When Miss Ji came out of the main courtyard just now, her makeup was all messed up from crying! I wonder what she went through, just thinking about it makes me happy!"