Chapter 450 - Chapter 450 Ji Youran Came to Stir up Trouble

Chapter 450 Ji Youran Came to Stir up Trouble

Qu Moying was taken aback when Ji Youran unexpectedly showed up at her doorstep!

However, as she looked at Ji Youran’s radiant smile, Qu Moying quickly grasped the situation. This matter involved Liu Jingyu, and for Ji Youran, it presented an opportunity.

So, Ji Youran was here!

Ji Youran was as skillful as ever at capturing people’s hearts, and she was essential in such circumstances. How could she be absent?

“Your Highness.” Qu Moying approached and bowed, then paid her respects to the old lady seated above.

“Cousin Qu, please take a seat.” Ji Youran said gently, smiling warmly as she looked at Qu Moying.

Qu Moying sat down on a nearby chair.

“Princess Ji heard about the incident at our mansion and came specially to check on you and inquire if you were alright!” The old lady spoke vaguely, hoping to defuse the situation at this point.

“Thank you for your concern.” Qu Moying responded respectfully, her head slightly lowered and her face concealed behind her veil.

Ji Youran was not entirely satisfied, being highly perceptive, she realized she couldn’t read Qu Moying’s expression or determine her intentions. However, observing Qu Moying’s cold and indifferent demeanor, Ji Youran thought she might not be interested in pursuing this matter.

“I heard about the incident at Duke Qi’s mansion. His Highness was quite concerned, so I came to see for myself. If there’s anything you need help with, cousin, don’t hesitate to ask. Even though the late Crown Princess is no longer with us, the Crown Prince is still your cousin by marriage, and I can also be considered the cousin of you.” Ji Youran emphasized her relation to Qu Moying.

She seemed delighted with this assertion!

Her words were appropriate too; with Ji Hanyue gone, the Crown Prince’s identity still tied him to Qu Moying as her “cousin by marriage.” It was as simple as that for Pei Luo’an to have some connection with Qu Moying. And naturally, Ji Youran could also leverage her relation to Ji Hanyue.

This was an outcome Qu Moying didn’t want to see. One day, she would remove Ji Hanyue from her position as the Crown Princess, a position highly valued by Ji Youran and Liu Jingyu. But Qu Moying had no interest in it. Even if she had to die, Ji Hanyue would die with a clear conscience, completely severing ties with Pei Luo’an.

Expose the truth to the world, and seek the justice.

However, for the time being, since Ji Youran insisted on getting involved with her, it could be advantageous for her too. At least she could have some say in matters related to the Eastern Palace. It was reasonable to do so.

Until the truth was verified and disclosed, she needed this identity.

Yet, even if she required this identity again, Qu Moying wouldn’t fawn over Ji Youran. Every time she saw Ji Youran, she suppressed the hostility in her heart, reminding herself not to rush and to be patient.

“Thank you, Your Highness.” Qu Moying said, her eyes beneath the veil revealing a hint of bloodthirsty mockery. She was certain that Ji Youran was trying to give her some face, as there was no way Pei Luo’an would inquire about Liu Jingyu’s situation through her. At this point, he must have already met with Liu Jingyu to get a clear understanding.

“How are things now? I heard it’s related to County Lady Jingyu? Did Jingyu County Jun come to apologize?” Ji Youran inquired with genuine concern, and after a few glances at Qu Moying, her face was full of worry. One who didn’t know better would think she considered Qu Moying a close cousin.

“For now, everything has settled, and County Lady Jingyu was polite.” the old lady interjected, coughing softly to shift the conversation. She was afraid Qu Moying might say something impulsively, causing new troubles.

She hadn’t expected such an incident to occur at the Duke Qi’s mansion. Now she regretted that she had assumed the goodwill towards the Yue family’s daughter and how wrong she might have been, considering Liu Jingyu’s malicious intent towards the girl.

The cause and effect of the matter had been inquired by her from Qu Moying and her son. The conclusion they reached was quite worrisome, leaving her deeply concerned.

If Liu Jingyu were merely a county lady, she wouldn’t be as anxious. However, as Liu Jingyu is soon to be in charge of the Eastern Palace, becoming the Crown Princess and eventually the future Empress, the old lady worried about any bias she might have towards her own granddaughter.

The old lady couldn’t be sure if the Lord Yun would genuinely safeguard her granddaughter’s interests. With these thoughts in mind, she hesitated to pursue the matter further.

“The news I heard, is that Third Lady Qu was severely injured. Despite consulting numerous physicians, none could revive her. Only when several physicians worked together and prescribed a remedy did she regain consciousness in the middle of the night. How could she have experienced such a distressing incident after enjoying her time at Duke Qi’s mansion, admiring chrysanthemums? It is puzzling.”

She tried a different approach after realizing that discussing the matter with Qu Moying might not yield any useful information.

Although Qu Moying’s matter might not be of great concern, Ji Youran sensed that Qu Qiuyan’s situation was different. Qu Qiuyan had genuinely been carried back to Duke Qi’s mansion and had caused quite a stir afterward. Rumors suggested that Third Lady Qu remained unconscious after returning, indicating potential trouble ahead.

Furthermore, with Lord Jing’s support, Third Lady Qu had become the concubine forcing the County Lady Jingyu to apologize to the Qu family.

This was the surface of the matter.

Ji Youran couldn’t believe it at face value. She had an intuition that something more significant was at play, and her target was now Liu Jingyu. The worse Liu Jingyu’s reputation, the better for Lady Ji Youran.

She saw this as a rare opportunity and wouldn’t let it go, hence her early visit.

“There’s nothing to worry about now regarding Qiuyan.” The Old Lady sighed, making it evident that she didn’t want to delve into Qu Qiuyan’s matter. She felt deeply disappointed in Qu Qiuyan.

Most of the incidents at Duke Qi’s mansion were caused by her. The old lady felt infuriated and wished to keep Qu Qiuyan locked away for life, or at least to have her quietly reflect and repent.

“The Old Lady, I am the cousin of the fourth Lady Qu. I heard about the incident at Duke Qi’s mansion, where the Forth Lady was almost harmed. The Crown Prince was furious, which led to my presence here. Though the late Crown Princess is no longer with us, she remains in the Crown Prince’s heart, and what concerns her is what our Crown Prince cares about.”

Ji Youran stated sincerely.

Qu Moying cast a cold, resentful glance at Ji Youran, seeing her as she was when she was pushed off by the guards.

Smirking inwardly, she recognized Ji Youran’s pretense, acting as if she genuinely wanted to stand up for her. Moreover, Ji Youran used Prince Pei Luo’an to pressure the Old Lady, making it difficult for her to hold her ground.

“There’s actually not much going on.” The Old Lady replied vaguely.

“How could there be nothing? Things have become like this. If Old Madam doesn’t want to say it, then I’ll go back first. His Highness will naturally send someone else to ask.” Ji Youran pretended to stand up.

The old lady panicked and hurriedly said, “Your Highness, please wait. It’s not that I don’t want to say it, it’s really …”

Ji Youran sat down and asked with concern, “What’s wrong? Please tell me. If I can help, I will try my best to help my cousin.”

“Actually, it’s nothing. It’s just a misunderstanding. Jingyu County Lady misunderstood that Third Lady wanted to harm Fourth Lady. Later, she fainted from fright and Jingyu County Lady came over to apologize!” Old Madam had to admit that. Although her words were vague, in front of outsiders,she was very cautious and did not say that Qu Qiuyan really wanted to harm Qu Moying.

It was even less likely that County Lady Jingyu had intentionally interfered in the matter to harm his granddaughter.

“County Lady Jingyu misunderstood? But even if she did, she couldn’t have deliberately caused Third Lady to faint, right?”

Ji Youran said, looking surprised.

“This… it was actually an accident.” She had to admit.

“Even if it was an accident… Is Third Lady Qu’s health alright now? Should we call the imperial physician to check on her again?” Ji Youran grew even more concerned. Her gentle and caring tone reminded Qu Moying of the same “caring” Ji Youran had shown before.

Her hand beneath her sleeve felt icy cold!

“She is fine now, thank you for your concern, Your Highness” The old lady really didn’t want this person to get involved in the matter.

Seeing her interfere in this matter, it seemed there were ulterior motives. The old lady was older and had seen many people and things, and she couldn’t believe that this Eastern Palace Side Consort genuinely cared about their household.

Liu Jingyu was the future Crown Princess. No matter how one looked at it, these two would not get along.

The Old Lady didn’t want the Qu Mansion caught in the middle.

“It’s not just my concern; His Highness is worried about his cousin. Third Lady is cousin’s elder sister, so of course, I must pay more attention. I wonder if you would allow me to meet Third Lady. Now, she is not just the Third Lady; she shares a special connection with His Highness.”

Ji Youran said, covering her lips with a handkerchief and smiling.

The Old Lady’s expression stiffened. She didn’t want Ji Youran to see Qu Qiuyan, but Ji Youran mentioned Qu Qiuyan’s current identity, that of Lord Jing’s concubine. Given this identity, she couldn’t outright refuse, especially since she had just mentioned that Qu Qiuyan had already woken up.

She was torn.

“Would it be inconvenient?” Ji Youran continued to smile, seemingly unaware of the her dilemma.

“This…” the Old Lady hesitated, wanting to refuse. Qu Qiuyan was a troublemaker, and it seemed like Ji Youran was here to stir up trouble as well.

At that moment, Qu Moying raised her head and interrupted the Old Lady’s hesitation. With a faint smile, she stepped in, “Grandmother, since Her Highness wants to see my sister, I’ll take her to see her!”