Free Web NovelChapter 215: Chapter 215: Even a Forced Melon Can Quench Thirst
Old Madam Ji said in exasperation, "This is your own business. You can deal with it yourself!"
Once Old Mrs. Ji and Nanny Feng had left Wutong Garden with a series of heavy sighs, Ji Qingwu immediately dropped her aggrieved expression.
Humming a little tune, she picked up a bronze kettle and went to water the medicinal herbs in the courtyard.
*
「Just after the morning court session.」
Emperor Wu Su, for his part, had just received a secret report from Si Hai.
Li Yuzong watched as the Holy Emperor’s brow furrowed ever more tightly, and his heart filled with apprehension.
’I wonder what on earth Miss Ji has done today.’ Every time he delivered a letter from the Hidden Guards, his heart leaped into his throat, never once settling back where it belonged.
After a moment, Emperor Wu Su tossed the letter casually onto the desk.
Li Yuzong said cautiously, "Holy Emperor, once the Empress Dowager and Old Madam Ji learn of this, they will surely persuade Miss Ji to enter the palace soon."
’Getting this troublesome young lady into the palace quickly would be a great boon for him, the chief steward serving the King.’
Emperor Wu Su said flatly, "They persuaded her, but it didn’t achieve the effect I desired."
’No wonder the Holy Emperor was frowning. Something must have gone wrong.’
Li Yuzong said, "Miss Ji doesn’t know the news was leaked from your end, Holy Emperor. It’s normal for her to be on guard."
Emperor Wu Su was of course aware of this. He said with a profound gaze, "Whether she refuses or not, I have ways to handle it."
But Ji Qingwu had carved out a different path for herself.
Li Yuzong discreetly eyed the letter lying on the edge of the desk. ’What on earth did Miss Ji say?’
There was no displeasure in Emperor Wu Su’s voice, just a low sigh as he shook his head.
"She’s getting more and more capable. She’s even learned to use me as a shield."
According to his original plan, if Ji Qingwu were to enter the palace, it would be more appropriate for the order to come as an edict from the Empress Dowager, rather than as an imperial edict issued directly from the imperial court.
Whether she agreed or not, the Empress Dowager would give her a push from behind.
This way, it would appear on the surface that the Ji Family was pushing her into Phoenix Palace. No one would suspect that the idea had originated with him, which would be the best way to protect her fully.
Emperor Wu Su didn’t want her to face even the slightest peril; he had to plan everything out before she entered the palace.
The reason he hadn’t asked for Ji Qingwu’s opinion beforehand was that his patience was running out. Even a small melon twisted forcefully from the vine could still quench one’s thirst.
The Empress Dowager’s reaction was just as he had expected.
But Ji Qingwu had once again become an unexpected variable in his plans.
In front of Old Madam Ji, Ji Qingwu hadn’t said whether she was willing to enter the palace or not. Instead, she guided the conversation, leading her grandmother to believe it was merely a fleeting fancy of the King’s. She painted him as a man driven by lust, one who coveted her beauty but was unwilling to take responsibility.
Only she could come up with such a quirky and clever method, and it wasn’t a bad strategy, either.
For her, it meant that Old Madam Ji would now be wary of him and would no longer try to arrange a marriage for her.
For him, it meant he just had to wait for the Empress Dowager to give her some "foolish advice" that would push her right to his side.
The Empress Dowager would not be as easy to handle as Old Madam Ji.
Li Yuzong saw the Emperor lean back relaxedly in the Dragon Chair. With a sweep of his long arm, he gathered up the letter from the desk and placed it in a box specially designated for secret memorials.
*
Meanwhile, after tending to her plants, Ji Qingwu headed out.
Mo Lingling had sent someone with a message, saying that Duan Mingfeng was waiting for her at the clinic.
As she was passing Anju Garden, Ji Qingwu happened to run into Mrs. Qiao, who was on her way to find her.
She trotted over, affectionately took Mrs. Qiao’s arm, and said sweetly, "Mother, the weather is lovely today. You should come out for more walks. It’s good for your health."
Noticing her attire, Mrs. Qiao asked, "Are you planning to go out?"
Ji Qingwu nodded. "Mother, I have a small errand to run. I won’t be back too late."
Seeing that she was about to leave after saying just one sentence, Mrs. Qiao grabbed her arm and said gravely, "Xiao Wu, Mother has something to ask you."
The moment she was stopped, Ji Qingwu guessed what it was about.
She said, "Mother, are you going to ask why Grandmother came to my courtyard this morning?"
With servants coming and going outside the gate, it wasn’t a suitable place to talk. Mrs. Qiao pulled her inside the gates of Anju Garden.
"I already know."
After storming out of Wutong Garden, Old Mrs. Ji had gone straight to Mrs. Qiao and, pulling rank as her mother-in-law, had berated her for raising her daughter improperly.
"The old madam just left my place. She complained at length and told me to discipline you properly."
Ji Qingwu hung her head, not daring to meet Mrs. Qiao’s gaze, and whispered, "Mother, are you angry with me...?"
Mrs. Qiao said, "What’s done is done. It’s too late for blame."
Seeing her nervous expression, her tone softened. "It’s not your fault, either. Mother should have realized something was wrong sooner. Perhaps I shouldn’t have insisted on taking you to the palace banquet back then."
Ji Qingwu quickly shook her head. "It has nothing to do with you, Mother. It was me... It was all my fault."
Mrs. Qiao didn’t mind a few scoldings from her mother-in-law. She just felt that her daughter was in a pitiful situation. She had just managed to escape the pit of Wei Ting’s marriage proposal, only to fall into an even deeper, bottomless abyss.
In her heart, Mrs. Qiao had already cursed the lecherous and fickle Emperor a thousand times over, but she didn’t dare show any hint of disrespect.
But the person Mrs. Qiao blamed most was herself.
’If Xiao Wu hadn’t gotten lost back then, if she had been raised by my side since childhood, she would never have been subjected to such contempt and neglect. She would have found a good marriage long ago.’
Seeing Ji Qingwu anxiously wringing her hands, Mrs. Qiao quickly comforted her.
"If the Emperor wishes to favor someone, who can say a word against it, even if it’s without the proper rites of marriage and violates moral principles? It was never your fault to begin with. Who told my Xiao Wu to be born so beautiful?"
No matter when, no matter what happened, Mrs. Qiao was always on her side.
Ji Qingwu’s eyes grew moist. "Mother..." she called out, her voice thick with emotion.
But Mrs. Qiao pushed her away with a brisk sort of coolness. "Alright, that’s enough. A grown daughter can’t be controlled by her mother. Go do what you want to do. Didn’t you say you were heading out? Go on, quickly."
Ji Qingwu didn’t want to keep Duan Mingfeng, the busy Imperial City Envoy, waiting at the clinic for too long. After a moment’s hesitation, she left the Ji Mansion.
Mrs. Qiao watched her retreating figure.
’Such is time, such is fate.’
’The days she can be as happy as a little bird are numbered. Who knows what storms tomorrow will bring? It’s better to just live for today.’
*
As Ji Qingwu approached the clinic, she saw a scowling "door god" standing at the entrance.
’Once this place opens for business,’ she thought, ’I’ll have to invite this Duan Envoy over less often. Otherwise, he’ll scare away all the customers.’
She walked up to him. "Duan Envoy."
Duan Mingfeng, who had been lost in thought, snapped back to reality at the sound of her voice.
"Greetings, Miss Ji."
Ji Qingwu looked at the bustling street and asked, puzzled, "Why didn’t you wait inside? Why stand at the door?"
Duan Mingfeng glanced inside the clinic but didn’t see the person he was hoping to find.
"Miss Ji, what did you need to see me about?"
Ji Qingwu said, "It’s not right to talk standing here in the doorway. Let’s go inside."
Hearing a sound at the door, Mo Lingling poked her head out from behind a six-foot-tall cabinet. Seeing Ji Qingwu enter, her face lit up with joy as she came out to greet her.
"Miss Ji, you’re here!"
Ji Qingwu smiled and nodded.
Mo Lingling’s complexion showed she had fully recovered. Upon seeing Ji Qingwu, she began chattering away nonstop.
