Chapter 49: A Rage for His Blue Friend

Ji Qingwu put the note in his hand into his sleeve and knelt down with the palace maids in the hall.

"I cannot invite you by imperial decree. I have no choice but to come here in person."

The Queen Mother walked into Zhaoyang Palace expressionlessly, followed by Shixi and Fanghua.

Ji Qingwu lowered his head, not daring to answer, and knelt obediently beside him.

Li Yuzong went to court with Emperor Wu Su, leaving only a few palace maids in charge of all matters related to the palace.

The Queen Mother raised her eyelids and glanced at Ji Qingwu.

Seeing that her hair was a little messy and she looked like she had just woken up, he felt even more unhappy.

By this time, most of the emperor's morning court had already been held. The empress dowager had not been able to sleep well the night before, as she had been accompanying the frightened Princess Qingyun.

Ji Qingwu, the trouble maker, was sleeping soundly!

Sitting in the recliner, the Queen Mother's face was full of anger.

"I originally thought that you had been wandering outside for many years, alone and helpless with a young daughter, so I wanted to give you more care."

The Queen Mother continued sternly, "But you dared to push my own princess into the lake, almost causing Qingyun to drown. You are really a bit too brave."

Ji Qingwu was still thinking about the contents of the note. There were not many words on it, just two.

Seeing her daydreaming, the Queen Mother became even angrier.

"Although you are my niece, you cannot disobey the law and commit crimes. I will punish you today. Do you know your mistake?"

So what if you know you are wrong? You will still be punished.

Ji Qingwu pinched his little finger. This matter was ultimately caused by one person.

If it is as the note Emperor Wu Su left her said...

The Queen Mother will surely show mercy.

But she doesn't want to do that!

If she were in Li Chengxun's shoes, she would also feel lost and sad if he treated her like an object and gave her away because the other party was a powerful person.

Her relationship with Li Chengxun was not very deep.

But when so many people suddenly jumped out to hinder them, Ji Qingwu instead decided to firmly protect this "seedling" of love.

Ji Qingwu made up his mind.

He raised his head and looked the Queen Mother straight in the eyes, his voice containing a hint of determination.

"May I ask, Her Majesty the Queen Mother, did Her Royal Highness tell me why I dragged her into this?"

The Queen Mother narrowed her eyes: "What do you mean?"

Shixi was shocked. It seemed that the fifth young lady of the Ji family was a little different.

She always looked weak and timid before, but now that the Queen Mother has lost her temper, she is no longer afraid and wants to argue with her.

Ji Qingwu said clearly, "After the Queen Mother's birthday banquet, the princess called me to the lake and told me that she had set her sights on Li Chengxun as her consort and asked me to give in. When I disagreed, she pushed me into the lake. It was the princess who started it first."

The more the Queen Mother listened, the more her brows furrowed.

The more Ji Qingwu spoke, the calmer he felt and he was no longer anxious.

"Also, the princess had already ordered the guards to wait by the lake, waiting for me to fall into the water. It was premeditated. Why didn't they arrange for a palace maid or eunuch who is good at swimming? Your Majesty, you must know the secrets behind it."

How could the Queen Mother not understand?

She stretched out her long armored hand, pointed at her and said, "What you meant by that is that you are accusing Qingyun of being arrogant and difficult, and deliberately trying to break up you and Li Chengxun!"

Upon seeing this, Shixi hurriedly leaned over, leaned close to the empress dowager's ear, and whispered a few words to calm her down.

The palace maids around are all serving the emperor. This is not in the Cining Palace.

If other people heard the gossip that was detrimental to the princess' reputation...

Taihou was really angry, so she forgot about it and suppressed her anger.

"Shixi, go and invite Li Chengxun to the palace immediately. Don't tell him what the matter is. Just order him to come directly to the Cining Palace to meet the emperor."

After all, this is the emperor's bedroom. The queen mother came here just to bring Ji Qingwu back and did not want to deal with her here.

The empress dowager was sent back in a sedan chair, and Ji Qingwu followed behind the team.

She was originally feeling uneasy, but when she saw the Queen Mother's angry expression, she calmed down.

She was wrong, but she was not the one who started the trouble.

The Queen Mother had been in a high position for a long time, second only to the Emperor, and was the support of the Ji family.

But she is not only a daughter of the Ji family, she also has the blood of the Qiao family flowing in her body. Her maternal grandfather's family has a very high prestige in the court, and the affairs of the harem will also affect the previous dynasty.

Ji Qingwu didn't believe that the Queen Mother would have no scruples at all.

Cining Palace, the main hall.

The hall was silent.

The Queen Mother closed her eyes and took a nap, while Ji Qingwu stood quietly in the corner.

Until Princess Qingyun came in with a pale face, supported by her maid.

She called out weakly, "Mother."

The Queen Mother opened her eyes, stood up and came down to meet her. She held her hand and said with concern, "Qingyun, why don't you lie down properly and get up? Didn't the imperial physician say that you caught a cold and asked you to rest more?"

Princess Qingyun said softly, "Mother, you worked so hard to take care of me last night. I heard that you got up so early today and ran back and forth to make decisions for me. How can I lie down and stay here?"

Ji Qingwu was puzzled. When the princess was fished out of the water last night, her voice was as loud as a bell and she was full of energy.

After one night, he became so sickly?

Her eyes don't seem cloudy, and it doesn't look like she has been possessed by an evil spirit.

Realizing that someone was looking at her, Princess Qingyun turned her head and saw Ji Qingwu. A look of panic and fear immediately appeared on her face.

Princess Qingyun sobbed softly, "Mother, this was my first time meeting my fifth cousin. I wanted to say a few words to her, but somehow I made her unhappy, so she pushed me into the lake."

The empress dowager wiped her tears with a handkerchief and offered some comfort, which made Ji Qingwu receive a few more cold stares.

"Reporting to the Queen Mother, Master Li has been brought here."

Shixi was nimble and quick, and walked quickly into the hall to report.

The Queen Mother asked Princess Qingyun to sit down below her and said, "Let him in."

Princess Qingyun stopped crying and looked towards the palace entrance.

Ji Qingwu also raised his eyes and looked over.

The man was wearing white clothes and had black hair. His eyebrows and eyes were picturesque, and his noble appearance was like the moon in the sky.

After Li Chengxun greeted everyone, he was given a seat. His treatment was much better than Ji Qingwu who was standing in a corner.

She thought to herself that she could be said to have "risked her life for her lover" in spite of the misery.

The Queen Mother, who was sitting on the throne, looked normal and said with great dignity: "Li Chengxun, I asked you to come here because I have something to ask you."

He said respectfully, "Your Majesty, please ask."

"I recently heard a rumor and I want to confirm it with you. Is it true or not? Are you engaged to my niece Ji Qingwu?"

As soon as this question was asked, Li Chengxun and Ji Qingwu's eyes met, and he looked away first.

"Reporting to Her Majesty, no."

A verbal agreement doesn't count as an engagement, so Ji Qingwu felt there was nothing wrong with this answer.

Princess Qingyun helped out, "Mother, Master Li is just a guest official of the Qiao family. Why do you ask this? This rumor is definitely not true."

The Queen Mother said, "Oh? Qingwu, come to me again and tell me why the princess and you had an argument last night."

Ji Qingwu walked into the hall and bowed.

"To answer your Majesty, it is because Princess Qingyun wants Master Li to be her consort."

Ji Qingwu said bluntly: "But I disagree."

Li Chengxun's back was stiff.