Chapter 130 A Mixed Bag of Joy and Sorrow: The Truth Exposed

Ji Qingwu obediently lowered her head and remained silent, while the Empress Dowager watched her coldly.

Aunt Fanghua, who was standing to the side, stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty, the matter has not yet been investigated. Let's not discourage the Fifth Miss. She risked her life to save the princess a while ago."

During the hunt, Qingyun nearly lost her life, but thanks to Ji Qingwu, the Empress Dowager was able to calm down. It is not yet time to draw a conclusion about who was at fault.

The Empress Dowager said sternly, "Qingwu, stop kneeling and sit down to answer the question."

After Ji Qingwu stood up, he sat down on the chair on the right, and his eyes met for a moment with those of the Princess Yong, who was sitting at the lower left.

Tao Wanyin looked away first, looking down at the shimmering brocade of her shoes, and no longer looked up at her.

Ji Qingwu sensed something was wrong. Just now, Aunt Fanghua mentioned Princess Qingyun, and her expression was normal, so he figured the princess was alright.

Princess Yong's expression...

As she lowered her eyes and her gaze shifted, she vaguely guessed why the Empress Dowager was angry.

Aunt Fanghua ordered the palace servants to pour tea, and then poured a cup for the Empress Dowager herself, saying considerately, "Empress Dowager, please have some flower tea to soothe your throat. I noticed that you were a little hoarse when you spoke just now."

These past few days, the Empress Dowager has been very worried about Princess Qingyun's health. But just when the princess's condition started to improve, a new problem arose at Prince Yong's residence. Neither of her children is easy to deal with.

The Empress Dowager picked up her teacup, took a sip, and calmed her anger upon hearing the news.

Ji Qingwu glanced at Fanghua again.

I hadn't paid attention to this aunt who was also a close palace maid of the Empress Dowager, just like Shi Xi. But thinking back, Fang Hua treated her kindly when she came to the Ji residence to deliver the Eight Treasures Box a while ago. Now, thanks to her persuasion of the Empress Dowager, the atmosphere in the hall has eased a bit.

The Empress Dowager looked sharply at the person below her and said, "Wanyin, you came to see me. Is what you said true? Have you deceived me in the slightest?"

Tao Wanyin stood up, and her maid Yinxiang carefully helped her kneel down. She replied softly, "Your Majesty, everything I have said is true."

The Empress Dowager looked at her belly and said with mixed feelings, "You are pregnant, but the pregnancy is not stable. So get up first. Don't kneel down all the time, so as not to harm the fetus."

After Tao Wanyin sat down, she let out a long sigh of relief. What she and her maid Yinxiang had predicted was correct.

Although it is unknown whether the Empress Dowager believed her words, considering that she was carrying the legitimate son of Prince Yong, she should not blame her too much for not making her kneel.

Upon hearing this, Ji Qingwu's brow twitched violently, and her gaze fell on the pregnant belly of the Princess Yong.

Tao Wanyin was pregnant; she had successfully conceived, which should have been a joyous occasion. However, the Empress Dowager appeared more worried and annoyed than anything else.

The Empress Dowager's brow was furrowed, and she said to Ji Qingwu, "I summoned you here to confirm something: do you have a prescription for treating Princess Yong's infertility?"

Many people saw her meeting with Tao Wanyin at Hanshan Temple.

Ji Qingwu nodded frankly without hesitation.

"yes."

Upon hearing her admission, the Empress Dowager was so angry that she slammed her hand on the rosewood table next to the throne, spilling tea all over the floor.

Enraged, she rebuked, "That prescription has a serious problem; it will harm..." She paused briefly, as if finding it difficult to speak, then changed her description and continued, "It will affect a man's fertility, do you know that!"

Ji Qingwu lowered his eyes, his expression a mixture of joy and worry.

By this time, she was able to confirm that Tao Wanyin had indeed used the second prescription.

Prince Yong's health problems will affect his descendants. He will no longer be able to philander and harm women, nor will he be able to plot against himself.

Ji Qingwu's plan had been accomplished, and a brief moment of joy welled up in her heart.

But it sank quickly.

She was now facing a major problem. She thought that Tao Wanyin would handle the matter discreetly and cleverly find an excuse to gloss over it.

However, the matter was reported to the Empress Dowager, and it was Tao Wanyin herself who came to report it.

This was also where she failed to think things through; she didn't expect that the alliance she had chosen would turn against her.

Ji Qingwu looked at the woman dressed as a married woman sitting opposite her, a look of confusion flashing in her eyes, but before she could say anything, Princess Yong stared at her face and spoke with a sorrowful and resentful expression.

“Qingwu, I have always regarded you as my younger sister. When we met in the meditation room at Hanshan Temple that day, you gave me two prescriptions, one to regulate my body and the other to help me conceive.”

As she spoke, she stood up as if unable to contain her emotions, her voice trembling slightly.

"You didn't tell me that the second prescription had such a big side effect. After I used it, Your Highness's body... was not as vigorous as before, and he could no longer have sex. You made me make a big mistake."

When she got emotional, Tao Wanyin wiped away her tears with a handkerchief, looking quite pitiful.

Seeing the Empress Dowager's expression, the maid Yinxiang advised, "Your Highness, you are pregnant and still in the early stages of pregnancy. You shouldn't cry like this; it will be bad for the baby in your womb."

The Empress Dowager frowned even more deeply and said, "Quickly help your princess to sit down."

This is Princess Yong's first pregnancy, and she is carrying the legitimate son of the Prince's family. If Prince Yong is no longer able to have children, this will be her only legitimate grandson. Now that this has happened, even if the Empress Dowager is furious, she will not vent her anger on Tao Wanyin directly. She can only wait until she safely gives birth to the legitimate son before taking action.

The only outlet for my anger right now is this niece who seems obedient but actually does a lot of rebellious things.

If the atmosphere and setting weren't so inappropriate, Ji Qingwu would have burst out laughing out of turn. The two of them, master and servant, had managed to intimidate the Empress Dowager with their back-and-forth banter.

The Empress Dowager asked sternly, "Qingwu, is the matter as Wanyin said?"

If what Princess Yong said is true, and Ji Qingwu dared to extend his reach into Prince Yong's mansion and scheme against her own son, she would never let him off the hook.

Since the stage has been set up in Cining Palace, Ji Qingwu should continue to perform with them.

She turned her head to look at Tao Wanyin, her eyes clear and bright, and asked in a puzzled tone, "Your Highness, what are you saying? Why would I do this?"

Tao Wanyin was prepared that the other party would not easily admit it. She was full of confidence and said, "Qingwu, if you had told me earlier that using this prescription would cause symptoms that would harm the prince's noble body, I would never have used it."

Princess Yong actually said she didn't know about the side effects?

very good.

She also experienced amnesia once.

Ji Qingwu sneered inwardly, but blinked innocently on the surface and said, "This humble woman truly does not know what the Princess Consort means by these words. I beg the Empress Dowager to understand."

The Empress Dowager, who had been observing her reaction, was puzzled when she saw her straightforward rebuttal, because Ji Qingwu really had no reason to harm Prince Yong.

In this matter, we should listen to both sides to gain a clear understanding.

The Empress Dowager asked with suspicion, "Qingwu, now it's your turn to tell me what exactly happened."

Ji Qingwu recalled that when the prescription was handed over in the Frost Bell Pavilion of Hanshan Temple, only the two of them were there.