Chapter 214 A wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen affair

Faced with such a kind old lady, Ji Qingwu felt extremely uncomfortable from head to toe.

A few days ago, on the carriage to the palace, Old Madam Ji didn't even bother to look at her properly. This morning, she came to Wutong Garden eagerly, waiting for her to get up.

Something was amiss; either the old lady had been possessed, or something extremely important needed her attention.

Ji Qingwu did not sit next to Madam Ji, but instead walked to the chair below and sat down.

She began, "Grandmother, what urgent matter brings you here so early?"

Madam Ji waved her hand at Granny Feng, and a delicate rosewood food box with colorful inlays of mother-of-pearl, birds, and auspicious beasts was brought out.

As soon as Granny Feng opened the food box, a rich, sweet aroma filled the room.

"Fifth Miss, these are pastries that the old lady instructed the servants to go to Fangcaizhai on the street early this morning. They queued for a long time to buy them, and they are fresh out of the oven. Please try them while they are hot."

The food box was filled with a variety of exquisite snacks, and Lan Zhi couldn't take her eyes off them.

Madam Ji smiled and said, "This rose bean paste cake is absolutely delicious. Qingwu probably hasn't tried this shop's pastries before. Your father used to love eating this when he was at home."

Ji Qingwu glanced at the colorful pastries inside and immediately turned her head away.

It wasn't that she was deliberately disrespecting the old lady, but the sweet, cloying aroma made her feel nauseous.

Because she had been fed by Emperor Wusu yesterday and her stomach was full of food, she had only managed to digest it this morning. When she saw these pastries again, she couldn't help but frown.

Ji Qingwu's reaction, in the eyes of the old lady, further confirmed that she had been having an affair with the emperor all along, keeping it a secret from the family.

Even the pastries from Fangcaizhai, the most famous restaurant in Lin'an City, couldn't meet her standards.

Granny Feng said at the right moment, "Fifth Miss has only been up for a short time, so she may not have an appetite yet. Lanzhi, put this food box away and put it out again when Miss wants to eat."

Lanzhi carried the mahogany food box downstairs, and Granny Feng followed her outside, standing guard at the door.

Only the two of them remained in the room, along with the lingering aroma of pastries.

Ji Qingwu raised his head and looked at the kind-faced old lady.

She condescended to come to her courtyard early in the morning, bringing such hard-to-find pastries. Since Old Madam Ji had lowered herself to seek reconciliation, she couldn't very well directly expose her.

“Grandmother, I am grateful that you remember me. However, I haven’t been craving sweets these past few days. Perhaps you could take them to my fourth sister instead?”

Madam Ji said, "This is specially given to you by your grandmother, so please keep it."

Ji Qingwu stood up and curtsied, saying, "Thank you, Grandmother."

"You child, why are you being so polite with me?"

Ji Qingwu stood up but did not sit down. Instead, she smiled and said, "If Grandmother has nothing else to do, I have other important matters to attend to, so I will not sit with you."

She did have other things to do today, and also, she didn't want to exchange polite words with the old lady, which would only make her feel nauseous.

Madam Ji stopped her and said, "Qingwu, your grandmother has come to discuss your marriage with you."

Ji Qingwu stood in the room, tilted her head and asked, "Grandmother still wants me to marry that third son of the Li family?"

Madam Ji said, "I was confused before about the third son of the Li family. Let's just drop this matter. I have already sent someone to the Li family to tell Madam Li that I have rejected this marriage proposal."

Ji Qingwu knew that even if the old lady didn't refuse, given the astrological beliefs of the previous dynasty, no one would dare to risk such a transgression and marry her in the short term.

Her eyes flickered slightly, and she smiled.

"Could it be that Grandmother has taken a fancy to the fourth son of the Liu family and the fifth son of the Zhang family again?"

Sensing the sarcasm in her words, Old Madam Ji's face fell.

She said with a stern smile, "Qingwu, put away your willful temper."

“I asked you before if you were willing to enter the palace, but you kept it from me. Now that you have already pledged yourself to the Emperor and spent so much time in the Hall of Diligent Governance yesterday, you should think carefully about the current situation and stop acting recklessly.”

Seeing that the old lady had finally explained her purpose, Ji Qingwu's lips curved into a wider smile, and the sarcasm in his eyes deepened.

Madam Ji did not dare to scold Ji Qingwu as much as before.

In these recent cases, whether it was the case of Ji's father or the matter of Prince Yong, the Emperor has shown great favor. If either of these two were to fall, the Ji family's power would be halved.

It goes without saying whose face they're saving.

Now that Ji Qingwu is gaining favor with the emperor, she should make the most of her prime years to secure benefits for her family.

Madam Ji sighed and said, "Qingwu, your grandmother is not here to criticize you, but to plan for your future. Otherwise, it will be too late to regret it when your beauty fades and the emperor's favor ends."

Ji Qingwu touched her little finger, pondering why the news of her meeting with the emperor in the Hall of Diligent Governance yesterday had been leaked.

Especially since she was disguised as a palace maid at Anle Hall yesterday, and nothing had ever happened before, but it just so happened yesterday.

The fact that Madam Ji learned about palace affairs so quickly must have been at the behest of the Empress Dowager.

If the Empress Dowager had the ability to find out what was happening inside the Hall of Diligent Governance, then she would truly have connections to the highest levels of society.

Ji Qingwu sat down again, her expression softening, and said, "Why is Grandmother so certain that I can enter the palace?"

"you......."

With a look of surprise and uncertainty, Madam Ji asked, "Didn't the Emperor say when he would take you into the palace?"

Ji Qingwu said with a dim look in her eyes, "Grandmother is so old, she must have seen a lot. Have you ever heard the saying, 'A wife is not as good as a concubine, and a concubine is not as good as a stolen one'?"

Madam Ji's lips trembled slightly.

"You mean the Emperor never intended for you to enter the palace; he merely took your body but was unwilling to take responsibility?"

Ji Qingwu bit her lip and said with a wronged expression, "Grandmother is right."

On her way to Wutong Garden, Madam Ji had envisioned a prosperous future for the Ji family, but it all vanished in an instant.

How could you be so foolish!

Madam Ji pointed at her and said, "Why didn't you tell the family when there were signs of trouble earlier?"

If Ji Qingwu hadn't been sitting so far away, the old lady's finger would have been poking her forehead.

With tears welling up in her eyes, Ji Qingwu said in a muffled voice, "Grandmother, that's the Emperor. How can I stop him from doing what he wants? How dare I disobey him?"

Immediately, he raised his head and looked at the old lady, saying expectantly, "Otherwise, Grandmother, please go and talk to the Emperor for me."

If she were still a virgin, Madam Ji would really be willing to swallow her pride and ask the Emperor why he wouldn't allow Qingwu to enter the palace as a concubine.

Ke Ji Qingwu is a young widow who has been married before.

Although there is no explicit law stipulating that an unclean person cannot serve at the emperor's side.

But this has been the rule for thousands of years: if the emperor has no interest and is only seeking novelty, Ji Qingwu will not be able to enter the palace...