Chapter 393 Ji Family's Good Daughter

"Madam, please don't cry. Crying during postpartum confinement can damage your eyes."

Chunxing handed her a handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

Ji Qingrong asked, "Where is Qingwu with the child? I'll go check on them."

Feeling fine, she wanted to get out of bed, but Chunxing quickly stopped her.

"Madam, you must not move. If you don't take care of yourself properly during your postpartum period, you'll suffer from many illnesses in the future."

Ji Qingrong asked anxiously, "Where is the child?"

“Madam, the Fifth Miss has sent the child to the clinic where a wet nurse is looking after him. She said she doesn’t feel comfortable leaving him in the Marquis’s residence.”

Ji Qingrong was immediately relieved. Logically speaking, she should have gone to her fifth sister's clinic to give birth. If her mother-in-law hadn't insisted on stopping her, she and her child would be recuperating at the clinic now.

Chunxing helped Ji Qingrong lie down and tucked the blanket around her.

She continued, "The Fifth Miss also instructed that a carriage should be arranged to pick you up once you are awake."

Ji Qingrong asked, "Is Qingwu at the clinic?"

Chunxing replied, "This servant does not know. Fifth Miss waited until Master and Madam arrived from the Ji family before leaving with the child."

"My parents are here?"

Ji Qingrong tried to sit up again, but Chunxing pressed her back down.

"Please get some rest. The master and mistress have come over and just left after checking on you."

Ji Qingrong stared at the carved door and asked, "Have Father and Mother already left?"

Chunxing said, "No, they're still at the main gate of our courtyard, arguing with the old lady."

Ji Qingrong asked blankly, "Why are you at the courtyard gate?"

She understood why Mr. and Mrs. Ji had confronted the Cui family.

When she was giving birth, Cui stopped the servants in her room from going out to spread the news, and even led a group of people to guard the door. This was quite frightening.

Once the Qiao family finds out, they will definitely demand an explanation.

But if the two families want to talk, they should at least find a place to sit down.

The Marquis's mansion doesn't even give her parents this much face?

Ji Qingrong's face drained of color as she asked, "Has the young master not returned yet?"

Something big happened in the palace, and Lu Juan had already sent someone back to inform her that he would not be returning home for the next few days.

Cui sent someone to deliver the message, but ever since the emperor was assassinated during the ancestral worship ceremony, all those on duty in the palace, whether imperial physicians or palace servants, had been replaced.

It will be very difficult to get this message in.

Lu Juan may not yet know that his child has been born.

Chunxing's eyes lit up, and she replied, "Madam, Xiao Liuzi came back first to report that the master has received the news and is on his way back from the palace."

Ji Qingrong felt relieved. As long as Lu Juan returned to the Marquis's residence, she wouldn't have to worry about this mess anymore.

But who was it that sent the message at this hour?

Ji Qingrong thought for a while and then said, "I'm worried about Father and Mother, so I'll go out for a bit. I'm really fine now."

Madam Cui was a very difficult person who could argue even when she was being rude. She worried that her family members would suffer a great loss if they were too reasonable.

Ji Qingrong instructed, "Go and fetch me the cloak and the headscarf."

Chunxing did not move and said, "Madam, please rest assured, there is absolutely no reason for the Ji family to suffer a loss today."

Ji Qingrong asked, "What does this mean?"

Thinking of what she had seen and heard today, Chunxing said excitedly, "This time, thanks to Fifth Miss, not only Second Madam, but even Grand Madam suffered a great loss."

Both my second sister-in-law Feng Shuang and my mother-in-law suffered losses.

Ji Qingrong asked in surprise, "Tell me, what happened?"

Outside the courtyard gate.

Two people were standing, and many others were lying down.

Earlier, Gibran and Mrs. Qiao were in a hurry to check on their eldest daughter when they entered the house. Because it was dark, they did not notice that there were a group of people lying under the tree at the entrance.

Sihai carried out Ji Qingwu's orders thoroughly, even sealing the mouths of these people with rags so they couldn't make a sound.

When Qiao came out of the house, looking furious and intending to confront Cui, she found the group of people at the door.

Qiao was startled, and even the well-informed Ji Bolian was surprised.

They had never seen their in-laws in such an undignified state.

A dozen or so old women were bound hand and foot. Cui, who was dressed the most splendidly, was bound with two ropes that were tightened the most.

Qiao turned around and exchanged a glance with Ji Bolian. They both saw confusion and a hint of resentment in each other's eyes.

Their anger had subsided considerably.

Qiao went over first and took the strip of cloth out of Cui's mouth.

She asked, "What's wrong? What happened?"

The weather was cold and the ground was freezing. Cui was shivering from the cold, her lips were dry and pale, and she coughed incessantly as soon as she spoke.

"It's all...you...all of you...good daughters of the Ji family..."

Upon hearing this, Qiao was extremely displeased.

Qingrong gave birth to a child for the Marquis's family, which was both a merit and a hardship, yet Cui Shi still harbored such resentment.

"I haven't even settled this score with you yet, and you're already accusing me of being the villain. If anything happens to my Qingrong, I'll fight your Zhongyong Marquis's mansion to the death!"

Mrs. Cui never expected to be bullied like this in her own home. She was so angry that she cried her eyes out.

"Your Ji family is a den of wicked people! With a mother like you, no wonder you raised so many—"

Mrs. Qiao stuffed the strip of cloth back into her hand.

"It's better to keep your mouth shut."

Gibran nodded and said, "It's much quieter now."

Normally, Qiao would have been more considerate, since Cui was, after all, the emperor's maternal aunt.

But when Madam Qiao heard that her eldest daughter had suffered so much during childbirth and almost died, her anger never stopped.

Now, who isn't a member of the royal family? She's even the emperor's mother-in-law. In terms of kinship, Cui Shi is nothing.

Mr. Qiao has become much more assertive.

At this moment, Feng Shuang, supported by her maids, appeared on the path, walking with a limp. She was crying and about to go to her mother-in-law to complain.

From afar, she could see two people standing at the gate. As she got closer, Feng Shuang recognized them as members of the Ji family.

There was no sign of Cui Shi in the courtyard. The maid beside her exclaimed in surprise. Feng Shuang's gaze shifted downwards and she saw her mother-in-law lying under the tree, as well as the old women in her courtyard.

Feng Shuang looked up, panicked, and said, "What...what did you do to my mother-in-law?"

"Is there no law left?! How dare you kidnap the Lady of the Marquis's Mansion!"

Qiao had already heard from Chunxing what her good second sister-in-law Qingrong had done, and was planning to teach her a lesson.

Upon seeing Feng Shuang's face, he stopped speaking.

His face was covered in bruises, especially his forehead, which had a large bloodstain, and his lip was also cut.

Qiao and Ji Bolian exchanged another glance. Had bandits broken into the Marquis's mansion? They couldn't understand the current situation either.

They decided to take their eldest daughter back first, and the two turned around in tacit agreement.

Despite the pain in her back and waist, Feng Shuang shouted, "Men, surround them all! No one is allowed to leave today!"