Chapter 158 Meeting an acquaintance, disappointment? Loss of composure?
"Your Highness Consort Wei, His Majesty requests your presence at the Hall of Diligent Governance," Li Yuzong said respectfully.
Wei Liru smiled brightly and said, "Thank you for inviting me, Eunuch. I will go right away."
But she didn't move.
Li Yuzong reminded her, "This old servant still needs to return to the palace to serve. Please come quickly, Your Highness."
After Eunuch Li walked away, Wei Liru moved closer to Ji Qingwu.
She already had a guess in her heart: why Yuan Heng was so close to this member of the Ji family was probably because the Ji family wanted to use the guise of contacting the prince to plot to enter the palace and gain favor.
Wei Li said in a low voice, "Miss Ji, your idea of winning over the Emperor's favor by getting on good terms with the young prince is not a very clever tactic."
The emperor would not allow anyone with ulterior motives to contact the princes.
Ji Qingwu looked back at her with an open and honest expression.
A pair of dimples appeared on her cheeks, and her eyes seemed to shimmer with a rosy glow.
She calmly replied, "Whether this tactic is clever or not is not for Your Majesty to decide."
It all depends on whether the person being won over will accept the offer.
Seeing her nonchalant demeanor, Wei Liru couldn't help but chuckle and curl her lips into a smile.
She said smugly, "Miss Ji, just wait. The Emperor has summoned me in. I won't keep Miss Ji company any longer."
The smugness in his words stung Ji Qingwu's ears.
As the beautiful cherry-pink figure entered the Hall of Diligent Governance, Ji Qingwu gazed at the vermilion gate that had been closed once again.
To outsiders like Consort Wei, she and the Ji family might still seem to be of the same blood, sharing both glory and disgrace.
Only she herself knew that she did not want to be a pawn in the Empress Dowager's power-wielding schemes, nor did she want to be the kind of puppet that Old Madam Ji described, sacrificing herself for the sake of the family.
However, now that she has returned to Lin'an City, it is difficult for her to leave easily.
As long as she remains a member of the Ji family, she is destined to be unable to escape the vortex swirling within this center of power.
She had no intention of entering the palace, but as long as she appeared there, any action she took would be misinterpreted as deliberate flattery.
Even for the sake of the Qiao family and her child, she had to be careful not to reveal the secret that Yuan Heng was her son.
Seeing Ji Qingwu gazing at the palace gate not far away with a slight frown, Qiuqiu jumped down from the steps and pounced on her, interrupting her thoughts.
The little girl looked up and asked, "Mother, shall we go home?"
Ji Qingwu asked, "Won't we be doing a spot check on memorization today?"
Chiu Chiu shook her head and replied, "The teacher just said that His Majesty the Emperor has important matters to attend to and does not have time for back massage. We will continue another day."
another day......
Ji Qingwu suddenly felt a sense of disappointment.
She always remembered that he had asked her when she would appear in her true form.
But now that she has arrived, the doors of the Hall of Diligent Governance are no longer open for her.
At first, she could use excuses such as important events happening in the palace and the emperor being busy with state affairs to cover up her disappointment.
After Eunuch Li invited Consort Wei in, she realized she could no longer convince herself.
Even though she gave herself many reasons, all for the sake of the two little ones, she actually longed to see him from the bottom of her heart.
No one can be happy after being turned away.
Ji Qingwu thought to herself that it was better not to see him. She also felt that she had acted impulsively. It was all because she had been troubled by Emperor Wusu's actions recently and couldn't sort out her thoughts.
She took Qiuqiu's little hand, and the two of them were about to walk outside.
Suddenly, a creaking sound was heard, and the heavy palace door was slowly pushed open by a palace attendant. A figure walked out leisurely and stood in front of the door.
Ji Qingwu turned around and looked over.
One glance was enough to freeze him in place, as if he had been immobilized.
The vermilion gates of the Hall of Diligent Governance were wide open behind him. He wore a dark cloud-patterned brocade robe and a tall black gauze hat. His handsome, sword-like eyebrows slanted upwards towards his temples, and the vermilion gates became his backdrop.
Because he was to enter the palace for an audience, he removed his sword, and the scabbard at his waist gleamed coldly.
When he first stepped out, he had a relaxed and gentle smile on his lips, but as soon as his eyes met Ji Qingwu's, the smile vanished like a thin mist, and his face was replaced by a gloomy look as if a storm was brewing.
Ji Qingwu involuntarily clenched her hands, her heart filled with complex emotions.
He's back.
Moreover, they returned to Lin'an in secret.
She had not heard the news that General Zhenbei had broken camp and set off to return. The rumors outside were that Wei Ting had been assassinated by assassins sent by the Western Jin Kingdom and was critically wounded.
Ji Qingwu carefully examined him, trying to see if there were any signs of injury on his body, but he couldn't find any.
Five years have passed in a flash. The borderlands are bitterly cold. Wei Ting's appearance hasn't changed much, but his skin has darkened considerably. He has a tall and slender but not rugged figure, and his temperament has become more reserved and composed.
Wei Ting's narrow eyes, as if concealing sharp, hidden blades, were fixed intently on her.
"Mother, it hurts."
A soft, whimpering sound came from below.
Ji Qingwu then realized that she had inadvertently used too much force and hurt her daughter's little hand.
She quickly looked away, gently rubbing Qiuqiu's little hand, and said apologetically, "Let Mommy rub it for you, does it still hurt?"
Chiu Chiu shook her head sensibly, seemingly sensing her mother's emotional fluctuations, and said, "Mother, Granny Li must have prepared all of Xiang Xiang's food. Let's go home and eat."
"Okay, let's go home."
Ji Qingwu took a deep breath and prepared to leave.
"Brother, what are you looking at?"
Wei Liru walked out of the Qin Zheng Hall with a smile and appeared behind Wei Ting.
She was overjoyed to learn that her brother had arrived in Lin'an, which is why she came to wait at the entrance of the Qin Zheng Hall without waiting for the emperor's summons.
When Wei Ting saw Consort Wei, his gloomy expression disappeared.
When he looked up again, his expression was as calm and undisturbed as a still lake.
He said, "It's nothing."
Wei Liru also noticed the mother and daughter ahead; it turned out they hadn't left yet.
She said, "This is the fifth young lady that the Ji family found, whom I mentioned to you in my letter."
Wei Ting repeated in a low voice, "She is Miss Ji Wu."
Aside from a hint of surprise, there was no other emotion in his words, as if he and Ji Qingwu were complete strangers meeting for the first time.
When Wei Liru saw his gaze fall on the little girl beside her, she continued, "The little girl next to her is her daughter."
Wei Ting glanced at the little girl's appearance, then turned to look at the graceful, light green figure.
He narrowed his left eye slightly, his breathing became heavy, and he still didn't speak.
Upon hearing Consort Wei's introduction, Ji Qingwu, who was about to leave, suddenly stopped. Although she had imagined seeing Wei Ting again, she had never expected it to be under such circumstances.
After her initial shock, she returned to normal.
Ji Qingwu and Wei Ting were not strangers. After all, they had spent a long time together and she knew his likes and dislikes very well. Just like his calm and composed demeanor at this moment, it meant that he was restraining some kind of impulse.
She should have walked over confidently and exchanged a few pleasantries, but with so many spies in the palace, this environment was simply not suitable.
A gust of wind blew, and Ji Qingwu smoothed the strands of hair that had been blown about by the breeze.
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