Chapter 220 His Majesty's Personal Words: Only One Person
“Consort Du, Qingwu is right. How can you speak ill of the Empress Dowager? If this were heard by anyone in the palace, Prince Yong would also be punished. Do you know your mistake?”
Tao Wanyin's aura changed instantly.
She was, after all, the eldest daughter of a prominent family.
Born into a prestigious family and well-versed in literature, she exuded an air of refined elegance and aloofness that was unmatched by ordinary young ladies, sitting in the main seat.
Du Yufang was quick-witted and sensed the change in atmosphere. She helped herself up with the arm of the maid next to her, and then slowly slumped back down on the ground.
"If I make the princess unhappy, it is all my fault. I am the one who is at fault."
Ji Qingwu watched with great interest as Du Yufang, frail and unable to get up from her seat on the ground.
This play is more interesting when you watch others perform it.
At this moment, Du Yufang lowered her head, puzzled. In the past, the princess should have been anxiously asking her to get up long ago, but why hadn't she done anything yet?
The maidservant beside her advised, "Your Highness, the concubine is pregnant. The ground is so cold. Kneeling for too long will cause an accident. The prince will be furious if he finds out."
Tao Wanyin hesitated for a moment. If something went wrong while kneeling, she wouldn't be able to explain it to Prince Yong.
Ji Qingwu chuckled and said, "With me here, the child in the concubine's womb will surely be fine. It's just a matter of kneeling, nothing serious."
Hearing her words, Tao Wanyin sat even more steadily.
"Consort Du, what are you doing? No one told you to kneel."
Du Yufang turned her head and glared at Ji Qingwu, questioning, "Why is Miss Ji involved in the family affairs of the Prince Yong's mansion?"
Ji Qingwu blinked, puzzled, and said, "Huh? Just now, the concubine dared to say that she and the Empress Dowager were family. Coincidentally, I am also a member of the Ji clan, and I am also family with the Empress Dowager. So let's just consider it my family matter."
Du Yufang caught her mistake, and her expression changed.
"Just now, the Princess rebuked me for speaking ill of the Empress Dowager, but Miss Ji also spoke out of turn, daring to say that she and the Empress Dowager are one family."
"In this world, only the Emperor and the Empress Dowager are family."
Tao Wanyin interrupted, "Alright, let's stick to the facts and not get sidetracked like this."
Familiar footsteps sounded outside the door.
Du Yufang's eyes immediately reddened. She knelt on the ground and cried out, "The Princess Consort is unfair. I have been wronged."
When Prince Yong rushed in, the group was taken aback when they saw him.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Du Yufang asked, "Your Highness, what happened to your face?"
Prince Yong, his face bruised and swollen, looked at Tao Wanyin sitting upright in the hall as soon as he entered, but after waiting for a long time, he did not hear a word of concern.
He turned to the sobbing Du Yufang and said, "What are you doing? What kind of behavior is this?"
The maid quickly embellished the story and recounted what had happened.
Tao Wanyin is portrayed as a muddle-headed mistress who cannot distinguish right from wrong, while Ji Qingwu is depicted as a vicious and spoiled young lady who colludes to bully their weak and pitiful concubine.
After listening, Prince Yong said nothing and sat down next to Tao Wanyin with a sullen face.
He asked, "Who does the Princess consider to be part of my family?"
Tao Wanyin's momentum immediately deflated, and she lowered her head and remained silent.
But I already had the answer in my heart.
When her eldest son, Yunxuan, was just born, she saw Prince Yong holding Yunxuan from afar. He and his concubine and son looked more like a family.
She and he were far apart.
Ji Qingwu propped his head up and thought for a while.
Suddenly, he raised his voice and said, "I am family with the prince."
Prince Yong immediately turned to look at Ji Qingwu, his movement so fast that he almost twisted his neck.
He felt a chill run down his spine and clarified, "Fifth Cousin, you shouldn't say such things so casually. My relationship with you is completely innocent."
If these words were to reach Emperor Wusu's ears from the Prince's residence, who knows what terrible consequences they would bring.
Ji Qingwu continued, "I'm not just saying this casually."
“A few days ago at Cining Palace, His Majesty said in person that he, the Empress Dowager, and I are all one family.”
So that's what it means.
Prince Yong then patted his chest and relaxed.
He was now not only afraid that his elder brother would be angry and punish him, but also afraid that Wei Ting would beat him up again if he was in a bad mood.
Ji Qingwu asked, "My family has a valid argument, but what is the concubine's basis?"
The Emperor had actually said such things to Ji Wu. Du Yufang's lips twitched, but she wisely didn't argue about it. Instead, she brought up other things.
With tears in her eyes, she said, "Your Highness, I only misspoke. If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason. I only said that Longjing Cuiya tea was precious, and Miss Ji threw the tea at me."
Then Tao Wanyin was also dragged into it: "My sister, the princess, is always kind-hearted. It was she who instigated me to punish her."
As soon as she finished speaking, she clutched her lower abdomen, cried out in pain, and fell to one side, where she was caught by a maid.
Ji Qingwu raised an eyebrow at Tao Wanyin.
Tao Wanyin hesitated slightly, then awkwardly touched her stomach, her brows furrowing.
A large, bruised hand supported her arm.
Prince Yong asked impatiently, "What's wrong with you now?"
Consort Du, who was lying on the ground in pain and panting, cried out a little louder. Prince Yong raised his hand and said, "Help your consorts back."
Du Yufang's usual tricks failed, and she said weakly, "Your Highness, I am afraid. I don't know if the child in my womb will be alright. Please come back with me."
Prince Yong urged, "If you're afraid, then call a doctor. Do you expect me to be afraid with you?"
Several eunuchs appeared, lifted Du Yufang up, and escorted her out of Jinmo Residence.
Tao Wanyin's arm was pinched painfully by Prince Yong's hand, and her brows furrowed even more.
Prince Yong stood up and stood in front of her, anxiously saying, "Fifth Cousin, come quickly and see what's wrong with her!"
Ji Qingwu took out the black pill from the brocade pouch and said, "Your Highness, you will be fine after eating this pregnancy-preserving pill."
Tao Wanyin had nothing to do to begin with, so she took the meatballs and slowly held them in her hands.
But Prince Yong snatched it away.
After asking how to take it, he took two pills and put them into Princess Yong's mouth, then poured half a teacup of water into her mouth.
He said fiercely, "Swallow it!"
The rough handling caused Tao Wanyin to cough incessantly; anyone who didn't know better would have thought they were trying to force-feed her poison.
Zhao Minghong was so anxious that he was covered in sweat, but he finally calmed down.
He turned to look at Ji Qingwu and said with dissatisfaction, "You've been here for so long, and she still hasn't taken the pregnancy-preserving pills."
"If anyone's to blame, it's Consort Du. She just won't leave the Princess's place," Ji Qingwu said, spreading his hands.
Zhao Minghong said, "With the concubine here, it won't delay her taking her medicine."
Ji Qingwu said in a serious tone, "What if she takes a fancy to the pregnancy-preserving pills I have and insists on having a few? Should I give them to her or not?"
"I cannot compare to Your Highness's generosity. Since these dumplings are specially made for the Princess Consort, they will only be given to her and no one else, not even one."
Zhao Minghong choked, unable to utter a rebuttal.
He felt as if his fifth cousin had slapped him in the face without his noticing, and his face hurt even more.
Tao Wanyin stopped coughing, and a rosy glow appeared on her face.
He saw his princess looking at Ji Qingwu with a shy expression.
Zhao Minghong was stunned.
That look in his eyes was both familiar and strange to him.
Only in his dreams could he see her gazing at him with such affection in her eyes.
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