Chapter 381 You should thank your granddaughter, whose surname is Ji.
But Ji Qingwu still felt a tightness in his back from being stared at.
She turned her head away and quietly wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve.
Li Yuzong handed the gift box he was carrying to Ji Bolian, then retreated to the doorway, blocking Ji Qingyuan from entering as well.
The atmosphere in the room became tense due to the emperor's arrival.
The emperor said he was there to visit Madam Ji, and it was inconvenient to let the ailing old lady move.
But the emperor couldn't be allowed to speak standing up, so the servants tiptoed over and brought over a chair.
However, the bedroom where Madam Ji slept was not spacious enough in order to gather energy and calm the mind, and it felt a bit crowded after the chairs were placed there.
Therefore, the distance between each person is very close.
According to seniority, Ji Qingwu should sit last, and when it's her turn, it will be the seat that everyone else has left over.
She blinked a few times, looked at the only remaining empty seat, and sat down with great pressure.
The reason is simple: the empty seat was directly opposite the emperor.
Everyone sat upright, even the old lady leaning against the bed couldn't escape the formality. Only Emperor Wusu was relaxed, with one long leg almost reaching the hem of Ji Qingwu's skirt.
Ji Qingwu looked left and right, and there was indeed no room to move, so she could only try to tuck her toes in.
Ji Bolian sat below Emperor Wusu. As the head of the Ji family, he spoke first, respectfully saying, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Majesty. My mother's illness is not serious. I am grateful for Your Majesty's grace."
The old lady also changed her previous angry expression and smiled kindly, saying, "I am grateful for Your Majesty's visit. It was just an old ailment, but it's nothing serious now."
Zhao Mingyan said calmly, "It's good that it's not serious."
The crowd echoed each other's sentiments, and the room quickly returned to silence.
Madam Ji's illness came on suddenly. Why would the emperor care about her health? He clearly came for something else and happened to stumble upon the old lady's illness, using her as an excuse.
But no one dared to ask.
The only question I dare to ask is one I don't want to ask.
Ji Qingwu was looking down and picking at his fingers, practically playing with them to the extreme.
Zhao Mingyan's gaze swept over the top of her head, and then he spoke again.
"When I arrived at the door just now, I overheard you talking about betraying your brother and what benefits you promised. You even mentioned Prince Yong?"
Everyone's expression froze.
Just what I feared most came to pass.
Gibran frowned with a bitter expression. He had only mentioned a few words, and the emperor had overheard them.
He glared at the old woman again. It would have been better if she had taken the wrong medicine and slept a little longer instead of causing this disaster.
Ji Bolian cautiously replied, "Your Majesty, my mother is ill and has been talking nonsense. Please do not take it seriously."
Zhao Mingyan lifted his eyelids, his upturned eyes full of sharpness.
"I hear you. The old lady seems to have a heart ailment. If Prince Yong has done something wrong that has caused her to feel depressed and ill, I am Prince Yong's elder brother. Please tell me."
Ji Bolian assured him, "It has nothing to do with Your Highness. It was my family and I who overstepped our bounds. We will be more careful in our words and actions in the future."
Zhao Mingyan glanced at him and said, "Lord Ji, I am asking the old lady."
Although his tone was calm, it conveyed an undeniable air of authority.
Gibran immediately fell silent.
Madam Ji was filled with trepidation. She took a deep breath and said, "Your Majesty, I did mention the Prince. I had an old matter I wanted to ask Qingwu about. I did not mean to offend you."
Zhao Mingyan drew out an "oh" and asked, "What is it? Why don't you tell me and see if I know anything about it?"
The emperor must know about this. Thinking of the torture Ji Changyan had suffered, Madam Ji steeled her heart and decided to ask him.
"that is--"
Gibran coughed suddenly.
The noise was so loud it was heart-wrenching; Ji Qingwu felt a sharp pain in his father's trachea.
Madam Ji was temporarily silenced.
Ji Changlin, quick-witted, said, "Your Majesty, what my grandmother actually meant was that Qingwu had a dispute with the Princess Consort of Yong, and the brother she mentioned was me. Qingwu and I like to joke around and say some jokes."
He naturally understood his father's thoughts and spoke up in support, trying to deflect the issue.
To accuse Prince Yong in front of the Emperor, and then bring up Changyan's matter again—does he think the Ji family isn't in enough turmoil already...?
Ji Changlin smiled and said, "These are all old, trivial matters, not worth mentioning in front of you, lest they offend Your Majesty's ears."
Zhao Mingyan's expression turned cold, and he said sarcastically, "Are you a mind reader? You know what she's thinking. If you could read minds, could you read my mind?"
Ji Changlin: ...I'm thinking of sending him back to the Southern Chu embassy.
But he dared not say another word, quickly lowered his head, and also gave in.
Qiao sat to Ji Qingwu's right and nudged her lightly with her foot while they were talking. In this situation, the only one who could speak was Xiao Wu.
Ji Qingwu turned her head away, her small face scrunched up, and mouthed that she was scared too.
But she just didn't want to get involved.
Since Old Madam Ji insisted on asking, and the Emperor happened to be here, she didn't need to worry about it anymore.
She wanted to hear how Emperor Wusu would respond.
Madam Ji did not disappoint Ji Qingwu's expectations; she remained steadfast to the end, her old eyes filled with tears.
"Your Majesty, I will not hide it from you, for I know I cannot hide it any longer. My grandson from my second wife, Changyan, has been obedient and sensible since childhood. He has indeed committed a serious mistake and is guilty. However, I think there may be some extenuating circumstances behind it."
The old lady's gaze toward Ji Qingwu was filled with undisguised resentment.
"Qingwu was also present that night, but she refused to say what happened. I want to find out before I die."
As Zhao Mingyan listened, his expression gradually turned cold.
The old lady was terrified when she saw this, but she didn't fall down because she was leaning against a pillow.
Zhao Mingyan's lips curled into an emotionless smile as he said, "Madam, are you standing up for your grandson? And because of this, you've come to resent your granddaughter?"
Madam Ji kowtowed on the bed, pleading in a sorrowful voice, "I beg Your Majesty to thoroughly investigate this matter."
The Ji family father and son's expressions turned extremely ugly. They both knew what Emperor Wusu's expression meant, and that he was already showing signs of anger.
Upon hearing the old lady's demand for a thorough investigation, all fell silent. Ji Qingwu quietly raised her eyes, wanting to see how the emperor would react.
As a result, they made eye contact.
Upon seeing the glint of light in the emperor's eyes, she immediately looked away in alarm.
He came to the Ji family with ulterior motives.
Ji Qingwu suddenly had a... not very pleasant premonition.
Zhao Mingyan leaned forward slightly and said in the most casual tone, "Madam, you should thank your granddaughter for having the surname Ji."
"Because of her, I will make an exception for her."
This wasn't said very directly, but it was enough for everyone to understand.
The Emperor showed leniency towards Ji Changyan for his serious crimes, sparing the Ji family from repercussions, because of Ji Qingwu.
However, the specific reasons behind it were debated among the group...
Ji Qingwu's premonition was very accurate.
Her eyes flickered rapidly, her eyelashes blinked wildly, and she took another breath, watching his thin lips move.
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