Chapter 81 A Highly Profitable Business
The mother and her two daughters knew this was not a good time to talk, but seeing that Xiao Wu was alright, they were relieved.
Ji Qingwu did not linger at the door.
After she left, Sihai stared at the sycamore tree in front of him, remaining silent.
Not long after, the door inside the house opened, and a person came out and walked to the vicinity of the courtyard gate.
Si Hai turned his head to look and found that it was Lan Zhi, the little maidservant beside Ji Qingwu, who handed him a pale yellow porcelain box with trembling hands.
"The young lady said that the ointment here is very effective in treating skin and flesh injuries, and that you must use it, sir."
Sanchuan tried to refuse, but Sihai took it directly into his hand.
After the maid ran away in a panic, he stuffed the porcelain box into Sanchuan's clothes and said, "This is what she should have done."
His body was covered in whip marks, all because of her.
San Chuan solemnly warned you, "How many times have I told you? If you do the same thing again, this whip will soon be lashing you."
Sihai turned his head indignantly and continued to stare at the sycamore tree.
Dinner at Wutong Garden was also delivered to the room.
Lanzhi said, "These were all personally delivered by Chunhua, who serves the First Madam. She said she made your favorite dishes, such as crispy pig's ear with shredded pheasant and pickled cabbage, and milk skin sesame cakes."
Ji Qingwu opened the food box, and the aroma was enticing, but there were no milk skin cakes at the bottom, only a few round steamed buns.
She raised an eyebrow, broke open the steamed bun, and sure enough, there was "filling" inside.
Wrapped in greaseproof paper, a note was written in small, plum-blossom-style calligraphy, detailing what the Cining Palace had seen and heard that day.
When Qiao learned that her daughter had been bullied, she became increasingly angry upon returning to Anju Garden. She specifically told her about the punishment that Ji Changyan had received, hoping to help her vent her anger.
After reading the note, Ji Qingwu burned it, watching it burn to ashes in the flames.
She discovered how horribly cold-blooded she was, and she didn't feel sorry for Ji Changyan at all.
He deserved to die; murdering an imperial censor was a grave crime, a serious offense that would implicate his entire family.
Moreover, he insulted her first and gave her that kind of aphrodisiac drug, which could have killed her if anything went wrong. No one's life should be treated so lightly.
Ji Changyan deserved to die this way.
Ji Qingwu stared at the firelight for a long time, her vision turning orange-red, as if the flames had burned into her heart.
She felt that it wasn't enough; as long as Prince Yong's covetousness remained, there would be endless trouble in the future.
The tree may wish to be still, but the wind will not cease.
Prince Yong is the Empress Dowager's biological son and the Emperor's younger brother, but so what! She wants to sever the roots of this tree.
*
The case of the murder of former censor Yan Zongrang was concluded within three days.
The perpetrators were Ji Changyan and his five henchmen, and all six confessed.
Ji Changyan is still imprisoned in the imperial prison. It is said that he is being kept alive with highly nutritious medicine. Those who do not know the inside story may think that the emperor is showing him leniency because he is from the Empress Dowager's maternal family.
However, this matter did not implicate the rest of the Ji family; only Ji Changyan was investigated, which led to the officials of the Censorate having great opinions about the Ji family and the Empress Dowager.
Prince Yong claimed to be ill for several days in a row, saying he was recuperating in his palace.
At the morning court session, Duan Mingfeng was promoted from Deputy Envoy of the Imperial City Guard to Envoy by the Emperor, and Li Chengxun was also promoted one rank, but he had even bigger good news.
His marriage to Princess Qingyun was already on the agenda, with the Imperial Household Department and the Court of Imperial Sacrifices jointly handling the wedding arrangements.
Meanwhile, Ji Qingwu was also released from confinement.
That afternoon, she went to the residence of the Marquis of Zhongyong.
"Big sister, I've come to check your pulse!" Ji Qingwu's cheerful voice had already reached the inner room as soon as she entered Ninghua Hall.
Ji Qingrong, who was leaning against the couch, quickly pushed Lu Juan and hurriedly tidied her clothes and hair.
Chunxing didn't mention that her brother-in-law was at home. After Ji Qingwu entered, the two had already separated, and there was nothing amiss.
But perhaps because of his own experience with kissing, when he saw his elder sister's face flushed, her red lips moist and slightly swollen, he knew what the two of them had been doing.
There were three people in the room, and two of them felt guilty.
Ji Qingwu was caught in a dilemma, unsure whether to go in or back. She pursed her lips, not daring to look at them. The door was wide open, and it was broad daylight; she truly hadn't expected this...
In a corner where Fifth Sister couldn't see, Ji Qingrong reached out and pinched Lu Juan.
Lu Juan merely raised an eyebrow, his expression relaxed, even revealing a hint of satisfaction.
He said, "Fifth Sister is here. You sisters talk, I'll go to the study to handle some official business."
Seeing her brother-in-law leave, Ji Qingwu felt much more at ease and walked over to sit on a red lacquered wooden stool.
She asked, "Big sister, how have you been feeling these past few days? Have you had any discomfort?"
Ji Qingrong smiled and said, "You just got out of confinement and you're the first person to come and visit me. How could I not be?"
Ji Qingwu leaned over, first taking her pulse, and then carefully adjusted the prescription according to her month of pregnancy and constitution.
Then, seemingly casually, she said, "Big sister, I remember you told me last time that you had a close friend who was also having difficulty conceiving and wanted to ask me for advice?"
Ji Qingrong's gaze froze. This was a sentence she had casually mentioned when she was newly pregnant, and she hadn't expected that her fifth sister would remember it all this time.
However, after Ji Changyan's absurd act of sending her to Prince Yong's bed, it was no longer appropriate to bring up the matter.
Her best friend...
Ji Qingwu's eyes were clear and bright as she asked, "Elder sister, I was feeling very depressed the other day. Now that I have nothing to do, I feel happy to help those in need, as medicine is a benevolent art."
“You’ve met my close friend at the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet.” Ji Qingrong scrutinized her expression and said, “That’s Princess Yong, Tao Wanyin.”
Tao Wanyin was the eldest daughter of the Grand Secretary. She was proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and her talent and demeanor were the best among the women in Lin'an.
But after marrying Prince Yong, she became a caged bird, and we never heard her compose any more amazing poems.
Prince Yong spends his days indulging in debauchery, and he already has more than twenty concubines in his household. Ji Qingrong can imagine what kind of life Tao Wanyin is living. What woman would like to share her bedmate with another man?
Furthermore, although Tao Wanyin is a princess, she has not yet given birth to a legitimate son, which has long displeased the Empress Dowager, who has allowed the concubine to give birth to a child before her, the principal wife.
The Prince Yong's mansion already has a son born out of wedlock. The concubine who gave birth to the son is no less powerful in the mansion than the princess who has no children.
Ji Qingwu lowered her eyes to conceal the dark glint that flashed in them, and replied, "The Princess Consort of Yong is also a pitiful person."
Ji Qingrong sighed, "Fifth Sister, although I feel sorry for Wanyin, you are my own sister. You should not go to the Prince Yong's mansion anymore."
"Elder sister, may I ask Princess Yong to come out? Meeting in public should be no problem."
Ji Qingrong thought about it and decided that this was a compromise, so she agreed.
She immediately sent a maid to deliver a visiting card to the Prince Yong's residence, inviting Tao Wanyin to Hanshan Temple to offer incense and pray to Buddha the next day.
The Princess Yong is someone Ji Qingwu wants to discuss with him—a highly profitable "business deal."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
