Chapter 171 Watching the Drama

Chapter 171: Watching the Show

"Damn it, what kind of attitude is that? Just because he went to Prince Ye's residence, he dares to disregard me now, doesn't he?"

A flicker of darkness passed through Consort Li's eyes. Why had his attitude toward her changed so drastically compared to before?

And what exactly did he mean by that last sentence—only asking her to have a clear conscience?

Could it be that Luo Sinian already knew something?

This realization made Consort Li lose her confidence again.

Even though she had heard from two people that Luo Junhe was gravely ill, she still felt uneasy in her heart.

She had a nagging feeling that he wouldn't die just like that.

Consort Li suddenly thought of Luo Qingge. She knew Luo Qingge had also gone to Prince Ye's residence today to visit Luo Junhe, but she certainly couldn't ask Luo Qingge or the Empress about how Luo Junhe was doing.

That would indirectly show that she, as his birth mother, had been utterly negligent, having to learn about her own son's condition from others.

As one of Consort Li's most trusted confidantes, who had served her closely for over twenty years, Jian Lan could basically guess what her mistress was thinking just from the expression on her face.

She comforted her, "Your Ladyship, don't worry. Imperial Physician Zhu has already said that Prince Ye won't live past the end of this month. There are only seven days left until then. Let's just wait patiently."

"If anything unexpected happens, Imperial Physician Zhu will take the blame. The Emperor won't find fault with you, Your Ladyship."

Jian Lan's words reassured Consort Li. She felt that what the maid said made perfect sense.

"You're right. The pulse was taken by Imperial Physician Zhu, and he was the one who said Prince Ye is near death. If anything goes wrong, it's his fault alone, and it has nothing to do with me. There's no need for me to get angry over this."

She comforted herself and finally calmed down.

"I've already waited twenty-two years. I can wait another seven days. Once Luo Junhe is dead, I'll make sure Ji Yuntang goes to the grave with him!"

That way, both of her major threats would be eliminated.

...

The news that Prince Ye didn't have much time left spread more and more widely in the capital, and more and more people in the streets cursed Ji Yuntang as a jinx.

In recent days, Prince Ye's residence had kept its gates tightly shut, with no idle personnel coming or going. The front gate was desolate.

Seeming to confirm the outside rumors, even the Evening Makeup Tower, newly opened by Ji Yuntang, had temporarily closed its doors.

Those inside didn't come out, and those outside couldn't get in.

Compared to the gloom of Prince Ye's residence, the Marquis Yongning's mansion had been exceptionally lively these days. The mansion had even hosted a banquet, inviting many dignitaries, with countless guests coming and going.

Madam Ji was in unusually high spirits and even had Madam Meng hire the most famous opera troupe in the capital to perform at the Haitang Garden.

Even Ji Qingqing, who had been grounded, was released early by Ji Nanchuan.

Everyone in the Marquis Yongning's mansion knew that this was because, since Ji Yuntang left the mansion, she was facing her first major blow.

A great calamity was imminent. Not only would she soon suffer the pain of losing her husband and becoming a widow, but she would most likely also be buried alive with Prince Ye.

The people in the Marquis Yongning's mansion felt that after waiting so long, they were finally about to see Ji Yuntang get her comeuppance. While venting their pent-up resentment, they also wanted to see her misfortune.

But they couldn't say this openly, as that would be wishing for Prince Ye's death.

So, under the pretext of listening to the opera, they invited everyone over for some fun and to dispel bad luck.

Ji Qingqing was in an excellent mood. One moment she was pouring tea for Madam Ji, the next she was massaging Madam Ji's shoulders, making the old lady laugh heartily.

Qiu Shi sat together with Madam Meng, her shrewd eyes fixed on Ji Qingqing, beaming with delight.

"Shuwan, your second daughter is truly filial. Look how well she makes Madam Ji laugh. Unlike that Ji Yuntang, who is arrogant, disrespectful, and utterly ill-mannered—she's nothing short of a jinx for our Dongchen Kingdom."

"It's fortunate that when His Majesty's marriage decree came down, your Marquis was wise enough to bring Ji Yuntang back to replace the second miss in marriage. Now that the jinx is finally about to meet her doom, your mansion will have some peace in the future."

"Maybe the second miss will soon have great news."

Upon hearing this, Madam Meng frowned almost imperceptibly. She felt great discomfort at Qiu Shi's words.

No matter what, Ji Yuntang was still her own daughter. And now that she was about to die, it was in Ji Qingqing's place.

Looking at Ji Qingqing now, sitting beside Madam Ji, her eyes kept darting toward the male guests from time to time, with a shy and secretly delighted expression on her face.

There, Crown Prince Luo Jingshen was seated.

Next to him were Ji Nanchuan and the three young masters of the Ji family, enthusiastically entertaining him with wine.

It seemed that everyone had already determined that Ji Qingqing would marry Luo Jingshen and become the Crown Princess.

But without Ji Yuntang, how could she have gotten this opportunity?

One daughter faced imminent death, the other had good fortune approaching—Madam Meng couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.

She glanced at Qiu Shi and said indifferently, "I suggest you refrain from speaking such irreverent words in the future. Not only is discussing the imperial family a grave offense, but the Crown Prince is also present here. If he overheard, both our families would suffer."

Qiu Shi smiled knowingly and quickly changed her tune. "Alright, Shuwan, I was wrong. Don't be angry with me."

Qiu Min sat beside Qiu Shi, her eyes fixed intently on Ji Qingqing, burning with jealousy.

Why could Ji Qingqing marry the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess, while she could only marry some low-ranking young master?

She refused to accept this!

Qiu Min gritted her teeth. No, she had to speed up her plan regarding Heir Ji.

After the banquet ended, the male guests left first. Qiu Min found Ji Qingqing again.

A flattering smile on her face, she affectionately took Ji Qingqing's arm.

"Sister Qingqing, Heir Ji is actually free and at the mansion today. Could you help arrange a meeting with him, just in the mansion's garden?"

Ji Qingqing felt nothing but annoyance. She subtly pulled her hand back and put on a troubled expression.

"Sister Qiu Min, to be honest, my relationship with my eldest brother has been very strained lately. We haven't seen each other for a long time."

Qiu Min didn't believe a word of this.

Putting aside what she knew about how much Ji Huaiche doted on Ji Qingqing, they both lived under the same roof—how could they have not seen each other for a long time?

This was definitely an excuse Ji Qingqing had made up because she didn't want to help.

Qiu Min's face darkened, and she said angrily, "If you don't want to help me, Sister Qingqing, just say so. There's no need to be so evasive. I know I'm of low status and unworthy of Heir Ji, but you promised to help and then didn't follow through—isn't that deliberately deceiving me?"

"From now on, we're done as friends. I won't ask for your help again."

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