Chapter 204 Ulterior Motives

Chapter 204: Hidden Motives

Luo Feizhou waved his hand, and all his henchmen left.

Just then, Ji Yuntang came up from the first-floor hall, led by a waiter to the private room outside Luo Feizhou's door.

"Princess Ye, the person you're looking for is right here."

Ji Yuntang nodded and pushed the door open to enter.

As soon as she stepped inside, she caught a faint floral scent in the air—sometimes subtle, sometimes rich—much like the incense often burned in the homes of wealthy families. If one weren't paying attention, they might think it was incense specially lit by Luo Feizhou.

But Ji Yuntang wasn't that foolish.

She keenly noticed that this scent was entirely different from Luo Feizhou's own fragrance. Naturally, she wouldn't be naive enough to believe it was his incense of choice.

Carefully sniffing the medicinal components again, Ji Yuntang's eyes narrowed dangerously.

If her guess was correct, this was a type of aphrodisiac—and a potent one at that.

"Is that my Third Sister-in-Law? Why didn't you say something? I would have come out to greet you myself."

Just then, Luo Feizhou came out from behind the screen, stepping out from the inner room.

Ji Yuntang's beautiful eyes flickered. Without further thought, she retrieved an antidote pill from her space, tossed it into her mouth, and swallowed it with a crunch, as if chewing a candy.

Seeing Ji Yuntang, Luo Feizhou's gaze darkened for a moment before a gentle smile spread across his face. He teased her, "My Third Sister-in-Law is so hard to invite. It's truly not easy to get a glimpse of you."

Ji Yuntang looked at Luo Feizhou's irritating face, holding back the urge to slap him. She stepped two meters away from him, turned, and sat down in a chair.

"Enough with the nonsense. You said you know who harmed my prince. Now that I'm here, you can tell me."

Unfazed by her cold demeanor, Luo Feizhou got up and sat casually in the chair opposite Ji Yuntang. He smirked, trying to look charming.

"What's the rush, Third Sister-in-Law? You've been busy at the Wan Zhuang Tower all morning. It must be late for lunch now. Why don't I have the waiter bring a table of dishes, and we can eat while we talk? What do you think?"

Out of the corner of her eye, Ji Yuntang glanced at the incense burner on the windowsill. Faint wisps of white smoke drifted out, the scent growing stronger.

She realized Luo Feizhou was stalling, waiting for the drug to take effect inside her body.

Ji Yuntang chuckled, her shrewd eyes sparkling coldly as she stared at him.

"Prince Qi, you're being so evasive. Do you even know who harmed my prince, or are you just tricking me into coming here?"

Caught off guard, Luo Feizhou felt a bit guilty.

But quickly, he recovered, realizing Ji Yuntang was testing him.

If he said he didn't know, she might turn and leave immediately.

There was still a short while before the aphrodisiac in the incense burner would take effect.

No matter what, he had to stall until the drug worked on Ji Yuntang.

Luo Feizhou picked up the teapot and personally poured Ji Yuntang a cup of tea, a smile on his face.

"How could that be? Third Brother and I are after all half-brothers from the same father. Seeing him severely injured and bedridden for three years, I've been truly heartbroken. Before, the Prince Ye Manor had no one in charge, so even though I knew the inside story, I dared not speak out."

"But now it's different. Now that Prince Ye Manor has you, Third Sister-in-Law, who would dare to harm Third Brother? That's why I wanted to reveal what I knew from back then, so you two can be on your guard."

"My conscience is clear; I'm doing all this for Third Brother and you, Third Sister-in-Law. How could I possibly deceive you?"

Luo Feizhou spoke earnestly, his words sincere and well-reasoned. His act almost made Ji Yuntang burst out laughing.

Ji Yuntang sneered inwardly. If she hadn't discovered the aphrodisiac in the room, she might have actually believed he cared so much for Luo Junhe. A brotherly bond that hadn't seen a single visit in three years meant nothing to her.

Still, she wanted to see how Luo Feizhou would continue his performance.

Ji Yuntang sat down, raising an eyebrow as her slender fingers tapped lightly on the table.

"So, it seems I misunderstood you, Your Highness."

"Go ahead then. Since there's no one else here, tell me everything you know. I want to see who really harmed my prince!"

Seeing the slightly annoyed expression on Ji Yuntang's face, Luo Feizhou knew she had taken the bait. A dark glint flashed in his eyes as he said with a knowing smile, "Third Sister-in-Law, if I tell you, you must promise me—never tell anyone outside."

Ji Yuntang nodded. "Don't worry. My lips are sealed. Just between you and me. No third person will ever find out."

Of course, that didn't count the person lying on the rooftop.

Ji Yuntang glanced at the ceiling, then quickly averted her gaze, a slight smile playing on her lips.

But Luo Feizhou didn't realize a third person was there. He sighed, his face full of heartache.

"In truth, the one who harmed Third Brother is the Crown Prince."

Ji Yuntang's smile faded a little. She narrowed her eyes, her tone laced with coldness.

"Prince Qi, you can't just say things like that casually. Do you know the consequences of falsely accusing the Crown Prince?"

Luo Feizhou clenched his hands under his sleeves and snorted coldly.

"I'm not speaking recklessly. Every word is true."

He stared intently at Ji Yuntang. "Luo Jingshen and Third Brother are the same age—they even share the same birthday. In talent, martial arts, and looks, Luo Jingshen can't hold a candle to Third Brother. He can't even match the other princes."

"The only reason the Emperor made him Crown Prince is that he's the Empress's legitimate son, with Grand Tutor Su backing him. He just has a title because of his birth!"

"And Third Brother was born to Consort Li. Consort Li's maternal family is less powerful than the other consorts' families. Since giving birth to Third Brother, she has lived in Weiyang Palace, far from the Hall of Mental Cultivation, and has remained utterly out of favor for over ten years."

"But because Third Brother was too capable and stood out, she also caught the attention of the entire capital. Everyone praised Consort Li for raising such a fine son."

"In fact, three years ago, a rumor spread in the capital from a Taoist priest: 'Prince Ye, Luo Junhe, is destined to rule the world one day, rising like a crane's call to the heavens. Whoever is fortunate enough to marry Prince Ye will one day wear a phoenix robe, be adorned with gold, and be a motherly example to the world.'"

Ji Yuntang let out a faint, dismissive laugh. "Just a rumor. What does it prove?"

Luo Feizhou observed her calm, composed demeanor, seemingly uninterested in being mother of the realm.

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