Chapter 101

Chapter 101 The Drama in the Altar Room

“Sister Ming, His Royal Highness may have already known that you were punished. Moreover, you can’t possibly reach him right now.” The maid looked anxious.

“It’s okay. His Royal Highness must be in the altar room currently. Let’s go there,” said Ming Xian’er while gnashing her teeth. She wouldn’t allow Ji Youran to get all the benefits – getting rid of her and earning a good name at the same time. “Do we still have the mourning clothes they gave me yesterday?”

“Yes, I put it in a cabinet yesterday,” the maid said hurriedly.

“Have you washed them?”

“Not yet. I was too worried about you and didn’t have time to do any laundry,” said the maid. She had been wandering around the woodshed for the whole night, thinking about how to rescue Ming Xian’er. After she woke up this morning, she was called away to do some work. Then she finally had a chance to sneak out.

“Go clean the stain on the mourning clothes immediately and bring them to me. It doesn’t matter if the stained part is still wet,” said Ming Xian’er.

“Sister Ming, leave it to me!” The maid quickly wiped her tears off and ran outside. She didn’t understand Ming Xian’er’s intention, but she trusted her unconditionally. In her eyes, Ming Xian’er was a brilliant woman, and any solution she came up with must be a good one.

Meanwhile, both Pei Luo’an and Ji Youran were in the altar room.

The longer Pei Luo’an stayed in the altar room, the more profound people would think his love for Ji Hanyue was, which would only bring him more benefits. Ji Hanyue’s father was Ji Yongming, Earl Ling’an, the Suppressor General, who was as influential as Liu Xiangshan, the Guardian General, in the military field.

The affection Pei Luo’an showed to Ji Hanyue would make those military men have good impressions of him.

It also could prevent people from suspecting him of murdering Ji Hanyue and Ji Yongming.

Regardless of what Qu Qiuyan had done before, he had to stay with Ji Hanyue’s coffin anyway. More than that, he planned to remain in the altar room two days in a row and then pretend to pass out due to exhaustion on the second day. In this way, he would secure his image of a loving husband.

Ji Youran was here with him too, wearing a veil to cover her swollen face. After what Qu Qiuyan did, she had to keep an eye on the Crown Prince, even though her face was temporarily disfigured.

To show her grief for Ji Hanyue’s death, Ji Youran knelt on the same spot where Qu Moying knelt before and burned the paper money while sobbing. Many guests had already heard the rumors that Vice Minister Qu’s wife designed a scheme to set up her step-daughter, and Princess Ji was unluckily involved. Those madams immediately noticed the veil on Ji Youran’s face upon entering the altar room, which helped them confirm the rumors. Seeing her still staying with her cousin’s coffin after her face was injured, they naturally grew more respect for her. People all inwardly praised her for being a kind woman and a loving cousin.

Right now, the funeral came to its later stage. People who were not high-level officials or related to the Crown Prince or the Crown Princess could enter the altar room to mourn. So, the formalities were not as complex as before.

The guests only needed to make their greatest obeisance to the Crown Princess’s coffin and leave immediately to make room for the next group.

Meanwhile, a herd of people was waiting outside of the altar room.

Although the whole space was crowded, the atmosphere was still very solemn and deadly silent as no one was making any noise.

As funeral music spread in the air, people in white mourning clothes all wore sorrowful looks on their faces, quietly going in and coming out.

Suddenly, a woman ran in and broke the silence with a desperate look on her face. Her mourning clothes were in a mess, even with a large water stain on them. People were startled by the abrupt noise and raised their heads to stare at her in shock.

Two guards rushed out from the porch and blocked Ming Xian’er, who was about to break into the altar room. They pulled out their swords and pointed them at her face.

Ming Xian’er knelt on the ground in front of the stairs leading to the altar room and started to yell, “Your Royal Highness, help! Your Royal Highness, please help me! Princess Ji wants to kill me!”

Knowing the Crown Prince wouldn’t show up, she still directly accused Ji Youran without any hesitation.

People all looked at each other in shock, but no one dared to utter a word. What on earth was going on? Who was this woman? The Crown Prince’s concubine?

How was it possible that a concubine showed up here?

Why did she say that Princess Ji wanted to kill her? It was known that Princess Ji was a virtuous woman who moved into the Eastern Palace only to care for her sick cousin, which was requested by the Crown Princess.

And Princess Ji didn’t want to marry the Crown Prince initially, but Old Lady Ji insisted. When she moved into the Eastern Palace, she even cried, feeling reluctant. After Ji Youran married the Crown Prince, she devoted herself to nursing the Crown Princess and managing family affairs. In people’s eyes, she was a perfect example of a good wife for all noble ladies. Even she was unluckily involved in the Qu Family’s drama just now, she still chose to accompany the Crown Prince in the altar room.

People couldn’t help but wonder what on earth did Princess Ji do to make this woman interrupt the funeral and yell at the Crown Prince for help so desperately.

“Your Royal Highness, Princess Ji is going to kill me! Please save me!” Ming Xian’er continued to scream. As an opera performer, her voice was very piercing when she used all her strength.

“What?” Pei Luo’an couldn’t ignore such a noise. He frowned, “Someone, go take a look at what is happening.”

Surprised by Ming Xian’er’s sudden appearance, Ji Youran raised her head and answered with a hoarse voice, “I’ll go, Your Royal Highness.”

Before Pei Luo’an said anything, the guard he sent out had already returned. “Your Royal Highness, Miss Ming is wailing outside, saying that Her Royal Highness…wants to kill her. She is asking for your help, Your Royal Highness,” the guard cautiously picked his words, feeling cold sweat on his back.

“What’s going on?” Pei Luo’an asked Ji Youran coldly.

He had been in a bad mood already. He didn’t do anything with Qu Qiuyan, but the look Ji Youran gave him before was so sad and aggrieved. Although she didn’t say anything, he could tell the distrust in her eyes, which meant she was suspecting him. Ji Youran really believed that he did something shameless with Qu Qiuyan in front of Ji Hanyue’s coffin, which annoyed him a lot.

He had held the exasperation for a while and couldn’t vent it out.

Even though Ji Youran came to accompany him later, he still stayed in silence. He didn’t want to talk to her at all, not even for defending himself.

Unfortunately, trouble found him again.

“I have no idea why she said that, Your Royal Highness. I’ll go take a look,” Ji Youran said softly while standing up with a maid’s help.

“No need. I’ll go by myself.” Pei Luo’an waved his hand impatiently.

Ji Youran’s face looked stern and irritated behind the veil. She didn’t expect Ming Xian’er to make a big scene here. After she found out which bitch released her from the woodshed, she would make sure to beat that person to death.

“Your Royal Highness, I’ve already informed you about what Ming Xian’er did. She walked around in the Eastern Palace without wearing the mourning clothes sent to her, showing no respect for the Crown Princess. I’ve asked someone to give her ten strokes with a heavy stick as punishment,” Ji Youran hurriedly explained. She feared that Pei Luo’an would believe what Ming Xian’er would say later.

Clearly, Ming Xian’er didn’t hold any good intentions, interrupting the funeral rudely and saying things like that.

Fortunately, Ji Youran had informed the Crown Prince about Ming Xian’er’s misbehavior yesterday. After the Crown Princess’s death was announced, Pei Luo’an had been in a bad mood and didn’t have time to think about Ming Xian’er, which was a perfect chance for Ji Youran to get rid of her. Although the Crown Prince treated Ming Xian’er pretty well, he didn’t have any reaction after hearing what Ming Xian’er did and agreed to let Ji Youran deal with her.

Ji Youran’s plan was to starve Ming Xian’er for two days after beating her. Then she would let someone get her out of the Eastern Palace and secretly kill her. Ji Youran could just say Ming Xian’er ran away by herself to easily distance herself from this trouble.

In her eyes, a low-life opera performer like Ming Xian’er would never have the qualification to become the Crown Prince’s official concubine. But in the next second, Ji Youran heard Pei Luo’an scolding her sternly, “Can you even not tolerate a low-life concubine like her?!”

“Your Royal Highness, I…I don’t know what you are talking about,” said Ji Youran in anger and annoyance.

“Do you really not know? I understand that you didn’t want someone hold a better position than you. But not even Ming Xian’er?” Pei Luo’an’s voice was cold. After finishing his words, he immediately strode outside, not even bothering to cast a glance at Ji Youran, who was trembling.

Tears formed in her eyes and almost dropped down.

The implication in his words was too much for her to take right now. In shock, she wobbled and almost fell to the ground. A maid next to her hurriedly walked up to steady her, “Your Royal Highness.”

Ji Youran took a deep breath to suppress the boiling emotions in her heart and then said slowly, “Help me. I want to go outside.”

She couldn’t back up and soften her attitude facing a low-life woman right now, letting people gossip about her life. Her goal was to become the Crown Princess, a position that the Crown Prince had promised her already. She was only one step away from it and would never allow her name to be ruined at this critical moment.

Kneeling next to the stairs, Ming Xian’er was sobbing pitifully. She raised her head and stared at the Crown Prince with her watery eyes while begging him, “Your Royal Highness! Your Royal Highness, please save me!”

“What’s the matter?” Pei Luo’an’s face still looked fatigued. Right now, it was showing some displease as his eyes fell on Ming Xian’er.

“Your Royal Highness, someone sent me a smudged set of mourning clothes yesterday that I couldn’t wear. On my way to the embroidery workshop to change them, I ran into Her Royal Highness. Her Royal Highness blamed me for disrespecting the Crown Princess and asked someone to beat me up. Then she locked me in the woodshed, not giving me any medicine or food. I would’ve died earlier if I didn’t overhear the two guarding maids’ conversation by accident. Your Royal Highness, please help me!”

After hearing her words, people noticed the bloodstains on her white mourning clothes and put a meaningful look on their faces. Still, no one dared to make a sound, but they all subconsciously moved in shock. The whole solemn scene suddenly became a bit messy.

Was this woman the Crown Prince’s concubine? Did Princess Ji really want to kill her?

Was it what this woman meant?

If it was the truth, that would be so strange. In people’s eyes, Princess Ji was the most virtuous, graceful lady who dedicated herself to nursing the Crown Princess. She hadn’t even slept with the Crown Prince like a real married couple. People all thought she only wanted to take care of her cousin and didn’t care about being the Crown Prince’s wife.

Nor did she love the Crown Prince.

However, things didn’t seem as simple as they heard.

She punished a concubine that the Crown Prince liked and even designed a scheme to kill her? Regardless of other people, the Crown Prince himself wouldn’t allow a concubine to show any disrespect for the Crown Princess. Unless…unless he actually didn’t love the Crown Princess as profoundly as he looked.

People all stared at each other in shock. They were still in silence, but many guesses had crossed their minds.

Almost everyone believed what Ming Xian’er said since no one would risk her life just for telling a lie here.

Then it meant either Princess Ji wanted to set up this concubine favored by the Crown Prince, or the Crown Prince had been pretending to be the Crown Princess’s loving husband. Either one of the possibilities was shocking enough.

“What did the two guarding maids say?” Pei Luo’an asked sternly.

“No medicine, no food? How is that even possible? I’ve told the guarding maids to give them to you. I even ordered them to release you around dinner time.”

Ji Youran’s voice came from the altar room. She slowly walked out with her maid’s help, looking feeble.