Chapter 107

Chapter 107 Who’s Behind the Screen?

Before, Pei Luo’an was told that Pei Yuanjun wanted to marry Liu Xiangshan, the Guardian General Liu Xiangshan’s daughter. That lady had an eye problem too. The Crown Prince heard that Pei Yuanjun had brought Lady Liu to Old Lady Qu’s banquet. Lord Jing, his younger brother, was interested in her and wanted to marry her as well.

Not only Pei Yusheng, but he also wanted to marry Lady Liu too.

He failed to get military support from Ji Yongming before. If he could get it from Liu Xiangshan, it would benefit him. But he didn’t dare to pursue Lady Liu yet.

After all, his image in people’s eyes was the Crown Princess’s loving husband. If he showed his interest in Liu Lanxin now, it wouldn’t do him any good.

He couldn’t marry her, so Pei Yusheng couldn’t marry her either, let alone Pei Yuanjun.

Maybe he could use Fourth Lady Qu for his plan, who so happened to stay in the Eastern Palace now. It seemed that he needed to meet Fourth Lady Qu in private, giving her some support or making her family background better…

Qu Moying had no idea that a short talk with Pei Yuanjun made the Crown Prince notice her immediately. Luckily, she was just a weak lady who was not pretty or intelligent in other people’s eyes. She literally had no value to use. The only good thing she had was the engagement with Young Master Yongning, but it was broken off already.

The same evening, she was taken to meet Ji Youran.

The yard Ji Youran lived in was next to the Crown Princess’s yard with a smaller size, showing her status in the Eastern Palace.

From the location of her yard, it could be told that she was not as simple as she looked. She lived next to the Crown Princess to care for her. Moreover, she kept showing her respect for her cousin through her behaviors. In this way, people were more convinced that she moved into the Eastern Palace purely for her sick cousin.

But who would’ve known that Ji Hanyue died a long time ago under Ji Youran and Pei Luo’an’s calculation?

Meanwhile, they still pretended to treat Ji Hanyue better than anyone. Qu Moying’s eyes were filled with hatred now, but luckily, the veil hid all her emotions from others. Otherwise, Ji Youran would for sure notice her strange reaction!

She was led into the spacious main room. Seeing her enter, every maid quickly left, except for Ji Youran’s private maid named Shui Ning, who Qu Moying had met before.

She then recognized the wide screen consisting of eight boards. The screen was a painting about four seasons, looking elegant and exquisite but also familiar – it was from Ji Hanyue’s dowry. However, it ended up in her enemy’s room.

Not only the screen, but she also recognized some other delicate articles. They all reminded Qu Moying of the bracelet on Ji Youran’s hand that day, the one she took from her younger sister Yanyue, along with her life. Someday, she would let them pay back everything they owed her.

The blood must be paid by the blood.

“Good to see you, Your Royal Highness.” Suppressing the anger in her heart, Qu Moying walked up politely and curtsied to Ji Youran, who was sitting in the middle seat.

“Cousin, forget about the formalities. The Crown Princess’s cousin is my cousin. Please just call me cousin,” Ji Youran said softly while sizing Qu Moying up. Her mother told her that Fourth Lady Qu was difficult to deal with, but she didn’t think so.

If she was really a tough one, why her step-mother could easily frame her at the Crown Princess’s funeral?

Yue Wenhan probably acted too harshly, so her mother thought the person with him, Qu Moying, was tough too.

“Thank you for your kindness, Your Royal Highness. It’s too inappropriate for my identity. I think it’s better to obey the etiquette,” Qu Moying rejected her in a gentle voice. She was not surprised that Ji Youran wanted to meet her.

She stayed in the Eastern Palace specifically to give Ji Youran a chance to meet her.

The more Ji Youran wanted to make friends with her, the more conveniently she could carry out her plan.

After meeting her and Yue Wenhan, Xiao must’ve panicked and asked Ji Youran for help.

Qu Moying’s eyes glanced over the screen. Suddenly, she found that this screen looked a bit too large and didn’t fit the room size as if it was put there on purpose. A guess came across her mind – was someone hiding behind the screen?

If so, who would it be?

Judging by Ji Youran’s personality, the only possible person should be Pei Luo’an since people from the Ji Family had already left. Qu Moying’s heart started to pound in her chest. Why was Pei Luo’an here? Was he suspecting her?

But in the next second, she denied this thought immediately. No one could guess she was another soul reborn in Qu Moying’s body. There must be some other reason that she didn’t know.

It seemed that she had to be more careful when dealing with Ji Youran.

Ji Youran didn’t expect Qu Moying to reject her politely, feeling annoyed. However, she remained the amiable smile on her face, let Qu Moying sit down, and asked her maid to serve tea.

Then, Ji Youran slowly took a sip and said, “Cousin, the Crown Princess passed away, but our families can’t lose contact because of this. The Crown Princess’s cousin is my cousin.”

She pretended that she didn’t notice Qu Moying’s objection.

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.” Qu Moying still didn’t change the way she addressed Ji Youran. Her tone was perfectly polite but sounded indifferent.

“I heard that you want to visit my uncle tomorrow?” Ji Youran asked softly. Then she continued, “Your body hasn’t recovered yet. It’s better not to move too much. I will go back to the Earl Ling’an’s Mansion a few days later. How about we go there together?”

“No problem, Your Royal Highness.” Qu Moying’s voice was calm and obedient.

Ji Youran twisted her brows into a frown. Qu Moying’s attitude was totally different than what her mother said. As she expected, it was just her mother’s misunderstanding. Qu Moying must’ve just followed Yue Wenhan’s orders. Since it was inappropriate for Yue Wenhan to talk too much in front of females, he asked Qu Moying to speak for him, making her look tough.

It must be because of this.

“I heard that your engagement with the Marquis Yongning’s Family has been broken off. Is it true?” Ji Youran asked, showing concern in her eyes.

Qu Moying nodded at her.

“Your engagement was confirmed a long time ago. How can they just break it off like that? The way the Marquis Yongning’s Family handled it was so inappropriate. Don’t worry, Cousin. I will show them what’s justice,” Ji Youran sounded aggrieved, with a furious look on her face.

“Thank you, Your Royal Highness, but the past is the past now,” Qu Moying shook her head, not showing any emotions.

“How can you just let them go easily? Reputation is critical for a lady! Don’t worry. Even though the Crown Princess is gone, I won’t let anyone take advantage of you.” Ji Youran patted the table in rage. “I thought Young Master Yongning was a good man. It turned out he’s not what people thought.”

“Your Royal Highness, it’s all in the past now. My grandmother said our families used to have a good relationship, and it’s unnecessary to make a big scene. Otherwise, it will affect both families’ names. Young Master Yongning got engaged again already. We can’t ask him to break it off. It won’t do us any good,” Qu Moying said softly.

Her engagement with Xu Lipeng had been broken off, and her situation was gradually getting better now. If they made a big scene at this moment, it would be harmful to Qu Moying’s name and her family. As she expected, Ji Youran was an expert in this kind of thing – pretending to treat people nicely but harming them in actuality.

First, she encouraged Qu Moying to make trouble. Then, she would lend a hand when the problem became impossible to resolve to show her “kindness.”

By then, she would rightfully become Qu Moying’s lifesaver and could ask Qu Moying to do whatever she wanted. Even Old Lady Qu might be put under her control.

This kind of thing was very easy for Ji Youran. All she needed to do was ruin Qu Moying’s name and then find a decent husband for her. As the Crown Prince’s second wife, Ji Youran could just use her influence to make any family accept a lady who had a bad reputation.

In terms of Qu Moying’s life after she got married, Ji Youran would have nothing to do with it.

“How can you just let them have all the benefits? Cousin, don’t worry. I won’t let them take advantage of you like this anymore,” she pretended that she didn’t notice Qu Moying’s objection and said furiously.

Before meeting Qu Moying, she had made up her mind already. Although she felt bad letting her younger brother marry Qu Moying, it was still a good choice. She could just ask him to take her in as his second wife for the most. As her mother said, letting Qu Moying marry into the Ji Family would also pressure Yue Wenhan. Even if Qu Moying found anything suspicious, she wouldn’t tell anyone about it.

After all, Qu Moying had to share weal or woe with her husband’s family. It was a good idea!

“Your Royal Highness, after our cousin passed away, there must be many things for you to handle in the Eastern Palace. We are bound together because of our cousin. If you interfere with Young Master Yongning’s marriage, people would probably think you act a bit too aggressively. I’m afraid…your reputation will be affected by then!”

Since Ji Youran pretended she didn’t understand her objection, Qu Moying didn’t mind talking more straightforwardly.

Ji Youran clenched the hanky in her hand, almost losing her temper. How dare a vice minister’s daughter talk to her like that? She kept showing indifference while Ji Youran tried to make friends with her. Moreover, she even implied that Ji Youran didn’t have a rightful reason to interfere with her engagement.

On the one hand, she said Ji Youran was not her real cousin; on the other hand, she implied that Ji Youran was not the real Crown Prince in the Eastern Palace, which was the least thing Ji Youran wanted to mention. If the Crown Prince weren’t here, she would definitely give this blind girl a good lesson!

What a rude girl! How dare she say that in front of her?

Where did her courage come from?

Then Ji Youran remembered the Crown Prince’s cold face when he asked her not to make trouble again before Qu Moying came here. She suddenly felt afraid and gnashed her teeth.

What did the Crown Prince mean? Was he interested in that blind girl? With Qu Moying’s family background and identity as Ji Hanyue’s cousin, she was qualified enough to be the Crown Prince’s second wife.

If so, Ji Youran couldn’t show any hostility to her right now, especially when the Crown Prince was sitting behind the screen, listening to their conversation the whole time.