"Your Highness, Miss Xiefeng requests to see you." A eunuch came in to report.
"No see." Pei Luoan waved his hand with a gloomy face.
"Your Highness, Miss Xiefeng said that she has something important to tell you that can relieve your current worries." The eunuch lowered his head and said one more sentence timidly.
There was a jade pendant in his sleeve, which was just given to him by Xie Feng. If it weren't for the jade pendant, he wouldn't have dared to say a second word.
But it was just one more sentence. If His Highness was not interested, he would not say anything more. No matter how good the money was, one had to be alive to get it.
"What can she do?" Pei Luoan snorted coldly.
Seeing that Pei Luoan's attitude was not so tough anymore, the eunuch immediately smiled and said flatteringly: "Your Highness, I heard that it is related to the former Crown Princess and the Concubine. I dare not ask more."
Regarding the matter of the former Crown Princess, everyone around Pei Luoan knew that they should keep their mouths shut, as the more they spoke, the more mistakes they would make.
Pei Luoan was silent for a moment, then said coldly: "Let her in."
The eunuch went downstairs and brought Xiefeng in soon.
As soon as she entered the room, Xie Feng fell to her knees and said, "This servant greets His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!"
"Why did you come out?" Pei Luoan lowered his eyebrows and looked at her, and said coldly. Of course he knew that Liu Jingyu had put Ji Youran under surveillance.
Originally thought that Ji Youran could escape this time, but did not expect things to get to this point. Pei Luoan was worried and felt that Ji Youran was a fool. She could not even get things done in her own house as planned, and she could not even deal with an old woman. Why did he think she was capable and loyal in the first place
I entrusted all the things to her!
“I… I ran away secretly, Your Highness, I… have something important to report to you. It was the concubine’s idea.” Xie Feng wiped away her tears and said with red eyes, looking flustered and uneasy, revealing a bit of weakness.
Originally, she wanted Mingxin to do it. Mingxin was not locked up, but unfortunately, since Mingxin secretly said a few words to her that day and reminded her of this method, she never came again. She didn't know if she was delayed by something or was under house arrest by the Crown Princess. After all, she was just the youngest maid, and there were the most third-class maids like her in the Crown Prince's Mansion.
Not to mention that the Crown Princess was out, even if the steward who was watching the Crown Princess's face took action, Mingxin would be in trouble.
"How dare you disobey the Crown Princess' order." Pei Luoan said sternly.
Xie Feng was so scared that she kowtowed twice to Pei Luoan, then she explained while shedding tears: "Your Highness, I am the former Crown Princess's person. I followed the former Crown Princess into the palace. It was because of the former Crown Princess that I returned to serve the Concubine. Now the former Crown Princess is gone. If... if the Concubine gets into trouble again, I will never be able to face the Crown Princess again in my grave."
These words were full of affection and were consistent with her previous behavior. She didn't seem like she was lying or making excuses. Instead, she seemed like a truly loyal maid who was risking her life to protect the person her master wanted to protect only because her master was gone.
Xie Feng sobbed helplessly and timidly, and for a moment it seemed as if he could not breathe. He felt extremely wronged and helpless.
"What does the former Crown Princess mean?" Pei Luoan asked solemnly.
"Your Highness, I have
I have been guarding the small mourning hall and the Crown Princess, but the Crown Princess appeared in my dream and told me that the Concubine was in trouble and asked me to help. I didn’t believe it at the time, but she kept appearing in my dreams, and then the Concubine was in trouble. I thought this was it, but I didn’t expect it to be now. "
Xie Feng wiped away his tears and tried hard to explain.
"Then... why didn't you tell me before?" Pei Luoan was skeptical.
"I feel that the Crown Princess is no longer here. The past is over, and the new Crown Princess has entered the palace. As the maid of the former Crown Princess, I'd better not say too much." Xie Feng felt more aggrieved, and his voice trembled.
When Liu Jingyu entered the palace, she became the former Crown Princess. Speaking of the former Crown Princess, it would be really unpleasant if the new Crown Princess knew about it.
"Then... why are you saying it now?" Pei Luoan asked with inexplicable suspicion. Originally, he believed in such things very much. As long as he brought in Ji Hanyue's dream or something like that, he would feel soft-hearted and sad.
But now after Ji Youran’s fake pregnancy incident, it was difficult for Pei Luoan to believe it immediately after hearing it as he did before.
"I don't want to see the concubine get into trouble. Your Highness, please save the concubine. If she is kept in prison like this... she might really die."
Xiefeng started crying again and wiped her tears vigorously with a handkerchief.
"What nonsense! The Crown Princess only asked her to stay at home and not to go out. How could she die?" Pei Luoan said, waving his sleeves.
"Your Highness, the Concubine said she can explain the rumors outside. She and the former Crown Princess are best sisters, so how could she harm the former Crown Princess? She has evidence to prove that she and the former Crown Princess have the best relationship. As long as this is proven, the rumors about Concubine Ji will be cleared up, and no one will doubt the Concubine or the Eastern Palace anymore."
The biggest consequence of this incident is that it makes people doubt Pei Luoan, which is also what makes Pei Luoan most uneasy.
The conflict on the surface now is Ji Youran, but what about further down the line
"What proof does she have?" Pei Luoan asked with gloomy eyes.
"Your Highness, do you still remember the blood jade bracelet in the hands of the former Crown Princess?" Upon hearing Pei Luoan's next question, Xie Feng hurriedly wiped away the tears from his eyes and asked anxiously.
"I know!" Pei Luoan said slowly.
He had seen this bracelet more than once. Ji Hanyue had been wearing it. It was a relic of the Dayue clan. Ji Yanyue also had one in her hand. Moreover, this blood jade was extremely good. Not to mention that it was priceless, it was also one in a million. It was almost impossible to find a pair of identical ones.
"Before she married into the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess had already given this blood jade bracelet to the Concubine. Later, the Concubine found the Third Miss's jade bracelet, and they happened to make a pair." Xie Feng explained in an orderly manner. This was the reason that she and Ji Youran came up with together.
"Given to Concubine Ji before the wedding?" Pei Luoan was half-believing and half-doubting. He thought that the blood jade bracelet was broken into pieces in the lake under Lord Linyuan.
The situation was too chaotic on the wedding day, and he was preoccupied with other things, so he didn't really pay attention to whether Ji Hanyue wore it when she got married.
"Why did the Crown Princess give such a precious blood jade bracelet to Concubine Ji?" Pei Luoan asked again.
"At that time, the Crown Princess didn't know that something was going to happen. She and Concubine Ji had always been on good terms.
It will be inconvenient for Concubine Xin to enter the palace in the future, so she… left this blood jade bracelet behind." Xie Feng cried.
Pei Luoan's heart was stabbed hard, as if something hurt so much that he couldn't breathe. His chest also felt stuffy. He closed his eyes tightly, then slowly opened them, with a dark color surging in his eyes.
How could Ji Youran take Ji Hanyue's blood jade bracelet without making a sound? In his grave, Ji Hanyue must hate Ji Youran, right
What about me? Do I hate myself too
But what did he do wrong? It was all Ji Yongming's fault. It was Ji Yongming who harmed Hanyue. It was Ji Yongming who was ungrateful. Can he still be blamed
The fist on the table was clenched tightly, and the suppressed voice became a little hoarse: "What does Concubine Ji want to do now?"
"What the concubine wanted was to find a time when everyone is together and show the pair of blood jade bracelets to show that the three sisters of the Ji Mansion loved each other. It was definitely not like what was said outside, that the concubine behaved improperly and angered the Crown Princess, making her sicker and sicker, and that's what happened in a fit of rage."
When Xie Feng heard the meaning of Pei Luoan's words, he knew it would work, and hurriedly continued.
The main rumor outside now is that Ji Youran had an ambiguous relationship with the prince before, and not only did she behave inappropriately, but also because of Madam Ji's selfishness, she sent her to the Eastern Palace when Ji Hanyue was seriously ill. The purpose was of course to send Ji Youran to the position of Crown Princess after Ji Hanyue passed away due to illness, so as to ensure the honor and favor of the Ji family.
But Ji Hanyue was still alive at that time, so how could she not understand the purpose of the Ji Mansion sending Ji Youran here? She also said that Ji Youran's behavior was indecent, and she wanted to anger Ji Hanyue to death so that she could take the position herself.
The various meanings of these words, of course, were about a rivalry between sisters, and in the end Ji Youran won. Ji Hanyue had been in poor health to begin with, and she was so angry that she died of anger and illness.
Then, Madam Ji was secretly attacked at such a critical moment and almost killed. Now I heard that she has been rescued, but she suffered a stroke.
If Ji Youran were to show that she and Ji Hanyue had a sisterly relationship from the beginning, these things would happen one after another and people would not be able to contact Donggong anymore.
This is indeed a good idea.
"When does Concubine Ji want to show up in public?" Pei Luoan was silent for a moment and asked. Now he didn't trust Ji Youran so much.
"The Concubine wants to go see Madam Ji first, and then gather the members of the Ji family. As the person in charge, I want the Ji family to investigate the matter and give Madam Ji an explanation. No matter who secretly attacked Madam Ji, they will be punished if they are found out."
Xie Feng suggested, this was of course Ji Youran’s suggestion.
"She is just a concubine, how can she be the head of the family?" Pei Luoan was not confused this time, and sneered, "Although Madam Ji is her grandmother, she is also the grandmother of the Crown Princess. With her... she is not qualified."
"Your Highness... what... what do you mean?" Seeing Pei Luoan getting angry, Xie Feng was shocked. He didn't dare to say anything more and asked cautiously.
"Go back and report to Concubine Ji, and ask her to be quiet for a few days. I will take charge of this matter. As for the rest... ask her to prepare first." Pei Luoan said slowly. This matter should indeed be done, but how to do it best and most naturally is also a problem. Ji Youran is not up to the task...