"Cousin Qu, what happened? What's going on? Why are there so many people here?" A surprised voice came from behind the crowd.
Everyone looked up and saw several people coming. The one who was the center of attention, dressed as gorgeously as a goddess, was none other than Ji Youran, the concubine of the East Palace.
Ji Youran was known to most of the people present, but the status of the current Concubine Ji was very different from the previous one. Everyone had to bow when they saw her.
Qu Moying also stood up with everyone else and bowed sideways.
Ji Ceran took a step forward and extended his hand affectionately: "Cousin Qu, it's such a commotion here, is someone bullying you?"
She asked softly with concern in her eyes. The two strands of long hair falling from her temples did not suit her face. They made her originally delicate face look a little sloppy and even greasy. Her head shape was not suitable for this hairstyle.
As for the reason, it was naturally the scar on her cheek.
As if inadvertently stepping back and avoiding Ji Youran's hand, Qu Moying shook her head: "Thank you for your concern, Concubine. I'm fine!"
“How can you be okay? I heard clearly from the back just now that the Fourth Miss He who is next to County Lord Jingyu seems to have been causing trouble for you.... for what reason?” Ji Youran lowered his hand, his face full of concern.
Miss He Si's face flushed red, but she didn't dare to respond. After all, the other party was a concubine of the Eastern Palace. Even if she relied on the power of King Jing, she could not bully her.
"County Lady Jingyu accidentally fell into the lake. She thought someone pushed her and asked me if I saw it." Qu Moying said with a decent smile on his face.
This was said very directly, but it also pointed out that the reason why Fourth Miss He was so aggressive just now was all because of Liu Jingyu.
Everyone suddenly realized and looked at Liu Jingyu with some suspicion. They were only concerned about Fourth Miss He and had forgotten the most important point: it was Lady Jingyu who started this matter, but no one thought of her.
Is it true that Fourth Miss He is too stupid, or does she have ulterior motives
"Even if it's because of the matter of County Lord Jingyu, you can't bully people like this." Ji Youran's face darkened, and he turned to the side of Miss He Si, and said with a bit of anger in his voice, defending Qu Moying, "Miss He Si, are you trying cousin Qu as a criminal? Even if cousin Si didn't see it, it doesn't matter, right?"
"I... I just asked, I didn't mean anything else!" Fourth Miss He explained with a blushing face.
She couldn't be arrogant in front of Concubine Ji. Even though she had just arrived in the capital, she had heard of Concubine Ji's name.
"It doesn't mean anything. So many young ladies are surrounding my cousin... What does it mean? Could it be that so many young ladies didn't see it, but my cousin must see it?" Ji Youran said coldly.
What she said was very well-pointed. Although she did not point to Liu Jingyu directly, the implication was that Liu Jingyu, with so many young ladies from aristocratic families, stopped Qu Moying and bullied others!
Qu Moying looked delicate from the beginning. Not to mention her thin figure and weak body, the long thin veil covering her face made her look even more fragile, as if she would be broken by a slight breeze. In addition, there were so many people on Liu Jingyu's side, so it seemed that Qu Moying was being bullied.
"I'm afraid Concubine Ji has seen it wrong. We are just asking about what happened to Fourth Miss Qu. Everyone is very concerned about this matter, so they gathered around to talk." Liu Jingyu couldn't pretend anymore and had to raise his head and face Ji Youran.
Even though she looked down on Ji Youran in her heart, she was not the Crown Princess yet, while Ji Youran was the Crown Prince's concubine in full rightful name.
“I saw it wrong
"But I just heard it clearly. Cousin Qu is the Crown Princess's cousin, so she is also my cousin. When the Crown Princess was around, she was most worried about Cousin Qu, so I naturally had to help take care of her, otherwise I would have trouble facing the Crown Princess in the future!" Ji Youran said righteously, as if he was determined to protect Qu Moying.
If she was just a concubine of the crown prince, no one would say anything even if Liu Jingyu expressed a little indifference. After all, if Liu Jingyu married into the crown prince's mansion, she would be the crown prince's principal wife, which would happen to be above Ji Youran. But now, Ji Hanyue, the crown princess, is far superior to Liu Jingyu.
Even if Liu Jingyu successfully married into the Eastern Palace, she would still be the Eastern Palace's consort. Even if the crown prince became the emperor someday, the position of empress would be reserved for Ji Hanyue. Not to mention her position here, just looking at the crown prince's deep love for her, the only one who could be buried with the crown prince in the future would be Ji Hanyue.
Just for this reason, Liu Jingyu didn't dare to look down on Ji Hanyue, at least he didn't dare to show any slackness in front of others.
She had to keep respecting him.
"Your Highness, your words are too polite. I was just asking for clarification." Liu Jingyu had to show weakness and explain again. She was secretly resentful in her heart. She was going to be the principal wife in the future, but now she was being controlled by a concubine.
As he spoke, he walked in front of Qu Moying, with a guilty look on his face, "Miss Qu Si, if there is anything I have done just now that has caused you to misunderstand, please forgive me."
Qu Moying dodged her greeting by moving sideways. Although the smile on her face looked fragile, it was very appropriate. Of course, this so-called fragility was always other people's thoughts. Miss Qu Si had never felt that she was fragile.
"Jingyu County Lord, I'll say it again, I really didn't see anyone pushing Jingyu County Lord. At that time, the ladies around Jingyu County Lord should have been these few, right? Why does Jingyu County Lord insist that I explain it to you?"
These words had a deeper meaning. The faces of the young ladies standing next to Liu Jingyu changed slightly immediately, and they looked at Liu Jingyu with vigilance. Even though they depended on Liu Jingyu, it did not mean that they were willing to take the blame, especially when Ji Youran, an outsider, was present at this time.
"Lord Jingyu, what exactly is going on? Why don't you let me help you judge it?" After hearing what Qu Moying said, Ji Youran's smile also became warmer.
"No need, Concubine Ji!" Liu Jingyu refused.
She was going to be the principal wife in the future, but she asked a concubine to help her solve problems. How could she gain a legitimate position in the Prince's Mansion in the future? The Prince would think she was incompetent.
"County Jingyu, you don't have to be polite. Since this matter concerns cousin Qu, I will take it on her behalf." Ji Youran had no intention of giving up. She came here today just to find an opportunity to slap Liu Jingyu in the face.
Right now, she pretended to know nothing just to embarrass Liu Jingyu. She used Qu Moying's affairs to find a reason for herself to intervene. Anyway, the prince also asked her to get closer to Qu Moying.
The most important thing is that when she came here just now, she first went to see Princess Changyu, and happened to meet His Royal Highness the Crown Prince who was also at the Princess's place. She also sent someone to find these young ladies first, and she already knew that this Lady Jingyu had had a dispute with Qu Moying, so she brought the Crown Prince here together. But now the Crown Prince is not in the distant pavilion.
She raised her eyes and looked calmly at a courtyard on the left side of the pavilion. The door was slightly ajar. She had just come from here, but the people here were making a lot of noise and no one noticed. Now, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was standing behind this door. Ji Youran had just tried it. From that position, the sound of quarreling here could be heard clearly.
"I dare not trouble Concubine Ji!" Liu Jingyu felt a little embarrassed and his expression turned cold.
"It's not a big deal. I can help Cousin Qu and avoid...
Cousin Qu just arrived in Beijing and doesn’t understand much.” Ji Youran said good-temperedly.
Liu Jingyu was so angry. Why was Ji Youran so sticky and he couldn't get rid of her? She was really annoying.
She took a deep breath and suppressed the anger in her heart. Today, she fell into the lake and lost her usual composure for a while, which allowed Ji Youran to take advantage of this incident to control her.
"Concubine Ji, the matter is over. There is no need to mention it again." Liu Jingyu's face looked ugly. She was suppressing her anger. The handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a ball. She wished it was Ji Youran's face. How could a little concubine have such a big face to dare to argue with her? When she entered the Eastern Palace one day, she would have a hard time.
"The matter has nothing to do with Cousin Qu?" Ji Youran asked with a smile.
"It doesn't matter!" Liu Jingyu was very annoyed. He didn't want to argue with Ji Youran anymore, so he turned around and was about to leave.
"County Lady Jingyu." How could Qu Moying let her leave like this? No one else noticed just now, but Yu Dong had already noticed where Ji Youran came out from, and had already reported it to Qu Moying in a low voice.
Qu Moying also noticed the courtyard that Ji Youran looked at from time to time.
"What's the matter?" Liu Jingyu turned around reluctantly, but still had to show a gentle smile on his face.
"Lord Jingyu, I really didn't see it!" Qu Moying reiterated.
"It's normal that you didn't see it. I misunderstood." Liu Jingyu said with a wry smile and was about to leave. She didn't want to argue with Qu Moying about this kind of thing here at all. She had a bad feeling about it.
"Lord Jingyu County!" Ji Youran spoke and called the person to stop.
"What's the matter?" Liu Jingyu could hardly hold it in any longer.
"Since nothing happened, that's the best! I always thought County Lady Jingyu was very considerate, and now she's so dignified and sensible." Ji Youran said with a smile, and it sounded like he was praising Liu Jingyu.
But Liu Jingyu was so angry that her hands and feet were cold. If she had not been in such an embarrassing situation, she would have been happy to hear such words. But she had clearly fallen into the lake in such an embarrassing situation. Although she had changed her clothes now, anyone could see that she could not help but blame Qu Moying just now.
Not only do these situations have nothing to do with so-called dignity and decency, they also make people feel they are a mockery.
Liu Jingyu wanted to slap the blind Ji Youran twice, but she also knew that she couldn't do that at the moment, and she was not worthy of doing so. She was still only the Lady of Jingyu County, not the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace.
After taking a deep breath, Liu Jingyu's face finally became a little stiff. Even with her sincerity, her smile was cold and a little stiff: "Thank you, Concubine Ji, but why is Concubine Ji here today? Could it be that Princess Xiangrong also invited Concubine Ji?"
These words already contained a hint of uncontrolled sarcasm.
If it were in the past, even if Princess Xiangrong wanted to invite someone, she would have invited Ji Hanyue, after all, Ji Hanyue's status was high enough. The second branch of the Ling'an Marquis's Mansion was not on the same level as the first branch.
Now, it is even more impossible for Princess Xiangrong to invite her. The young ladies from the noble families present are all unmarried, and Ji Youran has already entered the Eastern Palace, so it is not appropriate to invite her no matter how you look at it.
Since she wasn't invited, that means she came uninvited
Liu Jingyu had suffered repeated setbacks today and was now a little angry. After saying this, he looked at Ji Youran with a cold look.
Qu Moying curled the corners of her lips calmly. As expected, when she asked Yu Dong to go to Ling Anbo's mansion to deliver the message, she already knew that such a scene would happen.
Liu Jingyu is a ruthless person, and so is Ji Youran. What's even more interesting is that their interests are on opposite sides...