Ji Qingwu lowered her head obediently and remained silent while the Empress Dowager regarded her with cold eyes.
Aunt Fanghua, who stood to one side, stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty, the matter has yet to be investigated. Let’s not dishearten Fifth Missy. It was not long ago that she risked her own life to save the Princess."
During the royal hunt, Princess Qingyun had nearly lost her life, and it was all thanks to Ji Qingwu that she was saved. This life-saving debt cald the Empress Dowager sowhat. It was too soon to draw any final conclusions about who was at fault.
The Empress Dowager said with a stern expression, "Qingwu, stop kneeling. Sit down and answer ."
After Ji Qingwu rose, she took a seat on the right. For a fleeting mont, her gaze t that of Princess Yong, who was seated in a lower-ranked chair on the left.
However, Tao Wanxin was the first to look away, her eyes falling to the Floating Light Brocade on her shoes. She did not look up again.
Ji Qingwu sensed that sothing was amiss. The Empress Dowager’s expression had been normal when Aunt Fanghua ntioned Princess Qingyun, so ’it seed the Princess was fine.’
’But this look on Princess Yong’s face...’
She lowered her eyes, and as her gaze shifted, she began to form a vague guess as to why the Empress Dowager was so furious.
Aunt Fanghua ordered the palace attendants to pour tea, then personally poured a cup for the Empress Dowager. "Your Majesty," she said considerately, "please have so herbal tea to soothe your throat. Your servant noticed your voice sounded a little hoarse just now."
For the past few days, the Empress Dowager had been fraught with worry over Princess Qingyun’s health. But just as the Princess started to recover, a new problem cropped up in Prince Yong’s Mansion. Neither of her children ever gave her a mont’s peace.
The Empress Dowager lifted her teacup and took a sip, slightly calming the anger she felt upon hearing of the matter.
Ji Qingwu spared Aunt Fanghua a longer glance.
She hadn’t paid much attention before to this attendant, who, along with Shixi, served as one of the Empress Dowager’s personal aides. Thinking back, when Aunt Fanghua had co to the Ji Mansion to deliver the Eight Treasure Square Box, she had been quite friendly. Now, thanks to her few words of persuasion, the atmosphere in the hall had eased sowhat.
The Empress Dowager fixed her sharp gaze on the woman in the lower seat. "Wanyin," she began, "is what you told when you ca to see true? Have you deceived in any way?"
Tao Wanxin rose to her feet, and her maid, Yin Xiang, carefully helped her kneel. She replied in a gentle voice, "Replying to Mother, every word I have said is true."
The Empress Dowager looked at her belly, her feelings complicated. "You are with child, and the pregnancy is unstable. Get up. Don’t be so quick to kneel, you might harm the baby."
After sitting back down, Tao Wanxin let out a long sigh of relief. Things were going just as she and her maid, Yin Xiang, had predicted.
’Although it was unclear whether the Empress Dowager believed her, she wouldn’t be blad too harshly. For the sake of Prince Yong’s legitimate heir in her womb, she hadn’t even been forced to kneel.’
Hearing this, a muscle in Ji Qingwu’s brow twitched violently, and her gaze fell upon Princess Yong’s stomach.
’Tao Wanxin was pregnant. She had successfully conceived. This should have been a joyous occasion, but the Empress Dowager was clearly more worried and furious than she was happy.’
The Empress Dowager’s brows were now furrowed deeply. She turned to Ji Qingwu. "I summoned you to confirm sothing. Did you give Princess Yong a prescription to condition her body and treat her infertility?"
’Many people at Hanshan Temple had seen her et with Tao Wanxin.’
Ji Qingwu did not hesitate, nodding frankly.
"I did."
Upon hearing her admission, the Empress Dowager beca so enraged that she slamd her hand on the rosewood table beside her throne, sending tea splashing across the floor.
Overco with fury, she rebuked, "That prescription has a major problem! It will damage a man’s..." She paused, as if the words were difficult to say, then rephrased. "It affects a man’s ability to produce heirs! Did you know that?!"
Ji Qingwu lowered her eyes, her feelings a mixture of joy and worry.
’At this point, she could confirm it: Tao Wanxin had indeed used the second prescription.’
’Prince Yong’s body was now damaged. His ability to have children was affected. For the rest of his life, he could no longer womanize and ruin young maidens, nor could he ever try to lay a hand on her again.’
Ji Qingwu’s plan had succeeded. A brief flash of joy rose in her heart.
But it sank just as quickly.
’Now she faced a huge problem. She had assud Tao Wanxin would handle this matter discreetly, cleverly fabricating so excuse to explain it away.’
’But the matter had been brought before the Empress Dowager, and by Tao Wanxin herself.’
’This was a part of the plan she hadn’t fully considered. She never expected her chosen ally to betray her.’
Ji Qingwu looked at the woman sitting opposite her, a flash of confusion in her eyes. But before she could speak, Princess Yong stared at her face and began to speak, her voice laden with sorrow and resentnt.
"Qingwu, I thought of you as a sister. That day we t in the ditation room at Hanshan Temple, you gave two prescriptions—one to condition my body, and one to help conceive."
As she spoke, she rose to her feet as if overco with emotion, her voice trembling slightly.
"But you never told the second prescription had such a terrible side effect! After I used it, the Prince’s health... he’s no longer as vigorous as he once was. He can no longer perform his marital duties. You have caused to commit a terrible mistake!"
At this emotional peak, Tao Wanxin dabbed at her eyes with a scented handkerchief, a picture of pure misery.
Her maid, Yin Xiang, glanced at the Empress Dowager’s expression and pleaded, "Your Highness, you are with child, and it is still early in your term. You must not cry like this. Please be careful of the baby."
The Empress Dowager’s brow furrowed even more deeply. "Quickly, help your princess sit down."
’This was Princess Yong’s first pregnancy, and she was carrying the Prince Mansion’s legitimate heir. If Prince Yong could no longer perform his duties as a man, this would be her only legitimate grandson. With things as they were, no matter how furious the Empress Dowager was, she wouldn’t take it out directly on Tao Wanxin. She could only wait until the heir was born safely before settling the score.’
’The only available outlet for her anger was this niece of hers—the one who looked so docile but had, in fact, committed no small number of rebellious acts.’
If the atmosphere and setting weren’t so inappropriate, Ji Qingwu might have laughed out loud. This master and servant duo, with their perfectly coordinated performance, had the Empress Dowager completely fooled.
The Empress Dowager asked sternly, "Qingwu, is it as Wanyin says?"
’If things were truly as Princess Yong claid—if Ji Qingwu had dared to ddle in the affairs of Prince Yong’s Mansion and plot against her own son—she would never be forgiven.’
’Since they had set their stage here in Cining Palace, Ji Qingwu supposed she had no choice but to play her part in their drama.’
She tilted her head to look at Tao Wanxin, her eyes clear and bright, and asked in a puzzled tone, "Your Highness, what are you talking about? Why would I ever do such a thing?"
Tao Wanxin was fully prepared for her denial. Full of confidence, she said assuredly, "Qingwu, if you had told from the start that this prescription would harm the Prince’s noble person, I never would have used it."
’Princess Yong was claiming she didn’t know about the side effects?’
’Fine.’
’Then I’ll feign a little amnesia of my own.’
Ji Qingwu sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she rely blinked her eyes innocently. "I truly do not understand what Her Highness ans. I beg the Empress Dowager to judge this matter clearly."
The Empress Dowager, who had been observing her reaction, saw her straightforward denial and a flash of confusion crossed her own eyes. After all, Ji Qingwu truly had no reason to harm Prince Yong.
’One must hear both sides to understand the truth.’
With doubt in her heart, the Empress Dowager asked, "Qingwu, now you will tell . What exactly happened?"
Ji Qingwu’s mind drifted back. At Frost Bell Pavilion in Hanshan Temple, when the prescriptions were exchanged, only the two of them had been present.
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