Chapter 190
"Whatever you call wealth, let's get down to business."
Zhaocai couldn't help but look at Concubine Qian again, and got a nod from her. When he looked away, he accidentally saw the look in Ji Yunqing's eyes.
She was startled and quickly lowered her head, not daring to look again.
However, others only thought that she was going to see Ji Yunqing, and no one cared about this scene.
Zhaocai lowered her head and thought to herself that Master Ji was usually very kind to the maids and had a good temper. This time, she was the one who let her master down.
If she has the chance in the future, she will definitely repay Master Ji.
After thinking about this repeatedly, Zhaocai finally felt less guilty.
After clearing his throat, Zhaocai began to speak.
"My Lord, a while ago, I found that my master often lost his appetite and laughed for no reason. Later, my master started making this pair of boots."
She frowned slightly, as if lost in memories.
"The master made it very attentively, never using other people's hands. Every stitch and every thread is very delicate. At first, I thought it was made by the master specially for the prince, so I never paid much attention to it."
"But later, after the master finished making the boots, he actually asked the maid to secretly take the boots out of the house. In this way, these boots were definitely not made for the prince.
I thought that I couldn't let you be deceived, so I dared to say it out loud. I hope you won't blame me, maybe she was just confused for a moment."
After saying this, she bowed her head again.
The princess immediately scolded him: "How dare you! Do you know what crime it is to slander your master?"
Zhaocai's tone was filled with fear and anxiety, as if she was sincere: "Every word I said is true. Princess, you can send someone to check. Sister Xuancao asked for leave that day and was originally going to leave the house. Later, I found out, so Sister Xuancao asked me to run errands."
Xuancao is a maid who often follows Ji Yunqing around. This is something that everyone in the mansion knows.
The princess looked at Ji Yunqing and said, "Concubine Ji, this little maid is very convincing. She is also a maid in your courtyard. What do you think about this matter?"
Ji Yunqing sighed, put down the grapes that she had been stroking for a long time, stood up and said: "Princess, this maid didn't say a word that was true."
Zhaocai raised his head, his eyes widened, as if he couldn't believe it: "Master, why do you say that? I saw it with my own eyes."
"What did you see with your own eyes? You saw me making boots with my own hands? Can I make boots? Do I have the ability to do so?" Ji Yunqing asked a series of rhetorical questions, and his arguments were very convincing.
He was clearly exposing his own weaknesses, but he said it with confidence.
Zhaocai kowtowed again and said in a crisp voice: "Master, please don't hide it anymore. These boots are indeed made by you. What are you afraid to admit?"
She secretly laughed at her master for being desperate and trying all kinds of methods. Is there any woman in the world who can't do needlework?
Even if you don't know how to make difficult patterns, at least you should know some simple ones. Otherwise, how can you make clothes, shoes and socks for your husband in the future?
"I didn't make it, so what can I admit? The prince never received the clothes I made, not even a purse. Isn't this proof?"
The King Zhao who was mentioned looked down at the woman who looked righteous.
He spoke slowly: "This prince has indeed never received anything from Concubine Ji."
After saying that, he seemed to be reminded of something and looked at Ji Yunqing: "Concubine Ji, you can make a set of clothes for me when you have time. Don't go out and play around on weekdays."
what?
Let her make clothes?
Ji Yunqing was extremely shocked. Why were they giving her such difficult problems?
She waved her hands repeatedly: "No, no, no, Your Majesty, I can't do it. Let other sisters do it. I'm really not good at sewing."
King Zhao decided on his own: "Since you have no objection, then I want to see the clothes you made by yourself before the end of the year and before New Year's Eve."
He placed great emphasis on “you did it yourself”, indicating that he wanted her to do it herself and not allow anyone else to help.
It is Mid-Autumn Festival now, and we have to wait until New Year's Eve to see the finished product. The person working on it is a person who has never made clothes before.
If this were for an experienced person, it wouldn't be a problem at all, but for Ji Yunqing.
The time is really tight and the task is heavy!
Ji Yunqing tried to struggle: "My Lord, the time is too tight..."
Winter meant she had to make thick clothes, and she wondered if she could hold off until next summer, in which case she could make thinner ones, which should be easier.
Seeing how embarrassed she was, King Zhao curled his thin lips and smiled happily.
I just want to make the time tighter, to see how she can still hook up with people everywhere!
Ji Yunqing didn't know King Zhao's sinister intentions, but she knew that her excuses were like farts in King Zhao's ears and had no meaning at all, so she could only agree.
Anyway, it's not for her to wear. When it's ready, you can take it if you want.
Thinking of this, Ji Yunqing said quietly: "My Lord, please don't regret it when the time comes."
Concubine Qian couldn't bear to see that they were clearly talking about serious matters, but the two of them seemed to be flirting, and kept saying "before the end of the year", as if neither of them took the affair seriously at all.
She pinched the handkerchief in her hand and spoke boldly: "Prince, let's hear what Zhaocai has to say. What if Concubine Ji is lying?" Zhaocai has clearly presented the evidence, so why doesn't the prince believe it?
"Your Majesty, who can't make a pair of boots?"
King Zhao's face darkened: "Qian, that's enough!"
"It's just a boot that I got from somewhere. Anyone can do it. You'd better have more evidence!"
Ji Yunqing said without any fear: "Your Majesty, I can't do it, so why should I lie? Your Majesty, you have to believe me. If I really know how to make clothes and boots, I will definitely make them for you every day, because you deserve it!"
"It's a pity that I can't make it. Alas, even if it's Qian, I can make clothes, shoes and socks, but I don't know why I don't make them for you every day? Do you think you are not worth it?"
Ji Yunqing’s analysis was very good, but Qian Shiqi, who was called out by name, hurriedly explained.
"Your Highness, it's not like that. I don't think you are unworthy..." It's not like she hasn't given the prince shoes and socks before, but the prince never wore them.
She's not crazy, how can she do it every day?
The concubine Wang, who was standing next to her, secretly poked the concubine Qian with her finger, with a hint of impatience in her delicate eyes.
idiot!
Who told you to say this?
Concubine Qian finally came to her senses, with cold sweat on her back. She glared at Ji Yunqing with resentment, blaming her for deliberately changing the subject.
"Your Highness, this little maid has another important piece of evidence, which is said to be a letter."
"Yes, yes, yes," Zhaocai nodded quickly: "There is indeed a letter, the master put it in the study, and I occasionally heard the master say a few words, but after the slave was discovered, the master stopped the topic and didn't say any more."
Concubine Qian was so excited that her voice was a little unstable, with a hint of sharpness: "Do you know where the letter is?" As long as this comes true, let's see how Ji Yunqing can still be so arrogant!
It’s written in black and white, how can she argue?
She clearly entered the mansion later than her, so how could she give birth to a child earlier than her?
Her mother gave birth to several children, and she was obviously the one who should get pregnant and become a concubine!
Zhaocai shook her head weakly and said, "I can't read, so I don't know what's written on the letter. I only know that the master is very precious, but I can't find the exact location."
She still had something in mind. She couldn't tell what was written in the letter since she couldn't read.
If anything unexpected happens, she can respond accordingly.
Concubine Li chuckled and looked at Ji Yunqing's face which had become silent for some reason. Her mood, which had made her very angry with Ji Yunqing before the banquet, finally improved a lot.
"How easy is that? Just search the study thoroughly. What can't you find?"
Ji Yunqing frowned slightly: "No need to search, I have never written such a thing. Besides, why would I write a letter that can be used as a handle? It would be so bad if it was discovered by someone."
Seeing Ji Yunqing's refusal, Concubine Li smiled and wanted to speak, but was interrupted by Zhaocai's thin voice.
"No, that letter was not written by the master, but by a stranger. It is said that there is a poem in the middle, and the master often whispers a few lines, which is why the traces were revealed to the outside world."
Hey!
There are poems!
Seeing this development, Concubine Cen's eyes flashed, but she didn't say anything, just waited for the dogs to bite each other.
Concubine He looked like she was enjoying the show, she was waiting for Ji Yunqing to get into trouble.
He dares to take her seat, but he doesn't know his own worth and whether he can sit firmly in the seat!
"You maid, you said before that you heard a few words occasionally, and now you say you heard some poem. It's simply nonsense. Could it be that you made it up?" Concubine Jian mustered up the courage to refute.
Concubine Qian immediately retorted: "What's the big deal? I heard about the letter first, and then I heard her recite a few poems. This girl is smart and remembered it in her heart. How normal!"
Concubine Jian was not good at speaking, and there were so many people here that she was confused for a moment and could not react at all. She could only angrily say, "You...you..."
Ji Yunqing glanced at Concubine Qian and said sarcastically, "How can this girl be as smart as Concubine Qian? She can associate anything she hears with others. People with such a heart think everything is dirty!"
Concubine Qian wanted to refute, but she opened her mouth several times and couldn't think of how to refute.
There was no way. Ji Yunqing’s fighting power was too strong. Concubine Qian could still remember the conflict before the banquet clearly.
King Zhao said calmly: "That's enough."
No one spoke anymore at the scene.
King Zhao summoned Eunuch Shi and ordered him to search.
Eunuch Shi responded respectfully.
Ji Yunqing immediately realized that they were going to search her own courtyard, and immediately applied: "Your Majesty, since Concubine Qian has reported me, then for the sake of fairness, Concubine Qian's courtyard should also be searched, as well as the maid on the ground..."
The maid on the ground refers to Zhaocai.
How can you search your own yard?
Concubine Qian's face changed drastically.
"Your Majesty! I have not had an affair with another man, so there is no need to search me."
Ji Yunqing didn't care about that: "They are going to search my yard, it would be great if they could search Concubine Qian as well, Your Majesty, this is just a matter of convenience."
"Your Majesty, I don't have anything to search!" Everyone knows that searching a yard is not a good thing, not to mention that her yard...
Ji Yunqing added fuel to the fire: "Your Highness, you see she is guilty. She is hiding things from you. This shows that she doesn't take you seriously. It's not like my yard. Your Highness can check it as many times as he wants!"
The atmosphere was so tense that Ji Yunqing winked at Prince Zhao in front of everyone, her tone full of meaning: "Your Highness, you can check on me anytime, otherwise tonight -"
"Ji Shufei!"
"Ji Yunqing!"
"Ji!"
Several people at the scene shouted in unison.
King Zhao glanced at the women present and said in an unhappy tone: "Don't talk nonsense!"
The princess saw that King Zhao only gave her a light rebuke and had no intention of punishing her. She was very unhappy and said, "Your Majesty, Ji Shi behaved in a rude manner in public. If you don't punish him, I'm afraid someone will follow suit."
Although she didn't mind the prince having many women, everything has a limit. What she couldn't accept was that the prince was too special to a certain woman.
"What do you think, Princess?"
Seeing the prince's casual attitude, the princess felt relieved, hoping that she was just misjudging it.
"Your Majesty, Ji Shi's behavior is probably because she hasn't read enough of "The Rules for Women". Why not..."
Let her copy the book
King Zhao nodded and said: "In this way, Ji Shi will be punished by reading the "Nujie" three times aloud every morning as a warning to others."
Read aloud?
The princess was stunned: "...Ah?"
Asking a weak woman to take a book, or the "Rules for Women" that she was punished to read, and recite it aloud three times every morning?
Which woman can bear this?
Who can read it?
Just thinking about that scene, if the princess were punished like this, and if someone happened to see or hear it, the princess would want to die of shame and anger.
After hearing this, the princess began to rethink. Could it be that the prince not only disliked Ji, but was also dissatisfied with her?
Otherwise, how could they come up with such a solution?
The princess secretly guessed that it seemed that the dissatisfaction was quite great.
She looked at Ji Yunqing with pity.
But since the prince has spoken, she naturally will not interfere.
It would be even better if Ji Yunqing completely fell out of favor because of this.
She already has a child, so it doesn't matter if she falls out of favor.
Just at this moment, Ji Yunqing's pair of eyes as clear as autumn water looked over and happened to meet the princess' eyes.
A very light and shallow light flashed in those almond-shaped eyes, but when he saw the princess, he still tried very hard to bend his eyebrows and revealed a sweet smile.
The princess looked away, looking pitiful.
She casually discussed with Prince Zhao: "My Lord, is this punishment too severe? How about changing it?"
King Zhao glanced at Ji Yunqing, whose eyes were full of resentment. Had he really gone too far?
Just as he was about to change his words, an idea suddenly struck him.
Why did the princess suddenly speak well of Ji?
Is it...
His face immediately darkened, and his tone was 1800 degrees off: "It's really not good to study only in the courtyard. So, take advantage of the daily greetings to study in the main courtyard.
Also tell the other people in the mansion to listen carefully and behave properly."
Go to the main courtyard to study?
The princess was now truly incredulous.
Who is being punished for this?
She wanted to say, "Your Majesty, why don't you let Ji go to your courtyard to study?"
But the princess didn't dare.
The princess was silent. She said tactfully, "Your Majesty, isn't this inappropriate? We can't let the other sisters in the mansion watch Ji Shi study alone, right?"
If that were true, wouldn't it be so embarrassing?
After this, who would have the face to go out?