Dou Quan was just about to go carry out his orders when he heard a woman shouting loudly from the outside. What on earth?
“What is it?” Jing Yi asked.
Dou Quan stretched out his head to take a look. He saw Ji Muqing rus.h.i.+ng into the courtyard with her red wedding robes trailing on the ground behind her and her hair in disarray. “Your Highness, it’s Her Ladys.h.i.+p.”
The minute he heard that, Jing Yi’s brows knitted harshly together as he grimaced in disgust. Just as if he had eaten a piece of sh**!
Behind Ji Muqing was Chen Xiang. Unlike the former, the latter was striding along leisurely as they entered the room.
Ji Muqing dashed into the room and glared with red-rimmed eyes at the calm Jing Yi as she questioned loudly, “You clearly married me, so why are you treating me like this?”
Jing Yi glanced dismissively at her. “Treat you like this? How did this prince treat you?” Feigning ignorance!
“Yesterday was our wedding night, yet you left me alone in the marital chamber the whole night. Such humiliation…” She sniffed again as tears welled up in her eyes.
“My Lady, this prince had important matters to handle last night, and thus was unable to celebrate our wedding with you. This prince was at fault, but now that you’re a Prince Consort, you should conduct yourself more appropriately to your station. It’s a small matter that you came to question this prince early in the morning, without changing your clothes; but just look at your appearance - how is that appropriate for a Prince Consort?” A slap in return! Jing Yi wins the match!
At the chidding, Ji Muqing suddenly realised how bedraggled she currently was; she looked exactly like a stereotypical shrew. She was instantly struck speechless and started backing away.
In contrast, Cheng Xiang was dressed neatly with a composed demanor that exuded a n.o.ble air. As they stood next to each other, they were obviously diametric opposites; one looked like she had escaped from a National Geographic wildlife special; the other looked like she walked out of a haute cuisine food doc.u.mentary. [1]
Chen Xiang t.i.ttered with coy complaints, “Your Highness, this concubine already told Younger Sister just now, that Your Highness was busy with important matters and couldn’t go. However, Younger Sister just refused to listen and insisted on coming over. n.o.body could stop her.”
What?
She started to console Ji Muqing again, “Younger Sister, the days ahead are long; why care so much about what happened yesterday? Now that you’ve rushed over so rashly, the entire household would surely be rife with rumors about your misdeeds. Won’t you have disadvantaged yourself then?”
“Go away.” Ji Muqing shoved her harshly.
Cheng Xiang staggered backwards and lowered her eyes indignantly, “What’s wrong, Younger SIster? I’m merely trying to advise you; why must you be so violent towards me?”
“Don’t think I don’t know how gleeful you are inside at my misfortune.”
“We are sisters from now on; why would you say that?” Chen Xiang sniffed delicately, with tears in her eyes. She took several delicate steps toward Jing Yi and sat down at his side, then took the opportunity to wrap her hands around his arm and whined in distress, “Your Highness, this concubine knew that Younger Sister spent yesterday alone in her marital chamber and would surely feel uncomfortable, so I wanted to go speak to Younger Sister. I didn’t expect that Younger Sister would instead think that this concubine had gone maliciously in order to mock her. It’s too unjust!”
Ji Muqing immediately denounced it. “You stop playing the victim here.”
“I truly wanted to visit Younger Sister out of concern.”
“Enough.” Jing Yi cut them off. His eyes started to twitch in vexation as he looked unhappily at Ji Muqing in front of him. “My Consort, this prince didn’t visit the marital chamber because I was otherwise occupied and drank too much last night. Don’t mind it too much; we have plenty of time in the future. Treat last night as this prince’s oversight for not considering your feelings; I will be more careful in the future.” His head hurt.
Hearing the conciliatory words and tone from Jing Yi, Ji Muqing’s temper abated a little. She pursed her lips and looked tearily at that lovey-dovey ‘adulterous couple’ in front of her, she felt as if needles were stuck into her heart. Ji Muqing forcefully swallowed her indignation down and replied, “Your Highness, please forgive this concubine for her impulsive actions.” As she spoke, she glared viciously at Chen Xiang.
However, Chen Xiang was not intimidated at all and instead sent a smug smile back at her.
Jing Yi waved a hand in dismissal, “My Consort did not do that deliberately. Just be more aware of your actions and behaviour in future.”
“This concubine takes her leave.” Ji Muqing waved her sleeves and stormed off in a huff.
Behind her, Chen Xiang’s crisp and bright laughter rang out. She leaned against Jing Yi and ma.s.saged his shoulders. “Your Highness, would there be trouble if the Ji brothers hear about how you’re neglecting her?”
He scoffed. “This is the Prince Yi Estate. It’s easy for some news to travel in, but difficult for news to travel out.”
“This woman truly has no sense of propriety. You’re the prince and she’s a mere consort who thinks that just because she could rely on her two brothers to back her up, she can act so arrogantly to everyone as she pleases.”
“She has people to back her up, but you don’t. So you better don’t create any trouble that might vex this prince, or this prince won’t let you off.” Jing Yi pinched her cheeks.
Chen Xiang smiled shyly and quickly answered, “This concubine has been with Your Highness for so many years, don’t you know what kind of person this concubine is? Why would I create trouble for Your Highness?”
“It’s exactly because I know how you are, that I would believe that you would go visit the Prince Consort solely to mock her.”
“Didn’t this concubine do that in fear that Your Highness would forget the virtues of the old when faced with the smiles of new people?” She angled her willow-like brows in an exaggerated sniff.
Jing Yi held her hands. “What nonsense are you sprouting? She’s merely a chess piece to this prince. If I didn’t want to borrow the might of the Ji brothers, this prince wouldn’t even give her a second look.”
“What about me?”
Jing Yi lowered his eyes to look at her and smirked as he pinched her chin. “You? You’re still not qualified to be this prince’s chess piece.”
Chen Xiang smiled and wrapped her own hand around the one grasping her chin. “But this concubine wishes to be a chess piece in Your Highness’s hands; who knows, I could even help Your Highness ascend to the throne earlier.”
Hah! Jing Yi flung her chin aside. “I already said that you’re not qualified.”
Chen Xiang was undeterred. She turned her head and noticed the things on the table. Curious, she stretched her hand out to pick it up as she asked, “Your Highness, what is this?”
Before her fingers could even tough it, Jing Yi blocked her hand. The smirk on his face turned into a stern stare. “This prince has told you before that you can neither touch nor ask about these things. Have you already forgotten?”
A s.h.i.+ver ran down Chen Xiang’s body. She quickly replied, “This concubine hasn’t forgotten.”
“Alright. This prince still has important matters to take care of. Leave us.”
His mood had changed faster than one could turn a page! Chen Xiang was extremely obedient. She wasn’t as pigheaded as Ji Muqing, but instead knew when to advance or retreat, read the atmosphere, and even guess at Jing Yi’s hidden intentions.
Thus, she stood up and bowed, “This concubine bids farewell.”
As she left, Jing Yi suddenly reminded her, “It’s fine if you play around, but don’t go too far.”
What his words implied, were that she could give Ji Muqing a hard time, but she shouldn’t create a big fuss.
“Don’t worry, Your Highness, this concubine knows what to do.” She smirked secretly as she left.
[1] Yeah, this is a bizarre a.n.a.logy to me too. But author says so...?