This action nearly brought tears of fury to Ji Muqing’s eyes.

Her hands clenched the bedsheets tightly, but even though her anger was overwhelming, reason managed to suppress her impulse. She knew that she was now a princess consort, and with every word and action, countless people were waiting to see her make a fool of herself. And the person most eager to see her humiliated was the woman standing right before her.

No!

She had to endure it.

So, she slowly pushed down the fire burning in her belly and controlled her tone as she said, “You’ve looked now. This consort is fine. You may leave.”

That was quite a rapid change in attitude.

Chen Xiang was secretly scheming in her heart as she said, “But Cailan said that sister, you took a fall. A fall can be either minor or serious. No matter what, we should still call for a physician to examine you properly.”

“That’s not necessary.”

“It would be more prudent to have a look. What if…”

“I said it’s not necessary!” Ji Yunshu’s tone grew heavier as she pointed toward the door. “Leave immediately.”

“Sister, why must you be so stubborn? Being injured isn’t something shameful. Don’t worry—if you’ve hurt yourself anywhere or damaged your appearance, I won’t tell the prince, and I won’t spread it around either.”

“Are you annoying or not?” Ji Muqing was truly losing patience. She threw back the covers, got directly out of bed, and stomped her feet heavily on the floor several times, saying to Chen Xiang, “You see? I’m fine.”

Seeing her like this, Chen Xiang couldn’t help but laugh. This woman truly wasn’t fit to be Princess Yi’s consort. Compared to herself, she fell far short.

No, not just far short—she had no qualification to even be compared with her.

She was clearly just a fool.

Chen Xiang covered her lips with her handkerchief, concealing her smile, then said, “I’m glad sister is alright.”

“Then you can leave now.”

“In that case, I won’t disturb sister’s rest any further.”

Ji Muqing glared at her fiercely and was just preparing to get back into bed when, completely off guard, Chen Xiang secretly extended a foot and tripped her.

“Ah!”

With a sharp cry, her body pitched straight forward. There was nothing within reach to support herself, so she could only plunge headfirst downward.

A loud “thud.”

Her head struck heavily against the bedpost, and her knees hit the ground with a muffled thump.

Chen Xiang, who was closest, hurried over pretending to help her up kindly, but just as she had lifted the person halfway, her hands loosened.

This caused Ji Muqing to fall heavily down once more. This time her shoulder crashed against the edge of the bed, and even her bones made a cracking sound.

Never mind seeing it—just hearing that sound alone was enough to make one’s heart skip a beat.

All the maids in the room froze, standing there helplessly watching their mistress fall twice in succession.

“Ah!” Ji Muqing sat on the floor, the pain making her eyes turn red.

Only then did the maids snap out of their daze and hurry forward to carefully help her up from the floor.

One asked, “Princess Consort, are you alright?”

Her head had been knocked dizzy, stars danced before her eyes, and her legs were so weak and sore she couldn’t stand straight.

Then—

She fainted.

Unconscious.

The maids in the room were all terrified.

But—

Chen Xiang laughed darkly in secret.

Before long, news of the incident spread throughout the prince’s manor. Several physicians were urgently summoned to examine her injuries, prescribing many medicines that were brewed bowl after bowl and forced down her throat.

This matter naturally also alarmed Jing Yi. He originally didn’t want to go, but considering that the entire manor knew about it, if he didn’t go take a look, it would seem somewhat improper.

So he dragged his leisurely steps over.

Upon entering the room, he saw Chen Xiang keeping watch at the bedside, looking at the unconscious Ji Muqing on the bed with a face full of worry.

Seeing him arrive, Chen Xiang hurried forward. “Your Highness, sister is truly pitiful. She was already injured from a fall earlier, but then insisted on getting out of bed. When she lost her footing, this happened. Fortunately the physician said she’s alright, otherwise what would we do?”

Jing Yi glanced at the person on the bed and coldly uttered a sentence: “As long as she won’t die, it’s fine.”

Of course, it would be best if she didn’t die.

Otherwise, how could he continue to use the Ji family brothers?

Chen Xiang pulled at him. “Your Highness, why don’t you stay? If sister wakes up and sees you first thing, she’ll surely be very happy.”

He had only come to make an appearance and didn’t have so much idle time to spend accompanying this kind of woman. Just as he was about to refuse—

Ji Muqing on the bed actually woke up!

“It hurts so much!” She frowned, touching her forehead with one hand and discovering it was wrapped in bandages, while her other hand seemed difficult to move.

Chen Xiang hurried forward. “Sister, you’re awake?”

“You… you stay away!” Ji Muqing reacted as if seeing her father’s murderer. She turned her head to the side and saw Jing Yi standing beside her bed. Immediately, as if grasping a lifeline, she said, “Your Highness, you must help this consort!”

She cried in grievance and struggled to sit up from the bed.

Jing Yi could only inquire perfunctorily, “Is the princess consort alright?”

“Your Highness, it was this venomous woman who tripped me!” A finger pointed fiercely toward Chen Xiang sitting at the bedside.

Chen Xiang froze for a moment. Those fine, long eyebrows furrowed tightly, looking extremely wronged. Her body leaned back, her face full of surprise. “What are you saying, sister? How could I push you?”

“You extended your foot and tripped me.”

“How can you make such false accusations? Just now when you fell, I even reached out to help you up.”

“Help me? You clearly wanted to harm me!” She looked toward Jing Yi and said, “Your Highness, every word this consort speaks is true. You must help me!”

Chen Xiang also cried, lowering her head and sobbing delicately, using her handkerchief to secretly wipe away tears. That appearance, like a beauty in distress, made one feel heartache at just a glance.

Jing Yi remained expressionless. He couldn’t favor either side, especially not in front of everyone’s eyes.

He asked Ji Muqing, “Do you have evidence?”

“Cailan saw it.” She looked toward Cailan standing not far away. “You must have seen it then. Tell me—tell the prince that it was this woman who extended her foot and tripped me.”

Caught in the crossfire while lying low!

Cailan trembled as she stepped forward, raising those panicked eyes. She glanced at her mistress, then at Chen Xiang who was lowering her head and wiping tears.

For a long while, she said nothing!

Ji Muqing grew anxious. “Speak up! Say that you saw it then—that she tripped me.”

Jingrong also said, “Tell us, what exactly happened?”

“This servant…”

In that moment, Cailan thought of many things. She had been closest at the time and had indeed seen Chen Xiang extend her foot to trip the person. But if she said now that she had seen it, she would offend the secondary consort. If she said she hadn’t seen it, she would offend the princess consort.

She couldn’t afford to provoke either of them!

But then she considered from another angle—earlier on the way back, Chen Xiang had held her hand intimately, which was far better than Ji Muqing slapping her across the face.

Thinking this way, she gritted her teeth and said, “In response to Your Highness, this servant did not see it!”

What!

Ji Muqing was shocked, her eyes looking at her personal maid in disbelief. This was the maid she had raised by her side since childhood, brought from Jinjiang to the capital, and from the General’s Manor to Prince Yi’s Manor. Even if she truly hadn’t seen it, she should have said she did!

This maid was courting death!

“Cailan, what are you saying? You clearly saw it then.”

“Princess Consort, this servant didn’t see it. I only saw you take a fall, the secondary consort reached out to help you up, but you pushed her away and fell down again.” Her words came fluently and clearly, sounding extremely smooth.

As if it were the truth.