Ji Muqing’s smile was beautiful as a painting, seemingly harmless!

But suddenly, her gaze darkened, a glimmer of light gathering as she stared at the woman before her.

Her smile also disappeared without a trace.

This made Chen Xiang’s heart tighten, her body leaning back an inch.

Ji Muqing curved her lips. “If Prince Yi ascends the throne in the future, what will become of you?”

Her voice was cold and chilling.

Chen Xiang’s teeth felt cold. “If Prince Yi ascends the throne, I will be the Empress.”

“Empress?”

How laughable!

This woman was too laughable.

Ji Muqing knelt on the ground, her hands propped on the damp straw on either side, her body slowly leaning forward, her eerie eyes staring at the woman before her. “What is your status? What qualifications do you have to sit on the Empress’s throne? Prince Yi wants power and to solidify his position. The Empress candidate must be either a general’s daughter or a high minister’s daughter. As for you, in the end you’ll only become like me—a chess piece kept by his side. No, you can only be considered half a piece. Once that half piece’s usefulness is exhausted, you’ll also taste my suffering. In fact, you’ll suffer even more than me.”

She gritted her teeth, speaking these words one by one.

Chen Xiang angrily grabbed her shoulder. “Look at yourself—how disgusting! I’m different from you. I’m carrying Prince Yi’s child, the future Crown Prince. But you? You’re only fit to stay in this kind of place for the rest of your life, until snakes, insects, rats, and ants gnaw the flesh from your body bit by bit. You will never, ever compare to me.”

With those words, she flung her away!

Ji Muqing fell backward heavily, her back hitting the wall, her spine making a loud thud.

Yet she threw her head back and laughed loudly, the laughter echoing through the dark, damp woodshed, eerily frightening.

She repeated over and over, “You’ll receive retribution, you’ll receive retribution…”

Chen Xiang stood up, looking down at this woman who had already gone mad, and left in angry frustration.

From far away, she could still hear Ji Muqing’s eerie laughter…

Returning to the courtyard, Chen Xiang remained unsettled.

The words kept echoing in her ears…

“What is your status? What qualifications do you have to sit on the Empress’s throne? Prince Yi wants power and to solidify his position. The Empress candidate must be either a general’s daughter or a high minister’s daughter. As for you, in the end you’ll only become like me—a chess piece kept by his side. No, you can only be considered half a piece. Once that half piece’s usefulness is exhausted, you’ll also taste my suffering. In fact, you’ll suffer even more than me.”

Yes, she was a chess piece.

After being used, she could be discarded at any time!

Moreover, the one holding the chess piece was Jing Yi. She wasn’t a general’s daughter, nor was she a high minister’s daughter. She could not sit on the Empress’s throne.

Thinking of this, her heart felt uneasy. She touched her belly, which didn’t yet show, hoping to safely give birth to the young heir, which would eliminate all worries and any possible bad things that might happen.

Even more, she hoped for the favor that came with bearing a son.

At this time, Jing Yi also received news.

Dou Quan reported, “Prince Rong and his party suddenly changed direction on their way back to the capital and went to Marquis Kang’s manor in Jingzhou.”

“Marquis Kang?”

“Moreover, Marquis Kang sent people to escort them and invited them to his manor. By rights, Prince Rong should immediately return to the capital rather than going to Jingzhou City.”

This…

Jing Yi paced, muttering, “He went to Marquis Kang’s place? Not many people know about the secret edict. How would Marquis Kang know Jingrong was returning to the capital? What exactly is that old fellow scheming?”

“Your Highness, why don’t I send people to investigate?”

“No.” He immediately stopped him. “Jingzhou is Marquis Kang’s territory. Don’t be fooled by that old fellow’s idle appearance—his eyes are incredibly shrewd. As soon as our people enter the city, he’ll immediately detect them.”

“Then what do we do now?”

“This prince doesn’t believe that Jingrong and Marquis Kang can play any tricks!”

Someone who had long ago lost his influence at court, relying on a few thousand private soldiers to swagger around Jingzhou City, borrowing others’ power—what capability could he have?

Jing Yi was completely without guard!

He suddenly thought about it, his mind settling on another matter. Counting the days, it had probably been three days now.

He summoned a young maid and asked, “How is the Princess Consort now?”

The maid shrank her head. “Replying to Your Highness, the Princess Consort hasn’t made any fuss these past few days.”

Had she come to her senses?

Jing Yi considered that Chen Xiang’s body had also recovered sufficiently, and the heir in her womb was also without major problems, so he ordered:

“Bring the Princess Consort here.”

“Yes.”

Soon, Ji Muqing was dragged over without any pity and thrown to the ground. Her emaciated body lay limply against the cold, hard floor.

It hurt her bones terribly!

This woman emanated an indescribable odor, extremely foul. Her hair was disheveled with several pieces of straw mixed in. Her originally magnificent clothing was also filthy and torn in several places—was it torn by herself? Or gnawed by rats?

Jing Yi was filled with disgust.

After a long while, the person on the ground finally squirmed, her ten fingers curling and pressing hard against the floor, her dirt-covered nails turning white from the pressure.

Ji Muqing raised her head, meeting that gaze filled with hatred wishing to kill her and disgust.

Did he hate her this much?

Heh heh.

She bared her teeth in a grin, half-propping up her body, asking, “Are you going to kill me? Or release me?”

Her tone was cold and clear.

“This prince won’t kill you yet.”

“Then you’re going to release me?”

“Your eldest brother works for this prince. How could this prince mistreat you? Moreover, you are now the Princess Consort—a noble status.”

Heh heh!

Ji Muqing laughed inwardly. She really wanted to crawl up and tear apart the face of the man before her, to see beneath that hypocritical facade just how much selfishness and desire was hidden that could make a person become so twisted.

But she just crawled up to sit on the ground, giving Jing Yi an eerie smile.

“These three days, I’ve finally figured out one thing.” Her long nails painted with henna scraped across the floor one stroke at a time, making a sound that set one’s scalp tingling.

Jing Yi narrowed his cold, sinister eyes but didn’t interrupt her actions, wanting to hear what this woman had to say.

The corners of her lips curved upward on both sides as she tilted her head, her voice deep and somber. “That night at the palace, I received a note sent by the Crown Prince, asking me to meet him at the side gate of the Eastern Palace. But I was already the designated Crown Princess—what harm would there be in the Crown Prince waiting a few days? Yet how coincidental—I had barely left when I was knocked unconscious. When I woke, I was lying in bed with that man. Even more coincidentally, the moment I opened my eyes, a group of eunuchs rushed into the room and brought me before Consort Xiao.” She wondered aloud, “How could there be so many coincidences that night?”

Of course it wasn’t coincidence.

She smiled with self-mockery, her eyes showing sudden clarity: “In this world, where are there so many coincidences! Actually, it was all a setup—a setup you and Consort Xiao worked together to create. To gain my eldest brother’s and second brother’s influence, you thought of every method to prevent me from participating in the Crown Princess selection, just so I would marry you and become your chess piece!”

That last sentence, she shouted out.

Her bloodshot pupils were filled with hatred and murderous intent.

After hearing her words, Jing Yi’s bamboo-like eyebrows raised slightly. “Your understanding now is not too late.”

Not too late?

Far too late!

If she had understood earlier, she wouldn’t have been played in the palm of this man’s hand, yet still had to kowtow in gratitude that he would marry her “unclean” body.

The only blame—

She had been too foolish before!