“If you were a man, everyone would compete to have you as their retainer.”

“Retainer?”

Jingrong nodded, “You’re so clever. Not only can you handle the dead, you even have methods for dealing with the living. Such a person, naturally everyone would want to compete to have you as their retainer.”

“What about Your Highness?” Ji Yunshu looked at him, her eyes thoughtful as she asked, “Does Your Highness also wish to take me as a retainer? To help you rise to power?”

Rise to power?

Hearing those two words, Jingrong smiled bitterly, “I’m not Jing Yi.”

Yes, he wasn’t Jing Yi. He didn’t want to get involved in this factional struggle.

Didn’t want to fight to the death!

Only to end up with both sides suffering and a disastrous conclusion!

Ji Yunshu just smiled and said nothing.

The lantern in her hand was already finished. On the white paper surface, she had used red pigment to create a delicate, lifelike plum blossom branch, with pale pink petals connected one to another.

It was extremely beautiful!

She carried the lantern out of the room, took a bamboo pole from the corner of the house, lifted it up, and carefully hung the lantern on the eave corner.

Looking up at the lantern, her gaze slightly somber, she said lightly, “Sometimes, many things are actually beyond our control. The path heaven has arranged for you, even if you try hard to avoid it, in the end you’ll still walk that path, regardless of whether you want to or not.”

Hearing her words, Jingrong remained silent.

Ji Yunshu turned around, meeting Jingrong’s settled gaze, and continued, “From the moment Your Highness was born, you were destined to be caught in this whirlpool. Even if you’re unwilling to compete, in the end you’ll still compete. The story of dragon sons fighting for the throne has always proven true.”

Uh!

“So you think that one day, this prince will also become like Jing Yi?”

“I don’t know!”

Her answer was straightforward!

Indeed, she truly didn’t know. But she knew that as an imperial prince, one could never live a peaceful and calm life.

She turned away again, standing beneath the eaves, looking up at the lantern she had just hung.

Jingrong silently stepped forward, standing beside her, saying nothing.

Neither of them wanted to break this moment of tranquility.

But at this moment in Consort Xiao’s palace, waves were being stirred!

Crash—

The teacup shattered on the ground with a clatter. Consort Xiao’s face was flushed red, her expression fierce and threatening as she stared at the broken porcelain on the floor.

Jing Yi sat calmly to the side.

“I never expected to fall into Jingrong’s trap. We were just one step away.” She was furious!

Jing Yi glanced at his mother, a fire of anger also burning in his heart, his hands clenched into fists within his sleeves.

He said, “Mother Consort, things have already come to this. Don’t let it harm your health.”

“How can I not be angry? Jingrong gained the upper hand this time. From now on, he’ll naturally have more weight before Father Emperor, while your words before your Father Emperor will carry less weight.”

“Mother Consort worries too much, doesn’t she? When it comes down to it, it’s just one case. Father Emperor wouldn’t necessarily elevate him because of this. This matter is also my fault. When the Ministry of Justice was interrogating Gan Chouliang, I should have been watching from the side. Then Jingrong wouldn’t have found an opening to exploit.” Jing Yi was full of regret!

Consort Xiao’s powdered face showed disdain, “No matter what, in the end he’s just a bastard whose maternal clan has no prominence.”

Mentioning Jingrong’s birth mother, Consort Xiao’s teeth always ground together!

Back then, she and Jingrong’s birth mother, Consort Zhao, had entered the palace together. Consort Zhao was born beautiful like a fox spirit, bewitching His Majesty until he was completely entranced. But because she attempted to poison the unborn child in Empress Xuanshu’s womb, she was thrown into the Cold Palace. Unable to endure the passage of time, she ended her life with a white silk sash, committing suicide!

But Consort Xiao hated it! Hated that even though she was now favored, the love His Majesty gave her could never match that given to the deceased Empress Xuanshu and Consort Zhao.

These two thorns were deeply embedded in her ribs, causing constant pain!

Jing Yi stood up, bowed his head, and said seriously, “Your son knows Mother Consort has my best interests at heart, but please rest assured, your son knows what to do.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it!”

“Even if Jingrong solves this disappearance case and can successfully exhume the coffin in the Duke Yuguo manor case, if something goes wrong in the process, he won’t be able to bear the responsibility. Moreover, the Linjing Case was fourteen years ago. If he wants to investigate, it definitely won’t be that simple.” Jing Yi’s eyes narrowed, refracting cold light.

But—

Consort Xiao had concerns and sighed lightly, “If it were before, I wouldn’t believe it either, but with that Master Ji around, it’s different. I’ve already met with her once and extended an olive branch to her, but she neither accepted nor rejected it. I even tested her to see whether she would choose Prince Rong or our side. Her answer was that she would choose neither. This person’s thoughts are truly unfathomable.”

“There’s something your son wants to tell Mother Consort.”

“What is it?”

Jing Yi raised his gaze and said, “This Master Ji is actually the illegitimate daughter of Ji Shuhan from the Ji Manor in Jinjiang.”

“What?” Consort Xiao was greatly shocked.

Ji Shuhan wasn’t a famous name, but his two sons, Ji Li and Ji Huan, were quite well-known in the capital.

Consort Xiao’s brow furrowed in disbelief, “She’s Ji Shuhan’s daughter? Which means she’s actually a woman?”

Oh my!

Thinking more carefully, that person in plain robes had not only elegant behavior and mannerisms, but also a soft voice.

She should have realized it earlier!

Jing Yi continued, “Your son has already investigated clearly. That Miss Ji has been expelled from the Ji family genealogy, which is why she followed Jingrong back to the capital to help him solve the Linjing Case.”

“Expelled from the family genealogy—why is that?” Consort Xiao pressed.

“Mother Consort may know about Ji Li and Ji Huan leaving the capital recently to return to Jinjiang. It was because of deaths in the Ji family—Ji Shuhan’s son committed suicide in prison, and Old Madam Ji also subsequently died of illness.” Pausing briefly, he continued, “All of this was thanks to that Miss Ji.”

Consort Xiao listened in confusion, “I did hear about the deaths in the Ji family. How is that Miss Ji involved in all this?”

Jing Yi nodded!

He recounted the entire incident to her!

After hearing it, Consort Xiao’s expression was unusually calm, her mind brewing thoughts for a long while.

She stood up and slowly paced forward, analyzing with furrowed brows, “The people of the Ji family are truly all formidable characters. During her lifetime, Old Madam Ji had already earned the respect of the former emperor. When Ji Shuhan served as an official at court, His Majesty also valued him considerably. His two sons—one is the Left Minister of the Linyi Army, the other is the Changlin General personally enfeoffed by His Majesty. Moreover, the title of Crown Princess was also bestowed upon the legitimate daughter of the Ji family by Empress Xuanshu when she was alive. And now, a Ji Yunshu has emerged. The Ji family’s reach is truly extending longer and longer—they have people by His Majesty’s side, by the Crown Prince’s side, and now even by Jingrong’s side.”

It wasn’t so much jealousy as unwillingness!

Jing Yi remained silent.

Consort Xiao’s eyes flashed with murderous intent as she snorted, “Since that Miss Ji cannot be used by me, then this person cannot be allowed to remain!”

…