Chapter 394: Utter Disgrace, Yes, It Was Me

Ji Bo Lian shielded Mrs. Qiao and shouted, "Who dares? I am an official of the court! Do you all have a death wish?"

Feng Shuang felt a flicker of fear. She had only brought two maids with her and ordered one to hurry and get reinforcements.

’Everyone from the Ji Family today is fiercer than the last,’ she thought, ’but the most ferocious of all has to be...’

"What do you think you’re doing?"

Feng Shuang’s shoulders twitched. Someone had tapped her shoulder and was speaking right next to her ear.

The voice was identical to that of the most ferocious one.

Feng Shuang stiffly turned her neck to look. "You... H-How are you back?"

She had only come out to tattle to Madam Cui after hearing that Ji Qingwu had already left the Marquis Mansion.

Feng Shuang broke out in a sweat, and the places where she’d been hit began to sting with a fiery pain.

Ji Qingwu, a bundle on her back, whispered in her ear.

"Who were you telling not to leave? Since when do you have any say in the matters of Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion?"

As she spoke, Ji Qingwu took a step to the side, revealing the person behind her.

Seeing Lu Juan, Feng Shuang’s lips trembled. "Princely Heir... Princely Heir, you have to stand up for us..."

Lu Juan scanned the area, his gaze terrifyingly dark. He said to the attendant behind him, "Go and untie the Grand Dowager."

Across from them, Mrs. Qiao waved at Ji Qingwu.

"Xiao Wu, hurry over to Mother."

Ji Qingwu obediently hurried to her parents’ side.

Mrs. Qiao saw the bundle on her back and assumed it was something she had brought for Qingrong.

She lowered her voice and said into Ji Qingwu’s ear, "Xiao Wu, don’t mind this family. It’s like they’re possessed today, as if they’ve offended some spirit. What goes around comes around. They bullied our Qingrong, and now they’re getting their just deserts."

Ji Qingwu said, "Mother, actually..."

Ji Bo Lian immediately asked, "Xiao Wu, is the baby settled?"

Ji Qingwu nodded. "I’ve arranged everything."

Ji Bo Lian said, "That’s good. I can always count on Xiao Wu to get things done."

Mrs. Qiao also added a few words of praise.

When they had rushed through the door, their hearts burning with anxiety, they had found Ji Qingrong lying safely in bed with a sleeping infant beside her pillow.

Xiao Wu had been standing guard by the bedside.

The scene had been incredibly reassuring.

In stark contrast to the mood of Mr. Ji and Mrs. Ji, Ji Qingwu lowered her head and sighed softly.

’I’ve arranged everything else properly, but I didn’t have time to take care of my own business.’

By the time she left Duke Zhongyong’s Mansion, it was already three quarters past nine. Ji Qingwu took the child to the clinic, leaving him in the care of Mo Lingling and the matrons.

When she returned to the Ji Mansion, the entrance was deserted. There was no carriage waiting for her.

She circled around outside but saw no sign of anyone.

’I wonder what mood Emperor Wu Su was in while he waited for me. What was he thinking?’

’This time, I was the one who wasn’t on time. I can’t blame anyone else.’

Ji Qingwu took a deep breath. Since she was staying, she would first settle the matter at hand. Her eldest sister would not be bullied for nothing.

On the other side, Madam Cui had been freed and looked at Lu Juan with tears streaming down her face.

"My son, my son! If you had come any later, you would never have seen your own mother again!"

Unsteady on her feet, Madam Cui leaned on Lu Juan’s arm and lamented tearfully, "After suffering such a terrible humiliation, your mother might as well be dead."

Feng Shuang chimed in, "Princely Heir, it’s not just my mother-in-law. Look at my face! I was also hit by one of the Ji Family."

Lu Juan pushed Madam Cui away, having a nearby mammy support her instead.

"You two go to the front hall first. I will be there shortly."

Now that she had her backer, Madam Cui said, "Fine. Your mother will be waiting for you to seek justice for her."

Lu Juan walked past the members of the Ji Family, giving them a slight nod without saying much before entering the room.

From behind, he still appeared calm and steady, but his steps were already chaotic as he took the three stairs in a single, large stride.

Ji Qingwu said, "Father, Mother, the night air is cold and heavy with dew. We should go to the front hall and wait."

The trio from the Ji Family left together in harmony.

Although Madam Cui had been tied up for a long time, she wasn’t unable to walk. She was deliberately putting on airs, feigning a frail and sickly demeanor while waiting for a sedan chair to carry her over.

Everyone gathered in the front hall, sitting on opposite sides.

Madam Cui and Feng Shuang both glared at Ji Qingwu, their eyes as wide as the stone lions at the entrance of the Marquis Mansion.

They waited for about half an hour before Lu Juan finally arrived.

Ji Qingwu’s gaze swept to his left shoulder. A large, wet patch stained his deep blue official robes.

Then, her eyes met Lu Juan’s, and Ji Qingwu shot him a fierce glare.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Lu Juan averted his gaze and cleared his throat with a cough.

He said, "Let’s address the first matter. Qingrong’s delivery caused such a major disturbance. I must thank my father- and mother-in-law for coming to take charge of the situation."

Hearing him start with thanks, Madam Cui said with dissatisfaction, "Ziyou, what are you talking about? I stood watch in Ninghua Hall for a whole day and night. My contribution was not small either."

Mrs. Qiao retorted, "Stood watch to prevent Qingrong from going to the clinic? Stood watch to stop anyone from calling for help?"

Feng Shuang said, "Mrs. Qiao, your words are hurtful. Throughout Qingrong’s pregnancy, the entire Marquis Mansion catered to her every need. For the delivery, I specifically invited a doctor with decades of experience. We never once neglected her..."

Ji Qingwu lifted her eyes to Feng Shuang, her gaze so chilling it made Feng Shuang shudder.

’So she was the one who found that old fossil.’

This time, without waiting for Mrs. Qiao to speak, Ji Qingwu turned and said, "Mr. Lu, what are your thoughts?"

’Rather than engaging in these pointless arguments, it’s better to speak directly to the person who can resolve this.’

Lu Juan noticed the change in her address, from the affectionate "Eldest Brother-in-law" to the icy "Mr. Lu."

He knew Ji Qingwu was definitely still holding a grudge against him over what happened to Qingrong.

Without hesitation, Lu Juan said, "In this matter, my mother and second sister-in-law were in the wrong."

Ji Qingwu nodded. "Mr. Lu, if the worst had happened, you would have come home to two corpses. For these two instigators, shouldn’t there be some form of punishment?"

Madam Cui grew anxious. "But nothing happened to Ji Qingrong! That’s just a hypothetical. Since ancient times, childbirth has always been a dangerous affair. You can’t put all the blame on me."

Ji Qingwu kept her gaze fixed on Lu Juan and asked, "Mr. Lu, should they be punished, or not?"

Lu Juan said calmly, "That brings us to the second matter. The injuries on my mother and second sister-in-law..."

Feng Shuang immediately stood up, walked to the middle of the hall, and knelt. She said aggrievedly, "I beg the Princely Heir and my mother-in-law to seek justice for me. The injuries on my body were all inflicted by Ji Wu."

Madam Cui followed suit. "Ziyou, my injuries were also Ji Wu’s doing! It was Ji Wu who brought people to tie us all up."

Saying this, she even started to cry.

All eyes in the room focused on Ji Qingwu.

This time, she shed not a single tear, nor did she show the slightest hint of feeling wronged. She was no longer feigning the delicate and weak demeanor she used to.

She stated calmly, "That’s right. It was me."

Madam Cui and Feng Shuang cried out in unison, "She admitted it!"

Mrs. Qiao and Ji Bo Lian both looked at their Xiao Wu in astonishment.

’Look what they’ve done,’ they thought. ’They’ve pushed our good, gentle child, who was like a little rabbit, into this.’

Lu Juan also noticed the change in Ji Qingwu. His expression shifted as he said, "Fifth Sister, don’t you think you went a little too far?"