Chapter 379: Chapter 379

379 Well-wisher and friend

Li Hua stepped up and asked the Queen not to punish Jin Yu. “It started because of me, Your Majesty. I called the Crown Princess to my chamber as I was feeling alone. She merely involved herself in my matter, thus preventing me from getting slapped by the First Princess. Your Majesty, you have been such a good mother-in-law during this entire period. I request you not to punish the Crown Princess.” Li Hua took the blame on herself and made use of the right words to calm down Zhu Liling.

Jin Yu wondered why Li Hua lied. She looked at her hand which Li Hua had held. She decided to keep quiet because Li Hua was well-aware of inner palace matters.

“Royal Mother, do not listen to Li Hua. She is merely trying to get away from this, She and the Crown Princess humiliated me,” Jingfei said in anger. “Earlier Li Hua’s husband insulted me many times. I remained quiet all the time. Brother Lóng Wei gave such bad remarks about me. They all made fun of my feelings,” Jingfei complained.

“That matter has already ended. Still, I apologize for Prince Lóng Wei’s behavior toward you. Princess Xiaolian lied about many facts to you. That’s why I want to present the truth to you,” Li Hua said. Xiaolian gulped and warned Li Hua not to accuse her wrongly.

“I think we should listen to both sides,” Xiuying said.

“I agree with the Noble Consort,” Ruoxi said.

“How will you present the truth when Commander Huang Xi is not present here?” Zhu Liling asked Li Hua.

“Your Majesty, a few days ago, Commander Huang Xi invited my husband and the Fourth Prince to his house for drinking wine with me. The Fourth Prince can testify to what Commander Huang Xi said that day about Princess Jingfei. Also, my brother could not hear the truth as he had fallen asleep. Feng Lao told me all this. If Her Majesty allows, I would like to call them here,” Li Hua said.

“Call them,” Zhu Liling permitted for it and gestured at Mi Yao. She sent two maidservants outside- one to bring Feng Lao while the other to bring Mingquan.

.....

Cold sweat formed on Xiaolian’s palms. She had hidden certain facts from Jingfei and it made her tremble in fear.

Feng Lao walked in and bowed to the Queen. He glanced at Li Hua for a brief moment and then at Jingfei, whose face was slightly red.

“Feng Lao, is it true that Li Hua and Xu Zifan do not know the truth about Huang Xi’s feelings?” Zhu Liling asked.

“No, Your Majesty,” Feng Lao said while keeping his gaze down. He narrated to her the truth from that night. Jingfei did not believe him because he was related to Li Hua. Soon, Mingquan also arrived in the room. He greeted the Queen and the Consorts. The atmosphere did not seem right to him when Zhu liling asked the same question that she had asked Feng Lao.

Mingquan looked at Jingfei and then answered what Feng Lao had. “Xu Zifan had drifted off to sleep. So, only we two could hear Huang Xi,” Mingquan answered.

“Why did Brother Mingquan not tell me about it?” Jingfei complained.

“It was not my place to talk about, Sister Jingfei,” Mingquan replied.

“Prince Mingquan should have told her. At least, Princess Jingfei did not have undergone so much anxiety. I am glad that the matter is clear here,” Zhu Liling stated. “Princess Xiaolian should not have spoken the half-truth,” she reprimanded her and punished her in return for not coming out of her chamber for a day.

Zhu Liling did not want the matter to stretch and put a hold on it. “Princess Jingfei must not ask for anyone’s help. She could have asked either her father or me to talk to Commander Huang Xi,” Zhu Liling asserted. Jingfei nodded her head and apologized to her mother.

“Crown Princess, I am still angry at you. She is not supposed to leave the manor whenever you please. She has certain responsibilities in her position. The Princesses are younger than the Crown princess, so she must talk with them with respect. The same goes for the Princesses. I do not want any such fights anymore. No one is allowed to slap anyone or show insolent behavior towards each other,” Zhu Liling announced.

Li Hua thanked Zhu Liling for forgiving them. Jin Yu also apologized and then, thanked her. The Queen asked all of them to leave.

Once they came out of the chamber, Li Hua thanked Mingquan and Feng Lao for their help.

“Sister-in-law should have listened to Brother Lóng Wei when he asked her to stay away from Sister Jingfei’s matter,” Mingquan opined.

“I understood now how wrong I was,” Li Hua said.

“Now, if Brother Lóng Wei finds out about it when he returns, then both the sisters have to suffer,” Mingquan said as he watched them going away.

“No will tell Prince Lóng Wei,” Li Hua said.

“Nothing is hidden from him,” Mingquan affirmed and glanced at Jin Yu. “Royal Mother is still not happy with the Crown Princess. She must not do anything which will anger the Royal Mother,” he advised Jin Yu.

Jin Yu nodded her head and wondered what the true face of the Queen was. Mi Yao had come out of the chamber and asked Jin Yu to follow her to the manor of the Crown Prince. Jin Yu walked away while Li Hua left with Feng Lao.

Li Hua and Feng Lao encountered Qiu Mu, who seemed to be looking for them only.

Li Hua slightly bowed at him when Qiu Mu told her that a message had come for her. He handed the scroll to her. Li Hua confusedly looked at it and, then took it from him.

“May I know who has sent this message?” Li Hua questioned.

“I have not checked it,” Qiu Mu said. “The person, who delivered it said that it is from your well-wisher and friend in Xinshui”.

Li Hua hummed and thanked Qiu Mu, who left.

“Who can send you a message from Xinshui?” Feng Lao’s tone turned informal.

“I do not know,” Li Hua said and opened the scroll to read it.