Chapter 427

Chapter 427 Panic After Clear Words

“My lady!” Granny Yan was so shocked that she could barely find words to speak. She thought her previous words had dispelled any such thoughts from the young lady’s mind, but now the young lady brought up an even more alarming topic.

“The Crown Princess was my cousin, but she died shortly after the marriage. When she was critically injured, the prince’s side princess entered the mansion. Everything in the Eastern Palace was controlled by this princess. And when the uncle got into trouble, all the benefits went to the second branch, Princess Ji. If it wasn’t for the subsequent birth of the Crown Prince, who belongs to the main branch, the position of Crown Prince would have gone to Princess Ji’s family. Doesn’t Granny Yan find it strange?”

For the first time, Qu Moying openly revealed all the events to Granny Yan in a logical manner. When Granny Yan appeared by her side, she had planned for this day. Granny Yan was the best piece sent by fate, her most trusted assistant in the future. Compared to the people around her, Granny Yan had experienced and knew the most, including the affairs of the Paramount Empress and the inner workings of the palace. Qu Moying needed Granny Yan’s guidance more than ever.

Some things were apparent, but not everyone would consider them. After all, Pei Luoan still wore a disguise of profound love!

But she would gradually peel away that disguise. One day, everything would be revealed to the world.

Even if it meant her own demise.

“My lady!” Granny Yan was stunned by the implications of these words, and she could hardly speak.

“Granny Yan, do you think it was all just a series of accidents? If so, these accidents were truly extraordinary. All the benefits fell into the hands of the second branch of the Earl Ling’an’s Mansion, while the first branch had to bear all the hardships. The uncle fell seriously ill and passed away, the cousin died from her injuries, and the cousin’s sister vanished without a trace. They claimed she eloped with someone, but then said she died and hastily buried her.”

Qu Moying lifted her face, her eyes shining with a dazzling brilliance. The sharp, icy light in her eyes made Granny Yan unable to meet her gaze. It was hard to believe that such a harsh and bloodthirsty gaze could come from a gentle and delicate woman of a noble family.

Facing Qu Moying’s gaze, Granny Yan trembled slightly. She couldn’t discern the reason behind the cold, bloodthirsty look in her eyes. Those beautiful eyes were supposed to be enchanting and tender, but in this moment, they seemed to carry all the dark and negative emotions in the world, making it impossible to directly look into them.

“My lady, but the Crown Prince didn’t want this either. It is said that when the Crown Princess passed away, His Royal Highness was gravely ill. The physicians rushed to the Eastern Palace to save the Crown Prince just in time.” Gathering her thoughts, Granny Yan lowered her head and mumbled hesitantly, avoiding looking directly into Qu Moying’s unsettling eyes.

“Acting requires a complete performance.” Qu Moying sneered. Her graceful lips curled slightly, and the dark color receded from her eyes. Although her gaze turned colder, it also became deeper. “If it weren’t for this performance, do you think anyone would suspect him?”

Granny Yan’s heart thumped heavily. She tightly clenched the lines on her palm, thinking carefully. After a moment, she gritted her teeth and nodded, speaking frankly, “If the Crown Prince weren’t so seriously ill and in pain, perhaps someone would have noticed the affairs of the Earl Ling’an’s Mansion. But the side princess entered the palace to take care of the Crown Princess, at least that’s what I heard.”

“The Crown Princess’s intentions? Did anyone witness them or was it just hearsay? Perhaps at that time, the Crown Princess was already unable to speak. All of this might have been nothing more than a self-directed performance by the Crown Prince.” Qu Moying disdainfully refuted. In fact, she had one more thing to say, something she hadn’t mentioned yet. There was no one in this world who knew better than her.

Ji Hanyue had long been dead at that time.

She died at the hands of Prince Pei Luoan and Ji Youran’s schemes.

“Well…” Granny Yan hesitated. These words were bordering on treasonous, causing an inexplicable panic. She truly couldn’t think of any arguments to refute them. Indeed, everything about the Eastern Palace came from the Crown Prince’s mansion, but if it was intentionally spread, it was also possible.

“Do you think Princess Ji resembles Noble Consort He?” Seeing Granny Yan’s half-believing and half-doubtful expression, Qu Moying added fuel to the fire. Granny Yan played an important role in uncovering the truth about Ji Hanyue, and Qu Moying needed to be more explicit and help Granny Yan see things more clearly.

With reference to past events, she believed Granny Yan would understand the implications of her words.

Sure enough, Granny Yan was shocked and took two steps back, almost stumbling and falling. She reached out and grabbed the edge of the table beside her to steady herself, looking at Qu Moying in astonishment. The sunlight from outside streamed in through the window, casting a shadow on Qu Moying’s profile. It made her slender figure seem as if half of it was hidden in darkness, emitting an indescribable sense of mystery that left Granny Yan unable to put it into words.

Granny Yan opened her mouth but found that she couldn’t utter a word, her lips paled in shock.

After a while, she took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. Then she gathered her thoughts and slowly said, “Yes!”

It was very much alike. One was to take care of the severely injured Crown Princess, and the other was to attend to the critically ill Paramount Empress. But they never returned. It’s just that no one ever dared to consider this possibility before, let alone think in this direction.

In fact, there was a striking similarity between the two situations.

Granny Yan had witnessed numerous strange incidents in the palace and had become more inclined to believe in such things. Almost instantly, she accepted Qu Moying’s perspective.

Before considering this possibility, it seemed impossible and unimaginable. However, once she started to think about it seriously, she realized that there were indeed many suspicious aspects to the situation. It was suspicious to the point that one couldn’t believe it, with so many unexpected twists and turns.

If it weren’t for the Crown Prince’s deep affection, many people might have already entertained these thoughts.

“My lady, what can I do for you?” Granny Yan, having suppressed her initial shock, let out a deep sigh. Her throat felt hot and dry, and her words came out almost unconsciously.

If this was truly the case, there must be more to the Crown Princess’s situation. Could it be that she was as unfortunate as Paramount Empress? Considering her young lady’s action, it was evident that she would be involved. Although Granny Yan was afraid and uneasy, she had already made up her mind to accompany Qu Moying in this matter.

“Granny Yan, from now on, whether it’s accompanying me to the palace or elsewhere, please make every effort to gather information about the Eastern Palace and the Crown Princess. Anything you can find out would be valuable. Among those around me, only you are best suited for this task.” Qu Moying smiled slightly, knowing that Granny Yan had accepted her proposal.

Some things needed to be approached slowly, and the path ahead would undoubtedly be fraught with obstacles and dangers. After all, she would have to confront the Crown Prince Pei Luoan of the Eastern Palace, as well as Ji Youran, who was said to have great potential to become Princess Ji in the future.

“I will, my lady!” Granny Yan replied softly, her throat still dry from the lingering shock.

“Granny Yan, I heard that the Crown Prince intends to marry County Lady Jingyu.” Qu Moying said, changing the topic with a slight smile. Since the matter had been brought up, she wouldn’t press further. It wasn’t the right time. “What do you think would be the best course of action?”

Qu Moying relied on Granny Yan’s experience in this matter.

“My lady, would you be willing to establish a good relationship with side Princess Ji?” After giving it some thought, Granny Yan proposed the most favorable idea. From Granny Yan’s perspective, it was the best choice. The County Lady Jingyu clearly held a grudge against her young lady and couldn’t stand beside her. On the other hand, Princess Ji seemed to want to get closer to her young lady.

“I don’t want to.” Qu Moying responded candidly, her eyes firm and without hesitation.

Although her voice wasn’t loud, Granny Yan could sense the determination in her words. Reflecting on what she had said earlier, Granny Yan understood the reasons behind her decision.

While Granny Yan sighed at her young lady’s stubbornness, she refrained from offering further persuasion.

“If you’re unwilling to befriend Princess Ji, then let’s consider this: If the Crown Prince favors County Lady Jingyu, and if Princess Ji is truly as you described, she won’t be easy to deal with. Even if County Lady Jingyu has a powerful background, it doesn’t necessarily guarantee a smooth relationship. And if she’s not as you described…”

Granny Yan instinctively swallowed as she reached this point, feeling a sense of apprehension. If it was indeed as her young lady described, it would be a colossal matter—no, not just colossal, it would be earth-shattering. Granny Yan began to panic, her face turning pale. She didn’t dare to entertain further thoughts.

This was not something an ordinary palace granny and a young lady from an ordinary noble family should discuss.

“Granny Yan, don’t worry. I just want to investigate. If it becomes impossible to proceed, I won’t pursue it further. I simply don’t want our cousins to lose their lives in vain. I don’t want Princess Ji to gain any advantages or a good reputation by stepping on the blood of our cousins.”

Upon seeing Granny Yan, Qu Moying immediately understood her concerns. She gently reassured her in a soft voice.

There were certain things that she didn’t have the power to do at the moment, and perhaps she didn’t even have the power to speak about them. This path she was taking may even be a dead end. But despite that, she would continue forward.

However, it was inconvenient to share the details with Granny Yan at this moment. To her and others, the Crown Prince was like the heavens, a secret that couldn’t be revealed.

Upon hearing Qu Moying’s words, Granny Yan felt relieved, knowing that the matter she dealt with was only Princess Ji. Though it would still be challenging, it wasn’t the Crown Prince himself. Perhaps there was still some room for negotiation, especially since the lady didn’t always need to personally intervene. Wasn’t there also County Lady Jingyu?

“My lady, I understand. You can rest assured that whenever an opportunity arises, I will gather more information about the Crown Princess.” After a brief pause, Granny Yan added, “Regarding the matters of the Eastern Palace!”

“Thank you, Granny.” Qu Moying expressed her gratitude with a slight bow.

Granny Yan’s words indicated her genuine support and loyalty towards Qu Moying. Otherwise, as a mere side princess of the Eastern Palace, she would have been dismissed without hesitation. After all, her position in the Eastern Palace was prestigious and powerful.

Qu Moying clearly understood the underlying message and knew she had to keep an eye on the Eastern Palace. However, she couldn’t openly discuss it with those around her. Revealing such matters would be seen as peculiar and even sinister. Therefore, she needed a valid reason, and the present moment happened to provide one.

The topic was brought up naturally, and the conversation flowed smoothly.

As Granny Yan left, Qu Moying’s gaze turned cold, her face filled with seriousness. She sat down in her chair, letting out a deep sigh. She bit her lip, remaining silent as a trace of sorrow and pain flickered in her eyes. The similarities between Ji Hanyue and the former Empress, who had been banished to the Cold Palace, were striking.

It felt as though history was repeating itself. More than twenty years ago, it was like this, and now, it seemed to be happening all over again. It was truly ironic and laughable.

The room fell into silence, but the atmosphere remained far from calm.

The two maids, Yu Chun and Yu Dong, exchanged glances before quietly retreating. They understood their young lady’s thoughts very well. The young lady held deep gratitude towards the Crown Princess and the Old Lady, who had shown her great kindness back at the estate.

That’s why she wholeheartedly supported the main branch of the Earl Ling’an’s Mansion. Now, inquiring about the Crown Princess was another manifestation of her gratitude.

At this moment, the young lady clearly desired some peace and quiet. Yu Chun and Yu Dong were clever and knew it was time to withdraw.

The room grew increasingly quiet…

But Qu Moying’s tranquility didn’t last long as Yu Dong had to knock on the door and enter to deliver news, disrupting the peaceful atmosphere. “My lady, there is a lad servant at the door. It seems the matter concerning Yue’s Gold Pavilion has been resolved.”

Qu Moying raised her head, suppressing the sorrow in her heart with determination. “Let him in.”