Chapter 41 - 29: The Blind-Eyed but Clear-Hearted Marquis
"Who is the woman inside?" Commandery Princess Yong’an suppressed her anger and asked coldly.
"I-I don’t know..." the guard stammered in response.
"Nonsense!" Commandery Princess Yong’an was so angry she wanted to slap the guard twice. How could they perform their duties this way?
"Mother." Suddenly, a gentle voice like jade came from afar.
Commandery Princess Yong’an froze and turned around to see Xiao Anning, who had changed into a new set of clothes, standing under the eaves at the other end of the corridor, looking at them with a calm expression.
"How could this be?" Ji Liruo also saw Xiao Anning and instinctively exclaimed softly, then realized something and abruptly silenced herself.
"Of course it’s possible." A pleasing voice lazily drifted over.
Tianmiao slowly stepped out from behind Xiao Anning, smiling as she looked over.
"Miss Ji, are you disappointed that the person inside is not the little Marquis?" Tianmiao tilted her head, her smile as bright as a flower.
"I don’t understand what you’re saying." Ji Liruo replied calmly, but her hand hidden in her sleeve was slightly trembling. How could this be? How could it be? Everything was supposed to be foolproof.
"Mother, the people inside are Miss Ji’s coachman and a nun." Xiao Anning’s voice was low, filled with disappointment, loss, and sorrow. He knew coming to the Xuanling Temple might involve something bad, but he never expected such degrading and filthy affairs. He had been careful and vigilant, but never anticipated that Ji Liruo’s setup would be so thorough. If not for Lady Tian’s appearance, the consequences...
"How could it be like this?" Madame Ji exclaimed in shock.
With Commandery Princess Yong’an’s stature, upon hearing these words, it was easy for her to piece everything together. With great force, she pulled Ji Liruo over and slapped her across the face with all her might.
Despite the Commandery Princess’s declining martial skills over the years, her foundation was still strong. The slap directly knocked Ji Liruo to the ground, causing her mouth to bleed.
The loud slap instantly let Xiao Anning know what had happened. But he did not move.
Now Commandery Princess Yong’an even had the heart to kill Ji Liruo.
"I’ve never seen such a vicious and vile woman. Killing her would suffice. What deep-seated grudge does my son have with you that you would want him disgraced? Are you trying to have our Dingguo Mansion despised by everyone?" The Commandery Princess’s eyes were bloodshot. If she could, she would flay Ji Liruo. A nun? Consorting with a nun in a temple—if that person were truly Anning, what would happen? The Commandery Princess dared not imagine!
The astonished Madame Ji stood frozen, wanting to help the fallen Ji Liruo, but dared not move when she saw the Commandery Princess’s bloodshot eyes. She had no idea how things had turned out like this.
"If you didn’t want the marriage, you could have just said so. Your Prime Minister’s Mansion eagerly sought it, only to plot against us like this." Commandery Princess Yong’an was so enraged her chest heaved, and still not satisfied, she stepped forward and kicked Ji Liruo hard again. Ji Liruo groaned but said nothing.
"Mother. There’s no need to be angry over such people." Xiao Anning stepped forward and supported Commandery Princess Yong’an.
"Prime Minister’s Mansion, you’ve done well! Just you wait and see!" Commandery Princess Yong’an spat out these words through gritted teeth and was about to leave, pulling Xiao Anning with her.
Xiao Anning, however, stood still and said to Ji Liruo, "Miss Ji, I’m returning this to you. Please return my brocade bag. From now on, the Dingguo Mansion and your Prime Minister’s Mansion will have nothing further to do with each other. You should take care of yourself."
Only then did Ji Liruo look up at Xiao Anning.
"What, what are you talking about?" A huge fear suddenly surged in Ji Liruo’s heart, and she felt a chill spreading over her body.
"This is yours back, and my brocade bag, please return it to me. The little tiger embroidered on it was personally sewn by my mother as it’s my zodiac." Xiao Anning spoke slowly, each word calm yet exceedingly steady.