Chapter 282: A Plot to Frame, True Identities
Hearing this form of address, Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened slightly.
’Why is he addressing me so familiarly...?’
’It’s the same way a certain someone calls me...’
Ji Qingwu nodded obediently. "That I am."
Le Xi said with satisfaction, "The younger generation is truly formidable. For a young lady like you to spot the errors in that book shows you have considerable skill."
He stood in the center of the crowd, his voice booming with vigor. "Before I arrived, what were you all discussing? Why don’t you let me have a go at judging the matter as well?"
The surrounding commoners, enjoying the spectacle, cheered, "With Doctor Le here, this matter will definitely be cleared up!"
Huang Zhitang was still red-faced with embarrassment over the medical text, but he also revered this divine doctor from the bottom of his heart.
"Doctor Le, it’s like this. This Mr. Song’s wife was over two months pregnant..."
Song Wei cut in, "The situation is already perfectly clear. There’s no need to trouble Doctor Le. As for passing judgment, let’s leave that to the government officials."
He had come prepared. From his robes, he produced a verdigris-colored waist token.
He said grimly, "Today, I will be taking you all to the Capital Prefecture Mansion to get justice for my child!"
Seeing him get serious, Le Xi’s expression changed. His face darkened as he said, "Say that again?"
The pressure in the air seemed to drop. Ji Qingwu found this aura inexplicably familiar.
She looked up, carefully observing Le Xi’s features.
Song Wei didn’t want to clash with the divine doctor in public. With a sorrowful look, he said, "Mr. Le, as a physician, you should have a benevolent heart. You ought to understand the feelings of a man who was about to become a father, only to tragically lose his beloved child."
Le Xi couldn’t sympathize with his feelings in the slightest.
He roared, "Are you blind? You want to drag such a beautiful, well-behaved young lady to the government! You truly are a vicious, petty man!"
His voice was so loud, it was no exaggeration to say it could be heard clearly at the end of the street.
Ji Qingwu quickly covered her ears, impressed by the elder’s lung capacity.
Song Wei held the token even higher. "Since Doctor Le is so biased, don’t blame me for resorting to extreme measures."
Ji Qingwu couldn’t quite make out the abstract characters carved on the token in Song Wei’s hand. She turned her head and asked Mo Lingling, "What kind of token is that?"
’I hope it’s not one of those things where he’s treating a chicken feather like a command arrow—just something to fool people.’
Before Mo Lingling could answer, a glittering gold plaque was tossed in front of Song Wei.
The exquisite, pure gold plaque was thrown so casually to the ground that many people gasped in dismay.
Song Wei looked down at the gold plaque on the gray ground, and it instantly made the bronze token in his hand look shabby and insignificant.
Two maids cleared the way as the newcomer slowly walked before the crowd.
"It’s just a waist token. I don’t know what Mr. Song has to be so smug about."
Her tone was icy. "This Princess has one as well. I wonder, compared to yours, which is better?"
Song Wei had just raised his head when he saw who had arrived. He immediately lowered it again, his heart sinking. ’Why are all these important figures showing up today?’
Ji Qingwu’s eyes lit up when she saw the figure in flowing white robes, gliding gracefully toward her.
Song Wei bowed. "This humble official greets the Eldest Princess."
Ji Qingwu went forward to greet her, and Princess Hua Chang naturally took her by the wrist, standing beside her.
Princess Hua Chang glanced at the dozens of men Song Wei had brought with him and remarked, "Mr. Song, what a display of official might."
Song Wei said, "They are merely guards from my household."
When Princess Hua Chang saw Le Xi was also present, a strange look flickered in her eyes. She was about to say something when she heard Le Xi cough twice, and she turned her head away with a sigh of resignation.
She said, "Mr. Song, if this Princess is not mistaken, that token belongs to the Prime Minister."
’Why would the Prime Minister’s token be with Song Wei?’
Mo Lingling noticed Ji Qingwu’s confusion and whispered in her ear, "He’s the son-in-law of the Prime Minister, Su Fengyue."
"I heard from the people at the Pavilion that when he was young, he was a famous pretty boy in the city. He climbed the social ladder by attaching himself to the Prime Minister’s daughter, but he’s restless. He loves coming to Liangxiang Pavilion for drinks and entertainment, and his wife has caught him in the act many times."
Ji Qingwu nodded. "I can see that."
Song Wei was middle-aged and his face was puffy. His eyes were murky, clouded by debauchery.
’As Prime Minister Su’s son-in-law, he had a great tree to rest under for shade. No wonder he was so bold, daring to clamor about dragging the clinic’s staff to the authorities without any real evidence.’
Song Wei said, "In response to the Eldest Princess, Prime Minister Su is heartbroken over his daughter’s miscarriage. However, he is currently occupied with state affairs and cannot be in two places at once, so he specifically instructed me, his son-in-law, to seek justice for my wife."
Princess Hua Chang understood the underlying meaning of his words. With the Emperor still unconscious, Su Fengyue was acting as regent, and no one in the court dared to oppose him.
’He’s warning me not to meddle in other people’s business.’
However, Princess Hua Chang had spent long enough as an idle bystander. Now that the Emperor had fallen ill, she was actually looking for something to do to set her mind at ease.
Especially after learning that Ji Qingwu was Yuan Heng’s birth mother, she had been paying extra attention to news about the Wei Family. When she heard that Ji Qingwu had appeared on the street and gotten into a conflict, she had rushed over.
Princess Hua Chang patted the soft hand of the young woman beside her.
"Don’t be afraid."
Ji Qingwu, who wasn’t the least bit afraid, felt the Eldest Princess’s protectiveness and forced herself to look frightened.
She played along, hiding slightly behind Princess Hua Chang’s moon-white satin sleeve.
Princess Hua Chang’s aura immediately grew more imposing, her expression turning as if it were covered in frost.
She said icily, "If justice is simply a matter of whose token is bigger, then in Mr. Song’s opinion, is my token sufficient to send you to the Ministry of Justice?"
Being sent to the Ministry of Justice meant being thrown into the Imperial Prison. For an official, there was no greater punishment.
Song Wei had tried to use power to crush others, but now he was the one being crushed. He was resentful.
But in public, this was the Eldest Princess of the nation. Song Wei could only bow his head in submission. He lowered his gaze and said, "This humble official would not dare."
Princess Hua Chang said, "If you would not dare, then why have you not withdrawn?"
Song Wei couldn’t think of a better solution at the moment. He had no choice but to lead his men away and decide on a course of action after reporting back to Prime Minister Su.
Huang Zhitang chased after him, calling out, "Mr. Song, don’t go! Don’t you want justice anymore? A true man should not yield to power! Your esteemed wife cannot have suffered for nothing."
Song Wei turned his head and shot a glance at Ji Qingwu, who was in the crowd, chatting and laughing pleasantly with the Eldest Princess.
’It seems impossible to pin this on the clinic now,’ he thought.
Huang Zhitang caught up, panting, only to be frightened by the vicious look in the eyes of Song Wei, who had stopped in his tracks.
Song Wei said, "Doctor Huang."
"Mr... Mr. Song, please, speak."
"If Prime Minister Su asks about this, do you know what to say?"
The miscarriage of Madam Song, Su Daiyue, was suspicious. Su Fengyue hadn’t had time to handle the matter personally, but if it were to come before the Prime Minister, it would not be easy to deceive him.
Huang Zhitang answered cautiously, "Whatever this old one should say, I will listen to you, Mr. Song."
Song Wei’s true colors were finally revealed. "Only the dead tell no tales."
「In front of the clinic.」
Mo Lingling had shooed away all the onlookers.
With the matter here resolved, the people who had been waiting beside Le Xi immediately grabbed him, practically carrying him away.
Princess Hua Chang blocked their path, frowning. "What are you doing? Where are you taking... taking him?"
The two men kept their heads down, ignored her, and continued to haul him away.
Le Xi’s heels were dangling in the air, but he seemed used to it. He turned his head and waved to Ji Qingwu.
"Little A Wu, come here."