Chapter 370: Aches All Over, Were You Forced?
The person who entered was Mrs. Qiao, her expression stern.
Ji Qingwu was surprised and felt a faint pang of bitterness, but more than anything, she was overjoyed.
"Mother."
Ji Qingwu called out softly.
A small smile played on Mrs. Qiao’s lips, but she quickly suppressed it. "So, you do remember to call me Mother."
Ji Qingwu rose and knelt by the couch. Watching Mrs. Qiao approach, she said, "Mother is the best person in the world. You’ll always protect me."
Mrs. Qiao sat down opposite her, her gaze sweeping around the room.
’Mr. Ji is usually so slow. It’s rare for him to be so efficient. He must have been truly anxious to have packed up all of Xiao Wu’s things and brought them back.’
Wutong Garden looked just as it used to.
Mrs. Qiao found the sight quite pleasing, and her mood lightened considerably.
Ji Qingwu moved from behind the low table to Mrs. Qiao’s side. She tentatively took her mother’s arm and said softly, "Mother, you’ve been thinking of me and worrying about me. I’ve missed you, too."
"I wasn’t thinking of you at all," Mrs. Qiao retorted.
Ji Qingwu’s eyes sparkled. "But you had Nanny Li make my favorite dishes and laid out fresh, soft blankets for me."
"Every nook and cranny of Wutong Garden is just as it was, without a single speck of dust. That’s all the proof I need that you were thinking of me."
"You have me in your heart, but you don’t say it. You were just waiting for me to find out on my own."
Mrs. Qiao could no longer keep a straight face; the smile lines around her mouth became prominent.
"Don’t think you can just act cute to get on my good side," she said. "I remember all the ’good’ things you’ve done."
Ji Qingwu rubbed her ear. "Mother, I was scared before. I didn’t want to tell you and make you scared, too."
"I would rather be scared," Mrs. Qiao immediately retorted.
She looked at her daughter. "I don’t want you to bear all this alone."
Ji Qingwu’s eyes welled with tears. She tried to lean against her mother affectionately but was gently pushed away.
Mrs. Qiao remained clear-headed. "Xiao Wu, don’t think you can solve problems just by being cute."
"Your father was right about one thing. You grew up away from home, you suffered a lot, and you’re used to making all your own decisions. But you’re home now. You have a family. Do you think we’re all just for show?"
’Ji Qingwu bit her lip. Mrs. Qiao had hit the nail on the head. She was indeed used to doing things her own way and never thought to rely on anyone when problems arose.’
"Mother..."
"What’s past is past," Mrs. Qiao said. "But if you do it again..."
Ji Qingwu looked up at her, her expression full of grievance.
"...I’ll have your father punish you," Mrs. Qiao finished.
The moment she heard "your father," Ji Qingwu turned her head away, her displeasure with Ji Bo Lian plain to see.
She huffed. "I won’t stand for it."
Mrs. Qiao pinched Xiao Wu’s cheek. Seeing her fuming, she found it amusing.
She gestured with her chin to Qiushi, who then led the other servants out of the room.
Mrs. Qiao recalled Ji Bo Lian’s request. "Alright, tell me now," she asked. "Jiu Jiu isn’t with you, and she’s not at the Wei Family estate. So where is she?"
Ji Qingwu turned back, touching her temple, a little embarrassed. "She’s still in the Imperial Palace."
Mrs. Qiao didn’t seem surprised. She sighed and asked, "Did *he* send people to take her?"
Ji Qingwu nodded, then shook her head. "I arranged to have her sent to the Imperial Palace."
’Mrs. Qiao had assumed the Emperor wanted his daughter brought back to be raised at his side. She never imagined Ji Qingwu had sent her there voluntarily.’
"What are you thinking?" she asked.
"Jiu Jiu wasn’t comfortable at the Wei Family’s estate, and she was craving the sweet cakes from the Imperial Palace, so I sent her there to visit for a few days," Ji Qingwu explained.
’Is the Imperial Palace somewhere one can just go for a visit? With a child that old suddenly appearing by the Emperor’s side, it must have already drawn the attention of all the Concubines’ quarters.’
Mrs. Qiao couldn’t help but press her forehead. "Oh, you. You really do whatever you please."
It dawned on Ji Qingwu. She raised an eyebrow. "Mother, did... *someone* ask you to find out where Jiu Jiu is?"
’Mrs. Qiao pretended not to notice the odd way she referred to Ji Bo Lian. The issues between father and daughter were for them to resolve on their own.’
"Your father thought Jiu Jiu was at the Wei Family estate. When he couldn’t find her there, he was about to report her missing to the Capital City Governor."
Ji Qingwu asked, puzzled, "Mother, have you not told him about Jiu Jiu’s parentage?"
Mrs. Qiao’s expression grew even more peculiar.
"It’s best you don’t mention this to your father. Otherwise..."
Ji Qingwu pressed her lips together. "Otherwise, what? Is he going to give me a beating?"
"He won’t beat you," Mrs. Qiao said. "He’ll just pack you up and send you to the Imperial Palace."
Ji Qingwu’s eyes widened in astonishment.
’She had just learned that Ji Bo Lian had stood up for her, retrieving her and Lan Zhi’s belongings from the Wei Family estate. She’d thought it meant her father actually cared for her, at least a little.’
’But as it turned out, Ji Bo Lian was no different from the Empress Dowager or Old Mrs. Ji.’
Ji Qingwu lowered her eyes, crestfallen, and said softly, "Is he that opportunistic, just because Jiu Jiu’s birth father is the Emperor?"
"Your father’s character... once you’ve spent more time with him, you’ll understand," Mrs. Qiao countered. "He’s not doing it for fame or fortune. He’s just single-mindedly loyal to the throne."
Ji Qingwu didn’t quite understand. "Mother, what does that mean?"
Even Mrs. Qiao was at a loss for words when it came to that particular trait of Ji Bo Lian’s.
After a moment, she finally said, "For the past few years, there have been rumors that the Emperor has difficulty siring children. So many Concubines have entered the palace, yet none have become pregnant. With so few heirs, the Beili Kingdom has only one Prince to succeed the throne. Your father is more anxious about it than the eunuchs in the Imperial Palace."
"If you ask me, if your father had been born a woman, he would have offered himself to the Emperor’s bed."
Ji Qingwu, who had been listening intently, nearly choked.
’So that’s what’s on Ji Bo Lian’s mind. He’s part of the court faction pushing the Emperor to produce more heirs.’
"I suspect part of the reason your father was transferred to a post outside the capital was that the Emperor got tired of his nagging," Mrs. Qiao said quietly. "So, if he were to find out you’ve borne the Emperor a son and a daughter..."
The rest went unsaid. Ji Qingwu understood immediately, nodding her head like a chicken pecking at grain.
"I understand, Mother. You must help me keep this secret."
Mrs. Qiao stayed and had dinner with Ji Qingwu.
「That evening」
The mother and daughter were lying in the same bed.
Ji Qingwu turned her head to look at Mrs. Qiao with a wide smile, then suddenly lifted her mother’s blanket and slipped inside.
"How old are you now?" Mrs. Qiao said with a sigh, though she didn’t stop her. "Still crawling into bed with your mother. If word got out, you’d be a laughingstock."
Ji Qingwu snuggled close to Mrs. Qiao. "I just love being with you, Mother. I wish we could never be apart and could sleep like this every night."
Her heart warmed by the sweet talk, Mrs. Qiao looked at her daughter, who still seemed so charmingly innocent, and said with a smile, "Now that won’t do. You might be able to bear it, but I can’t. When the weather turns cold, it’s better to have a man in bed to keep you warm."
Ji Qingwu frowned and mumbled, "What’s so good about it? You can’t sleep well, and you ache all over..."
Mrs. Qiao had never discussed such matters with Xiao Wu. She’d assumed that after giving birth, she would understand these things. But from the look on her face, she seemed very resistant to the idea.
Something occurred to her, and her expression turned serious. "Xiao Wu."
Ji Qingwu looked up at her. "Mother, what is it?"
Mrs. Qiao asked, "Were you... forced?"