Chapter 301: Chaos? Her Mood Comes First
Ji Qingwu had once told the little girl the story of Sleeping Beauty. ’She hadn’t expected her to remember it.’
She turned her head and lifted the bed canopy, and a piercing light streamed in.
Ji Qingwu pushed herself up on the mattress and sat up. "Where did you get this sugar cake?" she asked.
’The sugar cakes the Emperor gave Jiu Jiu last time should have only been enough to fill a small pouch. How could she still have some?’
Jiu Jiu proudly patted her little powder-blue bag, as if showing off a treasure.
"Mama, this is a Sugar Gathering Bag! Every morning when I wake up, it’s filled to the brim."
Ji Qingwu touched her forehead. ’The little girl was so adorably naive sometimes. The Hidden Guards must be sneaking them in at night.’
Jiu Jiu pouted, her voice tinged with sadness. "But ever since I came here, the bag stopped working."
’They even cut off my daughter’s candy supply?’ Ji Qingwu’s eyes glinted as she gently pinched the girl’s little cheek.
"That’s for the best. If you keep eating so many, your little cheeks will turn into sugary buns."
"What’s wrong with turning into a sugary bun?"
Jiu Jiu puckered her sugar-dusted lips to kiss her mother’s cheek. "Then if Mama gets hungry, you can just take a bite of me!"
Ji Qingwu wasn’t interested in a mouthful of sugar. She quickly got up and out of bed.
Hearing sounds from the inner chamber, two maids knocked before entering, carrying a basin and everything needed for washing up.
Xuemei set down the bronze basin and towel. She stepped forward and began, "Madam, outside..."
Ji Qingwu sat on the edge of the daybed, now fully awake. A halo of light enveloped her, illuminating the fine, downy hairs on her skin and making her pupils seem clear and bright.
She tilted her face up. "Xuemei, is there anything to eat? I’m starving."
Xuemei was taken aback by the eager glint in her eyes. Her mind went blank, and she completely forgot what she was about to say. With a flush, she turned and hurried toward the kitchen.
While Lan Zhi helped Jiu Jiu wash up, Ji Qingwu turned her head toward the bronze mirror. She carefully examined her cheek where she had applied the ointment; only a faint trace of the red mark remained.
’It’s nothing serious. It’s almost invisible unless you’re right up close, so there’s no need to cover my face anymore.’
However, at the edge of her inner tunic, a hint of plum-red was faintly visible.
Ji Qingwu was tempted to apply some ointment there as well, but the thought of Emperor Wu Su’s words made her purse her lips and abandon the idea.
She changed into a long, pale-cyan robe of antique satin with a crossover front. Its high collar completely covered her slender neck.
Xuemei quickly returned with a food box. "Madam, I went to the kitchen and brought you some green japonica rice porridge and sweet steamed cheese curd."
Ji Qingwu nodded and called Jiu Jiu over. The mother and daughter sat at the table, their eyes shining with the same light. They would eat anything; they weren’t picky.
The moment she had stepped out the door, Xuemei had remembered what she needed to say. But now, seeing the madam and the young miss enjoying their meal so heartily, the words simply wouldn’t come.
’It’s better to let Madam finish her meal first,’ Xuemei sighed to herself.
Without realizing it, Xuemei, much like Lan Zhi, had begun to prioritize Ji Qingwu’s well-being above all else.
The argument at the Wei Family’s main gate grew increasingly raucous, drawing such a large crowd of onlookers that passing carriages were forced to a halt.
Ma Pozi didn’t dare force her way in with her attendants; she was merely trying to build up an intimidating presence.
After nearly half an hour of her racket, no one from the Wei Family had appeared. So, she threw herself onto the ground in front of the gate and began to cause a scene.
She acted as if she had been so enraged she’d fallen ill. No matter who tried to reason with her, she refused to get up. If anyone tried to pull her, she would accuse them of assault.
The Wei Family guards had never encountered such a shameless hooligan. But since Madam Wei had ordered them to ignore her and let her carry on, they could only pretend not to notice.
Finally, the main gate opened from within, and a young woman emerged.
Ma Pozi, still on the ground, scrambled to her feet the moment she saw her. She pointed a finger and shrieked, "You’re Ji Wu? Well, well, you finally decided to show your face, you black-hearted quack—"
A sword plunged into the ground directly between the old woman’s legs.
Ma Pozi recoiled, pulling her legs back as she shrieked, "Look, everyone! This is Ji Wu! Not only did she harm my mistress, now she’s trying to kill me! She’s trying to silence me!"
An onlooker in the crowd spoke up. "That’s the Wei Family’s fourteenth young lady, not the new madam."
Wei Tongyou shot her a vicious glare, the whites of her eyes showing beneath her irises. "What are you screeching for at the gate of my Wei Family!"
She strode forward and pulled the sword from the ground. The gleam of the blade flashed across Ma Pozi’s face.
"Make another sound," she threatened, "and I won’t mind letting you have a taste of this Cold Iron Sword."
Seeing how young she was, Ma Pozi was only frightened for a moment.
Then her fear turned to rage. "So the Wei Family is going to protect Ji Wu, is that it? Someone, bring it over!"
An attendant frowned and handed her a treasure box, which Ma Pozi clutched to her chest as if it were a precious jewel.
When she opened it, Wei Tongyou took one look and nearly gagged.
Inside was a bloody, shapeless mass.
"This was our family’s young master," she wailed. "He never even had a chance to be born into this world. How pitiful!"
"Madam Song finally became pregnant, only to have it all ruined by Ji Wu! I’ve come to demand an explanation. Is the Song family wrong to do so?"
"Last time, in front of the clinic, our master was forced to leave when Ji Wu used her connections with the Eldest Princess to suppress him. But I, an old woman, am not afraid to die! I will get justice for my poor little master!"
As Ma Pozi spoke of these sorrows, her eyes filled with tears.
Her performance won the sympathy of many in the crowd who were parents themselves.
"How a parent’s heart must ache! Make your lady come out and give an explanation..."
The sentiment of the onlooking crowd gradually began to shift in favor of the Song family.
"The Wei Family shouldn’t be protecting her! Where is Ji Qingwu? Get her out here!"
The gate opened from the inside once more. Nanny Cao appeared, supporting Madam Wei.
Ma Pozi was certainly skilled at her craft; she had raised such a ruckus that even the old matriarch had been forced to appear.
Madam Wei swept a sharp, imperious gaze over Ma Pozi. "You are a nanny from the Song family?" she asked, her voice filled with authority.
Faced with the legendary Madam Wei, known for being stern and rigid, Ma Pozi felt a flicker of fear.
"Yes, I am. I was Madam Song’s wet nurse."
"I hear," Madam Wei said, "that you’ve come looking for my grandson’s new wife."
"Please, Your Ladyship, have someone bring Ji Qingwu out."
"Even if you are from the Song family, you are still just a servant. What gives you the right to speak to me?"
Madam Wei stood before the main gate, her back ramrod straight, and announced with vigor, "If you wish to see my granddaughter-in-law, then have your mistress or master pay a visit in person. That is what we call proper decorum."
At these words, a vicious glint appeared in Ma Pozi’s upturned eyes.
"So, Your Ladyship intends to protect Ji Qingwu."
"It is not a matter of protection," Madam Wei said coolly. "But I will not tolerate such an ill-mannered servant running wild before the gates of my Wei Family."
With that, the old matriarch turned to leave.
Nanny Cao understood Madam Wei’s intent. She raised a hand to the guards beside her and ordered, "Men, seize them all and take them to the magistrate!"
A hundred or so manservants poured out from the gate and began to brawl with the handful of thugs Ma Pozi had brought.
As the entrance erupted into chaos, another sedan chair quietly stopped before the Wei residence.
"Madam Wei, please wait!"
The voice was deep and slow, with a slightly hoarse edge.