Chapter 361: Jealousy

Chapter 361: Jealousy

Ji Yuntang responded with a smile to each one.

The crowd grew larger, surrounding Ji Yuntang in layers upon layers. In the end, it was Xie Jinrong who couldn't bear it any longer. He tore through the crowd and charged in like a madman.

"Everyone, make way for this Duke! Don't you have daughters of your own? Why are you all crowding around my daughter like this?"

A minister said, "Duke Rong, it's mainly because Princess Ye is truly outstanding. We all wish to learn some experience from Princess Ye, so we can pass it on to our children at home, hoping they can achieve good results in next year's spring examination. That way, we old-timers can also bask in some glory, wouldn't you say?"

Hearing this, Xie Jinrong immediately straightened his back, feeling that his face was indeed glowing with pride at this moment.

He glanced at the ministers, lifted his chin, and asked them, "Do you know why my daughter is so outstanding?"

The ministers exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison.

"Duke Rong, do you know?"

Xie Jinrong pointed at his own nose and said, "As the saying goes, 'Like father, like daughter.' The reason my daughter is so outstanding is precisely because she takes after me."

"So, if you have any questions, just come and ask me directly. Stop pestering my precious daughter!"

The ministers: "..."

They all thought that Xie Jinrong was truly shameless!

He had only recognized Ji Yuntang as his adopted daughter a little over a month ago, yet he dared to claim that her excellence was because she took after him?

Did he have any blood relation to Ji Yuntang at all? They had no idea how he could be so thick-skinned!

However, such words could only be thought privately; no one dared to say them to Xie Jinrong's face.

As for Xie Jinrong's intention, they could understand it with a moment's thought—he was indirectly driving them away. Realizing this, the ministers felt too embarrassed to continue pestering Ji Yuntang with questions and could only find excuses to disperse.

Only then did Madam Cai have the opportunity to approach Ji Yuntang.

She took Ji Yuntang's hand and said, "Tang'er, don't listen to your father's nonsense. He was just so excited that you won the laureate yesterday that he couldn't sleep all night, and now he's bragging to his colleagues."

Ji Yuntang smiled and said, "I actually think Father's personality is quite endearing."

It was straightforward yet humorous—it solved her problems without easily offending anyone.

She felt that Xie Jinrong was the one with true wisdom.

Madam Cai held Ji Yuntang's hand and looked at her with increasing satisfaction, even saying, "In my opinion, Tang'er is so beautiful precisely because she takes after me, her mother."

"Look at that fresh-faced little face—she's so much prettier than that new Crown Princess."

Meng-shi was standing not far from them, and as fate would have it, Madam Cai's words landed directly in her ears.

She rushed over, pointing at Ji Yuntang's nose and scolding, "Ji Yuntang, if you want revenge, come at me! Why did you lay a hand on Qing Qing?"

"She and the Crown Prince are in love with each other, and the Crown Prince sincerely wanted to marry Qing Qing as his consort. Are you really that jealous of her?"

Ji Yuntang: "???"

What was Meng-shi talking about? She couldn't understand!

Since when did she do anything to Ji Qingqing?

Ji Yuntang looked at Meng-shi as if she were a fool. "Do you think there's anything about Ji Qingqing that's worth my jealousy? Is she prettier than me, or more learned than me?"

Meng-shi said in a deep voice, "She's about to become the Crown Princess, while you're just the consort of a crippled prince."

Ji Yuntang laughed. "That's it? You think I'm jealous of Ji Qingqing for that?"

A man like Luo Jingshen—she wouldn't take him even if he were given to her.

In the morning, he said he wanted to marry Ji Qingqing, and by the afternoon, he was coming out of Qianxiang Pavilion with two beauties in his arms.

This was the kind of man Meng-shi treasured?

It seemed she only cared about the power of being the Crown Princess's mother-in-law, without any concern for whether Ji Qingqing would be happy after marriage.

Madam Cai's eyes narrowed. She stepped up and shielded Ji Yuntang behind her.

"Madam Meng, you say my daughter laid a hand on Second Miss Ji. Please provide evidence to support your claim."

"Without evidence, please don't come harassing my daughter anymore. She is doing very well and has no need to be jealous of anyone."

Meng-shi met Madam Cai's cold and unfeeling face and was startled by her piercingly sharp gaze.

In her memory, Madam Cai had always been a gentle and refined beauty who rarely fell out with anyone. Her reputation in the upper circles of the capital was among the best.

Unexpectedly, at this moment, she was willing to abandon even that reputation to stand up and defend Ji Yuntang.

Meng-shi was also a woman of strong temper. She felt that Cai Guiti's public intervention was an attempt to put her down.

She naturally couldn't just stand there and be humiliated without doing anything.

"Madam Cai, Ji Yuntang is my own flesh and blood, carried for ten months. No one in this world knows her character better than I do."

"What you see now is only her surface glory. In reality, she stops at nothing to achieve her goals. My Hang'er was framed by her and thrown into the Dali Temple dungeon."

"Otherwise, how do you think she managed to win the laureate of the Canglang Poetry Talk?"

Many ladies and misses present understood Meng-shi's underlying meaning!

Including the Empress and Luo Qingge, who were slowly approaching.

The Empress's voice rang out, "Madam Meng, are you saying that the ten judges of the Canglang Poetry Talk are not as knowledgeable as you, a lady of the inner chambers?"

Meng-shi: "..."

The moment she saw the Empress, her face went pale!

Just as Meng-shi was about to kneel and pay her respects to the Empress, she heard Luo Qingge add, "Mother, she clearly means that my third sister-in-law stole the laureate from Third Young Master Ji."

"If her son hadn't been imprisoned, the laureate would definitely have been his. It would never have fallen to my third sister-in-law."

"In her eyes, no one can compare to even a single finger on her son's head."

Meng-shi: "..."

Meng-shi: "!!!"

These words were indeed what she had in mind, but when Luo Qingge said them openly in front of so many people, Madam Meng still felt her dignity was compromised.

She quickly knelt and paid her respects to the Empress and Luo Qingge.

"Your Majesty, Princess Jiu, I have no intention of questioning the poetry contest's rulings."

"I simply cannot understand how Hang'er could lose to Princess Ye, who grew up in the countryside. He ranks at the top of the Royal Academy, is publicly praised by Headmaster Cheng, and has studied poetry and classics diligently since he was a child."

"I suspect Princess Ye is possessed by some mountain spirit, and she is not the real Ji Yuntang at all."

Everyone was shocked: "!!!"

They all thought Madam Meng must have lost her mind.

How dare she say such crazy things in front of the Empress and Princess Jiu?

Didn't she know the Empress couldn't stand people who talked about superstitions?

Sure enough, the Empress's expression changed the moment she heard this.

"How dare you! Madam Meng, stop talking nonsense. There's no such thing as spirit possession in this world!"

"If your son's grades cannot match Princess Ye's, as his mother, should you not first look for the problem in him?"

"Jealousy is only human, but constant overpraising will only ruin your child. How can you prove that Third Young Master Ji's grades at the Royal Academy are genuine?"

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