Chapter 375: Quarrel

Chapter 375: The Quarrel

His face darkened, he said, "Mother, no matter how much Princess Ye has spoken ill of Qing Qing in front of you, I am set on marrying her!"

"You may often shield Princess Ye, but I know Qing Qing's character better than anyone. She's not the petty person Princess Ye claims she is."

"You can't hold prejudice against Qing Qing just because you're close to Princess Ye. What is it about her that you don't like?"

The Empress's eyes turned cold, and she curled her lips in a faint sneer. "Princess Ye has never once spoken ill of Second Miss Ji in front of me. You don't have to put all the blame on her."

"As for what kind of person Second Miss Ji is, I can judge for myself. I don't need you to come to her defense. My objection is simply that you are my son, my own flesh and blood, carried for ten months. The selection of a Crown Princess is no trivial matter—it concerns the future of the nation. As the future Empress, I have to help you vet the candidates."

"I know that marrying Second Miss Ji is nothing more than a move to gain Marquis Yongning's support, but I won't accept her as my daughter-in-law. She doesn't have the character to enter the royal family."

With each word the Empress spoke, Luo Jingshen's face grew darker. His fists clenched under his sleeves, knuckles cracking loudly.

"Whether she's worthy isn't for you to decide, Mother—I decide that. I'm the one who'll spend my life with her, and that's none of your business. I didn't come here today to ask for your permission, but to tell you that I'm going to marry Second Miss Ji, no matter what!"

"It doesn't matter if you don't like her. I can also promise you, Mother, that once Qing Qing marries into the Eastern Palace, as long as you don't give her a hard time, I'll never bring her around you again, so she won't offend your eyes."

After Luo Jingshen's furious outburst, the Empress slapped him across the face. Her face flushed with anger, she said, "You ungrateful brat!"

"Do you really think I'm that unreasonable?"

Luo Jingshen's face stung with pain. As if shocked by the slap, he turned and glared at the Empress, resentment burning in his eyes.

"Am I wrong?"

"Ask yourself—have you ever cared for me as much as you care for Prince Ye and Princess Ye?"

"Sometimes I really envy them. I'm your own flesh and blood, and they're outsiders. Why do you always take their side, Mother?"

"Luo Junhe has Ji Yuntang to help him, and Ji Yuntang has you, Mother. But the things I want, I have to fight for and grab on my own."

Luo Jingshen paused for a moment after speaking, a wild glint flashing in his eyes. He threw his head back and laughed maniacally, then pointed at his chest and said, "All I want now is to marry a Crown Princess. What have I done wrong?"

"No matter how great Ji Yuntang is, she's Concubine Li's daughter-in-law. Qing Qing will be your real daughter-in-law, Mother. We're your real family. When will you finally see that I'm the one you can rely on? In the future, you'll depend on me and Qing Qing to take care of you."

"Enough!" The Empress's eyes blazed with barely contained anger as she gestured at the furnishings around the hall.

"Look around—which of these things in my palace did you, the Crown Prince, buy? I worked hard to raise you, taught you to read and write. From the time you were a child, whatever you wanted, I did my best to give you. Haven't I given you enough? And what have you given me back?"

"If you're not filial now, how can I expect you to be filial later?"

Luo Jingshen: "..."

Luo Jingshen: "!!!"

The Empress's words hit him right in the heart, and Luo Jingshen could not refute them.

Since childhood, he'd been used to the Empress putting nice things in front of him, taking it all for granted without ever thinking of giving anything back to her.

He felt that given the Empress's status and position, she surely lacked nothing and had no need for him to send her gifts.

After hesitating for a moment, Luo Jingshen forced an explanation. "Mother, it's not that I am unfilial. I simply thought that with Ninth Sister by your side, she could take better care of you."

"Once I move into the palace in the future, it won't be too late for me to honor you properly."

Moving into the palace was tantamount to becoming emperor—how could the Empress not understand his meaning?

She let out a cold laugh. "Shen'er, I won't say much more. I only want to tell you one thing: if you marry Second Miss Ji, you will regret it sooner or later."

Seeing that the Empress still refused to listen after all he had said, Luo Jingshen's gaze hardened and he said in a low voice, "Then I will tell you one thing as well, Mother."

"I will never regret marrying Qing Qing!"

With that, he flicked his sleeves and strode out of Fengyi Palace.

The Empress's face was full of hurt. She staggered a step and murmured softly at Luo Jingshen's retreating figure.

"Shen'er, you will regret it. You will surely regret it."

Emperor Jingyang's objection to Luo Jingshen marrying Ji Qingqing was not as strong as the Empress's.

In his view, as long as she was a legitimate daughter of a noble family, of clean background, with a father serving in court, she was worthy of Luo Jingshen.

Moreover, that day at Qianqiu Tower, Luo Jingshen had declared before so many people his intention to marry Ji Qingqing.

The words had already left his mouth, and the news had already spread like wildfire. If he were to refuse now, would that not be slapping the royal family in the face?

Emperor Jingyang felt he could not afford such humiliation.

The imperial edict of betrothal was still delivered to Marquis Yongning's residence. At that moment, Ji Qingqing was holding a black long whip, disciplining someone in the woodshed.

The person she was disciplining was none other than her personal maidservant, Cui Liu.

Ji Qingqing whipped Cui Liu with all her might. The long whip cut through the air with a whistling sound, each strike splitting the skin and drawing blood.

Cui Liu curled up in the corner of the woodshed, her body covered in wounds, her voice hoarse from crying.

"Second Miss, please spare me! This servant will never dare again... wuu wuu wuu..."

Ji Qingqing's face twisted in fury. Her still-swollen face looked terrifying and venomous in that moment.

"You bitch! How dare you betray me! If not for this Miss taking pity on you and taking you in, what right would you have to stay in Marquis Yongning's residence?"

"I can't find those two wretches who humiliated me, but that doesn't mean I can't deal with a little slut like you!"

"See if I don't beat you to death today!"

Ji Qingqing whipped with increasing fervor, venting her anger on Cui Liu with every strike.

She thought of how Cui Liu had pushed her out at the mass grave, and she wished she could slice her into a thousand pieces!

Just then, a maidservant arrived with a joyful expression. "Second Miss, someone has come from the palace! Madam asks you to go to the front courtyard to receive the edict!"

Ji Qingqing paused mid-motion, threw down her whip, and rushed out. "Is this true?"

"Truly! It's Eunuch Zhang from the Emperor's side. It's likely the betrothal edict the Crown Prince has obtained. Second Miss, please prepare quickly and go to the front courtyard to receive the edict!"

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