Chapter 416 Returning to the Marquis’ Estate

Chapter 416: Returning to the Marquis's Residence

Chen Huaxiu patted her youngest son's head, her face full of suspicion.

"Yang'er, what did you do last night? Have you forgotten all of it?"

Wu Chaoyang thought for a moment, then said seriously, "Yesterday, that ugly woman had me test some medicine. After I tested it and came back, I just went to sleep!"

His words sounded reasonable enough, but Chen Huaxiu's eyes widened.

Because Wu Chaoyang seemed to have forgotten the incident where he guarded his food and hit people.

He couldn't even recall what medicine Ji Yuntang had him test yesterday.

"Could Ji Yuntang have poisoned Yang'er's food yesterday?"

The more Chen Huaxiu thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Her face contorted in fury as she said, "That bitch! I'm going to go settle the score with her!"

Wu Jinxi grabbed her, his face full of impatience. "Haven't you caused enough of a scene? Isn't Yang'er just the same as before? He's not sick, and he doesn't have a fever. Why do you have to go looking for trouble when there's no reason?"

"If you're really that worried, we can have Yueyue find a doctor to check on Yang'er once we get to the Marquis Yongning's residence."

"Right now, our top priority is getting out of the Prince Ye's residence fast, before any more trouble comes up."

Wu Shijie chimed in from the side, "Mother, Father is right. There's something really off about this Ji Yuntang. I'm afraid if we don't leave now, we might not get the chance later. What if she makes us stay and work again?"

With both of them pushing her, Chen Huaxiu didn't have the nerve to argue anymore.

She glanced at the sky outside. It was already broad daylight, and in less than half an hour, it would be time for the work Ji Yuntang had assigned them!

They had to seize this chance to get out of there fast.

After packing their things, they planned to sneak out quietly without Ji Yuntang knowing.

But the Prince Ye's residence was full of Ji Yuntang's people, and their little commotion was still reported to Ji Yuntang by the guards.

At the main gate, guards were blocking the four from leaving the residence, and Wu Jinxi was arguing with them.

"Open the gate for us right this instant! We're not servants of the Prince Ye's residence, so why won't you let us leave?"

The guard said firmly, "The Prince Ye's residence isn't a place where you can come and go as you please. Without orders from the Prince or Princess, I can't let you out."

Wu Shijie clenched his fists and said, "And what if we insist on leaving today?"

"Foster father, foster mother, big brother, third brother—where are you all off to?"

A clear, pleasant female voice rang out from behind them. They turned to see Ji Yuntang herself approaching.

She was wearing a pink dress with butterfly-feather patterns today, her makeup light and fresh. With each step, her figure was graceful and elegant, exuding charm.

Wu Shijie assumed the reason they couldn't leave was because Ji Yuntang had ordered it, so the moment he saw her, he flew into a rage!

"Ji Yuntang, our family doesn't want to stay at the Prince Ye's residence anymore. Tell them to open the gate and let us go."

A faint smile curled at the corners of Ji Yuntang's red lips. "But you're penniless. Where would you even go after leaving the Prince Ye's residence?"

Then, as if a thought struck her, she said with sudden realization, "Oh~ I see. You must be heading to the Marquis Yongning's residence to find Ji Qingqing, aren't you?"

"Did you forget that Ji Qingqing kicked you out just yesterday? It was this Princess who set aside past grudges, took you in, fed you, and gave you a place to stay."

"If you go back now, wouldn't that be slapping yourselves in the face?"

Wu Shijie clenched his fists so hard his knuckles cracked. He gritted his teeth and said, "Even if it means slapping our own faces, it's better than staying here with you. At the Marquis Yongning's residence, we can at least eat our fill, but here?"

"On the very first day, you forced us to work and made us eat dirt. You're just..."

Before he could finish, Chen Huaxiu yanked him back, cutting off the curses stuck in his throat.

Chen Huaxiu forced a fake smile onto her face, her tone laced with flattery.

"Princess Ye, please, considering we raised you for a while, just let us go!"

"Your foster mother promises you we'll never set foot in the Prince Ye's residence again, nor will we bother you and the Prince's lives."

Once her real daughter became the Crown Princess, she'd have plenty of chances to teach that bitch Ji Yuntang a lesson!

She'd definitely remember this grudge!

Ji Yuntang sighed. Some people were just begging for trouble, and there was no stopping them.

With a melancholy look on her face, she said, "Foster father, foster mother, big brother, and third brother, it wasn't easy for you to travel all the way to the capital. I was planning to take some time in the next few days to show you around properly, but you're insisting on leaving."

"Very well, since you've made up your minds, this Princess won't stop you. I'll let you leave."

"However..."

Chen Huaxiu was thrilled to hear she'd let them go, but at that "however," her heart clenched, afraid Ji Yuntang would change her mind.

"However what?"

A troubled look crossed Ji Yuntang's face. "However, foster father and foster mother, I'm afraid staying by Ji Qingqing's side won't be easy for you."

"From what I know of Marquis Yongning and Madam Meng, they seem gentle and kind on the surface, but in reality, they're snobbish and despise the poor. Since you're blood relatives of Ji Qingqing, they'd naturally dislike you even more and wouldn't let you stay."

Chen Huaxiu and the others had naturally noticed this too.

When she first met Ji Qingqing, Madam Meng had been hostile toward them. She carried herself with an air of superiority, looking at them like they were something filthy.

That feeling left Chen Huaxiu deeply uncomfortable.

Her eyes flickered as she asked Ji Yuntang, "So do you have a way?"

Ji Yuntang smiled faintly. "Of course I have a way, it just depends on whether foster father, foster mother, and big brother can swallow their pride!"

"The Marquis Yongning's residence is a prestigious family with a hundred years of history, a grand household with plenty of servants. As long as each of you can prove your worth, not freeloading or eating for free, you can stay."

Wu Shijie said indignantly, "Easy for you to say. You're just asking us to go over there and work as servants!"

Ji Yuntang shot him a glance and said casually, "This Princess made you work more because our Prince Ye's residence is humble and short-staffed. With one more person working, everyone gets an extra bite to eat."

"But the Marquis Yongning's residence is different. They're wealthy and well-established, with three young masters out there earning money. Ji Qingqing, as the second young lady of the house, naturally gets a lot of favor. Madam Meng raised her for sixteen years, and now that she's about to become the Crown Princess, how could she ever let you take her daughter away from her?"

*'You made such a scene that night, you probably already took a stroll past the gates of death.'*

Ji Yuntang didn't say this out loud. She could guess that Hua Feixue had interfered and, by some twist of fate, ended up saving their lives.

Now that they were going back, they were undoubtedly walking straight into a trap at the Marquis's residence.

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