Concubine Xiao was full of hatred. She hated how her status couldn’t equal to the deceased Empress Xuanshu and the deceased Concubine Zhao despite being the most favored one in the harem. Those women were thorns; deeply embedded thorns in her bone that made her suffer all day long!
Jing Yi got up and lowered his head with solemnity. “Son knows that imperial mother does everything for my own good. However, please be assured that I know what I must do.”
“Ah? Let me hear what you have to say!”
“Even if Jing Rong resolves the missing girls case, it only allows him to unseal the coffin to investigate the Imperial Duke case. If there was an accident in the meantime, he cannot shoulder the responsibility. Besides, the case is 14 years old. The investigation will absolutely not be easy.” Jing Yi squinted his eyes which coldly glinted.
Concubine Xiao took into consideration her son’s words. Then, she lightly sighed. “If it was before, I would not believe in his success. However, he now has that Teacher Ji. I already met him and had sent out an olive branch, but he gave me no agreement nor a rejection. I even went as far as probing him, but in the end, he neither chose Prince Rong nor us. His reply was to not choose anyone. This man’s mind is truly elusive.”
“There’s something that I want to inform you.”
“What is it?”
Jing Yi lifted his eyes and stated, “That Teacher Ji is, in fact, the concubine born daughter of Ji Shuhan, the head of the Ji family in Jinjiang.”
“What?” Concubine Xiao was greatly shocked.
Ji Shuhan wasn’t a well-known person, but his two sons, Ji Li and Ji Huan, were famous in the capital.
Concubine Xiao frowned at the inconceivable news. “He is Ji Shuhan’s daughter? In other words, she is a woman?”
‘Oh heavens!’ Then, she recalled her encounter with Ji Yunshu. ‘That person wore a silk gown and had the bearing of a refined scholar with a soft tone.’ She should have guessed the other’s gender earlier.
Jing Yi continued, “Son also investigated her background and found that Miss Ji has been expelled from the Ji family. Thus, she can only follow Jing Rong to the capital and help him with the Lin Capital case.”
“She was expelled from her family? Why?” Concubine Xiao questioned.
“Imperial mother must have heard that Ji Li and Ji Huan had recently departed from the capital and returned to Jinjiang. The reason being a succession of death in their family, starting with their brother committing suicide in prison and their grandmother, Old Madame Ji, passing away from illness.” He paused a bit before adding, “The root of this series of misfortunes were attributed to Miss Ji.”
Concubine Xiao was in a daze from hearing all of this. “I have heard about the Ji family mourning, but is it all related to Miss Ji?”
Jing Yi nodded and related in detail everything pertaining to the story for his mother.
After listening to her son, Concubine Xiao’s expression became incredibly tranquil. After she mulled over it for a long while, she got up and slowly walked forward while frowning. She spoke out her analysis, “As expected, every single member of the Ji family is a difficult character. That Old Madame Ji was respected by the previous emperor. During the time Ji Shuhan was in office, the emperor also thought highly of him. Now, his two sons are successful with one being Army Supervisor Yi’s left secretary and the other being personally granted the title ‘Chang Lin General.’ In addition, The position of crown prince’s consort has been granted to the Ji family’s main daughter by Empress Xuanshu when she was alive. And now, there’s Ji Yunshu that appeared. The Ji family’s hand really reached far and wide. There’s one at the crown prince’s side and another at Jing Rong’s side.” She was more unreconciled than jealous.
Jing Yi didn’t say a word.
As for Concubine Xiao, her eyes glinted with an ominous light. She snorted. “Since that Miss Ji cannot be used, then she cannot remain here!”