Chapter 218

Chapter 218: She Had Caused Big Trouble

Qi Fei Rui was about to speak when two nannies came to look for Qi Fei Rui and Ming Jia.

Qi Fei Rui could only swallow her doubts for the moment.

The reason Qi Fei Rui could accompany Ming Jia into the palace today was because Noble Consort Qi had arranged it.

Noble Consort Qi and Ming Jia’s Consort Mother had once been close friends.

After Ming Jia entered the capital, Ming Jia refused to stay in the Imperial Palace. Noble Consort Qi worried Ming Jia would have no one to care for her.

When Noble Consort Qi learned that Qi Fei Rui had been accompanying Ming Jia these days, Noble Consort Qi summoned both of them into the palace.

However, the first place they went was not Cui Hua Palace.

They went to Jing Ren Palace, where the Empress lived.

Noble Consort Qi always acted like this. Even though Noble Consort Qi was the one most favored by His Majesty, Noble Consort Qi still put on an appearance of not fighting and not competing.

The Empress used to hate that act.

But today, the Empress was rarely in a good mood.

It was because Ming Jia was Prince Huai’s only precious daughter.

If the Crown Prince could marry Ming Jia, then the Crown Prince would essentially gain Prince Huai’s support.

So the moment Ming Jia entered Jing Ren Palace, when Ming Jia was about to bow, the Empress hurriedly told Ming Jia to rise.

The Empress even held Ming Jia’s hand herself and pulled Ming Jia to sit beside her. “It’s been years, and you’ve become even more beautiful. In my palace, you don’t need to be so restrained. Let me take a good look at you.”

The Empress acted extremely kind.

After the Empress chatted with Ming Jia for a long time, the Empress finally seemed to remember Qi Fei Rui, who had been left to the side.

“This one must be the Second Miss from Duke Qi’s residence, yes?” The Empress studied her. “Truly refined and intelligent, graceful and wise.”

Qi Fei Rui stepped forward and bowed again in a calm and generous manner.

Seeing that Qi Fei Rui showed no embarrassment or anger over being ignored earlier, the Empress valued her a little more and asked a few questions about Madam Cui’s health.

Qi Fei Rui answered with tears in her eyes.

The Empress spoke a few sympathetic words, and then sudden noise erupted outside.

The Empress frowned in displeasure and summoned a palace attendant to ask what happened.

Not long after, the attendant returned and reported in a low voice that the Fourth Princess was missing. The palace was searching everywhere.

Ming Jia and Qi Fei Rui exchanged a glance.

The Empress smiled. “A child loves to play. She might be hiding somewhere. Take my people from Jing Ren Palace and help search as well.”

“Yes, Your Grace-” The palace attendant had just withdrawn.

Ming Jia tugged the Empress’s sleeve.

The Empress looked at Ming Jia with the same gentle expression.

Ming Jia stuck out her tongue. “Empress, the Fourth Princess is on the rockery beside the pond near Jade Lake. Just now she said I was a bad person, so I put her up on the rockery to scare her a little.”

“What?” The Empress froze.

Then the Empress reached out and tapped Ming Jia’s forehead. “You… after all these years, you still have a child’s temper? You actually bothered to argue with a little child?”

“Forget it.” The Empress gave a helpless smile. “I’ll have someone go and carry her down.”

Qi Fei Rui had not expected the Empress to indulge Ming Jia like this.

Yet after thinking it through, Qi Fei Rui understood.

The Empress clearly wanted to use Ming Jia to win over Prince Huai, so even if Ming Jia did something like this, the Empress did not care.

As long as Ming Jia became the Crown Prince Consort, the Crown Prince would have Prince Huai’s support.

It was a pity Ming Jia had already chosen the Third Prince as her husband.

The Empress was still smiling when the palace maid the Empress had sent out earlier rushed back in.

“Empress, the Fourth Princess has been found.”

“Oh?” The Empress blinked.

The palace maid continued, “No one knows how the Fourth Princess climbed to the top of the rockery. She fell down and landed by the edge of the pond… She is still unconscious right now.”

“What?” The Empress accidentally knocked over the teacup at her side.

Ming Jia’s face also turned deathly pale at once.

“That can’t be…” Ming Jia’s voice shook. “That rockery isn’t tall…”

When Ming Jia was a child, Ming Jia could beat princes. Now Ming Jia could bully an imperial princess too.

But if an imperial princess truly came to harm because of this…

No matter how favored Ming Jia was, Ming Jia would still face severe punishment.

Ming Jia had only wanted to give her a lesson. How could it become this?

Fear seized Ming Jia. Qi Fei Rui’s face also went white.

Seeing Ming Jia like this, the Empress’s eyes flashed.

The Empress’s earlier panic disappeared, and the Empress instead became calm.

The Empress ordered a palace attendant to take restorative medicine over first and check the Fourth Princess’s condition.

After the palace attendant left, the Empress finally grabbed Ming Jia’s hand.

“Ming Jia, you may have caused a huge disaster today.” The Empress sighed. “In the past, it didn’t matter what you did, but today you harmed an imperial princess. If the Fourth Princess truly dies, and people learn you were the one who put her up on the rockery…”

The Empress paused, then spoke as if she had made up her mind. “Forget it. I will take you to your imperial uncle to admit your fault first. I hope he punishes you lightly. Perhaps… we can even save your life.”

Save her life?

Perhaps?

Ming Jia burst into tears. “I-I don’t want to go.”

“If you don’t go, what can you do?” The Empress sighed again and hugged Ming Jia with a pitiful look. “I know you didn’t mean it. You only wanted to joke with the Fourth Princess, but the Fourth Princess has thin fortune.”

“If you don’t go now, and your imperial uncle finds out later, he will punish you even more severely.”

“No… he won’t!” Ming Jia pleaded as she looked at the Empress. “Empress, don’t tell Imperial Uncle. No one-no one saw…”

The Empress narrowed her eyes. “So you mean this matter is known only by the three of us?”

Ming Jia nodded frantically.

The Empress looked to Qi Fei Rui.

Qi Fei Rui immediately dropped to her knees. “Fei Rui was also present. How to resolve this, Fei Rui will follow Your Grace’s decision.”

This girl…

She knew what she was doing.

Since Qi Fei Rui was also present, there was no need to silence her.

The Empress looked back at Ming Jia. “Then what if the Fourth Princess wakes up?”

Ming Jia’s face turned white. Then Ming Jia said harshly, “Then… make her never wake again!”

The Empress’s heart shuddered.

The Empress had been thinking the same thing, yet hearing Ming Jia say it so easily still sent a chill through the Empress.

Was a woman this ruthless truly a good choice to be Crown Prince Consort?

It did not matter.

Once a woman entered the Imperial House’s inner court, there were always many ways for an accident to happen.

At worst, the Empress could make Ming Jia die during childbirth.

The Empress thought this, but her face looked even more tender as she spoke. “You child, what nonsense are you saying? The Fourth Princess has thin fortune. She likely won’t make it anyway.”

“I will have an Imperial Physician personally go and take a look.”

*Fu Xiu Palace.

Noble Lady Fu cried until her face was wet with tears.

Hui’er’s round little body lay motionless on the bed.

On the floor, the two palace attendants responsible for caring for Hui’er knelt and trembled.

They had not expected the little princess to run out.

They had not expected her to end up like this.

If the little princess truly died, then His Majesty and their mistress would surely make them pay with their lives.

Imperial Physician Xu finished checking Hui’er’s pulse and shook his head as he withdrew his hand.

Noble Lady Fu looked at him with red eyes, desperate.

Imperial Physician Xu said, “When the Fourth Princess fell from the rockery, she struck her head. There is blood stasis inside her skull, and it must disperse as quickly as possible. Otherwise, she may never wake again.”

“This minister will write a prescription at once and have the Imperial Pharmacy boil it and deliver it.” Imperial Physician Xu lowered his voice. “But whether it works or not will still depend on the Fourth Princess’s fate.”

“Thank you, Imperial Physician Xu.” Noble Lady Fu’s tears would not stop.

Imperial Physician Xu sighed and left.

Very soon, the Imperial Pharmacy delivered the medicine.

Noble Lady Fu insisted on feeding her daughter herself, but whether it was because Hui’er had choked on water earlier or because Noble Lady Fu did not know how to feed her, Noble Lady Fu tried again and again and still could not get even a drop in-