Chapter 191: Birthmark At the back hall of Zhangzhi hall, Wei Yi was circling around anxiously outside whilst repeatedly looking at the entrance of the courtyard. Before, when he was waiting in front of the Rong estate, suddenly people from the palace had come and told him to leave with them to find Ji Yunshu, thus he left for the palace with those servants. Naturally, Lang Po, who was Prince Rong’s personal guard, couldn’t defy the princess’ order, therefore he watched, dumbfoundedly, as Wei Yi being taken away.
“Why is Shu’er not here yet?” Wei Yi looked around for a long time. He had paced back and forth for a while and began to walk backwards instead, but suddenly, his back knocked into someone.
Clack! Clack! Clang! The sound of numerous pearls falling down was heard.
Wei Yi panicked. He turned around and saw an old woman crouching down to pick up the pearls. He saw the pearls scattered everywhere on the ground. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it. I’m sorry. I will help you pick them up.” He hurriedly squatted down and helped the old woman.
“It’s this old slave’s mistake. I was the one who bumped into you.” The old woman gasped, then lowered her head. Her wrinkled hands were trembling as she picked up the pearls and put them inside a wooden box.
Wei Yi promptly waved. “It’s not your fault. I was the one who bumped into grandma. It was my fault. It’s not because you made a mistake!”
The old woman raised her head. She had grizzled hair on her temples, an emaciated appearance and her wrinkled face was haggard. “It’s better to just let this old slave pick up everything.”
“It’s fine. I’ll help grandma.” Wei Yi was comparably defter than the old woman. As he picked them up, he used his clothes to wipe the pearls before putting them into the box. After picking up everything, he carefully helped the old woman to get up. “Are you alright grandma?”
“This old slave is fine. Thank you very much, Young Master.”
“It’s alright! It’s alright!” Wei Yi brightly smiled at her.
The old woman hugged the box. She showed a benevolent smile before bowing to him.
“Ah! There’s still another one left.” Wei Yi shouted, then he quickly bend over to pick it up.
When his body bent, his collar had a gap which revealed a red mark in the shape of a flower petal. The old woman accidentally saw a glimpse of it. “This mark…” The old woman’s gentle expression suddenly changed into one of unconcealable surprise.
Wei Yi straightened up and wiped the blue-colored pearl before putting it into the box. His mouth curled into a brighter smile. “Grandma, it’s good now. We pick up everything.”
“That mark on your neck…”
“Mark?” Wei Yi stretched his hand and rubbed behind his neck. He hurriedly said, “Are you talking about that birthmark on my neck?”
The old woman’s lips trembled, then, she stiffly nodded.
“Ah, my mother said that it was there when I was born.”
“That birthmark has been there since birth?” The old woman’s tone became slightly shrill. Her barely opened eyes widened from astonishment. Her body trembled as she inquired, “Young master, is it possible for you to let this old slave take a closer look at your birthmark?”
“Sure!” Wei Yi bend his waist and pushed aside his hair to allow the old woman a better view of his birthmark.
The red flower petal birthmark was clearly visible. Suddenly, the old woman’s eyes reddened and her legs softened which caused her to stagger and she dropped the box of pearls to the ground.
Clack! Clack! Clang! The pearls were sent rolling out of the box and scattered everywhere once again.
“Grandma, the pearls are dropped again.” Wei Yi shouted. He squatted down once more and started picking everything up. He was completely obvious to the change of expression on the old woman.
At this moment, several palace maids arrived and saw the accident. They hurriedly came over to help collect the pearls. One of the leading palace maids pulled the old woman aside slightly and said, “Zhang-mama, didn’t I tell you to bring those pearls to the office of imperial attire? Why are you still here?”
“I…”
“Forget it. I’ll let Kui’er go instead. This is really too troublesome.” The palace maid sighed while shaking her head.
After making sure that all the pearls were found, the leading palace maid hurriedly led Zhang-mama and the others to another destination. Before they left, Zhang-mama repeatedly looked back at Wei Yi with tears in her eyes. Wei Yi scratched his head as he didn’t understand why that grandma looked at him like this.
“Young Master Wei, the princess has instructed to bring you back to the main hall and wait there.” Another palace maid came and told him.
“Didn’t she say that she will bring me to Shu’er?” Wei Yi became impatient.
“This servant doesn’t know. I only know that the princess has instructed us to take care of you.”
“I want to find Shu’er!”
“This…” The palace maid didn’t know how to answer. Coincidentally, someone outside the hall shouted “Princess!”
Wei Yi immediately looked toward the entrance when he heard the shout and saw Ji Yunshu next to Jing Xuan. “Shu’er!” He cheerfully yelled and rushed toward her.
Ji Yunshu stepped forward and watched as Wei Yi pounced on her. She was used to it, thus she didn’t dodge him. Yet, before Wei Yi succeeded, Jing Xuan promptly spread her arms out and stood in front of Ji Yunshu to stop his advance. Fortunately, Wei Yi abruptly stopped in time. Otherwise, he would have collided with Jing Xuan.
“You’re such a big man, yet at such an old age, you still try to act cute and get others to hug you!” Jing Xuan glared at him.
Wei Yi pouted. “It’s not like I hug you.”
“It’s out of question even if you want to hug Teacher Ji.”
“Humph!”
Ji Yunshu quickly came around Jing Xuan and pulled Wei Yi by his arm. She anxiously asked, “Wei Yi, are you alright?”
“I am fine, so you don’t need to worry. But you went out and didn’t return for a long time. I waited for you at the door for a very long time.”
‘It’s good that he’s alright!’ Ji Yunshu let out a sigh of relief. Then, she turned back and asked Jing Xuan, “Princess, ultimately, what is it that you desire? Why did you want to bring Wei Yi into the imperial palace?”
Jing Xuan’s temper flared up as she ordered several maids, “All of you, withdraw!”
“Yes, Princess!” The palace maids retreated to the outside.
Jing Xuan stared at Ji Yunshu with a hesitant look before speaking. “If I didn’t use Wei Yi to threaten you, would you listen to me and come here to talk with me?”
“You are simply too willful.”
“I am willful? In the end, for who I am being willful? Since this Princess was born, I have gotten everything that I wanted, but the person I adore won’t return my feelings. In your heart, there is only Wei Yi. Do you even hold this Princess in your eyes?”
Ji Yunshu had great difficulty handling crying women, and what she couldn’t stand most of all was other people creating trouble over nothing. For a moment, her brain suddenly hurt. She might as well be frank. Thus, she stated in a solemn voice, “Princess, it is impossible between us!”
“Why can’t we be together?!”
“I don’t know how to say it.”
“This Princess has never loved anyone. This time I know you are the one, but why don’t you understand my feelings?” Jing Xuan was extremely serious. She stretched out her hand and wanted to reach for Ji Yunshu’s arm and pull the latter toward her, but her hand only grasped air.
Ji Yunshu had sidestepped, then turned to Wei Yi. “Wei Yi, turn around.”
“Oh!” Wei Yi very obediently turned around without asking why.
Jing Xuan didn’t understand why. She was about to inquire, but her wrist was suddenly grabbed by Ji Yunshu and raised. “What are you doing?”
“I’ll make you give up.”
‘Eh?’
Ji Yunshu quickly brought the other’s hand to her chest.
At first, Jing Xuan’s face was red, but when her hand was pressed to Ji Yunshu’s chest, her whole body trembled and her eyes widened in shock. She stiffened for a good few seconds before finally breathing. She was overwhelmed by the revelation. “You… are a woman?”
Ji Yunshu let go of her hand and lightly nodded. She stated, “If I have guessed correctly, your imperial mother has long known that I am a woman.”
“Impossible!” Jing Xuan’s complexion paled as she fiercely shook her head.
This revelation was too sudden! Ji Yunshu’s expression became cold. “If Princess hadn’t appeared at the banquet today, I fear that her Ladyship, Concubine Xiao, would have matched me with one of the ladies present. My identity as a woman must not be revealed.”
Jing Xuan retreated step by step while shaking her head in denial. “Impossible! It’s impossible for Imperial Mother to know. She clearly knows my feelings for you… In short, it’s impossible! It can’t be! If Imperial Mother knew beforehand, why would she not tell me?!” Tears immediately spilled out from her eyes.
Ji Yunshu muttered, “Perhaps, she didn’t have time to tell you.”
“…”
“Princess, don’t you want to see my face? I will remove my mask and let you see it clearly.”