Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 51

Ji Yan’an bowed her head, looking at the rice in the bowl, wanting to cry. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she held them back, vigorously shoveling the rice into her mouth to hide her quiet distress. The Old Madam, however, could tell that Ji Yan’an’s mood was off, but she didn’t say much. She just kept picking up food with her chopsticks and putting it into Ji Yan’an’s bowl. Seeing that the small bowl was about to be piled up so high, Ji Yan’an quickly stopped her: “Grandmother! Yan’an can’t eat this much…”

The Old Madam didn’t listen and insisted on adding a few more mouthfuls of food for Ji Yan’an. Ji Yan’an swallowed all the dishes like a hero going to martyrdom, and then, smiling, she also picked up food for the Old Madam.

The grandmother and granddaughter were enjoying themselves, but Song Yi and Ji Tong’an were each having a tough time. Ji Tong’an stubbornly insisted that she bought the medicine only to punish the servants.

Ji Yongning angrily slammed the table and opened those wooden boxes one by one. Packages of medicinal powder, silver, and herbs were neatly arranged. Ji Yongning almost thought that Ji Tong’an was possessed, as she possessed so many strange medicines.

“That night when I went to cook the porridge, a nanny saw the whole process. She can testify for me,” Song Yi spoke up abruptly. Ji Yongning signaled someone to come forward.

And the person who came forward was the nanny who made pastries, along with several cooks. These cooks were preparing dinner on the day the porridge was cooked, while the cook Ji Tong’an brought as a witness a few days ago was not present. This was what Song Yi remembered while she was in the woodshed, and she brought it up when the Old Madam came to see her yesterday afternoon.

So the Old Madam set a trap for Ji Tong’an based on this. Although Ji Tong’an struggled to the last moment, the general outcome still followed the Old Madam’s plan. Thus, after the Old Madam left with Ji Yan’an, Song Yi proceeded with the original plan.

The pastry-making nanny knelt down gracefully and reported the situation that night to Ji Yongning in detail. It was indeed completely consistent with what Feng Zhi said. If Ji Tong’an claimed that Song Yi bribed Feng Zhi, then so be it, but how could she have bribed so many cooks and nannies? This clearly made Ji Tong’an’s previous lies fall apart.

At this point, Ji Tong’an no longer thought about how to counter-attack; minimizing the damage to herself was paramount.

So Ji Tong’an knelt there with her back straight and wiped her tears: “Then it was Tong’an who wronged Miss Song, but it’s impossible for Tong’an to poison mother herself. Someone else must be framing me behind the scenes!”

She was the only concubine’s daughter in the Ji family, along with Ji Yan’an, the legitimate eldest daughter, and two legitimate sons. The men would not care about the affairs of the inner courtyard, and Song Yi had cleared herself of suspicion. Didn’t Ji Tong’an’s words imply Ji Yan’an?

Ji Yongning heard it, and Song Yi also heard it. She frowned and was about to speak, but Ji Yongning interrupted her: “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re going to say. Today, I will make myself clear here. Yan’an is the legitimate eldest daughter of my manor; she is infinitely glorious. Even if she took your life, I wouldn’t do anything to her. But if I find out about your actions one day… just wait for the Third Concubine to collect your corpse.”

As an old political hand who had been maneuvering in the imperial court for years, Ji Yongning subtly enlightened Ji Tong’an, making her understand that he, as a father, was not unaware of the incident where she pushed Ji Yan’an into the lake, but he lacked solid evidence. If Ji Tong’an caused trouble again, he would certainly bring these matters to light.

Ji Tong’an never thought that her seemingly perfect disguise had been seen through by Ji Yongning so clearly. She answered “Yes” softly. Just as the matter was about to end, Ji Yongning finally announced the punishment for Ji Tong’an: “First, twenty large strokes. Since you wanted to lock Song Yi in the woodshed, you go there too. Stay in the woodshed for a month and deduct a year’s worth of your allowance starting next year. Those silver funds are to be handed over to the Madam. Don’t let me see you being undisciplined again!”

Ji Yongning’s punishment was still light. Looking at the frail Third Concubine, he felt unable to be harsh and could only punish her this way. Ji Tong’an kowtowed to accept her punishment, neither crying nor causing a scene, but she refused to look up at Song Yi. Her eyes were filled with deep hatred, with no sign of remorse.

Ji Tong’an was dragged away to be beaten. After such a tumultuous evening, Ji Yongning was completely too angry to eat and did not summon anyone to serve dinner. He sat in his seat, feeling annoyed looking at the ten wooden boxes on the table. Impatiently, he waved his hand, ordering the servants to remove the wooden boxes and then to leave. Song Yi bowed and also turned to leave. Ji Yongning looked at Song Yi’s retreating figure with complicated feelings.

Leaving the main hall, Song Yi let out a long sigh of relief. She did not rush back to Ji Yan’an’s courtyard but went to the small, dilapidated house where she used to live, waiting for someone.

The small, dilapidated courtyard, being uninhabited, looked even more desolate, and few people even passed by here. Song Yi followed the route from her memory into a back door of the room, a door she had opened herself. In the past, to facilitate discussing important matters with her subordinates, she had opened a small side door herself. Although she no longer lived there, no one had discovered this place.

The side door led directly outside the manor, a blind spot in the patrol route of the Ji Manor guards. Song Yi waited here for an unknown amount of time, and then three men came, including Su Zhang.

Su Zhang tried to gauge Song Yi’s expression and did not immediately report the results of the investigation. Instead, he wanted to break the ice and lighten the mood, but he was met with a glare from Song Yi, which made him completely shut up.

“Miss, I have collected all the evidence and documents, but… the most crucial document that can directly prove the matter is missing, and it’s hidden in the Ji Manor’s Library Pavilion. The Prime Minister is extremely protective of the Library Pavilion. I apologize for my incompetence, but I could not retrieve it,” Su Zhang reported to Song Yi with a serious face. However, Song Yi did not blame him. If the Ji Manor’s Library Pavilion were so easy to enter, she wouldn’t have subjected herself to living under someone else’s roof for so long.

“I just need to know that the other documents are fine. As for the one in the Ji Manor… I’ll go,” Song Yi took a deep breath, stood up, and left the courtyard. Her subordinates all sighed.

Su Zhang, who watched Song Yi leave, whispered to the person next to him: “It seems our Miss has recently made a close friend… It’s the Ji Manor’s Eldest Miss.”

“Ji Yan’an!?” The person exclaimed, failing to keep his voice down, which Song Yi also overheard.

“Shh, keep your voice down!” Su Zhang knocked on that person’s head, showing a look of disgust, unaware that his own voice wasn’t quiet either.

The person, realizing his mistake, lowered his voice and offered Su Zhang advice: “You see how difficult it is to get that document from the Ji Manor. But if our Miss’s friend is Ji Yan’an, it will be much easier! We can directly use Ji Yan’an’s status. Even if Ji Yongning finds out, we can shift the blame to Ji Yan’an!”

As soon as these words were spoken, Su Zhang hit him in anger: “What do you mean! Our Miss and Ji Yan’an are true friends. Wouldn’t doing that place our Miss in a position of disloyalty and injustice?”

“I…”

Song Yi did not listen to the rest of the conversation. An idea also arose in her mind. That’s right… if she used Ji Yan’an’s status, even if she took away the documents and evidence from many years ago, it wouldn’t be a big deal. But it would be different for her. If she tried to take the documents and was discovered, it could very well be a capital offense.

Song Yi walked along, passing Ji Tong’an’s courtyard, where she heard painful screams and the heavy sound of the large paddle hitting flesh.

Song Yi, distracted, took a few turns and arrived at Ji Yan’an’s courtyard. She looked up at the exquisite and beautiful scenery and the sleeping quarters where the light was already out. Ji Yan’an must have gone to sleep. Song Yi sighed and didn’t go in. Instead, she quietly returned to her own room. For some reason, a candle was still lit in her room, likely left by the maids.

Song Yi pushed open the wooden door, and warmth rushed toward her, making her feel that the outside was frighteningly cold. Having just arrived in the capital from a warm place like Songzhou, neither she nor Ji Yan’an were dressed very warmly. She didn’t know if Ji Yan’an had been frozen.

Thinking this, Song Yi closed the door. As soon as she entered, she smelled the fragrance of food. She was a little confused; had the maidservants served dinner again?

After only a few steps, when Song Yi saw a table full of food and the person lying on the table, she laughed out loud.

It was actually Ji Yan’an. A food box was placed at her feet, and it looked like she had carried it herself. The food was steaming hot, yet judging by the time, it was already very late. How could it still be hot, according to the Ji Manor’s dinner time? Song Yi knew that Ji Yan’an had been keeping the food warm for her all along, and warmth kept welling up in her heart, making her smile like a child.

Ji Yan’an was dozing off on the table, half asleep. In her fleeting consciousness, she seemed to see something and quickly got up. She saw Song Yi standing there safe and sound. Having worried all night, she finally felt relieved: “You’re okay! Hurry up and eat. I kept it warm for you all night!”

It was exactly as Song Yi had guessed. After Ji Yan’an returned from the Old Madam’s place, she instructed Leyan to serve dinner, and then she warmed the dishes one by one on the stove. To warm them evenly, Ji Yan’an even held them in her hands, almost getting scalded.

Song Yi saw a red burn mark on one of Ji Yan’an’s fingers. Her heart softened, and she took the rice porridge from Ji Yan’an’s hand and took a sip first.

“It tastes so good.” Song Yi rubbed Ji Yan’an’s hair with her other hand. A thousand words condensed into these three.

“You made me worry for so long… What happened to Ji Tong’an?” Song Yi sat there eating, and Ji Yan’an sat next to her, tugging at her sleeve, wanting her to talk about the situation that night.

But Song Yi just kept eating without speaking, clearly intending to keep Ji Yan’an in suspense.

“Mean Song Yi!” Ji Yan’an realized her intention, huffed, and ignored her until Song Yi slowly finished her meal. Ji Yan’an’s curiosity made her set aside her pride.

“Song Yi~ Good Song Yi~ Just tell me, please. See how well-behaved I am!” Ji Yan’an clung to Song Yi. Wherever she went, Ji Yan’an followed. Song Yi was about to change her clothes, but Ji Yan’an wouldn’t move her eyes away.

“I don’t care! If you don’t tell me, I’ll keep staring at you!” Ji Yan’an put her hands on her hips, looking completely unreasonable.