Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 52

Going Back to the Palace?

Song Yi was left helpless by that tone. She rubbed her temples and concisely recounted the events of the previous evening to Ji Yan’an, and also hesitantly told her about the conversation with the Old Madam.

Upon learning the truth, Ji Yan’an burst into tears. She pointed at Song Yi, wearing a heartbroken expression: “So, you had already planned it with Grandmother! And here I was, worrying so much about you.”

Song Yi thought she was genuinely angry, and immediately rushed to awkwardly appease her, apologizing and explaining, practically ready to drag her in the middle of the night to the Old Madam. However, Ji Yan’an was worn out from the journey and was exhausted. She rubbed her eyes and eventually gave up on pursuing the matter.

Seeing Ji Yan’an leave the room and return to her own bedchamber, Song Yi finally calmed down to seriously contemplate the matter of the evidence scrolls. She also considered whether or not to use Ji Yan’an to acquire the most crucial scroll belonging to the Ji Manor.

Song Yi sat in front of the mirror, removing her wooden hairpin and changing into her inner garments. Her mind was filled with these matters. Even before extinguishing the candle, Song Yi still hadn’t made up her mind, only thinking that she would procrastinate as long as possible…

The night was unusually quiet, but Ji Tong’an sat dementedly in the dark, damp, and cold woodshed, staring at the corpses of insects lying on the ground. Her eyes were terrifyingly vacant. Her fingernails had dug deep into her palms, and the blood that had flowed out had dried on her hands, looking like shocking bloodstains. There was no candlelight in the woodshed, and tonight the moon was covered by layers of dark clouds, with not a trace of moonlight spilling down.

A few guards stood outside the woodshed door, but it was late at night, and their snores came one after another. Ji Tong’an seemed completely oblivious to her current predicament, only knowing that her hatred was heavier than ever. She wanted to kill Song Yi at any moment, and even deeply regretted not having pushed Song Yi into the lake that day as well.

Ji Tong’an was still wearing the clothes from when she was given twenty strikes, and her back was covered in bloodstains. She slumped beneath the window. If anyone were to push open the woodshed door now, they would surely be scared by Ji Tong’an’s ghost-like appearance. Her state was truly too bizarre, especially her hollow eyes, as if she had lost her humanity.

“Song Yi, Ji Yan’an…” Ji Tong’an muttered these two names all night. As she kept murmuring, she actually burst into laughter.

“Just wait. Retribution is coming soon. Didn’t they say I was the most insignificant concubine-born daughter in the Ji Manor? I wonder if in a few days, you’ll be kneeling and begging me. Hahahaha…” Ji Tong’an’s laughter was chilling, sounding like a phantom in the dark woodshed.

The Next Morning

Ji Yan’an had just gotten out of bed, her hair still uncombed, when she saw Le Yan rush into the room in a panic. She wasn’t carrying a basin for washing up or any hairpins or jewelry. Ji Yan’an rubbed her eyes in confusion: “Did you rush in so anxiously because something happened? Look, you haven’t even prepared for me to wash up yet?”

Le Yan frantically shook her head. After finally catching her breath, she spoke: “Miss, the Imperial Concubine Liu in the Palace is already four months pregnant!”

Ji Yan’an was taken aback. This… four months of pregnancy just happened out of the blue? Wouldn’t that mean the rank she had just lost would immediately be restored?

Surprised as she was, Ji Yan’an still didn’t understand what this had to do with her. When she inquired further: “Heavens, how could this be… what are you trying to say?”

Le Yan was anxious that her Miss was still in the dark, so anxious she was almost crying: “Miss!! Are you not worried at all? If Imperial Concubine Liu recovers her rank, she will definitely seek trouble with you and Miss Song.”

On this point, Le Yan’s thoughts surprisingly coincided with Ji Yan’an’s. However, Ji Yan’an’s thinking was that she would honestly stay in the Ji Manor. No matter how powerful Liu Wanwan was, could her hand reach outside the Palace?

But this thought was completely dismissed after Le Yan spoke the next sentence…

“But just now, someone came from the Eternal Peace Palace Yong’an Gong to deliver a message. Tomorrow noon, the Eternal Peace Palace is hosting a banquet for young ladies from various families, and they specifically named you and Miss Song to attend together, saying it is to apologize in person…”

Ji Yan’an was completely stunned. This was hardly an apology in person. Wasn’t it a chance to seize an opportunity for revenge?

Le Yan was relieved that Ji Yan’an finally came to her senses. She picked up a comb and slowly began to comb Ji Yan’an’s hair, one stroke at a time, still worrying: “Miss, we have to go to the Eternal Peace Palace for the banquet tomorrow noon. We should prepare today. Does Miss have any countermeasures?”

Ji Yan’an wore an attitude of giving up. She carelessly tossed a hair ornament onto the table, feeling a bit deflated: “What countermeasures can I have? I only just found out about this. Why don’t you call Song Yi over? I’ll discuss it with her.”

Le Yan picked up the hair ornament, carefully placed it on Ji Yan’an’s head, and styled her hair into a bun: “Miss, don’t rush. Change into your dress and tidy up. The Old Madam said she wants to visit Miss Chang Wan with you.”

After washing up, Ji Yan’an immediately sat down at the table, picking out her favorite dishes with silver chopsticks and saying nonchalantly: “Alright, alright. Go get that light blue dress for me first, and then help me find Song Yi. I want to have breakfast with her.”

Le Yan nodded and ran out. Seeing that the person was gone, Ji Yan’an put down her chopsticks and propped her chin in her hands. In truth, ever since she heard about Liu Wanwan’s pregnancy, she had lost all appetite. Looking at the delicate and tasty food was like seeing Liu Wanwan’s exquisite but sinister Eternal Peace Palace.

It wasn’t that she thought a new life being born because Liu Wanwan was pregnant was a bad thing. It was just the thought of facing Liu Wanwan’s insincere face tomorrow morning. Not only was it unlikely to be an apology, but she didn’t know what other bad things were coming her way.

Ji Yan’an was being tormented prematurely now.

After waiting and waiting, Ji Yan’an finally saw Song Yi arrive. Song Yi was wearing a milk-white dress with bird patterns and a lotus leaf skirt. Her fair, slender hands lightly held a sachet embroidered with a pattern of plum blossoms and a deer. A fragrant scent could be smelled from afar.

“You look so elegant in this color of clothing.” Ji Yan’an was practically starry-eyed.

Right after saying this, Ji Yan’an noticed something in Song Yi’s hand. She ran closer to examine the sachet with the plum blossom and deer pattern in Song Yi’s hand. The fragrance was both fresh and impossible to ignore.

“I saw Chang Wan standing at the courtyard gate on my way here. When she saw me, she gave me a sachet and left.” Song Yi was still puzzled, merely examining the sachet.

Ji Yan’an’s expression, however, changed. Her smile faded, and she awkwardly sat back down at the table, watching Song Yi standing there in a daze.

“Didn’t they say that a woman giving a sachet to a man is a token of affection? Did Chang Wan giving you a sachet mean she wants to be the best of friends with you?” Ji Yan’an tried her best to choose her words carefully, but the more she thought about it, the unhappier she felt. Song Yi was clearly her best friend, yet now she was about to be snatched away by Chang Wan. This feeling was very uncomfortable. Ji Yan’an knew she was jealous, but how could she be jealous of a friend?

Ji Yan’an didn’t know, but she was unhappy. She thought Song Yi would comfort her, but instead, she was still standing there clutching the sachet, her thoughts having drifted off elsewhere.

Ji Yan’an couldn’t take it anymore and yelled at Song Yi: “Eat!”

The shout startled Song Yi. Her phoenix eyes stared intently at Ji Yan’an, making Ji Yan’an feel embarrassed, and she could only lower her head and eat her rice.

Song Yi still did not eat. She waited by the door until Ji Yan’an finished eating, and then the two walked towards Chang Wan’s small courtyard.

Ji Yan’an had originally planned to discuss the matter of entering the Palace tomorrow with Song Yi, but because of what just happened, she couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth. She held it in all the way. Seeing that Chang Wan’s small courtyard was just ahead, Ji Yan’an felt that something was stuck in her heart if she didn’t speak. So, she stopped and pulled Song Yi into a small pavilion in the back garden…

“Aren’t we going to visit Chang Wan?” Song Yi, still out of the loop, frowned, the sachet with the plum blossom and deer pattern still in her hand.

Ji Yan’an tried hard to ignore the sachet and looked at Song Yi seriously, saying: “Le Yan just told me that Imperial Concubine Liu in the Palace is already four months pregnant. Her rank will probably be restored soon…”

Ji Yan’an hadn’t finished speaking when Song Yi’s frown deepened, and a hint of disgust even appeared in her eyes. Anyone mentioning Imperial Concubine Liu would remind her of the humiliation she suffered in the Eternal Peace Palace. Her back injuries hadn’t fully healed, and now she was causing trouble again?

Ji Yan’an hated it just as much as Song Yi, but she still had to say: “Tomorrow, young ladies from various families are invited to the Eternal Peace Palace for a banquet. Liu Wanwan specifically named us two to go, saying it’s to apologize to us in person.”

As soon as she finished, Song Yi let out a cold laugh. She finally put away the sachet in her hand. Song Yi’s eyes turned slightly cold: “I’m afraid it’s not to apologize in person, but to directly plot to kill us.”

Her words perfectly matched Ji Yan’an’s thoughts, and the two fell into deep contemplation.

“What should we do? Even for the sake of the Imperial Family’s reputation, we should attend the banquet. But if we go, we don’t know what kind of trap we’ll face.” Ji Yan’an leaned against the pavilion pillar, very annoyed. She looked up at the sky, which had no clouds. The azure color seemed a bit monotonous, just like Ji Yan’an’s mood at the moment.

Song Yi saw that her spirits were low and didn’t know how to comfort her. She stood there blankly for a long time before slowly walking up. Her hands, somewhat at a loss, reached up and gently touched the top of Ji Yan’an’s head. The soft feeling slowly calmed Song Yi’s mood.

“When soldiers come, use generals to block them. When water comes, use earth to cover it.” Song Yi pondered for a while before uttering this sentence, unsure if it could comfort Ji Yan’an.

Ji Yan’an nodded dejectedly. That fresh and impossible-to-ignore scent lingered around her nose again. Her tone was a little sour: “Alright, hurry up and go see your good friend.”