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Liu Jingyu stood up and knelt in front of Empress Wang with a thud. “Your Grace, I am not familiar with Young Master Yongning. Though our families have had some interactions, I have only met Young Master Yongning once or twice. As for the words found in his scented , it’s possible that someone else tampered with it. At that time, I was going to deliver medicine to my mother, and I am not aware of what happened afterward.”

Liu Jingyu hinted that someone might be trying to harm her, but she couldn’t explain what happened as she had left the Duke Qi’s residence by then.

“Could it be that Third Lady Qu’s scented was originally meant to harm you?” Empress Wang asked after some thought.

Liu Jingyu looked up in disbelief, her voice trembling, “How is that possible? I had no prior interaction with her, and we had no enmity or grudges.”

“In the past, there might have been no enmity, but now it seems there is. I heard that she is now a concubine in Lord Jing’s Mansion, considering herself the mistress of the house.” Empress Wang sneered. Her face was thin, and her high cheekbones gave her a somewhat cold appearance.

Liu Jingyu blinked, quickly understanding the implications. She was shocked, “How dare she…”

“Why wouldn’t she dare? None of the daughters from the Qu family have much potential; they can only become concubines, both the legitimate and illegitimate daughters.” Empress Wang hinted, her posture straightening. “Being a concubine is one thing, but being ambitious while at it makes it even more challenging for the future Lord Jing’s wife.”

Empress Wang’s words were meaningful, and although Liu Jingyu couldn’t fully answer them, she could only lowered her head.

“Rise!” Empress Wang motioned for Liu Jingyu to stand, and a palace maid helped her sit on a nearby chair. Just as she sat down, Pei Luo’an entered the room, followed by a chamberlain.

“Mother!” Pei Luo’an greeted Empress Wang.

Liu Jingyu quickly stood up and bowed to Pei Luo’an. Only after Pei Luo’an waved his hand did she sit down again.

“Son, take a seat. How is your health?” Empress Wang asked, concerned about her son’s appearance. Since Ji Hanyue’s death, his health had not been great.

Pei Luo’an sat beside Empress Wang, glanced at Liu Jingyu, and coughed softly twice, “Mother, I’m fine. Just a minor cough.”

“A minor cough? You are the crown prince of a country; nothing should be taken lightly. If the servants around you can’t take care of such a small matter, what use are they?” Prince Wang’s expression darkened, and his gaze turned stern as he looked at the chamberlain beside the crown prince.

The chamberlain turned pale with fear, too frightened to move.

“Mother, there’s really nothing to worry about. The imperial physician also said it’s nothing serious; I just stayed up late last night and caught a slight cold. It was almost fine, but now I need to take medicine again.” Pei Luo’an gently explained with a smile.

“Staying up late again last night? What are you doing exactly? Every time you claim it’s an accidental oversight or something came up, what’s more important, those things or your health?” Empress Wang said with some annoyance, “Your wife is gone, so there’s no use organizing her things anymore. As for the shrine in your mansion, remove it. After all, you still have to marry another wife. What will the new wife think of this matter?”

As Empress Wang spoke, she looked at Liu Jingyu, who was sitting there with discipline, giving the impression of a well-behaved person. Empress Wang secretly nodded in approval.

Though she didn’t fully believe Liu Jingyu’s words, at least Liu Jingyu’s extreme respectfulness was satisfactory.

“Mother, it’s not about my late wife.” Pei Luo’an coughed softly again.

“How is it not about her…” Empress Wang wanted to say more, but seeing her son’s gaze, she knew she couldn’t discuss it further in front of Liu Jingyu. “Alright, I won’t talk about this matter anymore. You should take good care of your health; don’t let yourself be troubled by such trivial matters.”

“Yes, I apologize for making you worry, Mother.” Pei Luo’an nodded gracefully and looked towards Liu Jingyu. “County Lady Jingyu is also here because of yesterday’s incident?”

This direct question made Liu Jingyu’s heart skip a beat. Was it because the crown prince was dissatisfied?

She quickly stood up again, “Your Highness, indeed, it’s because of yesterday’s incident. I came to explain to Her Grace to avoid any misunderstandings.”

Liu Jingyu didn’t mention that it was Empress Wang who summoned her to the palace. Instead, she made it appear as though she came on her own initiative to appear innocent and to show that Empress Wang trusted and treated her kindly.

This display pleased Empress Wang, and her face showed a much more sincere smile. Looking at the two of them, she found them much more satisfactory than when she observed Ji Hanyue and her son.

In truth, she had also taken an interest in Liu Jingyu. Her background and status were not inferior to Ji Hanyue’s, and she might even be of a higher standing. However, her son was fixated on Ji Hanyue, and after some consideration, Empress Wang concluded that both sides had their strengths and weaknesses, making it hard to determine who was better. Thus, she decided to heed her son’s wishes.

“Is the sachet in Young Master Yongning’s possession yours?” Pei Luo’an asked directly.

This question made Liu Jingyu unable to remain standing. She knelt down again, her eyes turning red once more. “Your Highness, this has nothing to do with me. The sachet does not belong to me. Your Highness, you know what kind of person I am. How could there be any connection with Young Master Yongning?”

She refrained from mentioning that she couldn’t possibly be interested in someone like Xu Lipeng.

Despite him being considered a good husband by many young ladies from prominent families in the capital, Liu Jingyu had never regarded him as a suitable match for herself. Her goals were crystal clear: to marry into the royal family, attain boundless wealth and occupy a position above all others.

A mere Mrs. Yongning Marquis held no value in her eyes.

Furthermore, Xu Lipeng’s reputation had deteriorated even further, making it inconceivable for her to be associated with him.

Observing her expression, Pei Luo’an paused for a moment and then stood up. “Mother, may I talk to County Lady Jingyu privately?”

“Very well!” Empress Wang knew her son had something to discuss with Liu Jingyu in private and didn’t object. She nodded her approval.

Pei Luo’an turned and headed to a side hall, with Liu Jingyu following nervously behind, supported by a palace maid.

Inside the side hall, Pei Luo’an took a seat while Liu Jingyu followed like a demure young woman, her hands folded in front of her, and her head lowered with a sense of grievance, biting her cherry lips. Even though Pei Luo’an couldn’t see her face directly, he sensed her distress and sorrow, making him see her even more as a beautiful and pitiable woman.

“Tell me what happened yesterday.” Pei Luo’an said gently.

Liu Jingyu struggled to hold back her tears and recounted the events she had told Empress Wang earlier. When she finished, her tears couldn’t be suppressed any longer, and she reached for a handkerchief to wipe her eyes.

The hall fell silent, with only the faint sound of Liu Jingyu’s sobbing, which sounded truly pitiful.

“Third Lady Qu tried to harm Forth Lady Qu. You found out about this from a maid’s report, but didn’t have time to verify it before being sent back to your house by Duke Qi to deliver medicine to your mother. When you returned, the incident had occurred, and any attempt to salvage the situation was too late. Yesterday, my younger brother even went to the Duke Qi’s mansion to demand an explanation. The Duke Qi ordered you to go to the Qu Mansion to apologize because Third Lady Qu had not woken up?”

Pei Luo’an quickly grasped the situation and restated it.

“Yes, Your Highness, that’s correct. His Highness Lord Jing intervened, and Jingyu was afraid of causing more trouble. Both my grandfather and father thought the best course of action was to settle the matter peacefully, so I went to apologize at the Qu Mansion. I heard that Third Lady Qu has now woken up, and I’m relieved she did; otherwise, I would feel a heavy sense of guilt.”

Liu Jingyu replied, tears flowing once again as she lowered her head to wipe them away.

As she narrated, she portrayed herself as the most innocent party. The decision to make amends was also out of concern that the incident could implicate the crown prince. After all, Lord Jing had directly intervened.

“Third Lady Qu is going to become my Second Brother’s concubine?” Pei Luo’an asked again.

“Yes, that’s the reason Lord Jing intervened directly. I heard that Lord Jing requested a decree yesterday, and the chamberlain went to the Qu Mansion to deliver it.” Liu Jingyu nodded in confirmation.

The incident had become the talk of the town in the capital. Some felt that the position of Minister Qu’s daughter was a bit low, while others believed that Third Lady Qu’s low status was due to her own behavior. Rumors of the matter involving the Duke Qi’s mansion had already spread to the outside world, and combined with Qu Qiuyan’s evidently lower status, it contributed to her current situation.

People are speculating about Third Lady Qu, suggesting that she must have some negative traits; otherwise, with her background, she would have become a side consort.

However, there was also a rumor that it was Liu Jingyu’s matter. Although the Qu Mansion was not bad, it was still not enough when compared to the Qi Mansion and Minister Liu’s Mansion. Therefore, Minister Qu hastily agreed to send his daughter to the Jing Mansion as a concubine. He wanted the Jing Mansion to uphold justice for his daughter.

There’s another rumor that implicates Liu Jingyu. Some say that Liu Jingyu was involved in the matter and that she pressured Third Lady Qu to lower her status, seeking Lord Jing’s assistance under the guise of apology.

These rumors have negatively impacted Liu Jingyu’s reputation. Some even claim that the sachet found in the hands of the young master Yongning bore Liu Jingyu’s name.

Though the subsequent events haven’t spread throughout the entire capital, there are whispers circulating among prominent families.

Pei Luo’an remained silent, observing Liu Jingyu for a moment before speaking with a gentle tone, “Since this matter doesn’t seem to have much to do with you, it would be best to limit your interactions with the Qu family in the future. The Qu family still has a Forth Lady Qu remaining, who has an eye ailment and is a cousin of my late wife.”