Chapter 339: You Must Be the Crown Prince’s Lady-in-waiting
Chapter 339: Chapter 339: You Must Be the Crown Prince’s Lady-in-waiting
Xie Suzhi was taken aback for a moment, then he burst into a hearty laugh.
"Alright, alright. You’re a grateful little one."
Then, with a sweep of his hand, he declared, "Godfather will go with you to the ancestral hall."
Xie Ming’an was astonished.
It was neither a day for ancestral worship, nor was it the Qingming or Winter Clothes Festival.
’Opening the ancestral hall just like that?’
’His father was far too indulgent with Shen Ningning!’
Xie Ming’an frowned, deciding not to take part in their foolishness.
But after some thought, he couldn’t help himself and followed behind them.
Inside the ancestral hall, the candlelight was bright.
The ancestral tablets of the Xie family stood in silent solemnity.
Shen Ningning knelt on a prayer cushion, her small hands clasping three incense sticks.
She said, "Godmother, watching from above, please accept Ningning’s bow."
"Godmother, I took four of your jade pieces today, and I plan to use them to save people."
"If you can hear me in the afterlife, please watch over my every word and deed. I will never disappoint you or bring you shame."
Xie Suzhi stood behind her, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"Once the calamity has passed, I will visit your grave and kowtow to you."
After the little one finished speaking, she handed the incense to Uncle Pang and watched as he placed it in the incense urn.
Then, with her small hands gripping the sides of the prayer cushion, she sincerely performed three kowtows.
Shen Ningning stood up and turned around.
Surprised, she asked in her soft, childlike voice, "Godfather, why are you crying?"
Xie Suzhi snapped back to his senses and quickly wiped the tears away with his sleeve.
He chuckled weakly, his tone tinged with bitterness.
"Godfather lost his composure for a moment. Forgive me for making a fool of myself, Ningning."
"It’s just... I was thinking of your godmother’s dying wish. She wanted to find her daughter."
"She always hoped her daughter would one day call her ’Mother.’"
Xie Suzhi suddenly asked, "Ningning, would you be willing to face her memorial tablet and call her ’Mother’?"
"If her spirit is aware, it would make her immensely happy."
Shen Ningning wanted to nod, but her bright, clear eyes glanced hesitantly outside.
Her gaze swept past Xie Suzhi’s shoulder to the courtyard entrance, where she saw Xie Ming’an’s lonely figure standing beneath a lantern.
Xie Ming’an immediately looked away, ducking behind the courtyard gate.
Shen Ningning pressed her lips together.
Just then, she remembered Xie Ming’an accusing her of stealing Miss Xie’s life, and a bitter feeling welled up inside her.
She wanted to refuse, but Xie Suzhi’s gaze was so earnest.
Shen Ningning hesitated. "If Godfather wouldn’t mind, I could..."
Xie Suzhi was overjoyed. "How could I ever mind, Ningning? Good girl. Go on, let your godmother be happy for once."
Shen Ningning knelt on the prayer cushion again, her gaze fixed on Shen Siyi’s memorial tablet.
She opened her mouth several times, but an unfamiliar emotion caught in her throat, and for the longest time, she couldn’t make a sound.
Her small hands clutched the corner of her dress, and fine beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
Her bright, clear eyes were filled with uncertainty.
"Mother..." Her voice was tiny, tinged with a timid, probing unease.
It was as if she were calling out to a stranger.
The child’s voice was filled with utter helplessness and confusion.
Xie Suzhi’s heart ached with both joy and sorrow.
The rims of his eyes were red. Not wanting Shen Ningning to see, he had to turn away and take slow breaths.
When he looked up again, Xie Suzhi saw Xie Ming’an gazing toward the brightly lit ancestral hall, a complex expression in his eyes.
He stood exposed to the whipping wind, his robes fluttering wildly. Was the longing and grief in his eyes any different from Xie Suzhi’s own?
「Meanwhile.」
All was not peaceful at the Qi Mansion.
Before Qi Xiuwei had even fully recovered, she was summoned to the main wing by Mrs. Qi Sr.
Her father, Mr. Qi, was also there.
The moment Qi Xiuwei entered, she saw that her mother, from the Yu Family, had red eyes, as if she had been crying.
"Greetings, Grandmother." Qi Xiuwei stepped forward to pay her respects.
Mrs. Qi Sr. wore a gilded forehead band set with a large emerald, lending her an air of immense authority.
Her graying hair at the temples was impeccably styled.
"Mm," Mrs. Qi Sr. nodded, looking at Qi Xiuwei. "Wei’er, I have just discussed this with your parents. Once you have fully recovered, in a few months, we will send you to the palace to serve as a Princess’s Lady-in-waiting."
Qi Xiuwei looked up, stunned. "A... Princess’s Lady-in-waiting? Grandmother, when has His Highness the Crown Prince ever said he needed a lady-in-waiting?"
"Your father will petition the Emperor. He will find a way to place you there, no matter the cost. Your aunt has already been sent to the Cold Palace. The Qi Family cannot be without a presence in the palace, do you understand?" Mrs. Qi Sr. said with grim authority.
Qi Xiuwei found this utterly absurd. "But, Shen Ningning is the Crown Prince’s..."
Before she could finish, Mrs. Qi Sr. slammed her hand on the table.
"Do not mention that Shen Ningning again!" she reprimanded, her voice sharp and severe. "She is the reason your aunt is in the Cold Palace, and she’s the adopted daughter of the Xie Mansion. You must remember—she is your enemy!"
Qi Xiuwei’s face went pale, clearly terrified by Mrs. Qi Sr.’s vehemence.
Her mother from the Yu Family rushed forward and pulled her into an embrace.
She said through her tears, "Matriarch, why must you make things so difficult for her? Wei’er is still just a child, and she hasn’t even recovered her strength from falling into the water."
"Calling it a Princess’s Lady-in-waiting sounds respectable, but let’s be blunt—down the line, she’ll be nothing more than a bed-servant, a concubine!"
Mrs. Qi Sr. snorted. "Even as the Crown Prince’s concubine, she would be of noble status—far better than marrying some commoner. I’ve already made this perfectly clear to you. Why are you still so confused?"
"It’s because of your foolishness that you’ve raised such an ill-mannered daughter! As a child of the Qi Family, she has not an ounce of ambition to bring glory to our name. She is a disgrace to our ancestors!"
Scolded so harshly by her mother-in-law, the lady from the Yu Family froze, and tears began to stream down her face.
Qi Xiuwei felt aggrieved as well. Mother and daughter clung to each other, their quiet sobs dissolving into a heap of tears.
Mr. Qi frowned and said to Mrs. Qi Sr., "Mother, I think it wouldn’t be too late to discuss this matter further at another time."
"The Crown Prince’s health is unstable. Sending our daughter to his side to be a female official may not be a good thing."
But Mrs. Qi Sr. was resolute. "As long as he is the Crown Prince, he is the bet we must place on him."
"If your wives and concubines weren’t so useless and had actually borne a son for our Qi Family, I wouldn’t be at my age, still worrying about the future of the Qi Mansion!"
Mr. Qi lowered his head. "It is my fault."
"Hmph! Take my words to heart. Since Jing Chun is in the Cold Palace, she is finished. The family will cut off her allowance. Let her fend for herself in the palace." After speaking, Mrs. Qi Sr. left, leaning on her cane and supported by a maidservant.
Mr. Qi didn’t dare to object, merely frowning as he agreed.
Only after Mrs. Qi Sr. had gone did the lady from the Yu Family dare to wipe away her tears.
She asked Mr. Qi, "My lord, your sister is already in an extremely difficult position in the Cold Palace. If we stop supporting her, she..."
Mr. Qi’s tone was grave. "We will do as Mother says. Things have come to this; we can no longer afford to worry about her."
After speaking, he glanced at Qi Xiuwei, who was still tearful and pale.
"You had best summon several more renowned physicians to cure Wei’er’s illness quickly. That way, I can send her to the palace sooner."
"Mother is not wrong. Chancellor Xie has always been at odds with our family. If we cannot place a useful pawn inside the palace, it will be truly dangerous for the Qi Family."
With that, Mr. Qi left to rest in his concubine’s quarters.
Her mother took the weeping Qi Xiuwei back to her room.
The lady from the Yu Family soothed her for quite some time before Qi Xiuwei finally stopped crying.
Once she was alone in her room, her eyes were as red and swollen as walnuts. She stared at the bed canopy, too upset to fall asleep.
Just then, a KNOCK, KNOCK sounded from outside the window lattice.