Chapter 48: Her Name Is Wei Ji

Zou Yingru looked at the package of medicine powder in Pan Yueqing's hand in confusion. Suddenly, she had an epiphany. "You didn't actually take out any 'medicine powder' from me just now! It was all your scheme!"

Pan Yueqing raised her hand and waved the package of powdered sugar in her hand, smiling. "If I didn't bluff you, how would you have so readily revealed the words 'Except for that garrulous fortune - teller from the seventeen households in Huangjidao, where else in the whole capital can one get this Boruo Incense?' If you didn't have such malicious intentions, how would you know that Mr. Yang actually has it?"

"Second sister! Second sister! All of this was the idea of these two lowly maids. How could I dare to do such a thing to you!" Pan Miaoqian looked at Pan Yueqing with tearful eyes, crying so pitifully. "Second sister, we are real sisters. You... You can't harm me like this..."

"You know, good and bad fortune don't come from nowhere; they are brought on by oneself." Pan Yueqing looked at Pan Miaoqian, and there was no longer any smile on her face. "Third sister, are you going to shift the blame onto your servants again?"

"I will definitely submit a written accusation to the Zongzheng Temple tomorrow." Pan Yueqing raised her eyes and looked at Zou Yingru, who was about to plead for mercy. She had no intention of letting these two off, because if the crime of poisoning the Princess of Anbei was pinned on her today, she would surely not be able to live to see the next day.

Lai Changya stood by and watched Pan Miaoqian crying, feeling even more disdainful. On the contrary, there was a hint of inquiry in her gaze as she stared at Pan Yueqing. This woman, dressed simply and with a seemingly calm personality, actually had a bit of the noble air of an aristocratic family.

But there were always some people who couldn't bear to see a beauty crying. Although Qi Sicheng had no feelings for Pan Miaoqian, Zou Yingru was different. The Northern Qi still needed someone to guard Dongzhou. Qi Sicheng stepped forward and smiled gracefully at Pan Yueqing. "Miss Pan the Second, as the sages said, one should be lenient when one can be..."

"I'm not learned, and I don't read the words of the sages." When Pan Yueqing saw that it was Qi Sicheng who came to persuade her, her face immediately turned cold. There was also mockery and indifference in her eyes. When Qi Sicheng's face and voice appeared around her, she couldn't help but think of the cup of poisoned wine in the past, and then think of the extremely hypocritical Qi Sicheng. Gritting her teeth, she enunciated each word through clenched teeth. "I only know the story of Mr. Dongguo and the wolf."

Qi Sicheng's eyes narrowed slightly. Looking at Pan Yueqing, he became even more wary. In this little woman, he seemed to sense a strong but intangible killing intent.

"Cough... cough..."

Just when the atmosphere in the entire hall was at its most tense, the Princess of Anbei slowly opened her eyes. In a blur, she saw Pan Yueqing staring at Qi Sicheng without any hesitation. She didn't have time for much reaction. She just struggled to get up and tightly grasped Pan Yueqing's hand. Her eyes were filled with a complex look, but the most obvious emotions were fear and hatred. "You! Where on earth did you get this jadeite splendor?"

This was the burial object of her mother. Since her mother's tomb was dug up, not even the bones remained. If someone had obtained this jadeite splendor, they must have a close connection with the tomb robbers! Naturally, she hated them! For more than ten years, she couldn't find this thing, and it could only have been hidden by the tomb robbers from generation to generation... Tomb robbers... It was no different from the hatred of killing one's mother!

"By chance. My uncle got it in the lair of the mountain bandits when he was suppressing bandits on the border." Pan Yueqing's eyes slightly narrowed. This thing that the Princess of Anbei had been longing for with all her filial piety had finally become a little thing for her uncle to please her.

There was such an indescribable sense of helplessness in life.

The Princess of Anbei didn't have the strength to say anything more. She waved her hand to signal the Sixth Young Master of the Qi family to bring the thing in front of her. The Sixth Young Master of the Qi family took it in his hand and examined it for a while, but then he said to the Princess of Anbei, "Mother, the mutton - fat jade with gold inlay you mentioned doesn't seem to be here..."

The Princess of Anbei suddenly opened her eyes. Her face was extremely pale. After hearing these words, she looked through her eyes and saw that the place where the peace jade was inlaid behind the jadeite splendor was empty! At that moment, she was on the verge of fainting. Fortunately, Imperial Physician Xue was quick - witted and inserted two needles, which made her catch her breath.

"Is this a fake?" The Sixth Young Master of the Qi family stepped forward ignorantly. Unexpectedly, he received a slap from the Prince of Anbei. He looked up in shock at his father's stern expression. Then he quickly knelt on the ground with the jadeite splendor in his hands. "Mother... Don't worry. Your son will immediately send someone to look for it!"

"There's no need to look for it." Pan Yueqing took the jadeite splendor. She knew the story behind this piece of jewelry, so she knew that what was most important about this jadeite splendor to the Princess of Anbei was not the big and small jadeites on it, but the mutton - fat jade with gold inlay on the left. It symbolized the filial piety of Wei Ji accompanying her mother in the grave.

Pan Yueqing raised her hand and grabbed the hand of the servant of the Princess Anbei's Mansion who had been holding the jewelry box. She twisted his wrist forcefully and used a grappling technique to twist his arm. Then, from inside the man's sleeve, she took out a piece of jade with yellow marks. This was a sign of having been buried in the soil for a long time. There were gold inlays on it, and the characters were no longer very clear. Before the Princess of Anbei could take the mutton - fat jade, she fainted again.

"Wei Ji!" The Prince of Anbei held the Princess of Anbei, and his hands were even trembling.

"You called the wrong name," Pan Yueqing stood by. She reached out and held the Princess of Anbei's hand. She kept repeating a few syllables that no one could understand. Just when Imperial Physician Xue frowned, the Princess of Anbei suddenly opened her eyes. There was an intoxicating light in her eyes, and she smiled and responded to Pan Yueqing.

"Demon... Demon woman..." The male guest who had been standing by and speaking up for Pan Miaoqian pointed at Pan Yueqing with a trembling finger. "You... are a demon woman... You cast a spell on the Princess! I really saw something like this in the Miao region before! A person who was originally unconscious woke up because of a few words we couldn't understand! That's because a spell was cast!"

As soon as he said this, no matter how much people had stood by Pan Yueqing before, they couldn't help but take a step back. People had always been afraid of ghosts and gods.

Pan Yueqing stood up. Facing the people who were clearly showing fear, she couldn't help but raise a mocking smile. This smile made everyone feel creepy, and there was a commotion in the hall. At this time, the Prince of Anbei suddenly shouted sharply, "Shut up!" He stood up and looked at Pan Yueqing. "How do you know I called the wrong name?" They had been husband and wife for decades, and he had always called the Princess "Wei Ji".

"Although the Western Wei Dynasty also used the name of the country as a surname, their language and characters are different from those of our Northern Qi. So when the Princess got married, she took a name in the characters of the Northern Qi according to the customs of the Northern Qi. 'Wei Ji' means 'the princess of the Western Wei Dynasty'. Her real name, in the language of our Northern Qi, should be 'Wei Ji'." After saying this, Pan Yueqing repeated it in the language of the Western Wei Dynasty.

The Princess of Anbei nodded and sighed, "I never expected that I would still be able to hear this name in my lifetime." She took the mutton - fat jade from Pan Yueqing's hand and couldn't help but smile. She spoke to herself in the language of the Western Wei Dynasty, "I finally see you again, Mother..."

Since the parting that day, she knew that it was difficult to see each other again in life and death. Unexpectedly, half a lifetime passed in a flash.