Chapter 25: Distorting the Truth-Irmã Louca Rouba o Casamento? Após Trocar de Lugar com Ela e Casar com o Príncipe Herdeiro de Vida Curta, Eu Subi ao Trono como Imperatriz(Estrela e Pintura de Primavera)

Of course, the Second Miss Ji did not feel she had done anything wrong; she merely regretted being too impulsive and letting her true feelings show.

Ji Shulan finally noticed Ling Moxuan’s displeasure and hurriedly explained, "Your Highness Prince Xuan, I just—"

"Bravo!"

Ling Yuzhao suddenly spoke, interrupting Ji Shulan. His eyes, wearing an expression that was half-smile and half-mockery, swept back and forth between Ling Moxuan and Ji Shulan. He raised an eyebrow, snapped open his folding fan, stretched his body, and teased, "My royal brother’s future consort is truly... lively. It seems we have interrupted the conversation between the Second Miss Ji and my brother. I happen to be tired, so let us finish this game of chess another time. Brother, you should go ahead and properly attend to the Second Miss."

Without waiting for Ling Moxuan’s response, he walked directly toward Ji Hua. As he passed her, he called out, "Eldest Miss Ji, let us take a walk over there. Furthermore, as you are my future Crown Princess, your talents in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting should naturally be displayed for me alone. Prince Xuan was merely joking with you; there is no need to take it to heart."

Ji Hua had been worrying about how to escape the situation. Upon hearing Ling Yuzhao’s words, she rose smoothly, giving Ling Moxuan no chance to speak, and smiled at the crowd. "It is my fault as the elder sister. Lan'er often spoke of Prince Xuan in the manor, and I simply assumed she mentioned him because she was nervous about her impending marriage."

"Thinking back on it now, my sister is truly... deeply devoted to Prince Xuan. I shall not disturb you further. Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves."

With that, Ji Hua left with Ling Yuzhao.

Her words were somewhat improper, as one should never expose a sister’s romantic longings in public. But since Ji Shulan had dared to throw the first stone, why shouldn't she retaliate? Besides, on an occasion like this, Ji Shulan had twice leaped out to disparage her own sister. The scene had already become a farce, and those present were not fools; they could clearly see the discord between the sisters. If that was the case, there was no need for her to endure it in silence. At the very least, she had to show some edge so that everyone present would know that Ji Hua was not a soft persimmon to be trampled upon at will.

Ji Hua’s sarcasm was plain, yet the person in question did not perceive it that way. Ji Shulan actually thought Ji Hua was being tactful. Because she only heard the part about her "often speaking of Prince Xuan," she assumed that once the Prince knew of her heart, he would surely appreciate her devotion.

She did not realize how inappropriate it was to discuss such matters in this setting. With the Crown Prince having left after dropping those remarks, the atmosphere became subtle. Seeing that Prince Xuan’s expression was dark, the guests one by one found excuses to depart from the lake pavilion.

In a short while, the once-lively pavilion was left with only Ling Moxuan and Ji Shulan. Ling Moxuan’s face was grim. With no outsiders present, he saw no need to hide his anger; his expression was thunderous, and he glared at Ji Shulan with cold hostility. Under the weight of his powerful aura, Ji Shulan nearly sank to her knees. She knew the guests had left because she had gone too far, but she did not believe she was in the wrong. She was merely defending the dignity of the future Princess Xuan!

At this thought, she felt aggrieved when meeting Ling Moxuan’s dissatisfied gaze. Then, recalling how he had repeatedly mentioned Ji Hua, her grievances turned into a burning fury. Desperate and acting without thought, she blurted out, "Your Highness, please do not be deceived by my sister! I am to be your Princess, and my sister has no interest in you whatsoever!"

"When my father asked us to choose whom we wished to marry, I chose you without hesitation, whereas my sister chose the Crown Prince." Ji Shulan paused, feeling this explanation was not enough to highlight the rarity of her choice, and hurriedly added, "My sister is older than me, and Father favors her, so he let her choose first. When she immediately picked the Crown Prince, Father even asked if she wanted to reconsider."

"But my sister said that the Crown Prince is of noble status, the rightful heir, and that by marrying him, she would become the Crown Princess and eventually the most honored woman in the world, the Empress." Fearing this wasn't harsh enough, she added fuel to the fire, "My sister also said that while Prince Xuan is a prince, he is not the legitimate eldest son of the Empress. She said that although Noble Consort Jing is a consort, in terms of status, she is merely a 'noble concubine'—a glorified mistress—and cannot compare to the Empress."

Ji Shulan was sowing discord, her words becoming increasingly reckless. She failed to notice that Ling Moxuan’s face was dark enough to drip ink, lost in the satisfaction of her own words. It was only when she finished and received no response that she looked up and was frozen in terror. The look in the Prince’s eyes was truly chilling.

"Your Highness... I, I... are you angry?"

Taking a deep breath, Prince Xuan looked at the fool before him. He usually possessed excellent self-control, but the term "glorified mistress" coming from her mouth was truly grating!

Ling Moxuan sneered, "Second Miss Ji, one can eat anything, but one cannot say just anything. The Eldest Miss is, after all, your sister. You previously lied in public, claiming she could not play the zither and that she was inferior to you in all arts. These could be excused as the folly of a young girl blinded by jealousy, but to call my mother a 'glorified mistress'..."

*Oh, no!* Ji Shulan finally realized she had overstepped and quickly knelt. "Your Highness, have mercy! I was merely being blunt! My sister didn't use those exact words, but that is what she meant!"

She looked up at him defiantly. "My sister’s praise of the Crown Prince shows she looks down on your status as a mere prince! But I am different—I am devoted to you with all my heart!"

The man’s expression did not improve. Panicked, Ji Shulan’s eyes darted around until she found a solution: play the victim. She pulled out a handkerchief, dabbed at the corners of her eyes, and choked out, "Your Highness, I am inexperienced, and I only wanted to offer my heart to you. I may have been inconsiderate, but I had no choice. You do not know—my sister uses her status as the legitimate daughter to bully me in the manor and insults my mother for being a step-wife. She is a master of disguise!"

"In front of outsiders, she acts like a loving sister and daughter, but behind our backs, she slanders us. She complains to Father, and because Father favors her, my mother and I are always the ones being scolded." A flame of jealousy flashed in her eyes. "Such a two-faced woman is hailed as the greatest talent in the capital, and I simply cannot accept it!"