Bone Painting Coroner

Ji Muqing’s room was full of gifts. They were either sent from the palace or from Prince Yi's estate. There were all kinds of valuable and top-quality goods. Inside the room, many young maids were busy carrying things in and out.

They saw Ji Wanxin. "Second Young Miss?" Someone said, "Why are you here? Did you not just arrive? Why don't you go rest?"

She coughed softly. "I am coming to visit my Big Sister and see if I can help with anything."

"No, no, we maids can handle it. Second Young Miss, please go and rest."

"I’m fine." She gave a faint smile, her voice exceedingly gentle.

Ji Muqing, who was sitting in front of the dressing table, saw her through the mirror. She got up happily and walked towards her. "Wanxin, when did you arrive?" Ji Muqing took her arm affectionately. She was very enthusiastic.

Ji Wanxin suddenly froze for a moment. As she stood in a daze, she was tugged towards the dresser in the room and made to sit down.

"Why didn't you tell me when you came? I would have gone out to welcome you."

"Big Sister, you are going to get married. You must be very busy, so Father didn't inform you."

"Is Father here, too?"

"He is talking about your marriage arrangements in the lobby."

"Seriously, why did you not say anything when you arrived? Big Brother should also have called me along to greet both you and Father at the gate." Ji Muqing looked unhappy.

Ji Wanxin stared at her. Was this person in front of her the same Ji Muqing who would lash out viciously whenever she saw her? No matter how she looked at her, while her face was exactly the same… her personality was not quite the same. She pulled her arm out of Ji Muqing’s arms, "Anything I could do to help you, sister?"

"Look at you, why are you treating me like an outsider? We are sisters, sisters related by blood" Ji Muqing deliberately raised her tone as if she was afraid that others wouldn't know.

But Ji Wanxin got goosebumps all over her body. She put on a false smile.

Ji Muqing looked at her kindly and held her hand again, "Wanxin, I know there was a lot of unpleasantness between us before, but everything is in the past. From now on, we sisters should get along well. I will always think of you even if I am Prince Yi’s Consort. If you have anything you need help with, just talk to me, as long as I have a handful of rice, I would never let you go hungry. "

"Big Sister..."

"Oh right." She suddenly brought a gift box over and opened it, "This is a thousand-year-old ginseng, an Imperial tribute, bestowed by the Emperor. Your health has always been bad. Father previously wrote that you are going to marry Young Master Shen soon and I think that’s an amazing occasion to celebrate too. But before you get married, it's most important to take good care of your health." She insisted on giving her the ginseng.

Ji Wanxin smiled awkwardly. It wasn’t appropriate for her to either accept or reject this gift, so she simply put it aside. "Thank you, Big Sister."

"My pleasure." Ji Muqing smiled, holding her arms, "I'm getting married tomorrow. Since I’m in a rush, I haven’t been able to decide on what jewelry to wear because there are so many. You've always had a good taste, come help me pick which one looks good on my wedding day."

On the dressing table, there was a big pile of gold and silver jewelry in boxes of all sizes. It was no wonder she had difficulty choosing.

"Help me take a look."

"Sure." Ji Wanxin did start to pick for her with great care. She looked around and picked out a hairpin with a sapphire pendant. "This hairpin is suitable for you. The wedding dress is red, so wearing a blue hairpin on your head makes you look more energetic."

"It's very thoughtful of you." Ji Muqing wore it on her head and looked at it in the mirror. "Well, it's not bad, but..." She took the hairpin down and put it on Ji Wanxin's head. With an appreciative gaze in her eyes, she said, "I think it would look better on you. Anyway, you're also getting married and will wear a red wedding dress too. I’ll give this hairpin to you so you can wear it on your wedding day."

"No, I can’t possibly take this." She quickly declined and took off the hairpin.

She was stopped by Ji Muqing. "What’s wrong? We are sisters. As your elder sister, you don’t have to be so polite with me when I am gifting you something. Take it."

Ji Wanxin could not refuse but felt apprehensive in her heart. In the past, Ji Muqing hated her so much that she wanted to kill her. So what is with this sudden kindness towards her? She’s being so kind that it’s quite frightening instead.

That day, Ji Muqing kept asking her to pick things, and then kept generously putting things into her hands. Even the maids in the room had profited from it! Everyone was saying that the First Young Miss was kind. But in private, they said that Ji Muqing must have been cursed for her to turn so kind.

Prince Yi's wedding was handled by both the Ministry of Rites and the Han Academy together. When Minister Liang from the Imperial Clan Bureau of Han Academy heard the news, he was surprised and immediately went to see Concubine Xiao.

At that time, his daughter had been pushed to death by Ji Muqing. In revenge, he joined forces with Concubine Xiao to get rid of Ji Muqing's position as Crown Prince Consort. At the same time, he killed Gao Bingze and made him a scapegoat. Concubine Xiao had claimed that she was sorry for his daughter's death, but if so, what was she doing now?

He tried every possible way to make Ji Muqing lose the title of Crown Prince Consort, but now Concubine Xiao is asking the Emperor to marry her to Prince Yi. In the future, when Prince Yi becomes the crown prince, won't Ji Muqing still be the crown princess in the end? Doesn’t this mean the efforts to redress the injustice to his daughter were all in vain? He could not let this pass, and refused to accept this!

Concubine Xiao knew he would definitely come, so she had already made a pot of good tea and waited. "Prince Yi will be getting married tomorrow, aren’t the Han Academy and the Ministry of Rites busy preparing for it? How does Minister Liang still have the leisure to visit me?" She asked, despite knowing the answer.

"I don't understand why Your Highness asked the Emperor to bestow the marriage of the daughter of Ji Family to Prince Yi." He questioned. Of course, he was angry.

Concubine Xiao sat there calmly, her hand holding a cup of tea, her red lips blew a few times on the surface of the tea, and took a slow sip. "Minister Liang, I know that you are angry. When Xu’er was killed by Miss Ji, I also felt sorry for her."

"If that's the case, why does Your Highness want her to be Prince Yi’s Consort?"

"I have my own plans, so don't ask anymore, Minister Liang."

"I don't understand, Your Highness, at first, you said that you would help this official’s daughter, so I sacrificed Gao Bingze. But now, Your Highness is promoting her to be Prince Yi’s Consort. If Prince Yi ascends to the throne, she will be the mother of the country in the future. My daughter died so unjustly, but that woman is going to be the Empress, how do you want me to endure this?"

"When and where did I say that she, Ji Muqing, would become the Empress in the future?" Concubine Xiao put on a serious attitude and sneered very disdainfully, raising her eyebrows, "That petty little girl from Ji family is not worthy of being the Empress of Great Lin."

Hmm? Minister Liang did not understand.