The daughter of the Marquis is too delicate, the abstinent prince pinches her waist and loves her

Chapter 157 The Owner of the Jade Pendant

Sheng Yunqing looked at Mu Jiyue's provocative gaze, her beautiful eyes sparkling with nonchalance, and said, "What does Your Majesty think?"

A strange glint flashed in the Empress Dowager's cloudy eyes. Her withered fingers gently stroked the armrest of the phoenix chair as she said in a low voice, "Yun Qing, did you really take Ji Yue's jade pendant?"

Sheng Yunqing narrowed her eyes slightly, finally noticing something was amiss.

When the Empress Dowager said this, her neck stiffened involuntarily for a moment, and her fingertips trembled slightly.

Mu Jiyue nestled beside the Empress Dowager and casually waved the Moonlight Jade Pendant in front of her eyes: "Empress Dowager, look at the patterns on this jade pendant, they are exactly the same as Sheng Yunqing's."

"Yun Qing! How dare you steal the token of the neighboring country's princess!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table, her aged eyes no longer showing any affection, but filled with anger as she looked at Yun Qing. "Give it back to Ji Yue!"

"Yun Qing did indeed bring a jade pendant today."

Sheng Yunqing calmly untied the jade pendant from her waist and presented it with her head bowed.

Mu Jiyue revealed a triumphant smile, eagerly took the jade pendant, examined it carefully, and frowned, saying, "A fake?"

The Empress Dowager's gaze shifted between the two jade pendants, and she glared at Sheng Yunqing, saying, "How dare you! You dare to try to deceive me with falsehoods!"

Sheng Yunqing nodded slightly and said, "Your Majesty is wise. The genuine Starry Jade Pendant was taken back last night."

The Empress Dowager frowned and asked, "Who took it back?"

"The Starry Jade Pendant is with me," came Ye Jinlan's voice from outside the door.

Granny Zhang entered and said, "Empress Dowager, Prince Xian requests an audience."

Upon hearing Ye Jinlan's voice, Mu Jiyue gritted her teeth inwardly. This Ye Jinlan and Sheng Yunqing, with their jade pendants being exchanged back and forth, had her completely bewildered.

I clearly found out that the jade pendant had returned to Sheng Yunqing's hands, so how did it end up being taken by Ye Jinlan again?!

"Let him in."

"Yes."

Ye Jinlan strode over, bowed to the Empress Dowager, took out a jade pendant from her sleeve and presented it, saying, "Empress Dowager, the Starry Jade Pendant is here."

The Empress Dowager compared the presented jade pendant with the Moonlight Jade Pendant, nodded in approval, and asked, "Prince Xian, why is this jade pendant in your possession?"

Ye Jinlan smiled faintly and said, "This jade pendant did not originally belong to me. Several months ago, on a rainy night, it accidentally fell from a young lady's body. I have posted notices for several months but the owner has not been found."

He glanced at Mu Jiyue with an ambiguous expression and said, "Miss Sheng was afraid that someone would steal it, so she made a replica and announced it to the capital. Unexpectedly, the Marquis's Mansion and the Prince Xian's Mansion have not had a moment of peace for the past few months."

"Oh? Is that so?" The Empress Dowager frowned slightly.

Ye Jinlan looked at Mu Jiyue and asked, "Princess Qinxue, what do you think?"

A hint of embarrassment and anger flashed in Mu Jiyue's eyes, but she then pretended to be calm and said, "This item has always belonged to me. After my disobedient maid stole it, it was accidentally picked up by Prince Xian. The person who wanted to steal the jade pendant must have been that runaway maid. Fortunately, nothing happened. I've troubled Your Highness to keep it safe for me these days."

Sheng Yunqing tilted her head slightly and said, "May I ask which of the princess's maids holds such a powerful position that she has dispatched more than a hundred assassins over the past few months?"

Mu Jiyue pursed her lips, her expression somewhat unpleasant. Ye Jinlan took out a notice from his bosom and handed it to the Empress Dowager, saying, "Mother, this is the notice I wrote that day. The reason I asked Miss Sheng for the jade pendant back last night is because the owner has been found."

"Oh?" The Empress Dowager raised her eyebrows with some curiosity.

Sheng Yunqing was suddenly surprised. Had the owner of the jade pendant finally been found?
"That person is not some maid."

Mu Jiyue's heart skipped a beat, and she clenched her fists without saying a word.

Sheng Yunqing turned to Ye Jinlan and asked, "Who is that person? Why hasn't anyone come to claim them after they've been missing for so long?"

Ye Jinlan smiled faintly and said, "The daughter of the Imperial Censor is ill and lives in her hometown in Jiangnan. She came to the capital and stayed for two nights before. She had already returned by the time I posted the notice. She has only come to the capital to live these past few days."

The Empress Dowager nodded, then looked at Mu Jiyue with a somewhat cold expression and said, "Jiyue, you have disappointed me greatly."

Mu Jiyue's fingers, hidden in her sleeve, trembled slightly, and the wings of the Gu worm in the wooden box at her waist fluttered. The Empress Dowager's cloudy eyes were instantly clouded with a thin mist.

The girl immediately stood up, lowered her head, and obediently admitted her mistake: "Your Majesty, I was just too fond of that jade pendant and was momentarily blinded by greed. I know I was wrong..."

"Sigh." The Empress Dowager's tone suddenly softened, her withered fingers pressing her temples. "Foolish child, you mustn't do it again next time."

She took Mu Jiyue's hand, gently patted the back of her hand, and said, "How can you be my daughter-in-law if you're so naughty?"

Sheng Yunqing felt a lump in her throat and frowned slightly. Did the Empress Dowager want Mu Jiyue to become Ye Jinchen's wife?

She turned her eyes, carefully observing the Empress Dowager's reaction; her cloudy eyes seemed to be veiled by a faint gray mist.

Could it be... that he's being controlled by this woman?

Ye Jinlan suddenly stepped forward: "Mother, this matter concerns the diplomatic relations between our two countries..."

"Enough!" The Empress Dowager slammed her hand on the table, causing the pearls hanging from her nine-phoenix crown to shake violently. She stared at Ye Jinlan and said, "Jiyue already knows she was wrong, what more do you want? The jade pendant isn't lost, just return it to Miss Xie."

Mu Jiyue lowered her head to hide her smugness, her fingertips gently tracing the wooden box hidden beneath her sleeve.

The Empress Dowager then turned her gaze to Sheng Yunqing, a hint of unnatural ruthlessness flashing in her eyes: "Yunqing, I have already ordered the coroner to conduct a thorough examination of Ling'er. I believe that justice will be served for the innocent soon."

Sheng Yunqing gave an ambiguous smile and said, "That's very good."

The Empress Dowager raised her hand and rubbed her temples, saying, "Just looking at you gives me a headache. Get out of here!"

"Empress Dowager, please don't be angry. Let me give you a massage." Ji Yue's voice was soft and obedient. She gently pressed her temples a few times, and the Empress Dowager's expression relaxed a little.

Sheng Yunqing saw the embers in the brazier and the fragments of the sachet she had just given away. She sighed helplessly, bowed to the Empress Dowager, and said, "Yunqing takes her leave."

A moment.

"Miss Sheng!" Sheng Yunqing, who was about to leave the palace, stopped and turned to look at Ye Jinlan who was rushing towards her, raising her eyebrows slightly.

Ye Jinlan walked up to her, frowning with some concern, and comforted her, "Are you alright? The Empress Dowager said that to you... I don't know what's wrong with her either. In my memory, the Empress Dowager wasn't so capricious."

Sheng Yunqing gave a polite smile and said, "It's alright, I will definitely find out the truth about this matter."