"No Wedding Unless Enemies and Lovers" 《不是冤家不拜堂》Chapter 172

 Ji Ling Xue's three questions, each word was like a needle, stabbing into the Ji Yu Qing's heart, the cowardly Ji Ling Xue's pupils shrank, she swallowed saliva, without much confidence she said: "You...have no proof, how can you slander me by saying I did it...you're taking out your resent on me, if you're not resigned to something, go find the prince. You finding me...what do mean by this?"

Ji Ling Xue eyes turned cold, the hand holding the knife tightened, the sharp edge of the knife broke Ji Ling Xue's flesh, a drop of bright red blood streaked across the blade, falling with a pitter patter onto the floor.

A cold sweat broke out on Ji Yu Qing's forehead, Ji Ling Xue's callous eyes reflected in  the copper mirror, she was like a soul which had come from hell.

Ji Yu Qing said with a trembling voice: "Ji Ling Xue...older sister...you...let's talk properly..."

Ji Ling Xue gave a snort: "Weren't you being sharped-tongue just now, why are you stuttering as you speak, you better think about it clearly before speaking again, otherwise the knife in my hand doesn't discriminate, right now only the first layer of your skin is broken, if it's a little deeper, it'll cut your artery, your little life will be gone by my hands, even if the prince rushes over soon, he wouldn't be able to save your life."

Ji Yu Qing's charming face turned pale with fear, Xiao Yi Chen didn't know if Xiao Yi Chen would come to her courtyard, but she believed in Ji Ling Xue's words, a provoked dog would bite, besides the current Ji Ling Xue had lost her sense of reason.

After weighing the pros and cons, Ji Yu Qing could only bow to force.

Ji Yu Qing said: "Older sister, as long as you don't kill me, whatever you want to know, I'll tell you."

Ji Ling Xue smiled contently, moving the knife away a little, "Answer my first question now."

Ji Yu Qing said: "I found someone to bribe the storyteller..." It had happened so long ago, Ji Ling Xue was also not hurt by the rumours, this matter could be forgotten right?

"Where did the riddle you used to negotiate with me about my background come from? Don't lie again or I'll get angry, Ru Ge said, he didn't leave a letter for me when he left Dongqi, and couldn't possibly have hidden the letter in the roof."

Ji Yu Qing fingers trembled, only after a while did she reply: "It's...a mysterious person gave it to me."

A mysterious person, Ji Ling Xue thought about it and realised, she had once followed Ji Yu Qing and a person in a black cloak discussing something in secret, it seems that was the person.

Ji Ling Xue asked: "Who is that person?"

Ji Yu Qing: "I...I don't know?"

The knife once again approached her throat, Ji Yu Qing's heart was hanging in the air, she really was worried her neck would be cut.

Ji Yu Qing cried: "I really don't know...wuwu, that mysterious person appears and disappears in front of me like a ghost, he also said he could help me get prince's heart, I don't know, I really love the prince, his conditions are too attractive..."

Ji Ling Xue sneered: "So you're asking a tiger for its skin, showing the wolf into the house, you handed over the layout of the residence for your own selfish desire, do you know what this means?"

Ji Yu Qing: "What does it mean?"

"It means you've betrayed the prince, you colluded with others against the prince, if I hadn't switched the maps, because of your ignorance and stupidity, there might have been a massacre at the prince's residence!"

Ji Yu Qing shook her head, "How could that be, I...I haven't betrayed the prince, I don't want to harm the prince, I only want the prince to pay attention to me...to care about me..."

Ji Ling Xue laughed grimly: "Prince gave you opportunities, if you act out of turn again, I'm afraid you'll be going to hell..."

Ji Yu Qing blinked, a soybean sized tear streaked down her cheek, there was still time to confess, Ji Ling Xue's ice cold voice came behind her, "What happened in the past, I can not look into it, I'm asking you now, who is the one that spread the rumour to the palace my father is a person from Dayan?"

Ji Yu Qing shook her head like a rattle drum, with a pained expression she tried her hardest to explain: "No...it wasn't me...believe me, how do I have such contacts?"

Ji Ling Xue nodded, "I also think so, considering your brain and your lack of connections, you can't reach the palace, but you know the inside story?"

Ji Yu Qing lowered her eyes: "It's Yi Yun, she got her cousin to do it, you know she and I are the talented women in the capital, we have always admired the prince, her cousin works under the imperial uncle."

"Imperial uncle..." Ji Ling Xue muttered, why was everything connected to him.

Ji Yu Qing saw Ji Ling Xue believed her, she let out a breath and continued: "Older sister...I already told you everything you want to know, can you put the knife down first?"

Ji Ling Xue put the knife into the scabbard, this was exactly the knife Ru Ge had given her in Dayan, touching the night pearl embedded onto the scabbard, a warmth flashed in Ji Ling Xue's eyes.

Ji Yu Qing covered her neck taking in little cold breaths not daring to speak, worried that if she said more, she would again provoke Ji Ling Xue, her neck would again be cut.

Ji Ling Xue looked at Ji Yu Qing's fearful appearance, she took out a white porcelain bottle from her sleeve and threw it to her, "Medicine for the wound." She then opened the door and left.

Following Ji Yu Qing's back with her eyes, Ji Yu Qing suddenly smiled looking at the bottle in her hand as a burst of wind came through the door, a black shadow strangely appeared in front of Ji Yu Qing, she widened her eyes in surprise, her neck felt cold as she fell to the side onto the floor, the porcelain bottle in her hand shattered on the floor...

Zi Ye who heard the commotion from next door lit a candle and entered the room, she saw Ji Yu Qing lying on the floor, blood dripping from her neck, she screeched in shock.

Her scream broke through the sky, the entire residence moved as one.

The side courtyard door was banged on loudly by the guards, Mo Xiang quickly went to open the door wearing outer clothes, "What happened?"

The guard said: "Is concubine Xue here, prince ordered us to bring concubine Xue."

Ji Ling Xue opened her door and stepped out, looking confused: "What is it?"

The guard looked solemn, looking like he didn't want to say much, he made a please follow gesture, Ji Ling Xue narrowed her eyes and followed.

The hall was brightly lit, Xiao Yi Chen sat upright in the main seat, Zi Ye knelt on the floor weeping bitter tears, "Prince must seek justice for imperial concubine Qing..."

Yi Yun was supported in by Ling Lan, "Prince, what happened?"

Xiao Yi Chen pointed at the seat beside him, indicating for Yi Yun to sit beside him, then he said: "Ji Yu Qing was murdered."

Yi Yun turned deathly pale having heard what was said, "Why did it happen, who did it?"

Xiao Yi Chen said: "The secret guards said, a quarter of an hour before, Ji Ling Xue went to Ji Yu Qing's courtyard."

Yi Yun looked startled saying: "They are biological sisters, how can concubine Xue be so cruel to kill her own sister, maybe there's a misunderstanding somewhere?"

Xiao Yi Chen muttered: "This prince also hopes this is the case."

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Ji Ling Xue arrived at the hall's doorway, she had heard what they said, a cold smile on her lips, Ji Yu Qing was murdered, it was just when she had gone to question her a quarter of an hour before, she didn't expect as soon as she left, someone would use her to kill someone, it really was a great plan, she had no witnesses or evidence, there was nothing she could say.

Ji Ling Xue stood at the doorway of the hall, from across the room she looked at the expressionless Xiao Yi Chen sitting in the main seat under the candle light, Ji Yu Qing was murdered, he wasn't actually nervous, he wasn't anxious, he really was heartless.

At this moment, she felt that Xiao Yi Chen sitting up on high was distant and unfamiliar.

She remembered when they were travelling to Dayan, this man cared for her in everyway possible, and said he liked her, she also remembered him being jealous, when he was nervous, she also remembered asking him to carry her on his back, he smiled and did it, the him back then and the him now was two different people.

Ji Ling Xue: Xiao Yi Chen, you think I'd kill Ji Yu Qing, you're sitting here to punish me?

Yi Yun stood up saying: "Concubine Xue is here, quickly tell prince, what happened between you and older sister Qing?"

Ji Ling Xue indifferently looked at Yi Yun, then she looked at Xiao Yi Chen, calmly she asked, "JI Yu Qing...what happened to her?"

Xiao Yi Chen also very calmly replied: "A quarter of an hour before, her throat was cut..."

Ji Ling Xue: "Has the coroner examined the wound, can the weapon be distinguished from the wound?"

Xiao Yi Chen nodded: "A short knife."

Ji Ling Xue shrugged, taking the short knife embedded with jewels from her waist she chucked it onto the floor, "Is it the same as this knife?"

Yi Yun looked at Ji Ling Xue, then at Xiao Yi Chen, she blinked, the two were talking calmly, one didn't look like a husband whose wife had died, one didn't look like a murderer.

Xiao Yi Chen stood walking step by step to Ji Ling Xue, he stopped in front of the jewel embedded knife, bending over he picked it up, the night pearl on the scabbard had been cracked.

Xiao Yi Chen: Ji Ling Xue, you're really ruthless, did you need to throw something so important?

Ji Ling Xue asked: "Prince, you haven't answered my question."

Xiao Yi Chen coughed once: "The coroner said it was a wound from a short blade, whether or not it's from this knife, we'll only know after the coroner examined it." As he spoke he passed the knife to a guard next to him,  the guard took the knife and left.

Xiao Yi Chen continued to ask: "The secret guard said you went to Ji Yu Qing's room a quarter of an hour before?"

Ji Ling Xue nodded: "Yes."

Xiao Yi Chen asked: "What did you find her to talk about?"

Ji Ling Xue rolled her eyes: "To talk about womanly things, is there a need to repeat it? Or does prince think since I've been demoted to concubine, I was in a bad mood and went to kill her to release tension?"

Yi Yun frowned, Xiao YI Chen's words seemed to side with Ji Ling Xue, what was this, apart from Ji Ling Xue no one else entered Ji Yu Qing's room, she was the most suspicious.

Yi Yun walked to Xiao Yi Chen's side: "Concubine Xue, you're the biggest suspect in older sister Qing's death, the secret guard said, apart from you entering her room, no one else did."

Ji Ling Xue laughed: "So, that justifiably makes me the murderer? Do I look that stupid? If I want to kill someone, why would I do it myself, I can just send an assassin, why cover myself in blood?"

Xiao Yi Chen said: "Ji Ling Xue, can't you speak nicely."

Ji Ling Xue: "I've always spoken like this, without proof to say I'm the murderer, I won't admit it."

YI Yun tugged on Xiao Yi Chen's arm: "Prince, older sister Qing's death needs to be properly investigated, even if concubine Xue is the most suspicious, we can't accuse her wrongly?"

Ji Ling Xue's gaze fell on Yi Yun's hand on Xiao Yi Chen's arm, her heart sank.