Chapter 62 An Unexpected Joy

Ji Hua sighed softly.

"The way the two of them chatted and laughed with each other hardly looked like an ordinary relationship. I took note of it at the time, but not being sure whether Miss Qin had completely broken ties with Qi Guangyao, I sent someone to make inquiries."

Pausing for a moment, Ji Hua continued her explanation.

"If there were no longer any ties between them, then Qi Guangyao chatting and laughing with another woman wouldn't seem entirely inappropriate. However, the news I gathered was that... Miss Qin had already brought Qi Guangyao into the General's Estate and should have met with both Madam Qin and General Qin."

"I felt it was inappropriate at the time, but without concrete evidence, I couldn't speak recklessly in front of the two of you. Therefore, I sent someone to keep an eye on Qi Guangyao, and sure enough, I made a discovery—the relationship between Qi Guangyao and this Zhao Chunlian is truly extraordinary!"

"Not only do the two of them occasionally sneak out together in private to wander about, but their words and actions are no different from those of an ordinary young married couple. I even intercepted letters exchanged between them, and the words inside... Madam Qin has also seen them. There is no need for me to elaborate on what kind of relationship they share."

Madam Qin raised an eyebrow. "If that is the case, I suppose I should thank you. But if you were truly acting out of kindness, would you take these letters and use them to make a deal with me?"

Ji Hua offered a bitter smile. "Hua'er had no other choice. Hua'er has no close friendship with either Madam Qin or Miss Qin. If I had bluntly claimed to possess evidence of Qi Guangyao's illicit affair, Madam Qin might not necessarily have believed me, would you?"

"It is much better to frame it as a transaction—at least there is a mutual objective, allowing Madam Qin to engage with me. Furthermore, since I happen to need someone to help me with a few matters, and Madam Qin is the most suitable person, this situation today naturally came to be."

"Of course, even if Madam Qin had refused to make a deal, I still would have handed these evidence to you. As I said before, being women ourselves, we feel sorrow at the misfortune of others. Does Madam Qin have any further questions?"

Madam Qin stared at Ji Hua for a long while. Meeting those clear, bright eyes, the suspicion and displeasure in her heart diminished somewhat.

With a hint of a smile in her tone, she said, "You really are like your mother."

Ji Hua raised an eyebrow. "Madam Qin knows my mother?"

Madam Qin shook her head. "We have spoken, but we are not close. Your mother appears approachable, but in reality, she is rather difficult to converse with, keeping a certain emotional distance from others... Never mind, let us not speak of this."

Madam Qin gathered the letters and tucked them into her sleeve, looking at Ji Hua with a sincere smile.

"You have essentially saved my daughter's life today. What is it that you want? Whatever I have done today falls far short of repaying this heavy favor of yours."

Ji Hua was not surprised. Knowing that Madam Qin was someone who clearly distinguished between gratitude and resentment, she thought for a moment and spoke.

"I have nothing in particular that I wish Madam Qin to do. However, if possible, I hope that unless it is a matter of life and death, General Qin will refrain from taking a side in favor of Prince Xuan under any circumstances."

"Of course, if he is willing to support His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, that would be the best outcome. But such matters rely on mutual willingness, and I cannot force it."

In her past life, General Qin's stance had always been resolute; he never explicitly expressed support for either Prince Xuan or the Crown Prince.

Yet Madam Qin maintained ambiguous attitudes toward both Prince Xuan and the Crown Prince.

Ji Hua could not be certain what their intentions were.

The General's Estate was essentially a reed swaying in the wind, unlike her own father, who made his allegiance to the Emperor crystal clear and stood as a firmly dedicated neutral party.

In this lifetime, since she intended to deal with Prince Xuan, she naturally could not allow the towering influence of the General's Estate to lean toward him.

Madam Qin offered a half-smile. "You haven't even married the Crown Prince yet, and already you are plotting and planning on his behalf?"

Ji Hua replied with a helpless expression, "A person without long-term considerations is bound to face near-term worries. The outcome of a struggle for the throne is extremely cruel, with the victors becoming rulers and the defeated bandits. I cannot afford the price of failure, yet since the Emperor has issued his decree, I have no choice but to enter the game."

"I harbor no other ambitions; I merely wish to survive, and I do not wish to drag my father into this forced predicament. If a struggle is unavoidable, naturally, I hope the Crown Prince emerges victorious!"

Ji Hua spoke with utter sincerity.

Madam Qin sighed along with her. "What you say is true; certain matters can no longer be ignored. Very well, I promise you: unless our General's Estate faces a moment of life and death, we will never support Prince Xuan!"

Ji Hua had not expected such an unexpected windfall, and the smile on her face widened. "Many thanks, Madam Qin!"

...

When Ling Moxuan returned, he was harboring a belly full of frustration.

Primarily, although he felt that Ji Shulan's words were sheer nonsense, he could not help but care.

He genuinely felt that something had gone awry somewhere.

Should he deliberate further before taking action?

Yet, recalling his previous two failed schemes, Ling Moxuan desperately hoped for a success.

It was impossible for Ling Yuzhao to dodge every single time!

This thought solidified entirely the next time Ling Moxuan confronted Ling Yuzhao.

He strode directly forward, stopping right in front of Ling Yuzhao, and spoke.

"Imperial Elder Brother, merely watching these people race is rather dull. Why don't the two of us have a match? What do you think?"

A pang of alarm flashed through Ling Yuzhao's heart. He immediately recalled Ji Hua's warning from earlier—she had hit the nail right on the head!

Had Ling Moxuan really delivered himself right to her doorstep?

Could Ling Moxuan truly be planning to make a move against him today? Or perhaps tamper with the horses...

A flurry of thoughts raced through Ling Yuzhao's mind. Ultimately, he decided to accept the challenge, locking his gaze onto Ling Moxuan's eyes with a smile.

"Since Imperial Younger Brother has extended the invitation, naturally I must accompany you for a race. However, since it is a horse race, there will inevitably be a winner and a loser. If Imperial Younger Brother loses, make sure you don't come crying to me afterward."

Ling Moxuan sneered. "Imperial Elder Brother is being far too confident. The race hasn't even begun, yet you are already certain you will win?"

Ling Yuzhao raised an eyebrow at Ling Moxuan.

"I haven't only beaten you once before, have I?"

His words carried a hidden meaning. Ling Moxuan's heart skipped a beat, inevitably recalling the failed results of his previous two attempts to frame Ling Yuzhao.

Could Ling Yuzhao truly be aware of something?

Ling Moxuan wanted to probe further, but Ling Yuzhao refused to dwell on it, instead turning his gaze toward the stables not far away.

"Since it's settled, we might as well choose our horses first."

Helpless, Ling Moxuan could only go along with it.

"Since I issued the invitation, seniority comes first. The Crown Prince should choose first."

With that, he beckoned to his guards and instructed them to spread the news.

Both the female and male spectator areas received word that the Crown Prince and Prince Xuan were going to have a racing match, and they all turned their gazes over with eager curiosity.

Who was unaware of the bitter rivalry between these two?

Now that they were contending for supremacy on the racetrack, it was uncertain who would emerge victorious. This felt less like a contest of political influence behind closed doors and more like a genuine, head-on collision between two princes!

The victor might not gain any substantial immediate rewards, but the loser would undoubtedly suffer a loss of face.

Driven by such anticipation, the onlookers' eyes gleamed with even greater enthusiasm.

The first step in horse racing was selecting the mounts. Naturally, the horses brought into this imperial racetrack were the finest available.

Yet even among the finest horses, there were tiers of excellence.

Everything depended on the discernment of the two men.

More than twenty grooms led their respective horses onto the field. Everyone present consisted of high-ranking officials and nobility possessing discerning eyes, and they could readily tell that these were top-tier steeds.