Chapter 547 - Chapter 547: Princess Consort JPs Secret
The sudden appearance of Princess Consort Ji left everyone present stunned.
Shen Ruojing frowned as she scrutinized her. Princess Consort Ji remained kneeling, performing a half-bow.
As the princess consort, she was considered half of Jingzhen’s wife, so she should not have given a bow to Shen Ruojing as a matter of protocol.
However, within the royal family, the status of princesses and princes was indeed higher than that of princess consorts.
Therefore, although Shen Ruojing did not reveal her identity, it was indeed a prudent and respectful gesture for Princess Consort Ji to perform a half-bow.
Shen Ruojing examined Princess Consort Ji.
Compared to the glamorous Princess Consort Luo, she appeared plain and unremarkable, with a mediocre appearance and a less-than-impressive demeanor. At least, she did not look like a young lady from a noble family like Luo Sha or Yan Rushuang.
Luo Sha wore a golden, tight-fitting dress with bare shoulders, exuding an air of nobility. The jewelry on her hand was also of considerable value.
On the other hand, Princess Consort Ji wore a black long dress with long sleeves and a high collar, concealing herself entirely. Apart from an ordinary necklace around her neck, there was no other embellishment, making her look low-key and almost transparent.
Yet, this woman suddenly appeared when Luo Sha and Shen Ruojing were about to come into conflict. Shen Ruojing narrowed her eyes and said,
‘Princess Consort Ji, please rise.”
Princess Consort Ji stood up and lowered her head. She then stood by the side. Luo Sha, still skeptical, looked at Shen Ruojing and said, “Ji Nina, what are you talking about? How could she be Her Royal Highness the Princess?”
Shen Ruojing also looked at Princess Consort Ji and asked, “How did you recognize me?
Princess Consort Ji hung her head and answered, “Her Royal Highness the Princess and His Majesty the King look very much alike, especially their eyes. It is not difficult to recognize them.’
Only then did Princess Consort Luo look at Shen Ruojing.
Shen Ruojing actually bore a 50% resemblance to Jingzhen, especially those peach blossom eyes.
However, Jingzhen’s eyes carried a romantic charm, while Shen Ruojing’s were always clear and cold, giving people a completely different feeling. Therefore, if one didn’t look closely or wasn’t alerted by someone, one wouldn’t notice that her eyes were identical to Jingzhen’s.
Princess Consort Luo was stunned. People of Country A had a deep reverence for the royal family.
Hence, Luo Sha looked down on Shen Qianhui, thinking that she was a daughter sent over from some family in China, but she dared not look down on the princess.
She only looked at Shen Ruojing in astonishment and realized her previous behavior and the misunderstanding it caused.
She bit her lip and clenched her fingers tightly. After that, she remembered what had happened earlier and suddenly understood why the Queen Dowager had not punished her. Honestly, she was the one who had collided with the princess, not the other way around.
Princess Consort Luo bit her lip tightly and did not bow to her.
Shen Ruojing herself did not like those who knelt without understanding the situation, so she did not mind. She just smiled and looked at Princess Consort Ji. ‘IIS there something you want to tell me for you to suddenly appear like this?”
Princess Consort Ji still had her head lowered. “It’s just a coincidence. I saw Princess Consort Luo talking with you here, so I came to say hello. Nina will be leaving now.” She then left without any hesitation.
Princess Consort Luo also did not want to stay here and face Shen Ruojing, so she spoke up, “I also have things to attend to, so I’ll leave first.” She then turned around and left with her servants.
Shen Ruojing looked at the two women’s backs and slightly furrowed her eyebrows.
Was Princess Consort Ji able to recognize her because of their similar appearance, or did she know about it in advance? In either case, Princess Consort Ji was not to be underestimated. If she could judge based on appearance alone, it meant that Princess Consort Ji had a very sharp mind. If she already knew, then perhaps she was the one in the palace who had schemed for Song Chen to have a child with her.
Thinking of this, Shen Ruojing asked, “What is the relationship between
Princess Consort Ji and Princess Consort Luo?”
Sometime after she spoke, she did not hear Yu Jing’s answer. Hence, she turned her head and saw that Yu Jing was still staring at her dumbfoundedly. Seeing this, Shen Ruojing could not help but raise an eyebrow. “Yu Jing?
Yu Jing suddenly came back to her senses and took a step back, looking at Shen Ruojing in disbelief. “You, you, you really are Her Royal Highness the Princess?
Shen Ruojing’s mouth twitched. She realized that Yu Jing was still stuck on the previous topic. Now there was no point in hiding her identity, so she nodded.
Yu Jing’s legs suddenly went weak and she knelt on the ground with a loud thud. ‘Greetings, Your Royal Highness the Princess!” She was about to perform the full prostration ceremony.
Shen Ruojing disliked this kind of ceremony the most, so she quickly grabbed Yu Jing’s arm and pulled her up from the ground. “Don’t do this. You’ll dirty your clothes.’
However, Yu Jing stubbornly insisted on performing the full ceremony before standing up, her eyes shining brightly. “Your Royal Highness the Princess, I had no idea you look this beautiful! You’re so pretty!”
Shen Ruojing’s mouth twitched again, and she asked again, “Are the Princess Consort Ji and the Princess Consort Luo on good terms?
Yu Jing was taken aback and shook her head. “No, Princess Consort Ji is only on good terms with the Princess Consort Yan. Princess Consort Yan is in charge of the affairs of the harem, and Princess Consort Ji has a good temperament, so she respects Princess Consort Yan very much. Princess Consort Yan has never withheld anything from her. On the other hand, Princess Consort Luo has been very arrogant since she entered the palace, often insulting Princess Consort Ji for her low birth and not showing her any respect. She even made the Princess Consort Ji bow to her.
Shen Ruojing was taken aback. “Low birth?”
Yu Jing nodded and lowered her voice: “Both Princess Consort Yan and Luo are the legitimate daughters of their families, while Princess Consort Ji is just a concubine’s daughter. Her mother was supposedly a slave in the Ji family. When Princess Consort Ji entered the palace, she only brought a maid and a few changes of clothes...”
Although a man could marry several women in Country A, there was still a distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children.
Seeing that Shen Ruojing looked puzzled, Yu Jing continued, “During the years when the King did not return to the country, everyone thought that he might have been killed in China or would never return. Unwilling to send their legitimate daughter to the palace, the Ji family sent their illegitimate daughter instead... But I heard that when the King was about to return, the Matriarch of the Ji family hurried into the palace to see Princess Consort Ji and even gave her some jewelry...
Shen Ruojing narrowed her eyes. “Did Princess Consort Ji accept them?” ‘Princess Consort Ji accepted them!” Yu Jing said happily.
‘The status of an illegitimate daughter in the family is very low. Since Matriarch Ji was willing to send her money and gifts, it was already very good for her. Princess Consort Luo has a rich family and has been taunting Princess Consort Ji since she entered the palace, saying that the latter has no money and even lacks decent jewelry, which damages the royal prestige. Later on, Princess Consort Yan also gives Princess Consort Ji some jewelry , which makes her look more dignified whenever she goes out...’
As Shen Ruojing listened to these words, she became even more suspicious of Princess Consort Ji.
Just then, she seemed to hear something and turned her head suddenly, shouting, ‘Whop!”
Yu Jing was also startled and looked vigilantly at the artificial mountain next to them.
After a moment, a man in a guard uniform walked out from behind the fake mountain. He had a slight smile on his face and looked very elegant.
Yu Jing immediately explained, “This is someone from the Ji family. He is Ji Nina’s illegitimate younger brother, Ji Wuyou... He’s in charge of the guards’ shift.’
Shen Ruojing narrowed her eyes and saw the man approaching quickly. Suddenly, he said, “Your Highness, I have a secret about Ji Nina.. Do you want to hear it?”