ASTRP -Chapter 180 The White Lotus Is Dead

Xi Liyue did not answer immediately. Her eyes stared fixedly at Feng Jingge, her expression shifting slightly before she slowly responded with a soft, “Yes.”

“!!!”

For a moment, Feng Jingge felt as though she had been deceived.

She had always believed Xi Liyue was harmless and innocent.

Now it seemed she had greatly underestimated her.

What a joke.

How could anyone who managed to survive—and even stand out—within the imperial family possibly be ordinary?

Still, having the image she held in her heart completely overturned left her feeling indescribably upset.

“You don’t need to deliberately think about it. In half a month, the memories you lost will naturally return.”

Xi Liyue froze for a moment before understanding the meaning behind Feng Jingge’s words.

She softly thanked her, “Thank you, Princess Consort.”

Feng Jingge did not respond to her gratitude and instead asked, “Have you eaten dinner yet?”

Xi Liyue shook her head. “Not yet.”

“I’ll have the steward send some food over.”

Feng Jingge stood up and left the room without another glance back.

She made another trip to the steward’s quarters and instructed him to send food to Xi Liyue.

After leaving the steward’s place, Feng Jingge looked up at the full moon hanging overhead and thought about Prince Chen leaving the capital tomorrow.

She wanted to ask Xiao Jinghan what time Prince Chen would depart. She wanted to go see him off.

She first went to Xiao Jinghan’s residence, but he was not in his room.

After a moment’s thought, Feng Jingge pinched her fingers together in calculation. At this hour, if he wasn’t in his room, then he was probably in the study.

She turned around and headed toward the study. The moment she stepped into the courtyard, a voice suddenly rang out from nowhere.

“Princess Consort, are you here looking for the prince?”

Without even thinking, Feng Jingge knew the voice belonged to one of the hidden guards.

Before she could answer, the voice spoke again.

“Princess Consort, the prince isn’t in the study.”

Not in the study?

Feng Jingge lifted her eyes toward the building.

Sure enough, no lights were lit inside.

Not in his room, not in the study… could he have gone out of the manor?

Just as the thought appeared, the voice rang out again.

“Princess Consort, the prince has left the manor. It seems someone ran into trouble, and the prince hurried out.”

Feng Jingge frowned. “Who got into trouble?”

“This subordinate does not know.”

“Thanks.”

After thanking the hidden guard, Feng Jingge left the study courtyard.

She wandered around the manor once more and realized both Qing Shan and Ning An were also nowhere to be seen.

They had likely gone with Xiao Jinghan.

But who exactly had gotten into trouble?

Filled with confusion, Feng Jingge unknowingly wandered back to Xiao Jinghan’s courtyard.

The moment she stepped into the main hall, the sound of something slicing through the air suddenly came from behind her.

Feng Jingge’s expression changed. She swiftly dodged to the side.

An arrow flashed past her eyes and slammed directly into the wooden pillar.

Her feet moved instantly as she darted out of the room.

She saw a black shadow leap away from the rooftop opposite her.

A cold glint flashed through Feng Jingge’s eyes as she flew after the figure.

Under the moonlight, the two figures sped rapidly across the night.

“Stop!”

Feng Jingge chased him all the way into the forest before leaping forward and directly blocking his path.

The man wore a silver mask that revealed only his eyes, making it impossible to identify him.

“Who are you?”

“Why did you lure me here?”

Feng Jingge was not stupid. The man had not fought back even once and had only continued running. Clearly, this had been intentional.

“My Jingge really is smart.”

The man’s voice drifted out from beneath the mask, and Feng Jingge instantly recognized who he was.

Shen Fufeng!

“Shen Fufeng?!”

Shen Fufeng did not remove the mask. He only said, “Jingge, it’s been many days since we met. I’ve missed you terribly.”

“…”

“I don’t have time to waste talking nonsense with you!”

“You deliberately lured me here, so just say what you want.”

Shen Fufeng chuckled softly. “I only brought you here to see someone.”

“No… more accurately, a corpse.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Shen Fufeng clapped twice.

The next moment came a loud rustling sound.

A corpse dropped down from the tree.

Feng Jingge looked over from a distance, and the moment she saw the face of the body, her pupils suddenly widened.

Liu Qingqing!!!

“She… she’s dead?”

“You killed her?”

Shen Fufeng glanced at the corpse at his feet with utter disgust.

“She kept calling you a bitch.”

“She constantly wanted you dead, so naturally I couldn’t let her continue living.”

At first, Shen Fufeng had intended to use Liu Qingqing against Xiao Jinghan, but the woman had never fully obeyed him.

And she was not very intelligent either.

Still, before her death, he had already used her one last time. She no longer had any value.

So he killed her.

Although Feng Jingge disliked Liu Qingqing as well, seeing a living person murdered still made her uncomfortable.

And she knew very well Shen Fufeng had not killed Liu Qingqing for her sake.

“You killed her because she was no longer useful to you, right?”

Shen Fufeng smiled but did not deny it.

“This woman was too dull-witted. Better for her to die and reincarnate early. Maybe next life she’ll be born smarter.”

“You treat human life like dirt!”

Feng Jingge wasted no more words and directly attacked Shen Fufeng.

But Shen Fufeng clearly had no intention of fighting her.

“Jingge, the time is almost up. I advise you to hurry back.”

Feng Jingge paused. “What do you mean?”

“If you want to know what I mean, won’t you find out once you go back?”

The moment he finished speaking, Shen Fufeng vanished in a flash.

Feng Jingge frowned and turned her gaze toward Liu Qingqing.

She walked over in a few quick steps. Liu Qingqing’s face was terrifyingly pale, her eyes still wide open. Dried blood stained the corner of her mouth.

It was obvious she had struggled painfully before dying.

Feng Jingge sighed softly.

“Liu Qingqing, although we never got along, I still can’t bear to leave your corpse here to be eaten by wild beasts.”

“For the sake of Xiao Jinghan’s mother, I’ll bury you.”

“After you rest in peace, I hope you reincarnate into a better life.”

> T/N: I don’t know why but here I feel like Liu Qingqing is just cannon fodder. Both FL and ML could have saved her but they didn’t. She got the delusions about the relationship because ML never denied. It’s classic case where FL and ML think they are always right and not responsible for deaths. I would definitely write a story where she broke from FL and ML and live her own life.

After burying the body, Feng Jingge hurried back to the manor.

But Xiao Jinghan, Qing Shan, and Ning An still had not returned, causing her brows to furrow even tighter.

Why weren’t they back yet?

And what exactly had Shen Fufeng meant by those words?

By nightfall, Xiao Jinghan still had not returned, and Feng Jingge became increasingly restless.

Just as she decided to go out and look for him herself, Zhi Liao came to report.

“Princess Consort, the prince is currently at Prince Chen’s residence. He sent me to escort you there.”

Although puzzled, Feng Jingge immediately boarded a carriage and headed for Prince Chen’s manor.

On the way, Zhi Liao explained that assassins had infiltrated Prince Chen’s residence.

While Prince Chen was being attacked with a sword, his wife had stepped forward and taken the blow for him.

Now her life hung by a thread. Feng Jingge was likely being summoned to save Madam Chen.

Not long afterward, Feng Jingge arrived at Prince Chen’s manor.

The moment Prince Chen saw her, he hurried forward.

“Imperial Aunt, you’ve finally arrived.”

“My wife was stabbed in the shoulder blade. The physician said the sword was poisoned and that there’s no hope left.”

“Imperial Aunt’s medical skills are exceptional. You’ll definitely be able to save my wife.”

After comforting him briefly, Feng Jingge hurried inside.

Xiao Jinghan stood beside the bed. When he saw her arrive, he immediately explained the situation.

“Jingge, the wound has already been treated.”