Wei Dongling glared angrily at Qi Jinxuan, seething with rage. If it weren't for the onlookers watching intently, she would have been tempted to have Qi Jinxuan thrown out.
Qi Jinxuan ignored the whispers and pointing fingers around her. With tears streaming down her face, she cried out, "Wei Dongling, I ask you! Is my father... is he already gone?"
Wei Dongling was stunned. She had ordered the news to be suppressed, fearing that the pregnant Qi Jinxuan might lose control of her emotions and harm the fetus in her womb. But somehow, the news had still reached her ears. Wei Dongling's suspicious gaze swept over the maids and old ladies kneeling on the ground one by one.
Seeing the Fifth Princess's piercing gaze, a timid maid stepped forward and bowed her head to explain, "Your Highness, Miss Qi went out for a stroll yesterday. When she went to Xu's shop on West Street to buy peach cakes, she overheard people discussing this matter. Miss Qi cried most of the night, and by the second half of the night, she suffered severe abdominal pain..." They had served the eldest daughter of the Qi family with extreme caution, fearing that any accident might anger the Fifth Princess.
Wei Dongling wondered silently if someone had seen her when she took Qi Jinlan to offer incense.
The onlookers exchanged glances. Seeing that Wei Dongling didn't answer for a long time, Qi Jinxuan knew that the news was probably true. She let out a heart - rending wail on the spot.
The veins on Wei Dongling's forehead bulged. Seeing that the wedding procession was about to return and Qi Jinxuan was still blocking the door, wailing uncontrollably, she didn't know what to do. In front of everyone, she couldn't reveal the truth on this joyous occasion.
"Sister!" A clear voice came from behind. It was Qi Jinlan. She pushed through the crowd and knelt in front of Qi Jinxuan. She took out a handkerchief and gently wiped the tears from Qi Jinxuan's face. Softly, she said, "It's all baseless rumors, sister. Don't let your imagination run wild! You should take care of your health." Qi Jinlan naturally knew the truth, but how could she further irritate her cousin at this moment? The most important thing now was to calm Qi Jinxuan's emotions and get her out of the way for the newlyweds.
Everyone was sizing up Qi Jinlan, wondering about her identity. Suddenly, Qi Jinxuan reached out and pushed Qi Jinlan hard, sending her crashing to the ground. Caught off - guard, Qi Jinlan fell backward, and the back of her head hit the ground with a thud. She turned pale from the pain.
The onlookers gasped in shock. They could hardly believe that a pregnant woman would do such a thing in public! The young girl in front of them was obviously Qi Jinxuan's younger sister. How could she be so cruel to her own sister? Some people couldn't bear to watch and quickly stepped forward to help Qi Jinlan up. Qi Jinlan's face was as white as a sheet, with tears in her eyes. There was a large bump on the back of her head, and it hurt so much that she couldn't even touch it.
Qi Jinxuan was relentless. She roared angrily at Qi Jinlan, "Even you are colluding with her to deceive me! Do you really think I'm a fool?"
Hearing this, Wei Dongling's face turned green with anger.
Qi Jinlan's face was pale. Gritting her teeth, she said, "Whether this is true or not, you've been causing a scene at the Su Mansion on their wedding day, making the Su family a laughingstock in front of the world! Is this the upbringing of a legitimate daughter of the Qi family?"
"Upbringing?" Qi Jinxuan sneered, "You, a junior from the second branch of the Qi family, dare to talk about upbringing in front of me, the legitimate daughter of the Qi Mansion? Do you think you're qualified?"
Seeing Qi Jinlan's face turn even paler, Wei Dongling was furious. She said coldly, "Your Qi family has been confiscated! I wonder where this inexplicable sense of superiority of yours comes from! Jingzhe, Chenghao!"
"Yes!" The two replied in unison.
Wei Dongling snorted, "The wedding sedan is about to arrive. We can't let the newlyweds miss the auspicious time! Take this pregnant eldest daughter of the Qi family to the villa to rest and recuperate. Don't let her continue to disgrace the Qi family here!"
"Yes!" Jingzhe and Chenghao stepped forward, one on each side, and dragged Qi Jinxuan outside.
Qi Jinxuan's face turned ashen. She kicked her legs wildly and cried out, "I'm not going! Wei Dongling! I won't go anywhere until you give me an explanation!"
Chenghao was extremely angry. If it weren't for the onlookers, he would have been tempted to knock her out with one palm and drag her away.
Seeing that Wei Dongling remained unmoved, Qi Jinxuan continued to curse, "Wei Dongling! You venomous woman! Give me back my father! Wei Dongling! You'll die a horrible death!"
The onlookers were stunned. How could the legitimate daughter of the Qi family be so shrewish as to speak disrespectfully to the princess in public?
Wei Dongling was just looking for an excuse to teach her a lesson, and Qi Jinxuan had just provided one. Wei Dongling snorted, "The legitimate daughter of the Qi family dares to openly defy this princess. It seems your father didn't teach you well. It doesn't matter. This princess doesn't mind teaching you a lesson on his behalf. Someone! Drag her aside and give her twenty slaps! Don't block the way of the newlyweds!" Damn it, how dare you ruin my mood on such a wonderful day!
"Yes!" Immediately, two old ladies stepped forward. One held her down, and the other started slapping Qi Jinxuan's face one after another in front of everyone, making her scream in pain.
Everyone looked over, their expressions a mix of emotions. Some looked pitying, while others gloated. Seeing her cousin's face turn deathly pale, Qi Jinlan finally couldn't bear it. She quickly knelt in front of Wei Dongling and kowtowed, saying, "Your Highness, the Fifth Princess! Please spare her for the sake of Miss Qi's pregnancy. Even if she has made a grave mistake, please wait until the baby is born and full - mooned before punishing her!"
Qi Jinlan was quite sensible. She addressed Wei Dongling as "Your Highness" in public and "cousin" in private, thus maintaining Wei Dongling's royal dignity in front of everyone.
Seeing that the young lady from the second branch of the Qi Mansion, who had just been bullied, was now rushing to plead for her sister, the onlookers began to whisper among themselves. This young lady was really kind - hearted and loyal!
Wei Dongling nodded and said, "Fine! For the sake of your cousin, this princess will spare you for now. I hope you'll behave yourself in the future and don't forget this princess's lesson today!"
Hearing this, the old ladies released Qi Jinxuan and bowed, waiting at Wei Dongling's side.
Qi Jinxuan's face was as white as a sheet, and there was blood at the corner of her mouth. She was about to curse again when Chenghao grabbed her neck. He lowered his voice and said, "I've never hit a woman, but I don't mind making an exception for you!"
Seeing Qi Jinxuan struggling and trying to make a sound, Jingzhe also lowered his voice and threatened, "Miss Qi, do you think our Fifth Princess would mind killing the mother and taking the child?"
Qi Jinxuan was stunned. Fear flashed across her face, and she stopped struggling.
Chenghao showed a lewd expression and whispered with a laugh, "Brother Jingzhe, I heard that some customers in brothels prefer pregnant women. Do you think we should throw this woman into a brothel to serve customers? We might make a lot of silver!"
Qi Jinxuan was so frightened that her face turned deathly pale. How could this man say such a shameless and vulgar thing! She was the legitimate daughter of the Qi Mansion, a noble young lady. How could she be sold to a brothel by these stinky men to serve customers?
Qi Jinxuan was so scared that tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to call on Wei Dongling to control her lackeys, but Chenghao's grip was so strong that she couldn't utter a single word!