When the Fujin arrived in the South Courtyard, the entire courtyard fell silent.

Wu stood up, gave a perfunctory bow, and then calmly ordered, "Go, brew the Longjing tea that the master bestowed upon you. It's snowing heavily outside, and it must have been difficult for the Fujin to make this trip despite her illness. I wonder which informant dared to disturb the Fujin; if she were to be harmed, that would be a grave offense."

When Wu said this to the Fujin, her expression was quite meaningful.

Wu and the Fujin stood facing each other. Both women appeared very calm, but a few glances between them seemed to surpass a thousand confrontations.

The Fujin walked straight past Wu Shi and sat down.

"Since it concerns the eldest prince and the third prince, I naturally have to intervene. If the steward of the garden hadn't informed me, I wouldn't have known that you, Lady Wu, were in charge of this mansion."

The princess's question hit the nail on the head.

Even if the person standing here today is a concubine from the East Courtyard, if something happens in the back courtyard, the concubine must be informed first, and the concubine's opinion must be followed.

No wonder the Fujin (principal wife) intervened in this matter. No matter how eloquent Wu Shi (the Empress Wu) is, she can't refute it.

It is an indisputable fact that Wu took it upon herself to invite Xu.

However, the Fujin (principal wife) arrived too quickly. Wu Shi (the Empress Wu) intended to act first and inform her later. She sent her confidant to invite Xu Shi, saying it was to invite Xu Shi for tea, but the Fujin arrived so quickly.

Wu's gaze shifted to Xu, who remained silent with her head down below, and she gave a cold laugh.

There is a second version of the story about her betraying her master, but there is also a second version of the story about Xu Shi betraying her master.

Perhaps it was Lady Xu who informed the Fujin (the wife of the deceased).

However, the eldest prince was Wu's life, and she would fight anyone who dared to harm him.

But now that Wu Shi had calmed down, she suddenly narrowed her eyes again.

When the eldest prince and the third prince quarreled, it was naturally she and Madam Xu who ended up quarreling. So who benefited in the end?

Wu gave another cold laugh, but when she turned to look at the Fujin, a smile appeared on her face.

"Your Highness's words are quite a heavy burden on my head, and I cannot bear the weight of them. Just now, someone reported that the Third Prince's clothes were a bit too small, and I was concerned, so I sent someone to invite Miss Xu over. Miss Xu, what do you say?"

Xu Shi didn't even raise her head. Apart from giving a proper bow when the Fujin entered, she stood to the side like a transparent person most of the time.

Suddenly called out by Madam Wu, she stepped forward and bowed respectfully: "Princess Wu, you've gone to so much trouble. The Third Prince is at the age where he's growing, and he's getting taller every day. It's not worth your trouble."

Xu was as clever as ever. She did not answer Wu's question directly, but every word she uttered was a response to Wu's words.

Xu's words confirmed what Wu had said.

The smile on the princess's face froze instantly.

The most ingenious part of today's scene is that Wu invited Xu in private. Only Wu knows what she really wanted to do by inviting Xu.

Furthermore, even if the Wu family truly wanted to hold someone accountable, what evidence did they have?

Wu could not possibly do anything to the Third Prince; at most, she could do something to Xu.

However, Madam Xu is now on Madam Wu's side, so what justice is the Fujin (the wife of the deceased) supposed to uphold?

In the end, it turned out to be the fault of the Fujin (the wife of the deceased prince).

The princess was so angry she almost fainted, but she quickly realized that she had fallen into a trap set by Madam Wu and Madam Xu.

While she was trying to sow discord between Lady Wu and Lady Xu, she also managed to alienate the eldest prince and the third prince. In the end, she was outmaneuvered by Lady Wu and Lady Xu.

The princess almost lost her balance, and only after Yu Ru supported her was she able to calm herself down.

She swallowed all the polite words and suddenly smiled slightly, saying, "It is indeed Wu who is so thoughtful, but Xu, you are the same. Anyone who doesn't know better would think that Wu is the head of our household. I don't usually see you coming to my main courtyard so often, but now that Wu has called you, you come eagerly."

The problem with today's events lies in what Xu said. Now, the Fujin (wife of the emperor) is fully aware of the situation, and her words are also aimed directly at Xu.

At this point, Xu Shi naturally could not refute, nor could she utter a word in rebuttal.

However, Wu Shi, who was standing to the side, clearly did not intend to speak up to help, and made it obvious that she was going to stand by and watch.

Wu originally intended to warn Xu today, but she accidentally stumbled upon this situation. In any case, she won't lose out in the end.

The sight of the scratches on the eldest prince's body deepened Wu's gaze.

After the Fujin (principal wife) told Xu Shi to go back and reflect on her mistakes at home, she gave a graceful curtsy and watched the Fujin's figure disappear into the distance.

She turned to Xu and launched into another tirade: "I suspect you don't have the guts to lay a hand on the First Prince. You don't want to be someone's knife, and I don't want to be used as a gun. But Xu, I still want to remind you that you'd better behave yourself and not have any improper thoughts."

In Wu's heart, Xu was like a blade of grass, utterly insignificant. However, Wu would not let go of anyone who dared to have designs on the First Prince.

Empress Wu would never allow anyone to harm her eldest son.

Xu's expression didn't change much after hearing Wu's words, but she kept her head down, making it difficult for Wu to discern anything from her bowed head.

She simply and respectfully agreed, and finally bowed obediently: "Yes, this servant thanks Consort Wu for her teachings, and will definitely discipline the Third Prince properly in the future."

Wu then raised her hand in satisfaction, signaling that Xu could leave.

Xu got up and left quietly.

There are so many twists and turns in this whole affair. Wu Shi needs to think carefully about who is behind it all.

She needs to think it over carefully, really think it over.

Wu Shi, supporting herself with her hands, suddenly said, "Bring the eldest prince here."

Children don't lie. Wu was so focused on having the imperial physician examine the scratches on the eldest prince's body that she forgot to ask him.

In the end, the eldest prince claimed that he had caught it himself, revealing it to be a misunderstanding.

Wu felt inexplicably relieved. Luckily, she reacted quickly today, otherwise the Fujin might have taken away her power as the head of the household.

Xu was at least sensible.

Whether it was a self-fulfilling prophecy or not, the two wives fell ill the day after returning from the South Courtyard.

Li Chenjiao was unaware of what had happened in the South Courtyard, but she felt something was amiss when Xiao Luzi told her that the Fujin was ill.

"Why did the Princess Consort end up looking like a defeated rooster instead of upholding justice?"

From Li Chenjiao's perspective, the fact that the Fujin (wife of the emperor) was ill was not necessarily a bad thing.