The man's voice was incredibly deep, like the sound of teeth hitting teeth in the dead of winter.

Wuya quickly grabbed two boxes of rouge from his carrying pole and helped Cuiyun away. She was afraid there might still be snakes swimming inside, so she dared not linger near the carrying pole.

The man picked up the load and followed the Uya clan and their servants to the northwest corner of the gate.

After the man left through the side gate, Lady Wuya said to the gatekeeper, "Thank you, young man. I really like his rouge."

Meanwhile, Granny Cai saw that Madam Wuya and her servants had walked into the passageway and were heading in her direction, so she quickly went to greet them and asked, "Madam, have you made your choice?"

Uya's face was still a little pale. She was worried that the venomous snakes might not have gone far. If they were hiding in the nearby bushes, she might accidentally get bitten.

"Madam is suddenly feeling a little unwell!" Cuiyun said to Granny Cai in an annoyed tone.

"Oh, oh, then young lady, quickly help Madam back to rest. This old woman has to go back and sweep the leaves," Granny Cai said hastily, not daring to delay Madam Wuya any longer.

After Wuya and her servants returned to their room, Wuya hurriedly said to Cuiyun, "Go and have Shuang'er ask the head nanny for some insect and snake repellent powder. Of course, don't mention snakes; just say I'm afraid of mosquitoes and rats. Yes, and get some realgar too. Those things are most afraid of realgar!"

The thought that there were already some poisonous snakes slithering in and out of the grass in the back courtyard made Wuya feel uneasy.

"Madam, that man is too strange. He just left like that. What if those poisonous snakes crawl all over us?" Cuiyun and Wuya shared the same thought, and their hearts were also sinking at this moment.

"Don't talk nonsense. That man looks capable. Since he's at the beck and call of the Fujin, he'll definitely get things done. What are you standing there for? Go get the realgar." Uya scolded in a low voice.

Seeing the fear on Wuya's face, Cuiyun hurriedly agreed and turned to go find Shuang'er.

At this moment, in the main courtyard, the Fujin (principal wife) was performing her daily ritual of collecting rice for the Buddha in the Buddhist hall. Her face was serene, as if she were very devout.

“Madam, there’s some commotion over there. Someone has already come in. However, they didn’t go to the south courtyard with Wuya. They just stood in the small garden in the northwest for a while before leaving,” Lingxiu said. “Granny Cai is quite clever; she knew to come and report back to Madam.”

"Hmph, if it weren't for my permission, how could she have enjoyed the benefits of those fruit trees over the years?" the princess said. "The snake charmer that Wu Ge hired is said to be able to drive away those poisonous snakes with just a short flute. He must have his own methods, so there's no need to worry."

“Madam, there are now some new things in this mansion, which may cause some trouble for the South Courtyard. Why don’t you take this opportunity to get rid of some people? That way, you can solve the problem once and for all,” Lingxiu said.

The princess opened her eyes, turned her head, stared into Lingxiu's eyes, and said with a calm smile, "I knew you were a vicious person, but I never imagined you could be this vicious!"

Lingxiu's expression changed immediately, and she quickly knelt down, saying, "This servant knows her mistake, please punish me, Madam."

The princess said, "Very well, I like your ruthlessness. But this matter should be done as if it were natural. If too many people die or are injured, it will inevitably attract attention."

Lingxiu blinked a few times and said, "This servant is foolish. It is the Fujin who has thought things through. This servant originally thought that Song Shi and Wu Shi would die in the snake's mouth, so that the Fujin could rightfully take away the Third Princess and the Fourth Prince."

Upon hearing this, the Princess Consort's face showed genuine emotion. It must be said that Lingxiu's scheme was indeed ruthless, but very convenient. If both the Song and Wu families were bitten by poisonous snakes, wouldn't the power dynamics within the inner quarters change once again?

The Princess Consort pondered for a moment, still unable to make a decision. If two princesses in the inner quarters were bitten, and then the South Courtyard was accused of being a jinx, wouldn't that be making too much of a fuss?

“Madam, while the master is away from the manor, you must make a decision!” Lingxiu said.

The princess turned her head and looked at the compassionate golden statue of Buddha. After a moment's thought, she said, "Alright, hurry out and tell that man to direct the poisonous snakes to go to the North Courtyard as well. Don't touch Wu Shi's side. The Fourth Prince is the key."

Lingxiu gave a cold smile and said, "Yes, this servant will go right away."

The women in the Fourth Prince's harem continued to live their own lives, completely unaware that a conspiracy was quietly approaching them.

It was another sunny day. Due to the water shortage, people around were reluctant to go out and instead stayed indoors to escape the heat.

Lanqin was having dinner with the two princesses in the house.

"Ushiha, bring in more vegetables. Why don't you like vegetables? You only eat meat. Your sister eats vegetables." Lanqin picked up a piece of spinach for Ushiha.

"Mother, I just don't like eating spinach!" Ushiha pouted.

"Girls who don't eat vegetables will have bad skin," Lanqin said sternly.

"My skin isn't very good!" Ushiha is almost four years old, with a fair and clean face that looks very radiant.

"That's because your mother gave you a good foundation! If you don't take care of it from now on, it will only get worse," Lanqin lied to the little girl. She felt no guilt whatsoever.

Cui Niang and Nian Xue, who were serving nearby, were sweating profusely. How could their master even deceive a young girl?

Ushiha reluctantly picked up a piece of spinach with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

Looking at her expression, as if she were suffering from bitter medicine, Lanqin couldn't help but say, "If people don't eat vegetables, they'll get constipated. Be careful you don't have to poop!"

Nianxue and the others broke out in a cold sweat again. Their master said all sorts of things, even talking about pooping while eating. Wasn't that a bit much?

"Mother, now that you've mentioned it, I've lost my appetite." Ushiha also felt bad, and unhappily threw down her chopsticks, hugging her arms.

"You brat, it's just talking about pooping, are you that disgusting?" Lanqin laughed. Seeing that Wuxiha was becoming more and more like her when she was a child, Lanqin couldn't help but tease her.

After Lanqin and her two daughters finished their meal, she helped them wash up and then began telling them stories before bed. These days, bedtime stories are an indispensable part of Ushiha and Bechuk's bedtime routine.

"Mother, what story will you tell me today?" Ushiha asked, having changed into her pink little dress.

"How about I tell you the story of the farmer and the snake today?" Lanqin said casually. You see, dealing with these two little girls every day has already taken her through every story from later generations she could remember.