“I only noticed you wearing this string of beads recently, and you even wore it very discreetly inside your qipao. It wasn’t originally yours, was it?” Madam Li glanced sideways at the foolish Madam Wu, a cold smile creeping onto her lips. “This is what happens when you covet what doesn’t belong to you.”

With trembling lips, Wu asked, "Why didn't Consort remind me sooner?" It turned out that the "red coral necklace" was a gift from the Fujin to Wu. She loved it very much and initially wore it outside her underwear to avoid being seen. Later, when she was less vigilant, she gradually began to wear the necklace from the inside out.

Anger instantly replaced her gentle and quiet face. At this moment, Li Shi's face was full of gloom, and she said coldly, "Princess Wu thinks she is so clever and extraordinary, and she is two-timing you. Now you blame me for not reminding you earlier that the Princess Consort is not a kind person!"

Under Li's hawk-like gaze, Wu completely broke down. She suddenly knelt down with a thud, prostrated herself on the ground, and cried, "This servant dares not, please, Consort, guide this servant on the way forward."

Li stared at the trembling Wu, walked around her once, and then slowly squatted down in front of her, raised her hand, and lifted Wu's pretty face, which was now covered in tears.

“Sister Wu is so foolish. She wore the red musk beads that she gave you for so long without me noticing. How could I have reminded you sooner? Sister, do you know that if a woman wears these musk beads for too long, she will not be able to conceive, and she will never be able to conceive in her life.” Li Shi regretfully picked up her handkerchief and wiped away Wu Shi’s tears.

Upon hearing this, Wu's bright and pretty face immediately turned into one of extreme rage. Gritting her teeth, she roared like a mountain demon, "How vicious is the Princess Consort! I, Wu Ruyue, will never let her get away with this!"

Li helped Wu up and comforted her, saying, "Sister, now that we've helped Niu break this deadlock, and with the combined strength of the three of us, won't we be the ones calling the shots in this inner quarters in the future?"

Wu Shi wiped away her tears and quickly said, "Indeed, Consort Wu thinks much further ahead than I do. I am truly inferior to her. Should I now relay some different messages from what I conveyed before?"

It turned out that before Lanqin and the others even returned to the manor, everyone in the manor knew about what had happened in the Third Princess's manor, because she was the one who spread the word.

"No, let's not alert them yet. Let me meet with Doctor Bai first. You keep an eye on Madam Yin." Madam Li narrowed her phoenix eyes, deep in thought.

When Madam Wu left, Madam Li instructed Que'er to hand over a few pieces of ice to Madam Wu's maid. After Madam Wu bowed in thanks and left, Que'er, who had been waiting outside the door, entered with her head down and stood to the side with her hands at her sides, waiting for her instructions.

"First, have Xiangqiao invite Doctor Bai to come to me, and then go out of the manor to give him this letter," Madam Li said.

When Doctor Bai followed Xiangqiao to the East Courtyard, Madam Li was lying on the chaise lounge in the inner room, resting with her eyes closed. At the corner of the room, a copper basin was dripping with the sound of melting ice.

"Your humble servant greets Consort Bai!" Doctor Bai bowed respectfully.

"Dr. Bai, there's no need for such formality. Please take my pulse. Lately, I haven't had a good appetite, and the food I eat feels bloated and hard to digest." Li extended a slender, white hand. After Xiangqiao draped a layer of gauze over it, Dr. Bai put down his medicine box and sat on the embroidered stool that Xiangqiao had brought over to take Li's pulse.

After about fifteen minutes, Doctor Bai withdrew his hand from Li Shihao's wrist, stood up with his hands behind his back, and reported: "Your Highness, after carefully taking your pulse just now, I found nothing wrong. Perhaps it is because of the hot weather that you often have an upset stomach and feel bloated. I will prescribe you some medicine to relieve the heat and improve your appetite."

Li opened her charming eyes, gestured for Xiangqiao to leave, and then said to Doctor Bai, who was standing bowing to one side, "Doctor Bai, how long have you been at the Fourth Prince's residence?"

Doctor Bai paused for a moment, then immediately bowed his head and replied, "Your humble servant has been in the Fourth Prince's residence for five years."

Li muttered about five years, then suddenly said coldly, "How has the Prince treated you?"

Doctor Bai felt a chill run down his spine. The thing he had foreseen was still unavoidable. He could only reply, "Your Highness has always treated me well, and I am truly grateful."

Madam Li slowly sat up from the rattan chair, circled around Doctor Bai, and then looked at the afterglow outside and said, "It is said that doctors are benevolent, and the Prince has always treated you well, but why did you help some people with ulterior motives to harm the Prince's offspring!"

Doctor Bai immediately lowered his head in fear and said, "Your Majesty, I truly do not understand why you would say such a thing. I am extremely terrified."

“I’m terrified! Tell me, after Madam Yin’s miscarriage was threatened, wasn’t it already too late to save the pregnancy? Yet, under the instructions of certain people, you forced her to take medicine to prevent miscarriage. Doctor Bai, do you know that Fourth Master has no children and is most afraid of being deceived in this regard?” Madam Li stood beside Doctor Bai and spoke slowly into his ear.

Doctor Bai was speechless after hearing Li's words. He couldn't think of anything to continue covering up for Lady Yin's situation. Moreover, he had been struggling with this matter for days. Although it was his wife who had made him do it, he had been filled with anxiety ever since he heard about Lady Yin's accident.

"Your Majesty, I do not understand what you are saying!" It took him a long time to finally squeeze out these words to evade the question. From the moment he prescribed those medicines to delay Yin's pregnancy, he had already been enslaved by the Consort and was no longer able to choose.

“Are you really not clear-headed, or are you pretending not to? If we wait for the Fourth Prince to return, he won’t speak to Doctor Bai as politely as I am. When the Fourth Prince gets angry, no one can stop him.” Madam Li stared at Doctor Bai. If he could point out what the Princess Consort had made him do, she would be halfway to success.

"Your Majesty, I truly do not understand what you are saying. If you are alright, I will go and write the prescription." Doctor Bai realized that he had been involuntarily drawn to the side by the Princess Consort, and even if he confessed now, he would still be unable to extricate himself completely.

Seeing his resolute refusal to speak, Madam Li changed her tone and said, "Doctor Bai, I know you were forced to do this. How about this: if you're willing to tell me everything she made you do after Fourth Prince returns, I'll guarantee your life and even help you leave the Fourth Prince's mansion safely. What do you say?"

Li has already cast his bait; now it's up to Dr. Bai to take the bait.

Doctor Bai had already considered leaving the Fourth Prince's mansion as soon as possible, but then he wondered where he could go. Even if he escaped, what about his family? Would they have to live a life on the run with him? The Fourth Prince was a notoriously cold-faced king; if he got angry, he might not be able to escape.