"Sister, I have another request, please grant it." Song Shi squatted down, letting Nianxue support her, but refused to stand up straight.

Lanqin was taken aback when she heard this, thinking to herself: I didn't want to cause trouble, but it seems I've already done it! Sigh!

Seeing that Lanqin remained silent, Madam Song continued, "I know that you have already helped me, and it would be wrong for me to ask you for more. However, I am deeply indebted to you and have no way to repay you. If you ever need anything in the future, I, Song Yaru, am willing to follow your lead."

Hearing this, Lanqin was so shocked that she couldn't say a word. She quickly exchanged a glance with Nianxue and then said, "Sister, you're too kind. I was just saying a few fair words. You don't need to take it to heart."

Madam Song hurriedly said, "Although elder sister is dull-witted, she entered the manor ten years earlier than younger sister, and knows more about the people in this manor than younger sister. I see that younger sister is a person of great fortune, which we cannot compare with. I am willing to follow younger sister from now on, and I hope that younger sister will not find it distasteful."

Hearing this, Lanqin became anxious and quickly pulled Song up, saying, "Sister, what are you saying? We serve the Fourth Master together, and our status is the same. How can you say that you follow my lead? Please take back your words. If you are willing to come here in the future, I will be waiting for you."

Seeing that Lanqin refused to accept her surrender, Madam Song became anxious and said, "Sister, do you know why the matter with Madam Yin was settled there last time?"

Hearing this, Lanqin couldn't help but feel puzzled and said, "Madam Yin's own fetus was already in danger, and then she colluded with Doctor Bai, intending to frame me for her impending miscarriage. Master has already informed the whole mansion about this matter, so why is Sister bringing it up now?"

“Sister, you only know one side of the story. Madam Yin is so young, she probably doesn’t have such a cunning mind. Do you really not have any doubts at all?” Madam Song said.

"Sister, please sit down. Nianxue, go and make two more cups of milk tea for me and my sister." When Lanqin heard Song mention this matter, the doubts that she had suppressed resurfaced. At that time, she suspected that Yin's affairs were not something that she could control alone.

After Nianxue left, Madam Song sent Qingping out to help. When only the two of them were left in the room, Madam Song grabbed Lanqin's hand and said solemnly, "Sister, you are still young. Now that you are favored by the master, you have already aroused the dissatisfaction and jealousy of many people. Apart from Madam Yin, what about the others?"

When Lanqin heard Song Shi speak so frankly to her, she immediately developed a good impression of her. In fact, she had spoken up for Song Shi earlier not because she liked her so much or to win her over, but simply because she felt that women like Song Shi were really pitiful.

"Sister, do you think the Yin family has accomplices?" Lanqin asked, her expression darkening.

“I think it’s definitely true. And this person is very clever; they managed to persuade Madam Yin to take such a big risk to frame you. You know, a miscarriage can also cost her her life. Actually, from the moment you were accused of murdering Madam Yin’s unborn child, I was wondering who started this whole thing. Because I knew that you, Sister Niu, would never harm Madam Yin,” Madam Song said with great certainty.

"Sister, have you discovered something?" Lanqin was even more moved when she saw that Madam Song initially thought she was innocent. She couldn't help but grasp Madam Song's hand and asked anxiously.

“I saw Dr. Bai enter the East Courtyard twice,” Song said meaningfully.

"Consort Li?" Lanqin wanted to say that she and Lady Li had already joined forces at that time, but she held back in the end.

“Yes, sister, ever since you entered the manor, you have been favored by the Fourth Master. Do you know who was the most favored person in this inner quarters before you came?” Madam Song pressed.

"I think it must be Li Shi, otherwise she wouldn't have given birth to two sons in a row." Although Lan Qin had never asked anyone, the fact that Li Shi had offspring already explained everything.

“My sister is indeed wise. Before you came, Lady Li was the most favored, and she and the Fujin were practically locked in a power struggle. But after you came, this balance was broken. Do you know why?” Lady Song continued.

“The Fourth Prince’s favor towards me has diminished Li’s favor, and her threat to the Fujin has also decreased, which is disadvantageous for her,” Lanqin analyzed. After Song asked her this, she realized that it was rather suspicious that Consort Li had allied with her.

“That’s right. Madam Li can’t stand seeing you being favored. In fact, she’s gotten used to being the one who dotes on you. Plus, Doctor Bai has been to her courtyard twice, so I suspect that Doctor Bai might actually be the middleman who’s connecting her with Madam Yin.”

"You mean the person supporting the Yin family behind the scenes is the Li family?" Lanqin felt a chill run down her spine when she thought of the Li family.

“I’m just guessing, but actually, if you find Doctor Bai, you can find out who’s behind the Yin family,” Song said.

“But Doctor Bai has already left, and we can’t easily leave the manor, so there’s practically no chance of finding him,” Lanqin murmured.

“Isn’t your family in the capital? You can ask them to help you search,” Madam Song said. “As long as this person isn’t found, you won’t know the truth. The person who wants to harm you will continue to hide in the shadows until they find another opportunity. You might escape once, but what about the second or third time?”

It must be said that what Madam Song said made a lot of sense. Lanqin had been burying her head in the sand, thinking that if she didn't cause trouble, she wouldn't have any problems. But in reality, as long as the Fourth Prince continued to favor her, there would be no shortage of people who wanted to harm her.

“Sister, sometimes, you can’t get away with anything just because you don’t want to hurt people. I’m a prime example of that,” Song said slowly, a strange glint in her eyes.

"Sister, please speak your mind," Lanqin asked, sensing the hidden meaning in Song's words.

“Sister, my first child was a boy, but he died a few days after birth. The doctor said he was weak from birth, and that I hadn’t given birth to him properly.” Tears welled up in Madam Song’s eyes. Every time she recalled that memory, she could hardly contain herself.

"Sister, do you know something? So that child didn't die a natural death?" Lanqin asked in surprise. She didn't want to get involved in the insidious tricks of these women in the inner quarters, but she almost fell for it herself, so she had to listen carefully to what Madam Song had to say.

"No, that child was very weak. But it wasn't that he was inherently weak; rather, I had been experiencing instability in my pregnancy for several months, which prevented him from developing properly in my womb. And the reason for my unstable pregnancy was probably related to certain people in this inner quarters." Madam Song calmed her emotions and was finally able to recount that past event with composure.