The two strolled around until the second watch of the night before returning home and resting there.

A few days later, Nan Yi took advantage of his free time to put his lover's wedding on the agenda. The Xiao family also helped out and made arrangements for the wedding in a hurry.

Nan Yi remembers that day, the weather was very nice, with a gentle breeze, no clouds, and a bright, clear sky. She saw her lover off at the door, and then she and Qingyun Yi had a banquet at her lover's house before returning home.

Fang changed into his everyday clothes and rested, when Xiao Shunzi suddenly knelt outside the door and cried out urgently.

Nan Yi hurriedly got up and rushed out to see Qing Yun standing to the side with a nervous expression. Xiao Shunzi knelt down and stepped forward, grabbing Nan Yi's robe and saying urgently, "Master, please save Granny Qiu! The Fujin is going to punish her."

"How could this be? For no reason at all?" Nan Yi couldn't believe it. How could Nala Shi, who had gone to great lengths to poach Granny Qiu from her own courtyard, suddenly want to beat her?

Granny Qiu was always cautious in her actions. She was quick-witted and composed. Now that she had followed the Fujin, given her nature, she would never do anything out of line.

Although Granny Qiu was her governess and they had a deep bond, she should be careful.

Otherwise, if something happens or she is not served properly, she could easily be implicated. Granny Qiu wouldn't be that foolish.

Xiao Shunzi blushed with anxiety and urged, "Oh, my master, what time is it now? Saving lives is the priority. I'll tell you the details on the way, okay?"

"Okay, let's talk as we walk." Nan Yi pulled Xiao Shunzi towards the door.

"Hey, wait a minute." Qingyun pulled his master back. "Master needs to wear a thick coat. It's cold outside."

It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned it, because Nan Yi shivered. Qingyun came out with the robes and tidied up her mistress. She was about to comb her hair, but Nan Yi stopped her, saying, "Just do it quickly. Granny Qiu can't wait."

Yiren came in from the outer room and pressed her master's shoulder, saying, "Master, there's no need to rush. You still have time."

Nan Yi looked at her in surprise. "Why aren't you in a hurry? If we wait any longer, will Granny Qiu still be alive?" Granny Qiu is old and can't withstand being beaten.

She couldn't help but feel angry. Nala had taken the person, and in just a few days, instead of showing any respect, she beat her without warning. What had Granny Qiu done to offend her, or was this all done on purpose to humiliate her through Granny Qiu?

Strangely enough, on that day, when Yinzhen asked his wife to send away the caregiver from Wanyue Pavilion, in order to compensate Nan Yi, he openly bestowed a large number of gifts upon Wanyue Pavilion, and privately added another 8,800 taels of silver.

This action inevitably made the others in the backyard envious. The news that Yiren had inquired about was gossiped about in her ear for a long time, such as how Li Shi was so angry that she took it out on the servants, how Qiu Ju and Qiu Ye were scolded, how Nian Shi kept complaining that she was not feeling well, and how the imperial physician could not diagnose her illness but only told her to rest well, and so on.

The two men, Li and Nian, made quite a stir, but the Fujin (principal wife) remained completely still.

Nan Yi thought that Nara hadn't made a move because of Qiu Mama's matter, but she never expected that Nara would be here waiting for her.

What's the difference between punishing her governess and slapping her face?

Nan Yi was forced to have her hair combed and rushed out of the courtyard. Xiao Shunzi trotted after her and said, "Master, I heard that Consort Li had a difficult childbirth. The imperial physician diagnosed that it was due to something wrong with her food."

"What does that have to do with Granny Qiu? Granny Qiu has been transferred to Plum Courtyard, not to Consort Li's Fragrant Fragrance Courtyard."

Nan Yi walked briskly, making it difficult for Xiao Shunzi to keep up. He was slightly out of breath. "Listen to me," he said. "They said that the Third Prince was playing in his wife's courtyard when he took a fancy to the snacks made by Granny Qiu. He liked them immediately and even brought some back to Fangfei Courtyard. Somehow, they ended up in Consort Li's mouth, and that afternoon, something happened. The Prince was furious, and the Consort tried to shift the blame by making Granny Qiu take the fall. Granny Qiu denied it, and in her anger, the Consort ordered her to be flogged."

"Food, food, food again! Can't you come up with something new?" Nan Yi was exasperated. Luckily, she used her own small kitchen; otherwise, if someone had tampered with the food, she would have been dead.

"Indeed, thanks to Master's wisdom, it's much safer to use his own small kitchen."

Nan Yi asked Xiao Shunzi for more details. She only wanted to save Granny Qiu, but she didn't notice the calm and composed face behind her.

From beginning to end, she was never in a hurry about Granny Qiu's matter.

As the group entered Fangfei Courtyard, Nan Yi immediately saw Granny Qiu being pinned to the ground and beaten with a cane, which was as thick as an adult's arm, falling heavily on Granny Qiu's body.

The blows struck the servants' hearts again and again, turning their faces pale.

Inside the house, Li was screaming, and basins of bloody water were being brought out. Maids and nannies were going in and out. Nan Yi felt very bad. Li had already given birth to four children. Her first son died young, and she now had two sons and a daughter. This was her fifth pregnancy, and she never expected it to be so difficult.

The saying that childbirth is like stepping into the gates of hell is absolutely true.

Granny Qiu was being beaten, but she held her head high and didn't utter a sound.

The Fujin and Wu Shi stood aside and watched. Wu Shi made sarcastic remarks and fanned the flames in Nara Shi's ear, "If you ask me, sister, this servant who plotted against his master should be beaten to death. Fujin is too merciful. Thirty strokes of the cane won't hurt her. The punishment is too light. She won't take it seriously."

Nara hesitated, looking troubled. "This...she is Tong's governess."

"Oh dear, Madam, no matter whose governess she is, she's just a servant," Wu said disdainfully. "Besides, if Sister Tong's governess plotted to harm the prince, a servant would have such audacity; who knows..."

She wanted to say that it might have been Tong's idea.

"It's possible that the Princess Consort is using someone else to do her dirty work. Everyone knows that the Princess Consort took Granny Qiu from my courtyard. I didn't want to agree, but the Princess Consort insisted. Is the Princess Consort really taking Granny Qiu away just to recuperate, or is there another reason?"

"Watch your words!" Lady Nara snapped, trembling with anger. Lady Tong, how dare she speak so bluntly! Originally, she was in the wrong to send Granny Qiu away, but because of her health, she hadn't bothered with the generous gift of Wanyue Pavilion from the master.

Who would have thought that the Third Prince would have an accident in her courtyard?

With her offspring repeatedly getting into trouble, the master flew into a rage. To clear herself of suspicion, she could only pin the blame on Granny Qiu.

Granny Qiu was stubborn and refused to admit that she had done it. Having no other choice, she ordered Granny Qiu to be flogged. It would be best if Granny Qiu couldn't bear it and admitted to the matter. Otherwise, if the Third Prince and Madam Li got into trouble, Plum Courtyard would be implicated, and the Prince would definitely turn his back on her.

The Fourth Prince does not need an unvirtuous, ruthless, and vicious primary wife.

Nan Yi snorted coldly, turned around and walked to the old women who were holding down Granny Qiu, kicking them away one by one.

The old women screamed and rolled aside.

Nan Yi helped Granny Qiu up and asked in a deep voice, "Granny, how are you?"

Granny Qiu straightened up, supporting her back, and said calmly, "Your Highness is recovering at just the right time. A few strokes of the cane are nothing to me." She spoke so casually, as if the cane hadn't even been laid on her.

As expected of a palace maid, she remained calm and composed even after being falsely accused, a composure that earned her her admiration.

"Xiao Shunzi, Granny Fu is going back to Wanyue Pavilion to recuperate," Nan Yi said.

Empress Dowager Nala's face darkened. "Tong, the matter of the Third Prince has not been thoroughly investigated. How can you release people so easily?"

"Since the investigation is not clear, why did the Princess Consort hit someone? Is she trying to force a confession out of her?" Nan Yi retorted defiantly.