Chapter 115 Taking a perilous journey to get the spoils...
Although Yan Yi had promised to draw more and better booklets for A Zhi, she still felt wronged and guilty. She secretly cried several times while sleeping that night and went to school listlessly the next morning.
Liu Qiao and Fang Yuanyuan arrived early and were huddled together, sharing which of the snacks their cousin-in-law Azhi had given them was the best. They were startled when Azhi, with her large, peach-like eyes, floated in. They had been having a great time yesterday; what happened?
However, before they could ask, it was time for class. The professor who was teaching the class followed Azhi in and smiled slightly: "Come on, let's have a pop quiz."
Liu Qiao and others: ...The sky has fallen!
After finally finishing the brain-numbing quiz, during the break, Azhi mustered up her courage and went to find Wu Qiong, hesitatingly asking her a question.
Wu Qiong was surprised at first, then showed a wronged and angry expression, and raised her voice slightly: "Sister Azhi, do you suspect that I ruined your sketchbook?"
Liu Qiaofang and Yuanyuan immediately surrounded them.
What picture book?
"Is it the picture book with the baby heads that the Crown Prince's wife drew for you? What's going on?"
The cacophony of voices quickly attracted the attention of the other students in the class.
Wu Qiong stood in the corner of the classroom, facing a five-person team led by Azhi. At first glance, it seemed as if they had collectively blocked her way.
Her brows furrowed and her eyes reddened. Pointing at the group, she said, "We all went to the Marquis's residence as guests yesterday, so why are you the only one who suspects me?"
Ah Zhi didn't expect things to escalate so suddenly. She had originally planned to ask Wu Qiong about it privately.
She forced a smile and explained, "My older sister saw you come back in the middle and even go into my room. Ah Qiao and the others stayed with me the whole time..."
"I only went in to look for my earrings." Wu Qiong pointed to her earlobe. "These were a birthday gift from the Princess Consort. I was very careful not to lose them. I looked around the room and didn't see them on the floor, so I quickly came out. How can you say I deliberately broke your things?"
She tilted her head slightly, exuding a hint of arrogance. "I've seen good things before. What rare books by famous artists don't I have in the Prince's mansion? Why would I bother to ruin one of your picture albums?"
Liu Qiao couldn't help but interject, "It has nothing to do with whether it's precious or not. It was painted by my cousin-in-law Azhi herself. The sentiment behind it is priceless!"
Wu Qiong gave a mocking smirk, "Since it's so precious, why didn't you take better care of it? Or did one of the servants in the manor make a mistake out of clumsiness and then try to pin it on me?"
"you--"
Fang Yuanyuan wanted to say something, but Azhi stopped her, not wanting her to offend Wu Qiong for her sake.
But she didn't expect Huang Qiaoni to be behind her. She spoke quickly and bluntly: "Azhi kindly invited you to visit, but you not only arrived late but also came empty-handed. Do you really think that being born into a prince's mansion makes you superior?"
Even she and Chen Xiaoya had done their best to prepare gifts, but Wu Qiong not only made them wait for a long time, but also didn't prepare anything, as if her presence at the Marquis's residence was a great favor.
Huang Qiaoni noticed this yesterday, but seeing that Azhi didn't react, she, as a guest, couldn't say anything. She just secretly complained in her heart that Wu Qiong didn't know how to behave.
But by sheer coincidence, only Wu Qiong had entered Azhi's room alone, and she had even made sarcastic remarks about Azhi's eldest cousin's sister-in-law's humble background. So Azhi couldn't doubt her or ask her about it.
Wu Qiong's eyes turned cold in an instant after being ridiculed by Huang Qiaoni in public. "I was late because I had to take care of the Princess Consort. I was in such a hurry that I forgot to prepare a gift. I'll have someone send one to the Marquis's residence later. Don't worry, it'll definitely be more valuable than your basket of persimmons."
Huang Qiaoni's face turned red with anger, and Azhi quickly asked Chen Xiaoya, who was stronger, to pull her away to prevent the conflict from escalating further.
This is a problem between her and Wu Qiong; she shouldn't involve the other girls.
Ah Zhi secretly clenched her fist and forced a smile. "Everyone, please stop arguing. It was me... I didn't take good care of my things. Since Sister Wu said it wasn't you who did it, then it was all a misunderstanding. I apologize to Sister Wu."
Seeing Azhi bowing her head and yielding in front of her, Wu Qiong subtly curled the corners of her lips and waved her hand as if she didn't care about her. "Forget it, I was just unlucky enough to lose something, so it's normal for you to suspect me. It's fate that we can all sit in the same school and study together. We should get along well in the future and not let this little friction hurt our relationship. Don't you agree, Azhi?"
Ah Zhi: "...Okay."
There was a martial arts class in the afternoon. As soon as the boxing master announced that it was free time, a few people pulled Ah Zhi and quickly slipped to a secluded corner, chattering indignantly.
"Wu Qiong has gone too far!"
"How come I never noticed how hypocritical she was before?"
"Ah Zhi, you really don't appreciate my kindness. You shouldn't have agreed to let her come to your house."
Ah Zhi was deeply moved by her friends' sense of justice, but she still earnestly reminded them, "It's a good thing that we've seen through her true colors so early. From now on, we'll just avoid her. Please don't offend her because of me; after all, she's the adopted daughter of the Princess Consort of Chun..."
"Sigh." Someone sighed. "Why? The headmistress clearly said that everyone in the girls' school is an equal classmate..."
Ah Zhi clenched her fist to encourage everyone, "We must study harder in the future, and surpassing her in our studies is the best way to retaliate."
"Uh-huh!"
...
"Sister-in-law, what brings you here?"
After school, Ah Zhi was called to the gate of the girls' school and was a little confused until she saw Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi get off their carriage.
"I heard from your aunt that you got up late this morning and rushed to school without having breakfast. You must still be feeling aggrieved, right?"
Shen Lingyue magically produced a large food box, saying, "I specially asked Diancha to make chestnut cream cakes for you. Eating more sweets will improve your mood."
Yan Yi pinched her little face, "Why are your eyes still swollen? Remember to apply a cold compress for a while tonight."
Azhi smelled the sweet, milky aroma wafting from the cracks in the food box, and her nose started to sting a little. "Sister-in-law..."
"Don't cry, you'll look ugly if you cry again." Shen Lingyue pretended to scold her, then squatted down and asked in a low voice, "So, did Wu Qiong admit it?"
Azhi hesitated for a moment, then shook her head: "She said she didn't do it... Sister-in-law, maybe we should just let it go, perhaps it's just a misunderstanding?"
Her cousins-in-law had been so good to her, and she didn't want them to rashly confront the Prince Chun's Mansion just to stand up for her.
Let's just consider this a lesson learned from misjudging people, and that she won't make the same mistake again.
However, Ah Zhi's little schemes were as shallow as a puddle in the eyes of the two of them. The more sensible she was, the less Shen Lingyue wanted to let it go.
Since it's a conflict between children, shouldn't she, as a parent, go directly to the other parent and reason with them?
What happened to the Prince Chun's mansion? Don't they even know who brought down Prince An?
Shen Lingyue went straight to Tanghua Garden to ask Meng Wanyin for information.
"You're asking about the Princess Consort of Chun?"
Meng Wanyin's expression was a little strange. "She's a very nice person. We're both second wives, and we used to exchange a few words when we bumped into each other at banquets. But she was sick a couple of years ago, and her health hasn't been very good since, so she rarely goes out. Her eldest daughter-in-law usually handles the socializing."
"Isn't that... the heir apparent's wife from the Prince Chun's mansion?"
Shen Lingyue glanced at Yan Yi, her pupils dilating in shock.
I remember now!
That beautiful older sister who's entangled with her brother-in-law!
She and Yan Yi had bumped into each other several times outside!
"Mother, you said that Princess Chun was also a second wife?" Yan Yi keenly grasped the key point.
Meng Wanyin nodded and sighed, "The Prince Chun's mansion is not as peaceful as our family. The young master and the princess's biological second son are fighting fiercely, turning brothers into mortal enemies. She is caught in the middle and has no choice but to suffer. It would be strange if she could recover."
Shen Lingyue curled her lip. The competition was indeed fierce; they were not only fighting over titles but also over women...
She coughed and quickly steered the conversation back to the main topic: "Do you know that Princess Chun has adopted a girl named Wu Qiong? She was even invited to our home by Azhi the day before yesterday..."
She rattled off a long explanation, emphasizing how heartbroken Azhi was after discovering the picture book was ruined by the water. She gestured with her hand to make a big circle, saying, "My little cousin's eyes are so swollen, so big!"
"ah?"
Meng Wanyin was quite surprised to hear this and recalled, "That child was brought into the family last year. Xue'e even held a small banquet for her, which was considered a legitimate adopted daughter. I went there too. The child stayed by Xue'e's side the whole time. She seemed well-behaved and sensible, not the kind of person who would do such a thing."
She was actually happy for Princess Chun at the time, because having a caring and considerate daughter was much more reliable than her troublesome son.
Shen Lingyue used her unreasonable and argumentative tactics on Meng Wanyin, "...Anyway, it's true that she bullied Azhi, you can't just sit idly by, otherwise she'll think that our Marquis's Mansion is afraid of her."
"Alright, alright, I'll send Xue'e a letter in a couple of days. When we visit her, we'll mention it and ask her to keep an eye on that child."
Meng Wanyin didn't take the children's conflict seriously, but Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi's protectiveness of their little cousin Azhi still warmed her heart.
Both wives are kind-hearted and protective of their families. They live together in harmony and there is no need to worry about the unpleasant things like the brothers fighting each other in the Prince Chun's mansion.
Haven't you noticed that even the most difficult and troublesome sister-in-law in the family has calmed down a lot now? This is all thanks to the changes she brought after joining the family.
A virtuous wife brings fewer misfortunes to her husband, and a good wife brings prosperity to three generations. The ancients were right.
...
Shen Lingyue had no intention of making false accusations. She deliberately chose a day when the girls' school was closed and invited Yan Yi and Meng Wanyin to go to the Prince Chun's mansion together.
To avoid Azhi noticing, she went to see Dong Lanyi the night before and asked her to take her little cousin out shopping and relax the next day.
Dong Lanyi was still a little embarrassed: "Azhi was wronged, so logically my mother and I should stand up for her..."
Shen Lingyue waved her hand, "Why make such a big difference between family members? You're not good at arguing with people... Let's be reasonable. Besides, with your aunt's fiery temper, we might really offend the Prince Chun's mansion, and then it will be even harder to handle."
The next day, the mother-in-law and her two daughters-in-law brought gifts and visited the Princess Consort of Chun County under the guise of visiting her.
Princess Chun was about the same age as Meng Wanyin, but she looked much more haggard. There were fine lines around her eyes, and her lips were pale. She looked sickly as she leaned against the headboard.
Wu Qiong served her obediently, bringing her tea and water. Without the Princess Consort of Chun County speaking, he knew what she wanted with just a glance, which was very considerate.
Upon seeing Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi enter the room, she felt a sudden panic for no reason and quickly lowered her head and stepped aside to minimize her presence.
Meng Wanyin sat down on the edge of the bed, took her cold hand and asked with concern, "Are you feeling unwell again due to the changing seasons?" Meng Wanyin felt a sense of kinship with the Princess Consort of Chun County. Outsiders said that they were lucky, having come from humble backgrounds but managed to marry into high-ranking families, but how many second wives had an easy time?
If they were as reckless as Yan Yi's stepmother, that would be one thing, but both she and Xue'e are cautious, quiet, and reserved, so in the end, they are the only ones suffering.
Princess Chun shook her head, a bitter smile appearing on her pale face. "My health is a chronic condition. I take medicine all day long just for comfort; it's just a way to get through the days."
Meng Wanyin hesitated, then recalled an old incident.
After Xue'e married into the Prince's mansion, she soon became pregnant. Someone whispered in the ear of the heir, Xiao Chuwen, that if Xue'e's baby was a boy, he would take away everything he had now.
At the age of four, Xiao Chuwen dared to lure Xue'e to the garden and push her into the lake. It was the dead of winter, and if Xue'e's maid hadn't found her in time, she and her unborn child would likely have died.
However, she still lost that pregnancy, and Xue'e fell seriously ill due to the cold. It took her three years to recover before she became pregnant with the second young master, Xiao Chuyang.
No wonder the two brothers fought tooth and nail for the title after they came of age; they really owed a life in the process.
Seeing her weak and bedridden state, Meng Wanyin opened her mouth, but didn't know how to begin.
If Xue'e knew that her adopted daughter had done such a thing outside, she would probably be heartbroken and disappointed again...
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi exchanged a glance, also somewhat speechless.
Seriously, why do they seem like villains who came to demand an explanation?
Judging from the frail and delicate appearance of Princess Chun, she doesn't seem like the kind of person who would tolerate Wu Qiong's misbehavior in the school.
Shen Lingyue cleared her throat and forced herself to speak: "Princess Consort, please forgive us, but we have come to visit today because of your adopted daughter Wu Qiong and my little cousin..."
Before he could finish speaking, a maid rushed in, her face pale.
"Something terrible has happened! The Crown Princess just slipped and fell in the garden and is bleeding a lot!"
Princess Chun sat up in shock. "How did you fall like that? Quickly, go and fetch the imperial physician."
Meng Wanyin's expression changed. "I remember the young master's wife recently became pregnant?"
She had just recently sent a congratulatory gift from Qi's mother.
Princess Consort Chun's face paled even more, and she nodded with difficulty: "That's right, she entered the family last March, and it took her more than a year of marriage to finally conceive. To avoid suspicion, I rarely inquired about it, but how could this happen..."
Since such a big thing had happened to the host's family, Meng Wanyin couldn't stay any longer. She stood up and said, "Then we'll take our leave now. I'll come to see you another day."
Princess Chun took her hand, her expression helpless, "Please forgive my poor hospitality, otherwise I would have insisted on having you stay for a meal."
She then looked at Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi, her eyes filled with deep envy, "You are so lucky to have such wonderful wives. You will never have to worry about anything in the future."
Princess Chun was in a hurry to check on the situation at the Prince Consort's place, so she went out with her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.
Wu Qiong suddenly stepped out from the corner, took the arm of Princess Chun, and helped her, saying, "Mother, let me accompany you to see my sister-in-law."
"Qiong'er, don't go. You're still too young. It must be very chaotic there right now. Don't scare you."
Princess Chun pushed her away, her expression calm: "Listen to me, go play by yourself."
"Yes, I will listen to my mother."
Wu Qiong obediently agreed and watched them walk outside.
As Shen Lingyue walked to the door, she glanced back unintentionally and seemed to see Wu Qiong's upturned lips, as if she were smiling.
In that instant, the incongruity emanating from her, completely out of place for a fourteen-year-old girl, gave Shen Lingyue a chilling and horrifying feeling.
Like a masked mannequin, it even gave her the uncanny valley effect.
Shen Lingyue suddenly changed her mind and stepped forward to Meng Wanyin, saying, "Mother, shall we go and see the Crown Princess as well?"
Meng Wanyin was a little confused. "Are you very familiar with her?"
"...We've met a few times, and we're somewhat familiar with each other." Shen Lingyue lied through her teeth. "Since we're already here, we should at least go and take a look. It'll be a small token of our appreciation."
Meng Wanyin had no idea what she was up to, but she still looked at the Princess Consort of Chun County in a cooperative manner: "Xue'e?"
Princess Chun was worried about how she would explain things to Xiao Chuwen if he returned later. If there were outsiders present, perhaps he could restrain his temper a bit. So she hurriedly agreed.
"Alright, you can come with me."
Shen Lingyue looked back again, but Wu Qiong was no longer there; she didn't know where she had gone.
The group rushed to the Crown Princess's courtyard, just as the imperial physician ran in carrying his medicine chest and was led into the house without explanation.
Even through the window, one could hear the woman's low moans of pain coming from inside, which was extremely distressing to hear.
Meng Wanyin patted the Princess Consort of Chun County's hand, "It's alright, everything will be alright."
Princess Chun composed herself and summoned the maidservant who served the Crown Princess, demanding sternly, "How have you been taking care of the Crown Princess? Why did she fall in the garden?"
The maidservant knelt with her head bowed, her voice trembling with tears: "The Princess Consort goes for a walk in the garden every day, taking the same path. The servants dare not neglect her duties and always keep it spotless, not even leaving a single fallen leaf on the path. But today, someone must have spilled oil in a secluded spot around a bend. The Princess Consort tripped and fell as soon as she walked over, hitting her stomach on a stone by the roadside..."
It wasn't an accident, but a man-made disaster?
Princess Chun felt dizzy and could only stand by grabbing Meng Wanyin. She squeezed out the words through her teeth, "...detain all the servants in the mansion and lock them in the woodshed for interrogation. Find out who went to the garden today. Anyone who can't give their itinerary or has no witnesses, tie them all up and beat them with a cane."
"Mother!"
A tall, imposing figure rushed in like a gust of wind, bombarding him with questions: "I heard your sister-in-law fell? What happened? Is it serious?"
Princess Chun recognized the visitor as her troublesome son, grabbed Xiao Chuyang, pulled him aside, and asked urgently in a low voice, "Did you do it?"
Xiao Chuyang looked utterly wronged. "How could you think of me like that? How despicable must I be in your eyes to lay a hand on a woman and a child?"
"...Do you think I wanted this? It's all because you and the Crown Prince are fighting like cats and dogs, what can I do when I'm caught in the middle?"
Princess Chun breathed a sigh of relief, then pulled him aside and repeatedly warned him, "Don't be so reckless and aggressive anymore. He is the eldest son of the legitimate wife, and his status is already set. You can't win against him."
Xiao Chuyang clenched his fists, his eyes cold. "Why? He pushed you into the water, causing me to lose a brother, and you've been bedridden for years. Are you just going to let this go like that?"
Xiao Chuwen is a two-faced beast; he tries to take everything away, even the person he likes…
He stared intently into the room, the sound of her suppressed cries of pain ringing in his ears, his heart felt like it was being squeezed tightly, tormented by the pain.
...
"Wow, the Second Young Master arrived even faster than the Heir Apparent."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi whispered to each other, "Anyone who didn't know better would think he was the child's biological father."
Yan Yi was also shocked, but she didn't quite understand: "Why did you come along? Did you already guess that this would happen?"
"No, I just wanted to find an excuse to stay in the Prince's mansion a little longer."
Shen Lingyue described the strange feeling she had when she saw Wu Qiong earlier, rubbing the goosebumps on her arms. "It was so weird, so awkward. Do you think she might have caused the Crown Princess to fall?"
Just like how she ruined Ah-Zhi's picture book for no reason?
"That's strange indeed. Could it be out of jealousy?" Yan Yi tried to put herself in Wu Qiong's shoes. "Because the Crown Princess is pregnant, all the attention in the Prince's mansion is on her, and Wu Qiong is resentful because of that? But..."
“But she’s just an adopted daughter,” Shen Lingyue continued. “Does she really want to compete for the emperor’s favor with an unborn child?”
If it's really because of this absurd reason, then it can only be said that Wu Qiong has completely gone astray from the root, and Azhi must be kept away from her in the future.
They waited with Princess Chun for another half an hour before the imperial physician finally came out of the room, wiping away sweat.
"Fortunately, the Crown Princess is in relatively good health, and the fetus is fine. However, it would be best for her to rest in bed for a month. I will prescribe some more medicine to help prevent miscarriage."
Princess Chun repeatedly prayed for Buddha's blessing, expressed her deepest gratitude to the imperial physician, and asked the head maid to take him to the next room to get a prescription.
Shen Lingyue muttered, "Why hasn't the young master returned yet? Doesn't he care about his wife at all?"
Xiao Chuyang glanced over at her, his voice a little too loud, and then sneered, "Him? He's probably still in some brothel, not even up yet."
"Chu Yang!"
Princess Chun glared at her son and said to Meng Wanyin, "As long as the child is safe, everything will be fine. When the Crown Princess wakes up, I will tell her that you came to visit."
Since the matter concerned the private affairs of the Prince's residence, Meng Wanyin could not stay any longer and took her leave with Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi.
After exiting the second gate, you have to walk through a small garden to reach the front yard.
Shen Lingyue suddenly stopped, her ears twitched, and she turned her head to look into the depths of the garden.
"It looks like someone went over there?"
The Crown Princess just had an accident, and all the servants in the manor have been detained. Who is still wandering around outside?
"Let's go take a look." She grabbed Yan Yi and ran inside.
Meng Wanyin stood there, bewildered.
...
The two quietly approached the direction from which the sound came, crouched down, and crawled forward.
"Isn't this too risky?" Yan Yi asked in a breathy voice, while trying to avoid the dead branches and fallen leaves on the ground.
Shen Lingyue repeated her previous statement: "Since we're already here..."
Taking risks upon risks, but getting the best of both worlds!
Soon, two figures, one tall and one short, appeared under the swaying shadows of the trees.
"Oh my god, it's the two of them!" Shen Lingyue covered her mouth to stop herself from shouting.
The one on the left is Wu Qiong, and the one on the right... judging from his clothes, should be Prince Xiao Chuwen?
"Smack!"
Xiao Chuwen suddenly raised his hand and slapped Wu Qiong, pointing at her and angrily saying something.
Shen Lingyue's pupils dilated in shock. Could it really be that Wu Qiong caused the Crown Princess to fall, and the Crown Prince discovered it?
However, the next second, Wu Qiong cried and threw herself into Xiao Chuwen's arms.
Yan Yi's mind went blank for a moment, and a series of images flashed through her mind.
-----------------------
Author's Note: Moon Child: Just go for it!
Yan Yi: Isn't this inappropriate? (Silently follows)
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