"Lingzhi, what time is it?" Consort Wu Nalana asked, lying on the bed with her eyes half-closed.
But the only response she received was deathly silence. Clearly, Lingzhi, who was keeping watch on the couch outside, was fast asleep and hadn't heard the lady's words at all.
Since the Fourth Prince confined his wife to her quarters, most of her servants have been laid off. Those remaining have almost all become negligent in their duties, seemingly convinced that the wife will never leave again. What future does a woman nearing thirty, childless and out of favor, have?
The princess's face seemed to have aged a bit, and her complexion had become sallow and thin. After being confined for almost two months, was she still the proud daughter of the Ulanara clan?
The Lady Consort composed herself, slowly groping her way out of bed. She stretched her leg out onto the footstool to find her shoes before standing. She walked to the window and pulled it open. A gust of winter wind immediately rushed in, assaulting her. The lingering smell of burning coal in the room was now dispelled by the cold air.
"It's snowing!!" The princess looked out the window at the tall fir tree, which seemed to be edged with a layer of white down; looking around, everything was covered in silver.
The princess stood by the window, seemingly wanting the cool breeze outside to blow away all the bad luck she felt.
"Master, what are you doing?" Lingxiu asked in surprise from behind, quickly walking to the Fujin's side, preparing to close the window. The Fujin's expenses had already been reduced, so the room wasn't very warm. If the window was opened further, the room would become even colder. If she caught a cold, it would be the servants who would suffer.
"Don't close it!" the Fujin shouted in a sharp, icy voice.
Lingxiu was startled. Ever since the Fujin was confined here, she had been in a very low spirits. Especially after Lingxiu brought Wuge's words, the Fujin seemed to have completely lost her fighting spirit and was always in a daze.
"Master, if we don't do this, the room will become as cold as an ice cellar. What if you catch a cold?" Lingxiu said this, but her hands stopped moving.
"Isn't it better if she's sick? Doesn't that please those vile women?" The Fujin's eyes seemed to be completely calm as she spoke these words.
Lingxiu stared in surprise at the Fujin's calm face, inwardly wondering: Was the Fujin planning to die? That couldn't be right. Just yesterday, she had asked her to tidy her clothes, and even talked about her wedding to the master. Was she truly giving up and determined to die?
Looking at Lingxiu's expression, the Fujin suddenly smiled faintly and said, "Are you thinking about what to do? Don't worry, if I die, the South Courtyard will definitely not keep you. We'll sell you off or return you to the Imperial Household Department. It's up to fate."
Upon hearing this, Lingxiu turned pale and immediately knelt down, hugging the Fujin's legs, saying, "Fujin, Your Majesty, you can't die! You are the legitimate wife of the Fourth Prince, a marriage bestowed upon you by the Emperor himself. They are all just concubines; how can they compare to you? Your Majesty only doubted you temporarily. Let's think of another way; we're sure we can extricate ourselves from this predicament. We will certainly serve you well and never have any disloyalty."
The princess consort sneered, "It seems you've all harbored disloyal intentions for a long time!"
Lingxiu felt as if the Fujin (principal wife) could see right through her thoughts. She had indeed been thinking about her way out these past few days. Just as the Fujin had said, Lingxiu was a maid who had been sold into the family, and her fate was to be sold again until she was no longer of value and was married off to someone at the master's discretion.
"My lady, I swear to follow you to the death!" Lingxiu no longer hesitated at the thought of that outcome. She couldn't possibly beg another master to take her in like the other maids, because no one could possibly keep her after what she had done for the Fujin!
"Is that so? Then let this lady stand here and play for an hour!" the lady said sarcastically.
Lingxiu was very quick-witted. Seeing that the Fujin meant this, she thought, "Does the mistress want to use illness to see the master? But I think that at most, they will send a doctor to you. Moreover, Niohuru is now in charge of the inner quarters. She would rather we were all dead and would also try to obstruct us. It will probably not be easy for the Fujin to see the master!"
The princess consort gave a nonchalant, mocking laugh: "Why would I see him? There's nothing more to say. Fourteen years of marriage, yet we're like strangers. I want to see my father!"
Lingxiu exclaimed in surprise, "Lord Feiyanggu is already quite old. Even if he knew what kind of life the Princess Consort was living here, I'm afraid he would be powerless to help her."
The princess said sharply, "Wuge is short-sighted. Only Father is the head of the Ulanara family. Only by bringing Father here can I possibly get out of here."
Lingxiu looked at the Fujin in surprise and said, "Then this servant will think of another way to get out? But although the master allows us to come and go, we still can't leave the mansion."
The princess said, "What if I'm dying? Would he still not let me see my father one last time?"
Upon hearing this, Lingxiu couldn't help but say doubtfully, "Madam, a cold won't easily kill someone, and doing this is far too risky. You?"
"Don't worry, this princess is very resilient. It won't pass so easily. Only when she's terminally ill can she truly repent, won't she?"
Lingxiu understood what the Fujin meant and said tremblingly, "This servant knows what to do! Fujin is going to suffer!"
"I will never be trapped here to die! Niohuru clan, Nian clan, Song clan, Geng clan, I will not let you go!" The princess said as if she were making a vow.
Suddenly, large snowflakes began to fall outside the window, and the wind grew even colder, bringing the harshness of winter as it swept towards the Princess Consort.
A few days later, news spread from the main courtyard that the Fujin (Prince's wife) had fallen ill. The nanny in charge of guarding her came to report this to Lanqin, who naturally had a doctor summoned. Although the Fourth Prince had confined her, he hadn't deposed her, so she remained the Fourth Prince's primary Fujin, and her treatment wouldn't be too bad. Moreover, Lanqin wasn't the type to mistreat people.
After examining the woman, the doctor returned and reported that it was a cold. Lanqin instructed that the Fujin be treated, and that the medicine and silver charcoal should not be lacking. After giving these instructions, Lanqin naturally did not care much more, as what the Fujin had done to them was truly unforgivable.
After the Fourth Prince returned, Lanqin told him about the illness of the Princess Consort. The Fourth Prince didn't say anything and was very satisfied with Lanqin's handling of the situation.
The Princess Consort waited for several days but received no news from the Fourth Prince.
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