"Does the concubine suspect that I'm faking illness?" the concubine said, only speaking when she and Lanqin were alone in the room.
“Your Highness has misunderstood. I don’t suspect you of faking illness, but I’m afraid of delaying your treatment. How can you get better if you don’t take your medicine?” Lanqin said.
The Fujin stared coldly at Lanqin. She loathed Lanqin from the bottom of her heart, not only because Lanqin had stolen the Fourth Prince's favor, but also because this Niohuru woman could see right through her thoughts, leaving her with nowhere to hide.
"What do you mean by this, Consort? I don't understand what you're saying!" the Consort said with her eyes closed.
“The Lady Consort only has a cold, how could she not be better after more than a month? Unless the Lady Consort deliberately drinks half and throws up the other half,” Lanqin said.
Upon hearing this, the Fujin coughed. Once she had calmed down, she said to Lanqin, "This Fujin doesn't understand what the Consort means. This Fujin is tired and wants to sleep. Consort, please go back!"
Lanqin smiled and said, "I haven't finished serving you your medicine yet, Madam. Please wait until I'm done before you go back."
The princess glared angrily at Lanqin, but there was nothing she could do, because Lanqin was no longer the little princess she could manipulate at will.
After Doctor Lin finished decocting the medicine, Lingxiu fed it to the Fujin. Lanqin and Cui Niang watched as the Fujin drank every last drop before taking their leave.
After the two left the main courtyard, the Fujin immediately put her fingers into her esophagus and rubbed them, presumably vomiting up a bowl of medicine.
"Madam, why are you doing this? You should just take your medicine. It seems that Niohuru has seen through your intentions. Now all our efforts will be in vain?" Lingxiu quickly handed over a cloth to wipe her mouth.
"No, I can't wait any longer. I was planning to make a scene at the end of the year, but it seems I can't delay any longer," the wife said resentfully.
"Does Master mean that Yehe Clan and the Second Princess should go and beg Master right now?" Lingxiu asked.
It turned out that Lingxiu had secretly gone to the Second Princess and told her about the recent situation of the Fujin. She had gone to talk to her several times and finally persuaded the Second Princess to plead for the Fujin.
"Has anything been confirmed with the Second Princess?" The Fujin threw her handkerchief aside and lay back down before asking.
"I've tried to reason with her several times, and I've finally convinced her," Lingxiu said.
"Hmph, they're all useless! All those years of raising them have been for nothing!" the Fujin said bitterly.
"Your Majesty, how did Consort Fu immediately realize that you had spilled the medicine?" Lingxiu asked the Consort with an ambiguous expression.
"Does she have someone here? Don't you always do it secretly behind people's backs?" the Fujin said.
“Yes, I always pour it secretly, so no one sees me!” Lingxiu said.
"Niohuru is truly extraordinary; no wonder she has managed to hold the prince's heart for so many years!" the princess said dejectedly.
Meanwhile, Lanqin, supporting Cui Niang's hand, walked towards the south courtyard.
"Master, do you mean that the Princess Consort deliberately drinks half and throws away the other half to prolong her illness, so that Your Majesty will take pity on her?" Cui Niang asked. "Doing so would be quite a hardship for herself."
"This is the only way she can get the master's attention now. Looking at her, she shows no remorse whatsoever, and even hates me more," Lanqin said. Actually, as long as the principal wife doesn't cause trouble, she won't do anything to her. After all, she is the primary wife, and the Fourth Master's actions are leaving her a way out.
“She’s just a narrow-minded person, Master, you don’t need to worry about her. Let’s tell Master that she’s deliberately delaying her treatment,” said Cui Niang.
"I'm afraid she has a backup plan. I have a feeling she won't just play tricks that are so easy to see through!" Lanqin thought as she walked.
When Lanqin returned to the South Courtyard, Madam Song was already waiting for her.
"Qin'er, the eldest princess is about to give birth, I—" Song said hurriedly.
"Sister, go and see! There's no need to say anything more. I'll tell Master when he gets back!" Lanqin said immediately with a smile.
Before Song could even express her gratitude, she immediately left, supported by her maid.
"Look at how happy Song Gege is!" Cui Niang said with a smile.
“Of course, my sister is going to be a grandmother soon,” Lanqin said, then started to feel a little depressed. She was going to be a grandmother in her early thirties too!
Lanqin felt a million thoughts racing through her mind!
It was almost time for the Fourth Prince to return from the palace and come over for dinner, but he did not arrive on time.
Lanqin was never the type to go to the maid to urge her, so she didn't pay any attention.
Seeing that Lanqin was neither in a hurry nor gave any instructions, Cui Niang took it upon herself to send Jinju to check on things in the front yard.
Lanqin was preoccupied with the matter of the Fujin (the wife of the eldest daughter-in-law), feeling that she wouldn't give up so easily and that there must be something else waiting for her. Adding to this, the eldest princess was giving birth, which naturally worried her, so she lost her appetite. Sitting on the warm couch, lost in thought, she didn't notice Cui Niang's actions.
After a while, Jinju hurried back. She quickly went to Lanqin's room and waved to Cui Niang inside.
Cui Niang immediately came out of the inner room and pulled Jinju outside to talk.
"What exactly is holding up Master?" Cui Niang asked.
"This servant doesn't know either. Later, it was Eunuch Su who told me that Princess Yehe and the Second Princess had both gone to the courtyard and were begging the master to release the Fujin from confinement," Jinju said hurriedly.
"What!" Cui Niang exclaimed, her face changing color.
She pondered for a moment, then left the kumquats behind and went straight to Lanqin's room.
"Master!" Cui Niang hurriedly called out as she approached Lan Qin.
Lanqin was startled by her sudden shout, frowned, and asked in confusion, "What is it?"
“Master, I just took the liberty of letting Jinju go and see what has troubled Master?” Cui Niang said. “Please don’t scold me. Listen to me, Yehe Shi and the Second Princess have gone to the front courtyard and are pleading for the Fujin.”
Lanqin's eyes suddenly widened.
"As expected, there was another trick up her sleeve!" she muttered to herself.
"Master, let's hurry over and talk to him. Otherwise, if they get involved, it will be difficult to stop them later," said Cui Niang.
“If we go and say that the Princess Consort deliberately delayed treating her illness, I’m afraid the Fourth Prince will think I’m deliberately slandering her,” Lanqin said.
"What can we do? How can she escape punishment so easily? She has done so many bad things, yet Heaven is still helping her!" Cui Niang thought of how she had been forced to stay in the palace by the Fujin for so many years, and her niece whom she had never met—all of which were the Fujin's doing.
“No, I wouldn’t believe her now either, it’s just that sometimes I’m forced by circumstances,” Lanqin said.
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