"This servant greets Princess Wu!" A slender maidservant dressed in an indigo blue jacket and trousers stood before Wu and greeted her.
"Get up. Are you Mei Ruo?" Madam Wu asked, looking at the maid standing in front of her.
"Yes, this servant is indeed Mei Ruo." Mei Ruo lowered her head slightly, not daring to look at Madam Wu.
“I heard from Hongying that you were serving in the main courtyard of the Fujin,” Wu said.
"Yes, I'm a third-class maid serving in the main courtyard. When the Fujin (Madam) was confined by the master, two-thirds of the maids left. Actually, I envied them for being able to leave. I also wanted to leave the main courtyard, but I'm really bad at talking and don't know how to please the head nanny. So I was left behind," Mei Ruo said aggrievedly. The Fujin had been confined for a year and a half. Although the maids serving in her courtyard hadn't had their monthly wages reduced, they no longer had the freedom to come and go, and they had lost face among the servants. Whether the master was favored or not in the inner quarters directly determined the treatment of the servants.
Seeing Mei Ruo's unwillingness, Wu smiled and said, "You want to come too?"
Mei Ruo knew that Wu Shi had sent Hong Ying to see her, so there must be something on her mind.
"I really want to come out, but I can't get close to her there!" Mei Ruo said. "I know that something must be wrong with Princess Wu. If I can do my best for Princess Wu, I will do everything in my power."
You see, being noticed by the Wu family is a real opportunity for me! I've been too obscure in the past, which is why I've been stuck in the main courtyard. Now that the Wu family has finally come looking for me, I must seize this chance.
“Very well! Mei Ruo, since you’ve spoken frankly, then this princess won’t beat around the bush with you!” said Madam Wu.
"Please enlighten me, Princess!" Mei Ruo said.
"What I want you to do is actually very simple: just tell Hongying everything you heard in the main courtyard, just like you would normally. However, I want you to pay close attention to the movements of the people around the Fujin (Madam). Do you understand?" Wu Shi said.
Mei Ruo pondered for a moment and said, "Does Your Highness only require Mei Ruo to report on the movements of the Fujin's capable maids?"
Madam Wu nodded and said, "It seems you are a clever one! If I asked you to keep an eye on the Fujin, I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to do it. Just keep in mind who Hongying's people are in contact with."
Mei Ruo figured it wasn't really about keeping an eye on the Fujin (the wife), but only on Lingxiu and the powerful Caiyun. So, after only a moment's hesitation, she readily agreed. Madam Wu promised to let Mei Ruo leave afterward.
Meanwhile, Cui Niang contacted all the new stewards who had taken over from Lan Qin, as they were all considered Lan Qin's people. Among the old servants previously placed there by the Fujin, some were also trying to curry favor with Nan Xiaoyuan. Lan Qin refused to use any of these people, because if they could betray the Fujin, they could also betray Nan Xiaoyuan one day.
In this way, Lanqin had set up a net in various places in the back of the house.
That day, Lady Wuya, supported by Lingxiu's hand, followed Lingxiu towards a side gate on the west side of the main courtyard. This was not her first time visiting the Fujin (the wife of the deceased).
Because of Lanqin, everyone in the mansion tried to curry favor with her and treated Wuya with disdain. Also, because she did not receive the Fourth Prince's favor as expected after entering the mansion, those people naturally did not treat her and her servant well.
After hesitating for a long time, Lady Wuya finally couldn't resist joining forces with the Fujin.
All four main gates of the main courtyard were guarded, except for the two side gates, which were unguarded. The Fourth Prince entered through the north side gate that time, so no one knew!
"Princess Wuya, this way please!" Lingxiu said.
“Every time I come to see the Princess Consort, I have to go through this side door. It must be so hard for her,” said Lady Uya.
“Indeed, the dignified Fourth Princess Consort has fallen into such a state. It’s all because of that vixen Niohuru from the South Courtyard. If it weren’t for her, our Princess Consort wouldn’t be like this today!” Lingxiu said.
The three entered the main courtyard, quietly walked into a covered corridor, and then turned past several bright gates before finally arriving at the main room of the Fujin!
The princess was writing in the left side room when she saw someone enter, so she slowly put down her pen.
"This humble servant greets the Fourth Prince's wife!" Uya greeted her with a bow. The first time she met the Fourth Prince's wife was at his wedding. At that time, Uya truly envied Ulanara, for although she and the Fourth Prince were in love, she could not marry him and become his principal wife. However, when Lingxiu invited Uya into the main courtyard and she first saw the Fourth Prince's wife, Uya sighed that perhaps Heaven was fair. Heaven had given Ulanara a noble birth and a grand marriage, but not the Fourth Prince's heart. She was about the same age as Uya, but because she lacked the Fourth Prince's heart, she had aged prematurely after years of waiting in the main courtyard.
"Madam Wuya, please sit down. Caiyun, serve tea!" the Fujin said.
Every time she saw this so-called Fourth Prince's first love, the Fujin never truly regarded her as her ally; in fact, she hated Uya!
"Your Majesty looks much better. Did you follow what I told you last time?" Lady Wuya was already beautiful, and with her attention to skincare, she looked much younger than Your Majesty.
"Alas, no matter how much I take care of myself, it's no use; I can't compare to your radiant beauty, Madam!" the Fujin said. Her appearance was dignified and elegant, but not exceptionally beautiful; she was of average appearance.
"Your Highness is mistaken! A woman should always pay attention to her appearance!" said Lady Uya with a light smile.
"Vixen!" the Fujin thought to herself as she looked at Lady Wuya. However, her face remained amiable as she said, "I've summoned Lady Wuya here today because there's something I need to discuss."
"Please speak, Madam!" Lady Wuya also abandoned her politeness and spoke seriously.
"Niohuru is almost six months pregnant with her twins now, and she'll be giving birth in three more months. If she gives birth to a prince, she'll be even more formidable than Li Shi back then, having managed to monopolize the prince's favor for so long!" the Fujin said. As she spoke, she observed Wuya's expression and realized that she was indeed unwilling to accept the situation where the Fourth Prince was being monopolized by Lanqin.
"My Ladyship, we concubines have no way to survive!" Lady Uya sighed.
“Unless the twins in her womb are monsters! They are the nemesis and jinx of our Great Qing!” the Fujin said, squinting her eyes.
“A jinx! A monster!” Uya exclaimed, her eyes wide.
“That’s right. Only by making people think that the child she is carrying is an ominous creature can we weaken her position in the master’s heart. Otherwise, not only me, but you are all just decorations in the inner quarters!” the princess said.
“But how can we make people think that she is carrying a demon, a jinx?” Uya asked, frowning.
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