"Consort, are you going to the South Courtyard?" Madam Wu asked in disbelief, her face full of surprise.
As Li was letting Mingyan apply nail polish in a peacock color, Que'er was putting a peacock hairpin on her nails. After glancing at Wu, Que'er's thin, crimson lips parted and she asked, "Do you really think Niu did this?"
Wu hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, "That day in the garden with Yin, it was only her, not her. So, did Yin push herself?"
As she said this, even Wu unconsciously covered her cherry-like mouth. After glancing at Li's stunning face, she sighed and said, "Could it be that I have really wronged Niu? Yin is so young, yet she has such a deep mind!"
Lady Li clasped her hands together, which were as white and jade-like as jade, and looked them over. She was quite satisfied with the colors she had applied and said softly, "Just because she doesn't have such deep scheming doesn't mean that others won't think the same way for her. For example, our Fujin."
Wu stood up, took the hexagonal fan, walked to Li's side, took the pearl hairpin from Que'er's hand, and pinned it in Li's left side, saying, "Are you saying that all this commotion was instigated by our good wife?"
Li smiled slightly, stood up from the embroidered stool, straightened her sleeves, and said to Wu, "Let's go see Niu Shi. She's been wronged like this, and I feel really sad for her."
Wu still didn't understand, so she followed and couldn't help but ask, "Even if she is the Fujin (principal wife), how could Yin Shi (the wife of the deceased) be willing to lose her child like this?"
Li snorted and said, "What if she couldn't keep the baby in her belly anyway? You've forgotten, Yin had already gone through a miscarriage not long ago."
After thinking for a while, Lady Wu still asked, unwilling to give up, "Even so, why should the Fujin help Lady Niu? Wouldn't it be better if she lost favor or was even deposed by the Fourth Prince because of this?"
Li glanced at her sideways, seemingly seeing through Wu's thoughts, and said coldly, "I have been fighting with the Fujin for so long, but I have not been able to harm her in the slightest. Now, finally someone in this inner courtyard has emerged who can take her down. How can I bear to let Niu be assassinated by her so quickly?"
Having said that, she ignored Madam Wu and had Mingyan hold an oil-paper umbrella over her head before stepping into the blazing sun. Madam Wu quickly had Hongqian hold an umbrella for her and followed. Supported by their maids, the two walked along the shaded path towards the south courtyard.
When Granny Wang at the gatehouse saw Consort Li and Princess Wu arrive together, she was quite surprised. After exchanging greetings, she quickly instructed Uncle Li to go to the inner room to inform Lanqin.
At this moment, Lanqin was writing in the study with Ziran by her side. Since being confined to this small courtyard in the south, she spent several hours a day in the study, either writing or reading, and the days passed by very quickly.
"Princess, Consort Li and Princess Wu have arrived." Nianxue walked into the study and said to Lanqin, who was writing in small seal script inside.
As Huanbi led the two toward the main house, Lanqin was already waiting inside.
“Since my sister moved here, I haven’t visited her little courtyard in the south. Your Highness really dotes on her; this courtyard is much better than mine. Don’t you think so?” After sitting down, Madam Li said to Madam Wu, half-jokingly and half-seriously.
Ever since Wu stepped into the south courtyard, her heart had been filled with jealousy and envy towards Lanqin. Every blade of grass, every tree, every table and chair here was far superior to the rooms in the west courtyard. Although she and Lanqin shared the same status, why was she living in a crowded tenement while Lanqin, who had only been in the mansion for half a year, received such unique treatment from the Fourth Master?
At this moment, she wished that Madam Yin would confirm Lanqin's guilt. When Madam Li asked her this question, she was momentarily stunned and only managed to reply after a long while: "That's right, Sister Niu is really enviable. No wonder someone is so eager to make things difficult for her." As she finished speaking, Madam Wu finally remembered Madam Li's instructions and steered the conversation back to that matter.
Upon hearing this, Lanqin immediately understood their purpose. Originally, when she heard that Madam Wu had also come, her heart sank, thinking they had come to ridicule her confinement and mock the disaster she would face.
"Sisters, it seems you've come today to help Lanqin clear her name of that suspicion?" Now that she understood their intentions, Lanqin didn't beat around the bush.
“That’s straightforward, my sister. I came here because of what happened with Madam Yin. I believe you could never be that kind of person, so I really can’t bear to see you suffer such injustice.” Madam Li spoke very earnestly, and anyone who didn’t know better would really think she genuinely cared about Lanqin.
“Then I really have to thank you, sister. However, Lanqin remembers a saying: ‘Those who offer help without a reason are either up to no good or are thieves.’ I wonder what else you two sisters hope to gain from coming here besides helping Lanqin?” Lanqin met Li’s gaze without fear.
Sure enough, after glancing at the maids in Lanqin's room, Li put on her infinitely charming smile and said, "Sister has a few words she wishes to say to her younger sister alone."
Lanqin ordered Xicha and the others to leave, leaving only Nianxue behind, and said, "Please speak, sister."
Li picked up the jasmine tea from the tea table, took a small sip, and said, "I think that the matter concerning Lady Yin was orchestrated by the Fujin (Madam) behind the scenes. However, since you are deeply involved, it will be difficult to clear your name without special means."
Lanqin was surprised that her first words were so direct, perfectly aligning with her own guess. It really was the Fujin!
Lady Li added, "My sister was fortunate enough to enter the front courtyard and got too close to the eldest prince, which is why the princess is dissatisfied."
Lanqin blinked and immediately said, "But didn't that upset you, sister? The Third Prince is also in the front yard."
Li Shi narrowed her phoenix eyes, her face paused for a moment, then she smiled again and said, "The Third Prince has mentioned Aunt Niu to me many times, praising you highly. How could I be dissatisfied with you? As for the Fourth Prince and the Fujin, they have been married for many years and have only given birth to one child, Honghui. I'm sure you understand what the Fujin is worried about without me having to say it."
Lanqin hadn't expected Li to be so direct about the situation in the mansion, but her analysis made Lanqin's previous judgments clearer: the matter involving Yin was indeed very likely manipulated by the Fujin behind the scenes.
As Wu listened to their back-and-forth conversation, sitting to the side like a mere decoration, she couldn't help but ask, "Is Lady Yin really willing to risk her own flesh and blood for such a huge opportunity?"
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