Just then, Huanbi walked in carrying a bunch of freshly picked lotus flowers. Upon hearing the Fourth Prince's words, she couldn't help but say, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but ever since the Princess returned from the Third Prince's residence, she has been cut off from the ice. Even when I go to collect my daily necessities, I often hear people pointing and gossiping. It's alright for us servants to suffer a little grievance, but the Princess has truly suffered a great injustice."
Although Nianxue and the others, who were standing outside waiting for orders, particularly disliked Huanbi's quick tongue, they actually felt relieved to hear her say that.
Lanqin didn't feign scolding Huanbi for being talkative. Instead, she picked up where she left off, saying, "My lord, I've already mentioned the details of Consort Yin's miscarriage in my letter. I'm sure everyone in the manor is talking about it. I don't really care about their misunderstandings of me. I just want to know how you see this matter."
She hadn't wanted to discuss this trap, which still hadn't been solved, with the Fourth Prince so soon, but the trust this man held in front of her was what she valued most. The fact that he allowed her free access to the front courtyard and entrusted the First Prince and the others to her indicated that he trusted her to some extent.
Fourth Master lay down on the couch, curled up one leg, propped himself up with one hand, and closed his eyes. Lanqin waved to Huanbi, signaling her to leave.
"Has the Fujin (princess) said anything so far?" the Fourth Prince suddenly asked, but he did not open his eyes.
"The Princess Consort hasn't said anything yet, only instructing me to stay in my room and not go out too much. Actually, I haven't confronted Consort Yin about this matter yet," Lanqin said truthfully.
"Then why are people all over the manor talking about you and your servant?" Fourth Master opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing in them, but a fierce look also appeared between his brows.
Lanqin had actually thought about this matter. She had initially thought it might have been Wu or Yin who said it, but since Consort Li had come to her seeking an alliance, Wu, who had always been subservient to her, would probably not spread rumors anymore. As for Yin, she had been recuperating and, it was said, hadn't left her room since being brought back.
"I don't know either," Lanqin said. "What is Your Highness thinking?"
Fourth Master suddenly pulled Lanqin close and said in a hoarse voice, "If I didn't trust you, would I have come here first?"
Fourth Master trusts me! That's right, Fourth Master didn't question me at all, he completely trusted me!
Lanqin finally smiled, rolled into the Fourth Prince's arms, hooked her arms around his neck, and said in a sweet voice, "I'm not afraid of anything, except that the Fourth Prince doesn't believe me."
Fourth Master gazed intently at the person in his arms, lowered his head, and kissed Lanqin's forehead.
When he received news from his wife that Lady Yin had miscarried, he was naturally displeased. However, after reading Lanqin's letter recounting what had happened at the Third Prince's residence that day, he had no doubt whatsoever; he completely believed Lanqin wouldn't have done such a thing. He couldn't explain why, even he himself had questioned his own feelings—why could he trust this young princess so much? He already felt little affection for Lady Yin, and coupled with the deliberate framing of Lanqin, he felt no pity for her. As for the lost "child," he didn't feel much either. Furthermore, so many days had passed, and he had long since moved on from Lady Yin's miscarriage. Now, he only wanted to understand: who was manipulating everything behind the scenes? His intuition told him that Lady Yin wouldn't have such deep intentions.
Alas, if Madam Yin knew what the Fourth Prince was thinking, she would probably vomit blood.
The gloom that had been weighing on Lanqin's heart for days vanished completely with Fourth Master's kiss. However, she had wondered how Fourth Master would handle this matter, but she never expected him to react this way.
Lanqin was deeply moved, thinking to herself: Yin Yingchun, what's the point of all this effort?
“My lord, I am truly happy with your trust. Although Madam Yin is somewhat despicable, I think she is trying to get your attention. Although her behavior is vile, she is also somewhat pitiful. I beg you, my lord, to consider that she has already lost a child and not make things too difficult for her.” Lanqin said sincerely. She was not the kind of person who would push someone into a corner and then kick them while they were down.
The Fourth Prince stared at the person in his arms: "She framed you with malicious intent, she is utterly despicable. That child is not only hers, but also mine. How could she use my child as a means to compete for favor? It is truly hateful. How can I forgive her?"
The Fourth Prince usually detests women using their children as tools to win his favor. This time, when Madam Yin miscarried and then framed Lanqin for it, he was truly furious.
"Your Majesty, I don't think Lady Yin's intentions are that deep. Could there be some hidden story?" Lanqin sat up straight from the Fourth Prince's lap and spoke of the strangeness revealed by this matter.
"Perhaps she is a woman with a deep and scheming mind! Her act of destroying her own offspring chills even me. It's terrifying that a young woman could be so ruthless," the Fourth Master said solemnly.
"I find it hard to believe that a woman would kill her own child just to get the child's father's attention." Lanqin had a vague suspicion in her mind, but she dared not say it aloud.
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly. However, in order to lure out the person behind her, you will have to cooperate with me!" Fourth Master suddenly and mysteriously lifted Lanqin's chin.
"Master, do you already have an idea?" Lanqin asked.
Meanwhile, in the main courtyard, the Fujin had already received the news: the Fourth Prince had gone to the East Courtyard and had been staying there ever since, without coming out again.
The lunch already laid out on the table had left the Fujin with no appetite whatsoever. She was so astonished by the Fourth Prince's favor towards Lady Niu that she couldn't utter a single word.
"Granny, he doesn't suspect her at all? All the things we did were utterly insignificant." A hint of disbelief and panic was clearly visible in the Fujin's eyes.
Granny Li sighed inwardly and comforted him, "Perhaps the master went to ask Princess Niu first, or perhaps he is questioning her right now."
The princess shook her head and smiled sarcastically, "He should have come to me to ask me, why did he go to Lady Niu? This clearly shows that he trusts her."
"Madam, don't overthink it. Let's just wait. But does Master really intend to erase the matter of Madam Yin's miscarriage without a trace? As long as Madam Yin insists that Madam Niu pushed her, and there are no witnesses, Madam Niu will be hard-pressed to escape suspicion," said Granny Li.
"That's right. As long as Doctor Bai is alright, my cousin won't have any witnesses, and Lady Niu will be unable to escape the blame for harming the Fourth Prince's offspring. At best, she'll be demoted to a commoner; at worst, she'll be confined to a life of seclusion." The Fujin's lips curled into a cold smile, as if she could already see Lanqin being punished by the Fourth Prince.
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