When Fourth Master and Lanqin returned to the main house of the Nian family, Fourth Master said to the people in the inner room: "Take Hongqiao to the execution chamber. Everyone else, go back and don't leave your own courtyard. Stay in your own rooms until the truth of this matter comes out."
Lady Fucha glared at Lanqin several times. Just now, the Fourth Prince had clearly been about to punish Liu, but it was Lanqin who had stopped him. Liu, on the other hand, looked at Lanqin with a relieved expression.
Everyone dispersed, leaving only Fourth Master, Nian Gengyao, and Lanqin and her servant in the room.
"Your Highness, why did you let them all go? Who exactly harmed my sister?" Nian Gengyao was clearly dissatisfied with only imprisoning one maid and questioned him.
“Both Liu and Fucha are suspects now. Until we find conclusive evidence, we can only send them back. Shilan is still in danger, so saving her is the priority,” Fourth Master said.
“General Nian, Consort Nian has not yet woken up. Hongqiao has suddenly changed her story, which was done by Lady Liu. But I find this matter very strange,” Lanqin said.
At this moment, Imperial Physician Zhang and Imperial Physician Chen from the palace came out. They both looked suspicious and whispered to each other, exchanging a few words.
"Your Highness!" Imperial Physician Zhang called out.
The Fourth Prince turned around and took a few steps, then asked, "Is there any progress?" Nian Gengyao followed him.
"Your Highness," said Physician Zhang, "I just finished testing the poison for Consort Yang with Imperial Physician Yang, and we discovered something strange. We've clearly removed most of the poison from her body, but she still hasn't woken up, and her pulse remains very weak. Imperial Physician Yang and I suspect that there might be other poisons in her body."
Both the Fourth Prince and Nian Gengyao were taken aback, and even Lanqin was shocked upon hearing this. Just how much poison had been administered to the Nian family?
"What other poison is in that concubine's body?" Nian Gengyao roared, losing his composure. He was on the verge of a breakdown, thinking about how his sister was living such a miserable life!
Although the Fourth Prince was repeatedly displeased that Nian Gengyao was too unruly in front of him, he held back because Nian Gengyao cared about his sister.
“We don’t know yet, but we are certain that the concubine has other poisons in her body. I dare to ask Your Highness to quickly summon Physician Yang. He is knowledgeable and experienced, and may know the poison in the concubine’s body,” said Physician Chen.
"But Physician Yang is recuperating at home, so I'm afraid he can't come right now," Fourth Master said. He had sent Su Peisheng to fetch someone yesterday, and this was what the person who came back to report said.
“Your Highness, he is ill. Even if you have to carry him, bring him here.” Nian Gengyao immediately said to the Fourth Prince.
Lanqin glanced at Nian Gengyao, secretly surprised by his disregard for the rules.
Fourth Master couldn't refuse, so he nodded and prepared to go and invite the person himself.
"You should go back first," Fourth Master said to Lanqin, a hint of concern in his eyes.
"Yes, Your Highness, please go quickly," Lanqin said.
After Lanqin left the East Courtyard with the help of her maid, she thought about what had happened in the past few days and felt a little heavy-hearted.
"Secondary Consort!"
Just then, a figure emerged from behind a nearby rock and called out.
Lanqin looked up and was surprised to see it was Liu!
Si Hua quickly stepped in front of Lan Qin, watching Liu and her servants warily.
"Liu Gege, what are you doing here?" Lanqin frowned almost imperceptibly.
"Consort, save me!" Liu suddenly knelt down with a thud.
Lanqin looked at Liu Shi in surprise and quickly said to Cuizhu, "Quickly help your mistress up!"
"Consort, I won't get up unless you grant my request. Consort, please save me! It's really not me, it's Lady Fucha who wants to frame me." Liu's eyes were filled with fear.
Lanqin looked at the woman in front of her and thought of what she had done to Mu Qingyang, that actor. She felt disgusted. She had just persuaded the Fourth Master not because of her, but because she did not want the real poisoner to escape.
"Get up! If you have something to say, go sit over there and talk. What kind of behavior is this, kneeling like this!" Lanqin scolded.
"Yes, yes!" Liu quickly stood up with Cuizhu's help.
The group walked towards a garden by the roadside, where there was a pavilion. Lanqin and Liu entered the pavilion one after the other, and the maids spread handkerchiefs on the railings on both sides before helping their mistresses to sit down.
"Those pieces of your jewelry have now become your death warrant!" Lan Qin said sarcastically, her words carrying a hidden meaning. She knew from Mu Qingyang that there had once been such a bag of jewelry.
“Consort, those jewels actually disappeared when we were at the Yuanmingyuan. I never imagined that Lady Fucha picked them up. She is truly vicious, using such a method to harm me.” Lady Liu said fiercely, “Consort, I have a secret. If you can save me, I will tell you this secret.”
A hint of displeasure flashed through Lanqin's mind, and she said coldly, "Sihua, help me up. Since someone wants to do business, I have no interest."
Si Hua was about to help Lan Qin up when Liu Shi immediately said, "Please, Consort, don't leave. I'll tell you."
Liu cleared her throat and said in a low voice, "Consort, what I am about to say may sound a bit impossible, but please believe me."
Lanqin's heart tightened, and she nodded.
“Consort, that Lady Fucha is quite strange. I live in the same courtyard as her and have noticed something odd about her. Once, I was helping Cuizhu collect morning dew in the grove outside when I heard someone talking. Upon closer listening, I realized it was Lady Fucha. What she said was very strange, something about how she died from that poison in her previous life and that she would have to pay for it in this life!”
Lanqin's eyelids twitched; she naturally understood what Liu meant, and was horrified. The previous life and this life that Fucha spoke of—did she mean she had lived two lives?
“Consort, I don’t understand what she’s saying, but I find it very strange,” Liu said.
Lanqin, now a transmigrator, was unconcerned about such matters. She recalled the note Fucha had wrapped in the zongzi (sticky rice dumpling) she gave to the Fourth Prince two years ago during the Dragon Boat Festival. At the time, she had assumed Fucha was saying it on purpose to curry favor with the Fourth Prince, but now she suddenly realized that Fucha truly knew the Fourth Prince would become the future Yongzheng Emperor.
"Consort, do you think she's possessed?" Lady Liu asked in alarm.
"Have you said these things to anyone else?" Lanqin asked.
"No, I've been confined to my quarters, how could I have had the chance to speak? Besides, others might not believe me if they heard it. So I've been enduring it all this time, I never imagined that this Lady Fucha would try to frame me today," Liu said bitterly.
"Then let's not make a fuss for now. Let me figure out what she's up to," Lanqin said.
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