“Not bad, she has a good plan. Doesn’t she realize that I am the mother of this child? No one has ever been able to take away what is rightfully mine.” Yan Yu’s gaze was as cold as ice, and even Yun Yuan, who was standing next to her, felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet.
“Princess, you are still a princess. Even if you give birth to a prince, you are not entitled to raise him yourself. Even if the Fujin doesn’t come to take your child away, the master will not allow you to raise him yourself,” Yun Yuan said.
Yan Yu's expression changed immediately upon hearing this, realizing she had forgotten something. Her mother had been Fei Yanggu's concubine, a lowly one at that. Therefore, at birth, Yan Yu was given to Fei Yanggu's mother to raise until she finally rose through the ranks to become the second wife, a higher-ranking position, before being taken in to be raised by her.
“Therefore, I must get the Fourth Prince to promote me to a higher rank, such as to become a concubine!” Yan Yu said decisively.
“To be promoted to a higher rank, one must have offspring, but now that the master is going to the palace, he plans to take that Princess Niu with him. It will be difficult for the princess to get pregnant.” Seeing Yan Yu’s displeasure, Yun Yuan trailed off.
"Maybe I'm pregnant now. My period seems to be a few days late this month?" Yan Yu said, raising an eyebrow. She had served the Fourth Master for a few days before. Although she wasn't as good as Lan Qin, she wasn't like Song Shi and Wang Shi, who almost never got to see the Fourth Master.
“Now that you mention it, it’s true. I remember your period is usually very regular, but this month it seems to be four or five days late. I’ll go and inform the Princess Consort right now and ask Doctor Zhou to take your pulse.” Yun Yuan said happily, and then turned to go to the main courtyard.
"Wait, did I ask you to fetch Doctor Zhou, and also to tell the Fujin?" Yan Yu saw that Yun Yuan was not as clever as Fang Yun, and had long wanted to replace her, but considering that she was her personal maid and her loyalty was acceptable, she had been holding back.
"Princess, but there is no doctor, so we can't be sure if you are pregnant!" Yun Yuan was always a bit honest, but she was very loyal to Yan Yu because she had been sold into the mansion by human traffickers when she was young and had been serving Yan Yu since she was seven or eight years old.
"How can you be so dense? There are plenty of doctors outside the mansion. Do you really have to call Doctor Zhou?" Yan Yu said sternly.
"Princess, you don't want the Fujin to know?" Yun Yuan asked in surprise.
“It’s good that your brain is still salvageable. If I were really pregnant, telling the Fujin would definitely not result in a promotion, because you heard clearly what her confidante just said. I know my elder sister well; she absolutely does not want anyone to be above her,” Yan Yu said. “Before, when we were with Father, she was the eldest daughter, and we concubine daughters always had to be mindful of her feelings.”
“But Princess, it’s too difficult to go out and ask a doctor to come in,” Yun Yuan said, then pouted and thought for a moment, “Unless Princess can go out.”
Yan Yu's expression shifted slightly, and she said leisurely, "Perhaps I have already thought of a reason for going out."
Yun Yuan asked softly, "What reason?"
Yan Yu smiled and said, "Isn't my elder sister drinking herbal medicine to pray for a child? Why don't I persuade her to go to Huangjue Temple to pray for a child with me? It just so happens that the Fourth Prince is going to the palace. If I go out with her, there shouldn't be any obstacles."
Upon hearing this, Yun Yuan immediately nodded and said repeatedly, "Your Highness is much more thoughtful than I am, but how could we leave the Fujin's side to see the doctor at that moment?"
Yun Yuan's words were indeed correct. Even if she went out with the Fujin, Yan Yu had no reason and could not possibly leave her sight. It seemed impossible to find a doctor to take her pulse under her very nose.
"I need to find a reason to leave her side," Yan Yu said, her brows furrowing.
“Princess, if you suddenly have a stomachache on the way, perhaps you could find a clinic to see a doctor. I’ve heard that there’s a set time for offering incense at Huangjue Temple, and it’s said that praying to Guanyin for fertility incense during the Shen hour (3-5 PM) is the most effective. Why don’t you suggest to the Fujin (princess wife) that she go at that time? That way, if something ‘accident’ happens to you, it will all make sense.” Yun Yuan said, her eyes sparkling.
"Alright, Yun Yuan, as long as you work for me like this from now on, I will naturally treat you well." Yan Yu was quite satisfied with her plan and praised her a few times.
Neither the master nor the servant were in the mood to admire the flowers, and they immediately turned around and returned to the main courtyard.
Yan Yu didn't rush to speak to the Fujin (the wife of the deceased prince). She wanted to wait until the Fourth Prince left before bringing up the matter, so as not to arouse the Fujin's suspicion, and also to see if her period would come.
The following days were unusually quiet at the Fourth Prince's residence. Lady Li remained secluded in the east courtyard, accompanying the Third and Fourth Princes. With her two sons protecting her, the Fourth Prince wouldn't easily harm her. Lanqin, because she was going to the palace with the Fourth Prince, also didn't leave the south courtyard for the time being. Lady Geng and the others were dissatisfied because the Fourth Prince would be away from the residence for over a month, but they couldn't find anyone to talk to about it. Even the Fujin (Prince's wife) hadn't spoken; what could they possibly say?
The day before her departure, Madam Geng, supported by Green Balustrade, arrived at the South Courtyard.
Lanqin was trying on clothes in the room when Fourth Master sent someone to give her some fabric, and she was rushed to make several new outfits.
"Sister is here, come in quickly." Lanqin saw Geng Shi walking around the railing towards them through the hexagonal window, and immediately ran to the door and called out to Geng Shi loudly.
Seeing Lanqin dressed in a light green gauze cheongsam embroidered with delicate cloud patterns, Madam Geng's eyes lit up and she said, "My sister is so kind."
“Sister, you’ve come at the perfect time. Xicha, go and get that sky-blue dress for Sister Geng to try on,” Lanqin instructed.
"No, this is a gift from the Fourth Master. How could I possibly wear it?" Madam Geng quickly waved her hand and said.
"It's nothing, I have too many clothes, it would be a waste to leave them unworn. I think that sky blue one would suit you perfectly, sister. Don't be so polite with me, or I'll get upset," Lanqin said.
At this moment, Xicha had already taken out the dress. When Geng saw it, she realized that the material was far superior to the clothes she was wearing. Her own allowance rarely included such Shu satin, especially in such a striking color.
"Sister, try it on!" Lanqin took the dress and draped it over Geng Shi, which immediately made her skin look much brighter.
“Yes, Princess, you should try it.” Green Orchid urged.
Unable to resist the urging of the two, Geng reluctantly followed Xicha to the inner room to change her clothes.
Before long, Xi Cha was served first.
"Where is Princess??" Green Mist asked impatiently.
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