Li immediately spotted the man following behind Que'er. He looked somewhat familiar, but she couldn't quite place him. However, since he had come with Que'er, her guess must be somewhat correct.
Upon seeing Lady Li, Wang De patted his sleeves and greeted her, saying, "This servant Wang De greets Consort Li!"
Li glanced at Wang De and said coldly, "You audacious Wang De, do you know your crime!"
Upon hearing this, Wang De's heart tightened immediately, and he hurriedly lowered his head, saying in a panic, "This servant does not know, please enlighten me, Consort!"
Li and Que'er exchanged a glance, and the latter winked at Li.
"You had an affair with the women of the inner quarters, and that alone is enough to get you kicked out. Besides, you were plotting something improper with her. If the Fourth Master finds out, he'll probably drag you out and beat you to death with sticks," Madam Li said coldly.
"This servant has no fault! Consort, you must have misunderstood me. Please investigate thoroughly!" Wang De was greatly alarmed. He had just met with Yun Yuan, yet he didn't know how Li Shi had found out. Fortunately, she didn't know the specifics. But the thought that Li Shi already knew about his relationship with Consort Yan Yu made it difficult to explain.
"Alright, since you're so stubborn, come with me to see the Fujin tomorrow. She won't be as easy to talk to as I am then." Seeing Wang De's feigned ignorance, Li Shi used the Fujin to intimidate him.
Upon hearing this, Wang De immediately felt a little flustered, because the Fujin (principal wife) already had some doubts about what he said. If the matter were to escalate to the Fujin's ears, he would have to use even more lies to cover up the lie he told at the beginning.
"What, have you made up your mind?" Madam Li was not in a hurry. She lifted her tortoiseshell and gold openwork nail guards and tidied the pearl flowers at her temples.
"This servant, this servant has spoken. Could Consort please spare this lowly man this once?" Wang De was not the kind of person who was loyal to his master. Besides, Yan Yu was not his master. Moreover, even if he spoke, it was only what he knew. He had not done anything wrong.
"Alright, as long as you tell the truth, I, the concubine, guarantee you'll be fine. But if I find out you're lying, then I won't be so patient." Lady Li said, slightly raising the corners of her mouth.
"Today, Consort Yan Yu went to Huangjue Temple to offer incense with the Fujin (principal wife). Halfway there, before they even left the city, Consort Yan Yu suddenly felt unwell and couldn't go with the Fujin. She ordered the servants to carry her to the clinic, and then she ordered them to carry her to Xinghui Mansion. On the way back, Consort Yan Yu instructed us not to tell anyone about this." Wang De recounted the whole story, finally feeling at ease.
After hearing Wang De's words, Li Shi exchanged a few glances with Que'er, then said to Wang De, "Very well, you shall continue to keep this a secret for Princess Yan Yu, as if you never told me. Do you understand?"
Seeing that Consort Li had no intention of pursuing the matter, Wang De was overjoyed and thanked her repeatedly. Then he tentatively asked, "Should I continue to contact Yun Yuan from Consort Yan Yu's side?"
Madam Li glanced knowingly at Wang De and smiled, "Que'er, go give Wang De a purse. If he does well in the future, he will be richly rewarded. Wang De, continue to contact Yun Yuan as if you never told me, but if she tells you what to do, you must report to me immediately."
After Wang De thanked her and left, when Que'er returned after seeing him off, she saw Li Shi fiddling with the jade bracelet in her hand, seemingly lost in thought.
"Master, it seems that Princess Yan Yu must have something she doesn't want everyone to know, even her own sister," Que'er said.
"Send someone to keep an eye on Yan Yu. She has always been outwardly friendly but inwardly hostile towards the Fujin. I have never doubted this." Li Shi had always wanted to win over Yan Yu to deal with the Fujin, but they were sisters after all. Whenever it came to matters concerning my interests, Yan Yu and the Fujin would naturally join forces.
Outside the window, the moon hid behind the clouds, and the sky, which had been somewhat bright, was now completely dark. The sky was like a giant curtain, enveloping everyone who looked at it.
And gazing at this sky was a woman surnamed Li. Consort Li of Yuqing Palace was holding a cup of tea, looking out at the dark sky through the various hexagonal lattice windows.
"Consort, the two princes have already retired for the night. Please rest early as well," said the palace maid Yushan, standing behind her.
"Where is the Crown Prince?" Li's profile was beautiful, her long eyelashes like two small fans, casting heavy shadows in the lantern light.
"The Crown Prince hasn't returned to the palace yet!" Yu Shan stammered.
Li remained silent for a moment, then said sullenly, "You may leave now. I will stand here a little longer."
Yu Shan dared not say more. As Li Shi's confidante, she knew many things that other palace servants did not, such as why the Crown Prince did not return tonight.
"Madam, didn't the Crown Princess say she had already gone to advise him? Why is the Crown Prince doing it again?" Yu Shan asked cautiously.
"She merely suppressed the rumors. Could she suppress the Crown Prince? The Crown Prince is now disregarding his own safety, plunging headlong into a poisonous trap without realizing it. Alas, I fear that woman is someone with ulterior motives, deliberately seducing the Crown Prince," said Madam Li.
"Sigh, but we can't mention this to anyone, otherwise it will bring trouble upon ourselves. The Crown Prince is really something. Once he ascends the throne, he can have any woman he wants, but he has to get involved at this time. Really~" Yu Shan said.
"Shut up! How dare you criticize the Crown Prince? You're courting death! Have I spoiled you too much, making you so reckless? If this were outside, and someone with ulterior motives heard you saying such things, I wouldn't be able to protect your life either," Lady Li scolded.
"This servant knows her mistake. This servant was only worried about the Fujin. This servant will never dare to do it again." Yu Shan knew that Madam Li was usually strict, and that her words just now were a bit presumptuous, so she immediately apologized.
"Alright, don't talk nonsense anymore. The Crown Prince is perfectly fine, understand?" Li Shi was also resentful, but unlike others who would laugh at the Crown Prince, she could only swallow her anger and not say anything detrimental to him. Instead, she desperately defended the Crown Prince in front of outsiders.
"I understand, Madam. You should go back to your room and rest. It's cold and frosty outside. You've always been frail, so don't stand for too long. The First Prince and the Second Prince are counting on you," Yu Shan said.
She had always been loyal to Lady Li, and seeing her displeasure, she had uttered a few words of complaint, only to be reprimanded by Lady Li in return. However, she also knew that the safety of the Crown Prince was related to the safety of everyone in Yuqing Palace.
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