Lanqin felt as if her mind had exploded. Although she had a premonition, when she heard what the Fujin said, Lanqin still felt as if her heart was stuffed with cotton.
Suddenly, Lanqin felt that all the eyes in the room were staring at her, including Fourth Master.
She stared blankly at Fourth Master, trying to see a glimmer of trust in his eyes, but saw nothing but coldness and indifference. Was he still the same man who had held her in his arms and spoken to her tenderly last night? Why was he looking at her so indifferently now?
Lin Mengyao, you're incredibly naive. You thought you held a special place in Aisin-Gioro Yinzhen's heart? You thought you had his trust, but when things came to a head, he was just as cold and ruthless as he was with Song Shi.
Lanqin knew she hadn't done anything heinous, so she wasn't worried about whether she could explain the situation clearly. What saddened her was Fourth Master's current aloofness and his suspicion of her.
Seeing Lanqin sitting motionless as if her soul had left her body, Nianxue quickly nudged her back, but there was still no response.
Fourth Master also noticed Lanqin's unusual behavior. In fact, he was saying to Lanqin in his heart: Don't blame me for not speaking up for you now. As long as Madam Song can prove that you have not been to the kitchen, then you will be fine.
Seeing that Lanqin was staring blankly at the Fourth Prince, the Princess Consort spoke up, "Princess Niu, have you remembered something?"
Lanqin stared blankly at the Fourth Prince, then at the Princess Consort. Her lips moved, but no sound could be heard.
At this moment, the head nanny returned. She walked up to the Fourth Prince and bowed to him and his wife, saying, "Girl Song said that Lady Niu was indeed taking care of her there at that time."
Hearing this, Li felt as if struck by lightning. Once Lanqin's suspicions were cleared, it would be difficult for her to clear her name.
Lady Li glanced at the Fujin, but found that she showed no joy at the prospect of being convicted. Instead, she was deep in thought, as if pondering something else.
Like a drowning person, seeing that Lanqin, the straw that could clear her name, was about to be removed from the list of suspects, Li made a last-ditch effort, saying, "Although Song can prove that Niu Gege was with her during that time, what about her maids? Who can guarantee that they wouldn't have been instructed to do that?"
When Nianxue heard Li say this, she was extremely anxious, but Gege just sat there blankly as if she had lost her soul, not saying a word in her defense.
Lanqin was still in a state of deep disappointment and melancholy towards the Fourth Master. Although she heard Li Shi smearing her, she had no energy to refute her. All her strength and temper seemed to have been drained away from her.
The Fujin glanced at Li Shi with a slight glint in her eyes, and then said, "My lord, actually, I think that although Consort Niu has witnesses on Song Shi's side, she used to be able to freely enter and leave the mansion, and she also happened to leave the East Courtyard last night. These two suspicious points combined make things quite problematic. Why don't we have the head nanny take some people to search Consort Niu's residence again? If they can't find anything, we can discuss it further."
What?! A search?!
Lanqin suddenly realized that she had been provoked by the Fujin's words. Coming to her senses, she shouted, "You can't search my courtyard!"
No one expected Lanqin to suddenly say those words, and they were all startled by her sudden outburst.
Fourth Prince saw Lanqin's disappointment and anger, but he had no reason to stop his wife from saying such things. As the head of the household, he had to be fair and impartial at all times. He could not show any favoritism towards Lanqin, otherwise it would cause dissatisfaction among others.
The princes' harems, as an extension of the network of relationships woven by the emperor, were not as simple as ordinary people thought. When Emperor Kangxi appointed concubines for his sons, he also considered the various connections and benefits that the daughters of his officials would bring to his sons.
“Princess Niu, my room has already been searched. As a princess, is your status even higher than mine? Why can’t it be searched?” Madam Li now understood the Fujin’s intention, and she had no reason not to give it a push. As long as Niu’s guilt was confirmed, her crime would be lessened, and she could take this opportunity to get rid of Niu. What a clever scheme.
"I said no search, and that's final! I haven't done anything wrong, why are you suddenly searching my house?" Lanqin said agitatedly, even forgetting to use polite language. She was completely enraged.
The Fourth Prince's indifference and suspicion made Lanqin feel as if she were in an ice cellar, while the Fujin's constant pressure made her feel like an ant on a hot pan.
The torment of ice and fire caused Lanqin to lose her usual rationality and clarity. Like a small animal cornered, she bared her fangs to fight back against anyone who wanted to violate her self-esteem.
The princess sneered and glanced at the fourth prince, whose face clearly showed reluctance and hesitation.
“My lord, I believe that only after searching the South Courtyard and finding nothing suspicious can Consort Niu be cleared of suspicion. Now that Consort Niu is not allowing a search, is she perhaps feeling guilty?” The Fujin, of course, was not about to let this opportunity slip by, and continued.
Lanqin recalled what Cui Niang had said. How ridiculous that she had regarded the Fujin as a gentle and kind person. Now, every word she said was directed at her, as if she was determined to put her to death.
"Lanqin, have the head nanny search you. If there's nothing suspicious, I can conclude that you're not involved." The Fourth Master had weighed his words in his mind for a long time before finally making the tough decision.
Lanqin stared blankly at the Fourth Master. The Fourth Master, who usually indulged and appreciated her, seemed to have completely changed. He had become someone who let several women in the inner quarters lead him by the nose, without his own thoughts or judgment.
The atmosphere froze for a moment.
"Alright, go search~~" Lanqin sighed. She knew that she had no power to resist at this moment. She also understood that without the protection of the Fourth Master, she was just like Song Shi and Yin Shi, a plaything in other people's hands, who could manipulate her at will based on any reason.
"Gege!!" Nianxue held Lanqin's arm tenderly as she stood up from the chair.
"It's alright, we haven't done anything, we're not afraid of being searched," Lanqin said firmly. She turned back to comfort Nianxue, then refused to look at the Fourth Prince and his wife again, simply waiting there without uttering a sound.
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