"Fangyun, don't be nervous. I won't hurt you. The reason I'm here to see you today is actually..." Xiao Wu said slowly.
"You want money?" Fangyun interrupted him.
Xiao Wu was taken aback for a moment, then chuckled a few times and said, "Let me finish what I have to say."
Fangyun realized that since he had sat down to talk to her, he definitely didn't want to expose her, as that wouldn't do him any good. Once she understood this, Fangyun wasn't so nervous anymore.
"Our Ninth Master is somewhat interested in what your master did. He said he's willing to lend your master a hand. I wonder if your master would be willing?" Xiao Wu said straightforwardly.
Fangyun thought that this little fifth son wanted to ask his master for some money, but she didn't expect him to mention the Ninth Prince. Her heart immediately turned cold.
"What exactly do you want?" Fangyun's voice trembled slightly. The situation was now beyond her control, and also beyond Yan Yu's control. If the Ninth Prince intervened, it would involve the Fourth Prince. No matter what, these were matters between women in the inner quarters; if men were to get involved, it would become a matter of the imperial court.
“Fangyun, I see you’re a straightforward person, so I won’t beat around the bush. Our Ninth Master wants to cooperate with your master. As long as your master helps our Ninth Master a few times, not only will no one know what you’re doing, but it will also go even more smoothly than you want!” Xiao Wuzi said.
Fangyun now understood that she and Yanyu had fallen into the hands of the Ninth Prince, and she had no leverage to refuse. If she disagreed, the Ninth Prince would certainly not let them go; if she agreed, they would be at the Ninth Prince's beck and call forever.
Seeing Fangyun's face change several times, Xiao Wuzi wasn't in a hurry. He picked up some peanuts, cracked open the shells, and put them into his mouth one by one.
Time passed second by second, and Fangyun was torn: if Xiao Wuzi only wanted money, then she could simply tell Yan Yu and hire someone to secretly kill him; but now, the Ninth Prince already knew about this, and it was no longer possible to hide it.
"Please allow me to go back and talk to my master. This is not something Fangyun can decide!" Fangyun stared at Xiao Wu, wishing she could devour him whole. There was no trace of childhood friendship left.
Seeing the resentment in Fangyun's eyes, Xiao Wu understood and smiled, "Fangyun, don't blame me. We're each serving our own masters now. But I, Xiao Wu, am not entirely heartless. If you can help our Ninth Master, that would be much more promising than following a princess."
Fangyun looked at Xiao Wu, signaling him to continue.
"Fangyun, if you're willing to pledge allegiance to our Ninth Master, I, Xiao Wu, can vouch for you. I guarantee the benefits you'll receive will be far greater than you can imagine." Xiao Wu saw that the latter was already tempted.
“What use is a maid like me to Ninth Master? Doesn’t Ninth Master want us princesses to work for him?” Fangyun still didn’t understand what Xiao Wu meant.
"Fangyun, your master is ultimately Fourth Master's man, driven by our Ninth Master. It's only because of the circumstances that he's forced to serve you. But you're different. Serving someone doesn't matter, it's about whether there's a future in it. Our Ninth Master said that as long as you work for him, he can help you get rid of your slave status in the future, and even find you a good Manchu nobleman so you can become his principal wife in a grand and respectable way." Xiao Wu said this with envy in his heart. Eunuchs like them could never escape their status as servants in this lifetime, but palace maids were different. As long as someone supported them, they could still live a normal, happy life.
Fangyun was quick-witted, and she naturally understood Xiao Wu's meaning. They wanted her to be an eye on the Fourth Master's residence and on Yan Yu.
"I'll go back and think about it." Fangyun felt that what had been said in the past quarter of an hour was already beyond what she could bear.
"Alright, go back and think it over. Three days from now, at the same place, our Ninth Master will need your and your master's reply." Xiao Wu didn't try to keep her any longer; he had said everything he needed to say.
When Fangyun returned, she felt unsteady on her feet, so much so that she didn't even hear Chunliu calling her from the Fujin's courtyard when she entered the gatehouse.
"What are you shaking for? It's Princess Yan Yu giving birth, not her!" Xia He said, turning her back on Fang Yunlian Chunliu's calls.
"Let's go, these are things that the Fujin gave to Princess Yanyu." Chunliu and Xiahe each held some nourishing bird's nest and snow frog in their hands.
“This mistress is quite something now; she’s given away nearly half of what the Fujin (the wife of the emperor) has acquired,” Xia He said.
“Why are you being so talkative? Even the Fujin (principal wife) hasn’t said anything, yet you’re being so nosy,” Chunliu said.
Fangyun returned to Yanyu's room and saw Yanyu reclining on a chaise lounge, with Chuntao and Zhuier fanning her. Although it wasn't even May, Yanyu had gained a lot of weight recently due to her pregnancy and was becoming increasingly sensitive to heat.
"You're back?" Yan Yu saw Fang Yun return and, thinking about the pregnant women, waved to Chun Tao, signaling them to leave.
"My lady, everything is fine over there. However, I have something else to tell you, but please don't get angry when you hear it." Fangyun knew that this was not something she could resolve on her own, and she would have to tell Yanyu sooner or later, so she decided to tell her as soon as possible.
After Chun Tao and Zhui'er left, Yan Yu gestured for her to come closer and speak. Yan Yu had kept that matter a secret even from Yun Yuan; only Fang Yun and Liu Shi knew about it. Therefore, whenever she mentioned that matter, she would send everyone else out of the room, and when she spoke to Fang Yun, she would also lower her voice.
"My lord, on my way back today, I encountered someone. He was a lowly eunuch I used to serve in the Imperial Household Department, and now he works at the Ninth Prince's residence..."
Before Fangyun could finish recounting what Xiao Wuzi had said, suddenly, a hand lashed out at her right cheek.
*Smack!*
Fangyun received a hard slap on her right cheek. The slap was extremely forceful; Yan Yu used almost all her strength. A deep red finger mark instantly appeared on Fangyun's right cheek, and even her mouth began to bleed.
Yan Yu, enraged and humiliated, retorted, "You shameless woman, how could you let Ninth Prince know about this?!"
Fangyun coughed up blood after being hit, and before she could even defend herself, she heard Chuntao outside say, "Brother, Chunliu and Xiahe from the Fujin's quarters have brought some things over."
"You lowly servant, why aren't you hiding? Do you want them all to see you like this?!" Yan Yu said, trembling with anger.
Fangyun was too ashamed to see Chunliu and the others, so she immediately got up from the ground, covered her face, and hid in Yanyu's bedroom.
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