The Third Prince nodded, and Lanqin joined him in feeding the little black cat some dried fish.
Lady Yin and Ye Ying saw the Third Prince and his servant Lan Qin chatting and laughing in the pavilion, and the cat was also cooperating by lying on the ground and letting them tease it.
"How come we ran into them again? The Third Prince seems to really like Lady Niu." Seeing that Lady Yin's expression was not good, Ye Ying stopped talking.
"Go back. Don't tell the Third Prince that we saw him with Lady Niu." Lady Yin turned and left immediately.
When the Third Prince returned to Madam Yin's house carrying the black cat, he had a smile on his face.
Lady Yin was sitting in the main seat doing needlework, making clothes for the Third Prince.
“Aunt, it’s getting late. You should stop doing this; it will hurt your eyes,” the Third Prince said, putting down the cat he was holding and walking up to Madam Yin.
Over the past few days, Madam Yin's meticulous care, gentle words, and kind appearance gradually comforted the Third Prince's heart, which had suddenly lost his mother. The Third Prince gradually came to truly regard Madam Yin as his mother.
"It's almost done. Where did you go just now?" Madam Yin asked subtly.
"I just went out to play with the cat for a while. Aunt, I'm hungry, let's have a meal." The Third Prince knew about the past between Madam Yin and Lanqin, and was afraid that she would be unhappy, so he did not mention Lanqin.
"Oh, Ye Ying, prepare the meal." A hint of disappointment flashed in Madam Yin's eyes, but the Third Prince did not notice it.
In the following days, every time the Third Prince came, he would take the black cat to play in the pavilion. Lanqin would naturally go as well, and each time she would bring some treats for the kitten, as well as some things that the Third Prince couldn't get elsewhere.
Lady Yin secretly observed this, but did not tell the Third Prince that she knew.
On this day, the Third Prince returned to Madam Yin's place as usual, carrying the black cat. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw a familiar figure, and the cat was immediately thrown from his hands.
The black cat was caught off guard by the Third Prince's sudden release and was thrown to the ground. It let out a dissatisfied yelp and scurried under the corner of the table.
"Third Prince!" the man called out. It was actually Mingyan!
The Third Prince looked at Mingyan, who was just as familiar as Li Shi, and tears welled up in his eyes.
Mingyan rushed over to the Third Prince, squatted down, and stroked his face, which was also covered in tears.
"Third Prince, how are you? Have you been bullied?" Mingyan asked, somewhat incoherently. Actually, she still had deep feelings for the Third Prince. When he was born, Lady Li was at the height of her favor, and his East Courtyard was constantly bustling with guests, making many people envious for a time. The once-favored child was now reduced to an abandoned child with no one to care for him.
"I'm fine, Mingyan, where did you go?" The Third Prince had actually looked for Mingyan, but at that time, Lady Li suddenly passed away, all her belongings were moved away, the staff were dismissed, and the entire East Courtyard was sealed off.
"I...I left the manor." Mingyan stammered for a moment, then said, "Today I came into the manor because I had something to give to the Third Prince."
The Third Prince looked at Mingyan in surprise and asked, "What is that?"
Mingyan lowered her voice and said, "Third Prince, come on, let's go inside. Fortunately, Consort Yin is kind-hearted and willing to help you out."
The Third Prince nodded and followed Mingyan into the inner room.
Madam Yin had already ordered the meal to be prepared. Seeing the two of them enter, she smiled and said, "Mingyan, you are a guest today, please dine with us."
Mingyan looked grateful, but waved her hands repeatedly and said, "No, no, no, I am the Third Prince's servant. How can a servant eat with his master? Let me serve the Third Prince his meal."
Lady Yin continued, "Now that you've left the manor, you're no longer the servant you used to be, Third Prince, what do you say?"
When the Third Prince saw Mingyan, he was reminded of the days when Lady Li was alive, and his heart was already filled with excitement. Naturally, he said to Lady Yin, "Mingyan, let's have a meal together."
Mingyan refused, so Madam Yin simply sat aside and served the Third Prince his meal.
“Oh, Third Prince, you’ve grown taller, but you look so thin,” Mingyan said.
"Isn't it because Consort Li is gone? There are so many sycophantic servants in the mansion who don't serve the Third Prince properly anymore," Ye Ying said from the side.
"When Consort Li was alive, some people naturally fawned over her. But once she's gone, they have to start currying favor with the new master who's in the spotlight," Lady Yin said calmly.
“That’s right, everyone’s fawning over that woman in the South Courtyard now. Look at her, she hasn’t even given birth yet, and she can’t even follow the old custom of paying respects to the Fujin anymore. Not to mention her expenses, they send her all the best things.” Ye Ying said, seemingly indignant.
"Night Poppy! How dare you gossip about your master?" Madam Yin scolded unhappily.
Ye Ying pouted, feeling wronged, and muttered, "That's true. She's just a princess, but her treatment is better than that of a concubine."
Mingyan sighed and said, "It's a pity that Master is no longer here. The Third Prince has suffered."
Madam Yin also sighed, making the meal rather somber.
After dinner, Mingyan pulled the Third Prince to a side room and said to him, "Third Prince, I've come to give you a letter. It's left for you by the Master. When the Master first had the accident, I was afraid you would get agitated, so I didn't take it out right away. Now it's time to give it to you."
Upon hearing that it belonged to the Li family, the Third Prince hurriedly asked, "What is it, Mingyan? Quickly, bring it out."
Mingyan took out a letter from her bosom. On the kraft paper envelope were three large characters: "To Hongjun".
The Third Prince took the letter, his hands trembling as he opened it, took out a piece of paper, unfolded it, and began to read.
The handwriting on the letter appeared to be written by Li Shi. Although the Third Prince was only seven years old, he had been able to read since he was a child, so he could read such a letter without any problem.
"Jun'er, your mother is leaving. Your mother has no choice but to die. Someone is forcing you and framing you. For your sake, your mother has to go first. Don't blame your father. Someone wants your mother dead. Since Niohuru entered the manor, your mother has lost her place. She had someone put safflower in Princess Yu's tea to harm your mother. Your father believed her slander and didn't trust your mother. Your mother is so wronged. Hongjun, my son, you must be careful. If anything happens, you can discuss it with the Fujin. Take good care of yourself. Don't let your mother die in vain and still be worried. Take care."
After reading this passage, the Third Prince began to tremble. Tears streamed down his face, dripping onto the letter and blurring the words.
"Did Aunt Niu frame Mother?" Hongjun murmured, crying.
“Third Prince, what Master said is correct. It was clearly Lady Niu who deliberately arranged for someone to frame Master. It’s a pity that Master has no way to defend himself,” Mingyan said.
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