After bidding farewell to Que'er, Chen Shou immediately boarded the carriage parked outside and returned to the Fourth Prince's residence. At that moment, if Que'er could have seen the direction he ran off to, she probably would have gouged out her own eyes.
It was actually the Wang family!
After listening to Chen Shou's report, Lanqin felt her heart grow colder day by day, like the moonlight that filled the courtyard. As the beginning of autumn approached, her heart grew colder and colder.
"She herself said that it was Wang who placed that witchcraft doll under Li's bedsheets?" Lanqin was still somewhat incredulous. If Chen Shou hadn't said it, she would never have imagined that Wang, who had sided with Li along with Wu, was actually a pawn planted by the Fujin in the East Courtyard.
No one expected that a seemingly insignificant chess piece could trip up the concubine.
“Princess, Que’er said herself that she was able to escape the Fourth Prince’s beating to death because she used it to threaten the Fujin, who then spared her life and sent her away,” Chen Shou said, persuading her.
“But this is a bit strange. The best way to keep someone silent forever is for that person to die. How could the Fujin be threatened by her?” Lanqin said in confusion.
"Perhaps Que'er has told this secret to someone else, and if something happens to her, that person will expose the Fujin," Chen Shou guessed.
Lanqin's eyes flashed, and she walked back and forth, supporting her swollen belly, and said, "This is the only possibility. Otherwise, given the ways of the Fujin, I'm afraid this sparrow wouldn't have survived to this day."
Chen Shou asked in bewilderment, "Then why didn't she let me contact the second person who knew what the Fujin had done directly, but instead sent me directly to the Fujin?"
“Because she would be in danger if that person were exposed. So, she directly asked you to seek help from the Fujin (principal wife). Besides, perhaps that person can't help her anyway.” The more Lanqin thought about it, the more she felt that this was the only explanation.
"My goodness, it's actually this complicated!" Nianxue, who was listening from the side, was a little confused.
“Princess, what do we do now? Can we only wait until the day of the First Princess and Jili, and then have Que’er go to see the Fujin herself? I’m afraid it will be difficult to catch them red-handed,” Chen Shou said.
“If I’m not mistaken, the second person who knows that secret is likely in the inner quarters. So on the day of the eldest princess and Jili, Que’er will not only see the princess, but also the person who is guarding that secret with her,” Lanqin said.
“Princess, but how exactly are we going to prove to Fourth Master that Li was indeed framed and that she was poisoned before she died?” Nianxue said.
For a moment, all three fell silent.
Meanwhile, Chen Shou's frequent departures from the mansion had long since attracted the attention of his wife.
"What did you say? He's been going to the art academy these past few days?" The Princess Consort's lips curled into a look of disbelief.
“Indeed, this old servant can’t understand how this servant could afford to go to such a place. The people this old servant sent to follow him in discovered that Chen Shou always had a woman named ‘Cui Nong’ play the zither. That’s all,” said Granny Li.
“Cui Nong?” The Fujin repeated the two words.
"How could that person in the South Courtyard have taken in such a person? Could it be that she sent this person? But why would she do that?" Of course, Granny Li did not know that Cui Nong was actually Que'er.
“There must be something wrong. Granny, you must go there yourself and see if there’s anything strange about Cui Nong. I’ve been feeling my heart pounding lately, and I’m afraid there’s something we don’t know about.” the Princess Consort said.
That night, both the Fujin (wife of the emperor) and Lanqin (a concubine of the emperor) spent in unease. The Fujin knew that Lanqin was wary of her, while Lanqin knew that her every move was likely being watched by the Fujin. But isn't this just a power struggle within the household? It all comes down to who can find the other's Achilles' heel and win in one fell swoop.
The following day, following Lanqin's instructions, Chen Shou booked Cui Nong's entire venue and brought her out to settle her in a private residence. Lanqin had barely slept a wink that night, and had told Chen Shou this early in the morning, fearing that the Fujin's people might become suspicious of him.
Sure enough, no sooner had they left than Granny Li arrived with her entourage.
"Has Cui Nong been booked out?" Granny Li asked with a gloomy face.
Seeing that the woman was about her age and had a bad attitude, the madam in purple became even more impatient and said, "Yes, Young Master Chen has booked the entire place and taken her out."
"Where did you take it?" asked Granny Li.
"How would I know? The young master didn't tell me. Madam, what business do you have with Cui Nong?" The madam looked Li Mama up and down. She was alone, and although her clothes were nice, she couldn't tell where she came from.
Meanwhile, on Chen Shou's side, Que'er was led into a private residence, a two-courtyard house, not large in area, but with its own entrance. Que'er assumed this was one of Chen Shou's private residences, thinking that even if she followed such a merchant's son, she would still enjoy wealth and honor. Although she would lose the prestige of an official, life wouldn't be difficult.
This place was actually rented by Chen Shougang for several hundred taels of silver.
"Que'er, you can stay here for now. There are plenty of maids and servants to take care of you. I need to go back and talk to my father before I can make arrangements for you," Chen Shou said. Although he had deceived Que'er, he knew she was no saint, and with that thought, Chen Shou felt less conflicted.
"Yes. Young master, please wait until I've been released from my artistic status before telling my uncle," Que'er said, concealing her joy.
"Um, do you really want to talk to the Fourth Prince's wife in person? Will she agree?" Chen Shou asked with a worried expression.
“She will definitely agree. Anyway, removing my status as an artist will be an easy thing for her. But I have the power to bring her down from her high position as the Fourth Princess Consort.” Que’er concealed the light in her eyes.
Chen Shou didn't ask any more questions and stayed in the courtyard with Que'er.
Meanwhile, when Granny Li returned to the mansion, she reported to the Fujin that Cui Nong had been taken away.
As she watched the ice gradually melt in the cloisonné charcoal brazier, the Fujin's gaze was as cold and clear as the snow water that flowed out of the cracked iceberg.
"Go, take my edict to see Wu Ge. Tell him to capture Chen Shou and find out Cui Nong's whereabouts. I have a feeling that this Cui Nong is someone we know. I'm afraid it might be her..." The princess placed her hand, clad in a red-gold openwork armor, on the ice as she spoke.
The sound of chanting outside was intensifying, flashing by like a series of chirps. However, as the leaves on the trees began to turn yellow, they swirled and fell into Mother Earth's embrace.
At this moment, in the South Courtyard, Lanqin and several maids were using knives to break a useless piece of ice into pieces.
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