After hearing the head maid's report, the Fourth Master saw that it was getting late and did not immediately go to do anything. He was afraid of tiring Lanqin, so he ordered the servant to be kept in watch over, while he and Lanqin rested in the front yard.
After Su Peisheng and Nianxue finished helping the two of them wash up, they left. Lanqin rarely came to the front yard, let alone to the Fourth Master's bedroom. As she walked into the bedroom that belonged exclusively to the Fourth Master, she suddenly felt like returning to her own small courtyard in the south.
"My lord, I should go back. The Third Prince must have been frightened today. You should go and check on him. He suddenly lost his brother, and now he has suddenly lost his mother. As his father, you should take good care of him," Lanqin said. She was also exhausted from the day and now longed for her soft bed to get a good night's sleep.
"Other women are eager to sneak into Master's room, but you won't rest here?" Fourth Master said with a stern face, grabbing Lanqin's waist, which had obviously grown much larger.
"She's pregnant, so she's picky about the bed. I'm also thinking that you have to look after the Third Prince. I don't sleep well at night anyway, so if we suddenly change places, I'll definitely be even less able to sleep," Lanqin pouted and said aggrievedly.
The Fourth Prince was taken aback, his heart instantly softened by the little princess's coquettishness. He said, "I have indeed neglected the Third Prince, and I will make it up to him in the future. Fortunately, you, my good concubine, are willing to take care of him, which made me realize that the servants who serve him are so unworthy. If I were to betroth the Third Prince to you as my son, would that be alright?"
Lanqin was surprised that the Fourth Prince would suddenly bring this up. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Your Highness, if the Third Prince is willing, he can live in the South Courtyard. I can take care of him for you, but he doesn't need to be adopted by me."
Fourth Master looked down into Lanqin's eyes, raised his hand and gently pinched her little nose, saying, "You don't want our child to be the second child from the moment it's born, right?"
Lanqin, having her thoughts exposed by the Fourth Prince, nodded and said, "Your Highness, have you considered sending the Third Prince to live with Consort Yin? I think she seems quite interested in that, and the Third Prince likes her too."
Without a second thought, the Fourth Prince said, "I can see that the Third Prince's affection for Lady Yin is not as great as his affection for you. The Third Prince has already lost his birth mother, and I don't want to send him to live with someone he doesn't want to. Although Lady Yin is gentle, I still don't know what her true feelings are for the Third Prince."
Lanqin hadn't expected the Fourth Prince to be so thoughtful. When she saw him bestow gifts upon Lady Yin, she assumed that he had essentially granted permission for the Third Prince to be fostered under Lady Yin's care.
"The Princess Consort did mention this to me, but the fact that you could spot the oil stains on the Third Prince shows that you care about him no less than anyone else," the Fourth Prince added.
Lanqin pouted and said, "Good, the Third Prince will be fostered here. He'll have another older brother to dote on him, and this little guy will be fine too."
After saying that, Lanqin gently stroked her belly.
Meanwhile, the lights were on in the Fujin's room. The servants inside stood quietly before her, with Granny Li leading the way. Those who stood there were mostly the Fujin's confidantes, and she hadn't hidden anything from them about what she was doing. Except for Lingxiu, Granny Li, Chunliu, Xiahe, Qiuchan, and Dongmei had all come from the Feiyanggu Mansion with Ulanara.
The princess sat upright on the main couch with a stern face. The entire room was so oppressive that no one dared to breathe loudly. The only sounds were the crackling of the candle wicks and the faint scent of lilies wafting from the bronze lotus path, which made the still gloomy and rainless weather even more unbearable.
The Wang family has basically been persuaded. Since there's really no way to avoid it, they'll let her make the decision. At most, she'll be put in a secluded place by the Fourth Prince. Besides, nothing has happened to Yan Yu, so she shouldn't lose her life.
However, one of the two servants who delivered charcoal to the South and East courtyards has been found, which is troublesome. That servant was of low status and wouldn't risk his head to harm his two masters; it's obvious someone was behind it. Madam Wang has already taken the blame for one thing; if she were asked to take the blame for another, she probably wouldn't agree—that would be a death sentence.
Once the servant confesses that he was instructed by Granny Li, then it's impossible for the Fourth Prince to still have no suspicions about his wife.
"Has the sparrow been dealt with completely?" The Fujin suppressed her irritation and asked in a deep voice.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, this old servant posted a plaque with the title of 'Promotion' on her head, and after she breathed her last, I put her in a sack, tied a large stone to it, and threw her into Bixin Lake when no one was around," Granny Li said in a low voice. This sounded like a very ordinary matter, and none of the maids in the room showed any sign of pity.
The so-called "adding an official with a plaque" involved the executioner peeling off a piece of mulberry bark paper and placing it over the victim's face. Then, the executioner would shout for water, forcefully exhaling a fine mist, causing the paper to soften and adhere to the victim's face. This process was repeated for seven or eight pieces, until the victim suffocated to death. When the seven or eight pieces of paper were peeled off the victim's face, they were clearly visible, like the masks used in the "adding an official" ritual on a stage, preserving the gruesome shape of the recently deceased.
"But no one saw it, right?" The Fujin was relieved. As long as Que'er was dead, Wu's words alone would not be so convincing.
"They went under the cover of night, taking all the narrow lanes, and loaded it into the cart that transports night soil from here every day. No one saw them, so please rest assured, Madam," said Granny Li. At this moment, she was shrouded in the shadow of the candlelight, like a night owl.
"Alright, you may all leave, but the old woman may stay," the Fujin said, dismissing the others.
After Chunliu and the others had left, the Fujin pointed to a seat next to her and said, "There's no one here now, Granny, please sit down and let's talk."
Li Mama's heart sank, and she bowed, saying, "This old servant can answer while standing; how can I sit with the princess?"
A soft look flashed in the Fujin's eyes. She sighed inwardly and insisted, "Granny, please sit down. It's just like Xiayu in her boudoir. We haven't talked for a long time."
Li Mama inwardly cried out in alarm. She knew her mistress well; there must be something she wanted to say.
"Granny, what will you do if that servant confesses it was you? What will the master think?" The Fujin knew that Granny Li was her confidante and right-hand woman. Over the years, without her help, she would have been even more miserable. Granny Li had taken care of many things for her. Therefore, getting her to take the blame for this matter was much more difficult than getting Granny Wang to do it.
That's right, our Princess Consort has now decided: in this critical moment, she will cut off his arm to save her own life.
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