"This concubine greets Your Highness!" Yan Yu had specially changed her clothes. She hadn't seen the Fourth Prince alone for a long time, and even when he came to see the children, she never had the chance to spend a moment alone with him.
The Fourth Prince was sitting in his armchair, looking down at the mountain of invitations. Among these invitations were those who wanted to establish a relationship with him, those who wanted to befriend him, and most of them were self-recommendation letters from scholars all over the country.
They hoped that one day their writings would be seen by the emperor or a prince, bringing them fame and fortune.
The Fourth Prince didn't look up; he was simply recalling the first time he saw Yan Yu at the Ulanara residence. Back then, she was just a young girl who hadn't yet grown up.
"Yu'er, since when have you started plotting and scheming? Wuxiha is still so young, and she is Hailan's own sister. How can you bear to harm a child who has no ability to resist?" Fourth Master's words were devoid of any emotion as he continued to look down at the door sticker in front of him.
Yan Yu felt as if she were in an ice cellar in the dead of winter. She tried to calm herself down, going over her prepared explanations in her mind several times before finally saying, "Master, what are you talking about? When did Yu'er ever do anything underhanded?"
Fourth Master looked up at Yan Yu's refined, made-up face and said, "You were the one who delivered the barley porridge to the South Courtyard, and you also suggested that Madam Yin deliver the jujube soup, right?"
Upon hearing this, Yan Yu's carefully constructed psychological defenses crumbled instantly: How did Fourth Master know that he had persuaded Madam Yin to send jujube water? Had Madam Yin already spoken to Fourth Master about it?
"What's wrong? Have nothing to say?" Fourth Master tried hard to suppress his anger. He hated the scheming and intrigue among the women in the inner quarters more than anything else.
"I did send the barley porridge, but I never asked Madam Yin to send anything. Please investigate, Your Highness." Yan Yu knew that she could never admit to instructing Madam Yin, even if confronted.
"You still won't admit it? Madam Yin has already come to see you and told you everything you said in her room that day. What else do you have to say?" Fourth Master's voice gradually rose.
"Mrs. Yin is talking nonsense. I have never had any dealings with her, so why would I go to see her? My lord, Mrs. Yin must be malicious and deliberately slandering me. I have never said anything to her." Yan Yu insisted that she had never seen Mrs. Yin.
"Yu'er, Madam Yin has already told your sister that it was you who went to see her. Yu'er, how can you become more and more confused and do such a wrong thing? Hurry up and explain to the master, and your elder sister may still be able to save face for you." The Fujin suddenly came out from the side room inside, looking at Yan Yu with a worried expression.
Her appearance was so sudden, and what she said left Yan Yu speechless.
"Elder sister, what are you saying? Yu'er didn't do anything. Did you listen to that vile woman Yin's nonsense?" Yan Yu never expected that the Fujin would suddenly appear here, and with such an attitude.
"Yu'er, Madam Yin has already told your elder sister that you asked her to deliver the jujube water. Not only her, but even your personal maid Jinzhi has told your elder sister that you have long been jealous of Consort Niu, and when you saw her being promoted by the prince, you came up with such a vicious plan. Yu'er, your elder sister truly cannot believe that you could do such a thing to a defenseless infant. Do you know that because of your jealousy, a girl who has just turned one year old will never wake up again?" Consort Niu said with a heavy heart.
Yan Yu wanted to retort, but when she heard the name Jinzhi, she felt as if her throat was being choked, and the words she had originally intended to say seemed impossible to utter.
"I...I didn't. I had no idea that barley porridge and jujube water could cause a sore throat. It's all a coincidence, Your Highness, it's all a coincidence," Yan Yu pleaded with the Fourth Prince, leaving behind his wife.
"So you really know the 'miraculous effects' of barley porridge and jujube water!" Fourth Master's voice suddenly turned cold.
Yan Yu was stunned, but it was too late. She realized that neither the Fourth Prince nor his wife had yet explained what irreparable consequences these two things could cause.
"My lord, Yu'er really didn't do anything. The porridge Yu'er brought wasn't given directly to Wuxiha. It was the maids serving the little princess who were negligent; they cooked barley porridge for the child themselves, which led to this disaster." Yan Yu suddenly knelt down with a thud. She crawled on her knees to the Fourth Prince's desk, grabbed the edge, and sobbed, "Hailan and the Fifth Prince have always hoped that Your Highness would come and see them. I've been busy taking care of the two children; how could I have come up with such a vicious scheme to harm people?"
"Even your personal maid admitted it, how dare you say you didn't?" The Fourth Master grabbed the hand that was resting on the edge of the table, unconsciously increasing the pressure.
Yan Yu felt a sharp pain in her hand, and tears streamed down her face as she cried, "My lord, I am truly wronged."
The Princess Consort sneered, "Fifth Prince? How dare you mention him?"
Upon hearing the Fujin's question, Yan Yu quickly concealed her inner panic and said in a trembling voice, "The Fifth Prince is the Master's brother, and his health has always been poor. I have tried my best to take care of him, but he is still not well."
The Fourth Prince suddenly pulled Yan Yu up, standing up from his chair as well. His face darkened, and he said, "You're incredibly audacious. You even dare to confuse the royal bloodline. Tell me, is the Fifth Prince truly my flesh and blood?"
Yan Yu stared in astonishment at the Fourth Prince's face, which now held a deep hatred for her. Her confidence crumbled little by little. She didn't understand why things had suddenly turned out this way, or why the Princess Consort and the Fourth Prince had suddenly brought up this matter again.
"Master, let me go. Let me go." Yan Yu's hands were in so much pain that she could hardly bear it.
"Yu'er, your elder sister never imagined you would be so audacious. To gain a higher rank and more favor from the prince, you actually did something as ruthless as destroying your entire family. Even though I am your elder sister, I can no longer hide anything from you. Where did the Fifth Prince come from? Did you give birth to a single child or twins?" The princess walked to the Fourth Prince's side and looked at Yan Yu with a helpless expression.
Things had completely spiraled out of Yan Yu's control; she couldn't understand why the Fujin (princess's wife) would suddenly bring up that matter. Even more unexpectedly, Jinzhi had betrayed her.
Just then, the sound of Lanqin and the other disciples stomping their feet could be heard outside.
“爷，玉儿什么也没做过，五阿哥是爷的骨血，有人要诬陷玉儿。“颜玉惊慌得只剩下大喊来。可施注定，她的话依然在四爷的心中没有任何分量。
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