After Lanqin saw Physician Yang off, she immediately instructed Qingdai and Qingmo to prepare the medicine according to Physician Yang's prescription. Cui Niang took care of all the Third Prince's daily needs, including his diet, rest, and medicine, with Qingdai and the other two maids attending to him.
Doctor Wu stood awkwardly to the side, seemingly having no use for his skills. He never expected that Physician Yang, who specialized in treating the emperor and empresses in the palace, would suddenly come to the Fourth Prince's residence to treat the Third Prince, and even immediately diagnose that the poison in the Third Prince was lily of the valley powder.
Lanqin came out of the Third Prince's room and said to Doctor Wu, "Please come to the South Courtyard for a while, Doctor Wu."
Wu Youcai felt a chill run down his spine and quickly bowed as he followed Lan Qin out the door.
"Xicha, go and inform Lady Yin that she will come to the South Courtyard after lunch," Lanqin said to Xicha as she passed by Lady Yin's house.
After saying that, Lanqin took Nianxue's hand and left the west courtyard. All the way, Doctor Wu followed behind Lanqin, his mind racing with thoughts of how to respond.
"Doctor Wu, the Third Prince has been poisoned by the orchid, and not only that, the prescription you gave him has also been tampered with, which is why his illness has dragged on for so long. Tell me, if the Fourth Prince finds out, won't he think you haven't done your job properly? As a doctor, you often take the Third Prince's pulse, yet you didn't notice anything unusual, allowing him to be poisoned to this extent, almost losing his life." Lanqin wore a snow fox fur cloak, and her hair was simply adorned with a few cherry-red and light jade-red chalcedony pearl flowers. A pale purple crystal tassel hairpin swayed gracefully beside her face, appearing both crystalline and cold.
Just like Dr. Wu's heart at this moment, Lanqin's words were like ice picks piercing his heart, causing him unbearable pain.
Lanqin was absolutely right. Just those few words she said were enough to make the Fourth Prince despise him and conclude that he had not served the Third Prince well.
"This servant deserves to die a thousand deaths. Moreover, I am of limited talent and knowledge and cannot relieve the Third Prince's illness. I am truly ashamed to stay here any longer. I beg Consort to inform the Master so that Wu Youcai may leave in shame and indignation." Doctor Wu ran a few steps and hurriedly ran in front of Lanqin, kneeling down on the snow by the roadside.
The maids, including Nianxue, were all startled by his reaction, but Lanqin's expression remained unchanged. She said calmly, "Do you think you can protect yourself and escape unscathed by running away? We haven't even found out who did those things to the Third Prince yet. How could we not know that it has anything to do with you?" Lanqin didn't even need to think that if he wanted to leave now, wouldn't that be considered fleeing from justice?
Although the snow was soft, after several days of continuous snowfall, it had been trampled and hardened like stone. Wu Youcai knelt on it, feeling a sharp pain in his knees, as if he were kneeling on iron chains.
At this moment, however, he felt that Lanqin's words hurt more than the pain in his knees. He trembled all over, not because of the biting cold wind, but because of the fear that suddenly rose from the bottom of his heart after Lanqin's words.
"Nianxue, Lanqi, go and call the head nanny. Doctor Wu is showing signs of resignation and has not taken good care of the Third Prince. He is even more suspicious. Keep him under guard and wait for the Fourth Prince to return to deal with him." Lanqin looked coldly at the person kneeling at her feet, and a sense of power over life and death arose spontaneously.
Back in the South Courtyard, the two little ones eagerly watched Lanqin return and rushed to her.
"Sweetie, they've had their milk, right? It's cold outside, so let's take them for a walk around inside." Lanqin hugged Wuxiha and then touched Xichen's little face.
After doing those things, Lady Yin thought about how to secretly put the set of undergarments that Lanqin had given her back into the Third Prince's wardrobe.
But Lanqin had already called Wu Youcai away, and only Cui Niang and two new maids were there. It wouldn't be so easy to avoid their eyes.
"You don't need to follow me. I'm not a prisoner. I'm going to sit with Sister Wu now. You just need to clean and wipe the places in the house that need cleaning. There's no need to rush to bring back lunch. I'll tell you to bring it when I want to eat," said Madam Yin to the two maids who had been assigned by the head nanny that morning.
Seeing that Madam Yin said this, the two maids couldn't insist on following her. After all, she was only going to Madam Wu's place across the street and wouldn't be leaving the west courtyard, so they had no choice but to agree.
After one of them put on a cotton cloak, Madam Yin walked straight out of the house and went to Madam Wu's house across the street.
As soon as she reached the door, she smelled the aroma of roasted sweet potatoes wafting out of the house.
"I wonder if you have any extra sweet potatoes, sister? I'm a little hungry," said Madam Yin, standing at the doorway, addressing the inner room.
Wu Shi was sitting on the warm couch in the main room. Hong Qian and another Cui Ju were poking at sweet potatoes in the brazier at her feet. Wu Shi held a handful of melon seeds and cracked them one by one.
Upon hearing Yin's words, Wu was slightly startled and straightened up, saying, "Oh, it's Sister Yin. Come in quickly, there are plenty of sweet potatoes, as many as you like."
Hong Qian quickly stood up, bowed to the person who came in, then took the cloak that the woman had removed and withdrew.
"It's so warm here, sister, unlike how cold and lonely it is over there. I wonder if I could warm myself by the fire here for a while?" Madam Yin sat down on the chair at the lower end of the table, extending her smooth, white hands and gently bringing them closer to the fire. She had been exhausted from worrying every day for the past couple of days, and all her maids had been taken away by the head nanny. There was really no one to think about her anymore. If it weren't for the fear and anxiety in her heart, she probably would have fallen ill.
With a lazy smile on her fair and rosy face, Wu glanced at Yin a few times and said with heartache, "It was supposed to be a peaceful New Year, but I never expected that the Third Prince would be poisoned. Alas. The Prince and the Princess Consort are not here, and it's really caused a huge uproar. My sister is so innocent and pure, and the Consort Consort has gone to such lengths to take all of my sister's people away for interrogation. It's really made my sister suffer."
Madam Yin smiled bitterly and said, "What you said, sister, is truly the truth. With the Fujin (Prince Consort) not here, the Consort is using me to torment her. Alas."
Madam Wu glanced at Cuiju a few times and said, "Go and fetch the meal, and bring Yin Gege's as well, so we can all eat together. It's getting late."
Madam Yin nodded obediently. After Cuiju agreed and left, Hongqian tactfully closed the door to the main house.
"Sister, only you can help me now." Seeing this, Madam Yin knew that Madam Wu understood her purpose. She had no one else to turn to but Madam Wu.
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