As night fell, the young maid secretly sneaked into the east courtyard and plotted for a long time in a secluded corner before leaving.
Yunyi was already asleep and unaware of what had happened.
The next day, Qiqige helped Yunyi get up and whispered something in her ear while she was getting dressed.
Without changing her expression, Yunyi blinked to indicate that she understood.
The subtle interactions between the master and servant were so discreet that no one else noticed.
In the morning, when Yunyi went to the main courtyard to pay her respects to Ulanara, she noticed that Ulanara seemed rather smug, perhaps because she had just learned something.
But since the matter hadn't been thoroughly investigated, Yunyi shook her head and forgot about the idea. It wasn't necessarily her doing; she couldn't jump to conclusions.
After the greetings were finished, Yunyi dismissed everyone else, leaving only Qiqige and herself in the room.
"Tell me, what happened last night?" Although she was asking a question, Yunyi's hands did not stop; she was embroidering a close-fitting bib for her son.
Children's skin is delicate, so the fabric of their clothes should be soft and the stitching should be fine, otherwise it will rub against them and make them uncomfortable.
Therefore, Yunyi did everything herself and didn't delegate it to anyone else.
Although she is now a Mongolian girl, she shouldn't theoretically know these Han Chinese embroidery skills.
But she had planned it out long ago, and had already found an embroiderer to be her teacher so that her embroidery skills would have a proper explanation.
“Princess, I noticed some disturbances last night. As you know, I know some basic martial arts, and after carefully going over to investigate, I discovered that there are people planted in our courtyard. I overheard them plotting something to frame you.”
Qiqige is Yunyi's personal maid and also acts as a bodyguard. She originally knew some martial arts. On the grassland, because there was a possibility of being attacked by wolf packs, Qiqige was a light sleeper at night and always paid attention to the movements outside.
After Yunyi transmigrated, she gave Qiqige a body-strengthening pill. Now, Qiqige looks like a thin little maid, but she is actually very good at fighting. Three or five big men from the grasslands can't get close to her.
Hearing Qiqige say that, Yunyi wasn't angry; instead, she became a little interested.
"Oh, they're trying to frame me, so what did they say?"
Then, Qiqige spoke even more softly: "Princess, they want to murder the Third Prince and then frame you."
"The Third Prince is only four or five years old. How could Ulanara do such a thing to a child so young? But then again, that child was the child that angered the First Princess Consort. It's normal for her, the Second Princess Consort, to dislike the child of the first wife."
Yes, from the moment Qiqige mentioned the Third Prince, Yunyi was convinced that the mastermind behind this was Ulanara, and no one else would harbor such deep hatred for this child.
Only the primary consort, Ulanara, is most likely to succeed in this plan. This move would eliminate both the legitimate son born to the primary wife and herself, a secondary consort from the Khorchin tribe—a truly ingenious plan that kills two birds with one stone.
Thinking of this, Yunyi couldn't help but snort coldly. How wishful thinking! I'll make sure you don't get your way.
Now that the enemy is in the open while we are in the dark, it will be easy for Yun Yi to do whatever he wants.
Watching coldly, it wasn't long before Ulanara made her move. She was in charge of all the affairs of the inner quarters, so it was easy for her to send someone to tamper with the small kitchen.
Ulanara sent someone to put a drug in the Third Prince's food. Although it was not very toxic, long-term use would damage his body and leave him in a state of chronic weakness.
Yunyi did nothing but watch quietly, wanting to see what Ulanara would do next.
And so, another six months passed in the blink of an eye, and the year turned to the 45th year of the Wanli reign of the Ming Dynasty, which was also the 2nd year of the Tianming reign of the Jin Dynasty.
During the past six months, Ulanara, showing great kindness, suggested to Huang Taiji that Yunyi, being a secondary consort, help her manage the household.
Huang Taiji naturally wouldn't refuse. Firstly, Yunyi was a secondary consort, second only to the principal wife. Secondly, Yunyi was quite to his liking, so giving her some power was acceptable. Therefore, he agreed without objection.
Ulanara readily relinquished half of her housekeeping authority, including a portion of her control over the kitchen.
Yunyi was fully aware of her plans, and without hesitation, accepted these rights.
This world is different from the previous two. She will become the Grand Consort in the future, and these things will be her tasks sooner or later. Getting started now will allow her to become familiar with them sooner.
After Yunyi took charge of the household affairs, one of the maids in her courtyard kept finding excuses to go to the kitchen, so that when the Third Prince's poisoning was exposed, there would be evidence to prove that Yunyi was the one who did it.
Finally, after waiting for more than half a year, the news finally broke.
The Third Prince always lived in the front courtyard, but Huang Taiji was always away on campaigns and didn't necessarily spend much time at home throughout the year, so he couldn't manage the affairs of the mansion much.
That's why Ulanara was given the opportunity to harm people.
One day, while practicing horseback riding, the Third Prince suddenly collapsed and lost consciousness. The riding instructor quickly called a doctor to treat him, only to discover that he had been poisoned for more than half a year.
At that time, Huang Taiji was training troops in the military camp. When he heard the servants in his mansion report this, he was furious. He said a few words to his deputy general and then hurriedly returned to his mansion.
In the front courtyard, Ulanara was feigning concern for the Third Prince's condition. Yunyi, as a secondary consort, also managed part of the back courtyard, so she was also there.
When Huang Taiji returned to his residence, he saw his two wives waiting at the door of their son's house. He asked worriedly, "How is Luobo? Why did he suddenly faint?"
Clutching her handkerchief, Ulanara's face was full of worry, looking like a loving mother concerned for her son, but what she was really thinking in her heart remained a mystery.
"Your Highness, the doctor says the Third Prince seems to have been poisoned, but we don't know how he was poisoned. I've always been diligent in managing the inner quarters, and this has never happened before. I'm very puzzled."
Hearing Ulanara's words, Yunyi rolled her eyes inwardly. She pursed her lips and thought to herself.
This is all so cryptic. Your housekeeper has always been diligent and has never caused any problems. Now that a problem has arisen, whose responsibility is it?
Isn't it because I, the new housekeeper's concubine, didn't do a good job, allowing bad people to take advantage of the situation? Plus, I'm in charge of the kitchen, so this is clearly targeting me.
After Ulanara finished speaking, Yunyi also came to Huang Taiji's side, holding a handkerchief.
"Yes, Your Highness, you must investigate this thoroughly. The Third Prince is Niohuru's only child, and he is of noble status. He cannot be harmed. As a mother myself, I cannot bear to see him lying in bed like this."
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