In the height of summer, even sitting down can make you sweat profusely. This room is located behind the main hall; it's not very spacious, and a screen separates the inside from the outside.
Inside, Fan San Niang's little maid stayed with her the whole time. Even though she was heartbroken, she didn't dare to sob aloud. Her shoulders trembled as she knelt by the bedside, watching over the unconscious Fan San Niang.
The main hall wasn't far from here, and the curses of the Second Miss Fan gradually drifted over. She was simply saying how she had witnessed the facts, how despicable the Third Miss Fan was, and after repeating the words of the Marquis of Guangping's heir, she launched into another round of curses at the Third Miss Fan.
However, this time the audience consisted of Vice Minister Fan and his wife. Madam Fan already disliked her illegitimate daughter, and now she was even less friendly.
As if she had no end in her ramblings, Miss Fan covered her face and burst into tears at the end. As she slowly spoke, her voice was choked with sobs: "I am still an unmarried woman, and my sister has ruined my reputation for no reason. What am I going to do in the future?"
After she finished her tearful account, Madam Fan's voice came again. The mother and daughter said almost the same thing, both expressing their clear disgust for Fan San Niang and wishing they could send her to the Western Paradise the next second.
Xu Yunci sat at the head of the table, listening to the woman's crying and fussing was truly a mentally taxing task.
He raised his hand to rub his temples, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chunling's head peeking out from behind him. He beckoned her over.
Chunling had been paying attention to Xu Yunci, and when he beckoned her over, she ignored the gazes of others and curtsied, saying, "Your Highness."
"Your daughter sent you here." Xu Yunci's expression was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
Chunling glanced at the Fan family mother and daughter discreetly before looking away: "Yes, Miss also asked me to tell Miss Fan that she is out of danger now. The doctor said she is still unconscious and may have a fever. He has already gone to get the medicine."
"However, Miss Fan is alright, and the little one in her womb is already..."
She paused for a moment before explaining the situation. To put it bluntly, her young lady was there to keep an eye on Xu Yunci, fearing the Fan family might take advantage of the situation and kill her. After all, her young lady was still an unmarried woman, and she wasn't a doctor; how much could she possibly know about the unborn child in Fan San's womb?
What she said was just what the doctor said.
Xu Yunci naturally understood, but it was good that everyone was alright. He then looked down at the people below.
Upon hearing this, the mother and daughter of the Fan family looked indignant, as if they were complaining that Fan San Niang hadn't stayed in the lake longer; Fan Shilang's expression remained furrowed even after hearing that the magistrate was alright, it was impossible to tell whether he was worried or what.
Fu Chen sat next to his uncle, his fists clenched. He also visibly breathed a sigh of relief when he heard that Fan San Niang was out of danger, but when he heard that the child had not been saved, the sadness in his eyes seemed genuine.
Uncle Fu is now a third-rank Hanlin Academician, well past forty, with a black beard, and the way he raises his hand exudes the rigidity of an academician.
Seeing Fu Chen's expression, he subtly showed displeasure between his brows, but then he thought that his sister only had one son. If he couldn't protect her in this matter, his own sister would have no hope for the future of the vast Guangping Marquis's mansion.
When he arrived, he heard what had happened. He was disappointed and frustrated, but now that things had come to this point, he had to think of ways to salvage the situation.
After all, things have been very strange in the previous few days. First, the Prince of Yan was opposing the Crown Prince at every turn, showing signs of vying for the throne. And while it's not clear how many people the Prince of Yan has in the previous court, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice is one of the officials who has clearly taken sides.
If this is truly accepted today, the future struggle for the throne will inevitably implicate the Imperial Academy or the Marquis of Guangping's family. Honestly, Uncle Fu doesn't believe his nephew is someone capable of stirring up trouble in the imperial court.
Suddenly, Xu Yunci looked over with a deep gaze, his profound eyes seemingly seeing through everything in Uncle Fu's mind.
A chill ran down Fu's spine. He thought to himself that the Xu family must know about the actions of the Prince of Yan and the Vice Minister of Justice.
He coughed, his fist pressed to his lips: "Today's incident was caused by my nephew, which led to the Second Miss's misunderstanding. However, now that the news has spread, it will not be good for your reputation in the future. If the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice is willing, my Academician's Mansion is willing to act as a matchmaker and find a suitable husband for the Third Miss."
"Of course, if you do not wish to have anything, as long as the Academy and the Marquis's residence can provide it, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice may speak freely."
However, she shouldn't even think about marrying Fu Chen; she still wants the Scholar's Mansion to survive.
Since Vice Minister Fan was among the first to follow Prince Yan, he naturally understood the meaning behind his words. However, he remained silent, pondering how to maximize the benefits for the Vice Minister's residence and the Prince, so that the Fan family's standing with the Prince would not merely be attributed to their service in supporting the Prince.
"So you're not going to acknowledge your child? The young master is a man, yet he dares to do it but not to take responsibility. A perfectly good young woman has been impregnated and is now in this state. Even if she were to cut off her hair and become a nun, it would be too lenient."
Madam Fan gritted her teeth. She looked at the crowd of onlookers, pointing and whispering about her and her daughter. She felt an urge to rush in and send that little bitch back into the lake.
They were saved, but now that things have turned out like this, how can they possibly live with themselves?
Fu Chen was about to say something, but his uncle's gaze carried a hint of warning, meaning that he must not acknowledge the child in Fan San Niang's belly.
He couldn't grasp such a profound truth; he only knew that if he confessed, he would truly have no connection whatsoever with Xu Lingzi. Especially in front of Xu Yunci, if he could prove his innocence and with Xu Yunci's guarantee, Xu Lingzi would definitely believe him.
His wishful thinking backfired. When Chunling returned, she had to keep a low voice and report back because she was worried about Fan Sanniang inside.
"Sixth Miss and the others have gone back first. The young master said to ask you to wait a little longer. After watching for so long, he told us to go and rest with Chang Shun for a while. When it's over, the young master will go back with us."
Chunling looked at Changshun, who was leading the way. After leaving that side room, she walked eastward. There were several rows of side rooms, and she stopped in the corridor of one of them.
Pushing open the door and stepping inside, Li Shiyue looked around. The room was fairly spacious. In the east room, facing the window, was a pear wood bed with blue curtains hanging down. The west room was open, unlike the east room, which had a niche in the wall instead of a screen.
Against the wall facing the east room, there were two wide pear wood chairs, and bookshelves on both sides were filled with neatly arranged books. Li Shiyue stood in the doorway and looked at Chang Shun; this did not seem like a guest room.
"This is a place the young master only comes to when he's busy; no outsiders will come here. Miss, please wait here; there's still quite a commotion ahead."
Chang Shun scratched his head: "There are no maids. This servant is waiting outside. If Miss needs anything, just have Chunling come out and give the order."
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