While Yi Hua was dozing off, she received another message from the study.
"Madam, after the master punished Yuye with ten strokes of the cane, he sold her." Granny Chen's face was truly grim. This direct punishment of the maid in Madam's room sent a signal to the Fourth Prince's residence.
That is, even though Prince Honghui is there, the Fujin still doesn't win the master's favor, so he doesn't even give her the dignity to deal with the maid in private.
Yi Hua didn't think that much about it. The maids in this mansion were also very interconnected, with unknown connections behind them. Yin Zhen's swift and decisive action saved time and effort, preventing her from having to come up with a more comprehensive solution.
"Granny, go to sleep. Tell Brother Nai tomorrow that we need to investigate this girl. If she's just confused, that's fine, but if her whole family is confused, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
"yes."
***
Unfortunately, it's not Christmas Eve. Yi Hua had only been lying down for a short while when she was woken up again.
"Madam, the eldest princess is sick again. The Fourth Prince has already gone over and said that she has a persistent high fever, which is quite frightening." Granny Chen was old, and after staying up all night for so long, bruises were visible under her eyes.
The eldest princess was delicate and frail. In "her" memory, she was sick every few days. The royal physician couldn't figure out what was wrong, only saying that the child was weak and carefully taking care of her.
Even the imperial physician Yinzhen went to consult him twice, only to say that he was weak, but he couldn't say his specific name.
"Go and get the best ginseng and send it to the East Courtyard, saying that it is inconvenient for me to go there, so it is for the eldest princess to take care of her health." If she weren't still in confinement after childbirth, and her child were sick, she would be the first person to be held accountable.
"yes."
In the east courtyard, Madam Li was crying very sadly. Her eyes were red, and her tears were like pearls, each one distinct. They were incredibly beautiful as they slid down her cheeks.
Yinzhen was already angry, and seeing the eldest princess, whose body was flushed red from the fever, only fueled his rage: "How did you serve her?!"
The eldest princess's wet nurse also joined tonight's deluxe beating package, and after being beaten, she came limping to confess her sins.
"Master, I'm innocent! Consort Li wasn't feeling well and called me to accompany her. Because I'm experienced in childbirth, Consort Li asked me to see if she was carrying a little princess or a little prince." The wet nurse cried out, "I never expected that in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the eldest princess would catch a cold and fall ill."
"This servant was summoned by Consort Li and dared not disobey! Your Highness, you have wronged me!"
Seeing Li Shi's uneasy shifting eyes, Yinzhen understood what was going on. Considering her large belly, he didn't say anything more.
The physician did his best to treat the patient, and after administering a pill, the fever gradually subsided.
Granny Chen personally came over and handed over the ginseng: "When the Princess heard that the eldest princess was ill, she specially sent over a hundred-year-old ginseng, saying that it should be used after the doctor has examined it, so as not to interfere with the medicinal properties."
Yinzhen glanced at the ginseng and saw that it was indeed a rare and precious product. His expression softened. "You are very kind, my lady."
Taking the opportunity, Granny Chen glanced at the chaotic courtyard, then bowed her head and withdrew.
Lady Li held back her tears for a moment: "My lord, the eldest princess is a piece of my flesh. If anything were to happen to her, I would not live on either."
Seeing that Li Shi was still protecting her belly with her hands, Yinzhen retorted, "You wouldn't do that, would you? Don't you want to give me a son?"
Li was momentarily speechless, her sobs stopping for a moment before continuing: "I only wanted to share your burdens, my lord. I am your favorite concubine, and if I cannot bear children, wouldn't I be letting you down?"
What are you saying!
Yinzhen didn't want to talk to fools, so he gave the imperial physician a death order: "Heal the eldest princess, and you live. If anything happens to the eldest princess, you'll bring your head to me."
"Yes." The physician inwardly felt unlucky. The eldest princess's illness was recurring, and the possibility of it being caused by someone was extremely high. This involved the intrigues and scheming within the household, which was beyond the reach of a mere physician like himself.
"Master!" Madam Li was surprised that Yinzhen would actually walk away. She called out "Master" several times, but she couldn't stop him.
She turned to look at the eldest princess, whose breathing was steady, and her gaze gradually turned cold: "Useless thing, you can't even keep your father alive when he's sick, what use are you?"
"Princess!" Granny Jin, seeing that the physician seemed not to have heard anything, immediately helped Madam Li to another room.
"My good master, even if you think these things in your heart, you must not say them aloud. Walls have ears, and too many people will have too many opinions. If the Princess Consort or the Master hears this, will you and I have any chance of survival?"
Granny Jin was really having a headache. Princess Li used to be cautious and timid, but after the eldest princess was born and raised, her mind became more and more narrow-minded. She regarded her own daughter as an enemy, which was a path to death.
Front yard study
After the eldest princess's fever subsided, Yinzhen did not linger in the east courtyard. He sat down at his desk and sighed, "The eldest princess has been sick every few days. Has the cause been found this time?"
"Your Majesty, I have heard that ever since Consort Li became pregnant with your child, there have been some oversights among the servants around the First Consort. Although the Fujin (Madam) often reprimands us, she doesn't dare to ask too many questions about the people in the East Courtyard, which is why we have this disaster today."
Su Peisheng replied softly, but after a while, he did not hear any instructions from his master. He tentatively looked up and saw that Yinzhen had a cold expression and a sneer on his lips, which looked particularly frightening in the candlelight. He quickly lowered his head.
Yinzhen was furious. These sycophantic servants dared to treat their young master like this; they should all be sold out!
Li is short-sighted. Because of the unknown gender of the child in her womb, she neglected her own daughter to such an extent. Are all mothers like this, only caring about what is useful and discarding what is not?
Thinking of this, Yinzhen couldn't help but think of Yihua. He had personally witnessed the intimacy between the Fujin and Honghui, and the close and harmonious relationship between mother and son was truly enviable.
Furthermore, Yihua had even disciplined the servants, which pleased Yinzhen greatly. Since their marriage, the Fujin (consort) had been constantly talking about rules and regulations, which, although somewhat boring, was commendable because she was strict with herself and treated everyone equally.
Furthermore, Honghui's birth also brought about many changes in her. The last time I visited her, she was disheveled and rarely showed any signs of everyday life.
"How is Honghui?" With only two children in the household, and one of them ill, Yinzhen couldn't help but worry about his eldest son.
"Prince Honghui is strong and healthy, and the Fujin (principal wife) keeps a close eye on him. I've heard that except for nights when the Fujin doesn't sleep with him, she spends all her time with him. Prince Honghui is cheerful and has a good temper, so the servants in the main courtyard are happy every day." Su Peisheng spoke only of the happy things. Every time he mentioned Prince Honghui, his master's attitude would improve. He knew very well how much Prince Honghui meant to his master.
"Alright, Honghui must report all matters, big and small, to me. If you miss anything, you'll be punished." Yinzhen finally calmed down. "The servants around the eldest princess have all been replaced. Tell the Fujin to ask the palace for a governess to manage things."
After squatting for a while, Yinzhen continued, "If Lady Li doesn't want this daughter, there are plenty of childless princesses in the back courtyard. Let her think about what she's doing."
"yes."
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