Upon hearing Hailancha's words, E'lan's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly went to the Fucha residence to discuss countermeasures with Xi Ying. She knew that the old lady would never believe her words now, and Fukang'an would not see her. The only one she could use to bring down Yan Ning was Xi Ying.
As soon as Xi Ying returned to Changting Garden, she saw E Lan waiting for her. Her previous joy vanished, replaced by a cold and lifeless face. "What brings Princess E Lan to my place?" Her eyes kept drifting to the wound on E Lan's right arm.
The maids in Changting Garden also sensed their mistress's teasing and all covered half their faces with handkerchiefs, giggling. Although E'lan was a princess, she was not of royal lineage and therefore held a lower rank in the Fucha household.
E'lan swallowed her anger and said casually, "My father and Brother Kang are fighting together in Jinchuan. Today they told me some things about Yan Ning's background. I originally thought my sister-in-law would need them, but judging from her appearance, I'm afraid she won't need them anymore. So, E'lan will take her leave!" With that, E'lan took Lingdang's hand and pretended to walk out of the room.
“You’re the one who needs this!” Xi Ying’s voice landed steadily in E Lan’s ears. E Lan froze in place as if struck by a pressure point, waiting for Xi Ying to continue.
Xi Ying took a sip of tea, her back to E Lan standing in the courtyard, and slowly spoke: "Whether you or Yan Ning enter the manor, I will have to give up the position of Madam. Rather than serving under you, it would be better to let the General marry the unassuming Yan Ning, so I can still hold the real power of Madam. But you are different. You have already revealed your true nature to the Old Madam and the General! The reason the Old Madam insisted on having you enter the manor is to add the title of Imperial Son-in-Law to the General's family genealogy. However, your title of Princess was obtained through my Fucha family. Since the Emperor can bestow this title upon you, he can also bestow it upon others. You must understand the stakes very well."
Xi Ying knew her words had dealt a heavy blow to E Lan. After speaking, a gentle smile returned to her face as she walked to E Lan's side and pulled her back into the room to sit down. "But we have known each other for many years, and I naturally feel that I am more at peace with you than with Yan Ning." With this, she gave E Lan a way out, and E Lan, being a very clever person, readily told Xi Ying everything she knew.
Xi Ying was shocked when she found out. She told E Lan to keep this a secret for now and wait for the right opportunity to ensure that Yan Ning could never recover. The smiles in Xi Ying and E Lan's eyes reflected the scene of Yan Ning's downfall, and the two felt even more smug.
Leaving Changting Garden, E'lan, carrying a bell, didn't use the main gate. The Fucha Manor was bustling with activity, and the area in front of the gate was teeming with people. They walked to an unused side gate in the back courtyard, where they happened to run into Li Chang, who was returning from drinking.
Li Chang, slightly drunk, saw E Lan's beautiful face and his lecherous eyes darted up and down at her. "Little beauty, let your Grandpa Li pamper you!" he said, and pounced on E Lan.
E'lan had never been spoken to so rudely by a servant. She took a step back and kicked Li Chang in the groin. Li Chang's screams, clutching his groin, carried far. The guards of the Fucha mansion heard the noise and rushed over to take away Li Chang, who was rolling on the ground, along with E'lan and Lingdang, who were extremely unwilling to be humiliated.
E'lan's kick had already sobered Li Chang up considerably, and now seeing the imposing Fukang'an, he broke out in a sweat, his mind gradually clearing.
"What's going on?" Fukang'an looked at Elan coldly, his voice devoid of any sense of familiarity or distance.
E'lan lowered her head and recounted what had happened, not daring to look Fukang'an in the eye. Fukang'an had previously ordered her not to come to the Fucha residence unless there was a reason.
"Zhao Xing! Didn't I tell you to kick him out of the manor? Why is he still here?"
When Zhao Xing saw Li Chang, he remembered that Fukang'an had instructed him to send Li Chang away. Now that Li Chang had caused trouble, he would inevitably have to take responsibility. He quickly knelt on the ground and said, "This servant originally intended to send him away, but recently there have been many things going on in the manor, and this servant has not seen him and forgot about him for a moment."
Fukang'an, his face grim, glanced at Zhao Xing with displeasure, then ordered the guards escorting Li Changlai, "Get him out of here!"
When Li Chang heard that Fukang'an was going to throw him out, he struggled desperately, kowtowing and begging Fukang'an to spare him this time. Li Chang belonged to the lower class in the slums, and those who could afford to eat looked down on him for his idleness and petty theft. Now that everyone knew he worked for the Fucha family, they all treated him like a grandfather, hoping that one day Li Chang would promote them and let them also become servants in wealthy households.
Seeing that Fukang'an ignored him, Li Chang rushed towards E'lan, "Madam, please say a word for me! I really didn't mean to offend you!" E'lan was stunned by Li Chang's cry of "Madam" and didn't pay attention to Li Chang rushing towards her. Lingdang quickly stood in front of E'lan to prevent Li Chang from getting close to her.
Seeing that Li Chang seemed not to recognize the bell, Fukang'an became suspicious. "Release him!" The guard obeyed and released Li Chang. Li Chang, thinking Fukang'an was no longer going to kick him out of the manor, immediately knelt and crawled to Fukang'an's feet, kowtowing, "Thank you, General! Thank you, General!"
Fukang'an pointed to the bell and asked Li Chang, "Don't you know any of these girls?" Li Chang looked in the direction Fukang'an was pointing and saw that it was a stranger. He honestly shook his head.
Seeing this, Zhao Xing became anxious and shouted at Li Chang, "You clearly told me that day that she was the one who went to find the midwife!"
Li Chang also got anxious and shouted at Zhao Xing, "That day, Manager Zhao only let me see his back. I recognized the clothes. They were worn by the sister who went to see Liu the Midwife."
Zhao Xing was about to say something more when Fukang'an waved him off, "Take him away! Lock him up!"
Lingdang remembered that the last time she accompanied E'lan to the Fucha residence was when Xi Ying splashed her clothes with water. She quickly knelt down and said, "Last time I came to the Fucha residence, I was clumsy and failed to catch the tea that Aunt Ying handed me, splashing my clothes wet. Aunt Ying felt sorry for me and let me borrow Sister Xia'er's clothes. I don't know this 'lecherous' person at all!"
"No one is allowed to speak of what happened today! Otherwise, they will be imprisoned with Li Chang!" Fukang'an ordered the servants in the hall, but he was speaking more to E'lan.
Although E Lan was not as insightful as Fu Kang'an, her intelligence was still evident, and she knew exactly what was going on. How could she willingly become a scapegoat for Xi Ying?
The people of Changting Garden didn't pay much attention to E'lan when she returned. Ever since Yan Ning arrived, E'lan had been coming to Changting Garden frequently. E'lan rushed straight into the main room. Xi Ying's smile hadn't fully appeared when she saw E'lan return.
"Smack!"
E Lan slapped Xi Ying across the face. Xi Ying stood up, her face blank, and dismissed the servants in the room, leaving only Qiu'er by her side.
The servants of Changting Garden were displeased to see E'lan hit their mistress, but they had no say in the matter between their masters, so they all lowered their heads, curtsied, and retreated.
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