After a heated argument with Yin Tang, Nan Yi returned to the manor, still seething with anger. He entered the Lan Courtyard, where everything was quiet.
Nan Yi didn't take it seriously and stepped into the house. She saw Yi Ren kneeling in the room. She was stunned for a moment, looked around, and Yi Ren pouted and nodded her chin toward the curtain in the inner room.
The Fourth Uncle has arrived.
She really wasn't in the mood to deal with him; she was annoyed right now.
Nan pointed outside, signaling her to leave.
Yiren got up, grinned, and left the room, closing the door behind her.
Nan straightened her clothes, took a deep breath, and lifted the curtain of the inner room. She peeked out and saw that the Fourth Master was sitting on the couch with a blank expression, his emotions unreadable.
Yinzhen caught a glimpse of her and asked in a low voice, "Where did you go?"
Nan Yi pretended to be calm and walked to his side, leaning against him, and said softly, "Wanqing is sick, I'm going to go see her."
"You mean, you went to your ninth brother's residence."
"Um."
"Bang!" Yinzhen slammed his fist on the table and said angrily, "Don't you know the current situation? What is your status? She is sick and there are no imperial physicians to treat her. She needs you to fawn over her."
Nan Yi was secretly amazed at how angry he was.
What business is it of the women if these men fight? Yinzhen is too petty.
Fourth Master wasn't having an easy time either. It was mainly because Eighth Master and Ah Tang's actions caused Thirteen to lose his freedom. In Fourth Master's heart, Thirteen was much more important than his own brother, Fourteen. He was also Fourth Master's right-hand man.
Nan Yi, who considered himself quite considerate, explained softly, "You should know that I don't have many friends. My close friends are Xiao Xiwanqing and Zhenzhen. It wouldn't be right for me not to visit her when she's sick."
She gently nudged the fourth uncle's shoulder. "Don't be angry. At worst, I won't go out for a while."
After Yinzhen finished speaking, he realized that he had overreacted. However, he was filled with hatred for his eighth and ninth brothers who had caused his thirteenth brother to be imprisoned.
Moreover, Tong and her ninth brother had always been on good terms, which bothered him greatly, and he was inevitably annoyed.
Yinzhen waved his hand weakly and handed her a dress from the tray on the table. "Do you recognize it?"
Nan Yi glanced at it suspiciously, then took it casually and said in surprise, "I recognize it. Isn't this the new dress I gave to Princess Li Jia a month ago?"
Why did you suddenly give her a dress?
“No reason at all.” Nan Yi shrugged. “She suddenly came to visit me and said that the butterfly and flower dress I gave her a few years ago had a broken thread and she wanted to fix it. When I heard that, I realized that I still had the dress from a few years ago, so it must be old and she couldn’t wear it. I casually said that I would give her a new one. What’s wrong? She doesn’t like the dress.”
Nan Yi put the dress back and said generously, "Qingfeng made me a lot of new dresses, they're all in the closet. You can tell her which one she likes and let her choose whichever she likes. I have plenty of dresses anyway."
Yinzhen was not without his own judgment. Tongshi had just returned to the manor and knew nothing about anything. He had his people following her at all times, so how could she have had the opportunity to do anything?
Unfortunately, the dress she gave to Li Jia caused a miscarriage, and the evidence was right in front of him, leaving him no way to exonerate her.
Nan Yi was still thinking that Li Jia had miscarried, so he might as well send her a few more sets of fashionable clothes, hoping to make her smile.
Yinzhen pulled her onto his lap, cupped her face in his hands, and locked his gaze on her eyes with a very serious expression. "Yi'er, I'm asking you, did you know beforehand that Lady Li was pregnant?"
Nan Yi, puzzled, shook his head and said, "I don't know. I just got back and haven't heard anyone say that Li Jia came to visit, nor has anyone mentioned it."
She wrinkled her nose and glanced at his tightly furrowed brows. "You're so serious. What happened? Princess Li Jia miscarried. You're not suspecting the dress I gave her, are you?"
Yinzhen's gaze darkened, and he sighed, "Yi'er, I underestimated human nature. Perhaps your decision to stay in the manor was the right one."
Having been married to him for many years, Yi'er harbored no ill intentions. She never hid her resentment towards Nian Shi, and when she plotted against him, she would confront him directly.
She is a person who clearly distinguishes between gratitude and resentment, and she wouldn't even bear to harm her servants. How could she have the heart to harm an unborn child? Li Jia had no grudge against her and had no motive whatsoever. This way of framing her is far too clumsy.
"Damn it, who's blind enough to frame me?" Nan Yi stood up in astonishment, pointing a finger at Fourth Uncle. "Don't tell me, you suspect me too."
"Watch your words. If you continue to speak rudely, I'll punish you." Yinzhen glared at her. "Why are you in such a hurry? I know what I'm doing."
"You have no sense of right or wrong. I've only been back for a short time, holed up in my own yard, and yet this trouble still finds its way to me. It's all your fault. Why did you call me back? To take the blame for those dark-hearted people? Huh?"
Nan Yi put his hands on his hips, his face turning green with anger.
Damn it, her good intentions were taken advantage of.
She shouldn't have let Li Jiashi in when she came to visit; she must have been out of her mind.
"Ugh, I'm so angry! If I catch her, I'll pluck all her hair out!" Nan Yi said angrily.
Upon hearing this, Yinzhen was speechless.
Nan Yi suddenly remembered something and seemed to understand. "Go and investigate An Lan. I have never liked her, but that day was particularly strange. She actually came to visit me with Princess Li Jia. She didn't say a word when she arrived. Isn't that strange? Everyone in the manor knows that I don't like to associate with people, but why did she come? Knowing that I don't like her, she still came to make things difficult for me."
“An Lan?” Yinzhen’s gaze was cold. He didn’t care about many of the concubines his mother had given him.
The mother always acted according to her own preferences, and the concubines she bestowed upon her were all pretty young women of low status.
Even though he didn't like it, he would still give them some face out of respect for his mother.
“It’s her. I have a feeling you might find a clue from her,” Nan Yi said through gritted teeth.
As for motives, it's not impossible that An Lan, who was close to Li Jia, noticed that Li Jia was pregnant and, out of jealousy, sabotaged things and framed her.
Yinzhen stood up. "You stay in the courtyard and don't go out for the next few days. I'll go investigate."
Nan nodded and saw him out. The two held hands, and before the curtain was lifted, a greeting came from outside. Yiren hurriedly ran into the room, "Master, mistress, the Fujin has arrived and says she wants to see you."
The two exchanged a glance. Nan Yi pursed her lips and angrily asked Fourth Master, "So you've come to question me, huh?"
Yinzhen reassured him, "Don't be impatient, I will handle this matter."
"You'd better handle this properly, or don't blame me for making a scene that will embarrass you." Nan Yi pushed him away and stood coldly to the side.
Yinzhen glanced at her helplessly and walked outside.
When Lady Nara saw Yinzhen come out of the room, she curtsied and greeted him, saying, "This concubine greets Your Highness."
Yinzhen raised his hand to gesture for her to stand up. "Your Majesty is here. Have you come to see Lady Tong?" He sat down at the head of the table, and Lady Nara followed suit, calling out to the outer room, "Come in."
An Lan, who was waiting outside, came in and knelt down to pay her respects, saying, "This concubine greets Your Majesty. May Your Majesty be well."
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