Chapter 353 Settling Accounts
"Since four months, the fetus has grown very fast. I was afraid that I wouldn't get enough nutrition, so I haven't stopped taking ginseng and bird's nest. Although I don't eat them with every meal, I do take them every day."
After drinking a glass of water, Wang Xifeng felt much better.
Before she transmigrated, although she was just a minor actress, she was very careful about maintaining her figure. Whenever her weight was slightly overweight, she would fast for a few days, which was not too difficult for her.
And she believed that her sister Yuan would definitely come to save her!
Yuan Hongqu handed her a glass of water with ginseng hydrosol added.
"Drink slowly, there's nothing seriously wrong with your body. Have some bird's nest porridge later, and some light meat porridge in the evening. If you feel fine during the night, you can resume your normal diet tomorrow."
"Sister, I think it's okay to go back to a normal diet now. I could eat a whole roasted lamb right now!" Wang Xifeng felt full of energy after drinking the ginseng water.
"Just wait, I'll have someone select a lamb this afternoon, roast it slowly over a low flame, and you can have it for lunch tomorrow."
The maids around Wang Xifeng, including Ping'er, all wondered why things were like this. Shouldn't Lord Yuan have come to rescue Second Mistress, find the culprit, and eliminate any future troubles for her? Why were the two of them discussing what to eat? Was that really so important?
The maids and servants from various households peeking out from the other side of the stone bridge—that's the real problem that needs to be solved right now!
But then they heard their second mistress tugging at Lord Yuan in a coquettish manner.
"I also want to eat it with chive blossom sauce, which you said you brought back from the grasslands." As Wang Xifeng spoke, her eyes were already close to her mouth. How could she have slept well these past few nights? She herself was fine, but the little thing in her belly was probably feeling uneasy and kept kicking her.
Hearing her sister say that she was alright, she felt relieved and then realized she was so sleepy that she was about to fall asleep.
"Yes, I brought it for you. If you're sleepy, go take a nap. I'll stay here." Yuan Hongqu comforted her, and told Ping'er and the others to help Wang Xifeng go to sleep for a while. She could eat something after she woke up.
Wang Xifeng fell asleep peacefully, and Yuan Hongqu then led her people into the courtyard of Rongyue Courtyard.
The first person to walk across the stone bridge was Madam Xing.
“Mr. Yuan, Feng’er…” As soon as Madam Xing entered, she saw Yuan Hongqu sitting in a large armchair. She was just sitting there casually, without any of the demeanor of a well-bred lady.
However, it was Yuan Hongqu's casual and expressionless demeanor that sent a chill down Madam Xing's spine.
The lord once said that when he saw Yuan Hongqu in the imperial court, her nonchalant attitude led to several officials being dragged out and brought to justice on the spot.
But she had a well-reasoned argument, and no one could refute her.
Armed guards stood side by side on both sides. The weapons themselves weren't scary; what was truly terrifying was the seemingly harmless Yuan Hongqu in the middle.
“She’s doing well, and she’ll definitely outlive all of you.” Yuan Hongqu interrupted her, saying that such insincere politeness was unnecessary.
“Mr. Yuan, this has nothing to do with me!” Madam Xing was startled and blurted out, “It’s all what they said. I’m very timid. I was burning incense and praying to Buddha in the house just to keep evil spirits away from Feng’er. I never thought of taking Feng’er’s life.”
"I know, but I doubt you have the guts," Yuan Hongqu said bluntly.
She was a real third-rank official, not a nominal one. She had an office to be on duty in the capital city, and she had her own dedicated workspace. However, because the academy had more to do, only one person was left to manage the office. She would only go there when there was something to do.
As for the official residence that a third-rank official should have, Yuan Hongqu also had one, right next to the Lin family's residence. She had specifically exchanged it with another official. Although the residence had long been tidied up, she had hardly ever lived there.
Furthermore, she had more power than other third-rank officials: she could freely enter and leave the palace, which was much more convenient for her than for the men!
Therefore, although Madam Xing was a first-rank imperial consort, Yuan Hongqu did not take it seriously. A first-rank consort meant nothing to her.
Madam Xing was always a bully who preyed on the weak and feared the strong. Upon hearing this, she almost cowered like a quail.
Thinking that she hadn't targeted Wang Xifeng and hadn't interfered in these matters at all, she regained some courage.
“Mr. Yuan, I am relieved that you are taking care of Feng’er. Please feel free to ask for anything she needs. Feng’er’s room has the most complete set of things in the entire mansion.”
Having said that, she hurriedly left with her men, fearing that Yuan Hongqu would call her back and pin the blame on her for Wang Xifeng's affair.
As Madam Xing stepped off the stone bridge, two people approached her.
It was Jia Baoyu and his nephew Jia Lan.
The two men bowed to her, but Madam Xing waved her hand and kept walking, as if a ghost was chasing her from behind, and she walked faster and faster.
Baoyu and Jialan looked at each other in bewilderment. After Madam Xing had gone far away, the two of them went into Rongyue Courtyard.
"Greetings, Lord Yuan." The two men bowed respectfully to Yuan Hongqu before speaking.
"Lord Yuan, I heard a few days ago that my second sister-in-law was unwell and had been bedridden. I suppose you've come today because she's recovered. May we go in to visit her?"
"No, she just fell asleep. Please come back tomorrow!"
The two were about to leave in a huff when, before they even left the courtyard, they saw the eldest master, the second master, and the second mistress approaching, and they stopped in their tracks.
“Mr. Yuan, if you rashly let Wang Xifeng out of the ancestral hall, what if the monster inside her comes out again and hurts people? Can you bear that responsibility?”
It was actually Madam Wang who spoke first. The two grown men didn't dare to face Yuan Hongqu directly, so a woman had to speak first.
“As long as you have nothing to hide, there will be no demons or monsters.” Yuan Hongqu’s voice was icy, and her eyes seemed to be able to see through the thoughts of all of them.
“Yuan Hongqu, you were just a servant in the Lin family before, so what if you’ve become the head of the female officials! A woman who has never married or given birth still wants to ride on a man’s head!” Jia She didn’t care about anything else and started talking.
“You’re right about everything, but Feng’er did everything, even renovating your family’s ancestral hall. The ancestors didn’t protect her; instead, they made you all point your guns at her.”
Yuan Hongqu, however, did not indulge him. She recounted all the things Wang Xifeng had done for the Rongguo Mansion, and finally said, "Even if she were a demon, your family would still have to worship this great deity! Without her, your family would still be the same as before. If you want to live such a carefree life, forget it!"
"Master, those antique fans aren't cheap. Do you think it's better to seize them by bullying others or to buy them with money? Second Master, I heard that your retainers spend a lot of money on food and drinks every month. Can your meager salary afford that?"
Yuan Hongqu's tone was unfriendly. Among the three, Jia She and Jia Zheng had already lowered their heads in shame. It wasn't that they didn't know about these things, but they had been repeatedly misled by Jia Zhen and had finally fallen into his trap.
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