Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Xie Run leaned back in her chair and said lazily, "I actually believe Qiu Lan's words: Fang Yuaner wasn't involved, mainly because there was no need."

Fang Yuaner's goal was the Princess Consort; why would she target a concubine who only had a daughter?

She aimed high, believing in capturing the ringleader first, and the rest would naturally submit.

Fang Yuaner had never bothered to fight with the other concubines in the residence; instead, she spent large sums of money to win people over.

It was probably due to her modern mindset—she always thought that with money, nothing was impossible.

I think both Shufei Ning and the Princess Consort could see through it, but since Fang Yuaner hadn't actually done anything, they never took it seriously.

Xie Run said, "I'm just curious—how was Shufei Ning so confident, as if she was certain it was Qiu Lan who schemed against Shiqie Yun?"

The incident today happened suddenly, yet Shufei Ning immediately blamed Fang Yuaner, and everything was handled methodically afterward, as if she had known it all along and was just waiting to convict Fang Yuaner.

More specifically, Cefei Ning had been targeting Fang Yuaner today.

There was no reason for this at all, so there must be some hidden motive.

Xie Run was startled. "I haven't heard of Fang Yuaner offending Cefei Ning recently… by the way, who is this Nanny Liu?"

Qiu Lan administered the drug, but this Nanny Liu probably did a lot of inciting as well.

However, Shufei Ning didn't investigate further, so Xie Run wasn't clear on the details.

Dan Tao and Yuli exchanged glances and shook their heads.

These two had come with Xie Run from the Xie family and had been confined to Linxuan Pavilion ever since, so they couldn't gather much information.

Xie Run thought for a moment. "Go call Xiaoshu and Xiao Ci in."

These two were homeborn servants and had their own connections; they might know something.

As luck would have it.

Xiaoshu's biological mother had entered the residence in the same group as Nanny Liu and had even worked together with her.

Seeing her troubled expression, Xie Run gently comforted her, "You must have heard about the big incident at the banquet today, right? Although our Linxuan Pavilion doesn't stir up trouble, we can't turn a blind eye and a deaf ear either. With such a major event happening in the residence, we need to at least know about it."

Xiaoshu knelt and bowed, almost in tears. "Master, I know why Cefei Ning targeted Shiqie Fang."

Xie Run was somewhat surprised. "So it really is related to this Nanny Liu?"

Xiaoshu nodded. "The wet nurse who jumped into the river holding the Second Young Master was actually Nanny Liu's goddaughter, the one who was supposed to take care of Nanny Liu in her old age.

Later, when the wet nurse died, Nanny Liu wanted to find a new daughter. Coincidentally, Shiqie Fang was trying to win people over, so Nanny Liu took an interest in a maid from Jinxiu Pavilion and started having more dealings with Shiqie Fang…"

Xiaoshu was quick-witted and hinted without saying too much.

Xie Run understood immediately.

"I heard that Shufei Ning doesn't believe the wet nurse harmed the Second Young Master and has always suspected someone in the inner courtyard did it… Could she believe Fang Yuaner is responsible for the Second Young Master's death?"

Xiaoshu lowered her voice. "That seems to be the case."

Xie Run was speechless. "Is Shufei Ning insane?"

When the Second Young Master's accident happened, Fang Yuaner had only been in the residence for a short time. How could she have the means to harm a prince's son?

Besides… she had no reason to!

Fang Yuaner didn't even have a child of her own and hadn't established herself yet. What benefit would she gain from harming the Second Young Master?

But Xie Run knew that a bereaved mother wouldn't care about that.

Shufei Ning absolutely refused to admit that her own mistreatment of the wet nurse had caused her son's death.

To shift the blame from herself, she had to find a scapegoat.

Unfortunately, Fang Yuaner's recent aggressive efforts to win people over and her close association with Nanny Liu had made her the target of Shufei Ning's anger.

Or perhaps Fang Yuaner's favor with the Prince had become an eyesore to Shufei Ning, and she simply decided to eliminate her.

After questioning the servants, she had the maids check each other's rooms and search Linxuan Pavilion thoroughly.

Only after confirming nothing suspicious was found did she go to bed peacefully.

Xie Run placed great importance on maintaining her health. Even if a flood were to come the next day, she would still go to bed at her usual time tonight.

The next morning, Xiaoshu went out early to gather news and came back.

Yuli was still helping Xie Run wash her face when Xiaoshu stood to the side and said, "Last night, the Princess Consort was furious."

Xie Run was startled and looked up. "Why was the Princess Consort angry? What about the Prince?"

Xiaoshu was also taken aback. "Well… I didn't hear anything about that. The inner courtyard affairs have always been managed by the Princess Consort; the Prince generally doesn't interfere."

Xie Run lowered her head again. "Go on."

Xiaoshu continued, "Both Nanny Liu and Qiu Lan confessed. They said they couldn't stand Shiqie Yun and Shiqie Fang competing for favor, so they schemed to drug Shiqie Yun. But they didn't expect the sour plum soup to end up in Princess Ruyi's mouth."

"Now Nanny Liu has been sent to the estate, and Qiu Lan was punished with thirty strokes. Since her personal contract wasn't with the Prince's residence, she was sent back to the Fang family in Jiangnan overnight."

"And Shiqie Fang?"

"For failing to control her subordinates, she's confined to her quarters for six months and has her monthly allowance docked for six months."

Xie Run finished washing her face and then looked up as the maid applied moisturizer. "That punishment is still quite light."

If it were just drugging Shiqie Yun, it might be a minor matter, but since Princess Ruyi got involved, the severity of the incident changed entirely.

Xiaoshu smiled. "The Princess Consort has always been fair in handling affairs. After investigating and confirming that Qiu Lan acted on her own, she imposed a light punishment."

If a severe punishment were applied, Shiqie Fang would likely have been beaten thirty strokes and sent back to the Fang family as well.

But 'sent back' meant that after thirty strokes, she might not even survive the journey.

In the eyes of the Prince's residence, Qiu Lan was already a dead woman.

Xie Run understood and could only sigh. Suddenly she asked, "What about Shufei Ning?"

Xiaoshu replied, "Last night, as soon as the Princess Consort returned, Shufei Ning came to apologize first. After a lengthy pleading, she received no punishment at all. In fact, because she protected the Little Princess, the Princess Consort even rewarded her."

Xie Run: "It's no wonder she became a Cefei—she's truly formidable."

Fang Yuaner's slaps and humiliation were all for nothing.

It seems Prince Jing will no longer favor Fang Yuaner either.

Anyone with eyes can see that Shufei Ning deliberately targeted Fang Yuaner, yet she gave no one any leverage and still held the moral high ground.

The enmity between these two is likely set in stone.

That morning, Xie Run had been thinking that Fang Yuaner wouldn't let things go so easily. Given Fang Yuaner's temperament, Xie Run wondered how she would retaliate against Cefei Ning.

But during lunch, word came that Fang Yuaner had miscarried.

The shrimp Xie Run held with her chopsticks fell onto the table.

Dan Tao dismissed the messenger Xiao Ci: "Our lady's probably just startled. You can go now."

The mansion's inner quarters had been unsettled lately, and Xiao Ci was frightened too. She acknowledged and withdrew.

It took Xie Run a long moment to gather herself. "How did she miscarry? No, wait—when did she even get pregnant?"

Dan Tao replied: "They say it was early in the pregnancy, and she didn't know herself. She suffered a fright last night, and after all that turmoil, the baby was lost."

Xie Run felt a pang of regret. "What a pity... I want to visit her this afternoon. Prepare the things."

Dan Tao was curious but didn't press further.

Xie Run slowly regained her composure, picked up her chopsticks, and took another bite.

No matter how big the crisis, it wouldn't affect her eating and sleeping.

After lunch, Xie Run took her usual walk around the courtyard to help digest.

As she walked, she unconsciously fell into a daze.

What startled her just now was that the novel she'd transmigrated into made no mention of Fang Yuaner ever being pregnant or miscarrying.