Chapter 177

Chapter 177

Sui Yu: "At least we managed to avoid danger today."

Only then did Wan Linlang breathe a sigh of relief, taking the tea and sipping it slowly.

The tea had a poor taste, and Wan Linlang couldn't help but frown, the anger she'd just tamped down flaring right back up.

Taking advantage of the moment she handed over the tea, Sui Yu asked softly, "My lady, who do you think framed you with the cassava starch incident?"

Wan Linlang curled her lips into a mocking smile. "With such tactics, who else could it be but Fang Yuaner?"

Sui Yu hesitated. "But... there's no evidence."

Wan Linlang fell silent as well.

She couldn't very well say that in her past life, Fang Yuaner had used this same foolish trick against others, could she?

Ever since Prince Jing returned from Yun City and suddenly promoted Fang Yuaner to the position of concubine, Wan Linlang had a sudden realization.

Fang Yuaner was likely someone who had her soul swapped just like her!

She couldn't possibly guess that Fang Yuaner had come from a book, but she vaguely sensed that Fang Yuaner was in a similar situation to her own.

A swapped soul, and knowledge of what was to come.

Wan Linlang's gift of prophecy hadn't been valued by Prince Jing, likely because he already had Fang Yuaner by his side, someone who could also foresee the future!

Wan Linlang suddenly understood why she had been at a disadvantage against Fang Yuaner from the very beginning.

With her enemy in the shadows and herself in the open, wasn't it only natural she'd be hampered at every turn?

Now that she knew Fang Yuaner's origins, Wan Linlang no longer feared her and instead had a newfound confidence.

When she was summoned today, she had expected it to be about something else, and had even prepared for the worst.

But she never expected someone to accuse her of putting cassava starch in Fifth Young Master's water.

In her past life, Fang Yuaner had used the same method to frame other palace concubines.

That was why, the moment she heard "cassava starch," she thought of Fang Yuaner.

Unfortunately, she had no evidence, so she couldn't use this chance to take Fang Yuaner down.

She just sneered to herself.

Even with a new soul, Fang Yuaner still wasn't all that clever, and her ways were increasingly like her past self's.

In her past life, she'd played Fang Yuaner like a fiddle, so why would she be afraid of her in this life?

Once she'd figured it all out, Wan Linlang felt much calmer.

"Now it all comes down to whether Yuezhi lives or dies."

"If she dies, the cassava starch thing is over. If she lives and talks, this could get dug up again."

But Wan Linlang had a bad feeling about this.

Fang Yuaner knew her well, and after being rivals for so long, Wan Linlang knew Fang Yuaner just as well.

If Fang Yuaner wanted to frame her, a simple cassava starch thing... was too minor.

Even if Sui Ci actually took the blame.

Fifth Young Master wasn't hurt, so would Prince Jing really kill her over this?

On the flip side, a failed frame-up was bound to backfire... Fang Yuaner hadn't pulled something this dumb in ages.

But Wan Linlang couldn't figure out what Fang Yuaner was really planning.

After thinking it over, Wan Linlang instructed Sui Yu, "Send someone to keep an eye on Chunshan Courtyard later and see if any more news comes out."

Sui Yu acknowledged, "Yes, my lady!"

After a few more sips of tea to wet her throat, Wan Linlang asked, "As for Chunshan Courtyard, you don't need to go there anymore."

Sui Yu quickly nodded.

"The Chinese fleeceflower thing getting exposed must have scared that girl half to death."

"As long as I don't go to her, she won't dare come to me or show any sign of it."

"Now that the investigation points to Concubine Fang, and the prince has already decided she's guilty, this is over!"

As she said this, a smug smile spread across Sui Yu's face.

Right?

Concubine Fang tried to frame our lady but failed, and even lost Yuezhi in the process.

But their lady's plan had worked without a hitch.

When you added it all up, wasn't that a huge loss?

The girl Sui Yu mentioned was a young maid the mansion had assigned to take care of the wet nurse, named Youzi.

The wet nurse's main job was to care for the young master, and two maids were assigned to handle their daily needs.

Lately, Youzi was in charge of picking up the wet nurse's meals.

Besides Qiu Lu, who was at Fang Yuaner's side, she was the only one who touched the wet nurse's food every day.

Every day on the way to pick up the meals, she could quietly slip some Chinese fleeceflower into the food without anyone noticing.

Conveniently, Qiu Lu from the main kitchen was the perfect scapegoat, showing off in the kitchen every day and boldly touching the meals of all the masters.

That's exactly why Wan Linlang dared to pull off such a bold frame-up.

Sure enough, when something went wrong, everyone's first thought was Qiu Lu.

She'd also timed it perfectly, having someone secretly stuff a bunch of Chinese fleeceflower powder into Qiu Lu's pouch, just waiting for Prince Jing or the princess consort to have Qiu Lu's room searched.

With witnesses and evidence all lined up, Qiu Lu couldn't talk her way out of it.

The fact that Qiu Lu's crush on Prince Jing got dragged into it halfway through was purely accidental, but it did round out the motive for Qiu Lu wanting to hurt Fifth Young Master.

This frame-up was originally just to distract Fang Yuaner, keep her from focusing on her own son, and knock her down a peg.

Now Wan Linlang only regretted not hitting harder, wishing she could've taken Fang Yuaner out in one shot!

Wan Linlang, thinking of the news she had learned, couldn't help the smile curling at the corner of her mouth.

Fang Yuaner is still this pleased with herself now, probably unaware of the scheme against her son.

Good that she's pleased, then.

When you're pleased, you get careless, and naturally fail to attend to more important matters.

By the time she catches on, wailing and putting on a show—now that would be entertaining.

The Third Young Master was born premature; the longer his discomfort lingers, the more ailments he'll have in the future.

Best if he just up and dies... then Fang Yuaner would lose her whole reason to be proud.

"What a shame we missed a good show today," Sui Yu said, flattering Wan Linlang. "I wonder how flustered and helpless Cefei Fang will be once the evidence is ironclad..."

Wan Linlang said expressionlessly, "She's riding high on favor and arrogance now, not even giving the Princess Consort a second thought. Even with proof staring her in the face, how could she be flustered?"

"She'll probably just lean on the Prince's favor and refuse to admit a thing."

Even without being there, Wan Linlang could still picture Fang Yuaner acting all spoiled and high and mighty.

Sui Yu was caught off guard, then smiled, "She's got favor and a son, but Cefei Xie isn't exactly lacking either, is she?"

"If Cefei Fang still dares to act high and mighty in front of the Princess Consort, she'll be ticking off both Cefei Xie and the Princess Consort at once—she's bound to have a rough time ahead."

Wan Linlang: "As long as the Prince's got her back, where's the hardship gonna come from?"

The truth cuts the deepest.

What cuts even deeper is that in her past life, this protection and favor were all hers!

Fang Yuaner, having gotten a head start in this life, went after her everywhere, snatching away her favor and opportunities.

She was truly her sworn enemy.

Wan Linlang's eyes slowly reddened, and a murderous glint suddenly flashed in them.

She couldn't take it anymore, and she wasn't going to!

Sui Yu was still muttering on the sidelines: "The Prince is indeed partial. Cefei Fang's crime of harming the Fifth Young Master is proven beyond doubt, yet he only confined her for half a year."

As for docking her allowance, Sui Yu couldn't even be bothered to bring it up.

Who in the entire Prince's mansion didn't know that Cefei Fang was the last person short of money?

"If the Prince hadn't deliberately protected her, the punishment would surely have been harsher—at least she should have suffered some physical pain."