191 Feng Yi Shuang’s End
The officials in the front hall, seeing the Emperor arriving at Prime Minister’s Manor, all felt that the Prime Minister’s Manor has quite the imperial favor and regarded Prime Minister even more highly. However, they didn’t know that the Emperor was merely temporarily placating Prime Minister’s manor, while he was suppressing Prime Minister’s manor secretively.
“This old subject appreciates Your Majesty’s sympathy!” Prime Minister An gratefully greeted the Emperor.
“Beloved subject please rise!” The Emperor had Eunuch Lu help Prime Minister An up, offering comfort, “Beloved subject is a pillar of Feng country. You must pay heed to your health. Don’t be overwhelmed by grief.”
It truly looked like the a pair of cordial monarch and subject. But whether it was the Emperor or Prime Minister An, both were merely acting. Prime Minister An’s eyes flashed with smugness as his eyes landed on Lan Jian Jun, standing off to the side. Don’t you, Lan Jian Jun, love that legitimate daughter the most? After today, they shall see if this sworn enemy can still stand there like that.
Lan Jian Jun could tell there was something with Prime Minister An’s expression and felt panic slither into his heart. With his son was right beside him, for Prime Minister An to be so smug at him, the matter can only concern Nian’er. Lan Jian Jun panicked, wanting to find his daughter.
But without waiting for Lan Jian Jun to leave, a maidservant of Prime Minister’s manor fell to her knees wailing, “Prime Minister, the little master he…”
Prime Minister An panicked slightly as he heard this. Though everything went according to their plans, Prime Minister An couldn’t help feeling distressed thinking of that little grandson who has just been born a few months ago. That was his An manor’s bloodline. To be able to die for An manor was that child’s honor. A child in exchange for a blow against Lan manor was worth it.
“What? What happened to this old man’s grandson?” Prime Minister An demanded in a panic. Then, he questioned the Empress who was following beside the Emperor, “Wasn’t this old man’s grandson with the Empress? What-what is going on?”
The Empress looked confused, saying “When this empress learned of His Majesty’s arrival, I handed the child to Lan manor’s Miss Lan to take care of. Though Miss Lan is an unmarried girl, she should be able to look after a child. What is going on?”
When Lan Jian Jun heard this, he knew his daughter was schemed against by the Empress’s faction and his entire face darkened. He was fully aware of the danger of the disputes between the different parties, but he didn’t expect these people to drag his daughter into this whirlpool one time after another. He, Lan Jian Jun, won’t let Prime Minister manor have an easy time!
Meanwhile, Feng Xia Qi and Jing Wu An both realized today wasn’t merely a funeral but also a conspiracy. The two of them believed in Lan You Nian’s abilities and cleverness in dealing with these, but they couldn’t help worrying.
How could Emperor Feng Xuan not understand these people were directing their attack against Lan manor’s girl? Thinking of his sixth son who was at the borders, if something should happen to this girl, then the consequences…the Emperor felt a headache coming just thinking about the possibilities.
“What has happened?” Emperor Feng Xuan demanded, while considering if something happened, how could he save Lan clan’s girl.
“This servant doesn’t know. Only Miss Lan and little young master are in the room, but the doors are stuck closed, so this servant came for instruction!” That maidservant trembled as she knelt on the ground, sneaking nervous looks at Prime Minister An from time to time.
“Your Majesty, let this consort go take a look. The child is still very little. If something has happened…,” the Empress said anxiously.
“What can happen!” Emperor Feng Xuan roared and then said, “Since this happened at Prime Minister’s manor and this emperor is present, we will go together to take a look. This emperor would like to see what could possibly happen to Prime Minister manor’s legitimate son in Prime Minister’s manor!”
With the Emperor’s words, the expressions of the Empress and An manor changed slightly, but considering even if the Emperor has the intention to be partial, he couldn’t block gossiping mouths!
~
“What is Her Majesty’s intention in framing this humble girl? What purpose does Prime Minister Manor have in indiscriminately slandering this girl?” Lan You Nian whom everyone was talking about appeared together with Jing manor’s marquis and Yue country’s Princess Bai Lian. Lan You Nian’s usually polite smile already recovered its unswerving serenity, even slightly expressionless with indifference, giving off an unattainable feeling.
The Empress and Prime Minister An stared at Lan You Nian in disbelief. Beside Lan You Nian stood a marquis and a princess. Prime Minister An was in a panic. If Lan You Nian was here, then, who was in the room? So his little grandson in vain…
“Nian’er!” Lan Jian Jun, seeing his daughter appear, sighed in relief inside. Knowing that Prime Minister An’s plot wouldn’t affect Nian’er, Lan Jian Jun settled his heart back into his stomach.
“Respects to Your Majesty!” the three of them greeted the Emperor.
“Beloved subject Jing, what’s going on?” Emperor Feng Xuan asked Marquis Jing. “How come Her Majesty does Lan family’s girl is looking after Prime Minister manor’s legitimate son in the room? How is Lan family’s girl with you?” Emperor Feng Xuan knew, since Lan family’s girl was with Jing Leng, what has happened today was alright. Jing Leng, this person, was quite fond of sixth son, so naturally he wouldn’t let anything happen to the girl sixth son liked.
“What is Her Majesty saying?” Jing Leng looked at the Empress without any respect. In his heart, the Empress will always be his little sister, not this hypocritical woman. “Recently, Lan family’s girl said she had a recipe for brewing wine for this subject. This subject just happened to encounter Lan family’s girl and Princess Bai Lian. These two girls have been accompanying this subject walking around, letting Lan family’s girl tell this subject the recipe along the way. This subject heard His Majesty attended personally, so I brought the two girls over to present themselves to His Majesty. How has it become the accusation of plotting harm against Prime Minister’s legitimate son?”
“Not only does Uncle Jing doesn’t understand, this girl doesn’t understand either. How come I’ve been accused of such a great crime in such a short time?” Lan You Nian and Yue Bai Lian stood beside Lan Jian Jun as Lan You Nian asked in confusion.
“Would this empress have lied?” the Empress looked at Lan You Nian in fury. Clearly, she’s arranged several guards with high levels of martial arts outside in fear that Lan You Nian will run away when the time came, yet she was still able to escape. Could someone have helped her? The Empress glanced at Jing Leng, feeling that Lan You Nian was able to come out of the room was because of Jing Leng.
“When this empress left, only you were in the room. Now the maid said something has happened to the child, shouldn’t I suspect Miss Lan?” the Empress said haughtily, without a trace of panic.
Lan You Nian’s radiant eyes stared directly at the Empress as she said “As soon as Your Majesty left, this girl left the room as well. When this girl left the room, I handed the child, without a single hair out of place, to a palace maid. With this said, what suspect does this girl have?” Lan You Nian smirked. “Besides, does anyone know what exactly has happened to Prime Minister manor’s legitimate son? Since no one knows what has happened, why is Her Majesty so certain something has happened to Prime Minister manor’s legitimate son? Can Her Majesty foresee things?”
“You…” the Empress was made speechless. She didn’t expect this girl to be meticulous at such a young age, to entrust the child to a palace maid after she left the room. That way, it really had nothing to do with her-today’s trap was set in vain!
Lan You Nian’s eyes flashed with killing intent, seeing the Empress and Prime Minister An fl.u.s.tered. Of course this trap wasn’t just a display. Though I can’t use this trap to deal with you people, it is more than enough to deal with Feng Yi Shuang. Speaking of which, she really should thank them!
“In this case, this matter has nothing to do with Lan girl!” Emperor Feng Xuan declared. “As the country’s Empress, you are lacking in judgement. Empress, this emperor is disappointed in you!” Emperor Feng Xuan’s words were not only striking the Empress, it was slapping Prime Minister An’s face. After all, Prime Minister An didn’t have any judgement either.
“Ah!” Suddenly, a sharp painful screech sounded from the room.
“What’s going on?” Emperor Feng Xuan said, displeased. How could this Prime Minister Manor can always come up with so many things? It seems he should let sixth and them make a move quickly; otherwise, such an endless plotting this and plotting that, when will it end?
The wicked smile on Lan You Nian’s lips became deeper as she followed the crowd over to the room. Before they could approach the room, they saw a matron-An Gong Jing’s wife-wailing as she held an infant outside the room. The shrill and forlorn cries made the Prime Minister manor that was decorated with white seem even more gloomy.
The matron upon seeing An Gong Jing, crawled on her knees over to An Gong Jing, wailing, “Husband, save my child, save our child! Why won’t he open his eyes?” Lan You Nian, seeing this, knew the woman wasn’t aware of the Prime Minister and their plans. That’s right, who would be willing to part with the flesh that fell from her own belly to be murdered by his own father and grandfather?
An Gong Jing looked at the lifeless infant in the woman’s arms. It would be a lie to say he wasn’t distressed, but for their big plans, he was willing. After all, he can have more children in the future, but there wouldn’t be many opportunities. At present, Prime Minister Manor was already starting to go downhill.
“Wife” An Gong Jing gently called his wife’s name. “The child has already pa.s.sed. Let go of him alright?”
“No! Not possible!” The matron gripped the child even tighter, refusing to let go. She’s been married to An Gong Jing for many years. She has only given birth to one son and one daughter, and her son was killed by Lan Zhi. It wasn’t easy for her to give birth to this son, so she doted on him very much. How could the child be gone shortly after the Empress took him away?
“Wife,” An Gong Jing looked at his wife, not feeling good either, and felt hated Lan manor’s people even more. Why do they suffer the consequences every time they plot a trap for Lan manor?
“The child is already dead! Wake up! Someone, take eldest madame back!” Prime Minister An was about to vomit the old blood in his heart. His plot was flawless-he even brought over his daughter from the palace and paid with a grandson-but it was all in vain!
“No! No!” the matron saw the family retainers wretch the dead infant from her. The matron seemed to have gone mad as she yanked Feng Yi Shuang by the hair out of the room, like a shrew, dragging out Feng Yi Shuang who was hiding in the room.
Feng Yi Shuang, after being dragged and clawed at, was disheveled. Her cheeks showed several scratches made by the matron. When the crowd saw Feng Yi Shuang being dragged out, they were even more confused. How could a princess come out of this room?
“Enough!” The Emperor said to the guards, “So unseemly! Drag them apart!”
After the guards dragged the two apart, the matron fell to her knees, “Your Majesty please give this humble concubine justice! It’s her!” The matron pointed at Feng Yi Shuang, her eyes filled with bone-chilling hatred. “She killed my child! She stole my child!”
“It can’t be. It was done by the second princess?” The crowd started to gossip after hearing this. None of them ever would have thought Feng Yi Shuang would kill Prime Minister manor’s legitimate son. None of them understood why the second princess would do this.
Feng Yi Shuang didn’t understand what was going on either. She went to use the latrine and then woke up in this room. The child in her arms no longer had any breath. She was really afraid so she was going to throw the infant out. Just as it happens, this matron walked in, believing she killed this child.
“You’re absurd!” Feng Yi Shuang said furiously, “This princess didn’t kill this child! When this princess came into the room, this child was already dead!” Feng Yi Shuang refuted.
With Feng Yi Shuang’s words, the Empress felt a shock of surprise, “According to the second princess’s words, when Miss Lan left the room, the child was already dead? In this case, it has nothing to do with the second princess!”
“Yes, it must be Lan You Nian! This princess has no strife with Prime Minister manor. How could this princess kill this child?” Feng Yi Shuang affirmed.
Lan You Nian walked over to the dead infant, “When has Her Majesty’s ears become deaf? This girl clearly said when I left the child with a palace maid, the child was still fine. Has Her Majesty already forgotten? Or is Her Majesty determined to pour this dirty water on this girl today?”
“This empress didn’t slander you. What if you poisoned this child? Some poisons take time to take effect!” the Empress aid viciously. This child was already poisoned by them. They only had to say Lan You Nian was the one who placed the poison.
Feng Xia Qi and the others could already see all of the schemes. Feng Xia Qi was about to take a step out to say something but Lan You Nian shot him a look. Feng Xia Qi was a smart man, so he understood what Lan You Nian meant. To the Empress, he said, “There’s no meaning in continuing this dispute. Since Her Majesty is determined to accuse Nian’er meimei, let’s have the imperial physician to check it out. That way, everyone will be given justice!”
Lan Mo Xian looked at Feng Xia Qi in panic. Seeing Feng Xia Qi’s expression was normal, Lan Mo Xian felt a slightly rea.s.sured. He trusted fourth w.a.n.gye won’t harm his little sister.
At this moment, the Empress felt Feng Xia Qi who’s fought with her son for so many years was nothing much to speak about. Meanwhile, Prime Minister An was a little suspicious. Fourth w.a.n.gye handled matters methodically. From his hands, he couldn’t gain any benefit. So how could he say something like this?
Emperor Feng Xuan waved his hand, granting the request. There was an imperial physician at Prime Minister manor today, so immediately an imperial physician checked the corpse of the infant. After a while, the imperial physician said, “Your Majesty, this infant did not die by poison but was choked to death. The bruising hasn’t faded, so it is certain Miss Lan isn’t the culprit!” the imperial physician felt some sympathy for this Lan manor’s little lady. How come every time it was aimed at her?
“No, how is it possible, not possible!” the Empress uttered in disbelief. Meanwhile, Feng Yi Shuang fell on her b.u.t.tocks in fear. If the infant was choked to death, she can’t from being charged with the crime.
“Does Her Majesty still not believe?” Feng Xia Qi chewed on his words, “In this case, why don’t we question the palace maid standing guard?” Feng Xia Qi pointed at that palace maid, “You explain what has happened!”
“Answering fourth w.a.n.gye!” the palace maid knelt on the ground, “After Her Majesty left, Miss Lan also left. When Miss Lan left, the child was still fine. In the end, second princess entered the room and this servant was chased. Later, this madame started screaming!”
“Now isn’t everything clear? What else does Her Majesty want to say? This girl has been blamed wrongfully many times. If Her Majesty still doesn’t understand, you can tell this girl. This girl will resolve Her Majesty’s confusion!” Lan You Nian’s eyes were slightly chilly like ice at the peak of a snowy mountaintop. Only a glance already made people’s hearts shudder.
The Empress remained silent. No matter what she says, she wouldn’t be able to drag Lan You Nian in. It’s better if she didn’t say anything.
Lan You Nian’s eyes flashed with satisfaction, studying the palace maid kneeling on the ground. This palace maid wasn’t one of her people but was a chess piece Feng Xia Qi placed by the Empress’s side. This chess piece was a big help today. No one would suspect the words of the Empress’s own palace maids.
“Your Majesty, please give justice to this subject-wife! Second princess killed subject-wife’s child. Your Majesty please bring justice!” the matron already believed that Feng Yi Shuang killed her child, and now there is a witness and physical evidence, the matron pleaded.
“Imperial Father, subject-daughter didn’t…” Feng Yi Shuang cried, attempting to explain.
But the Emperor didn’t give Feng Yi Shuang the chance to explain. Someone must shoulder the responsibility of this crime, so Feng Yi Shuang couldn’t be saved, “Remove second princess’s t.i.tle as princess and degrade to a commoner’s status, no longer allowed to enter the palace!” The Emperor paid no heed to Feng Yi Shuang’s pleading and left Prime Minister Manor. The Empress followed back to the palace in a rage.
“This girl accepts Prime Minister manor’s present. It will be repaid tenfold!” Lan You Nian curtsied and left the Prime Minister manor with Lan Jian Jun and the others, leaving the Prime Minister and his son An Gong Jing in a state as they threw the objects in their hands onto the ground. The Prime Minister felt his vision turning dark. After everything, they weren’t even able to topple Lan manor.
Feng Xia Qi and the others didn’t return to their manors. Instead, they snuck into Lan manor. Ever since Lan You Nian returned to Lan manor, Lan manor has become more lively. Everyone would always run over to Lan manor, no matter the reason. However, they were always cautious. Whenever they came to Lan manor, they didn’t allow certain concerned people notice.
Lan Qu brewed and served up some quality tea for the people present. The first one who couldn’t help himself from asking was Lan Jian Jun,”Nian’er were you hurt?”
“No,” Lan You Nian shook her head. She couldn’t help admire Prime Minister An’s means, being so ruthless just to ruin her.
“What exactly happened?” Lan Mo Xian asked anxiously. He was really afraid today. Why was it every time his little sister went out, there were so many people who wanted to hurt her? He was ashamed that as her older brother he couldn’t help her at all.
The matter of explaining what happened was left to An San. Actually, the moment Lan You Nian entered the room, the infant was already poisoned, so when the innocent infant died by poison, with only Lan manors legitimate daughter, who didn’t have an amiable relation with Prime Minister manor, was present in the room, no matter how Lan You Nian explained, she wouldn’t be able to clear herself of the blame. Thus, Lan you Nian had Lan Feng deal with the guards outside left by the Empress while An San lugged over Feng Yi Shuang who was knocked unconscious. By the time Feng Yi Shuang came to, the infant was already dead.
At the time, Lan You Nian used a silver needle to seal away the poison in the infant’s body. Ordinary people wouldn’t be able to figure it out. Then, she created the illusion that the infant was choked to death. Then, Lan you Nian and An San walked straight out of the room as Lan Feng lured An Gong Jing’s madame over. Then, the chess piece Feng Xia Qi placed by the Empress’s side was made use of by framing Feng Yi Shuang.
“Ai, a healthy child was actually…” Hua Mu Qing murmured melancholily. The child was innocent yet it was used by those people to harm other people.
Lan Mo Xian patted Hua Mu Qing’s hand in comfort. They stood in a high position and were able to see more things than most people, but they must not have so much sympathy. How could Hua Mu Qing not understand? She was only uttering her discontent.
Lan You Nian looked at Lan Jian Jun. She doubted her father was able to accept her framing Feng Yi Shuang. Lan Jian Jun had an upright air, unlike her who lives in the darkness. However, Lan You Jian did not see the blame in Lan Jian Jun’s eyes, which was quite unexpected for her. What Lan You Nian doesn’t know that though Lan Jian Jun was an upright man, at the same time, he was a father. He believed in his daughter.
“Nian’er, what are you thinking?” The sonorous voice carried hints of doting, the rough tone was filled with gentleness. Lan Jian Jun looked at his daughter who was staring at him.
“Won’t father ask Nian’er why I treated Feng Yi Shuang that way?” Lan You Nian asked, feeling slightly anxious inside. She didn’t know whether this relations.h.i.+p between father and daughter can still continue.
Lan Jian Jun chuckled heartily, “My, Lan Jian Jun’s, daughter doesn’t need a reason whatever she wants to do. You only need to know father will always stand by you!”
When the voice drifted into her ears, Lan You Nian’s heart jumped as a warm current flowed into her heart, from her heart up to the tip of her nose. It was wonderful to have such a father.
Feng Xia Qi was happy for the father and daughter pair, but still asked, “As for Feng Yi Shuang, how does Nian’er meimei want to deal with her?” Since this Feng Yi Shuang dares to commit arson, then she must suffer the consequences. Feng Xia Qi didn’t trust this little sister born of the same father but different mother to behave herself in the future.
Lan You Nian pondered on it for a moment and then said, “Eradicate!” Since she’s already a commoner, it would be much easier to kill Feng Yi Shuang without any troublesome follow-up.
“Leave it to me!” Feng Xia Qi said. He still wanted to do something for her, even though it may seem absurd.
Lan You Nian didn’t overthink it and nodded her head in confirmation.
When everyone left, Lan You Nian said to Lan Feng, “Let An Gong Jing’s wife know the truth behind her child’s death. Internal fighting is the most entertaining…”