Seeing this, Concubine Rong and Concubine Lu ate their meals with even less fanfare, trying to minimize their presence and eat their breakfast in silence. However, they both shared a common understanding: the Madam was no longer the weak and incompetent person she once was, and Concubine Fang was likely to fall victim to her!
Aunt Fang clenched her slender fingers hidden in her wide sleeves, her meticulously manicured nails leaving deep marks on her palms.
Lan Xi can remain so calm! Is she too cunning and good at hiding her true feelings, or does she simply not understand that I'm provoking her? Perhaps her temper flares up in waves? Why was she so decisive just now, and now she's playing dumb?
It seems that unless I show some skill, I won't be able to gain any advantage over Lan Xi today.
Aunt Fang almost ground her teeth to powder. She hardened her heart and twisted her fingers hard against her thigh. Instantly, a look of pain appeared on her face. She cried out in pain and swayed to the side. If she hadn't supported herself with her hands, she would have collapsed.
Lan Xiwei sighed almost imperceptibly. Being brainless isn't scary; what's truly frightening is doing things beyond one's capabilities. This child is beyond redemption. Aunt Fang perfectly embodies the spirit of relentlessly courting death.
"Go and see her." Lan Xi winked at Banxia, who cleverly pulled Lianxin along and hurriedly went to see Aunt Fang. Lan Xi's eyes were full of impatience as she looked at Aunt Fang, and her voice turned cold: "Who are you trying to impress with this sickly look! Do you really think you're some kind of beautiful but sickly woman?"
"Madam, it's my fault." Aunt Fang was unusually composed at this moment. She said with a wronged expression, "I just got my period and I'm feeling a little unwell. I didn't mean to upset you!"
As she spoke, she forced herself to kowtow to Lan Xi, tears streaming down her face, "Please punish me, Madam."
"I see." Lan Xi's tone softened immediately, and she asked with concern, "You've been kneeling for half a day, you must have caught a chill?"
Aunt Fang thought Lan Xi had taken the bait, and quickly nodded. Her face became even more delicate, as if she could faint at any moment.
"It's not good for her to get hurt." Lan Xi smiled gently and instructed Tang Li and Yue Lin, "Take my token and go call the people at the second gate to fetch a doctor and give Aunt Fang a proper check-up!"
For a moment, Aunt Fang forgot that she was still pretending to be sick and impatiently called out, "Go and fetch the doctor from Renshantang!"
Before she could finish speaking, everyone in the room was already looking at her. Her face flushed slightly, and she stammered, "This servant...this servant usually calls Doctor Zhang."
Lan Xi did not delve into the loopholes in her words, nodded to Tang Li, and tacitly approved of Aunt Fang's request.
Seeing that Lan Xi did not object, Aunt Fang secretly breathed a sigh of relief. However, when she met Lan Xi's gaze, she found that Lan Xi was looking at her with a half-smile.
Aunt Fang immediately felt uneasy.
Lanxi ate a few bites of breakfast and then ordered it to be taken away. At the same time, Consort Rong and Consort Lu also finished their meals. No one dared to leave without Lanxi's permission. Lanxi had Zhutao serve hot tea again, and then dismissed the head maids to eat. She chatted casually with Consort Rong and Consort Lu.
As for Aunt Fang, she wasn't feeling unwell; she just needed to rest. Lan Xi left her to wait alone in the side room and ordered Banxia to watch over her.
Ren Shan Tang wasn't far from the Marquis's residence, and Doctor Zhang arrived quickly with his medicine chest. Lan Xi saw him in the main room; he was a man of about forty years old, with an ordinary appearance, but his eyes gleamed with a sharp light. He didn't seem benevolent.
"This humble servant greets Madam." Doctor Zhang bowed to Lan Xi. He had heard of Lan Xi's reputation for being timid, and hearing today that the Yongning Marquis's residence had invited him to treat her confirmed his suspicions. The only person in the Marquis's residence who usually invited him privately was Consort Fang, so today's visit must have been Consort Fang's idea.
Lan Xi nodded, not wanting to waste words with him, and then asked someone to take him to see Aunt Fang for treatment.
"Madam, you must have noticed something amiss!" Seeing Lan Xi still sitting calmly in her armchair, Banxia, who came out from the side room, said anxiously, ignoring Lianxin's presence. "I noticed something strange about Aunt Fang's eyes. She might have some trick up her sleeve to harm you!"
Lan Xi didn't take it to heart. She smiled reassuringly and didn't say anything more.
Banxia had no choice but to suppress her impatience, while Lianxin glanced at Lanxi thoughtfully.
Soon Doctor Zhang came out, followed by Aunt Fang. Clearly, the two had already discussed their plan, which was why Aunt Fang had become somewhat carried away.
Dr. Zhang launched into a long, rambling discourse, quoting classical texts. Lan Xi listened with difficulty, finally managing to glean the gist: Aunt Fang was weak and had caught a chill; if she didn't recover properly, it would harm her health and affect her fertility.
Lan Xi nodded in deep agreement and asked Yue Lin to take him out to write the prescription.
"Then you'll need to take good care of yourself!" Lan Xi said slowly and deliberately. "You don't need to serve me here anymore."
Aunt Fang was secretly delighted, thinking her plan had succeeded. She was so clever; not only had she been exempted from the rules with Lan Xi from now on, but she also had leverage to make things difficult for Lan Xi in front of the Marquis.
"Lianxin, when you get back, cross out the list you sent to the Marquis yesterday." Lanxi ignored the undisguised joy on Aunt Fang's face and turned to Lianxin, saying, "Since Aunt Fang is unwell, and even fell ill after standing here for a short while, how can she serve the Marquis well? She mustn't spoil the Marquis's mood!"
Aunt Fang was stunned, clearly not expecting Lan Xi to have a backup plan.
"The six days the Marquis spent with Consort Fang should be divided equally between Consort Rong and Consort Lu." Seeing the annoyance on Consort Fang's face, Lan Xi said leisurely, "I heard from Doctor Zhang that he needs half a year to recuperate, so there's no need to change the dates for those six months!"
From the very first sentence Lanxi uttered, Lianxin sensed something was amiss. Madam hadn't sent a list yesterday, but she understood what was going on afterward. Madam was taking this opportunity to subtly reprimand Aunt Fang; how could she not help her?
"Yes, Madam. This servant has remembered." Lianxin replied respectfully.
Aunt Fang looked conflicted. She wanted to stop Lianxin, but she didn't dare. If she insisted that she was ill, the Marquis wouldn't step into her room for half a year. If she said she wasn't ill... wouldn't Aunt Fang be making an even bigger mistake by denying her own illness first?
"Madam, I'm not that weak!" Aunt Fang said awkwardly, stammering, "I don't need to rest for that long!"
Lan Xi found her lack of confidence nothing more than a joke. Lan Xi feigned surprise and said, "That won't do. I manage the inner quarters for the Marquis, and I have a responsibility to ensure the prosperity of his lineage. If your poor health affects the Marquis's offspring, I cannot bear the responsibility." With that, she waved her hand, signaling Lian Xin, "Go."
Aunt Fang's face suddenly swelled up like a pig's liver; she was both angry and anxious, and couldn't utter another word in her defense.
"I've said it before, our Marquis's residence is a place with rules." Lan Xi's voice was soft and gentle, yet carried an undeniable authority. "And I've also said that anyone who breaks the rules shouldn't blame me for being ruthless!"
She hadn't expected to lose more than she gained by trying to steal a chicken; that bitch Lan Xi had actually tripped her up!
After the morning's commotion, the arrogant Aunt Fang returned to her courtyard looking disheveled, venting her anger only on the maids serving her. She stabbed the two young maids beside her several times with a hairpin, tears welling in their eyes, but they dared not utter a sound.
As Aunt Rong and Aunt Lu served Lan Xi, their expressions became increasingly respectful. Even as they left the main courtyard, a hint of dazedness flickered in their eyes.
This was the first time they truly realized how easily a mistress could control a concubine. If Lan Xi were to act like the mistress and take things seriously, the Marquis would simply support her; they were worlds apart from Lan Xi!
She can make anyone she wants to be favored, and anyone she wants to be unlucky will be unlucky.
The arrogant Aunt Fang is the best example. With just a few words from Lan Xi, she made the Marquis refuse to enter her house for half a year. Isn't that even more humiliating than forcing her to kneel?
The sudden and drastic change in their circumstances left them somewhat bewildered, but they had no choice but to remain respectful and subservient to Lan Xi from that moment on. They would have no chance until Lan Xi lost the Marquis's trust.
Lan Xi saw the three people off and felt a sense of relief.
After all that, those three concubines should behave themselves for a few days. She'll also have some free time to take care of other things.
Her biggest question at this moment was why the original owner of this body was able to marry the Marquis of Yongning as his principal wife when she was just a maid. If it was true love with the Marquis, then why did the original owner suffer so much in the Marquis's mansion, be disliked by the Marquis of Yongning, and be bullied by the concubines?