"Yes," the wet nurse said through gritted teeth, "Miss, perhaps it was unintentional, but I was holding Dong-ge'er and in a hurry to apologize to you, so I didn't expect you to push me..."
"Are you sure I pushed you?" An Ran stared intently at her.
Once a promise has been made, it cannot be changed, and with the Princess Consort present, she dared not go back on her word and had no choice but to bite the bullet and agree.
“Alright, let’s assume for now that you’re not lying.” An Ran said calmly, “Let’s stick to the facts and talk about what happened before and after.”
“Dongge’er is small and weak, he can’t lift the rattle drum, but his wet nurse held his hand and shook it.” An Ran said calmly, “How can it be considered Dongge’er’s action that the rattle drum pellet touched me?”
“I didn’t take it to heart at the time, so I just laughed it off and didn’t even say a word.” An Ran had already turned around and was no longer looking at Li Shi and the wet nurse behind her. She said to the Princess Consort, “But the wet nurse started to make a fuss first. I was wondering why, and then she suddenly fell down with Dong Ge’er in her arms. I don’t know who stepped on my skirt, and I almost fell down too.”
"So now there's a shoe print on the hem of my skirt," An Ran pointed to her skirt. Today, An Ran was wearing a white silk skirt, so any dirt was quite noticeable. Half a shoe print was still visible on the hem of her skirt.
“Someone stepped on my skirt, and I lost my balance, which is why I leaned forward,” An Ran said in a deep voice to prove herself. “If I had pushed someone, no matter how hard I pushed, I would have fallen backward. As you saw, the wet nurse was not seriously injured. Even when she fell, she didn’t fall hard, which means she was prepared for the fall.”
“Luckily, all the maids who were there at the time are here. By comparing the shoe prints one by one, we can find out who stepped on my skirt.” An Ran bowed gracefully to the Princess Consort and said, “We should also invite an experienced doctor to examine my injuries and those of my wet nurse. He will be able to tell whether the fall was accidental or intentional!”
As if she still felt she hadn't offered enough leverage, An Ran added, "Dong Ge'er is going to call me 'Sister' and I am his aunt. Why would I want to harm him in front of everyone?"
"Please, Your Highness, see the truth!"
Her usually soft and gentle voice sounded exceptionally firm and resolute today, and the Princess Consort and the Prince had largely come to believe her words.
Before she could finish speaking, Third Sister stepped forward and said, "Mother, Young Master, I dare to swear on my life that Ninth Sister would never do such a thing. I have been irresponsible in the past, and now I want to make amends, but I have been tricked by someone."
"I'm sure you know that your daughter-in-law is always upright and would never stoop to doing such a thing!"
At this moment, Li Shi and the wet nurse were completely panicked. Their plan was originally fine, but they hadn't expected the footprints and the direction they fell to be wrong. If it were only San Niang today, they would have suffered a great loss.
I originally planned to take advantage of the situation to trick Third Sister and An Jiu today, but now I'm not so sure. They might get dragged into it too!
Princess Yi greatly admired An Ran's composure and calmness even when she was at a disadvantage. She meticulously and clearly listed the facts one by one, starting with the most unlikely ones and working her way up layer by layer to prove her innocence.
"Li, what do you have to say?" Although the Princess Consort of Yi's voice was still calm, it was not hard to tell that her attitude had changed.
Li's knees buckled, and she knelt on the ground.
"I didn't mean it." She knew she was at a disadvantage, so she attributed everything to her worry for Dong-ge'er. "I'm just so worried about Dong-ge'er! He's the eldest son of the Heir Apparent, and my concern makes me confused..."
Princess Yi, however, would not tolerate her nonsense: "Concern leads to confusion? What a fine example of concern leading to confusion!"
“Mother Wei, do as my daughter-in-law says.” Her face was frosty, her expression stern. “Detain this wet nurse and all the maids. Go and fetch the imperial physician, and have the shoe prints compared. I will not wrong an innocent person, but I will not tolerate any villains causing trouble!”
Madam Wei was the most trusted and influential person in the Princess's entourage; even Prince Yi treated her with deference. She responded and immediately carried out the order decisively.
Li and the wet nurse inwardly cried out in alarm, and though they tried to argue, they were pulled away separately by the suddenly appearing old women. The young maids were also locked in a side room and placed under the supervision of several old women.
Princess Yi said to An Ran and Yan Yue, "Good children, I will never let you suffer in vain."
An Ran felt relieved, knowing that the Princess Consort most likely believed her. However, she did not rush to tell her grievances, but gracefully bowed to the Princess Consort: "Thank you, Your Highness. I will go and change my dress with Mama Wei right away. Dong Ge'er is my brother-in-law's eldest son, and my sister values him very much. I never expected that something like this would happen today. Fortunately, the boy is alright."
"I'm just really afraid that if I'm not careful, Dongge will get hurt."
Some things can only be said without going into detail.
An Ran was merely a guest in Prince Yi's residence and naturally had no right to interfere in its affairs. A wicked person was hiding around Dong Ge'er, and in order to frame the Crown Prince's sister, they dared to use Dong Ge'er as a pawn. This time Dong Ge'er was unharmed, but the wet nurse's methods were truly vicious.
Wei Mama helped Anran away, but San Niang did not follow and stayed in the central hall.
An Ran's injury, Li's scheming, and the fact that An Ran was able to speak eloquently to prove her innocence under immense pressure all greatly shocked her.
She used to think that by keeping Li Shi in this small courtyard and ignoring her, she wouldn't be able to cause much trouble. But unexpectedly, today, Jiu Niang only came to visit Dong Ge'er, and Li Shi dared to cause such a disturbance, even trying to frame Jiu Niang. Her words implied that Jiu Niang had instructed her to do so, thus implicating her.
They're as vicious as snakes and scorpions!
Third Sister felt very angry.
But today, despite the burning anger within her, she didn't think of shouting or making a scene; she felt extremely calm.
"Mother, Young Master." Third Sister stood up, her expression calm and composed, even appearing somewhat serene. "In the end, what happened today is my fault."
Not only was Yun Shen taken aback, but the Princess Consort also looked surprised. How could Third Sister say such a thing today?
She had always been at odds with Li Shi, wishing she could trample her underfoot, so why was she taking the blame today? The one who had been wronged was her beloved half-sister!
“I am the Crown Prince’s principal wife, yet I have neglected the management of the inner quarters. This has allowed the servants to cause trouble, leading to this situation today.” Third Madam said calmly, with a hint of guilt in her expression. “It was my laziness. I thought that since Madam Li is a concubine and Dong’er’s biological mother, I should put Dong’er by her side so that he could receive the best care.”
Third Sister's words were cleverly chosen.
Although she admitted her mistake first, the fault wasn't entirely hers. When Madam Li brought her former servants into the manor, it was with Yun Shen's permission. If Third Sister had rashly replaced them, Yun Shen probably would have thought she harbored malicious intentions!
At this moment, she suddenly remembered that Anran had told her not to touch Li's people and only to ask the people around the Princess Consort to help. Was she on guard against Li's move?
Before the Princess Consort could speak, Yun Shen said, "This is not your oversight, but my fault. I allowed Li to bring people in. I never expected them to be such treacherous villains, who almost caused you and Ninth Sister to suffer."
Although the final result has not yet been announced, Yun Shen has already concluded in his heart that the problem does not lie with San Niang or An Ran.
Although Third Sister had a fiery temper, she was always upright and honest, not two-faced. She would never stoop to stabbing someone in the back. Yun Shen trusted Third Sister's character; since she had agreed to let Li Shi into the family, she wouldn't do anything to harm Li Shi or the illegitimate son.
Seeing that her son and daughter-in-law did not quarrel over this matter, and that her daughter-in-law seemed to have come to her senses, the Princess Consort was greatly relieved.
She had a general idea of what was going on. Mama Qian and Mama Sun hadn't been staying at Luoyue Pavilion for nothing; even though they were isolated from the core, they clearly understood Li Shi's actions, temperament, and character.
It was probably Anran who persuaded Sanniang to come and see the illegitimate son, but Li Shi wanted to take the opportunity to frame Anran and Sanniang.
Li's plan itself wasn't inherently flawed; some things are hard to explain, and those framed can easily suffer unjust accusations without fully understanding the situation. However, the person she encountered, An Jiu, was formidable. Despite her young age, she remained remarkably calm and composed, with a clear mind, even in such a situation.
Such a bright and intelligent child, it's a real shame to have her become Yun Shen's concubine.