Lu Mingxiu told himself that since he had started, there was no reason to give up halfway.
He would help her with this once, and then he wouldn't interfere anymore.
This is a one-time event.
******
An Ran was completely unaware of what Lord Lu was worried about.
Her immediate task was to calm the enraged Third Sister and prevent her from arousing suspicion. They had to remain calm and collected, avoiding being detected by the other party.
Ever since Huaping returned from the Marquis of Nan'an's residence, she half-heartedly recounted the story of the bowl of steamed sweet cheese. Third Sister was so angry that she smashed a set of famille rose teaware, which made Anran feel a pang of heartache.
"Third Sister, things have come to this point, we mustn't lose our temper." An Ran composed herself and instead advised Third Sister, "We already have evidence. If they can do this once or twice, this matter is probably not over yet."
“Tomorrow we’ll go back to the Marquis’s residence and discuss it with Grandmother and Mother,” An Ran said. “We must not alert them at this time.”
Third Sister's face turned ashen.
She only thought that Madam Li was trying to gain favor by relying on her son. Who would have thought that Madam Li would come up with such a vicious scheme? Did Madam Li do it? Madam Li is already under her supervision in Luoyue Pavilion, so it would probably be difficult for her to do it.
Li's backer in the Prince's Mansion is her aunt, Consort Li. Could it be that Consort Li was behind all of this?
The more San Niang thought about it, the more likely it seemed.
Since her miscarriage, she hadn't conceived again. She thought it was because the miscarriage had damaged her health, but now it seemed... San Niang felt a chill run down her spine, wondering if this matter was also related to Consort Li.
"Those two bitches!" Madam Li said through gritted teeth, "I will never let them get away with this!"
She mentioned two people, and An Ran quickly guessed they were Lady Li and Consort Li. If it was also related to Consort Li, it was probably beyond Third Sister's ability to handle; the matter would have to be reported to the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort was the mistress of the Prince's mansion; she had been in the inner quarters of the mansion for over twenty years. Only by handing over all the evidence to her could it be of the greatest use.
Consort Li was a very clever woman. She had maintained her favor in the Prince's residence for over a decade, and even the Princess Consort of the County treated her with deference. Her cunning and skill were beyond question. To deal with someone like her, one must strike decisively and leave her no room to recover.
“If you are convinced that this matter is related to Consort Li, you should remain calm. After returning from the Marquis’s residence, report this matter to the Princess Consort.” An Ran said earnestly, “In the end, it will take the Princess Consort’s intervention to keep things under control.”
Third Sister nodded with a somber expression.
"Third Sister, I'll go back first. Please be patient. We'll return to the Marquis's residence after you pay your respects to the Princess tomorrow morning." An Ran gently comforted Third Sister a few more times before returning to the east wing with her maid.
"Qingxing and Qingmei, pack all my things in a bit." After Anran returned, she called the two to her side and whispered, "Pack everything into the trunks except for the things you need for tomorrow."
Both of them were delighted upon hearing this.
"Miss, are we going back to the Marquis's residence?" Qingmei asked happily.
An Ran nodded slightly. "That's right, but you should keep it quiet and not tell anyone."
Qingmei and Qingxing nodded vigorously and went out happily to pack their bags for the journey home.
Anran sat under the lamp, but the smile on her face gradually faded.
It turned out that in her past life, it was Ding who poisoned her, rendering her childless. She never imagined that Ding hated her so much and would use such vicious methods to torment her. Her child was Ding's own grandson; how could Ding be so cruel?
Although Ding eventually agreed to let her in, she probably had it all planned out from the moment she agreed.
She hated, she resented, she wished she could send Ding and Chen Qian to hell with her own hands. But she wanted to let herself go even more. If she had a chance to start over, she would live for herself and let her loved ones live well, so they wouldn't be trapped in the grudges of her past life.
Regardless of whether it was Consort Li or Lady Li who initiated the drugging, it was a matter of life and death in the Prince's residence. Even if Lady Li gave birth to the eldest son born out of wedlock and Consort Li gained favor with Prince Yi, it's unlikely they would escape unscathed.
I recall hearing that Lady Ding was close to Consort Li, so it's likely that Lady Ding provided this medicine to Consort Li.
Perhaps she should be grateful for her past life's experiences, otherwise she wouldn't have noticed the strangeness of this medicine.
She could finally escape her awkward situation and return to the Marquis's mansion. But would her problems be solved once she returned?
Since sending that handkerchief, Chen Qian has remained silent. An Ran doesn't believe he's given up. She knows Chen Qian too well; the more unattainable something is, the more persistent, even obsessive, he becomes.
Her only hope was to implicate Consort Li and bring down Lady Ding, so that they, mother and son, could also be convicted.
Can it really go that smoothly?
For now, we can only take it one step at a time. The fact that she was able to return from the Prince's residence is something to be happy about. After going to the Marquis's residence tomorrow, she'll probably be able to stay. With the removal of Lady Li and Consort Li, the Prince's residence will be peaceful for a long time, enough for Third Sister to give birth to a legitimate son and solidify the couple's relationship.
Moreover, the Princess Consort and the Prince will feel guilty towards Third Sister, which will further solidify Third Sister's position as the Prince's consort.
She can be considered to have retired successfully!
An Ran gave a self-deprecating laugh to herself, then got up and went to her bedroom.
For both she and San Niang, this was destined to be a sleepless night.
Sure enough, An Ran only dozed off for a short while when it was just before dawn. The rest of the time, she kept her eyes open, staring at the dark tent ceiling, and her experiences from her previous life flashed through her mind like a revolving lantern.
She simply put on her clothes and sat up, not knowing how much time had passed. When Qingxing and Qingmei came in to help her get up, they were quite startled.
"Miss, why didn't you wake us sooner?" Qingxing hurriedly replied, "Qingmei and I woke up a long time ago too."
Hearing from their young mistress that they would be returning to the Marquis's residence today, the two women were so excited they couldn't sleep. In the Prince's residence, they were confined to the small east wing, and their mistress had repeatedly instructed them not to move around freely, lest they cause trouble.
Qingmei and Qingxing also kept Anran's words firmly in mind, and stayed obediently in their rooms, not going out to wander around.
Although they were sold to the Marquis's mansion from outside, the mansion was still more free, and there were people they knew there.
"I'll be going back to the Marquis's residence with my third sister in a little while. Qingmei will come with me, and Qingxing, you stay here." Anran was in a good mood as she prepared to leave. Although she didn't truly consider the Marquis's residence her home, it was still better than awkwardly staying in the Prince's residence. Besides, there would be more opportunities to see Anxi and Anmu at the Marquis's residence. "I'm afraid my trunk will need to be sent back to the Marquis's residence later; please take care of it."
The two readily agreed.
After changing her clothes and doing her hair, Anran went to the main room to find Third Sister.