LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 95 - As Expected
“Huai Zhen, did you get scared today?”
Seeing the Fourth Prince arrive, Luoyu revealed a joyful smile: “You’re here, Your Highness.”
He had been very busy recently and hadn’t entered the inner courtyard for several days, staying in the outer courtyard instead.
“I’m fine. Fortunately, Su Jin helped shield me.”
The Fourth Prince nodded: “She has done well in protecting her master and should be rewarded.”
Luoyu accepted the reward on behalf of Su Jin, and the Fourth Prince also gave her a reassuring remark: “Don’t worry, I will get to the bottom of this matter.”
Luoyu looked at him and smiled gently: “Your Highness, hearing you say that makes me very happy. I believe it was just an accident this time.”
The Fourth Prince wore a faint smile on his face: “Huai Zhen, are you really alright?”
“Really…”
After the Fourth Prince left, Luoyu gazed at his hurriedly departing figure, lost in thought. He had been called away by those people in the outer study, and it seemed he would be busy until the Emperor and the others returned.
As for this matter, Luoyu had her suspicions about who might be behind it. Even if she cleaned up all the traces, it wouldn’t stop her from guessing who was responsible.
Luoyu’s hand touched her heart, feeling its steady beat, then moved to her belly, where her two children were growing.
These were her children, her own flesh and blood.
If asked which side was more important to her, Luoyu knew in her heart that her children mattered more.
Her feelings toward the Fourth Prince were complicated.
He was her sky, her foundation, but he was not just her sky or her foundation.
He was the support for all the women in the backyard.
He had many people besides himself, and if he wanted, he could have even more.
Because he was a prince.
His heart was not solely with the women in the backyard; his heart was in the court.
The emotions they invested would almost never reach an equivalent point, just as her Aunt had said—being a woman in this era was too difficult.
Men could choose to break away and strive for a future, but women had no such opportunity to fight for themselves.
They were not on the same battlefield; they were limited to the inner quarters, competing for a man’s favor, for offspring, and for establishing their own foundations.
If the Fourth Prince found evidence, one side would be herself, and the other side would be Concubine Li and her three children…
Which side would tip the scales in their favor?
Luoyu had no confidence that she would win.
If she were in the Fourth Prince’s position, even if she truly found evidence, she wouldn’t make it public. Revealing it would lead to a scandal, and she would certainly be criticized for her poor management of the household.
However, privately, he would definitely punish her.
As long as she didn’t have any issues herself, the punishment wouldn’t be too severe.
If she managed to clean up her tracks well enough, the punishment might not even come to pass.
On the surface, this would be labeled as an “accident.”
She shouldn’t view herself too highly, nor should she place the Fourth Prince on too high a pedestal.
Luoyu went through all of this in her mind, and her previously turbulent thoughts gradually calmed down after hearing the Fourth Prince’s words.
She wondered if someone else had caught that cat first; it had gone missing.
A few days later, the cat’s body was discovered in a corner; it was already dead. There was no sign of what had happened, as the cat had been killed by a dog.
Yun Shuyou heard about this incident later when Luoyu mentioned it. She looked at her daughter’s belly; it was well-maintained, and although it was a bit larger, it wasn’t excessive, making future deliveries less difficult.
“Was it Concubine Li who did it?”
Luoyu shook her head. “There’s no evidence pointing to anyone.”
Yun Shuyou replied, “It’s mostly likely her. Does the Furen (Main Wife ) have any involvement?”
Luoyu scoffed. “She’s currently acting like a Bodhisattva.”
Just a Bodhisattva watching from the sidelines.
Yun Shuyou sighed. Everyone had their own position. Concubine Li had been with the Fourth Prince longer and had given birth to children; she naturally hoped that her children would inherit this residence in the future.
Her daughter’s status was higher than hers. If she had a son, Concubine Li’s advantages would be equalized in an instant, which is why she targeted her daughter.
From the Furen’s perspective, she had lost her son, Honghui, and had no other biological children. Therefore, it would be better for the mothers of other sons to have lower status; that way, they would be easier to control.
Yun Shuyou could understand the reasoning behind it, but if they took action for this one desire, it would definitely be unforgivable.
Thinking about it isn’t a crime, but taking action is a different matter.
“Do you need help?”
Luoyu shook her head. “Aunt, I’m not a child anymore.” She had been in this residence for over a year, and she was about to become a mother. She was no longer the little girl who could only rely on adults to help her seek justice when faced with problems.
Even as a child, she didn’t typically turn to adults for support when she encountered issues.
Yun Shuyou nodded. “I understand. You should carry this with you from now on.”
Yun Shuyou handed her a fan.
It was a very elegant folding fan, with ribs made from a sturdy wood that could be used as a weapon.
Later, there was a small incident related to this matter: the guards at the gate were punished for allowing the wild cat to sneak in, which was their failure to perform their duties, and they should naturally bear the responsibility for it.
As a result, others who kept pets became more vigilant.
The Fourth Prince had quite a few dogs, all under the care of designated guards. As long as Luoyu didn’t approach them, their activity range generally wouldn’t overlap. Even so, the guards became even more attentive.
This time, it seemed to have passed just like that, classified as an accident.
After a while, perhaps due to this temporary peace, someone started to stir again.
Then the Main Wife fell ill. It wasn’t serious, but she needed to stay in bed and even canceled her daily visits, suffering from a headache and requiring rest.
As a result, Luoyu saw a snake in the courtyard.
When it poked its head out, Luoyu recognized it; it was non-venomous, one she had caught with her aunt when she was at the village.
The villagers had eaten quite a few of them.
Luoyu thought to herself, ‘As expected’.
She had previously suspected it was a snake and had even warned the Concubine’s wet nurse, yet a snake still appeared in the residence, right in her courtyard!
Suddenly, Luoyu thought of the Main Wife’s recent illness.
Was this her way of being hands-off?
It must be advantageous for her, regardless of who gains the upper hand.
These thoughts flashed through her mind in an instant. To others, their master had been sitting on a stool enjoying some snacks when suddenly she saw something that startled her. She stood up in shock and hurriedly grabbed a plate to throw it.
What was over there?
Upon looking, it was a snake!
Their master was quite lucky to hit it on the head, and then she leaned over to the maid beside her, covering her stomach, and exclaimed, “There’s a snake here—”
Her voice trembled, and she looked genuinely frightened.
How many girls are not afraid of snakes?
“Ah!”
“There really is a snake!”
“Hurry, help the master inside!”
In an instant, some people were helping Luoyu inside, while others were using nearby objects to strike at the snake.
There were also little eunuchs nearby who heard the commotion and came over with brooms: “Where’s the snake?”
“Right here, quickly hit it!”
The dazed snake was quickly beaten into a pulp by the chaos.
Everyone was still trembling with fear: “How could there be a snake in our courtyard?”
If the side concubine hadn’t noticed in time and the snake had crawled into the room, what would they have done? Just thinking about it sends chills down one’s spine.
“Is this snake poisonous?”
“I don’t know, hurry and call someone.”
“Everyone in the courtyard, check again to see if there are any more!”
“Yes, check again!”
This time was different from last time; the main wife quickly appeared with a pale face. She first came to see Luoyu and asked with concern, “Sister, are you still well?”
Luoyu lay on the bed and had someone summon the imperial doctor: “I’m feeling a bit uncomfortable in my stomach; I might have disturbed the fetus.”
Upon hearing this, the main wife’s face became even paler: “Sister, don’t worry. I’m here.”
Luoyu forced a smile: “Thank you, concubine.” Her eyes turned red: “I don’t know where that snake came from; I hope the Consort can get to the bottom of this.”
The Consort assured her, “Don’t worry; I’ll keep a close eye on it myself.”
She led people to search inch by inch in the garden, and the entire residence was looking to see if there were any other snakes.
The imperial doctor arrived quickly: “The side concubine will be fine after a period of rest.”
The pulse was somewhat chaotic, but there was no major issue.
The imperial doctor let out a sigh of relief and quickly prescribed some medication for calming the fetus before leaving.
From his experience, he sensed that something else would soon happen here, so it was wise for him to leave early.
The Fourth Prince was still unaware of the specific events that had occurred in the residence. Upon returning, he saw the main wife kneeling to apologize: “Your Highness, I am guilty. I did not manage the people in the residence properly, leading to the current situation. Thankfully, Miss Lin is not seriously harmed; otherwise, I would have no face to see her or you.”
In addition to the snake that had been killed, a smaller one had also been found nearby.
She had not yet recovered from her illness, and now her pale and guilty expression made the Fourth Prince’s heart soften. He stepped forward to help her up: “What wrong has the Consort committed? The one at fault is the one who made the mistake.”