It was exactly one month and a half!
Hearing this, Concubine Tang became more excited and said, “Ah, what a coincidence! Third Young Madam, if this was true, wasn’t your baby a bastard? How could our family stand the existence of a bastard?” Then, she covered her mouth with the handkerchief immediately, rolled her eyes and said in a nifty voice, “Oh! What did I say! Third Young Madam, please forgive me if I said something offensive.”
“It’s all fine.” Qin Yunuan remained calm and even wore a light smile. “It’s better for us to talk about this openly and clearly so that I can be proved innocent. Now, to the face of Consort Cao, let’s make it clear.” While speaking, Qin Yunuan put her hand on her belly which was still flat. “I know clearly who my baby’s father is, and so do you.” Qin Yunuan looked at Li Long who knelt down and said. “You said that I had an affair with you, but you cannot just prove this with a wintersweet-shaped knot, which can be found everywhere. To slander me, I think you should prepare more convincing evidence.”
“I do have evidence.” Li Long said with determination and cunningness revealed from his eyes. “I’m afraid that Third Young Madam will feel too ashamed if I present my evidence.”
“Just show your evidence.” Qin Yunuan leaned forward, a movement that pregnant women who gained weight usually did. This reassured people that she was absolutely pregnant.
Li Long lowered his head and said, “I clearly remember that Third Young Madam has a butterfly-shaped birthmark on her left hip and a scar at the size of a fingernail on her right back. When Third Young Madam was young, she was bullied by servants in the Qin Family and fell down to the firewood pile. The scar was left after she was stabbed by the thorn.” Li Long looked up at Qin Yunuan and asked, “Third Young Madam, am I right?”
This was what Leng Changxi and Qin Yunuan talked about in their room last night. How did Li Long know? It seemed that there were traitors among servants in their courtyard.
Hearing Li Long’s explicit words, Qin Yunuan was still poised and said, “Servant girls who attend on me when I’m in bath all know that I have a birthmark and a scar. This is not a secret at all.” Qin Yunuan smiled. “But I do want to share with you a secret you all don’t know.”
Concubine Tang scolded, “Ah. Third Young Madam, you haven’t given us an explanation about the relationship between Li Long and you yet. Consort Cao is still here. Not telling us the truth, are you intended to cover it and humiliate Consort Cao?”
Qin Yunuan took a glance at Consort Cao calmly and said, “What I want to say next is right about this. Consort Cao, please allow me to finish it.” Qin Yunuan didn’t even spare a glance for Concubine Tang, which obviously told the latter that she was much less exalted, and she mattered nothing.
Consort Cao nodded, and then Qin Yunuan clapped three times. At once, Maner came in with a 4-cm-thick booklet in her hands.
“Consort Cao, please check it.” Qin Yunuan ordered Maner to handle the booklet to Consort Cao. Seeing that she turned to the page with a clip, Qin Yunuan said, “This booklet records the names and portraits of 12-year-old boys who were castrated to work in the Palace ten years ago. Consort Cao, please check the information carefully. Is the Li Long on the booklet having the same hometown and look as the Li Long before us?”
Consort Cao had never thought that Qin Yunuan was so well-prepared. Able to take out the imperial document that was compiled ten years ago, Qin Yunuan really got something.
Hearing this, Li Long, who knelt down, was so scared, almost throwing himself to the ground. Qin Yunuan’s logical but terrifying words still came to him. “Li Long, you have been castrated, just like eunuchs. You can’t even have sex but slander me to have an affair with you with a wintersweet-shaped knot which comes from nowhere and some eavesdropped facts about my body. You’re just a servant. You can’t be so powerful and meticulous. Li Long, who instigates you to do so?”
“I… no, I didn’t lie. What I said is true.” Li Long suddenly kowtowed to Consort Cao and said, “Consort Cao, please help me.”
“Everything is true?” Qin Yunuan turned around a little, making the green pearl clasp in her hair ring. “You will not tell us the truth until you’re checked up, will you? Drag him down and check him carefully. Just show me how a castrated man can have an affair with me!”
“Third Young Madam.” Consort Cao became anxious for the first time. “This, after all, is my place, and Li Long works in my courtyard. Isn’t it appropriate to dispose of my servant without asking me first?”
Qin Yunuan had already expected Consort Cao would say so. But the two strong servants Qin Yunuan brought here had grasped Li Long’s two arms tightly. Qin Yunuan said, “Right, my fault. But the emperor has granted me the title of Infanta Ping which is equal to a fifth-grade rank official. When somebody discredits me, I, of course, have the right to dispose of him or her. I’m sorry I didn’t ask you about this in advance. So, Consort Cao, now, can I order my servants to drag this evildoer down to get a careful check?”
Qin Yunuan was not asking for Consort Cao’s agreement anymore. She was showing her status and power to give orders. If Consort Cao rejected her “request,” it meant that she was saying no to the emperor’s instructions.
Consort Cao twitched her mouth. Always being pretty and clam, she got embarrassed for the first time and said, “Well, you can.”
Li Long was dragged down but kept shouting at the same time, “Consort Cao, please help me. Help me.”
After a while, one of the servants came back to report, “Li Long has indeed been castrated.”
Qin Yunuan waved her hand, implying him to leave. She looked at Consort Cao serenely. Concubine Tang, who stood aside, didn’t dare to say anything. It was Dou Meishuang who kept her mouth shut all the time that stood out to break the ice. “The servant turned out to be a liar. Aunt has been totally engaged in Buddha worship recently, so the servants in charge must slack off. They should allow such people to serve in the courtyard.”
Her words subtly helped Consort Cao pass the buck. Consort Cao shook her head and sighed, “I’m too negligent. Yunuan, please don’t blame me.”
“Negligence is unavoidable.” Qin Yunuan replied with a smile, “Consort Cao, I’m your junior, so even if you really do anything inappropriate, I don’t dare to blame you in public.” She could not blame her in public, but she could fight back in secret.
The flower appreciation feast just ended in haste. Consort Cao asked servant girls to pick up fresh crabapple petals and give them out to guests. The sundried crabapple petals could be used as ingredients in cakes or tea and also could be added into the bathtub when people were in bath.
“Since what Li Long said was not true, you all should keep your mouth shut and not reveal it to anyone else.” Before guests left, Consort Cao enjoined them.
When Qin Yunuan went out of the courtyard, Ruan Ruyi and Concubine Tang had already walked far away. Maner held Qin Yunuan who acted like fat people. At this time, a clear female voice came from behind. “Third Young Madam, please wait.”
Qin Yunuan turned around slowly and saw Dou Meishuang who dressed up meticulously today. Wearing a piece of green dress, she walked towards Qin Yunuan gorgeously. She tended to come closer to Qin Yunuan but was stopped by Ting Xue. “Sorry, Miss Dou. Our Madam is pregnant now, and you’d better not get too close to her.”
Dou Meishuang was slightly embarrassed. She smiled and said, “Fine. It’s alright for me to keep a few steps away. Uncle Qin is depressed about Cousin Linfeng’s death. Besides, the emperor has suspended him and asked him to introspect at home. Now, Cousin Yunzhuang is married and doesn’t live in the mansion anymore. Uncle Qin is really lonely. Third Young Madam, if you have time, can you go back to visit him from time to time?”
Qin Yunuan knew what Dou Meishuang implied. Qin Zhi now lost power and influence. Qin Yunuan was his most outstanding child, so if she could come back to visit Qin Zhi as the Third Young Madam of the Prince Ning’s Mansion, this would surely reassure people. But, why would she come back?
“Miss Dou, you must be joking.” Qin Yunuan sounded cold and indifferent. “First of all, if my father misses me, he will send people to tell me. But he has already cut all ties with me, and I have nothing to do with the Qin Family now. Second, Baoduan and Yuzhao still live together with my father and can accompany him. Third, Miss Dou, what connection do you have with the Qin Family? Your aunt, Dou Qing’e is already dead. Give you a piece of advice. Don’t meddle in the Qin Family’s affairs. It’s none of your business. Plus, if you really have a hand in, Qin Zhi may not be grateful for what you do.”
Well, this was Qin Zhi’s true nature. He treated people who he thought useful like treasures but those who were not like trash.
Dou Meishuang was in a trance because of her words, but Qin Yunuan had walked towards her courtyard without looking back.
“Third Young Madam, why did you warn Miss Dou just now?” Maner asked while holding Qin Yunuan.
“She’s smart, so she will understand what I mean. Furthermore, considering that she is so smart, I dare not let her join the camp of Qin Zhi who is a sleeping tiger. It will be harder to deal with a tiger having a pair of wings.” Qin Yunuan said and put her hands on her belly. “I’d better not wake him up. As for his dismissal, he just asked for it. My current focus should be how to deal with ‘the baby’ I carry.”
Since Qin Yunuan was pregnant, Princess Ning, Consort Cao, even Prince Ning and Old Madam had sent many nourishing foods to her. Moreover, Prince Ning asked servants to invite imperial doctors with his calling card to take good care of Qin Yunuan every day. With the “special help” of Doctor Sun Miaoyang, those imperial doctors hadn’t found anything wrong with Qin Yunuan and her baby yet.
One day, the weather was so good. Qin Yunuan saw Consort Cao and her servant girls pick up petals in the garden when she was accompanied by servant girls to enjoy flowers there.
“Consort Cao, good hobby.” Qin Yunuan smiled and greeted first.
“Thanks to the nice weather today.” Consort Cao also smiled. At this time, Qin Yunuan’s silk handkerchief fell down to the flagstone ground suddenly. Qin Yunuan’s servant girls were not near, so Consort Cao called her personal servant girl, “Luer, pick up the handkerchief for our Third Young Madam.”
After Luer picked the handkerchief up and was going to stand up to hand it to Qin Yunuan, the latter suddenly leaned back and fell down to the ground.
“My belly. I’m hurt.” As Qin Yunuan cried out sadly, there was blood coming out from her dress.
Maner gave a hand to Qin Yunuan immediately and shouted, “Somebody, help! Third Young Madam has a miscarriage.”
