“What do you mean, I conspired with Qi Qingchen to harm Xuan Yanyu? Have you lost your mind? Why would I want to harm Xuan Yanyu?” Yan Yunning glared, seething with anger.

Ye Jian had come and immediately started being sarcastic and contrary, which had set off her temper as well, and the two of them had erupted into a quarrel.

Ye Jian let out a snort. “Last night, the First Miss Yan said you suddenly coughed up blood and went to find His Highness to have Imperial Physician Wen come see you. Tell me — were you faking the blood?”

Yan Yunning’s brow furrowed. “I did cough up blood last night. My elder sister said she would go find Miss Shen — I had no idea she would go looking for Xuan Yanyu.”

Her elder sister really was something else. Even if she had actually managed to bring Xuan Yanyu and Imperial Physician Wen here, Xuan Yanyu would not have agreed to let him examine Qi Qingchen.

Ye Jian narrowed his eyes slightly. “You truly had no arrangement with Qi Qingchen…”

“I did not!” Yan Yunning’s irritation flared hot. “I think you are even more of a fool than Qi Qingchen. He is an imperial prince — would he really take medicine to make himself a simpleton just to detain Xuan Yanyu? How disgraceful would that be?”

Ye Jian touched his nose. Thinking it through carefully, that did seem to be the case.

If in the future the Emperor were to designate Qi Qingchen as Crown Prince, and the people were to learn he had been a simpleton for a period of time, it would do tremendous damage to his image.

What is more, taking medicine to make oneself stupid — who could say whether there would be lasting side effects? He likely would not take such a risk.

Yan Yunning fixed him with a cool, sidelong stare. “Did Xuan Yanyu not also fail to bring Imperial Physician Wen to Yuanjin Manor? Even if there had been a scheme, your Highness did not fall for it.”

Ye Jian said calmly, “That is because I turned the First Miss Yan away. His Highness was never informed that you had coughed up blood.”

Had His Highness known, he would certainly have had Imperial Physician Wen come to attend to the Second Miss Yan.

Yan Yunning’s expression froze.

“Ningning, I have something to tell you.” Yan Shiyao came in at a quick pace, pulling Qi Qingchen along with her.

“Elder sister, what is it?”

Yan Shiyao relayed everything that had just happened, in full detail.

“Ningning, Miss Shen is having such a difficult time at Yuanjin Manor. Let us think of a way to help her.”

Yan Yunning looked up at her. “Elder sister, have you not heard the maidservants say that the Manor Mistress is a very kind person? Why would she make things difficult for her own elder sister?”

“Are you saying Miss Shen would lie to me? I saw with my own eyes that her face was bright red from being struck, and that maidservant even said she deserved it — what could she possibly have done to deserve that?” Yan Shiyao grew more agitated with every word.

“Then she must have done something to warrant it. Otherwise, would the Manor Mistress strike her for no reason whatsoever?”

“Ningning.” Yan Shiyao looked at her, a trace of disappointment in her eyes.

“Elder sister, can you please stop looking only at the surface of things? If you truly want to help, at least go and find out what actually happened.” Yan Yunning rubbed her temple, exasperated.

“And how am I to find out? Am I to go and ask the Manor Mistress directly why she struck her? Would the Manor Mistress even tell me?” Yan Shiyao muttered under her breath.

Yan Yunning was at a loss for words.

“Elder sister, do not go meddling in other people’s affairs. You said yourself that Miss Shen has been searching through medical texts to find a prescription for Elder Brother Qi. Once a prescription is found, we shall take our leave.” Yan Yunning urged.

“Ningning, Miss Shen is helping Elder Brother Qi recover. How can I watch her suffer and do nothing?” Yan Shiyao refused to accept her reasoning.

Yan Yunning steadied the expression that was threatening to crumble on her face. “Elder sister, first of all, Miss Shen is not necessarily suffering any injustice. Second of all, she is treating Elder Brother Qi, but we are not failing to pay for her services. Why should we interfere in another family’s affairs?”

She simply could not understand why her sister was so fond of meddling in matters that were none of her business.

“Ningning, it is because of the Manor Mistress that Elder Brother Qi ended up this way. Do you still think the Manor Mistress is some good person?” Yan Shiyao clenched her fists.

Just thinking about it made her furious. Elder Brother Qi had been perfectly fine, and the Manor Mistress had reduced him to this state.

Ye Jian’s gaze shifted slightly. Had not His Highness said it was the First Miss Yan who was responsible?

Why was the First Miss Yan now saying Qi Qingchen had been made a simpleton by Shen Ruoyi?

“How do you know it was the Manor Mistress’s doing? Who told you that?” Yan Yunning’s eye twitched.

“Ningning, is that the point right now?” Yan Shiyao tilted her head down and took a breath to compose herself.

Yan Yunning stared blankly.

She still looked angry??

“You would not ask Yu-gege to summon Physician Wen. You will not help Miss Shen either.” Yan Shiyao bowed her head, her voice muffled with complaint.

Yan Yunning lifted her eyelids lightly. “Elder sister, I am not getting involved, and you had best not get involved either.”

Yan Shiyao raised her eyes to look at her. “Ningning, I am your elder sister. Are you telling me you want to become like the Manor Mistress?”

Yan Yunning shut her eyes. She truly wished she could do as the Manor Mistress had done and slap some sense into her!

The last time with Nan Chu — she had told her not to get involved, urged her to go and find out the truth about Nan Chu — and what had her sister done? She had nearly brought harm to Elder Brother Xie, and nearly caused Sister Wen to miscarry.

And now she was meddling again.

Still refusing to listen!

After a long silence, Yan Shiyao, looking crestfallen, took Qi Qingchen by the hand and walked out of the side chamber.

【Fafa, what exactly is going on between this Manor Mistress and her elder sister???】

Fafa: 【Shen Ruochu harbors hatred for Shen Ruoyi. There is a misunderstanding between the two of them. However, in the original story, Yan Shiyao sides with Shen Ruochu from the very start, and in the end Shen Ruoyi comes to believe the fault is her own. The child in her womb is lost, her body is damaged, and she passes away within a few months.】

Yan Yunning: 【…】

Fafa: 【The main factor is also that in the original story, Qi Qingchen never became a simpleton, so he strongly supported Yan Shiyao in helping Shen Ruochu, which is why Yan Shiyao…】

【Enough, say no more.】 Yan Yunning frowned.

Fafa: 【Master, the most critical piece is the manor master, Jiang Zhibai. Shen Ruochu used medicine to control him. It was by his own hand that he fed Shen Ruoyi the abortion drug. Shen Ruochu wanted Shen Ruoyi to suffer — she did not expect that Shen Ruoyi would actually die. In the end, she was deeply remorseful.】

Fafa: 【As written in the story, when Jiang Zhibai came to his senses and learned that his wife and child had died by his own hand, he nearly lost his mind entirely… Ah… Master, the price of this misunderstanding was far too great…】

Fafa: 【The medicine that controlled Jiang Zhibai was fed to him by Shen Ruoyi herself. For a full half a year, it was Shen Ruoyi’s talk of separation that shocked Jiang Zhibai into clarity for a few days — and it was precisely that shock which caused his mind to grow increasingly clouded afterward, leaving him entirely at Shen Ruochu’s mercy.】

【…】 Yan Yunning drew a deep breath. 【What misunderstanding?】

Fafa: 【Not certain. The story does not make it clear… It only says there was a misunderstanding, and it seems to be connected to the calamity that befell their Shantang.】

Yan Yunning laughed in exasperation. 【??? Still not clear???】

Fafa: 【…Master, I advise you not to interfere.】

【?】

Fafa: 【You have already altered the original plotline, again and again. What if this novel’s world collapses from it?】

She had already changed Chen A’Li’s fate, saved Xie Yan, and indirectly preserved the child in Wen Wanyu’s womb. If she were to save Jiang Zhibai and Shen Ruoyi as well, along with their child — the original story would be unrecognizable. Could this novel’s world continue to function normally?

【Is that so?】 Yan Yunning’s brow gave a faint twitch.

Fafa: 【I do not know. I am only guessing.】

【Then keep your mouth shut!】 Yan Yunning rolled her eyes.

Speculating about nothing!

Fafa: 【…】

……

In the side chamber.

Yan Yunning lay face-down on the bed, vexed and troubled. Now that she knew the plotline, pretending to be ignorant of it sat ill with her conscience.