Zhou Weiqi was somewhat surprised that Mother would actually have the idea of going there personally, but since First Madam Fan had said so, it wasn’t appropriate for him to say more. He acknowledged with a sound and turned to go out the door.
First Madam Fan waited for him to leave, then immediately swept all the various styled plums that Lianqiao had carved on the side table crashing to the floor. Her expression was so gloomy it seemed she could violently lash out and hurt someone at any moment. Lianqiao led the palace maids in kneeling throughout the room, so terrified they couldn’t even speak.
Fortunately Nanny Fang came in at this moment. She first grabbed First Madam Fan’s hands to examine them, then patted her thigh and advised her: “My Lady, you’re angry—whether you want to beat or scold someone is easy enough. Why take it out on your own hands? Look at these nails…”
First Madam Fan glanced at her, lightly withdrew her hand, and asked coldly: “Did you have Clerk Ying write the letter properly? Was it written according to my instructions?”
Nanny Fang nodded repeatedly: “Written, written, all according to your words.” She nodded and bowed, then asked somewhat hesitantly: “Will Your Ladyship really tell Madam truthfully like this? If this letter is seen by the Master…”
The letter spoke of recent events one by one without avoiding anything. Madam was still manageable—after all, she wasn’t Little Fan Shi’s birth mother—but Master Fan was Little Fan Shi’s real father. When Little Fan Shi was small, he had held her in his hands as she grew up. He often held Little Fan Shi up high, sitting her on his own shoulders, laughing and saying she was his lucky star…
First Madam Fan’s features became even more sharp and severe, her harsh aura practically bursting forth. After a long while, a disdainful cold laugh spilled from her throat: “Even if he sees it, so what? Report me? Go report me to the Crown Prince, or go before Han Zhengqing to complain of my wrongs, to complain that I caused his legitimate son’s death and his legitimate daughter’s distant marriage? Does he have such courage?”
If he had such courage, back then Little Fan Shi wouldn’t have been trapped in the capital and had no choice but to give herself to Han Zhengqing. If he had such courage, when Little Fan Shi wrote home begging for rescue, he wouldn’t have sat by and ignored it.
Now he should know even better that she herself—who had bewitched the Crown Prince and had a capable and filial son at her knee—was the hope of the Fan clan. He would only be even more cautious than before. Where would he dare to turn around and criticize her? Saying what precious pearl in his palm, what lucky star bringing fortune—she gave a disdainful cold snort: “Prepare yourself. Tomorrow accompany me on a trip to the Marquis Jinxiang’s residence.”
Nanny Fang didn’t know why she suddenly had the thought to go to the Marquis Jinxiang’s residence again. She widened her eyes somewhat surprised: “Go to the Marquis Jinxiang’s residence? Your Ladyship…”
But even if she worried that First Madam Fan was going to deliver poison to Little Fan Shi, she didn’t dare stop First Madam Fan. The next day she followed along with the procession to the Marquis Jinxiang’s residence.
Little Fan Shi received the news and personally led people out to welcome them, wearing a white hemp mourning garment. Her whole person was haggard beyond recognition. Seeing First Madam Fan, she lowered her eyebrows submissively and knelt down straight to kowtow.
Nanny Fang glanced at First Madam Fan, then looked at Little Fan Shi. Her heart felt somewhat unbearable. She imperceptibly turned her head to look at Qian Ying—fortunately His Highness the Prince had sent Qian Ying here beforehand to help. Otherwise if First Madam Fan truly became willful, they probably couldn’t even find someone to dissuade her.
However, First Madam Fan still maintained her composure. With a pleasant expression, she used both hands to help Little Fan Shi up, instructed Qian Ying to continue leading people in the work, and only then, surrounded by Little Fan Shi and Han Yueheng, entered the flower hall of the main courtyard.
Little Fan Shi remained with that lowered brow and downcast eyes like a clay Buddha, and even Han Yueheng’s face showed no angry expression. Apart from being somewhat haggard, the two of them unexpectedly showed no other emotions at all.
First Madam Fan raised her eyebrows. Her eyes curved showing an extremely pleased smile. She stared fixedly at Little Fan Shi sitting below like a wooden person, and spoke in a soft and gentle voice: “I heard someone came from our old home in Xingyang. Why didn’t sister send someone into the palace to tell me about it? I could also meet the people from our old home and hear if Father and Mother have any words to convey.”
Upon hearing this, Han Yueheng almost instinctively widened his eyes. His distinct black and white eyes, though filled with bloodshot veins, were full of terror.
Little Fan Shi also pressed her lips tight and shook her head somewhat panicked: “What people from our old home? Doesn’t Your Ladyship know—I haven’t had contact with my natal family for many years. Even last time when the family sent this year’s New Year gifts, it was also elder sister’s palace servants who sent them over…”
“Is that so?” First Madam Fan smugly appreciated her appearance of clearly being panicked yet still biting down tightly not daring to relax. She sighed as if inadvertently: “That’s exactly what I was saying—if Father and Mother had any news, the first person to be informed should be me.”
Little Fan Shi’s hands gripped the chair arms. Because she used too much force, both hands made cracking sounds of bones. She couldn’t even squeeze out a forced smile anymore.
First Madam Fan was always like this—she loved using sharp words to squeeze people until they were covered in wounds, bleeding everywhere.
Han Yueheng blinked his eyes and gathered courage to smooth things over for his mother: “There really aren’t any people who came. If someone had come from our old home, how could there be any reason not to pay respects to Aunt…”
The corners of First Madam Fan’s mouth hooked up in a smile. She casually played with the extremely dazzling peony-patterned bracelet inlaid with rubies on her hand, and seemed to ask back carelessly: “Is that so?”
After a pause, watching the two people holding their breath, she raised her gaze to look at them: “Then, the person picked up from Yuantong Escort Agency—if it’s not an elder relative who came from our family, then who was picked up?”
Han Yueheng could no longer hold on. In panic and alarm, she grasped Little Fan Shi’s hand.
Even Little Fan Shi’s lips trembled as if not knowing what to do. She closed her eyes, her complexion defeated.
Nanny Fang sighed. Her heart was fluttering and jumping like a wild pheasant leaping up and down.
“I remember back then, that wet nurse who served at sister’s side for many years, Nanny Zhang…” First Madam Fan raised her lips: “She went back to Xingyang. That sister, experiencing such great upheaval, would think of her wet nurse at this time is also understandable. What is there to hide? Why not call her out and let me see her too…”
Little Fan Shi suddenly stood up abruptly shaking her head: “No! No one is permitted to touch her!”
First Madam Fan looked at her coldly, like watching a fish on the chopping block twisting about, still struggling on the verge of death. She bloomed into a smile extremely slowly: “So it really is her. I haven’t seen her for many years. Won’t sister lead me to see her?”
Just as her words fell, Nanny Qi’s voice sounded from outside. First Madam Fan calmly glanced at Little Fan Shi and smilingly let the person enter.
Nanny Qi kowtowed, then reported to Little Fan Shi without hurry: “That mama from yesterday took advantage of the chaos in the residence and actually stole the jewelry and dowry bestowed by the ladies in the palace, trying to run out of the residence. She’s already been caught red-handed by the steward on the spot…”