Liangdi Fan was no fool. From the moment her second brother died in Jinzhong, she had sensed her maternal family’s dissatisfaction with her. Even her own father and mother had developed resentment toward her. Now, hearing Nanny Qi say this, she concealed a cold smile at the corner of her mouth and asked: “Disgraceful, shameful—I’m afraid they think I’m forcibly shoving a hot potato into their hands, so this is just an excuse?”
Nanny Fang glanced at her mistress, unable to stop sighing inwardly. She felt that Liangdi Fan’s way of thinking was simply beyond what ordinary people could understand. Back when Little Madam Fan neither made a fuss nor caused trouble, serving properly as an invisible person, with her children all close to their mistress—how good was the situation then? The Crown Prince treated Her Ladyship with exceptional cordiality. Outside matters had the support of Marquis Jinxiang, and the Heir of Marquis Jinxiang helped Her Ladyship accomplish countless tasks. But Her Ladyship acted as if she had lost her mind. Well, these matters could be set aside for now—after all, they had all passed. But later attempting to assassinate His Highness the Grand Prince, and now forcing a criminal official’s daughter onto her maternal family to be her nephew’s wife—she truly could no longer understand her mistress. If her own master and mistress still didn’t refuse this, wouldn’t that mean their brains didn’t work properly?
Nanny Qi clearly thought the same way. She was also somewhat bolder in her speech than Nanny Fang. Upon hearing this, she lowered her head and said softly: “Your Ladyship, this is also human nature. The eldest young master has a bright future ahead. Even you—” She raised her eyes to glance at Liangdi Fan: “Having a criminal official’s descendant as a nephew’s wife, what face would there be in that? Not to mention the Fan family losing face if word spread, you yourself would also be subject to speculation.”
Liangdi Fan naturally understood this principle. She glanced at Nanny Qi, let out a cold snort, and waved her hand to stop her from continuing. After thinking with a cold expression for a while, she said: “I know Achong is capable. Previously, Mother came to me three or four times for his marriage matter. Could I not know how concerned they were about his marriage? How could I truly find such a woman to match with him? According to my meaning, first have her go to Xingyang. That place is far from the capital after all—”
After all, far from the capital—this unfinished sentence made everyone prick up their ears. From Her Ladyship’s meaning, she had never truly intended to match this Miss Chen with her nephew. She was merely having Miss Chen go to Xingyang first before anything else.
After arriving in Xingyang, what then? After arriving in Xingyang, for the local power the Fan clan to deal with an orphaned girl without any backing—wouldn’t that be as easy as taking candy from a baby, to manipulate at will?! So this was her scheme. Both Nanny Qi and Nanny Fang coincidentally breathed a sigh of relief. Nanny Qi thought for a moment and then asked Liangdi Fan: “Then shall you write a letter, and this servant will forward it to the master and mistress for you?”
Liangdi Fan’s expression was somewhat gloomy. She knew her parents resented her, but what was there to resent? Could it be that her own days were easy? If she hadn’t promptly produced the silver this time, her life would have been lost! If she died, the Fan family— Liangdi Fan froze, her beautiful eyes filled with gloom. She had actually forgotten—if she died, it wouldn’t really matter. Just a daughter, that’s all. If the Fan family still wanted to curry favor with the Crown Prince, and the Crown Prince wanted to continue using the Fan family, it wasn’t as if they couldn’t do without her. They could just marry another girl surnamed Fan, couldn’t they? Shocked by her own thoughts, she became even more furious. Taking a deep breath, she nodded: “I’ll write a letter. You deliver it to my parents for me.” After saying this, she got up and personally fetched a seal from the inner room and handed it to Nanny Qi: “Along with this, bring it to my parents and have them keep it safe for me.”
Nanny Qi had just responded affirmatively when Liangdi Fan changed her mind again. She frowned and pondered for quite a while, then asked for the seal back, clutching it in her hand. After thinking it over repeatedly, she finally handed the seal to Nanny Qi again and sighed: “Tell them this is an important item, related to my life. Have them absolutely, absolutely keep it safe.”
Nanny Qi was completely baffled, but she didn’t dare disobey Liangdi Fan’s words. She quickly responded, carefully tucked the item into her bosom, and then asked Liangdi Fan: “Then shall we also give instructions to have this Miss Chen quietly become unaccustomed to Xingyang’s climate?”
This would originally have been a good method, but after thinking it over, Liangdi Fan rejected it.
Forget it. If something happened at the Fan family residence while at the Fan family, if someone with ulterior motives discovered it, they would inevitably use it to cause trouble. In any case, no one knew about what she had promised Old Madam Chen except for the now-deceased Old Madam Chen, Great-Aunt Chen, and Miss Chen.
“Never mind. I have my own plan for this matter. After you return, have someone reliable personally deliver the letter to the family. Have them tell Father and Mother that from now on, this matter should never be mentioned again. Act as if I never said it.” Liangdi Fan couldn’t help but feel somewhat annoyed again. If it weren’t for Old Madam Chen insisting on security measures and requiring her to take one seal and Chen Mingyu to take one seal, how could she possibly have given Old Madam Chen her nephew’s birth chart? Now Old Madam Chen must have given both the birth chart and the seal to Chen Mingyu together.
Chen Mingyu was just a young girl. Now her only support was that aged Great-Aunt Chen. Originally, the plan was to wait until she married her nephew and then retrieve the seal. But now, thinking it over— murderous intent gradually seeped into Liangdi Fan’s eyes.
Thinking it over now, her maternal family actually needn’t pay such a heavy price, having her nephew become a widower who married a criminal’s daughter and then lost his wife. Father, Mother, Brother, and Sister-in-law would probably all resent her.
Second Brother and Little Madam Fan’s deaths had already caused quite an awkward situation. Liangdi Fan thought it over and patiently instructed Nanny Qi: “Tell them not to be foolish. Just say no birth chart was ever written.”
This time Nanny Qi truly breathed a great sigh of relief. If Liangdi Fan had thought it through herself, that was naturally best. She nodded, and seeing that Liangdi Fan had no other instructions, finally got up and withdrew.
Only then did Nanny Fang finally dare to step forward and interject: “Your Ladyship, didn’t you say that this matter couldn’t succeed unless Miss Chen married our eldest young master? How is it that you’ve changed your mind now?”
The change of mind was actually quite good. Nanny Fang was only afraid that Liangdi Fan would get hot-headed and go mad again, falling out with her maternal family as well.
Liangdi Fan’s face was gloomy, and she didn’t speak for a long while. The Chen family—the Chen family actually only had a bunch of old, weak women and children left. Actually, they couldn’t even be called old, weak women and children. Chen Mingyu only had one Great-Aunt Chen by her side. These two, one old and one young, had no influence whatsoever. If they encountered river bandits or robbers on the road and lost their lives, not even a ripple would be created.
Such important items as the seal and marriage contract—Chen Mingyu would definitely keep them on her person. As long as the seal and her nephew’s birth chart were obtained— Liangdi Fan’s hand clenched tightly into a fist.