"Prime Minister Nan Chaoyin requests an audience with the Consort."
Nan Chaoyin did not enter directly, performing the duties of a subject with utmost sincerity.
Nan Shiying gave a glance to Lu Wan. Lu Wan, understanding her intentions, walked to the door, opened it, bowed to Nan Chaoyin, and made a gesture of invitation: "Prime Minister Nan, please come in."
Nan Chaoyin smiled at Lu Wan and then stepped inside.
"Your subject, Nan Chaoyin, pays his respects to Her Highness the Consort."
While stating it as a greeting, high-ranking officials in court only knelt before the Emperor. Even when meeting the Empress or Empress Dowager, kneeling was not required.
Nan Shiying tilted her head slightly, her eyes naturally casting downward. Although seated, she gave the impression of being high and mighty. She glanced indifferently at Nan Chaoyin and let out a dismissive hum from her nose, clearly not taking him seriously.
She merely said to Lu Wan and the others, "You may all withdraw."
"Your Highness—"
Lu Wan feigned hesitation, the muscles in her face tightening momentarily, bringing out an unnatural expression. Nan Chaoyin immediately understood.
These maids, while serving, were actually acting as spies!
"Hm?" Nan Shiying narrowed her eyes, a killing aura instantly surfacing. Lu Wan immediately lowered her head and reluctantly bowed, "Yes, Your Highness."
Saying this, she left the room with Bai Zhi and the others.
Only after confirming that Lu Wan and the others had left, did Nan Shiying stand up, walk two steps at a time to Nan Chaoyin, kneel on one knee, and say with feigned trepidation, "Your subordinate, Qing Yuan, pays respects to the Master."
With her head lowered, her eyelashes concealed the coldness in her eyes.
Nan Chaoyin bent down, took Nan Shiying's wrists, and helped her up, praising her with a touch of admiration, "You have done very well."
Nan Shiying's eyes showed a hint of excitement at the opportune moment, and she said with false modesty, "If not for the Master's plan, your subordinate would not have been able to impersonate Nan Shiying so easily. However, today... I have disgraced the Nan Manor and forced Madam to come out to greet me. Although it was unavoidable, it was still insubordination—"
"Your subordinate has sinned, please punish me, Master!"
As Nan Shiying spoke, she prepared to kneel again.
Nan Chaoyin had already heard about these matters and had no intention of blaming her. Instead, he felt a hint of dissatisfaction with Madam Liu. He had repeatedly instructed her not to trouble Nan Shiying, not to trouble Nan Shiying. Yet, Madam Liu had readily agreed in his presence, but as soon as he left, she ordered the manor gates locked.
It was as if she completely disregarded his words!
He had doted on her too much over the years, spoiling her to the point of becoming unruly!
Nan Chaoyin grasped Nan Shiying's wrist, stopping her from kneeling, and said with a comforting smile, "This is not your fault; there is no need for this."
"Alright, tell me what happened after you replaced Nan Shiying!"
Since Qing Yuan replaced Nan Shiying, Nan Chaoyin had ordered her to lie low and no longer needed her to pass on information.
At this stage, Qing Yuan's task was to play the role of Nan Shiying well, manage the inner court of the manor, and strive to be a good consort to the Nan Manor and a good wife to Ji Jinmo.
From what he could see, she was doing an excellent job, even exceeding his expectations.
"Master, since I became Nan Shiying—"
Nan Shiying recounted the fabricated story she had prepared for Nan Chaoyin, three parts truth and seven parts falsehood. The combination of true and false statements was highly deceptive.
"So that's how it is!"
He had wondered how Qing Yuan had so quickly won Ji Jinmo's favor. It turned out to be merely an act for appearances.
Ji Jinmo's caution was even greater than he had imagined.
"I understand. As I said before, your only task now is to gain Ji Jinmo's trust. In the meantime, if anyone from the Nan Manor causes you trouble, provided their lives and reputations are not at risk, I permit you to strike back at them."
To gain Ji Jinmo's trust, it was acceptable for the Nan Manor people to suffer some grievances. After all, if Nan Shiying, who 'hated the Nan Manor,' did not retaliate against them, it would seem too insincere.
"But… yes, your subordinate understands."
Nan Shiying appeared troubled, but her heart was already beaming with joy.
Nan Chaoyin gave Nan Shiying a few more instructions and turned to leave. Nan Shiying watched Nan Chaoyin's receding back, a vague, inexplicable emotion suddenly surfacing in her heart. This heart-pounding feeling made her subtly uneasy. Where exactly had something gone wrong?
Just as Nan Chaoyin's hand reached the door, Nan Shiying finally realized the issue and quickly called out to the departing Nan Chaoyin, "Master—"
Nan Chaoyin stopped and turned back.
Nan Shiying said, "Please grant me the antidote, Master."
"Ah, look at me!"
Nan Chaoyin suddenly laughed. He raised his hand to press his temples and said with a sigh, "I'm getting old. I completely forgot about such an important matter."
As he spoke, he turned back, took out a small porcelain bottle from his怀, and handed it to Nan Shiying, saying, "This is a six-month supply. Take good care of it."
"Thank you, Master, for the antidote."
Nan Chaoyin said nothing more and left with a smile.
Only after Nan Chaoyin had left Pinglan Pavilion did Nan Shiying relax her nerves.
This old fox!
He had been testing her all along. If she had forgotten about the antidote today, Nan Chaoyin would have discovered that she was not Qing Yuan.
After all, for anyone carrying a deadly poison that required an antidote to sustain life, the last thing they would forget was to ask for the antidote.
It seemed she would have to maintain peak vigilance from now on.
…
Li Wan Pavilion.
After returning to her courtyard, Madam Liu felt weak all over, as if she were truly ill.
"Bitch, whore, lowly wretch."
Madam Liu used all the vulgar words she could to curse Nan Shiying, yet even then, it could not quell the hatred in her heart.
"Old—"
The servants in Li Wan Pavilion saw Nan Chaoyin and were about to greet him. Nan Chaoyin waved them away. Madam Liu's foul curses fell into Nan Chaoyin's ears without missing a word. He had long known that Madam Liu was hypocritical, and he had clearly seen her cruel nature. But what of it?
Whether she was poisonous or ruthless, they were ultimately just means to deal with others.
In his heart, she was merely a cat with slightly sharper claws.
Nan Chaoyin pushed open the door and walked in.
Madam Liu's scolding stopped abruptly. Seeing Nan Chaoyin suddenly appear, she inwardly cursed all the maids and servants outside.
With wet nurse Qin and Yu'er not by her side, the remaining people were incompetent fools who were better at causing trouble than achieving anything! Not a single one had made a sound to alert her to the老爷's arrival.
Her expression was understandably displeased.
Nan Chaoyin's lips curved slightly. The anger in his heart suddenly dissipated when he saw her in this state—seething with inner rage but daring not to show it, her gaze shifting evasively, afraid to meet his eyes.
He then recalled Qing Yuan's earlier plea: "Master, in order to send away the Xuanwei, your subordinate had to have them go to the palace to summon an imperial physician. But if the imperial physician were to come and discover that Madam was not ill at all, Madam would likely be accused of disrespecting the royal family. Therefore... therefore, your subordinate channeled an inner force into Madam's body."