Although Nan Shiying had left, she left Lü Wan behind, claiming it was to contribute, but any discerning person could see that this was to supervise Nan Yuan'er's vigil. She was determined to make Nan Yuan'er kneel for three days.
Although His Majesty had granted amnesty, exempting Nan Chaoyin from six months of house arrest, Nan Chaoyin was no longer the Prime Minister. He was now a third-rank Censorate official, a mere figurehead with no real power. Even with the title of future father-in-law, the "future" had yet to be removed. Despite being bullied by the Princess, he could only endure it for now. Moreover, the Princess was not intentionally making things difficult for him, making it impossible to accuse her of disobedience or disrespect, at most, she could be called arrogant and domineering.
Because of the death of Nan Chaoyin's youngest son, the past grievances between the Nan Estate and Princess Nan Shiying were once again brought to light.
"If you ask me, this is all the Prime Minister... no, this is all Lord Nan's fault for doting on his concubine and neglecting his wife, spoiling Madam Liu to the point of lawlessness. Those more than twenty corpses dug up from the Nan Estate are definitely not all of them. If you ask me, the Princess's birth mother and Lord Nan's legitimate daughter should also be added to the list of those who deserve condemnation."
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it carefully. If the Princess's birth mother died in childbirth, how much of a threat could a swaddling infant Princess be to Madam Liu? Why would she be so vicious as to let someone perish on their own? Even if the Princess was a concubine's daughter, she was still the concubine's daughter of a first-rank Prime Minister's estate. How could she live a life like the one before? Let alone compare to us commoners, she was worse off than pigs and dogs."
"If there were no grievances or hatred, why would she be so venomous?"
"Ah, now that you mention it, it really makes sense!"
"So, you're saying that Madam Liu killed the Princess's birth mother? If I were the Princess, for the revenge of my mother's death and the cruelty of bullying, I would tear Madam Liu apart!"
"What about Lord Nan's legitimate daughter? How come I heard that the legitimate daughter was killed by the Princess?"
"The Princess? Don't you think about the Princess's situation back then? She lived a life worse than pigs and dogs in the Nan Estate, where even a rough servant dared to bully her. How could she dare to kill the legitimate daughter of the estate?"
"That's not right. When the Princess's birth mother had a difficult childbirth, Madam Wang was managing the household. If we follow this logic, the one who killed the Princess's birth mother should be Madam Wang!"
"The Princess, because she knew the cause of her mother's death, hardened her heart and killed Madam Wang's daughter. It's perfectly reasonable!"
"Bah!"
"If you ask me, you all have no brains. Yes, both Madam Wang and Madam Liu are possible, but haven't you seen which of these two ladies is dead and which is still alive!"
Everyone suddenly understood.
"Right, right, what you said makes sense. If it was all Madam Wang's doing, then Madam Wang should have been castrated and made into a human pig, not Madam Liu, the equal wife!"
"Exactly!"
That person looked pleased with herself.
"How do you know these secrets?"
"This is a long story. My brother's wife's neighbor's younger sister, who is within three degrees of kinship with my mother's side, once served the Princess's birth mother. She heard that the Princess's birth mother looked very much like Madam Liu. When she first entered the estate that year, she was very prominent, almost overshadowing Madam Liu in favor."
"Wow, there's such a thing? No wonder Madam Liu couldn't tolerate them, mother and daughter! Anyone who is replaced by a substitute can't suppress their anger!"
When that person heard the word "substitute," she sneered dismissively: "You're mistaken. The Princess's birth mother was not a substitute; Madam Liu was the substitute!"
"Ah?"
"No, no, no, isn't it that the Princess's birth mother looked like Madam Liu?"
Everyone was astonished and quickly asked for clarification.
Seeing that she had piqued everyone's curiosity, the person, quite proud, paused for a few seconds. As everyone clamored for her to continue, she slowly explained: "Actually, what I said earlier wasn't entirely accurate. It's not that the Princess's birth mother resembled Madam Liu, but rather that Madam Liu greatly resembled the Princess's birth mother."
"Didn't I say that my brother's wife's neighbor's younger sister, who is within three degrees of kinship with my mother's side, served the Princess's birth mother? When the Princess's birth mother first entered the Nan Estate, everyone indeed thought that she was brought into the estate because she closely resembled Madam Liu. But later they discovered that it wasn't the case at all. The Princess's birth mother was very indifferent towards Lord Nan, while Lord Nan, regardless of her attitude, would cling to her side. His attitude was that he was afraid of dropping her if he held her in his palm, and afraid of her melting if he held her in his mouth. No matter how favored Madam Liu was back then, she never received such treatment."
"Later, when she was serving by their side, she overheard their conversation and learned that Lord Nan had met the Princess's birth mother first and, unable to obtain her, sought out Madam Liu, who bore a striking resemblance to the Princess's birth mother!"
"Wow, there's such a thing! Lord Nan's estate is truly..."
"But... if that's the case, why would Lord Nan allow Madam Liu and the others to bully the Princess like this? That was the flesh and blood born from her beloved who risked her life!"
"You've hit the nail on the head. In fact, there have always been two theories. One is that Lord Nan's love for the Princess's birth mother was too deep, so he took his anger out on the culprit who killed his beloved. Of course, another theory..." The speaker looked around and then lowered her voice, whispering: "is that the Princess is not Lord Nan's biological daughter, but... a bastard!"
"Hiss~"
Upon hearing this, everyone's scalps tingled, and they subconsciously looked around, fearing that a group of people would suddenly appear and arrest them.
If they really ended up in prison while gossiping, it would be a true "joyful acquisition of prison food"!
"Are you trying to die!"
"Are you trying to lose your life? You never said this, and we never heard it!"
Everyone scurried away quickly.
The person who spread the secret watched everyone flee in panic and realized she had said the wrong thing. A cold sweat broke out on her body. How could her foul mouth be so careless? Being flattered, she lost her composure for a moment. Miss Dieyi had explicitly instructed her not to spread this word, and if she had to say it, not to say the last part. How could she have not remembered?
Fortunately, the opera troupe would be leaving the capital tomorrow. With the vastness of the world, even if the Prince's estate heard the rumors and ordered an investigation, she would have already fled to the ends of the earth.
As she thought this, she hurried towards the inn. As soon as she turned a corner, a sack was thrown over her head, her neck felt a sharp pain, and the next moment she lost consciousness.
"Splash~"
A basin of cold water was poured over her head. The person tied to a wooden cross slowly opened her eyes. The gloomy environment and the smell of blood that filled her nostrils turned her face pale. She looked at the ferocious big man in front of her and shouted at the top of her lungs: "Help! Help!"
Jia Huan liked this kind of ruffian. He pulled his arm back to a full draw and slapped the woman hard across the face with such force that it knocked out several of her teeth. Blood mixed with white teeth sprayed into the air and then fell to the ground.
Jia Huan grabbed the woman's chin and straightened her head, which had been turned askew by the slap, and introduced himself: "I am the Princess's guard, Jia Huan!"
Upon hearing the words "Prince's Estate," the woman fainted dead away.
Jia Huan: "..."