Chapter 180

Chapter 180 Fang Yuan'er took a leisurely sip of tea, her expression much calmer now. "When you handle things, I've always been at ease." Thinking of her scheme, Fang Yuan'er also grew more composed. Wan Linlang was doomed to die this time! The tapioca powder incident had been in the works for over half a year. Fang Yuan'er wasn't reborn—she had transmigrated into a book, so naturally she knew from the plot about Wan Linlang's face-shifting abilities. During this period, she had been searching Prince Jing's estate for someone with a similar build to Wan Linlang. It took over half a year of effort before her gaze finally settled on Ping'an, the servant beside Concubine An. One could only say Ping'an was unlucky—it was precisely because her figure resembled Wan Linlang's that Fang Yuan'er chose her. After all, face-shifting could change anything except one's physical build. In Fang Yuan'er's scheme, Yuezhi accusing Suici and framing Wan Linlang for poisoning Fifth Young Master with tapioca powder was only the first step. This step was mainly to ignite the incident and draw everyone's attention. The second step was to have Yuezhi implicate Ping'an. All the evidence regarding the tapioca powder pointed to Ping'an, yet the evidence was so absurd that anyone with half a brain wouldn't believe it. Sacrificing Ping'an would simultaneously make everyone suspect there was a mastermind behind it all. Then Fang Yuan'er would pick an opportune moment to subtly reveal Wan Linlang's face-shifting abilities. From then on, whenever Prince Jing investigated the tapioca powder case, if he found even a trace of Wan Linlang's face-shifting skills, she would have to bear this black mark whether she wanted to or not! This kind of suspicion didn't even need solid evidence to seal Wan Linlang's fate. The more ambiguous it was, the more impossible it would be for Wan Linlang to ever clear her name. Because having evidence meant there was a chance to overturn it—but without evidence... she wouldn't even know where to begin explaining. Yuezhi didn't have to die, but she had a fierce and obsessive nature—the type who would destroy what she couldn't have. Xie Run had given Zhao Wu a choice between two, and Zhao Wu chose Suici, which instantly shattered Yuezhi's defenses. Then Xie Run had Yuezhi attend Zhao Wu and Suici's wedding—a fatal blow that completely crushed Yuezhi's plan to drag Suici down with her in death. Yuezhi's death was outside Fang Yuan'er's plan. But Fang Yuan'er was secretly pleased. After all, the more lives involved, the more Prince Jing would care—and when all those lives were chalked up to Wan Linlang's account, they would become debt after debt demanding payment. A hint of ruthlessness surfaced in Fang Yuan'er's eyes. "In Concubine An's courtyard, don't act hastily yet. Wait a few more days." "Why?" "I lost my head today. First, I was too ostentatious and overstepped at Spring Mountain Court. Second, I resented the Prince for not trusting me, which provoked the Prince and Princess Consort and earned the Prince's displeasure." "Thinking back now, the Prince punished me so severely—it probably wasn't just because of the tapioca powder incident." Qiuxiang had served Fang Yuan'er for a long time and wasn't just a maid who understood only household trivialities. The moment Fang Yuan'er gave her a hint, she immediately caught on: "Is it because of your elder brothers, mistress?" Fang Yuan'er's eyes showed a trace of irritation. As for the original Fang Yuan'er's family background—it wasn't particularly good, nor was it particularly bad. The good part was that they were wealthy and beautiful, with the family supporting her wholeheartedly. The bad part was that the family were merchants, and her brothers were useless. As Fang Yuan'er's status rose, her worthless brothers began to throw their weight around and act like bullies. A few days ago, they stirred up several incidents, and people came begging Prince Jing for justice, which angered him. The Prince had handled the matter at the time without saying much. But after returning today and thinking it over carefully, Fang Yuan'er felt that the Prince's hesitation-free punishment of her was definitely connected to those useless brothers of hers. Or perhaps the Prince thought the Fang family and she were getting too cocky, so he took the opportunity to rein them in. Fang Yuan'er glanced at Qiuxiang. "Find a way to send word out. Say that I've been implicated by my brothers, received heavy punishment from the Prince, and there are already signs I'm falling out of favor. Tell the brothers at home to behave themselves." "If they don't, the one being punished now is me—but next will be them." As she spoke, a cold glint appeared in Fang Yuan'er's eyes. She had transmigrated into this book, and her relationship with the Fang family was purely one of mutual benefit—there was no deep affection. If both sides could cooperate for mutual gain, that would be ideal. But if the Fang family didn't measure up and kept dragging her down, she wouldn't hesitate to cut the rope and find another patron. Qiuxiang nodded, then added, "In Concubine An's courtyard, only Ping'an was really useful." "Now that Ping'an has been locked in the dungeon by the Prince, Concubine An is trembling with fear and doesn't even dare plead for mercy. The courtyard is probably in chaos by now." "This would be an easy time to strike." Fang Yuan'er's tone was cold. "As for Li'er, tell her to act according to circumstances. After this contact, there's no need to reach out again." "Yes." Qiuxiang thought of the sickly, ailing Fourth Young Master. Perhaps he shouldn't have been born in this place to begin with. Or perhaps he shouldn't have been born from Concubine An's womb at all. Something happening in Concubine An's courtyard wasn't a certainty, but it was an important bargaining chip. If Fifth Young Master being poisoned, Yuezhi's death, and Ping'an's wrongful demise weren't enough to make Prince Jing demand Wan Linlang's life— Then what if Fourth Young Master were gone? If the Prince lost his own son, Fang Yuan'er didn't believe he would let Wan Linlang off easily! This was Fang Yuan'er's final card to play. Qiuxiang had just left when Fang Yuan'er decided to change her clothes. Suddenly, she heard faint sobbing coming from the side chamber. Her head throbbed at the sound, and she instinctively raised a hand to rub her brow. "What's going on?" By the time she walked over, the wet nurse was already holding the child, trying to soothe him. The wet nurse said, "Mistress, the young master has soiled himself. This servant was just changing his diaper." Hearing this, Fang Yuan'er stood still in place, making no move to approach. She waved a hand. "Go on, then. Bring him to me for a cuddle once the diaper is changed." Third Young Master Xiao Qiong had been especially colicky in his second month, crying through most of it. The matter had caused quite a stir—the entire Prince Jing's estate was well aware of it. By the time Xiao Qiong reached three months, he had improved somewhat, but he still had a tendency to cry at the slightest provocation. At first, Fang Yuan'er had kept the child close at all times. But after enduring the constant fussing, she began to develop what might be called frayed nerves—she could no longer bear the sound of a crying baby. The moment she heard crying, her head would throb painfully. In severe cases, she would experience ringing in her ears, nausea, headaches, and dark spots before her eyes. So after the third month, she delegated most of the childcare to her personal maidservant Qiukui and the wet nurse. Recently, Fang Yuan'er had taken over the household management of the prince's estate, and all her senior maidservants were helping her handle affairs, running about with barely a moment to rest. Come to think of it, Fang Yuan'er hadn't really had a proper look at her son in several days. By the time the wet nurse brought Third Young Master in after changing his diaper, his eyes were already half-closed, as if he were about to fall asleep.