Nong Nu Jiao

"Xiao Liu, you..."

Consort Xiao wanted to persuade her again.

"Mother, there's no need to persuade her anymore; she's not worthy."

Yan Chenghui stared at Cen Lingyi's distant and submissive demeanor, a surge of anger rising in his heart, and he spoke in a cold voice.

His chest heaved violently, and he threw the copper spoon away heavily.

"Yan Chenghui, what kind of attitude is this?" Consort Xiao frowned, turned her head and glared at him, and scolded, "Even if she abandoned you, there is still affection between you since childhood. How can you treat her like this? I'm making this clear to you today: as long as I'm alive, I will protect her. You are not allowed to use your status as the crown prince to humiliate her."

Yan Chenghui stood with his back straight, his jaw clenched, his face cold and hard, and he remained silent with his lips tightly pressed together.

With each rise and fall of his chest, the old wound began to throb with dull pain.

She and the Cen family had been kind to him, but he had already repaid them with the whip marks all over his body and the almost fatal blow to his chest.

She owed him.

"Your Majesty, please don't be angry."

Cen Lingyi took Consort Xiao's hand and gently advised her.

She didn't want them to have a falling out over him, since it was only with great difficulty that they managed to get along.

During those years, Consort Xiao never treated Yan Chenghui well while she was in the Cold Palace.

Otherwise, Yan Chenghui wouldn't have had such a pitiful childhood.

"Don't listen to his nonsense. If this crab gets cold, its freshness will dissipate, and it will become fishy. Eat it quickly."

Consort Xiao turned to look at her, her expression changing to one of kindness and gentleness.

"Your Majesty, I really don't like to eat this..."

Cen Lingyi lowered her head and refused again.

As Yan Chenghui said, she is not worthy.

If she eats it, and he says those nasty things when they return to the East Palace, she'll probably be too busy vomiting.

Seeing that she was making all sorts of excuses, Consort Xiao simply took the chopsticks, picked up a small plate, put a piece of crab roe to her lips, and said, "Here, your aunt will feed you."

Cen Lingyi instinctively wanted to dodge, but when she met her unyielding gaze and expectant eyes, she ultimately did not back down.

She reached out her hand and said softly, "Your Majesty, I can do it myself."

She took the chopsticks and small plate, put the crab roe in her mouth, and chewed it with pursed lips.

Yan Chenghui glanced at her, then looked away, his clenched fist slowly relaxing.

Consort Xiao smiled with great satisfaction: "That's a good child."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Cen Lingyi also raised her eyebrows and smiled at her.

She didn't look in Yan Chenghui's direction, but he must be looking very unhappy right now.

She felt bad too. The succulent food in her mouth was clearly delicious, but as she chewed it, she only tasted a lingering bitterness.

She was preoccupied and ate the entire crab meat bite by bite, but she couldn't taste anything; it tasted like chewing wax.

"Auntie will peel another one for you."

Consort Xiao was delighted to see that she had finished her plate and reached for the crab.

"No, I can't eat anymore."

Cen Lingyi quickly reached out to stop her.

It's such a waste that she can't taste anything from such good food.

"From now on, don't keep anything to yourself. If anyone bullies you, come to your aunt, understand?"

Consort Xiao took out a handkerchief and wiped her lips as she had when she was a child.

Cen Lingyi wanted to avoid it, but was afraid of hurting her feelings, so she sat obediently and nodded in agreement.

In truth, how could she possibly trouble Consort Xiao with such trivial matters concerning the inner quarters?

She couldn't just enter the palace whenever she wanted.

"Your Highness, Your Highness, the young prince is crying terribly. They're calling for Miss Cen to come over."

Wang Yue loudly reported this from the back door.

"They're here," Consort Xiao replied, then looked at Cen Lingyi, took her hand and sighed, "So many people can't coax a child, but they insist on having you. I haven't had enough time with you yet."

"It's fate that His Highness favors me so much." Cen Lingyi looked at her with a smile. "I'll come to visit Your Highness again when I have time."

"Mm." Consort Xiao nodded and walked back with her: "Use the things I sent you, don't be stingy. I'll have someone send you more later."

"it is good."

Cen Lingyi obediently agreed.

Seeing her like this, Consort Xiao felt even more sorry for her.

Xiao Liu, you used to be so flamboyant and bright, with a voice as crisp and sweet as the water chestnuts of Jiangnan. When have you ever been so meek and submissive?

Thinking of this, she turned back and glared at Yan Chenghui.

Xiao Liu has fallen into such a predicament, and instead of protecting her, he made her work as a wet nurse. I bet Xiao Liu has suffered a lot in the Eastern Palace.

And that dog emperor, Shengwu, the Cen family is already in such a miserable state, with only this one child left, and he's still worried that Xiao Liu will join forces with the Crown Prince to seek revenge on him.

A tyrannical ruler!

Before the three of them even stepped into the main hall of Ninghe Palace, they heard Yan Huaijiao's loud crying.

Cen Lingyi quickened her pace.

The little guy is about ten months old now, not a baby anymore. He eats and drinks well, is quite chubby, and cries loud enough to lift the roof off.

"Your Highness..."

Cen Lingyi stepped across the threshold and called out.

When Yan Huaijiao throws a tantrum, no one can appease her; her small body is full of brute force at this moment.

He shook his head from side to side in Lingzhi's arms, sometimes burying himself in her arms and then suddenly raising his head to wail. His little feet kicked Lingzhi's wrists until they went numb, and he arched his back and struggled to get out. His cries echoed intermittently in the hall, and his little face turned bright red.

Xia Qing and the others stood by helplessly—only Lingzhi could still hold Yan Huaijiao; no one else could touch him, or he would cry even harder.

Lingzhi could barely withstand the little guy's strength and was about to slip from his grasp at any moment.

"Come quickly, young lady, the young prince is begging for you."

Upon seeing Cen Lingyi return, Lingzhi felt as if she had seen a savior and immediately spoke up.

"Your Highness, come here, let your wet nurse hold you."

Cen Lingyi took a few quick steps and stepped forward to extend her hand to Yan Huaijiao.

Upon hearing her voice, Yan Huaijiao's crying subsided considerably. Tears streamed down her rosy cheeks as she pouted and reached out to her with a wronged expression.

"Is it because the wet nurse wasn't there to keep the young prince company? Are you feeling wronged?"

Cen Lingyi felt heartbroken and hugged him tightly, gently patting his back.

Yan Huaijiao hugged her neck tightly, burying her little head in it, and whimpered a couple of times, finally finding a place to put the grievances she had felt when she couldn't find her wet nurse.

Consort Xiao frowned and looked around.

"Your Majesty, the Empress has something to attend to and has sent someone to escort His Majesty away."

I gaze at the moon and softly report this.

Upon hearing this, Cen Lingyi turned to look at Consort Xiao. In Yan Chenghui's backyard, there weren't many people, and they were constantly fighting amongst themselves.

Not to mention inside the palace.

The Empress knew that today was Consort Xiao's birthday, and she deliberately found an excuse to summon His Majesty, which must have been intentional.

"It's better that he's gone." Consort Xiao didn't seem to care much. "Prepare the meal."

"Your Highness, I was heartbroken to see the young prince crying so much. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that he has developed a fine red rash all over his body. He must be in great discomfort, which is why he couldn't be comforted by anyone."

Consort Sun suddenly stepped forward, curtsied to Consort Xiao, and spoke in a loud voice.

Everyone turned to look at her.

Cen Lingyi's lips curled slightly.

She was just thinking about how to expose Sun Liangyuan's actions when Sun Liangyuan herself stepped forward.

That saved her the trouble of dealing with it.

She hooked open Yan Huaijiao's collar with her fingertips and peeked inside. The little guy was fair, tender, and chubby, without a single blemish on his body.

The thin layer of powder she applied to him before leaving worked.

Lingzhi opened her eyes wide, looking at the young prince and then at Consort Sun with a puzzled expression. She said that Consort Sun usually disliked the young prince and would roll her eyes whenever she saw him.

Why did Consort Sun look so anxious when the young prince cried? She even went forward to check on him.

She felt that Consort Sun had no good intentions, so she kept holding the little prince and avoiding Consort Sun. She did not notice anything unusual about the little prince.

The young prince is crying simply because he can't find the girl.

Didn't the little prince stop crying as soon as the girl hugged him?

Consort Sun did not lift the prince's clothes to check, so why did she suddenly say that?

Consort Xiao stood at the head of the table and looked at Consort Sun: "Haven't you already appeased them?"

She had never liked Xia Qing and the child she had with Yan Chenghui, and she had never really looked at Yan Huaijiao, nor did she care much about Yan Huaijiao's affairs.

"Your Highness, I just questioned Granny Wang, the head steward of the side hall, and learned that it was because Nurse Cen had been craving spicy and greasy duck offal lately. These filthy foods caused her to accumulate stagnant qi in her body, resulting in excessive dampness and heat in her breast milk, which is why His Highness developed a rash."

Seeing that Consort Xiao remained unmoved, Consort Sun grew anxious and couldn't help but speak again.

After she finished speaking, the hall fell silent, and no one responded for a moment.

Yan Chenghui stood to one side, his expression indifferent, his dark eyes devoid of emotion, and it was unclear what he was thinking.

Xia Qinghe stood upright, maintaining the decorum befitting a crown princess, and remained silent for a moment.

Logically speaking, since Sun Liangyuan was speaking up for her son, she should have stood up for him.

However, Consort Xiao was too biased towards Cen Lingyi, so she decided not to get involved, as she wouldn't gain anything from it anyway.

Gu Liangdi glanced at Sun Liangyuan, a cold smile playing on her lips.

That idiot Sun Liangyuan is charging forward again.

Consort Xiao chuckled, took a step back, sat down in the chair, and glanced at Consort Sun with raised eyelids: "So you've come for Xiao Liu."

It seems that Sun Liangyuan didn't listen to any of her previous advice.

"I have no intention of targeting Nurse Cen, but she should not have indulged in her momentary cravings and disregarded His Highness's health. I hope Your Majesty will take charge and remove this inconsiderate wet nurse from the Eastern Palace."

Sun Liangyuan held her chin high, speaking with an air of self-righteousness.

Granny Wang has succeeded. The Gelsemium elegans mixed with the medicinal powder is too strong for even adults, let alone a child as young as Yan Huaijiao.

The reason she was crying and fussing like that was because her skin was itchy, wasn't it?

She was confident and looked at Consort Xiao without the slightest fear in her eyes.

"Sixth Brother, what do you say?"

Consort Xiao looked at Cen Lingyi.

This child has been kind-hearted since childhood; otherwise, why would he treat the mother and son so well?

She knew very well that Cen Lingyi would not treat a small child like that.

Actually, her questioning of Cen Lingyi was just a formality; whatever Cen Lingyi said, she would make the decision for her.

"Your Majesty, this servant would like to ask Consort Sun, do you have any evidence to support your claims about me?"

Cen Lingyi, carrying Yan Huaijiao, walked out from the crowd, stepped forward, curtsied to Consort Xiao, glanced at Consort Sun, and spoke slowly.

Consort Xiao looked at her with a hint of a smile in her eyes.

Xiao Liu is a bright child. Her parents have raised her very well. She is neither arrogant nor impatient, so they must have already found a solution.

All she needs to do is support her.

Thinking of this, she leaned back lazily in her chair, propping her chin up with one hand and watching the show unfold.

"Evidence? What evidence do you need? The red rash on His Highness's body, isn't that evidence? Are you trying to deny it?"

Sun Liangyuan raised her voice, held her head high, and faced Cen Lingyi with a fierce demeanor.

"Did Lady Liangyuan really see red rashes on the young prince's body?"

Cen Lingyi's dark eyes were clear as she looked at her, speaking softly without a trace of urgency or fear.

"Of course."

Without hesitation, Sun Liangyuan answered with absolute certainty.

Now that Granny Wang had succeeded, how could a small child like Yan Huaijiao resist the effects of the powder?

Cen Lingyi remained silent.

She raised her hand and loosened Yan Huaijiao's sash.

"Well……"

Yan Huaijiao also reached out and grabbed a sash, grinning at her.

"Your Highness, shall we show this to everyone?"

Cen Lingyi looked at his small face, and her eyes softened.

"Um……"

Yan Huaijiao looked at her, seemingly understanding but not quite, nodding her little head.

Seeing Cen Lingyi's fearless demeanor, Sun Liangyuan suddenly felt a pang of panic.

She turned to look at Granny Wang.

Granny Wang nodded to her.

Isn't it enough that she did it herself to be sure?

She applied a lot of that medicinal powder to the young prince's body.

Sun Liangyuan breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Cen Lingyi was certain, and looked at her again.

Cen Lingyi moved skillfully and quickly undressed Yan Huaijiao.

Yan Huaijiao's small body was revealed, her little belly was bulging from eating, white and tender, like freshly made tofu, with no red rash at all.

"Your Highness, please take a look."

Cen Lingyi turned around, holding Yan Huaijiao, to face Consort Xiao.

Consort Xiao finally looked at Yan Huaijiao properly, and her gaze paused for a moment.

The little guy has bright, sparkling eyes, a round, rosy face, and a few tiny baby teeth when he smiles.

Xia Qinghe was not a likable person, but her child was quite cute.

"Sun Liangyuan, what else do you have to say?"

Consort Xiao's cold gaze fell on Consort Sun, her tone questioning.

"Even if... even if the young prince doesn't have a rash, as the young prince's wet nurse, Cen's act of feeding him strong-flavored foods is a dereliction of duty, and she should be expelled from the Eastern Palace."

Sun Liangyuan was stunned for a moment, but quickly concealed her surprise and raised her chin to argue illogically.

"It seems that you've forgotten that I only have one day off per month to leave the East Palace. It's been almost a month since I last left. How can I possibly eat street food?"

Cen Lingyi gently adjusted Yan Huaijiao's clothes and asked her in a soft voice.

Lingzhi hurriedly stepped forward to tie Yan Huaijiao's shirt belt.

"So many servants come and go from the Eastern Palace every day, couldn't you have someone bring them for you? Your Highness, Wang Mama can testify to this."

Sun Liangyuan turned to look at Wang Mama.

Wang Mama stepped out from behind the crowd, knelt down, and bowed her head, saying, "Your Highness, I personally witnessed Nurse Cen eating the heavily seasoned duck offal, and some of it is hidden in Nurse Cen's residence. If Your Highness does not believe me, you can send someone to search."

She buried her head in the ground, afraid to make a move.

She was transferred to the East Palace only after His Highness the Crown Prince moved in.

I had heard about Crown Prince Cen Lingyi's past, but I never knew that the Imperial Concubine was so biased towards Cen Lingyi.

If she had known this would happen, she wouldn't have done this for Sun Liangyuan.

But since things had come to this, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and step forward.

"Anyone can come into my house. Who can guarantee that I'm the one who put that thing there?"

Cen Lingyi looked down at Granny Wang, her eyes calm.

Perhaps she has that thing at her residence. Sun Liangyuan isn't particularly stupid; at least this time, her preparations were quite thorough.

She didn't know what would happen to Sun Liangyuan.

However, Granny Wang's life was certainly not going to be saved.

"If that's what Nurse Cen wants to say, then this servant has nothing to say."

Granny Wang's head remained buried in the ground.

"Has Liangyuan finished speaking?"

Cen Lingyi raised her dark eyes and looked at Sun Liangyuan.

"What's wrong?"

Sun Liangyuan's eyelids twitched.

Why did she feel that Cen Lingyi had some kind of backup plan?

"Then it's my turn to speak." Cen Lingyi straightened up, facing the person above her, her expression solemn: "Your Majesty, I have something to say."

"you say."

Consort Xiao raised her hand.

"Two weeks ago, Sun Liangyuan personally went to Zhongshantang Pharmacy on West Street to buy a packet of Gelsemium elegans herbal powder..."

Cen Lingyi held the child in her arms, her slender body upright, and spoke slowly and deliberately.

"You're talking nonsense, I didn't do it, Cen Lingyi, you need to provide evidence for your statement."

Upon hearing this, Sun Liangyuan was startled and blurted out a interruption.

She was covered in sweat. Damn it, how did Cen Lingyi know about this?

"Few people buy Gelsemium elegans powder. If Your Highness sends someone, they should be able to find out the truth."

Cen Lingyi looked at Consort Xiao with clear eyes.

Consort Xiao nodded slightly, about to speak.

Sun Liangyuan couldn't help but say, "So what if I bought that Gelsemium elegans powder? Can't I use it to wipe the dirt off my things?"

The look in Consort Xiao's eyes made her panic. She gripped her sleeve tightly, her palms sweating profusely.

If she were in the Eastern Palace, with His Highness the Crown Prince protecting her, even if the matter were exposed, she wouldn't be in any serious trouble.

But now, it's in front of Consort Xiao.

Consort Xiao was enjoying the zenith of the Emperor's favor in the palace, and everyone said that the Emperor doted on her.

If Consort Xiao wanted to punish her, probably no one could stop her. Thinking of this, she nervously swallowed.

"This servant didn't say no." Cen Lingyi withdrew her gaze, her expression remaining calm: "In the past two weeks, Consort Sun has met with Granny Wang five times..."

"It's none of your business whether I see Granny Wang or not!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Liangyuan became even more anxious.

She couldn't help but turn her head to look at her maids outside. Who had leaked this information to Cen Lingyi?

Once she returned to the East Palace, she found out who this person was and was determined to beat her out... no, to beat her to death!

"Sun Liangyuan, can't you let someone finish speaking?"

Consort Xiao frowned in displeasure.

She could tell that Xiao Liu was confident in dealing with the two people. All she needed to do was get Xiao Liu to speak up and uphold justice for him.

"Yes."

Sun Liangyuan naturally dared not act presumptuously in front of her, and immediately restrained herself, bowing her head in agreement.

Granny Wang knelt on the ground, her whole body trembling uncontrollably.

She had long seen through Cen Lingyi's scheming nature, and said that she hadn't been able to find an opportunity to make a move against the young prince in the past two weeks.

Why did she have this opportunity to enter the palace today?

It turns out that Cen Lingyi had been prepared all along and deliberately let her succeed so that she could complain to the Imperial Concubine!

They are truly cunning.

"Because the young prince only likes me, Wang Mama has always been jealous and has never liked me, making things difficult for me at all times." Cen Lingyi looked up at Consort Xiao, her eyebrows and eyes clear and upright. "Ever since Consort Sun met Wang Mama, Wang Mama has always found excuses to send me and Lingzhi away so that she can apply Gelsemium elegans powder to the young prince's body, causing him to develop a rash. Then she will falsely accuse me of eating something inappropriate in order to drive me out of the East Palace."

She was fully aware of Sun Liangyuan and Wang Mama's schemes.

"I knew that Granny Wang had ill intentions, so I specially asked someone to buy some thin silk powder. Thinking that there would be many people in the palace today and that we might not be able to take good care of the prince, so that Granny Wang could get her hands on him and he would suffer, I applied a thin silk powder to the prince before leaving. This is why the powder that Granny Wang put on the prince did not work."

Inside the vast main hall, only her gentle and soothing voice could be heard, each word resounding and clear, leaving no room for doubt.

"Your Highness, I only met with Granny Wang to inquire about the young prince. I asked her to ask her what she did. I have no idea what Granny Wang did." Consort Sun was eager to clear herself of any wrongdoing and kicked Granny Wang, saying, "Speak!"

"Your Highness, what Nurse Cen said is all a frame-up. Even if I had the guts of a bear and the gall of a leopard, I would never dare to lay a hand on His Highness just because I dislike her. I am truly innocent..."

Granny Wang kowtowed repeatedly, shouting loudly that she was innocent.

As long as she denies it to the death, what evidence can Cen Lingyi have to prove that she did it?

Besides, isn't the young prince perfectly fine?

"There is some Gelsemium elegans powder on the hem of Granny Wang's clothes, and there should be some residue under her fingernails as well. Her Highness, please have the imperial physician examine it."

Cen Lingyi was well prepared for her denial and was confident of success.

Granny Wang couldn't kneel down any longer; her body went limp, and she burst into tears.

In this way, anyone could see that she was guilty, which was tantamount to admitting her crime.

"Granny Wang, do you confess your crime?"

Consort Xiao raised her voice and questioned.

"This servant...this servant knows her crime..."

Granny Wang trembled and stammered as she spoke.

"But did Consort Sun instigate you?"

Consort Xiao asked again.

Granny Wang cried twice before calming down a little: "It was all...it was all my doing, and...it has nothing to do with anyone else..."

She has to admit it.

In doing this, Consort Sun not only gave her money, but also manipulated her children and grandchildren.

"Your Highness, Consort Sun's brother, Sun Junchi, took Wang Mama's son and grandson to the Sun residence ten days ago. Wang Mama is probably afraid to tell the truth because of this."

Cen Lingyi succinctly revealed what Wang Mama was worried about.

Upon hearing this, Granny Wang was shocked and looked up at Cen Lingyi in disbelief.

How did a mere wet nurse like her get all these skills and knowledge to know such things?

"Consort Sun, you plotted to murder the imperial heir. The evidence is overwhelming. What else do you have to say?"

Consort Xiao rested her hands on the edge of the chair, leaned back, and slightly raised her chin, her questioning posture exuding a domineering air.

"Your Highness, I know I was wrong, please save me..."

Sun Liangyuan's eyes reddened, and she knelt down beside Yan Chenghui, looking up at him with a pitiful expression.

The matter has been investigated and found out that in order to drive Cen Lingyi away, Consort Sun bought Gelsemium elegans powder and instructed Granny Wang to apply it to the young prince's body.

Inside the main hall, all was silent, and everyone's eyes were on Yan Chenghui, waiting for his decision.

Yan Chenghui looked down at Sun Liangyuan kneeling in front of him, his gaze slightly narrowed.

"Your Highness, I truly know I was wrong. Fortunately, the young prince is unharmed. Your Highness, please plead with the Imperial Concubine to forgive me this time..."

Sun Liangyuan gently tugged at his sleeve.

"Mother..."

Yan Chenghui paused for a moment, then looked up at Consort Xiao and spoke slowly.

Cen Lingyi withdrew her gaze, lowered her long eyelashes, and pinched the corner of Yan Huaijiao's clothes with her fingertips, forcibly suppressing the bitterness in her heart.

She went to great lengths to report Sun Liangyuan's actions to the Imperial Concubine, both to vent Yan Huaijiao's anger and to avenge herself.

Yan Chenghui, on the other hand, didn't even think twice before pleading for Consort Sun.

For Sun Liangyuan, he even disregarded his own son? She truly is the person he cherishes most.