Di Daughter's Strategy - Chapter 11

Chapter 11

On the day of the flower appreciation banquet, Prince Wen was suddenly summoned to the palace, and everyone was surprised. They also wondered in their hearts what the Emperor had summoned Prince Wen for.
The flower appreciation banquet ended with the Prince’s departure.

Now, it’s been half a month since the flower appreciation banquet.

Today, just after noon, in the dance room of Yunxia Courtyard, Luo Yi’er was doing her daily exercises. Although music, chess, calligraphy, and painting are considered more refined, dance can make one’s figure more graceful and delicate. It can also elevate one’s temperament, so Luo Yi’er spends half an hour in the dance room every day.

Half an hour passed, and she leaned back in her chair, panting slightly. Her face was flushed, and she looked even more radiant. Linglong came in to support her and headed towards the bedroom, not forgetting to ask for water.

In the bathroom, a light blue screen separated the area, and Luo Yi’er removed her clothes and sat in the bathtub. The steam made her face slightly sweaty. Linglong brought in several jars of fragrant cream that the palace had bestowed and applied it to her skin while massaging.

Luo Yi’er closed her eyes and let Linglong attend to her. Suddenly, she asked softly: “How’s the situation at Luoyun Pavilion?”

“The eldest miss still rarely leaves Luoyun Pavilion, but she’s not having a good time recently. The second and fifth miss’s aren’t easy to deal with.”

Luo Yi’er could guess this, so she was puzzled. Why was Luo Qian so impatient and putting herself in a difficult situation?

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside, and Luo Yi’er’s brows furrowed. She got out of the bathtub and saw Hongdou rushing in. Linglong rebuked Hongdou: “Have you forgotten your manners? Why are you so flustered?”

Hongdou paused and then hurriedly said: “Miss, the one from South Garden is bleeding!”

Luo Yi’er’s eyes rippled: “What did you say?”

“It’s true. The Marquis and the Marchioness have already rushed to South Garden,” Hongdou explained hastily, though she didn’t understand why South Garden had just had an issue with not being able to conceive, and now, less than half a month later, there was bleeding.

Linglong lowered her head and silently helped Luo Yi’er get dressed. Hongdou hesitated and asked: “Does Miss want to go over?”
Luo Yi’er just glanced at Hongdou and didn’t respond.

After Linglong helped her dress, she walked out lightly, with Linglong following a step behind. Linglong frowned at Hongdou and said: “What are you still standing there for?”

Hongdou still hadn’t reacted, and she let out a soft “ah” with confusion in her voice. She thought to herself, didn’t Miss usually never go to the concubines’ courtyards?

Linglong directly pulled her out and let her go at the door: “Who said Miss is going to South Garden?” As long as the Madam was fine, Miss wouldn’t go over, because a legitimate daughter guarding a concubine’s courtyard was unheard of in the Ming dynasty, except for those who favored their concubines over their wives.

After saying that, Linglong quickly followed Luo Yi’er. When she looked up, she met Luo Yi’er’s gaze. They looked at each other for a moment, and then Linglong lowered her head. Hongdou caught up, and Luo Yi’er didn’t say anything.
She led the way out, with a faint smile on her lips.

Hongdou looked at the direction Luo Yi’er was heading and was surprised. It seemed Miss was going to the Old Madam’s place, but what was Miss looking for the Old Madam for?

Actually, Hongdou was mistaken. Luo Yi’er wasn’t looking for anyone; she just wanted to intercept someone. Although Father might not care about offspring, the Old Madam might not feel the same way. Although she knew the true situation of the one in South Garden, others didn’t, and the Old Madam might get confused.

Before reaching the Cirong Hall, she saw Luo Qian, dressed in a light green long skirt, frowning and walking quickly towards her. Luo Yi’er’s eyes rippled, and she stepped forward to block Luo Qian’s path. Luo Qian was startled. She had been walking quickly and hadn’t noticed Luo Yi’er. When she saw her, her expression turned sour, but she forced herself to say: “What are you doing here, Third Sister?”

Luo Yi’er smiled gently: “I’m just passing by. Where are you going in such a hurry, Elder Sister?”

Passing by?
Luo Qian looked at the small path in front of her, which was a few turns away from her Yunxia Garden. She smiled wryly and knew Luo Yi’er was looking for trouble. Her eyes turned slightly cold: “This path naturally leads to Grandmother’s place.”
Luo Yi’er lowered her eyes and said softly: “Grandmother is old, Elder Sister, you shouldn’t trouble her easily.”

“Moreover,” Luo Yi’er suddenly raised her eyes, her gaze filled with gentleness: “When Elder Sister has nothing to do, she should visit Concubine Qing more often. After all, you are biological mother and daughter, and you shouldn’t let your relationship become estranged.”

Her words were soft, but they made people feel a chill. Luo Qian felt a cold sensation in her heart: “What do you mean, Third Sister?”

Luo Yi’er furrowed her brows: “Nothing, I just heard that Concubine Qing seems to be ill when I came over. She might be thinking of Elder Sister at this time. Won’t Elder Sister go see her?”

Luo Qian trembled all over, looked at Luo Yi’er fiercely, and gritted her teeth: “Luo Yi’er!”
She didn’t doubt that if she insisted on going to the Cirong Hall today, she would hear the news that Concubine Qing’s illness had worsened within a day.

Luo Yi’er saw that Luo Qian looked like she was about to devour her and smiled gently and harmlessly: “What are you doing, Elder Sister?”

Luo Qian clenched her fists and forced a smile: “Nothing, thank you, Third Sister, for telling me this news. I’ll remember it.”

“Elder Sister is being polite. In that case, I won’t escort Elder Sister,” Luo Yi’er said, blocking the way to the Cirong Hall, and smiled gently at Luo Qian.

Luo Qian gave Luo Yi’er a cold look, clenched her fists, and said: “Let’s go!” She turned around and left with Biyu and the others.

Behind Luo Qian, Luo Yi’er’s eyes contained a shallow and gentle smile as she looked at Luo Qian’s back. However, beneath that smile, there was a hint of coolness.
Luo Yi’er was not someone who would let others plot against her without retaliating.

Madam Chu and Luo Yi’er were bound together, so when Luo Qian plotted against Madam Chu with Su Shi from South Garden, it was destined that Luo Yi’er wouldn’t stand idly by.

Luo Yi’er turned her head and glanced at the Cirong Hall indifferently. Then, she withdrew her gaze and instructed softly: “Keep an eye on South Garden, and report back as soon as there’s news.”

Linglong lowered her head and agreed. Luo Yi’er glanced at Hongdou indifferently. Hongdou snapped back to reality, bowed, and ran away.The way back was quiet. Because of the incident in South Garden, some maids followed to gather information.
Linglong pursed her lips and said softly: “After this, the one in South Garden should be deposed of.”

Luo Yi’er looked straight ahead: “We need to let the people in the mansion know that some things are not for them to interfere with.”

Want to cooperate with Luo Qian to deal with her and Madam Chu? Luo Yi’er smiled lightly, her eyebrows showing a hint of nonchalance.

South Garden

At this moment, Concubine Su was also in a state of panic. When she was walking in the courtyard, someone stepped on her hem, and she accidentally fell. Before she could get angry, she felt a pain in her lower abdomen. When she came to her senses, she was already bleeding.

The courtyard was in chaos as people rushed to call for the family doctor and inform the Marquis and the Marchioness. They helped her into the room, but by the time the doctor arrived, it was too late.

Concubine Su was both panicked and heartbroken. She had been waiting for a child for so long, and now she had lost it due to her own carelessness. She didn’t know how long she cried, but she couldn’t calm down. It was because, not long ago, she had sworn to the Marquis that Madam Chu had given her medicine to make her infertile.

Luo Yu’an and Madam Chu had just arrived at South Garden when the family physician came out, shaking his head and sighing: “Marquis, I couldn’t save the child in Concubine Su’s womb.”

Luo Yu’an’s face was cold, and his emotions were unreadable. He said coldly: “You’ve done your best, you can leave now.”

Madam Chu stood beside Luo Yu’an, her hands clasped together, and didn’t say a word. She just lowered her eyebrows blandly. Luo Yu’an didn’t go to see Concubine Su in the inner room. Instead, he held Madam Chu’s hand, and his voice was a bit softer: “Let’s go back.”

Madam Chu looked up: “Concubine Su had a miscarriage, and this is exactly when she needs the Marquis’s support. Won’t the Marquis go see her?”

After hearing the words “miscarriage”, Luo Yu’an’s eyes turned cold, and he said icily: “No need!”

After saying this, he turned around and walked away, his sleeves fluttering behind him. He frowned and glanced at Madam Chu, seeing that she seemed calm. He paused, sighed inwardly, and his voice softened: “Let’s go back. It’s not fitting for the Marchioness to wait in a concubine’s room.”

Madam Chu’s eyes moved slightly, and she instructed the maid in Concubine Su’s room: “Take good care of your Concubine Su.”

Then she followed Luo Yu’an out of the room. Before they reached the door, they heard Concubine Su’s trembling voice, soft and alluring, with a hint of fear and urgency: “Marquis! Don’t go!”

There was a commotion in the inner room, and the sound of maids trying to calm her down could be heard: “…Concubine, you can’t get out of bed…”

A faint hint of sarcasm flashed in Madam Chu’s eyes as she saw Luo Yu’an stop in front of the door. She also stopped, holding onto Zhang Momo’s hand.

Concubine Su heard that the footsteps had stopped, and she seemed to see a glimmer of hope. She cried weakly: “…Marquis, don’t go…”

Luo Yu’an seemed to ignore her plaintive cry and coldly instructed others: “Concubine Su is weak, so let her rest well in the courtyard. She is not allowed to leave without permission!”

Concubine Su’s crying stopped abruptly. She didn’t expect that she would be confined to her room just because she called out to the Marquis. She vaguely felt that she had lost the Marquis’s favor forever.

Madam Chu hid her expression and frowned slightly: “Marquis, Concubine Su just had a miscarriage, and her emotions are probably…”

Luo Yu’an interrupted her: “No need to say more. Let’s go.” He turned around and left without paying attention to Concubine Su’s desperate cry behind him.

Since he didn’t care, Madam Chu didn’t bother to waste her breath. She didn’t even give a single instruction as she followed behind him, holding onto Zhang Momo’s hand.

She knew what the Marquis was thinking. Although the Marquis was intelligent, he lacked insight into the matters of the inner courtyard. Concubine Su had caused a scene about infertility not long ago, and now she had been slapped in the face in just a few days.

First, she slandered the main wife, and then she deceived the Marquis. It would be surprising if the Marquis didn’t punish Concubine Su severely.

The servants waiting in the rooms of South Garden looked at each other, unsure of what to do. Hongyu saw the various expressions on the servants’ faces and glanced at Concubine Su’s sad and helpless appearance. She felt a chill in her heart, and suddenly, the courtyard that was once filled with laughter and joy seemed to have taken on a more melancholic atmosphere.