sbdcsierra Chapter 114 Join forces with me?
Chapter 114 Join forces with me?
"However, it's all just my guess." The third concubine's eyelashes trembled slightly. "When I heard that the master had invited Abbot Jieran to the mansion to investigate the strange phenomenon that occurred that day, I was a little worried, so I mentioned it."
"I think if I'm overthinking it, that would be all the better. But if it's really as I expect, it would be a good reminder to the young lady."
Ye Qing'an smiled: "As it turns out, Third Aunt's prediction was correct."
Third Aunt nodded, looking somewhat wistful: "This backyard of the mansion, although it may seem like just a place where women compete for favor, is not much safer than the battlefield."
"Young Miss, you must be careful and protect yourself and your child."
Ye Qing'an agreed, then, recalling what Zi Xiao had said earlier, remained silent for a moment before saying, "I heard that Auntie also had a child before."
Third Aunt paused, her smile fading. "Yes, I once had a child, a boy, the fourth in the family. Sadly, he died just a hundred days after birth."
“The concubines in this mansion all want a child, someone to rely on. I have been in this mansion for more than ten years, and I have been asking and hoping for more than ten years. I was overjoyed when I finally got one. Who would have thought that he would be gone before he could even see the world properly and call me ‘mother’?”
Third Aunt's throat tightened slightly: "If he hadn't had that accident, he would be about the same age as Eleventh Miss now. He was born in the same year as Eleventh Miss, in November."
Ye Qing'an nodded: "That's four or five months younger than eleven."
"Yes." The third concubine sighed, a hint of hatred flashing in her eyes: "That child is the greatest hatred and the greatest regret of my life."
“Sometimes I think, if he had left earlier, before he was born or just after he was born, I wouldn’t have developed so many feelings for him, and perhaps I wouldn’t be in so much pain.”
"Or perhaps, if he had left us a little later, seen more of the world, and called me 'Mother' a few more times, I would have been content."
"But he left when he was exactly 100 days old. I had just started to think he was very cute and I liked him more and more. I wanted to hold him every day and imagined him growing up and following behind me, calling me 'Mom'. Then he was gone."
Seeing the tears welling up in Third Aunt's eyes, Ye Qing'an handed her the embroidered handkerchief in her hand: "Please accept my condolences."
"Before having children, I felt that I didn't need anything, and that it wouldn't be a big deal to stay in the mansion until I grew old. After having children, I realized what a weakness is, but someone is trying to forcefully pull out this weakness of mine."
Ye Qing'an lifted her eyelids slightly: "Fourth brother was murdered?"
“Isn’t that right?” A dark glint flashed in the third concubine’s eyes: “At first it seemed like he caught a cold, with a persistent high fever and cough, but then he gradually became unwell.”
“I always thought that the child died because I didn’t take good care of him and he got sick. But the nanny next to me noticed something was wrong. She tried it with silver needles and found signs of poisoning in his throat and chest.”
Ye Qing'an narrowed his eyes: "Didn't Aunt tell Father to investigate?"
"I did tell you, why didn't I?" Third Madam gritted her teeth: "I did tell you. Master investigated, and after investigating and investigating, he finally found out about the old nanny who tested the poison in my room. He said she didn't take good care of the child, and that she thought my child was crying a lot at night because she was frightened, so she gave the child cinnabar. As a result, the child was poisoned due to an overdose of cinnabar. So Madam punished my nanny..."
Third Aunt scoffed: "My nanny did give the child cinnabar, but the cinnabar was given by the doctor in the manor, and the dosage was also told to the nanny by the doctor."
"As a result, because it was the doctor in the manor who told the nanny, and the dosage wasn't written down, the madam said there wasn't enough evidence, and perhaps the nanny had misremembered..."
Ye Qing'an narrowed his eyes: "Madam's methods are not very clever."
“Yes.” The third concubine lowered her eyes and sneered, “Back then, Madam’s actions were not as meticulous as they are now. In my opinion, she may have indeed deceived the master, but she did not deceive me.”
"Unfortunately, she was only good at deceiving the master; in her eyes, I was utterly insignificant."
Third Aunt bit her lip: "That's right. After the child passed away, for a long time, I was completely immersed in the pain of losing my child. I had no heart to dress myself up or serve the master. Gradually, I completely lost the master's favor."
Ye Qing'an's gaze fell on the Third Madam's face...
Those who could enter the household as concubines were not bad-looking, and the third concubine was no exception. The third concubine's features were probably strikingly beautiful, quite different from the other concubines who looked gentle and graceful.
Perhaps it was this difference that made Liu Xueying feel threatened, which is why she tried every means, even if it was not very clever, to steal away the favor of the third concubine.
Ye Qing'an tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "Third Aunt is still young, she still has a chance."
"There's no chance." Third Aunt sighed. "The Ye family mansion is not what it was four years ago. In the past few years, Liu Xueying has already planted her eyes and ears everywhere in the mansion. She can know as soon as there is any unusual activity."
Ye Qing'an chuckled: "That was before. Isn't Liu Xueying still confined to the courtyard now?"
"Now that I've returned to the manor, and my dantian has been repaired so I can cultivate again, and my aptitude isn't bad either, Liu Xueying now sees me as a thorn in her side and is scheming to get rid of me. She has no interest in the concubines in the backyard."
"Isn't this...your chance?"
The third concubine trembled slightly, feeling as if the young lady could see right through her thoughts.
The third concubine bit her lip: "Whether or not I compete for favor is no longer that important to me. I just..."
"My aunt just wanted to avenge my fourth brother, who died unjustly."
Ye Qing'an chuckled lightly: "Auntie, there's no need to worry. It's probably common knowledge in this mansion that Liu Xueying and I are irreconcilable enemies. I naturally won't tell anyone about your affairs or your thoughts."
"The hatred of killing one's son is greater than heaven, and it should naturally be avenged."
Ye Qing'an picked up the teacup on the stone table and casually brushed away the foam on the surface with the lid: "I wonder if Third Aunt would be interested in joining forces with me?"
The third concubine trembled, nearly dropping her teacup: "To team up with... the eldest young lady?"
Ye Qing'an smiled and looked up at the kite flying in the air: "Isn't this why Third Aunt went to such lengths to lure me here?"