Chapter 12 The truth comes out
Front yard study
Yinzhen looked at the investigation results sent by Yihuan and said nothing for a long time.

In fact, this result was not unexpected. After all, there were so many women in the backyard that he couldn't count them on one hand. He had already suspected someone in his mind a long time ago, and now the evidence was complete.

Song was given by Empress Xiaoyi Ren. As the first woman to serve Yinzhen, she had an extraordinary status in the mansion.

Yinzhen thought he valued her very much, and before Li entered the mansion, the two of them had a quiet and peaceful time together.

But Song was gentle, quiet and unable to speak. Later, when Li entered the mansion, Yinzhen preferred Li, who was more beautiful and had a more innocent personality, so Song came less often.

Later, Song became pregnant with his first child, and Yinzhen still remembered the anticipation of being a father. Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. Song was frail and the little princess died before she was one month old. According to the ancestral system, she had no seniority.

During that time, Song was very sad and grief-stricken, and Yinzhen wanted to give Song another child.

However, Song, who was originally considered to be gentle and demure, became dull and indifferent after the confinement. She often sat alone and no one knew what she was thinking. Later, she set up a small Buddhist temple in her courtyard, chanting Buddhist scriptures and ignoring worldly affairs. After Yinzhen was rejected, he stopped going there and only went there occasionally.

The wife was kind and generous to her concubines, and Song was not treated harshly materially. Yinzhen had instructed Su Peisheng to take good care of her, and she gradually got used to having an invisible person in the mansion.

Who would have thought that she had such a cruel heart. She seemed to be devoted to Buddhism on the surface, but she did such a thing behind the scenes.

"Master, Princess Song is here." Su Peisheng knew clearly that Yinzhen was in a bad mood. He just stood at the door and replied softly, motioning for Song to come in. He then stood guard at the door to make sure no one came near to eavesdrop.

Song changed into a white dress without any bright decorations. She walked into the study and knelt in front of Yinzhen: "I, your servant, pay my respects to you, my Lord."

"How can I be at peace if you do this?" Yinzhen looked at Song's calm face and became angry. He threw the results of the investigation on the ground and said, "How do you explain Hongyu's matter?"

Song didn't look at the papers scattered on the ground. She looked up at Yinzhen and smiled for the first time in a long time: "My Lord has investigated everything clearly, why bother asking me?"

Yinzhen stood up and said, "I know I haven't treated you badly. What deep hatred do you have with Li and Hongyu's newborn child that you would do such a cruel thing!"

Song said quietly, "What grudge did I have with Li? My master should know clearly. My little princess seems to cry in my ear day and night, how dare Li?! She did it on the first day, and I did it on the fifteenth day. It's karma, this is retribution."

Yinzhen gritted his teeth and said, "You are stubborn. I have investigated thoroughly and consulted many doctors. The little princess's weakness is probably due to her mother's influence. What does it have to do with Li?"

Song was a little excited when she heard this. She knelt down and straightened her back: "My master has long been dazzled by Li's beauty. She bribed the wet nurse to open half of the window in the middle of the night. The little princess was exposed to the cold wind all night and froze to death."

Yinzhen sat down after hearing this. He seemed to have gotten to know Song all over again: "If that's the case, why didn't you tell me at the beginning?"

Song lowered her head and said, "Everyone has weaknesses. I am stupid and it took me so long to get the nurse to speak. Times have changed. Even if I tell you how you will deal with Li, you will let it go for the sake of the eldest princess."

"My life will not have been lived in vain if I could avenge the little princess." Song shouted hysterically. Her mind had long been abnormal due to day-to-day self-torture.

Song held out her hands: "Master, I used these hands to send the little princess away. Now that her brother is with her, she is finally not alone anymore."

"You lunatic." Yinzhen looked at Song with disgust.

***
Seiin
The next morning, Yihua heard that Song was sent to a small Buddhist temple and confined to her house. She was not allowed to leave unless summoned. She had to copy the sutras of the afterlife for the rest of her life and pray for the little princess and Hongyu. Song had always been a woman who kept her duty and never competed with Li. Who would have thought that the barking dog would bite Li and she would give her a big blow.

As for whether Li had taken action against the little princess, Yihuan guessed that she at least added fuel to the fire.

Given Yinzhen's personality, he would certainly look for the wet nurse from that time, and the truth would eventually come to light.

After Li from the East Courtyard learned about the whole incident and the outcome of Yinzhen's handling of the matter, the porcelain in the room was once again destroyed and all that could be broken was broken into pieces.

Li rushed to the small Buddhist temple with her sturdy maids and servants in a menacing manner, obviously wanting to physically kill Song, but she was stopped by the servants guarding the small Buddhist temple.

After all, according to Yinzhen's order, no one inside could come out and no one outside could come in, not even if Li came in person.

Seeing that she couldn't get in, Li cursed at the door for a long time before leaving.

Yinzhen was somewhat hit by this series of events. He had not gone to the backyard to rest during this period, nor had he asked the maids to serve him in the front yard. He had been abstinent for more than half a month.

The eldest princess had been with Yihuan for such a long time that she could no longer hold back her desire to go back. She asked her mother why she didn't come to see her every now and then, and sometimes she even cried behind people's back.

Although Yihuan felt sorry for the child, she didn't want to raise her in such an unclear way.

"Master, the concubine is here." When Su Peisheng saw Yihuan carrying the food box, it was like he saw a life-saving straw. The master had been suffering these days, and they, the servants, had suffered as a result. Not to mention others, even he, Su Peisheng, had been kicked in the heart.

It would be great if Fu Jin could take the master to the backyard.

Yinzhen was practicing calligraphy. After hearing this, he finished writing on a large piece of paper stroke by stroke before turning back and asking, "Why is Fu Jin here?"

Yihuan took out a few plates of snacks and a small bowl of soup from the food box: "I heard from Eunuch Su that Master has lost his appetite recently, and he looks a lot thinner. These are all made by my mother's family, Master, try them for fun. If you like them, I will send the recipe to the kitchen."

Yinzhen cleaned his hands and shared a box of snacks with Yihuan.

Yihuan continued, "It seems that Li is about to leave her confinement, and the eldest princess is waiting anxiously for her at my place. Should I send her back?"

Yinzhen frowned. He was disturbed by Song's words and became suspicious of Li, fearing that she would teach his only daughter bad things. "Li is too sad. I don't think she can take care of a child. The eldest princess will get used to it after a long time with Honghui as her companion."

After a long time? Do I have to raise someone else's daughter?
Yihuan said seriously, "I know that Master loves the eldest princess, but it is the nature of a child to be close to his biological mother. Nanny Chen said that she would cry secretly at night when she went to bed, and I really couldn't bear to see her so sad. Besides, with the eldest princess taking care of her, Li will be able to get over the pain of losing her son sooner."

Yinzhen was a little unhappy when he saw Yihuan was determined to send the eldest princess away today: "Fujin is the mother of all the children in this backyard. It is your responsibility to educate them."

Yihuan laughed angrily when she heard this: "Master, do you mean that any children born in the backyard in the future will be raised by me?"

(End of this chapter)