Yu Qiao'er whispered a few words into Cheng Siyi's ear.
Cheng Siyi clapped her hands in delight. "Mother is so smart!"
She was so excited that her whole body trembled.
Once their plan succeeded, Cheng Simian would be completely disgraced. By then, she would have to grovel at her feet and fawn on her!
Yu Qiao'er summoned her trusted maid, Nanny Cao, gave her a silver note, and instructed her in a low voice.
Nanny Cao had been in a foul mood lately.
She had been living a glorious and comfortable life by following Yu Qiao'er.
She had arranged well - paid jobs for her relatives in the Marquis's Mansion.
Every year, she received a lot of tribute from her relatives.
But as soon as the eldest miss returned and took over the management of the mansion, almost all of her relatives had been dismissed.
She had also been the one who suggested to Concubine Yu that they should make the eldest miss enter through the side gate to dampen her spirits.
She had hoped that Concubine Yu could assert her authority as the mistress of the house, but unexpectedly, the eldest miss had brought in the Crown Prince.
The eldest miss had not suffered at all, while Concubine Yu had been scolded by the marquis.
She hated the eldest miss to the core.
Immediately, she tightened her grip on the silver note in her hand and rushed straight to the west side - gate of the Marquis's Mansion.
After noon, Cheng Simian was practicing calligraphy when Nanny Chen walked into the study.
"Eldest miss, a nanny came to the side - gate. Her surname is Lin, and she said she's from the Red Bower Pavilion."
Nanny Chen was puzzled. The eldest miss was pure and chaste and cherished her reputation. How could she have anything to do with a brothel like the Red Bower Pavilion?
Cheng Simian's hand holding the brush paused.
"Invite her in and treat her well. I'll change my clothes and go there."
With her order, the servants in the Marquis's Mansion dared not neglect Nanny Lin. They served tea and snacks, and Nanny Chen even accompanied her and chatted for a while.
Nanny Lin felt quite pleased and thought she had come to the right place.
With her low - class status, she was usually looked down upon by noble families.
Not to mention inviting her in for tea, they wouldn't even give her a glance.
But Miss Cheng didn't show any arrogance of a legitimate daughter of the Marquis's Mansion.
Before long, she saw a woman in a light cyan long dress with an ink - wash pattern walking gracefully towards her.
She was as elegant as a fairy, with a noble and upright posture, just like a goddess.
Her beauty was so holy and noble that one couldn't bear to profane her.
Nanny Lin was momentarily stunned.
It was Cheng Simian who spoke first. "This must be Nanny Lin. I've heard Wan Chu mention you. You were not afraid of death threats and dared to testify for Miss Shen in court. You're really a heroic woman."
Flattered by the praise from such a fairy - like girl, Nanny Lin said, "Miss Shen is a living Bodhisattva to us. I'd rather be smashed to pieces than let her good name be sullied."
She had thought that in the eyes of noble families, she was just a despicable nobody.
Unexpectedly, Miss Cheng still remembered her little help.
A warm current welled up in her heart.
"Since Miss Song regards you as a close friend, I naturally consider you a friend too."
Nanny Lin became even more determined. "I'm sorry to bother you today, but I have something strange to tell you in person, eldest miss."
Cheng Simian said calmly, "Please go ahead, Nanny Lin."
Nanny Lin lowered her voice. "Earlier today, a strange customer came. He randomly picked a girl and then asked me for aphrodisiacs. I gave him some, but he thought it was too little. He took out fifty taels of silver and bought a large packet.
That stuff is very potent. A little can arouse passion, but too much will make people lose their minds and act like wild beasts in heat. I wondered what a young man like him needed so much of it for, so I kept an eye on him and sent someone to follow him secretly.
Guess where that man went and who he gave the drugs to, eldest miss?"
Nanny Chen thought such things were too dirty for the eldest miss to hear. She wrinkled her nose in disgust.
"Could it be that those dirty things have entered the Marquis's Mansion?"
She answered for the eldest miss.
Nanny Lin quickly replied, "Exactly. That man gave the drugs to a nanny. They whispered to each other furtively for a while, and then the nanny took the drugs, locked the side - gate, and I don't know what happened after that."
Cheng Simian already had a hunch.
"What does that nanny look like?" Nanny Chen was furious.
"She's in her fifties, has a plump figure, high cheekbones, and looks very mean when she squints her eyes."
Nanny Chen was shocked and angry. "Eldest miss, it's Nanny Cao beside Concubine Yu!"
"I see. Thank you for coming all the way to tell me this. You've really helped me a lot. Thank you."
Cheng Simian ordered someone to bring a silver note worth five hundred taels. Nanny Lin wasn't polite and accepted it, thanking her repeatedly.
After Nanny Lin left, Nanny Chen was so angry that she could hardly stand still. "Eldest miss, Concubine Yu must be up to no good! I'll take some people to search her room right away!"
Tomorrow was the engagement banquet. Many men from outside would come, including Liang Yuchuan.
Those dirty things were obviously meant to frame the eldest miss!
Cheng Simian stopped Nanny Chen.
"Nanny, you're too angry to think clearly. If you go there now, even if you find the things, what if Concubine Yu says she bought them to enjoy intimate moments with the marquis? What will you do then?"
Nanny Chen slapped her forehead. "The eldest miss is really smart. She hasn't made her move yet, and we have no reason to arrest her."
Cheng Simian smiled faintly. Her bright eyes concealed the cold killing intent in her heart.
"Since she doesn't want to live, I'll grant her wish. Tomorrow, I hope she can make a big enough fuss. If it's too small, it'll be difficult for me to take action."
She summoned Shuyi, put on a mink fur coat, and left. She knocked on the side - gate of the Qi family.
There were many secret guards near the Qi family. Any spies sent by the princess wouldn't last more than an incense stick's time.
It was very safe here, and Cheng Simian wasn't afraid of being discovered.
After entering Song Wanchu's boudoir, since the two of them had long admired each other, Cheng Simian skipped the pleasantries.
"I'd like to ask Daoist Qingzhou for a favor."
Song Wanchu pulled her to sit on the small couch. "Just tell me."
"Is he on good terms with Lord Shi, the Minister of the Supreme Court? There's a case I'd like Lord Shi to expedite the trial."
Song Wanchu immediately guessed. "Is it about those three rapists you met on your way back to the capital?"
Cheng Simian nodded. "To clean up the inner courtyard, this case will be very useful."
Song Wanchu smiled, with a hint of playfulness in her eyes.
"Mianmian, in Lord Shi's eyes, you're like a divine being who descended from the sky and turned the case around. If you want him to do something, you don't need to go through connections. Just go and tell him directly. It'll be more effective than Liang Yuzhou's request."
"Alright. But I need Daoist Qingzhou's help to get me into the Supreme Court."
"That's not difficult."
Song Wanchu wrote a visiting card and gave it to Cheng Simian.
Cheng Simian sat for a while longer and then got up to leave.
Song Wanchu knew she had important things to do, so she didn't try to keep her.
She accompanied Cheng Simian to the door. Before getting into the carriage, Cheng Simian suddenly asked, "Wanchu, after everything is settled, you and Daoist Qingzhou will still return to the south of the Yangtze River, right?"
"Of course."
Cheng Simian smiled happily. "That's great. I'll also go to the south of the Yangtze River with my mother to settle down. By then, I hope to be your neighbor. Don't think I'm annoying."
Song Wanchu was slightly stunned. She really wanted to ask what about the Crown Prince, but she didn't say it out loud.
Mianmian was unrestrained and open - minded, traveling all over the country.
It would be so cruel to trap her in the deep palace.
Cheng Simian arrived at the Supreme Court and presented the visiting card.
Before long, the chief clerk came to greet her in person.
"Miss Cheng, please come in and wait for a while. The Crown Prince is here, listening to Lord Shi's report on the case."