0p0 Chapter 283 The crowd came to confront him.
Chapter 283 The crowd came to confront him.
"The Crown Prince already gave instructions that you are not allowed to go out, or if you do go out, you must wear a hat. I looked around but couldn't find a suitable hat, so I simply brought a cloak."
"He's just making a mountain out of a molehill..."
"That's right. Postpartum care is no small matter. When I was in the palace, I heard that the empresses there would stay indoors for a whole month during their postpartum period. You had such a big incident on the day you gave birth, and it's a miracle you didn't get sick. You're lucky that God took care of you."
"It's alright, I'm perfectly healthy. By the way, didn't Madam Lin say what she came for?"
"No, but her clothes were a bit strange today, and her face was gloomy the whole time, so I didn't dare to talk to her."
Lan Zhi didn't ask any more questions, but strode straight towards the main hall.
Madam Lin stood in the main hall, her face solemn, with her luggage on a chair beside her.
When she sensed Lan Zhi entering, she quickly turned around, stepped forward, and bowed.
"May the Crown Princess enjoy boundless blessings!"
Her sudden action surprised Lan Zhi, who quickly stepped forward to offer a helping hand.
"How dare I trouble Madam Lin to bow to me!"
She gave a bitter smile.
"I am no longer Madam Lin. Please address me as Madam Feng, Your Highness."
what?
what?
Lan Zhi looked at her as if she hadn't understood.
"Mrs. Lin, I don't understand what you mean by that."
Feng Yuanyuan let out a soft sigh of relief, shook her head, and chuckled.
"There is no need to explain this further. I am here today to ask you for a favor."
Although Lan Zhi felt that Madam Lin was acting a bit strange today, she still nodded and said:
"Please, just say what you need to say!"
But before she could speak, tears began to fall.
Lan Zhi guessed that she was probably sad because of Lin Yuwei's departure, and quickly comforted her:
"Mrs. Lin, I hope you're not too upset about Lin Yuwei's matter..."
Before she could finish speaking, Feng Yuanyuan interrupted her.
"I've come here today to tell you a story, and I hope you'll listen to it."
Lan Zhi wasn't interested in her story, but seeing that she seemed to be in a bad mood, she didn't have the heart to interrupt her and immediately nodded.
"Go ahead!"
Feng Yuanyuan composed herself and slowly began to speak:
"You heard it the day Yuwei died. She wasn't actually my biological daughter. Nineteen years ago, after giving birth to two boys, I had a daughter. But a servant in the manor secretly took my daughter out. At the time, Lin Xingliang thought it was a very shameful thing, so he forbade me to mention it to outsiders. He even brought a child back from outside and raised her as his own daughter. That child was Lin Yuwei..."
At this point, she began to sob uncontrollably. Lan Zhi didn't know how to comfort her, so she could only watch quietly and wait for her to continue.
After crying, she continued her story:
"I know you've already discovered that I stole the pair of silver bells from you. Do you know why I stole them?"
"do not know."
"Of course you wouldn't know. No one but Lin Xingliang and I knows, because those silver bells belong to my daughter..."
She picked up the handkerchief in her hand, wiping away her tears as she looked at Lan Zhi.
"I've come here today to beg you, could you please return those silver bells to me? They hold my memories of my daughter!"
Lan Zhi listened to her story with a mixture of belief and skepticism.
She remembered her elder brother saying that he found the pair of silver bells along with her when he picked her up from the foot of the mountain, but now Madam Lin claimed they belonged to her daughter.
Is that possible?
Thinking of this, she quickly shook her head in denial.
No, that's absolutely impossible. She must be overthinking it.
She took a deep breath, pulled the pair of silver bells from her waist, examined them carefully, and then gave a wry smile.
"You say these silver bells belong to your daughter, do you have any proof?"
After hesitating for a moment, Feng Yuanyuan shook her head.
"No, I had a craftsman make these silver bells. Only Lin Xingliang and I have seen them. There is no evidence."
Lan Zhi looked at the pair of silver bells and smiled helplessly.
"But these silver bells were a gift from my eldest brother. If you want to take them back, you'll have to get his permission."
As soon as she finished speaking, Ah Qi hurriedly walked in, his face grave, and said:
"Your Majesty, the Empress has arrived."
Queen?
Lan Zhi was confused. Wei Jianning had just entered the palace, and the Empress had already arrived?
Before she could figure it out, the Empress had already entered with Consort Liang, Consort Zhen, Consort Jiang, and Consort Duan.
Madam Lin subconsciously rose to her feet and bowed. Lan Zhi also rose and stepped forward, bowing slightly as she said:
"Welcome, Your Majesty the Empress and all the ladies."
After glancing at her, the Empress sat down in the main seat, and the other ladies-in-waiting took their seats in turn.
When the Empress saw Madam Lin dressed in plain clothes, she immediately looked surprised and asked:
"Mrs. Lin, what are you doing here?"
After a slight smile, Madam Lin replied:
"I have nothing to do, so I came to see the Crown Princess."
She didn't want to tell outsiders about her affairs, so she only gave a simple answer, which the Empress didn't take seriously. Instead, she suddenly looked at Lan Zhi with a cold face and questioned her:
"Ling Lanzhi, you have quite the nerve. I invited you to the palace, but you refused. I had to come to the Crown Prince's residence to find you myself."
Lan Zhi frowned, but calmly replied:
"The Crown Prince has already entered the palace to explain this matter to Your Majesty. Did Your Majesty not encounter the Crown Prince?"
The Empress glanced at Consort Liang and then gave a soft snort.
"What can he explain? Even if he does explain, can it cover up the fact that your background is not innocent?"
Consort Liang also chimed in:
"Her Majesty the Empress has given you time, but you still haven't found your biological parents. As the Crown Princess, with such an unclear background, you have no right to remain in this position..."
The other concubines also nodded in agreement.
"Yes, the Crown Princess is either a lady from a prominent family or a powerful figure in the capital. I've never heard of someone of unknown identity taking the position."
"That's right. Not only is her identity unknown, but she also grew up in the countryside. In my opinion, she's only fit to be a concubine, not a crown princess."
"It would be an honor to be a concubine; she'd be better off as a bedchamber maid."
"..."
Listening to these ladies constantly mocking her, Lan Zhi immediately realized that they had conspired to embarrass her and cause her trouble.
She listened quietly until they finished speaking, and then she smiled calmly.
"Did you ladies grace us with your presence today just to discuss this matter? If so, I advise you to return home. The Crown Prince is currently overseeing the country, and even if you have any ideas or wish to do anything to me, you must obtain the Crown Prince's permission. Otherwise, no one has the right to speak ill of me."
Her tone was unusually harsh, leaving the ladies somewhat bewildered.
After a long pause, the Empress finally spoke:
"Hmph! How dare you speak to me like that? Do you really think I can't deal with you?"
Consort Liang also questioned:
"Ning'er, you've really spoiled me. You not only don't know the difference between elders and juniors, but you also don't know the difference between superiors and inferiors. Quickly kneel down and beg forgiveness from the Empress and all the ladies."