Fierce Consort

Chapter 60

Yan Ting was busy and wasn't in the estate.
Yan Qian came bright and early to cry to Shen Yi Yao.

But Yan Qian was a child. Who told her Yan Ting wasn't at the Jinse Pavilion?

Yan Yan understood Yan Qian too well. She didn't have much of a brain, and there was no way she came up with this sort of soft scheme. Shen Yi Yao was a soft-hearted person. If Yan Yan hadn't come early, Yan Qian's "I won't get up if you don't agree" trick would probably have worked.

Yan Yan was sure that Yan Qian couldn't have thought of this shameless move by herself.

Yan Qian wasn't too smart. When Concubine Pei was present in the past, she never got close to Shen Yi Yao and rarely spoke. If no one gave her pointers, how could her personality change so drastically?
Recalling what Cui Qiao said about Concubine Wu, Yan Yan gave Yi Meng a glance as they were leaving the Jinse Pavilion. She had her secretly remain and clarify the situation. Yan Yan and Yan Mo had quite a few maids by their side. No one would notice if one was missing.

By the time Yan Yan and Yan Mo returned from the Rongan Hall, Yi Meng was already waiting in the room.

"This servant thoroughly questioned Cui Qiao. She said she had raised the curtains for Concubine Wu and then went to use the bathroom. When she returned, she saw Concubine Wu and the fifth miss standing outside the door. They seemed as if they were going to enter, but were standing without moving. At that time there was no one else in the hallway and they were spotted by her. She was going to call out to them but the second miss charged out from inside."

Matron Zou muttered to herself and said: "This means she might have overheard something and wanted to avoid getting involved?"

"She might also have been eavesdropping!" Yan Yan subconsciously said.

After she spoke, Yan Yan frowned. "But why would she want to eavesdrop?"

Concubine Wu always gave off the impression that she was very honest, and almost invisible. She rarely spoke and almost never went out. Her only point of interest was that she used to be a maid who was part of Shen Yi Yao's dowry. Afterwards, Shen Yi Yao allowed her to marry in for some reason. After she gave birth to the fifth miss, she was promoted from a chambermaid to a concubine.

Shen Yi Yao had always treated her pretty well and she was also extremely respectful to Shen Yi Yao. She also treated Yan Yan with respect. When Yan Yan was paranoid in the past, she had once suspected her. But after a long period of observation, she didn't find anything suspicious.

If it weren't for Yan Qian's unusual behavior today and Cui Qiao's words, Yan Yan wouldn't have suspected her of eavesdropping. But why would she be eavesdropping?

This was truly puzzling!

Yan Yan usually put aside things she couldn't figure out. Especially since this time Yan Qian was probably just making a fuss to get Concubine Pei released. Concubine Pei's confinement was ordered by Yan Ting. If nothing unexpected happened, he wouldn't let her out for the moment unless Shen Yi Yao personally released her....

Thinking to this point, Yan Yan felt even more that someone was definitely directing Yan Qian in the dark.

It wouldn't be the old madam. She wouldn't want to annoy her own son, especially since he was trying his best to earn the Zhenguo Duke's forgiveness, despite his limited success.

Then who could it be?

To seize Shen Yi Yao's weakness, take advantage of Yan Ting's absence and have Yan Qian put on a performance....

Could it really have been Concubine Wu?

But she had never interacted with the Ziyu Pavilion before. Why would she take the risk of offending her to do such a thankless task?