Lin Yuwei's smile widened as she mentioned the Third Prince's manor. "Feng Jin, do you know that in the short month you and General Ling have been away from the capital, the Third Prince's manor has been anything but quiet? Especially the affairs of the inner court, they've practically become the talk of the capital."
After all, the royal family's matters were the most attention-grabbing in the capital. While the common people were kept in the dark about the inner workings of the imperial palace, the princes' mansions were all located outside, thus becoming a constant focus of public scrutiny.
Hadn't her own spat with Chu Chenyi, leading to their separation, also caused a great deal of gossip that only faded after a long while?
However, her small matter was hardly comparable to the lively happenings in the Third Prince's manor.
"Could it be that Liu Menghan and Feng Ruoyan are at it again?"
This thought immediately surfaced in Feng Jin's mind, and she blurted out the question.
"It's worse than just fighting. These two are now openly vying for power. The inner court of the Third Prince's manor is more exciting than a stage play and more perilous than a battlefield. Even the Empress has gotten involved."
"The Empress..." Feng Jin's brows furrowed in confusion. Wouldn't a mother interfering in her son's domestic affairs invite criticism? Moreover, she was the Empress, a position that demanded utmost caution and discretion.
For the Empress to take such a risk, it must indeed be no small matter. Feng Jin surmised that Feng Ruoyan's troublemaking had become too severe for Liu Menghan to handle. The Empress, as a mother-in-law, would not stand idly by while the concubine she favored was bullied by a mere concubine like Feng Ruoyan.
Furthermore, the Empress had always disliked Feng Ruoyan, so she would naturally seize this opportunity to deal with her.
"Yes, Liu Menghan is also pregnant. The child in her womb is the legitimate heir, a son of noble status. The Empress naturally holds him in high regard. This legitimate son is crucial to the future glory and prestige of her Liu family. Upon learning of Liu Menghan's pregnancy, the Empress even considered bringing Liu Menghan into the palace to carry her pregnancy to term."
"However, upon hearing of this, the Empress Dowager reprimanded her, and the matter was dropped. Nevertheless, she dispatched her most capable palace maids, wet nurses, and imperial physicians to the Third Prince's manor to specifically attend to Liu Menghan's pregnancy."
"And Feng Ruoyan would not simply accept defeat. Once Liu Menghan gives birth to the legitimate son, her own status will be precarious. With her temperament, would she do nothing?"
Feng Jin knew Feng Ruoyan too well. Given her disposition, she would undoubtedly take action to prevent Liu Menghan from safely giving birth to the legitimate son.
After all, Feng Ruoyan was counting on her unborn child to gain status through her offspring and to usurp Liu Menghan's position as the Third Prince's consort. With Liu Menghan already pregnant, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate offspring was worlds apart.
"Sister Feng Jin, you truly are a master strategist. Feng Ruoyan, of course, couldn't sit still. But the Empress's people have turned Liu Menghan's courtyard into an impenetrable fortress. Feng Ruoyan can't even touch the courtyard door, and all food must be consumed only after it's been checked by the imperial physicians. However... Feng Ruoyan came up with another method, one you absolutely wouldn't guess."
Lin Yuwei deliberately teased, her smile not fading as she spoke of this matter.
"Alright, stop playing coy. Hurry and tell me what this method is."
Feng Jin's interest was thoroughly piqued. She urged Lin Yuwei to continue, finding the habit of stopping midway, especially at a crucial point, extremely annoying.
She was eager to know how things were ultimately resolved and urged Lin Yuwei to press on.
"Finally..." Lin Yuwei covered her mouth and giggled. "Finally, Feng Ruoyan directly brought several beautiful young women to the Third Prince. Now, the Third Prince is so entangled with these beauties all day that he can hardly find time for himself, and Liu Menghan doesn't even know where to find more people."
Feng Jin couldn't help but burst into laughter. She had to admit that Feng Ruoyan's tactic was brilliant. With so many beautiful young women residing in the prince's manor, and with Liu Menghan now managing the household, the daily expenses alone would be considerable.
Furthermore, if these beautiful young women were to have children, it would certainly give Liu Menghan plenty to worry about.
"Sister Feng Jin, you have to admit, coming up with such a plan is quite remarkable. Now the Third Prince is so worn out that he's become haggard and lost a lot of weight. The Empress has reprimanded the Third Prince quite a bit over this matter."
"If this continues, the Third Prince will be dead in bed before long."
Playing this game would eventually kill someone. Feng Ruoyan's tactic was truly ruthless.
However, Chu Yanxi was not someone who would not know the severity of the situation, so why would he indulge himself so recklessly?
If this were truly his nature, why would a prince have endured it for so long? He could have simply taken a few concubines earlier.
But from the time he married, Chu Yanxi had always been a man of integrity. While his character might not be perfect, there were no rumors of him being involved with any other woman. Now, his disposition had truly changed drastically.
His bizarre behavior made Feng Jin suspicious.
"Chu Yanxi's transformation is too sudden. He wasn't like this before..."
The more Feng Jin thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss, though she couldn't quite figure it out.
"Who knows? Perhaps he suddenly changed his ways, or perhaps this is his true nature and he was merely hiding it before."
Lin Yuwei said without much thought, not bothering to speculate on the reasons. She merely treated it as gossip.
Besides, she hadn't witnessed these events firsthand, so she naturally didn't know the true cause.
"Is that so?" Feng Jin frowned, her mind filled with doubt, yet her suspicions weren't dispelled. She merely suppressed them for now, deciding that she would need to investigate further to uncover the truth.
Lin Yuwei continued to chatter with Feng Jin about various fresh happenings in the capital. It wasn't until dusk that people from the Prince of Jing's manor arrived to pick her up, and she left reluctantly.
After seeing Lin Yuwei off, Feng Jin remained lost in thought about Chu Yanxi, so much so that she didn't even notice Ling Mohan approaching from behind.
"What are you thinking about, so engrossed?"
Hearing the voice behind her, Feng Jin finally snapped back to reality. She turned to look at Ling Mohan, opened her mouth, but the words on the tip of her tongue remained unspoken.
"What's wrong? Do you have something to tell me?"
After a moment of hesitation, Feng Jin recounted everything Lin Yuwei had told her that day to Ling Mohan.
Upon hearing Feng Jin's account, the man's expression immediately darkened. "Did you spend the entire afternoon discussing these matters?"
Feng Jin, preoccupied with her thoughts, didn't fully grasp the implication behind Ling Mohan's words and simply nodded in affirmation.
"Yes, she came to see me specifically to tell me about this."