Tang Zhuyun said, "I'll kill Hongxiu for you."
Yanran flinched in fright, then looked up at her again, her large, expressive eyes seeming to search for the truth before filling with fear.
"There, there," Tang Zhuyun coaxed her patiently, like a wicked auntie luring a child away, her voice infinitely gentle. "I know she hasn't been good to you, has she?"
Tears suddenly welled up in Yanran's eyes, and her hands unconsciously tightened around the bedsheets.
Seeing her like this, what was there that Tang Zhuyun didn't understand?
She had sensed something was wrong as soon as she came in. Most importantly, when she took Yanran's pulse, she found no serious congenital or acquired illness.
Yanran was a frail but very healthy child.
But the child was clearly not in a good mental state and was deeply afraid of Hongxiu.
Moreover, Tang Zhuyun had inadvertently noticed what looked like a tiny pinhole on her forearm, in a well-hidden spot near her elbow.
So she made a bold guess: Hongxiu had been tampering with things, deceiving those above and concealing it from those below.
Yanran clearly couldn't bring herself to believe Tang Zhuyun. After a long while, she said tearfully, "No. Hongxiu is good. I want Hongxiu."
"Then I misunderstood." Tang Zhuyun didn't contradict her. "Take off your clothes now, and I'll examine you."
"No." Yanran shook her head repeatedly.
"How about this, then?" Tang Zhuyun thought for a moment. "I can promise you that if I see anything I shouldn't, I absolutely won't tell anyone without your permission, not even your father. How does that sound?"
Seeing that Yanran was still hesitating, Tang Zhuyun added, "If I lie to you, may I turn into a puppy. Woof, woof, woof-"
Yanran laughed at her antics and relaxed for a moment, but then she hesitated for a long time again.
Tang Zhuyun waited patiently, without rushing her in the slightest.
The Prince of Jin had grown a little impatient waiting outside. He knocked on the door and asked, "Are you done yet?"
Tang Zhuyun saw Yanran tremble involuntarily at the sound of his voice.
Why was Yanran so afraid of the Prince of Jin?
She didn't dwell on it, instead snapping impatiently, "Shut up. If you can do it, come and do it yourself!"
She felt no need to be polite to someone who had coerced her.
Yanran looked at Tang Zhuyun in surprise.
"Your father's a paper tiger," Tang Zhuyun said. "He's terrified of me. Otherwise, look, I scolded him, and he didn't even dare make a peep, did he?"
Outside, the Prince of Jin heard every word, his face darkening.
Yanran suddenly smiled, then lifted the quilt and slowly undid her clothes.
Tang Zhuyun examined her carefully, then tried to part her legs.
Yanran clamped her legs together and refused to loosen them, great drops of tears rolling down her face.
Tang Zhuyun stroked her head in silent comfort, but her gaze was firm, allowing her no retreat.
Yanran covered her face and wept bitterly, yet made hardly a sound as she slowly parted her legs.
On the insides of her thighs, Tang Zhuyun found many needle marks.
Just as she had expected!
Tang Zhuyun pulled Yanran into her arms, her own eyes reddening. "Silly child."
For every beautiful, innocent child in this world, there was a disgusting, twisted pervert!
Yet Yanran had never once mentioned it to the Prince of Jin.
She didn't know where the problem lay, but Yanran was only a few years old. It was all the Prince of Jin's fault!
Yanran soaked Tang Zhuyun's outer robe with her tears.
Tang Zhuyun dressed her and picked her up. The child in her arms was so light she was nothing but a bundle of bones, even thinner than the malnourished Linlin. Tang Zhuyun hardly dared hold her tightly, for fear of breaking her.
"Come on, let's go outside," Tang Zhuyun said.
Yanran clutched her lapels tightly.
"Don't be afraid. Today is the day that vile servant dies," Tang Zhuyun said through gritted teeth.
All her life, she had hated nothing more than people who bullied the elderly, the weak, women, and children.
When the Prince of Jin saw them come out, his expression grew grave. He stepped forward and asked, "What happened?"
"Have someone seize Hongxiu and beat her to death!" Tang Zhuyun's teeth were almost ground to pieces, and her eyes were fierce.
Yanran buried her face against Tang Zhuyun and refused to look up. No matter what Tang Zhuyun or the Prince of Jin said, she wouldn't lift her head.
The Prince of Jin could see now that something was wrong. He said in a low voice, "Song Jingyang, bring Hongxiu in! I have questions for her!"
As soon as Hongxiu entered the courtyard, she rushed forward to take Yanran, saying, "Your Highness, the young miss is frail. How can she come outside? If she catches a chill, then..."
The Prince of Jin glanced at Tang Zhuyun, signaling for her to speak.
Tang Zhuyun felt the little body in her arms grow even more rigid. Patting Yanran's back gently, she said, stressing every word, "Your Highness, beat her! Beat her until she talks!"
She would not make Yanran come forward to testify. Yanran was only a child, still shaken by the harm she had suffered, and she shouldn't be made to rip open her wounds all at once and suffer a second injury.
"Your Highness, please uphold justice for me! I have been utterly loyal to the young miss. She can't bear to be apart from me..." Hongxiu looked deeply aggrieved.
The Prince of Jin hesitated briefly, then said, "Yanran, tell Father: do you want Hongxiu or Tang Zhuyun, the person holding you now?"
Tang Zhuyun thought, Heh. You sure have a lot of nerve. Am I someone you can have?
Yanran clung to Tang Zhuyun with all her might, refusing to let go or lift her head, as if she wanted nothing more than to bury it in Tang Zhuyun's chest.
The Prince of Jin looked at Tang Zhuyun again. "You tell me."
"She abused Yanran," Tang Zhuyun said. "If I'm not mistaken, wasn't she the one who bathed Yanran and attended to her personal needs? Didn't she always forbid anyone else from attending to her? Didn't she say Yanran liked only her?"
It was clumsy, far too clumsy, yet the fool Prince of Jin had noticed nothing at all.
A flash of panic crossed Hongxiu's eyes, but her voice rose sharply. "Your Highness, please see the truth. I have been utterly loyal to you and the young miss."
"Slap her," the Prince of Jin said.
Song Jingyang immediately stepped forward and slapped Hongxiu twice, knocking her to the ground.
"Keep going!" Tang Zhuyun said. "If she isn't beaten to death today, Yanran will never dare tell the truth. Look at Yanran. Does she look like she likes her? And you call yourself a prince! Even an ignorant commoner wouldn't have been deceived this badly! I'm telling you, there's nothing wrong with Yanran! All her illnesses were made up or caused by Hongxiu, and every one of the many marks on Yanran's body was inflicted by her!"
Everyone in the courtyard was stunned.
"Is what you say true?" the Prince of Jin asked. "But I've seen Yanran's attacks several times myself."
"Do you mean her epileptic fits? Children have convulsions easily when they have a fever. That's normal!"
"But all the physicians, including the imperial physicians, said Yanran was weak and needed careful nursing..."
"Does being weak mean she can't get out of bed or leave the house?" Tang Zhuyun sneered repeatedly. "Your Highness, would you believe that if you said your back hurt right now, the imperial physicians could tell you that you had kidney deficiency?"
It was perfectly normal for children to have headaches and fevers. For physicians, especially when treating people they couldn't afford to offend, overstating the severity was standard practice.
If they cured the patient, they would be greatly credited; if they failed, they would have given warning in advance. If it helped them avoid risk, why wouldn't they do it?
Yanran wrapped her arms around Tang Zhuyun's neck and wailed. This time, she cried out loud, her whole body trembling as she wept, pouring out all the hurt she had suffered.