Lin Yuwei couldn't hide the smile on her lips as she mentioned the Third Prince's manor. "Sister 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 incredibly lively? Especially the matters in the inner courtyard, they've almost become gossip for everyone in the capital."
After all, the most attention-grabbing things in the capital were always royal affairs. Naturally, the common people were unaware of matters within the imperial palace. However, the princes' manors were all outside, making them targets of intense scrutiny by the populace.
When she and Chu Chenyi had argued about their divorce, it hadn't it caused widespread discussion, and it took a long time for the matter to gradually fade from memory.
However, her little matters were naturally incomparable to the bustling excitement of the Third Prince's manor.
"Could it be that Liu Menghan and Feng Ruoyan are fighting again?"
This thought immediately surfaced in Feng Jin's mind, and she blurted out the question.
"It's even more intense than fighting. These two are now engaged in overt and covert conflict. The inner courtyard of the Third Prince's manor is more exciting than a stage play and more dangerous than a battlefield. Even the Empress has gotten involved."
"The Empress..." Feng Jin's brows furrowed slightly in confusion. For a mother to interfere in her son's inner courtyard affairs, wasn't she afraid of drawing criticism? Moreover, she was the Empress, and her status demanded extreme caution.
For the Empress to take such a risk indicated it was indeed no small matter. It was likely that Feng Ruoyan had caused too much trouble, and Liu Menghan couldn't cope. The Empress, as the mother-in-law, naturally wouldn't stand by and watch her chosen daughter-in-law be bullied by Feng Ruoyan, a mere concubine.
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 belly is the legitimate son, and his status is incredibly noble. The Empress naturally values him. This legitimate son is tied to the future prosperity and honor of the Liu family. Upon learning of Liu Menghan's pregnancy, the Empress had considered bringing Liu Menghan into the palace to recuperate."
"However, after the Empress Dowager learned of this, she reprimanded her, and it was dropped. Instead, 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."
"But Feng Ruoyan wouldn't just let it go. Once Liu Menghan gives birth to the legitimate son, her status will be in jeopardy. Given her temperament, she wouldn't remain inactive."
Feng Jin understood Feng Ruoyan's nature all too well. With her personality, she would naturally not allow Liu Menghan to safely give birth to the legitimate son and would undoubtedly take action.
After all, she was counting on the child in her womb to elevate her status through her son, thereby pulling Liu Menghan from the position of Third Prince Consort. With Liu Menghan already pregnant, the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate offspring was vast.
"Sister Feng Jin, you truly are a divine strategist. Feng Ruoyan naturally couldn't sit still. However, the people sent by Her Majesty the Empress have fortified Liu Menghan's courtyard like an impenetrable fortress. Feng Ruoyan couldn't even touch the courtyard gate. All food and drink must be inspected by imperial physicians before consumption. However... Feng Ruoyan came up with another method, a method you would never guess, Sister Feng Jin."
Lin Yuwei deliberately played coy, her smile never fading as she spoke of this matter.
"Alright, stop playing games with me and quickly tell me what that method is."
Feng Jin's interest was fully piqued. She hurried Lin Yuwei to continue, finding it incredibly annoying when people stopped speaking halfway, especially at crucial moments.
She now only wanted to know how the situation was ultimately resolved, and she urged Lin Yuwei to continue.
"In the end..." Lin Yuwei covered her mouth and giggled. "In the end, Feng Ruoyan directly found several beautiful and charming new consorts for the Third Prince. Now, the Third Prince is constantly occupied by these beauties, to the point where he can't spare a moment, and he doesn't even know where Liu Menghan is finding people."
Feng Jin couldn't help but burst out laughing. She had to admit that Feng Ruoyan's move was indeed brilliant. With so many beautiful consorts kept in the prince's manor, and with Liu Menghan currently managing the manor's expenses, the daily financial expenditure alone was not insignificant.
Furthermore, if these beautiful consorts were to give birth to children, it would indeed give Liu Menghan a great deal to worry about.
"Sister Feng Jin, you have to admit that whoever thought of this method is quite formidable. Now, the Third Prince is haggard and has lost a lot of weight from being overwhelmed. The Empress has reprimanded the Third Prince quite a bit over this matter."
"If this continues, the Third Prince will soon die in bed."
If they continued playing like this, they would eventually wear him out. It had to be said, Feng Ruoyan's move was truly ruthless.
However, Chu Yanxi was also a man who knew where to draw the line; how could he indulge himself so much?
If it were truly his nature, why would he have endured until now as a prince? He could have taken several concubines much earlier.
But since his marriage, Chu Yanxi had always been a man of self-restraint. Although his character wasn't the best, there were no rumors of him having affairs with any women. Now, his temperament had truly changed drastically.
His strange behavior made Feng Jin suspicious.
"Chu Yanxi's change is too rapid. He wasn't like this before..."
The more Feng Jin thought about it, the more she felt something was amiss, but she couldn't figure it out for the moment.
"Who knows? Perhaps he suddenly changed his ways, or perhaps this is his true nature, and he was merely hiding it before."
Lin Yuwei replied nonchalantly, not bothering to guess the reason. She was merely listening to the gossip.
Besides, she hadn't witnessed such matters firsthand, so she naturally didn't know the underlying reasons.
"Is that so?" Feng Jin's brows furrowed in deep suspicion, yet she still hadn't dismissed her doubts. She merely suppressed them for the time being. As for the truth, she would have to investigate further to find out.
Lin Yuwei continued to chat with Feng Jin about many other interesting recent events in the capital until dusk when people from the Jing Prince's manor came to pick her up. She left reluctantly.
After sending her off, Feng Jin kept replaying Chu Yanxi's situation in her mind, not even noticing when Ling Mohan walked up behind her.
"What are you thinking about? So engrossed."
Hearing the voice behind her, Feng Jin finally pulled her thoughts back. She turned to look at Ling Mohan, her mouth opening and closing, but the words on the tip of her tongue remained unspoken.
"What is it? Is there something you want to tell me?"
After a moment of hesitation, Feng Jin still 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, lost in thought about the matter, didn't fully grasp the meaning behind Ling Mohan's words. She merely nodded in agreement.
"Yes, she came to see me specifically to talk about this."