Chapter 4: The Miserable Third Young Lady

The two maids heard the commotion and ran over to watch, expecting to see Dongmei bullying that fool again. Instead, they were shocked to see An Ran punching and kicking Dongmei, and they rushed over to stop her.

"You fool, how dare you hit Sister Dongmei! Do you want to die?!"

An Ran backhanded Xiao Yun across the face. "You’re being mean to me too. You’re a bad person, a bad person!"

Xiao Yun was stunned by the sudden slap. She raised her hand to strike back, but Xiao Cai quickly held her, saying, "This fool must be having a fit of madness. Why bother arguing with her?"

"But she hit me!"

"If you fight her, can you win against a lunatic? She’s hurt Sister Dongmei like this and knocked over the medicine bowl; she’s caused such a huge disaster that there will be plenty of people to deal with her!"

Xiao Yun listened, still somewhat reluctant, but seeing Dongmei’s miserable state, she didn't dare provoke An Ran further. She threw out a harsh threat: "You just wait!"

The two maids quickly carried the unconscious, pain-stricken Dongmei away. An Ran lay leisurely on the recliner, waiting for the next wave of people to arrive.

In her mind, she was processing the information she had gathered over the past few days.

The original owner’s ancestor had followed the founding Emperor Shengming of the Great An Kingdom to conquer the world, rendering great service. He was enfeoffed as a prince of a different surname and enjoyed the deep trust and favor of Emperor Shengming.

The ancestor had only one son and one daughter, and the daughter was a mentally disabled fool. Fearing that his daughter would be mistreated if she married into another family, he petitioned the Emperor, begging for permission to take a son-in-law into his own household for her.

The Emperor agreed, but unfortunately, the ancestor’s daughter gave birth to another mentally disabled daughter. Thus, taking a son-in-law became an unwritten rule of the Yan Prince’s Mansion. The original owner’s mother was also a fool, and she passed away not long after giving birth to her.

The original owner’s father was an outcast expelled by his noble family who had volunteered to marry into the household. He was lecherous by nature and treated the Yan-Hong Brothel as his home.

The original owner had an older brother, but he had injured his legs five years ago and had been despondent ever since, never stepping out of his room again.

It could be said that this branch of the family was faring quite miserably in the Yan Prince’s Mansion.

After understanding all this, An Ran held no hope that the Yan Prince’s Mansion would offer her any protection.

In fact, let alone protection, if the old Prince of Yan knew she had offended Young Master Shen, it would be an act of mercy if he didn't pack her up and send her over himself.

Had she not seen the old Prince of Yan personally order a bowl of poison to be delivered to her every day?

Thinking of this, An Ran’s eyes flickered. This was the one thing she couldn't figure out. If the old Prince of Yan truly wanted her dead, it would only take a word from him. Why go through the trouble of feeding her slow-acting poison?

An Ran had to figure out exactly what the Yan Prince’s Mansion’s attitude toward her was.

If they wanted her dead, she would have to consider leaving. If they were only feeding her slow-acting poison and didn't want her life for the time being, then she could stay in the mansion.

After all, she had offended Young Master Shen. If she left the mansion without permission and drew his attention, she would definitely be dead.

Unless it was a last resort, staying in the Yan Prince’s Mansion was her best option. After all, the identity of a fool was a form of protection for her.

After hearing Xiao Yun’s exaggerated report, Nanny Li personally brought two guards, determined to force the medicine down her throat if necessary. However, she did not expect to see the scene that greeted her upon entering.

The girl was lying quietly on the recliner, her expression peaceful, showing not a hint of idiocy. The dappled sunlight fell upon her, creating a scene so beautiful that one couldn't bear to disturb it.

Nanny Li subconsciously softened her footsteps. She approached An Ran and whispered, "Third Miss, wake up and take your medicine."

An Ran didn't move. Nanny Li raised her voice. "Third Miss?"

An Ran still didn't move. Nanny Li called out for a long while, and looking at An Ran, who was as quiet as if she were dead, her heart skipped a beat. She hurriedly placed her hand under An Ran’s nose, and her face turned pale in an instant.

An Ran had no breath at all.

Nanny Li screamed, "Quick, go fetch the imperial physician!"