Chapter 111

Chapter 111 The Princess Consort said, "The child is still young, so let him be properly cared for first! Don't spread this around carelessly—if the child is frightened, don't blame me for meting out heavy punishment!" "As for the third-day bathing ceremony, I will decide after consulting the Prince." The matron holding the child said with delight, "This servant obeys!" The Princess Consort asked, "How is Consort Fang?" "The imperial physician says she has suffered a severe depletion of vital energy. She will need to recuperate for a while, but there should be no lasting harm." "That's good." The Princess Consort said, "Nanny Li, take some people to open the storeroom shortly." "Consort Fang has given the Prince his third son—this is a great occasion of joy. Do not be stingy with supplies; first take some good medicinal herbs and send them to her." Nanny Li naturally acknowledged the order. The Princess Consort looked at the others. "Now that Consort Fang has safely delivered, you may all return to your quarters. If anything comes up, send someone to report." The group bowed in unison. "Yes!" Prince Jing's ceremonial procession then escorted Xie Run back. Consort Li had not yet moved residences, and her Qingzhu Courtyard happened to be in the same direction as Xie Run's. Supported by two maidservants, she watched Xie Run seated in the palanquin, unable to conceal a trace of envy in her eyes. Feixu murmured softly, "The Prince truly dotes on Concubine Xie." "Even the Prince's personal ceremonial procession can be used by Concubine Xie... This must be a first in the entire household." Consort Li concealed the envy in her eyes and only said calmly, "Out here, don't speak of such trivial matters." Feixu obediently lowered her head. "Yes." It was only after returning to Chunshan Courtyard that Dantao spoke with Xie Run. "This servant had merely heard many tales of harm and mentioned it casually—who could have imagined that the midwife really did smear poison on the rim of Consort Fang's medicine bowl?!" "If Consort Fang had unknowingly drunk it, her very life would have been in danger." Xie Run sat in a chair, deep in thought. "Nanny Li later seemed to hesitate before speaking, saying that someone had applied medicine to Consort Fang's body?" With imperial physicians present, Nanny Li still felt the need to mention a female physician—this could only mean it was in a place where the physicians could not look. Once Xie Run understood, she suddenly felt a chill seep into her bones. "I wonder who did this this time?" The methods of harm in this household were truly growing more vicious with each attempt. Dantao said, "This servant heard Consort Fang say she felt pain all over her body, like being lashed by a whip, and grew suspicious at once." "Having accompanied mistress through so many stories, this servant has never heard of any woman describing childbirth pain as being whipped. I suspected then that someone had given Consort Fang a drug meant to torment her." "No wonder she insisted on having mistress come to preside over the birth." Xie Run looked bewildered. "What does that have to do with me?" Dantao had discerned something. "Perhaps it's because mistress has a gentle disposition—of everyone in the rear courtyard, Mistress Fang likely trusts only you." "Mistress Fang probably knew someone was trying to harm her, and childbirth is when one is most vulnerable to unforeseen schemes. That's why she insisted on having mistress there to keep watch." For no other reason than that Xie Run was kind-hearted and would never harbor thoughts of harm. That alone allowed Fang Yuan'er to set her heart at ease. Xie Run half-understood, vaguely guessing it might also relate to her impression of the plot. But that was something she would not tell Dantao. Seizing this opportunity, Xie Run admonished Dantao a little. "In the future, if such a situation arises again, you are not to act on your own initiative!" "Even if I were to shamelessly refuse to go, who would dare drag me into the delivery room?" "If you had gone and something had happened that couldn't be sorted out, that would have been the real trouble." Dantao explained softly, "This servant was also thinking of mistress." "Today Qiukui made such a plea before everyone. If mistress had refused, then no matter what happened afterward, who knows how many unpleasant words would have been spoken." "This servant belongs to mistress, so naturally I must consider mistress's interests!" Xie Run's expression turned serious. "I am not afraid of hearing unpleasant words, but I cannot bear to lose any of you." "Such a thing must never happen again!" Dantao obediently accepted the reprimand. "This servant understands and will never repeat the mistake!" Before Prince Jing even returned, the Princess Consort had already interrogated quite a number of matters. This time, those who had administered the drug to Fang Yuan'er included, besides the midwife, two young maidservants and the young eunuch Yuanbao from Xiachi Courtyard. Among them, the eunuch Yuanbao was the mastermind, yet he refused to reveal who was behind him. These four had conspired with two schemes. First, during Fang Yuan'er's labor, they applied a stimulating drug to her body. This drug would only seep through the skin into the body, causing intense pain. An imperial physician taking the pulse would not detect it—only by seeing the bruising on the skin with one's own eyes would it be discovered. But they had applied the drug to concealed places, where physicians could not look, so naturally it would go undetected. The main purpose was to torment Fang Yuan'er, making her suffer for half a day or more until she was faint from pain, and thus unable to deliver the child smoothly. Second, they smeared poison on the rim of the ginseng soup bowl. The poison was identified as arsenic. If Fang Yuan'er had drunk it down in one gulp, her life would have been forfeit. However, these people had not anticipated that Fang Yuan'er would be so resilient—she endured the pain for half a day and still had the strength to give birth. Nor had they expected Dantao to appear suddenly and, with just a few words, detect that the ginseng soup was poisoned, which led Nanny Li and the others to notice that something was wrong with Fang Yuan'er's body. Looking at it this way, Fang Yuan'er's insistence on having Xie Run come to the delivery room was truly a clever move—one that saved her own life. Dantao asked softly, "Mistress, who do you think did it?" "To be able to bribe so many people around Consort Fang, and to strike with such venom..." If it were merely to make Fang Yuan'er's labor difficult, that would be one thing. But the hidden hand had smeared medicine on Fang Yuan'er, causing her to suffer agonizing torment during childbirth—a living hell. Such vicious methods—even with a blood feud, one would hardly go this far. "There's no one in the household with such a deep grudge against Consort Fang." Dantao frowned. "I truly cannot guess." "It couldn't be Concubine Wan, could it?" Xie Run shook her head. "Even if Wan Linlang had the intention, I doubt she has the ability." The Wan Linlang of today is the lowest-ranking concubine among the Prince's consorts and concubines. In terms of actual status, she probably doesn't even measure up to the little maidservants around Fang Yuan'er. How could she possibly have the means to bribe so many people around Fang Yuan'er? Never mind Wan Linlang—even if Xie Run herself tried, she wouldn't have that kind of power! Xie Run murmured, "The midwife was chosen by Fang Yuan'er herself long ago, the maidservants are her own people, and even that eunuch is her trusted confidant..." She was about to say that ordinary concubines and consorts wouldn't have such ability. Then a flash of insight struck her. "Eunuch Yuanbao!" Dantao looked puzzled. "What does Mistress mean?" Xie Run lowered her eyes, her expression growing grave. "There aren't many eunuchs in the household, and all of them were assigned from the palace." "As for who could make these palace eunuchs risk their lives for them... I fear only..." Dantao was startled. "Mistress means—someone from the palace made a move?!" Xie Run nodded slowly. Dantao suddenly understood as well. "That's right. Only someone from the palace would have such far-reaching means, silently infiltrating the people around Consort Fang." "Leaving Consort Fang utterly defenseless!" "No wonder the Princess Consort stopped the investigation—she's likely waiting for the Prince to return before continuing." Xie Run's heart began to race as well. Lately, there had been growing talk of a bewitching consort bringing ruin to the nation. Civil and military officials alike had been openly and covertly urging the Emperor to depose Consort Chen. But the current Emperor was a stubborn man. When he doted on someone, he seemed willing to stand against the entire world for that person. When he no longer favored someone, he cast them aside like a worn-out shoe, not even bothering to spare them a glance. Right now, he was thoroughly besotted with Consort Chen. The more the ministers urged him to reconsider, the more he favored her. Because of the Emperor's stubbornness, the princes beneath him had all begun to stir restlessly. And now, they had already started reaching into other princes' households! At this moment, Xie Run herself couldn't be certain—would she truly be safe when her own time came?