Chapter 113

Chapter 113 Wan Linlang wept profusely, her nose running as she sobbed, "I thought that if I couldn't go to the palace to request an imperial physician, I could at least call for the mansion's own doctor. Why would they insist that I, a mere concubine, go to examine her?" "I refused repeatedly, but I was still half-forced, half-dragged by Consort Fang's maidservant to the Xiachi Courtyard." "No sooner had I seen Consort Fang than she suddenly became agitated before we'd even exchanged a few words. She grabbed hold of me and wouldn't let go, and when I lost my footing, she fell." "I am truly wronged!" The Princess Consort glanced at Prince Jing, whose expression was deep and unreadable. Seeing that he showed no intention of questioning, she had no choice but to speak up herself. "Qiuxiang, is what Concubine Wan said true?" Qiuxiang's eyes were red, but her gentle voice carried considerable authority: "Naturally not!" "Because it was dark last night, my mistress did not wish to disturb the mansion's physician. Moreover, she had some private women's ailments she was embarrassed to discuss, so she thought to go ask Mistress Wan for advice." "We went to invite her with utmost sincerity, even promising various favors before Mistress Wan agreed." Qiuxiang emphasized deliberately: "There was absolutely no 'half-forcing, half-dragging' as Mistress Wan claims." "She is a living, breathing person. If she were unwilling to come, would we truly dare to lay hands on her in defiance of rank?!" "We passed by many courtyards along the way. The Princess Consort may send someone to inquire whether anyone saw us forcing Mistress Wan to come?!" Wan Linlang's face flushed red with anger. "You had an excuse to invite me, and I couldn't very well refuse and offend Consort Fang by turning her down flat." "Moreover, I've learned my lesson from Consort Fang before and am quite afraid of her. How would I dare not come?!" Qiuxiang said calmly, "So by that reasoning, there was also no 'half-forcing, half-dragging' as Mistress Wan described?" Wan Linlang was momentarily struck speechless. She hadn't expected that this maidservant beside Fang Yuan'er, plain in appearance, would be so clever and articulate. In her previous life, the one who stood out beside Fang Yuan'er was the foolish and impulsive Qiulan, and Wan Linlang had dealt with the mistress and servant without much effort. She hadn't expected that in this life, Qiulan had been done in by Consort Ning, and Fang Yuan'er had replaced her with a maidservant she trusted deeply—one so difficult to handle. Wan Linlang gritted her teeth and said, "Consort Fang holds the upper hand, so I hardly dare argue my case." "I only hope the Prince and Princess Consort understand—my reputation is already not the best. How would I dare run to a pregnant consort's courtyard in the middle of the night to cause trouble?" "No matter how bold I am, I wouldn't do something so foolish." The Princess Consort watched her impassively, then suddenly asked, "You said you'd barely exchanged a few words with Consort Fang before she became agitated." "Those few words—what exactly were they?" Having presided over many disputes, the Princess Consort had grown increasingly skilled at seizing upon key points. Indeed, at her question, Wan Linlang's body stiffened for a brief moment. Wan Linlang said, "...It was nothing much. I merely noticed Consort Fang's complexion looked unwell and reminded her to take care of the child in her belly." Though she said this aloud, her mind involuntarily conjured the scene from that moment. Fang Yuan'er had stroked her swollen belly, looking down at her from above, and one sentence had nearly made Wan Linlang's legs give way and collapse in fear. "You're faking your pregnancy, aren't you?" "Dandelion, realgar, atractylodes..." Half of Fang Yuan'er's face was hidden in the shadows as she slowly recited a prescription. That prescription—it was precisely the one Wan Linlang had used to fake her pregnancy! Wan Linlang had instinctively denied it, but her denial was weak and feeble. For reasons unknown, Fang Yuan'er had become agitated, lunging forward to grab Wan Linlang's clothes and hurl abuse at her. When Wan Linlang struggled, Fang Yuan'er fell to the ground, crying out that her stomach hurt. In that instant, Wan Linlang knew she had been set up by Fang Yuan'er. But now, in front of Prince Jing and the Princess Consort, how could she dare say such things? Some matters—if no one noticed them, they remained perfectly hidden. But once someone's attention was drawn to them, they couldn't withstand scrutiny. With Concubine Han's fate as a warning before her eyes, Wan Linlang dared not take the risk. Rather than have her faked pregnancy exposed, it was better to bear the charge of offending a consort. The Prince and Princess Consort were no fools. With Fang Yuan'er's scheme so obvious, there was no way they wouldn't harbor some suspicion! That sliver of suspicion was her lifeline. Wan Linlang made her decision on the spot, lowering her head and tearfully confessing. "Yes, it's true—because I was angry, I said some disrespectful things. But I truly did not push Consort Fang!" "Disrespectful things?" Wan Linlang's face alternated between pale and red as she mumbled, "I recalled how Consort Fang had humiliated me when I first entered the mansion, and I was also jealous that she was with child, so I cursed her, saying she'd give birth to a daughter and never bear a son in this lifetime." "Consort Fang became enraged and came to slap me..." As she said this, Wan Linlang's gaze fell upon Qiuxiang. Qiuxiang's expression remained composed. "It's good that Mistress Wan is willing to confess, so that our mistress won't have suffered in vain and then be burdened with the charge of failing to protect her child." With that, she bowed to the Prince and Princess Consort. "I beg the Prince and Princess Consort's indulgence. When our mistress was four months along, the imperial physician already confirmed by pulse that it was a boy." "Our mistress knew that the mansion had few sons and had been hoping all along for a boy. Who would have thought Mistress Wan would come and speak such ill-omened words?!" "My mistress is most proud by nature, and already suffering from the discomforts of pregnancy—how could she endure such provocation?" In these times, no one mocked a woman for declaring she wanted a son. Especially when the Prince's household had barely any male heirs. On the contrary, Wan Linlang's curse that the other woman would bear a daughter came across as utterly vicious in the eyes of those present. Qiuxiang's words flushed Wan Linlang's face red with fury. She silently seethed at Fang Yuan'er's shamelessness. Yet the heart she had been holding in suspense finally settled. Because she knew Fang Yuan'er had no evidence of her fake pregnancy! She had likely only heard some rumors and was deliberately trying to bluff her. If she truly had proof, Fang Yuan'er would have seized the chance to crush her completely in one stroke, rather than resorting to such a clumsy frame-up that couldn't deal a fatal blow. And Wan Linlang had indeed guessed the truth. Fang Yuan'er's initial claim that Wan Linlang was faking her pregnancy had been pure speculation. She reasoned that since Wan Linlang had suffered from a cold womb in her previous life and struggled to conceive, there was no way she could have gotten pregnant so quickly in this one. Later, as more women in the rear courtyard became pregnant, everyone gradually overlooked Wan Linlang's presence. But Fang Yuan'er had kept someone watching her all along. She had vaguely picked up a thread or two. Coincidentally, at that moment, she recalled an incident from the original script. In the original script, Wan Linlang had indeed faked a pregnancy once—but that was after entering the palace. The circumstances back then had been vastly different. Moreover, Wan Linlang's scheme to use a fake pregnancy to frame Fang Yuan'er had been executed with great meticulousness. Fang Yuan'er herself had not detected the slightest hint of it. It was only later, when Wan Linlang fell from power and confessed to plotting against the Imperial Heir, that her trusted subordinate's testimony brought the matter to light. Since Wan Linlang had already confessed to many more serious crimes by then, no one bothered to pay attention to such minor offenses. That was why Fang Yuan'er, having transmigrated into the book, hadn't pieced it together right away. This time, when she summoned Wan Linlang to Xiachi Courtyard for the frame-up, there was also an element of testing the waters. Wan Linlang's reaction proved that Fang Yuan'er's guess had not been wrong. But without evidence in hand, she couldn't use this matter to crush Wan Linlang for good, so she had Qiuxiang stop just short of pressing further.