Chapter 118

Chapter 118 Xie Run only said, "Some things only the eldest sister can understand what I mean." Xie Jiang's situation was similar to hers. She would certainly be able to guess Xie Run's implied meaning—knowing that Xie Run didn't truly want to know whether her parents were well, but rather wanted her to help monitor the Xie family's situation, to avoid any chaos during her childbirth. As for the letter to Xie Jing, it was to have him investigate the matter of her childhood sweetheart. Xie Run feared Xie Jing might misunderstand that she still had lingering feelings for that man, so she repeatedly explained the severity of the childhood sweetheart's appearance. If an accident occurred, the harm might not only befall Xie Run, but the entire Xie family. As the eldest son, Xie Jing bore the responsibility of the family's prosperity. For something that could threaten the lives of the entire Xie family, he would naturally be extremely cautious. After handling everything, Xie Run finally felt somewhat at ease. When Imperial Physician Fang arrived, he was immediately summoned to Concubine An's courtyard. It wasn't until the afternoon that news came out. The Second Commandery Princess had been exposed to coal fumes for too long, damaging her brain. The Fourth Young Master had inhaled coal fumes into his throat and lungs, which might also cause damage—as for the consequences, they couldn't yet be determined. All they knew was that the child's lungs would likely never be strong in the future. When Concubine An heard this news, she fainted from shock on the spot. After much investigation, it was finally determined that the servants had no proper protocol, and being too nervous about the two young masters, they made mistakes in the confusion, leading to this great disaster. The servants involved naturally all received punishment. In the evening, when Prince Jing returned from court, he didn't even glance at Concubine An's quarters. He directly ordered the Second Commandery Princess to be brought to the Princess Consort's courtyard to be raised. Prince Jing didn't mention for how long, or in what manner she should be raised. But everyone in the inner court guessed that Prince Jing probably intended to register the Second Commandery Princess under the Princess Consort's name, treating her directly as the Princess Consort's daughter. As for his attitude toward the Fourth Young Master, no one knew. On the Princess Consort's side, after Prince Jing returned to the front courtyard, Nanny Li was furious. "His Highness is too cruel to you." "Back then, when four women in the inner court were pregnant, he never once suggested you raise any of them!" "Now that Concubine An couldn't raise the child properly and harmed her into becoming a fool, he wants you to clean up the mess!" "And she's a girl... His Highness has treated you far too unfairly!" In the past, no matter what happened, Nanny Li would instinctively side with Prince Jing, always urging the Princess Consort to see how wonderful he was. But now she was truly angered by Prince Jing's behavior, and her rose-colored view of him had completely shattered. The Princess Consort remained composed, taking a light sip of her tea. "If His Highness had brought that boy to me to raise, that would truly be the way to kill both me and that child." Nanny Li wiped the tears from her aged face, momentarily stunned. "Master, what do you mean by that?" The Princess Consort said, "Last time when Consort Chen extended her hand into Consort Fang's courtyard, I already guessed that the harem and the court would fall into chaos." The Princess Consort had once been a princess herself, having seen much both inside and outside the palace, possessing a certain political acumen. She sighed. "The reason His Highness isn't valued by the other princes is, first, because he married me, and second... because he has no legitimate son." "If His Highness had a legitimate son, things would be different." "The schemes in the harem wouldn't target those concubines and consorts—they'd all focus on me." With the struggle for succession already showing signs, if Prince Jing were to lose a legitimate son at this time, or lose his principal wife, both would be fatally dangerous. Losing a legitimate son would mean losing competitiveness compared to the other princes, and would also show incompetence. Losing his principal wife would give those people even more to say. Most importantly, how would the Emperor view Prince Jing then? He married you to a princess from a neighboring state precisely to cut off any thoughts of succession. Now that all the princes are stirring restlessly, if your principal wife suddenly dies, are you preparing to marry another with powerful family connections, in order to scheme for a position that doesn't belong to you? The current Emperor was suspicious yet merciless. If he truly made up his mind, he might directly order Prince Jing to observe mourning for his wife for three to five years, then exile him to his fief, completely severing Prince Jing's hopes. It sounded absurd, but this wasn't the first time the Emperor had done something outrageous. The Third Prince, Prince Wei, had originally been a refined and noble gentleman, extremely pure in his conduct. Prince Wei's deceased principal wife came from the Chen family of Jiangbei—the foremost family of the pure stream scholar-official class in the Great Yu Dynasty, having produced three generations of imperial tutors. The couple had grown up together since childhood, childhood sweethearts, and after marriage they were exceptionally devoted to each other. But somehow, the Chen family incurred the Emperor's displeasure. First he deposed the imperial tutor, then he forced Prince Wei to divorce his wife. Prince Wei would rather die than agree, so the Emperor repeatedly humiliated him in court, trampling Prince Wei into the mud. In the end, Lady Chen couldn't bear the rumors and gossip, and took her own life. The Emperor then publicly mocked Prince Wei, saying, "You pride yourself on your deep marital love—now that your wife is gone, why not follow her in death?" Prince Wei was so humiliated he nearly drew his sword and killed himself on the spot. But he was stopped by the crowd. Who would have thought that upon returning to Prince Wei's residence, he received an edict ordering him to observe mourning for his wife for three years and be exiled to his fief. This edict nearly ended Prince Wei's future entirely. It was only when Prince Wei's birth mother, Consort De of the Chen family, knelt until she died in the Great Yu Palace that the Emperor rescinded the order. From that day on, Prince Wei shut his doors and observed three years of mourning for his wife. Three years later, Prince Wei became a pleasure-seeking playboy, never again touching the slightest bit of power. Once the Emperor became suspicious of any son, he was truly capable of doing the most ruthless things. Prince Jing did not give the boy to the Princess Consort to raise, not only to protect her and the Fourth Young Master, but also to protect his own future. The Princess Consort saw through this clearly and bore no resentment whatsoever. "I injured my body back in the Xia Dynasty, and I fear I will never be able to have a child of my own." "Before, I didn't want to raise another's child because I worried the child might develop other intentions and drag me down, or that the child might never truly bond with me." The room was filled with warm, fragrant air, and the Princess Consort's face was fair and composed. "Now that I'm raising the Second Commandery Princess, though she's a girl and somewhat simple, there are far fewer worries to trouble me." "I suppose it's a case of losing something only to gain something else." Nanny Li wiped her tears again and again. "Why must my mistress suffer such a bitter fate?!" "But what my mistress says is also true. We might as well treat it as keeping a little cat or dog, just to pass the days." The Princess Consort frowned. "Nanny, you've misspoken again." "She is the Prince's daughter, the Commandery Princess Duanjing, ennobled by imperial decree. How can you call her a little cat or dog?" Nanny Li slapped herself on the cheek. "This servant has misspoken!" "The little Commandery Princess is fair and plump, and healthy in body—she is surely a child of good fortune!" "This servant has also heard that among the common folk, there are barren women who adopt a child to raise and immediately become pregnant." The more Nanny Li thought about it, the happier she became, even changing her form of address. "Perhaps our little Commandery Princess really is a little star of fortune!" The Princess Consort smiled faintly, though not as joyfully as Nanny Li made it seem. In this rear courtyard, how could everything truly go as one wished? Sometimes, having just one wish fulfilled is enough. Two more days passed, and replies came from both Xie Jing and Xie Jiang. Xie Jiang's letter only said that the Xie family members were all very well-behaved, with nothing unusual, and she also sent some medicinal pills beneficial for childbirth and postpartum recovery. Xie Jing's letter, however, mentioned one matter. Xie Run's childhood sweetheart had recently gone missing!