Chapter 139

Chapter 139 Consort Jiang stared in terror as the maids brought out another basket of jars of unknown contents, her scalp going numb. If she ate any more, she would be stuffed to death! At this moment, all of Consort Jiang's arrogance had vanished like smoke. Her stomach, about to burst from being so full, ached dully, and her throat kept feeling like she was about to vomit. She wanted to beg for mercy, but her mouth was constantly being filled, and she couldn't manage to say a single complete sentence. Help! Someone, please save her! She didn't want to die! Just then, she heard the Princess Consort's voice. "What is all this commotion?!" The medicinal soup being poured down her throat finally stopped. The maids restraining Consort Jiang's hands and feet also released her. Consort Jiang collapsed to the ground, retching without any dignity, vomiting a pool of soup and water. Her mind was in a daze, her lower abdomen aching faintly, as she vomited in a world of darkness, wishing she could spit out her very bile. That feeling of food slowly stretching her stomach until it burst was absolutely terrifying! Xie Run had already obediently bowed and confessed her crime the moment the Princess Consort entered. "I beg the Princess Consort to punish me!" "I noticed that Consort Jiang had repeatedly stolen and snatched my meals, and today she even smashed the wet nurse's soup for Fifth Young Master, so I thought perhaps she had never had her fill." "That's why I specially had the small kitchen prepare plenty of nourishing soups and medicinal dishes, just to let Consort Jiang eat her fill." "I only hope that in the future she won't do such things as stealing dishes and snatching food again." With that, Xie Run glanced at Consort Jiang again. "If Consort Jiang likes them, I'll have someone send more to you in the future!" Consort Jiang clawed at her throat and shouted, "Help! Princess Consort, save me!" "Physician! Go call the physician quickly! I'm going to be stuffed to death!" As she shouted, she clutched her stomach and retched, her face full of terror. She couldn't be bothered to argue with Xie Run at the moment. The Princess Consort watched Consort Jiang begging for help without any dignity, feeling secretly pleased but also somewhat embarrassed. This Xie woman usually seemed so gentle and soft, but her methods of tormenting people were truly... extraordinary. This move drew no blood and left no wounds, yet it could make one feel that living was worse than death. Even if she wanted to punish Xie, she could only scold her for being presumptuous, saying she had overstepped her bounds and lost her propriety. But Xie was Prince Jing's favored concubine. What did it matter if she was occasionally a little presumptuous? The Princess Consort glanced at Nanny Li. "Send a message to the palace to request a physician." Originally, with the mansion gates tightly shut, the Princess Consort hadn't wanted to make a big fuss. But seeing Consort Jiang in this state, she was afraid something might actually go wrong. The Princess Consort glanced at the others in Songya Court. "Why aren't you helping your mistress inside to rest?" She thought to herself that Consort Jiang was truly incompetent. The maids in Songya Court were no fewer than those Concubine Xie had brought, yet not one of them stepped forward to help. Clearly, after more than two months in the mansion, she couldn't even win over the hearts of her maids and servants. With that kind of ability, she still wanted to win over Prince Jing's heart? Seeing Consort Jiang being taken back inside, the Princess Consort finally said, "Concubine Xie, you committed an offense against your superior. You are truly presumptuous. Do you know your crime?" Xie Run obediently said, "This concubine admits her crime." Then she added in a gentle, tearful voice, "But I beg the Princess Consort to see clearly—it's really Consort Jiang who was too bullying." "She stole my meals, and that was bad enough, but she even sent people to smash the wet nurse's soup." "The wet nurse relies on that soup to stimulate her milk so she can feed Fifth Young Master." "How could I bear to watch Fifth Young Master go hungry?" "If she only bullied me, I could endure it, but she also wanted to harm Fifth Young Master—I... I couldn't endure that!" "A mother's strength comes from her children. What you said isn't wrong." The Princess Consort's anger lessened slightly. "But today's actions truly overstepped the bounds." Xie Run lowered her head and said with grievance, "This concubine knows she was wrong. I accept the punishment, I only ask that the Princess Consort not let Consort Jiang off lightly either." "She bullies concubines and oppresses concubine consorts in the mansion without any regard for rules. In the future, I fear she won't even put you in her sights." Consort Jiang's wet nurse tried to defend her, but unfortunately her mouth was sealed by Zihu, and she could only make muffled sounds. The Princess Consort nodded slightly. "What you say has some merit." "That being the case, I'll fine you three months' allowance and place you under House Arrest for half a month. Let this not happen again." "These maids from Chunsan Court have also been too presumptuous—all fined one month's allowance." After a pause, the Princess Consort looked at the maids of Songya Court who were hiding in various places. "Consort Jiang is your mistress, after all. When she was being tormented like this, you all just stood by and watched?" "Everyone in Songya Court failed to protect their mistress—fined three months' allowance!" "Her personal maids failed to attend to their mistress properly, allowing her to lack food and even helping her steal food from other courtyards—an additional three months' allowance!" "If there's a next time, don't bother serving in Consort Jiang's courtyard anymore." The reason Consort Jiang could swagger around and throw her weight about was ultimately because the maids she brought with her were complicit in her misdeeds. The Princess Consort had long wanted to replace these people. The maids of Songya Court weren't of one mind with Consort Jiang to begin with. Now, being implicated for no reason and fined three months' allowance, they would likely all resent Consort Jiang. If Consort Jiang were savvy, she could hand out some silver and take the opportunity to win their loyalty. If not, then Consort Jiang's days would only get worse and worse. Xie Run beamed with joy, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at the Princess Consort. "The Princess Consort is fair and just. This concubine is deeply grateful!" The Princess Consort felt her heart skip a beat under Xie Run's affectionate, peach-blossom gaze. Those sparkling, liquid eyes seemed to brim with the very essence of spring. The smile at the corners of her lips was charming and alluring, like flowers blooming on the branches of early spring—vivid and bewitching. No wonder the Prince favored her. The Princess Consort sighed inwardly—even she found it a pleasure to behold, a balm to the spirits. She was about to return a smile, but then thought better of it—it wouldn't do to seem too lenient. If others saw her smiling, they might think she was partial to Concubine Xie. So the Princess Consort put on a stern face again, feigning annoyance: "Why haven't you gone back to receive your punishment?!" Xie Run replied with a smile, "This concubine is returning to Spring Mountain Court to accept her punishment this very moment!" With that, she turned and left with her attendants. She had come in a fury and departed with great fanfare, leaving behind a trail of wreckage and a thoroughly shaken Consort Jiang. Back at Spring Mountain Court, Dantao immediately asked, "Mistress, what happened? Were you hurt?" She was usually composed, but Xie Run had left her behind to watch over Taotao, so she still didn't know the details of what had transpired. Xiaoshu, the moment she entered the room, couldn't contain her laughter. "Everything went exactly as you predicted, Mistress. The people from Songya Court didn't dare come forward—they just stood there with wide eyes, watching Consort Jiang being force-fed the medicine." "You should have seen Consort Jiang lying on the ground, vomiting. It was absolutely hilarious!" "Anyone who saw her like that would never guess how arrogant she was back then—when she first entered the manor, she raised her whip at our Concubine Consort... She deserves every bit of it!" Mentioning that incident, the maids of Spring Mountain Court all felt a surge of pent-up resentment. Prince Jing had punished Consort Jiang back then, but that whip of hers had nearly landed on their own Concubine Consort. In the end, it hadn't struck the Concubine Consort, but it had caught Zihu instead. Although Prince Jing's punishment had been deeply humiliating, it had done no physical harm to Consort Jiang herself. Without feeling the pain of broken bones, one never learns the lesson. That was probably why she was out causing trouble again so soon. Dantao asked, "Is she alright? If something truly goes wrong, it would reflect badly on you, Mistress." Xie Run took the freshly brewed tea from her maid and took a light sip. "No worries." "I already asked the manor physician beforehand—it won't kill her. Just let her suffer for a few days, endure some hardship, and she'll learn her lesson."