Chapter 147

Chapter 147 Xie Run stepped closer and saw Wan Linlang in a disheveled state, administering acupuncture to Concubine Lian. The needle rose and fell with each precise strike, carrying a strikingly crisp and graceful beauty. For a single moment, a thought suddenly surfaced in Xie Run's mind. She felt that Wan Linlang should never have entered the prince's household in the first place. Beyond the walls of the manor, the world was vast and open, and with her considerable skills, she could easily have found a place to establish herself and shine brilliantly. Wouldn't that have been far more satisfying than being trapped here in the inner quarters, locked in endless schemes and strife? However, such a thought lasted only an instant. After taking a clear look at Concubine Lian's condition, Xie Run froze. "What happened here?" On Concubine Lian's fair and alluring face were two fresh wounds, each about an inch and a half long, covered with gauze that was stained with bright red blood. It looked as though... her face had been ruined. A young maidservant waiting nearby sobbed quietly, "My mistress refused to drink the abortifacient, and in the struggle, the bowl was knocked over. Consort Jiang flew into a rage and kicked my mistress, sending her tumbling into a pile of broken porcelain." Xie Run drew in a sharp breath. She could already imagine how much pain Concubine Lian must have been in at that moment. "Her face... can it be healed?" The maidservant wiped away her tears, her voice still choked with sobs: "The manor physician hasn't arrived yet, but Mistress Wan said... even with the Heavenly Hidden Snow Jade Salve from the imperial palace, scars will still remain." In other words, Concubine Lian's face was permanently ruined. A concubine relied on her beauty to please her lord and win a measure of favor, to secure a measure of stability. But Concubine Lian hadn't even had the chance to properly serve Prince Jing before her face was destroyed. Her life was effectively over now. Xie Run paused. "The child in her womb—is it unharmed?" Though she had already asked the Princess Consort, as a Concubine Consort, she still needed to show concern in front of the person directly involved. The maidservant finally revealed a hint of a smile on her face. "Thanks to Mistress Wan, my mistress's pregnancy has been barely preserved. She only suffered a disturbance to the fetus, but from now on, she'll likely have to remain bedridden to maintain the pregnancy." Xie Run: "As long as the child is saved, that's a good thing." With that, she stepped forward two paces and spoke softly to Concubine Lian from a short distance: "Sister Lian need not worry. The Princess Consort is already at Songya Courtyard and will surely seek justice for you." "All you need to do is take good care of your pregnancy and deliver a healthy child for the Prince." Concubine Lian replied in a faint voice, "This servant thanks the Concubine Consort for her concern." "Very well, I won't linger here and get in the way. I'll wait outside. If Sister Lian needs anything, just send someone to call for me." Concubine Lian murmured a soft acknowledgment, though it was unclear what she said. Having completed the formalities, Xie Run led her people out. The room carried a thick smell of blood, and she found it rather unpleasant to breathe. Soon, Consort Fang, Concubine Fang, and Concubine An all arrived, each entering the room to offer their regards to Concubine Lian. Whatever thoughts they harbored in their hearts, they all had to come up and put on a performance. Xie Run sipped her tea for a while, then quietly asked Xiaoshu, "Did you find out exactly what happened?" Xiaoshu leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Today, Consort Jiang summoned Concubine Lian alone to the courtyard to bully her." "Concubine Lian and Concubine Wan must have arranged some kind of signal. When Consort Jiang's behavior grew increasingly excessive, Concubine Wan burst in with her people, sending someone to beg the Princess Consort for help while she administered aid to Concubine Lian." "Fortunately, Concubine Wan arrived in time. Otherwise, Concubine Lian might have died in Songya Courtyard today, and even if her body were disposed of to destroy the evidence, no one would ever have known." Though Xiaoshu's words were somewhat exaggerated, it wasn't entirely impossible. Xie Run knew Jiang Baobao was bold, but she never imagined the woman could repeatedly do things so shocking that they left people utterly astounded time and time again. This time, Concubine Lian had drawn blood. Consort Jiang might escape the death penalty, but she certainly wouldn't escape punishment. By the time everyone had gathered, the manor physician had long since arrived. With Concubine Lian now under the physician's care, Wan Linlang finally had her hands free. She stepped forward and respectfully saluted the Princess Consort. "Consort Jiang has bullied a concubine, forcibly forced an abortifacient down the throat of a pregnant concubine, and destroyed her face—she is a venomous woman consumed by jealousy!" "Had this servant not arrived in time, Sister Lian and the child in her womb would both have lost their lives." "Sister Lian is truly pitiable. I beg the Princess Consort to seek justice on her behalf!" The Princess Consort sat high in the seat of honor, her eyes calm and unruffled. "That goes without saying." "Bring Consort Jiang up first." The moment the Princess Consort's people arrived at Songya Courtyard, they had Consort Jiang seized. The servants of Songya Courtyard all had their deeds of indenture in the Princess Consort's hands and knew well who the true master of the manor was, so they behaved very obediently. Soon, a somewhat disheveled Consort Jiang was escorted in. Nanny Huang beside her was not treated so well—she was bound with rope and shoved forward. Even at this moment, Jiang Baobao remained utterly defiant, snapping at the matron restraining her, "How dare you!" "I am Prince Jing's Side Consort, personally wedded by imperial decree! How dare a filthy old hag like you lay a hand on me!" The matron was startled by her shout and hastily saluted the Princess Consort. "Reporting to the Princess Consort, Consort Jiang has been brought up." Consort Jiang swept her gaze around at the Concubine Consorts and concubines seated nearby, a look of displeasure crossing her face. Those her gaze passed over wore varied expressions. Fang Yuan'er raised her hand to cover her mouth, the jade bracelets on her wrist clinking together with a crisp, pleasant sound that couldn't quite hide the smile tugging at her lips. She wore the air of a noble lady thoroughly enjoying the spectacle, utterly unbothered by the commotion. Xie Run kept his eyes lowered, a faint smile fixed on his face, his true thoughts unreadable. Concubine Lu and Concubine An both kept their heads down—one feigning timidity, the other genuinely cowed—while Concubine Fang sat quietly in the corner. To Consort Jiang's eyes, every expression in the room seemed like a malicious glare, each person secretly wishing her harm and relishing her downfall. Her fury boiled over. Her gaze sharpened as she glared at the Princess Consort and demanded, "What exactly does the Princess Consort mean by this?!" "You storm into my courtyard without cause and have me bound—are you planning to extract a confession by torture next?" "Has this Prince Jing's manor become your personal torture chamber?!" Nanny Li had long harbored disdain for Consort Jiang, and she certainly wasn't about to let the Princess Consort lower herself to bickering with the likes of her. As the trusted right hand of her mistress, she knew well how to read the room and act accordingly. She barked out, "Does Consort Jiang still remember her place?!" "You stand there hurling accusations at the Princess Consort with not a shred of decency—is this the manners the Jiang family taught you?!" Jiang Baobao didn't flinch in the slightest. "This consort remembers perfectly well!" "A nation has its laws, and a household has its rules. Even if the Princess Consort wishes to conduct shady dealings within this manor, she'd best consider whether His Highness and His Majesty would approve!" "You've had me locked up without so much as asking right from wrong—are you so bold as to disregard His Highness and His Majesty entirely?!" The Princess Consort regarded Jiang Baobao with evident amusement. "I'm rather curious—has the Jiang family grown tired of living, that they'd send you here to serve His Highness?" Sending such a foolish, venomous creature—weren't they afraid of turning Prince Jing's stomach?! A flicker of unease crossed Jiang Baobao's face, as if a hint of sense had finally dawned on her. "You're threatening me with the Jiang family?!" She followed with a cold snort, dismissing the notion. The Princess Consort's title might be noble, but she was a princess of the Xia Dynasty, with no real power or influence in the Great Yu Dynasty. What could she possibly do against the Jiang family?