Chapter 151

Chapter 151 As they walked, Xie Run suddenly said, "Hasn't Consort Li been pregnant for more than ten months now?" Concubine Lu: "She's been prepared to give birth for a while, but there's been no movement. If you count it properly, it really has been more than ten months." "Her pregnancy is rather unusual." The previous pregnancies in the residence had all come early. But with Consort Li, even after ten full months there was no sign of labor, and quite a few people found it strange. Concubine Lu had no idea why Xie Run suddenly brought up Consort Li. Actually, Xie Run had only mentioned it in passing when she reached the entrance of Spring Mountain Court and caught sight of Clear Bamboo Court not far away. After speaking, a flash of inspiration struck her mind. "I think I've roughly guessed the purpose behind Concubine Wan and Concubine Lian's friendship." Concubine Lu was startled, a hint of surprise in her eyes. "Let's talk about it once we're back." Concubine Lu followed Xie Run into Spring Mountain Court. After the maidservants served tea, Concubine Lu asked curiously, "Sister Xie, why would Lady Wan, for no reason at all, treat Concubine Lian so well?" "Today I went into the inner chamber to visit Concubine Lian, and Lady Wan was attending to her with great care, without the slightest pretense." "I'm afraid it's not just us—everyone is confused about this." Concubine Lu didn't believe for a moment that Wan Linlang was being so good to Concubine Lian merely out of shared suffering and compassion. Xie Run said slowly, "Perhaps she's set her sights on the child in Concubine Lian's belly." Concubine Lu was shocked, then understood in an instant. "She doesn't enjoy the Prince's favor, and her status isn't high enough either. She's been biding her time in the residence, and the Prince might not visit her even once in a year. She'll never rise in this lifetime." "But if she had a child in her care, first, she could use it to curry favor, and second, she'd have someone to rely on in the future... That really is a clever idea!" For a brief moment, Concubine Lu couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Wasn't the greatest hope for concubines like them to have a child, so they'd have someone to depend on for the rest of their lives? It was just that she was too timid, not as bold as Wan Linlang in her thinking. Xie Run's expression was calm, but the words she uttered were utterly cold: "If that's the case, then the day the child is born will be the day Concubine Lian meets her end!" Concubine Lu felt a chill shoot from the soles of her feet straight to her head. She inexplicably broke out in a cold sweat. "How... how would she dare?" "She would dare." Xie Run spoke flatly, with complete confidence. Killing a person was nothing—when had Concubine Wan ever been afraid of that? Inside Song Elegance Court, Concubine Lian was completely unaware of Wan Linlang's scheming. When the Princess Consort was interrogating Consort Jiang, she had been sleeping in the bedchamber at the back. All of Consort Jiang's humiliating words had fallen into her ears. She lay in bed, tears streaming uncontrollably. Only after everyone had dispersed and Wan Linlang came in to see her did she dare to cry out loud. Wan Linlang's brows showed concern as she gently soothed Concubine Lian. "You've just had a disturbance in your pregnancy—you can't cry like this." "Those words of Consort Jiang's—you shouldn't have let them into your ears!" "The Prince and Princess Consort haven't said anything—who would dare to slander the child in your belly?!" Concubine Lian gripped Wan Linlang's hand, crying like a pear blossom drenched in rain: "Good sister, I know you're the only one in this residence who truly cares for me!" "I didn't want to hear those words, but today Consort Jiang said them in front of everyone in the residence. Even if the Prince later clears my name, I'm afraid my child and I will live under rumors and gossip for the rest of our lives!" She sobbed heart-wrenchingly: "Who is born wanting to enter a brothel?" "Back then, my family was short on money and sold me into a brothel. I grew up being beaten and scolded. By luck, I met the Prince, entered the residence, and was registered as a commoner. I thought I finally had hope for this life." "Who would have thought that the Princess Consort, as the head of the household, never tormented me, and the other sisters all greeted me with smiles—only I had to run into that black-hearted poisonous woman!" "I came to the Prince pure and clean, and with that basin of filthy water she's thrown on me, I'll never be able to hold my head up for the rest of my life!" Thinking that she and her child could never escape the label of being lowly, Concubine Lian felt that life held no hope, and all she saw before her was darkness. She said in despair, "Is my lot in life only to suffer hardship, not even worthy of living like an ordinary person?" Wan Linlang frowned slightly and chided her in a low voice, "You mustn't think that way!" "She's just envious and jealous of you!" Concubine Lian was taken aback. Wan Linlang said softly, "Don't let Consort Jiang's words cloud your eyes." "If I'm to speak from the heart, never mind Consort Jiang—even I envy you." Concubine Lian smiled bitterly: "Why must you say such things to comfort me? How could I be worthy of comparing with you all?" No matter how lowly a female physician was, at least she hadn't been stained with a filthy reputation—she still counted as a proper woman. Wan Linlang had entered the residence because of her merit in treating the plague. Looking across the entire residence, Concubine Lian felt her status was the lowest, which was why she didn't dare say a single word when Consort Jiang bullied her. Wan Linlang: "I'm not comforting you." "Once you've entered the residence and become a concubine, we're all the same." "In the Prince's residence, when it comes to birth, who can compare with the Prince and Princess Consort? To establish yourself, first you rely on the Prince's favor, second on bearing children—birth is the least important thing!" "Is Consort Jiang of high birth? Yet she's harmed you terribly. Just wait until the Prince returns—she won't be allowed to be so smug anymore." "You don't know how much I, with neither favor nor a child, envy you." Concubine Lian, comforted by her words, felt much better. She gently took Wan Linlang's hand. "Sister Wan, you treat me with such sincerity, I will never forget it." "If you hadn't appeared in time today, my life and my child's life would both be in danger!" "Now I promise you this—the child in my belly will also be your child. If he grows up and dares not to honor you as his own mother, then I'll have given birth to him in vain!" "Those words are still far off." Wan Linlang seemed utterly unconcerned as she tucked Concubine Lian's hand back under the blanket and said softly, "For now, focus on resting and building up your strength. Just wait and see what becomes of Consort Jiang!" "She's done so many wicked things—retribution is bound to come!" Concubine Lian nodded with tears in her eyes, gazing at Wan Linlang with gratitude and admiration. "I'll listen to you, Sister. I'll take good care of my pregnancy." Everything unfolded exactly as Xie Run had predicted. During her previous House Arrest, Consort Jiang could still stir up some commotion from time to time, but this time she was utterly silent. Concubine Lu occasionally dropped by Xie Run's quarters, bringing news passed along by her former maidservant sisters to share with Xie Run. "I heard the Princess Consort has people guarding the door, not letting Consort Jiang set foot outside her room." "On the first day, Consort Jiang smashed all the porcelain in her room in a fit of rage and shouted for quite a while. The Princess Consort had it cleaned up and stopped sending anything else to Songya Court. Now she's living in an empty room!" "Last time she wrecked the main kitchen twice in a row, thoroughly offending everyone there. Now the kitchen staff are tampering with her food—I heard the meals sent to Songya Court these past two days have all been spoiled." Xie Run added: "The day before yesterday, on my way back from paying respects to the Princess Consort, I overheard someone muttering that quite a few rats and stray cats had appeared in Consort Jiang's room. She wanted someone to deal with them, but no one paid her any mind."