Chapter 218

Chapter 218 After seeing the Princess Consort drink her medicine, Xie Run prepared to leave the Green Pine Courtyard. Unexpectedly, the moment she stepped out, she ran into Suiyu, one of Wan Linlang's maids, who came rushing over in a panic. Grabbing the old woman guarding the gate, she said, "The Sixth Young Master is unwell. Please, quickly report to the Princess Consort and send for an imperial physician from the palace!" The gatekeeper knew this was a serious matter and dared not delay. Xie Run watched from the side, then said, "If I recall correctly, today is the day Imperial Physician Chen comes to take Side Consort Fang's routine pulse." "Side Consort Fang is at Cloud Emerald Pavilion—surely there's no need to come all the way to Green Pine Courtyard to request a physician?" Suiyu hadn't expected to run into Xie Run at the entrance to Green Pine Courtyard, nor had she expected Consort Xie to know about Side Consort Fang's routine pulse appointment. Her mistress didn't trust Side Consort Fang, which was why the moment the Sixth Young Master fell ill, she sent Suiyu straight to Green Pine Courtyard. To this point, Side Consort Fang still didn't know. Naturally, she also didn't know that Imperial Physician Chen was supposed to take her routine pulse today and was currently at Songya Courtyard. Suiyu inwardly cursed that things had taken a bad turn. She stammered, "This... this servant doesn't know either." Xie Run's face darkened. "Could it be that Concubine Wan didn't inform Side Consort Fang that the Sixth Young Master is ill?!" Suiyu instinctively retorted, "Of course not!" "Then Side Consort Fang knows the Sixth Young Master is unwell, yet still refuses to let the physician treat him?!" "That's not it either!" How could Suiyu dare to admit to such a thing? This matter wouldn't hold up under confrontation. If the blame were shifted onto Side Consort Fang, she would likely tear both Suiyu and her mistress apart. Xie Run furrowed her brows. Since the Sixth Young Master's crisis had been brought to her attention, she couldn't pretend she knew nothing and simply look the other way. By the time the maids went through the proper procedure of reporting to the Princess Consort, who knew whether the Sixth Young Master could hold on that long. Xie Run immediately called over a young maid nearby and slipped a bracelet from her wrist. "Take this bracelet and find the fastest runner in your courtyard. Have her run to Songya Courtyard at once and bring Imperial Physician Chen to Cloud Emerald Pavilion to treat the Sixth Young Master." "This is a matter of life and death for the Prince's son! If anyone dares to question it, show them my bracelet!" The young maid understood the gravity of the situation and replied, "This servant will go at once!" With that, she turned and sprinted off. Xie Run had no choice but to turn back and re-enter Green Pine Courtyard to explain the situation clearly to the Princess Consort. As for the Sixth Young Master's sudden illness, Xie Run couldn't tell whether someone had orchestrated it or it was merely an accident. But Wan Linlang bypassing Fang Yuan'er to come to Green Pine Courtyard to request a physician—that was surely deliberate. Wan Linlang was probably afraid Fang Yuan'er would obstruct her efforts to raise the Sixth Young Master, so the moment he fell ill, she circumvented Fang Yuan'er and quietly sent her maid to Green Pine Courtyard to seek help. What she didn't know was that Fang Yuan'er had a physician on hand. Had she informed Fang Yuan'er in advance, the Sixth Young Master could have received treatment from the physician immediately. Wan Linlang's wariness wasn't wrong—but her mistake lay in her selfishness, which delayed the Sixth Young Master from receiving timely medical care. Now that this had come to light, Wan Linlang's hopes of raising the Sixth Young Master would likely not be so easily realized. When the Princess Consort received the news, her reaction was the same as Xie Run's. However, she had a fiercer temper than Xie Run. She immediately hurled her bowl to the ground and said with a dark face, "Don't think I don't know what your mistress is scheming!" "No matter how great her selfish desires, she cannot gamble with the safety of the Prince's offspring!" "If the Sixth Young Master's treatment is delayed because of her, your life and your mistress's life won't be enough to pay for it!" Suiyu was so frightened she begged for mercy repeatedly. The Princess Consort then said to Xie Run, "Fortunately, you reacted quickly! And handled things well!" "When the Prince returns, I will report this matter to him and properly reward you!" Xie Run gave a bitter smile. "This concubine needs no reward—I only pray the Sixth Young Master is unharmed." The Princess Consort said angrily, "Concubine Wan has gone too far!" Just as she finished speaking, the Princess Consort suddenly clutched her chest, looking as though she might vomit. Xie Run tactfully said, "Taotao is still in the front courtyard, and this concubine worries about him. I won't disturb the Princess Consort any longer." The Princess Consort waved her hand. "You may go." After leaving Green Pine Courtyard, Dantao said with a racing heart, "The Princess Consort just now... could she be with child?" Xie Run shot her a look, her gaze carrying a hint of coldness. "Do not speak nonsense." "Yes." Dantao immediately understood. Xie Run let out a deep sigh. She had thought the prince's household was chaotic enough before. Only today did she realize that the true chaos hadn't even begun. Returning to her own courtyard, she took a sip of tea to steady her emotions, then calmed her mind to think carefully. She had run into Qiuxiang, sent by Fang Yuan'er, at Green Pine Courtyard today. It seemed Fang Yuan'er had also sensed something but wasn't certain, so she'd specifically sent Qiuxiang to probe for information. Now Xie Run could be completely certain—the Princess Consort was pregnant. And this was not good news. It wasn't good news because Xie Run feared the Princess Consort would give birth to a legitimate son and strip Taotao of his inheritance rights. Rather, she feared the Princess Consort would die along with her child from this pregnancy! The prince's household was already unstable. If the Princess Consort were to die, leaving a pack of demons and monsters to run amok, Xie Run had no confidence she could protect herself and Taotao. If Prince Jing remarried, the new Princess Consort's character would be an unknown. Then Xie Run would have to gamble on the new Princess Consort's temperament to survive the rest of her life—the very thought was unbearable. In the original storyline, the Princess Consort became pregnant at exactly this time. Her pregnancy was particularly difficult from the start—plagued by various discomforts in the early stages, with signs of a threatened miscarriage. She began taking measures to protect the pregnancy at three months, but at five months, she suddenly suffered a massive hemorrhage, resulting in the death of both mother and child. Tragically, this happened shortly after Prince Jing was appointed Crown Prince. At the time, it caused considerable upheaval both within the court and beyond. Although the circumstances in this life are vastly different from the previous one, the Princess Consort has still become pregnant right on schedule. Fang Yuan'er and Wan Linlang are probably both uncertain at this moment whether the Princess Consort's pregnancy will unfold the same way as it did in the previous life. But Xie Run knows that if the Princess Consort does not rid herself of the child early on, the final outcome can only be the death of both mother and child!