Chapter 233

Chapter 233 Although Xie Run was favored, she had always kept a low profile and rarely left her quarters. Wan Linlang had little contact with her and naturally didn't know her well. She could only judge her temperament through some of her actions. But Xie Run had done things that were out of line—one was running to the front courtyard study to court favor, and the other was going to the back courtyard to Songya Court to take revenge on Jiang Baobao, who was then still a Side Consort. Wan Linlang knew that this Consort Xie was definitely not as gentle and kind as she appeared to be. Suiyu asked softly, "Mistress, do you think Mistress Xie would be willing to cooperate with us?" Wan Linlang walked slowly, "I don't know." The last time she came to Chunshan Court to probe, she hadn't been able to figure out Xie Run's temperament either. Suiyu said in confusion, "Then Mistress... you still want to continue coming to Chunshan Court?" "Of course I'll come." Wan Linlang smiled. "Whether she's willing or not is her business; whether I come or not is mine." "I know what I'm doing." If Xie Run was willing to cooperate with her, that would naturally be best. If not, it wouldn't hinder Wan Linlang's plans. She wasn't stupid—it would be laughable to pin all her hopes on Xie Run alone. On the way, she encountered two maidservants who carefully bowed to Wan Linlang before hurrying away, as if they had seen something terrifying. Scenes like this were not uncommon along the way. Suiyu was furious inside. "Mistress, what are those people's looks about?!" Wan Linlang's expression remained calm as she chided in a low voice, "Suiyu, shut up!" Only after returning to Xiuyue Pavilion did Suiyu dare to feel wronged. "It's all because of those rumors in the mansion!" "You've protected Concubine Lian and her pregnancy with all your heart, enduring who knows how much hardship, shielding her from countless open attacks and hidden arrows—yet not a single person remembers your contributions. Instead, they all slander you, saying you're the one who harmed Concubine Lian... just because you want to raise Sixth Young Master?!" "But who else in this mansion is easy to get along with? If Concubine Lian dies in childbirth, Sixth Young Master will have to be raised by someone. Who is more suitable to raise him than you?!" "If you raise Sixth Young Master, it's good for him and good for Concubine Lian too!" Suiyu was full of heartache for her mistress. "Without any evidence, they force all the blame onto you. Is there any bullying in this world worse than this?!" "And it seems even the Prince has believed these rumors—he hasn't come to your courtyard in a long time." Wan Linlang said, "What's there to be angry about? Haven't you gotten used to it by now?" Ever since she came to the Prince's mansion, her reputation had never been good. Fang Yuan'er had suppressed and tormented her time and again, keeping Wan Linlang firmly pinned in the position of concubine, unable to turn things around. Now these rumors were likely being secretly fueled by Fang Yuan'er's people as well. As for Prince Jing not coming to her courtyard... Hah. Wan Linlang smiled bitterly. In this life, Prince Jing had hardly ever come to her courtyard. She had been foolish, blinded by the glory and favor of her previous life. Now that she had been cold-shouldered for nearly two years, she had finally seen through everything. They all said she wanted Concubine Lian's child, so she deliberately treated Concubine Lian well, planning to make her suffer a difficult labor when the time came, so she could take the child for herself. If she could use gentle means, why would she need to harm anyone? Anything done in this world leaves traces behind. If she had interfered with Concubine Lian's childbirth, whether she could raise Sixth Young Master was one thing—but if it were discovered, Prince Jing would definitely not spare her life! Childbirth was like walking through the gates of hell for a woman, and Concubine Lian's premature labor made it even more dangerous. Why would she do something so foolish at a time like this? Prince Jing wasn't blind either. In the past, whenever there were traces to be found in the back courtyard, the culprits never came to a good end. Fang Yuan'er had set up trap after trap to frame her. But after waiting over half a year, Prince Jing had never punished her. Clearly, he had found some evidence and already had his suspicions. Let Fang Yuan'er be smug for now. With several lives weighing on that tapioca powder incident, when it finally explodes, she'll die without even a place to be buried! Since the tapioca powder incident, Wan Linlang had become much wiser and would not act rashly. Concubine Lian's death did have a tiny bit to do with her. But the key wasn't what she did—it was what she didn't do! She was a female physician, highly sensitive to the scent of various medicines. She had long detected the lily fragrance on the clothes and bedding, but she had never warned anyone. The items in the delivery room had been prepared long in advance. No one would inspect them carefully until the day of labor. Knowing there was a problem, Wan Linlang still didn't urge Concubine Lian's maidservants to search inch by inch. Those maidservants, seeing they could slack off, were only too happy to do less work. Her disregard and indulgence gave the culprit an opportunity to take Concubine Lian's life. But what fault was hers?! She wasn't the one who wanted to harm anyone, and she had no obligation to keep reminding Concubine Lian of everything, nor to act as her nursemaid, watching over the maids and servants day in and day out! If she was at fault, then the Princess Consort, who managed the mansion poorly and allowed someone to exploit a loophole—wasn't she even more at fault? And the others in the mansion who knew of her supposed "evil intentions" yet merely watched from the sidelines without warning Concubine Lian—weren't they also at fault? On this matter, Wan Linlang was not the least bit convinced. But her indignation was useless. Concubine Lian's death, embellished by Fang Yuan'er and spread in secret, directly pinned the blame on her. Wan Linlang knew she couldn't argue her way out, so she simply maintained her composure. After all, her situation had already deteriorated to such a point that it couldn't get any worse... unless she ceased to be herself. The only silver lining was that Prince Jing was perceptive and hadn't laid the blame for this matter at her feet. But Prince Jing still refused to let Wan Linlang raise Sixth Young Master, and Wan Linlang had harbored resentment over that for a long time. For the moment, she had no better recourse. The mistress and maid chatted for a while before the pent-up frustration in their chests began to dissipate. Wan Linlang composed herself before asking about another matter. "I asked you to secretly send some food to Consort Jiang—did you have someone see to it?" Suiyu nodded hurriedly. "The old nun in the small Buddhist hall keeps a tight watch. Consort Jiang can only eat plain congee and simple dishes every day, and the rest of her time is spent shut in the hall copying sutras. When you quietly had me deliver food to her, she was delighted to eat it and said she would surely remember your kindness." Wan Linlang let out a light laugh, and within that laughter was a hint of contempt and mockery. "Remember kindness?" Wan Linlang said. "She looks down on everyone, never deigning to acknowledge us concubines. These words now are nothing more than idle pleasantries." "Now that she's shut in the small Buddhist hall and life is hard for her, she has to ask favors of others, so she says a few soft words. Once she's out of that hall, she'll likely treat our charity today as an insult. At best she'll keep her mouth shut about it—but I fear she'll try to bully us into silence instead." Suiyu opened her mouth. "That... surely not?" Wan Linlang sneered. "Jiang Baobao has always been exactly this way. I learned that lesson long ago." Back then, she had snatched the prescription for treating the plague, and a few pieces of silver were enough to send Wan Linlang away. If she dared to claim credit, what awaited her was surely a beating.