Chapter 242

Chapter 242 Dantao paused and asked softly, "Is the mistress suspecting that Consort Jiang might be faking her pregnancy?" Xie Run was taken aback. "I hadn't thought that deeply. I just felt something was off in my heart. Why... Dantao, have you noticed something?" Xie Run continued, "From what I know of Jiang Baobao, if she really were pregnant, she wouldn't be making such a fuss." After all, Jiang Baobao was still timid at heart. Back when she first entered the residence and dared to act so arrogantly, it was firstly because she was the only Side Consort in the residence at the time—second only to the Princess Consort in status. Secondly, she had rendered meritorious service in disaster relief for Prince Jing and was personally betrothed to him by the Emperor. Ever since Xie Run had put her in her place, Jiang Baobao had been obediently holed up in her own courtyard... bullying the other lowly concubines. Dantao said softly, "This servant has also seen several concubines and Concubine Consorts in the residence who were with child. In the first three months of pregnancy, they would desperately keep the news under wraps, terrified that others might find out." "If Consort Jiang were someone who loved attention, it would be normal for her to make a huge fuss the moment she got pregnant so the whole residence knew about it." "But other pregnant women all moved about with extreme caution—daring not to eat or drink carelessly, nor sit or lie down without thought... This servant observes that Consort Jiang seems to have no such concerns at all." No matter how carefree a person was, wouldn't they still be at least a little nervous in the early stages of pregnancy? When they had entered the courtyard earlier, Jiang Baobao was lying sideways on the couch in a completely unrestrained posture—she truly didn't look like someone carrying a child in her belly. Xie Run was silent for a long while before saying, "She wouldn't be bold enough to fake a pregnancy to deceive people, would she?" The residence had already seen the incident of Concubine Han faking her pregnancy. As for Wan Linlang's pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage, although there was no clear evidence, everyone had vaguely guessed it was faked as well. If another such incident occurred... that would truly be most interesting. Xie Run suddenly realized something. "No! Jiang Baobao may be arrogant, but she wouldn't think of faking a pregnancy on her own." If she had, someone must be secretly guiding her. Xie Run's first thought went to Wan Linlang. The medicines for faking pregnancy were hard to come by, and planning such an elaborate scheme to deceive everyone required connections and brains. These were things Jiang Baobao didn't possess. Concubine Han from before was already gone, and the only person in the residence connected to faking pregnancy was Wan Linlang. If Jiang Baobao was pulling this same trick, then she could only have been instigated by Wan Linlang. Xie Run calmed her emotions. "We don't have a shred of evidence right now. We can't make baseless accusations about whether Jiang Baobao is faking her pregnancy." Jiang Baobao acted too willfully on a daily basis, with no regard for rules at all. Now that something had actually happened, it was all the harder to guess. Xiaoshu offered a suggestion: "Mistress, why not entrust this task to the two matrons?" "They follow Consort Jiang around every day, and they're experienced and senior. If Consort Jiang is acting suspiciously, they'll surely notice it at the first opportunity." Xie Run nodded. "I just hope we're wrong." Xiaoshu asked in confusion, "Mistress, why is that? If Consort Jiang really is faking her pregnancy, she'll be punished and will surely settle down." Xie Run glanced at her. "If Jiang Baobao really is faking her pregnancy, she definitely won't let the two matrons stay by her side for long. She'll stir up trouble." "Moreover, if it's a fake pregnancy, she'll be exposed sooner or later. Under normal circumstances, she'd have to find someone to take the blame, and that's when things will truly become chaotic." "Most importantly!" Xie Run's eyes were heavy with distress. "Now that I and Consort Sun manage the affairs of the residence, no matter what happens... I and Consort Sun will have to deal with it!" Just thinking about it made Xie Run's vision go dark. When that disaster Jiang Baobao did something stupid, no matter what trouble she stirred up, Xie Run would inevitably suffer for it. Xiaoshu and Dantao also fell into silence. Before they could find any leads on Jiang Baobao, just two days later, Consort Hua came knocking to air her grievances. Last time she had sent someone to apologize at the door, only to be rebuffed by Consort Sun. This time, she bypassed Consort Sun and came to Spring Mountain Courtyard to seek justice from Xie Run. Early in the morning, Hua Yu sat in Xie Run's courtyard, sobbing and complaining. "Sister has served the Prince for so long and should know his temperament well." "If the Prince wanted to stay at Autumn Maple Courtyard on the day Consort Sun entered the residence, how could I possibly have driven him out?" "That day, the Prince and I both drank a bit too much... It's not like I schemed or did anything shameful!" As Hua Yu spoke, her face began to flush, and her voice dropped considerably. "It was an accident to begin with—no one could really be blamed." "But the maidservants and matrons in this residence have grown far too bold. They see that the Princess Consort no longer manages affairs, so they gossip freely everywhere." Consort Hua, reaching the height of her sorrow, wiped her tears with a handkerchief. "Sister Xie manages the household now, so you should discipline these maidservants and matrons strictly. Otherwise, with their loose tongues, how much gossip will they add to this residence? If word spreads outside, it will invite criticism and ruin the Prince's and the residence's reputation." Xie Run had been forced to get up early and sit in the courtyard listening to Hua Yu's tearful complaints. Her drowsiness lingered, and she couldn't help but yawn. Only when Hua Yu finally stopped talking did Xie Run speak in a gentle, soft tone: "Sister Hua, you've said so much, but I'm afraid I'm still in the dark about what you're getting at." "Who is gossiping? What exactly are they saying? And who said something that reached Sister Hua's ears?" After all that talk, jumping from one topic to another, there was still no point in sight. Xie Run couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy when she thought that this was once the Princess Consort's daily routine. But for now, she needed to sympathize with herself first. Hua Yu paused, staring at Xie Run with tearful eyes, her cheeks flushed, unable to utter a single word for a long time. "It's... it's about people gossiping about this concubine's service to the Prince." Xie Run was growing a bit impatient: "...Sister Hua, if you want me to seek justice on your behalf, at least you should tell me the whole story, right?" What was there to gossip about regarding serving Prince Jing? A load of nonsense, yet she refused to get to the point. Anyone listening would think Hua Yu had come to her courtyard this morning just to show off. "I can't just take your word alone. If you're too embarrassed to say it, I'll have someone find the maids involved in this matter and confront them face to face. At the very least, we should clarify things first..." "No!" Consort Hua hadn't expected Xie Run to say that. Having her argue with a maid about her service to Prince Jing would be utterly humiliating. It was her attendant Zhiqiu who couldn't hold back and stepped forward to speak on Hua Yu's behalf: "Reporting to Consort Xie, rumors have been flying around the residence lately, all discussing my mistress's service to the Prince during the mourning period, with very disrespectful words." "The maids, young and old, have no restraint, and some gossiping old women are spreading it everywhere... My mistress has thin skin, and after hearing it, she was so upset she cried for two days."