Chapter 257

Chapter 257 Fang Yuan'er was panicking. There was still a part of the dream she'd had tonight that she hadn't told Prince Jing about. In the latter half of the dream, she dreamed she was crushed beneath the rubble, covered in blood, crying out to Prince Jing for help. That was what had woken her in fright. She'd rushed to the front courtyard in such a hurry, which was why her complexion was so pale. It was precisely for this reason that Fang Yuan'er panicked when she saw Wan Linlang about to make a move. She was afraid of being schemed against by Wan Linlang, afraid of being trampled under Wan Linlang's feet, and even more afraid of being crushed beneath the rubble, bathed in blood, just like in her dream. Fang Yuan'er thought... she couldn't just sit around and wait for death. She had to do something to save herself! What Fang Yuan'er didn't know was that Wan Linlang had dreamed the exact same dream. In the dream, Wan Linlang was the one crushed underneath. She had her own calculations for following Prince Jing to Qiangwu. That dream at night, though it had given her quite a fright, had only strengthened her resolve. Either live, or die. She couldn't keep languishing in the prince's manor in this uncertain state any longer! Xie Run, far away in the Prince Jing Manor, had also dreamed. She dreamed that Qiangwu was struck by an earthquake, that residences and houses were all reduced to rubble, and all she could see were people wailing in grief—truly a scene of human misery. However, the latter half of her dream was different from Wan Linlang's and Fang Yuan'er's. She didn't dream of herself, but of Prince Jing. Prince Jing, clad in a dragon robe, slowly ascended from the high platform and finally sat in that seat above all others. The twelve tassels of the imperial crown above his head obscured his facial expression, making it impossible to tell whether he was pleased or angered. Just as Xie Run was puzzling over this, Prince Jing on the dragon throne beckoned to her with a vague wave of his hand. Xie Run found herself drawn in, climbing up step by step. But she'd only climbed two steps when the world spun around her, and she was suddenly jolted awake. She leaned against the bed, drenched in sweat, her breathing somewhat rapid. The memory of the dream in her mind was extremely clear. This dream... was it hinting at something? Qiangwu, an earthquake? Late at night as it was, Xie Run couldn't very well send someone out to gather information. Dantao noticed she was awake and instinctively asked, "Would Mistress like some water?" Xie Run was silent for a moment, then suddenly said, "Dantao, come sleep with me on the bed." "My heart is beating a little fast. I feel somewhat unsettled." Dantao acknowledged the request, rolling up her bedding and climbing over to the edge of the bed. "Should I light the lamp for Mistress?" Xie Run thought for a moment. "No need to light it." Dantao leaned against the headboard and asked gently, "Did Mistress have a nightmare?" Xie Run's sleep quality had always been good; she generally slept straight through until dawn. Xie Run leaned against the headboard, silent for a long time. Some things she could say to Dantao and the others, but some things she couldn't breathe a single word about. She pondered for a moment, then only said, "Yes, I dreamed of a lot of blood..." Dantao soothed her, "Mistress, dreams are the opposite of reality." "Seeing blood in a dream means Mistress will have good luck tomorrow. Who knows, it might be a stroke of good fortune right off the bat." Even though Xie Run knew Dantao was just trying to comfort her, she still felt much relieved hearing it. "Enough, let's sleep." "Tomorrow morning we still have to get up early to listen to those old women scheming and plotting." "After managing the household for a while, I feel like my brain has gotten sharper." When you spend all day watching others to make sure they don't make mistakes, how could you not get sharper? In the latter half of the night, Xie Run couldn't fall asleep, tossing and turning in bed, her heart racing rapidly. On the morning of the third day after the Qiangwu earthquake, the sound of horse hooves shattered the peace of the capital. "Report!" "Earthquake in Qiangwu!" An eight-hundred-li urgent dispatch galloped all the way to the imperial palace, dropping a bombshell at that day's morning court session. The ministers at court argued fiercely, but no one produced a decision for half the day. The Emperor was not a patient man. He punished a few who were muddling through, and also learned that Prince Jing had rushed to Qiangwu at the first possible moment. He clapped his hands in front of the court officials and exclaimed in admiration, "He is worthy of being my son!" All the court officials offered their congratulations, while Prince An below was drenched in sweat. What did the Emperor mean by saying that?! He had been reprimanded, deemed unworthy of being his son. And now, in front of everyone, he praised the sixth prince as worthy of being his son? Prince An lowered his head, barely concealing the resentment in his eyes. Imperial Father, are you not being a little too partial?! The Qiangwu earthquake was a major event for Qiangwu, but a minor matter for the Great Xia Dynasty. What drew the most attention wasn't how many people died in the Qiangwu earthquake, but the fact that Prince Jing had rushed to Qiangwu at the first possible moment and led troops in rescue efforts. If Prince Jing could produce an impressive achievement from this earthquake, it would influence the succession factions and thereby affect the future political landscape of the court. When the news reached the Prince Jing Manor, quite a few people were anxious. Xie Run, however, finally felt the stone that had been hanging over her heart settle. Her earlier anxiety had been because everything was unknown. Now that she knew about the Qiangwu earthquake, it was like a stone that had been suspended in the air had finally landed. Whatever great calamity lay ahead, she would just take it one step at a time. Another three days passed, and good news came from Qiangwu once more. Not only had Prince Jing rushed to Qiangwu at the first moment after the quake, he had also mobilized the garrison troops of Yun and Gan provinces to carry out timely rescue operations. The entire post-earthquake relief effort was handled extremely well, preventing tens of thousands of commoners from being displaced. The Emperor praised Prince Jing once again at the grand court assembly, even going so far as to say, "Of my eight sons, only this one resembles me." When Prince An's faction heard these words from the Emperor, they couldn't sleep all night. As court was dismissed, Prince An's entire face was dark and gloomy. Matters of state rarely reached Xie Run's ears anymore. She could only obtain the same scant information as the common folk outside. But even that little was enough to give her a sense of a storm brewing on the horizon. After much deliberation, Xie Run decided to speak with the Princess Consort. In the entire manor, only the Princess Consort could discuss such matters with her now. But just as she proposed visiting the Green Pine Courtyard, Dantao stopped her. "Mistress, there's something I haven't told you yet." "Early this morning, the Princess Consort's courtyard summoned the imperial physician again." During a normal pregnancy, the imperial physician would visit at scheduled times to check the pulse. So everyone subconsciously knew—if the imperial physician was summoned outside of those scheduled visits, something had gone wrong. Xie Run's heart grew heavy. Summoning the physician at dawn could only mean the Princess Consort was bleeding again. Xiaoshu entered from outside carrying a plate of pastries and added, "The Princess Consort has summoned the physician several times now. There are already rumors spreading through the manor that she won't be able to carry this pregnancy to term." Xie Run's expression darkened. "Send someone to investigate where these rumors originated!" "Once found, punish them severely!" Xiaoshu was somewhat taken aback but nodded. "I'll go at once." Dantao said softly, "The Green Pine Courtyard has put out word that the Princess Consort's repeated calls for the physician are merely due to disharmony between mother and child, and that proper rest will resolve it." "But with the Prince away from the manor, people's hearts are unsettled, and reckless talk is bound to arise." Disharmony between mother and child—that was the same excuse used back when Xie Run and Fang Yuan'er were pregnant. Fang Yuan'er's reaction back then had been far more violent; she'd nearly lost half her life. Xie Run lowered her gaze, her expression indifferent. "If it's reckless talk, then it must be strictly controlled." "At times like this, the manor cannot afford chaos!" "Convey this message to Consort Sun as well." Xie Run said, "She comes from a distinguished family; surely she understands this much."