Chapter 263

Chapter 263 "Even if Wan Linlang is capable, there's no way she could have Dantao playing Jiang Baobao around completely, without even the two nannies noticing a single trace!" Dantao rubbed her eyes. "What is the mistress saying?" Xie Run said in a low voice, "There must be an informant planted by Wan Linlang beside Jiang Baobao." Dantao realized belatedly, "This servant will go ask Consort Jiang tomorrow how she was communicating with Concubine Wan." The next day, Dantao went to see Jiang Baobao early in the morning and brought news back to Xie Run. Dantao: "Mistress, Consort Jiang has spoken." "When she was in the small Buddhist hall, Concubine Wan herself would secretly deliver food in the middle of the night. She knows some martial arts, so climbing a wall was no trouble for her." "After leaving the small Buddhist hall, messages were always relayed through the maidservant Guiyuan." "Yesterday, Guiyuan wasn't by Consort Jiang's side. This servant has already sent someone to question her today." Xie Run washed her hands. "What did Guiyuan say?" Dantao: "What Guiyuan said was exactly the same as Consort Jiang, except that Concubine Wan had secretly slipped her some silver." "Wan Linlang gave her silver to do what?" Dantao: "That's what this servant finds strangest of all. Guiyuan said Wan Linlang didn't ask her to do anything at all—instead, she told her to help Consort Jiang more, so as not to give anything away." "Guiyuan thought this was Wan Linlang trying to curry favor with her for the future, so she accepted the money." A maidservant beside her handed over a handkerchief. Xie Run wiped her hands and said softly, "There must still be someone of Wan Linlang's beside Jiang Baobao." "Go ask Jiang Baobao... though I suspect nothing will come of it." Dantao understood immediately. "This servant will send people in two directions—one to ask Consort Jiang, and one to search the rooms." Xie Run gave her an appreciative look. "Go on then." Xie Run estimated that Chunjuan should have found something by now as well. She sat in her room having breakfast when Chunjuan returned. "Reporting to the mistress, the Eldest Young Master yielded nothing, but Nanny Mu beside him seems a bit off." Xie Run: "Off in what way?" "A few days ago, Nanny Mu returned to her natal home twice. Each time she came back, she would pass by Feihe Pavilion and linger there for over a quarter of an hour." Xie Run glanced at Chunjuan. "Was she the one who made the crack in the rockery?" Chunjuan pulled a box from his bosom and handed it to Xie Run. As soon as Xie Run opened it, she saw an arm-length serrated iron blade inside—a crude sort of saw. Chunjuan said quietly, "This servant found this in Nanny Mu's room." Xie Run: "Have you looked into Nanny Mu's background?" Chunjuan: "That's exactly what this servant finds puzzling." "Nanny Mu has a son and a daughter. She was only selected to enter the prince's residence as the Eldest Young Master's nanny after giving birth to her younger daughter." "Her son and daughter are currently being raised by her husband and mother-in-law." "Her husband doesn't drink, gamble, or frequent brothels. He does odd jobs from time to time and treats the children well. Her mother-in-law is also known far and wide as a good woman... This servant can't figure out why she would help Concubine Wan." Xie Run: "Wan Linlang is best at finding people's weaknesses and exploiting them. Nanny Mu must have some other leverage being held over her. Investigate further!" "Every single person around her must be thoroughly investigated!" Chunjuan: "Yes!" Xie Run was about to go see the Eldest Young Master when news arrived that Qingsong Court had summoned the imperial physician again. Even Dantao felt uneasy. "Could something be wrong with the Princess Consort's health?" Calling for the imperial physician every day for several days in a row was clearly a bad sign. Xie Run guessed that the reactions from the ectopic pregnancy were growing stronger by now. Both the imperial physician and the Princess Consort were torn over whether to keep the child. Thinking of Xie Jiang still rushing on the road, Xie Run sighed. "Let fate decide." When Xie Run went to visit Jiang Baobao, Dantao had just finished searching the courtyard with her people. Guiyuan was bound and kneeling on the ground. Dantao presented a dark red, paint-chipped bottle. Dantao: "Mistress, this was found in Guiyuan's room." "This servant noticed this bottle closely resembles the one Consort Jiang described as holding the fake pregnancy medicine. Zihu examined it, and there are indeed traces of the fake pregnancy drug remaining in the bottle." Jiang Baobao stared at Guiyuan in shock, then grabbed the medicine bowl from her bedside and hurled it at Guiyuan. "You ungrateful, betraying wretch!" "I treated you so well, and you joined hands with Wan Linlang to harm me!" Jiang Baobao had just miscarried and had little strength, so the medicine bowl only crashed to the floor in front of the bed. Still, her outburst startled quite a few people. Guiyuan was frightened into sobs. "This servant didn't! This servant truly never betrayed the mistress!" "That thing isn't this servant's at all!" "This servant doesn't know how it ended up in her courtyard!" Jiang Baobao's anger flared as she demanded, "If it was found in your room, whose else could it be?!" "You also took silver from Wan Linlang behind my back! Who knows if she bought you off to harm me?!" Jiang Baobao raged, "You were nothing but a menial servant girl back then—no courtyard would take you! I picked you up and promoted you all the way, and you dare to join hands with that bitch Wan Linlang to harm me?!" Jiang Baobao was so furious she could barely catch her breath. She tugged at Xie Run beside her and said, "This kind of ungrateful, backstabbing wretch deserves the harshest punishment! A severe beating is the only way to teach her a lesson!" "We absolutely cannot let her off lightly!" Xie Run sighed. "If Consort Jiang handles matters this way, I wonder how many innocent souls have been wronged at her hands." Jiang Baobao paid no heed to Xie Run's words. Her eyes glared fixedly at Guiyuan, as if she wished she could bore holes through her with her stare. Dantao frowned helplessly and said, "Consort Jiang, at least consider your own health. You've just had a miscarriage—you shouldn't get agitated. Otherwise, you'll only harm yourself, and it won't be worth it." Jiang Baobao's eyes widened. "This wretched servant has conspired with others to harm me, and you won't even let me be angry?"!" But just as she finished her outburst, her expression changed instantly. "Call the house physician! Go call the house physician right now!" Xie Run and Dantao were startled. "What's wrong?" Still, they hurriedly summoned the house physician. Vaguely, Xie Run caught a whiff of blood. After much commotion, the house physician wiped the sweat from his brow. "Mistress Jiang, a miscarriage takes a toll on the body. You must avoid anger at all costs." "You've already started bleeding. If you grow angry again, I fear it could turn into heavy hemorrhaging... and even if the imperial physicians from the palace were called, it would be too late to save you." As arrogant as Jiang Baobao was, her body told the truth. Furious to the point of bleeding, her face instantly turned pale beyond recognition. Hearing the physician's words, she no longer dared to be as brazen as before. Xie Run glanced at her, then instructed Dantao, "Take Guiyuan outside for questioning. I have some things I'd like to ask Consort Jiang." Dantao replied, "Yes." She then led Guiyuan and the other maidservants out. Xie Run sat down on a chair and spoke in a calm tone, "Consort Jiang, the one who betrayed you may not be Guiyuan." Jiang Baobao took a long while to compose herself before looking at her. "What do you mean by that?" "Wan Linlang is cautious in her dealings. She certainly wouldn't leave such an obvious loose end as Guiyuan." "She's already succeeded in feeding you the false pregnancy drug—why would she give the medicine bottle to Guiyuan?" "As for her bribing Guiyuan with money, that seems more like a diversion to redirect suspicion when today's events came to light." Jiang Baobao said impatiently, "Stop saying things I don't understand." Xie Run said bluntly, "Guiyuan didn't betray you. The one who betrayed you is someone else." "Do you have anyone in mind that you suspect?" Jiang Baobao fell silent instantly.