Chapter 278

Chapter 278 After not seeing him for a while, Prince Jing had grown somewhat darker, but the authority radiating from him was even heavier than before, and even his tone was especially stern. Xie Run had been on edge dealing with matters all night, and the moment she saw Prince Jing, her eyes suddenly stung with emotion. "Prince, you've finally returned..." If Prince Jing had come back at this hour, did it mean that everything at the imperial palace was resolved?! Xie Run forced a smile, though it was hardly a pretty sight; rather, the tears glistening in her eyes were what stirred pity. She wasn't someone who couldn't read the situation or who craved clinging affection. Drawing a deep breath, she said, "The Princess Consort's pregnancy cannot be brought to term. To save her life, we had to resort to other means, and she is currently undergoing treatment." Xie Run bowed to Prince Jing. "You entrusted me with managing the household, but in this period, one incident after another has befallen the residence. I have proven incompetent and beg for your punishment." Prince Jing took her hand and pulled her up. "First, tell me everything that has happened in the residence during this time. Once I understand the situation, I'll know how to mete out punishment." Xie Run recounted one by one: "Consort Jiang claimed she was bewitched by Concubine Wan, using a false pregnancy to deceive you, and later tried to frame me with a staged miscarriage. But an accident occurred—when she jumped from the rockery, she landed on Consort Sun and the Eldest Young Master." "Afterward, it was discovered that Consort Jiang was not falsely pregnant but truly with child. Unfortunately, the child could not be saved." "Consort Sun's face has been disfigured, and the Eldest Young Master..." Xie Run looked at Prince Jing's inscrutable expression and felt a flicker of fear. Prince Jing said in a flat tone, "What of the Eldest Young Master?" He also noticed Xie Run's unease and said more gently, "I am not a man who cannot distinguish right from wrong. Whatever it is, speak freely. If it has nothing to do with you, I will not blame you arbitrarily." Only then did Xie Run say, "The Eldest Young Master has suffered damage to his mind. He is like a simpleton now." Prince Jing's eyes suddenly shot out a sharp light, like two blades wrapped in frost and cold, immensely oppressive. Xie Run instinctively lowered her head. But inwardly she thought—men truly treat children and women completely differently. When he heard that Consort Sun's face was disfigured, Prince Jing didn't even furrow his brow. But when he heard that the Eldest Young Master had suffered brain damage, the aura emanating from him made it clear he was displeased to the extreme. Prince Jing said in a deep voice, "And then?" "How long have I been away from the residence? Every single person in this household is more capable than the last!" Xie Run kept her head lowered and said softly, "Consort Sun took people to Consort Jiang's courtyard in the middle of the night to hurl abuse, causing Consort Jiang to hemorrhage severely. Her body is now badly depleted, and she can only remain bedridden to recover." "Tonight, the imperial guards attempted to search the residence. The nanny caring for the Eldest Young Master in the front courtyard heard the commotion and tried to bring him to the inner courtyard to take shelter. But the night was dark and the path slippery—she fell at Wangyue Pavilion." "The residence physician is currently treating the nanny and the Eldest Young Master." Prince Jing had returned, but Fang Yuan'er and Wan Linlang, who had gone with him, were nowhere to be seen. Xie Run decided to address that as well. "Fang Yuan'er's maidservant Qiuxiang heard news of the imperial guards forcing their way into the residence. Presumably intending to take the Third Young Master to safety, she quietly slipped out through the east corner gate with him under cover of darkness." "I have already sent people to search for them, but there has been no news as of yet." With so many things happening in the residence, Xie Run, as the one managing affairs, could not escape responsibility no matter what. If Prince Jing wanted to rage and punish, Xie Run would have to accept it. Xie Run also assumed that, given Prince Jing's temperament, hearing all this upon returning to the residence would surely provoke thunderous fury. Even if he didn't punish her, he would still harbor some resentment toward her. But unexpectedly, Prince Jing remained very calm: "The people in this residence are far too restless. You've had a hard time." At this, Xie Run's eyes truly stung with tears, and she wanted to cry. "To earn those words from you, I shall have no regrets in this lifetime!" It truly wasn't that she was incompetent—it was that the people of Prince Jing's residence were too capable. Wan Linlang, as if throwing caution to the wind, had exploited Jiang Baobao's foolishness to set up this chain of schemes, stirring the entire residence into chaos. And on top of that, the Princess Consort happened to be having a difficult pregnancy, with both mother and child in danger. Even if Xie Run had three heads and six arms, she simply couldn't manage everything. With so many people present, Prince Jing couldn't make any overly affectionate gestures to comfort Xie Run. He only patted her hand to let her know he understood her hardship. Xie Run glanced at the armor Prince Jing was wearing and caught sight of numerous mottled bloodstains in her peripheral vision, as if he had just come off a battlefield. Xie Run thought to herself—were the bloodstains on Prince Jing from the imperial palace, or from Qiang Wu? If the latter, it was no great matter. If the former, then the heavens of the Great Yu dynasty were about to change. Just as she was thinking this, a physician in a bright red official robe walked out, his face pale and weak. If one looked closely, one could see his legs were trembling. Countless pairs of eyes fell upon him as Xie Run stepped forward two paces. "How is the Princess Consort?" The physician wiped his sweat with a handkerchief incessantly, seeming to struggle even to speak. "The Princess Consort... the Princess Consort..." The next second, Xie Jiang, neatly dressed, also lifted the curtain and came out, wiping her hands with a handkerchief as she said calmly, "The surgery was successful!" Nanny Li and the others' eyes burst with joy, and they stammered excitedly, "Our Princess Consort's life is saved?" "Heaven be praised! Heaven be praised!" The other maidservants also exclaimed with delight: "That's wonderful!" Xie Jiang, however, doused their enthusiasm with cold water: "Don't celebrate too soon." "The surgery wasn't the hard part—the recovery after it is." "If she survives tomorrow, only then can we say her life is saved." Xie Jiang had been the lead surgeon, and even after changing her clothes, a heavy smell of blood still clung to her. Combined with her cold demeanor, the others dared not approach or ask questions. Nanny Li said tearfully, "Then may we go in to see the Princess Consort?" "No!" Xie Jiang said. "She just had surgery and needs the cleanest environment possible. At most, only two of you may enter, and you must bathe and disinfect first—otherwise, you'll bring germs in." "Yes, yes, yes!" Nanny Li had lost all sense of direction. "I'll do as you say. I'll go bathe right away... disinfect." Though she didn't quite understand what "disinfect" meant, Nanny Li still led the others away. Xie Run took a cloak from Dantao and draped it over Xie Jiang's shoulders. "Elder Sister, the east wing has hot water and tea prepared. Go wash up and have something to eat first." The cold expression on Xie Jiang's face finally softened a few degrees. "Alright." "If anything happens here, notify me immediately." "Remember, aside from the two people I've arranged to go in, no one else is allowed inside!" She glanced at Prince Jing, who was still in full armor. "Especially him." "He's covered in bacteria. He must not go anywhere near her!" Xie Run quickly nodded. "I'll arrange everything exactly as you've instructed, Elder Sister!" Though Prince Jing had been dismissed by Xie Jiang, he wasn't angry in the least—instead, he obediently sat down in the main hall.