Chapter 295

Chapter 295 And the people in this prince's residence—Xie Run, Hua Yu, Consort Li... Fang Yuan'er's deadened heart suddenly began to beat again. She walked to the mourning hall, stared at the coffin belonging to Wan Linlang for a long time, and suddenly felt boundless fighting spirit surge within her. In the original plot, Fang Yuan'er and Wan Linlang had fought their entire lives, with Fang Yuan'er barely emerging victorious. Now she had also fought with Wan Linlang for so long, forcing Wan Linlang to use death-escape and leave the prince's residence—likewise proving herself the superior one. What did she have to fear? At worst, she would fight for a few more decades! The industries under Prince Jing's control were now all entangled with the Fang family. Even if Prince Jing became Emperor in the future, he would still have use for someone with her prophetic abilities! As long as Prince Jing had use for her, she would never be permanently out of favor—she would always have another chance. Fang Yuan'er earnestly offered a stick of incense to Wan Linlang and left brimming with determination. Concubine Lu said uneasily, "Sister Xie, has she been possessed by some evil spirit?" "When she came in, she looked utterly dejected, as if some demon had drained her vitality dry. But now she's like she's been injected with chicken blood, practically wanting to dig Wan Concubine back up from the ground..." Concubine Lu clicked her tongue in amazement. "Just how did Consort Fang and Concubine Wan end up with such a deep grudge between them?" Truthfully speaking, both Fang Yuan'er and Wan Linlang had decent temperaments. Neither was like Consort Jiang—arrogant, vicious, and stupid—nor like Consort Hua—foolishly chatty and always irritating. Yet for some unknown reason, they had been at odds from the moment they entered the residence, constantly trying to harm each other. Xie Run sighed. "They must have been enemies in a past life." Concubine Lu nodded with great seriousness. "This servant thinks so too." In recent days, Xie Run had asked her to help manage the household. With authority in her hands, there was more oil and fat in her belly, and she had gradually grown plumper. If not for the Emperor's grave illness making her afraid to gain weight too obviously—she had deliberately restrained herself—she might have become quite stout. As one grows plump, the heart grows broad, smiles increase, and popularity within the residence improves. She was always cheerful now, and even Xie Run was infected by her mood, feeling that life had become much lighter. Next came Consort Li, Concubine Fang, Consort Sun, and others to offer incense. Xie Run had stayed for half a day and was about to leave when she suddenly saw a figure dressed in white mourning clothes approaching. Xie Run froze in place, stunned. Who was this? She exchanged a glance with Concubine Lu, who also looked completely bewildered. Concubine Lu said, "Concubine Wan was an orphan with no children or relatives, so no one was obligated to wear mourning clothes for her. We only had her personal maidservants wear them for two days." Who was this person before them? Wearing mourning clothes and coming to Concubine Wan's mourning hall—could it be some blood relative of Concubine Wan's who had appeared out of nowhere to observe mourning for her? When the person drew closer and they recognized it was Consort Hua, Xie Run and Concubine Lu were even more confused. Xie Run spoke first: "Consort Hua, this attire of yours is...?" She looked Hua Yu up and down. Hua Yu had been covering half her face with a handkerchief the entire way, afraid of being seen clearly. This furtive behavior of hers only made her more conspicuous. Now that she had run into Xie Run and Concubine Lu, there was nowhere to hide. She blushed and lowered the handkerchief, grinding her teeth in resentment. "Why this concubine has come here—shouldn't Consort Xie know best?" Xie Run said calmly, "I truly don't know. Might Consort Hua explain in detail?" "After all, this attire of yours doesn't conform to the residence's rules, does it?" Though Xie Run claimed not to know, she had already guessed it was related to that night when Hua Yu had worn white clothes to seek favor. She suspected that Prince Jing, in a fit of anger, had said something then. Sure enough, Consort Hua stammered, "This concubine shares a deep sisterly bond with Concubine Wan, and has come specially to observe three days of mourning for her." Xie Run: "?" Concubine Lu: "?" Dantao leaned to the side and whispered in Xie Run's ear, "This servant vaguely heard that the Prince said some angry words that night, ordering Consort Hua to observe three days of mourning for Concubine Wan." After hearing this, Xie Run barely suppressed her laughter and said with a composed expression, "Since it's the Prince's command, Concubine Lu and I won't disturb Consort Hua." Hua Yu felt utterly humiliated but dared not say anything. Xie Run was currently favored. The Prince had been busy lately and had only visited her room. If Xie Run took this opportunity to speak ill of her, the Prince might become even angrier with her. Hua Yu stood to the side, observing mourning for Concubine Wan with a grievance she could not voice. After leaving the courtyard, Concubine Lu said in disbelief, "Consort Hua actually came to observe mourning for Concubine Wan? Back then, you know..." Back then, Hua Yu hadn't even been this proper when observing mourning for her own father. Xie Run mentioned what had happened that evening. "The Prince was probably furious beyond measure when he said those words—he may not have meant to be taken seriously." Concubine Lu couldn't help but laugh. "But who would dare not take the Prince's words seriously?" "If the Prince doesn't hold it against her, fine. But if he does, then a small mistake becomes a great one." "Consort Hua is devoted to the Prince, so naturally she wouldn't dare treat his words as wind passing her ears—that's why she came to Embroidery Moon Pavilion." Had anyone else said those words, Consort Hua would never have paid them any mind. Xie Run also found it amusing. "This Consort Hua... she always manages to do things that are both ridiculous and laughable." Fortunately, the few troublemakers in the residence had all settled down now; otherwise, someone like Hua Yu would be a perfect target. The Prince Jing's residence was temporarily stable, but the imperial court was rarely at peace. Previously, the morning court sessions had been filled with endless bickering over who should be made the Crown Princess. Now that the Emperor was gravely ill, there was no place for them to argue, and all eyes turned toward the palace. Prince Jing and Prince Wei entered the palace together to attend to the Emperor's illness, going three days and nights without rest, yet the Emperor's condition only worsened. Suddenly, a rumor spread through the capital from some unknown source, claiming that the Emperor had contracted the Seasonal Plague. There had indeed been an outbreak of the Seasonal Plague in the palace, originating in the residence of Lady of Beauty Zhou, whom the Emperor had recently favored. Fearing that discovery would cost her the Emperor's favor, Lady of Beauty Zhou had disposed of the afflicted and quietly concealed the matter. But who would have expected that when the Emperor visited her residence, he would be infected with the Seasonal Plague, and now his illness grew worse by the day. The rumor spread with such vivid detail that it seemed as though the speaker had personally witnessed it in the Emperor's palace. Xie Run had also received faint news from within the palace and knew that this was not mere rumor but the truth. She immediately grew more vigilant. In the original script, the Emperor had fallen gravely ill, but the Seasonal Plague had never been involved. Something that suddenly appeared out of nowhere must have a reason behind it. And with its connection to the Seasonal Plague, Xie Run could not help but think of Wan Linlang. This woman, born of a physician's family, had in her previous life risen to become Concubine Consort of Prince Jing by treating the Seasonal Plague, and later became Consort De. Xie Run thought for a moment, then arranged for people to go to Songya Courtyard to gather information. Upon hearing the words "Seasonal Plague," Fang Yuan'er also reacted with alarm. She had been listless these past days, her heart like dead ashes, with little interest in anything. But now she paced back and forth, a faint thrill of joy and a sharp sense of hatred leaping to and fro within her heart. Even she herself did not understand why she felt such intense emotions.