Chapter 340

Chapter 340 Hua Yu truly suspected that Wu Baolin had thieving intentions and was caught red-handed by Talented Lady Ye. But no matter how suspicious she was, she had no evidence and could only speak in veiled terms. Now that Consort Jing had exposed it outright, her face flushed slightly, and she felt somewhat ill at ease. Beside her, Wu Baolin was so angry her cheeks turned both green and red. She gritted her teeth and said, "It truly was a misunderstanding. My palace maid took the wrong item, and I have already punished her!" Consort Jing said slowly, "Palace maids have always followed their own mistress's orders. Without their mistress's command, how would a maid dare to act on her own initiative?" Wu Baolin held back a belly full of grievances, her chest heaving with anger. She suddenly clutched her stomach and cried out, "Empress, this concubine's stomach feels somewhat unwell." Consort Jing's expression shifted slightly. "This Ben Gong merely spoke a few words, and Wu Baolin already cries discomfort. Is this genuine discomfort, or is it feigned?" Concubine Yang said softly, "Consort Jing is becoming increasingly harsh these days. Wu Baolin still carries the Emperor's child in her womb, yet you are already so eager to shirk responsibility." "If Wu Baolin is feigning discomfort, then all is well. But if she is genuinely unwell and then suffers another round of your cold mockery, Consort Jing, even if the Emperor were to come, he could not help but hold you accountable." Back when Concubine Yang had entered the palace together with Noble Lady Xian, she had originally thought she would gain favor. Who would have expected that the Emperor would visit her palace only once and then forget her entirely? She now resided in the side hall of Yongning Palace and had endured no small amount of grievance at Consort Jing's hands. That was why she could not help but jump out now. Consort Jing shot her a glare and was about to rebuke Concubine Yang when the Empress cut her off with a single sentence. "Enough!" The Empress said, "Tinghe, summon the imperial physician at once. Have a strong-armed matron carry Wu Baolin to the side hall to rest." Only when they heard the Empress's words did everyone shift their gaze from watching Concubine Yang and Consort Jing argue to Wu Baolin. Only then did they notice that Wu Baolin's complexion was abnormally pale. At first, everyone had suspected Wu Baolin of feigning discomfort, and now they were secretly watching Consort Jing's drama unfold. Had she not grabbed Wu Baolin and lectured her at length, Wu Baolin would not have been angered into such a state. Xie Run sat quietly in Fengyi Palace, playing the role of an invisible person. Only after the imperial physician had finished examining Wu Baolin did Xie Run take the lead in going to check on her. "Is Wu Baolin's condition all right?" The imperial physician respectfully bowed to Xie Run. "Reporting to Niangniang, Wu Baolin's pregnancy has been disturbed. These days, she must rest in bed and avoid being provoked to anger as much as possible." Concubine Yang covered her mouth from the side, looking as if she were both worried and secretly laughing. "So she really was angered into having her pregnancy disturbed?" With her mouth covered, her eyes kept darting toward Consort Jing. The Empress lifted her gaze and swept it over the two of them, and they immediately held their breath, not daring to speak. It was Xie Run who spoke first: "I hope the imperial physician will take good care of Wu Baolin. We will not disturb her further." The imperial physician quickly said, "Of course, of course." Xie Run and the others returned to the main hall and waited for a moment before the Empress came out with her attendants. Her voice remained cold and indifferent: "Consort Jing, your words were harsh and cutting, with not the slightest regard for the Imperial Heir in Wu Baolin's womb. You have already committed the great taboo of jealousy." Hearing the Empress's rebuke, Consort Jing's expression changed. "This concubine would not dare!" "This concubine merely..." The Empress waved a hand. "You need not explain yourself to me. Whatever you were thinking, what you said was nothing but sharp and spiteful words, with no regard for the fact that you were still within Fengyi Palace." "Today, Wu Baolin's pregnancy was disturbed, and half the blame falls on you!" Consort Jing gritted her teeth but ultimately lowered her head obediently. "This concubine knows she was wrong." The Empress said, "Since you know you were wrong, you are fined three months' allowance. This allowance shall serve as compensation for Wu Baolin and the child in her womb. Additionally, you are to copy ten volumes of Buddhist scriptures for the child in Wu Baolin's womb." "Yes." Consort Jing remained somewhat unconvinced and could not help but murmur softly, "This concubine should not have mocked Wu Baolin, but for Wu Baolin to be angered into disturbing her pregnancy, it could not have been brought on by just a few words alone." "First, Wu Baolin herself is narrow-minded, unable to bear even two sentences. Second, Talented Lady Ye has had no shortage of conflicts with Wu Baolin. Who knows but that she has been tormenting Wu Baolin day after day, leaving behind hidden problems that were merely triggered by this concubine's words today." The Empress's tone carried no fluctuation: "Oh? Are you saying this to have this Ben Gong punish Talented Lady Ye and Wu Baolin together?" Consort Jing lowered her head. "This concubine would not dare. Handling the concubines of the harem is the Empress's prerogative; this concubine would not presume to interfere. It is only that Niangniang has always been fair in her judgments and would not wrong this concubine." There was a hint of amusement in the Empress's eyes. "What you say is not without merit." "It is only that Wu Baolin now carries a child. She may be at fault, but the Imperial Heir in her womb is not." "Punishing her alone is not difficult, but if punishing her ends up harming the Imperial Heir in her womb, would Consort Jing be willing to bear that responsibility?" Consort Jing's face stiffened, and she did not dare make a sound. The Empress continued, "As for the matter between Talented Lady Ye and Wu Baolin, this Ben Gong has heard something of it as well. Whether it is the matter of the mistaken item you discussed today, or the matter of the falling rocks during the rain some days ago, Talented Lady Ye was innocent in both. This Ben Gong cannot punish her without just cause." With the Empress's entire speech, she might as well have pointed her finger directly at Consort Jing's face. Everyone has their faults, but I won't punish anyone else—only you. Consort Jing had rarely suffered grievances since entering the Prince's household. Today's ordeal was too much for her; her eyes reddened and her chest tightened with suppressed anger. The Empress knew she was angry and resentful, but paid it no mind. She glanced at Xie Run and said, "The morning greetings are over. You should all return quickly. I'm afraid the Fifth Prince will have woken by now and will be making a fuss to see you." Xie Run replied with a gentle smile, "Thank you for your consideration, Your Highness. But you may not know—that boy isn't clingy with me. He eats, drinks, and sleeps without any trouble. His only weakness is play; he only makes a fuss when he wants to go out." The Empress's lips curved into a faint smile. "Being active is a good thing. It's precisely because the Fifth Prince moves around so much that he's grown so robust." She glanced at Ritualist Hui. "On this point, you should learn from Consort Zhaode. Don't keep the Third Princess cooped up all day—you're making her temperament too timid." Ritualist Hui bowed respectfully. "This concubine understands." After a few more exchanges, everyone returned to their respective palaces. No sooner had Xie Run arrived back at Zhaohua Palace than she saw a crowd of people standing at the entrance. When Chunjuan saw her, it was like witnessing a deity descend from heaven—equal parts helpless and distressed. "Your Ladyship, you've finally arrived." Before Xie Run had even stepped through the gates, she'd already guessed what was happening. "Is that boy making a fuss to go out again?" "With Your Ladyship away from the palace, the Fifth Prince opened his eyes and immediately demanded to go out and play. No matter how we servants tried to persuade him, he wouldn't listen." With Xie Run absent from Zhaohua Palace, how could anyone else dare let Taotao go out? Xie Run didn't need to think twice to figure it out. "Forget it. Dress him properly and take him out for a stroll. I don't want to watch him throw a tantrum either." As Taotao grew older, he cried less and less, but he became more rambunctious. He would tug at Xie Run and call her "Mother" endlessly, following her wherever she went, and had even learned to wheedle and coax without any teacher. Xie Run said, "Bring two extra attendants to surround him and keep people from getting close." Chunjuan wiped the sweat from her brow. "This servant understands. We'll follow the usual protocol." Dantao laughed as well. "The Fifth Prince is still so young, yet he's already worked Chunjuan and the others into a sweat. When he's older, I suspect we'll need even more playmates to keep up with him." Xie Run replied, "That boy has more energy than most. When the time comes to choose his study companions, we'll need to pick ones with plenty of stamina." After a few more exchanges, Xie Run returned to Zhaohua Palace, removed her makeup, and prepared to lie down on the noble consort's couch for a nap. This summer wasn't particularly hot, so the days passed pleasantly enough. At midday, she timed her meal precisely. Xie Run hadn't seen the Emperor for a few days, but her face still bore that gentle, warm smile. "Your Majesty has arrived. Why didn't you send word ahead? I would have had the imperial kitchen prepare some of your favorite dishes." She stepped forward to help the Emperor out of his outer robe. The Emperor spread his arms and stood there, watching her.