Chapter 44

Chapter 44 Prince Jing had been rather irritated with Xie Run before because of her lack of initiative, always feeling that Xie Run was ungrateful. But the moment he returned to the residence and heard that she had been poisoned, cold sweat broke out down his back. He felt deeply remorseful and regretful in his heart. Lady Ning had dared to poison Xie Run precisely because she thought Xie Run had fallen out of favor! This was always her way. Prince Jing realized that his momentary pique had nearly cost Xie Run and the child their lives, and he was filled with guilt. Not only did he go to Linxuan Pavilion, but he also made a grand show of bestowing lavish gifts upon Xie Run. A chest of jewelry and ornaments, eighteen bolts of Xiangyun silk, two bolts of Shu brocade, along with countless gold and silver. This stirred up quite a bit of envy among many in the rear courtyard. "Whoever did it must be an utter fool. They failed to harm her, and instead made Concubine Xie favored once more." "Who can blame her luck? She'd already fallen out of favor, yet this incident brought her back into the Prince's good graces." "Luck? If you're so lucky, go get yourself poisoned too—maybe the Prince will favor you as well?" Xie Run's affair gave rise to no small amount of gossip and amusement in the rear courtyard. However, Xie Run knew nothing of this. When Prince Jing arrived, she was resting, leaning against the daybed. Her dark hair hung low, unadorned by any hairpins, which only accentuated the clear, exquisite beauty of her features—like a plum blossom blooming quietly in a cold, moonlit night. Having not seen her for several days, Prince Jing felt a faint ache in his heart the moment he laid eyes on her, his gaze filled with tenderness and pity. "The Prince is here!" Dantao, sharp-eyed, was the first to notice him. Xie Run startled awake, lifting her eyes to gaze at Prince Jing with a half-awake, half-asleep look, her voice soft and drowsy. "Prince?" Before she could even see him clearly, Prince Jing had already seated himself beside her. His strong, warm palm settled on her cheek. "How are you? Is your body feeling unwell?" When Prince Jing spoke, his voice was low and gentle, sending a tremor through the listener's heart. Xie Run shook her head. "This concubine is fine. The imperial physician said the residual poison in my body is mild, and as long as I rest and care for myself properly, there should be no major concern." Prince Jing reached out and drew her into his embrace. "Don't worry, I will seek justice on your behalf." Xie Run lifted her eyes and paused for a moment. "Does the Prince know who tried to harm this concubine?" Prince Jing didn't tell her directly, only saying, "Linxuan Pavilion is no longer suitable for you to stay in after this incident. Move to Chunshan Court." Xie Run nodded. "This concubine will do as the Prince says." "I've sent people to help you move." Xie Run was taken aback, thinking to herself—this... is a bit too conspicuous, isn't it? Before she could voice her thoughts, Prince Jing's gaze sharpened. "What, you don't want to?" Xie Run swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue. "This concubine only wishes to ask one thing of the Prince." Prince Jing was at his most tender and protective toward Xie Run at this moment, and was in an exceptionally good mood. "Speak." "This concubine would like to request that the Prince bestow upon me a female physician skilled in medicine. After this ordeal, this concubine is truly frightened." Her clear, light voice carried a hint of pitiful fear, and Prince Jing's heart softened completely. "That's a small matter. I'll have Shi'an select someone for you." Xie Run happily threw herself into Prince Jing's arms. In the past, she had always been reserved and restrained, rarely expressing herself so openly. Prince Jing was pleased as well, though he also worried that she had been genuinely frightened. Their ordinarily calm and gentle affection, touched by this hint of alarm, had somehow drawn them closer together in ways unseen. As they nestled close, Prince Jing heard Xie Run's soft, water-like murmur. "Prince, this concubine has missed you terribly these past days." Prince Jing curved his lips and pretended to be stern. "Then will you still come up with your wild schemes next time?" "No more!" Xie Run hugged his arm tightly, quickly coaxing him with a playful tone. With her gentle words beside him, Prince Jing felt as though his heart were soaking in warm water—comfortable and content. A man falls for a woman, often beginning with pity and a softening heart. —Xiachi Court After the imperial physician left, Xiachi Court fell into a deathly silence. The maidservants came and went without a sound, afraid that the slightest noise would provoke the ill-tempered Consort Fang. Suddenly, a series of violent, harsh vomiting sounds erupted. After a long while, Qiuxiang finally spoke up. "Mistress, if you keep vomiting like this, your body simply cannot endure it!" Her eyes brimmed with tears, and she pleaded like a cuckoo crying blood. "Mistress, you must make a decision soon!" Ever since Fang Yuan'er had vomited blood three days ago, her condition had worsened by the day. She couldn't eat anything, yet she kept vomiting, until even her bile was tinged with blood. The imperial physician had gently advised that the child might not be able to be kept. When mother and child were at such odds, only one could be saved. Upon hearing this, Fang Yuan'er flew into a rage, insisting that she would keep the child no matter what. By the third day, Fang Yuan'er had withered away to skin and bones, as though she had suffered a grave illness, with no vitality left in her face. Qiuxiang's heart trembled at the sight! Fang Yuan'er's complexion was sallow and listless, but her eyes held a fierce glint. "No. There's nothing wrong with my body—someone must be trying to harm me!" In the original book, Fang Yuan'er's pregnancy had been perfectly smooth. After ten months, she gave birth to a boy. He would become the Second Prince after Prince Jing ascended the throne! In the book, Fang Yuan'er's pregnancy had been stable and uneventful—why had it become so difficult in her case? The body was still this body, so it could only mean someone was sabotaging her! Qiuxiang looked at her helplessly. "Mistress, Xiachi Court has already been searched several times over, and nothing unusual has been found." Fang Yuan'er's voice was hoarse from vomiting, yet she said with absolute certainty, "That means it wasn't found! Keep searching!" Qiuxiang: "..." Qiuxiang had no idea how her mistress could be so certain that someone had harmed her. Clearly, several imperial physicians had taken her pulse and all said her symptoms were pregnancy vomiting caused by discord between mother and child. But her mistress simply refused to believe the physicians' diagnoses. She sighed and was about to continue sending people to search. Suddenly a young maid ran in, "Concubine Consort, something terrible has happened!" Qiuxiang glanced at her and asked gently, "What happened?" The young maid said, "Concubine Xie of Linxuan Pavilion has been poisoned by someone." Qiuxiang and Fang Yuan'er exchanged a look. Qiuxiang asked, "I heard that Concubine Xie was merely drowsy, which is a common symptom for pregnant women. How was she harmed?" The Princess Consort held the evidence in her hands, and with Prince Jing's approval, had specially sent people to interrogate everyone around Concubine Ning. Naturally, such news could not be kept from the women of the inner quarters. The young maid was articulate and quickly explained everything. "Concubine Ning bribed Granny Ma of Linxuan Pavilion, having her dissolve poison powder into water and water the flowers with it every day." "That poison was peculiar—it didn't affect the growth of the plants, but gave off a strange fragrance. Anyone who inhaled it would develop drowsiness." "According to the imperial physicians, if one were exposed to it for too long, it could affect the mind, causing madness, and even the fetus in the womb would not escape disaster!" The maid speaking found it merely a curious tale to tell. But Fang Yuan'er and Qiuxiang, who were listening, broke out in cold sweat down their backs. Even though a charcoal brazier was burning in the room, they felt as though they were standing in a frozen wilderness, with chill seeping into their very bones. Qiuxiang shivered: "Mistress..." Fang Yuan'er was dazed, but suddenly recalled something from the book. In the original book, Fang Yuan'er's pregnancy with the Second Prince had been smooth throughout. The one whose pregnancy was unstable was Consort Yun! It was Consort Yun who had miscarried that child.