Chapter 57

Chapter 57 "Thank you for your hard work, Miss Tinghe." Xie Run shot Dantao a meaningful glance and said with a beaming smile, "It's cold out these days—please have a cup of tea before you go." "I do crave the tea here at Concubine Xie's place. But the Princess Consort has her hands full..." Tinghe paused, lowering her voice a little. "Mistress Ning's funeral can't be held lavishly, but what needs to be prepared still must be." Xie Run: "In the dead of winter, it must be quite taxing for the Princess Consort." Dantao personally escorted Tinghe out and slipped her a pouch of money. Back in her room, Xie Run kept only Dantao and Xiaoshu with her. When she opened the envelope and read the letter, her expression visibly stiffened with surprise. Xiaoshu, curious by nature, quickly asked, "Mistress, what did Eldest Young Miss write that has you so astonished?" Xie Run only felt a headache coming on. She handed the letter paper to the two of them. "Take a look yourselves." After Dantao and Xiaoshu read it, they exchanged glances, momentarily at a loss for words. Xie Jiang's letter said that two days prior, someone had come to her seeking a mild labor-inducing prescription. Xie Jiang had sold the prescription at a high price and made a tidy sum. But yesterday, she happened to learn that the prescription had been purchased by a concubine surnamed Fang from Prince Jing's estate. Thinking of Xie Run, who was also in Prince Jing's household and now five and a half months pregnant, she worried someone might be plotting against her, so she wrote this letter. It was Dantao who spoke first. "Concubine Fang buying a labor-inducing prescription... surely she wouldn't use it on herself?" Xiaoshu gave a light snort. "A labor-inducing drug—the imperial physicians would catch it with a single examination. She wouldn't dare use it on our mistress or Mistress An, would she?" But in her heart, Xiaoshu was still afraid. At five or six months along, one dose of labor-inducing medicine would make it hard for both mother and child to survive. Xie Run pondered for a long while before saying, "What if she really is using it on herself?" "Of the three pregnant women in this household, she's the furthest along in her term. If she gives birth to a boy first..." Xiaoshu was quick-witted and fast-talking, and she replied with a puzzled expression, "Even if she gives birth to a boy, he'd only be the Second Young Master." "Not the legitimate son, not the eldest, not the youngest—and a premature birth would surely leave the child frail. It would likely only earn the Prince's disdain." "If she induces labor on herself, and something goes wrong, it could mean death for both mother and child. What would she stand to gain?" There were some things Xiaoshu left unsaid. There was only one position of Heir Apparent. Even if the Princess Consort couldn't bear a son, and the Eldest Young Master was out of favor, the Prince was still young! Prince Jing would only have more children in the future, never fewer. The chances of the Prince choosing a sickly Second Young Master as Heir Apparent were far too slim. Dantao chimed in as well. "Concubine Fang's pregnancy has been very unstable." "When she moved to Xiachi Courtyard, she had a scare that threatened the pregnancy. At three months, she was poisoned, which damaged much of her vital energy. She's only just recovered some of it now. If she induces labor again... there's no guarantee she'll deliver safely." "It's really not worth it!" Xie Run lowered her eyes, concealing the thoughts churning behind them. She thought to herself—if it were merely the Second Young Master, it wouldn't be worth it. But what if it were the Second Prince? In Dantao and Xiaoshu's analysis, there was no speculation about Prince Jing ascending the throne as Emperor. But if one day Prince Jing were to take the throne, the Second Young Master would become the Second Prince. The First Prince's birth mother was of low status and the Prince didn't favor him. If some means were used to prevent him from growing to adulthood, then the Second Prince would effectively be the eldest son. And the first choice for Crown Prince. Only with proper standing could one claim legitimacy. That was what Fang Yuan'er was scheming for! Moreover, Xie Run knew that in the original book's plot, Fang Yuan'er did give birth to the Second Prince—the Emperor's true eldest son. With the Second Prince in her grasp, she could defeat her formidable rival, Consort De! Court officials wouldn't care which concubine-born son the Prince named as Heir Apparent, but they would absolutely care which son the Emperor named as Crown Prince! Xie Run suddenly smiled—a smile laden with meaning. In the original book, Fang Yuan'er had used a labor-inducing drug when giving birth to the Second Prince. Now, with a different soul inhabiting her body, Fang Yuan'er was still preparing to use a labor-inducing drug to deliver the Second Prince. Those tangled, disordered plotlines seemed to be quietly curving back into place. Except that in the original book, Fang Yuan'er had never been poisoned, so the induced labor went relatively smoothly. Now, with her vital energy depleted from the poisoning, she still wanted to attempt induced labor... She truly was gambling her life for her future. Xie Run gazed at the finely burning silver charcoal, yet her heart felt wrapped in frost. Her voice was faint and soft. "Even if she's going to induce labor, she should at least wait until she's seven months along." "We'll see in three months." Dantao and Xiaoshu didn't know what to say. The previously lively atmosphere grew heavy, weighed down by Xie Run's inexplicably low spirits. Unlike the quiet of Chunshan Courtyard, Qingzhu Courtyard was unusually lively today. Concubine Li was proud and aloof by nature—she would never have imagined that anyone in this world could be so shameless. She had clearly thrown Concubine Lu out yesterday, yet who would have thought she'd come back again today? Concubine Lu carried pastries and tea leaves in her hands, smiling brightly. "Yesterday was my fault—I shouldn't have spoken carelessly and angered you, Sister." "So today I've specially brought fine tea and pastries, hoping only that Sister Li will forgive me." Concubine Lu had a round face, and when she smiled, her eyes curved like crescents, making her look utterly adorable and instantly approachable. There was a natural coaxing, playful quality to her voice as she clung to Concubine Li's side. "If Sister won't accept these, you must be saying my tea and pastries aren't good enough." Concubine Li was just about to grit her teeth and accept— Just then, Concubine Lu said, "Then I'll go back and search for a better one, and bring it to you tomorrow, sister." Concubine Li felt a mouthful of blood stuck in her throat, unable to rise or fall. It was her maidservant Feishuang who stepped forward and rescued her from the situation. "Concubine Lu knows my mistress best—she's always been tough on the outside but soft on the inside." "What happened yesterday was purely a misunderstanding. The moment you left, my mistress regretted being so rude." Feishuang's tug reminded Concubine Li that she couldn't completely sever ties with Concubine Lu. Otherwise, with the excuse of apologizing, Concubine Lu would visit Qingzhu Pavilion every day, and her pregnancy would truly become impossible to hide. "A mistake is a mistake. It was my careless words that caused it, so it's only right that Sister Li was angry." Concubine Lu appeared generous and cheerful. Yesterday, when Concubine Lu saw Concubine Li suddenly retch, she asked outright whether Concubine Li was pregnant. Concubine Li couldn't control her temper and immediately flew into a rage. She scolded Concubine Lu for spouting nonsense to harm her and had her servants drive Concubine Lu out of Qingzhu Courtyard. Now, with Feishuang calling it a misunderstanding and Concubine Lu graciously admitting fault, both sides tacitly agreed to let the matter drop. For the sake of the child in her womb, Concubine Li had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure. "I was also at fault." She explained stiffly, "Given the current situation in the household, pregnancy is a dangerous thing." "If Sister Lu casually says one word, by tomorrow I might be targeted by someone, so I couldn't control my temper." When others spoke in such a stiff tone, they'd be suspected of lying. But Concubine Li was proud and stubborn by nature, so speaking this way actually made her more credible. "It's all my fault!" Concubine Lu's eyes darted around, her smile still intact: "Then I've apologized, and Sister Li has accepted it. Let's let this matter pass and never mention it again, shall we?" Concubine Li nodded. Concubine Lu then casually picked a few lively topics from the household to share with Concubine Li. Concubine Li patiently responded with a word or two. Her temperament was cold—for every three sentences Concubine Lu said, she might not even reply with one. Yet even so, Concubine Lu talked on by herself for a full hour, drinking tea until her stomach was full, before finally leaving with her young maid. The moment Concubine Lu was gone, Concubine Li's other maidservant, Feixu, took her teacup to dispose of it and couldn't help but say, "She sure can talk!" "She talked nonstop for an entire hour. Anyone listening would think her courtyard was short on tea and she came here specifically to freeload." Both Concubine Li and Feishuang couldn't help but laugh.