Chapter 66

Chapter 66 Xie Run sat on the couch, supported by Dantao, and said with a faint smile, "The child just kicked me." Prince Jing was silent for a moment. "Is it still kicking you?" Xie Run felt for a moment. "No. I suppose I was laughing too happily just now, and it sensed that." "The child can sense your happiness?" "Naturally." Xie Run explained seriously to Prince Jing, "My joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures all affect it. If it's unhappy, it will move. Sometimes it moves when it's happy too, but the feeling is different." Prince Jing said nothing in response, only letting his gaze sweep over Xie Run's belly intermittently, a trace of curiosity hidden in his eyes. After the incidents with the Eldest Young Master and the Second Young Master, Prince Jing had come to feel that he was not fated to have many children. Afraid that investing too much emotion would make it harder later, he deliberately restrained his contact with the pregnant women. He would regularly visit Xie Run and the others, but generally only asked whether the children were healthy, whether the pregnant women had any discomfort, or if they wanted anything. Anything more than that, he wouldn't ask. Today, perhaps stimulated by both the Emperor and Noble Consort Rou, Prince Jing asked a few more questions. Soon, the small kitchen delivered the meal. Prince Jing had been busy since the afternoon and hadn't eaten anything, so he was indeed hungry now. Seeing Prince Jing eat with relish, Xie Run felt a bit tempted as well. "Bring me a set of chopsticks and a bowl too." Dantao wanted to dissuade her, but Xie Run said, "I know my limits. Just a taste of each dish." Dantao said no more and fetched the utensils. After eating and drinking his fill, Prince Jing went to the bathhouse to bathe. Xie Run hadn't eaten much. After rinsing her mouth, she let the maids help her change clothes and walked around in front of the bed. As she walked, she began to feel drowsy. She said to Dantao, "I can't hold on any longer. I'll sleep first. Help me tell the Prince." Dantao said softly, "But... wouldn't that be against the rules?" She was worried that Xie Run would incur Prince Jing's displeasure. Xie Run's eyelids were fighting each other, and she said lazily, "I'm carrying the Prince's child in my belly, after all. Can't I indulge in my favor just once?" With that, she rolled into the blankets. Prince Jing happened to enter at that moment. He glanced at his Concubine Consort who was 'indulging in her favor,' then waved at Dantao. "You may all withdraw." "Yes." The candles were extinguished one by one, and a corner of the blanket was lifted. Xie Run sensed a wave of warmth and immediately moved closer to Prince Jing on her own, her head dropping down as she fell into a deep sleep. In the dead of winter, having a human heating stove truly made for an especially sound sleep. Prince Jing glanced at the person in his arms, feeling somewhat helpless. Xie Shi was truly 'indulging in her favor' now. Seeing that Xie Run was sleeping soundly, Prince Jing's large palm quietly came to rest on her slightly swollen belly. Xie Run's diet and daily routine during pregnancy had been very healthy. Her limbs remained slender, with only her belly slightly protruding. If she wore loose clothing, one might not be able to tell she was pregnant. The warm skin beneath his palm suddenly moved. Prince Jing recoiled as if burned, and calmly moved his hand away. After who knew how long, his broad, warm palm once again came to rest on Xie Run's belly. All of this, the deeply sleeping Xie Run knew nothing about. The next morning, Xie Run woke up at the same time as Prince Jing. While helping him change clothes, she brought up a matter. Xie Run said, "Yesterday I ran into Concubine Lu outside the courtyard and chatted with her for a bit." "After I came back, Zihu said she smelled musk on her." Prince Jing's thick brows furrowed slightly. Xie Run nodded. "I thought about it after returning, felt a bit worried, and quietly had someone inform Concubine Li." His movements paused. He was somewhat surprised that Xie Run hadn't concealed this. Prince Jing said, "The Princess Consort mentioned this to me, saying that Concubine Li went to report it yesterday. I didn't expect that you were the one who alerted her." Xie Run said gently, "Musk is quite harmful to women, especially those who are pregnant." "I don't know why Concubine Lu had that substance on her, but it would always be harmful to Concubine Li, so I took the liberty of reminding her." Prince Jing said, "The Princess Consort is already investigating this matter. It will be resolved sooner or later. As for you, did you feel any discomfort from the musk?" Xie Run shook her head. "I was far away and didn't actually smell the musk on Concubine Lu." Prince Jing held her hand. "You meant well. But next time you encounter something like this, stay farther away." Xie Run smiled. "I was already staying quite far away. I just gave Concubine Li a casual reminder, considering it as accumulating virtue for the child in my belly." "If it had posed a danger to myself, I might not have reminded her." Xie Run didn't want to establish a persona of being pure, unpretentious, and completely detached from worldly conflicts. Otherwise, the moment she got even slightly involved in something later, that persona would completely collapse. Better to be a simple-minded sweetheart with a bit of self-interest—that was more reliable. After Prince Jing left, news of him staying overnight at Spring Mountain Courtyard quickly spread through the rear quarters. Everyone was discussing Xie Run's favor, while also bringing up the word "rules." The Prince and Princess Consort were the people who valued rules the most. In the past, during holidays and festivals, and on the first and fifteenth of every month, the Prince would stay at the main courtyard. Only during Consort Ning's peak of favor had there been one or two instances of breaking the rules. Since Consort Ning was demoted, no such incidents had occurred in the rear quarters. Now the Prince had gone to Spring Mountain Courtyard on the winter solstice—wasn't that breaking the rules? No one dared to say the Prince was in the wrong, so they shifted the blame onto Xie Run instead. They said that Xie Run appeared obedient but was actually a seductive sort—now that Consort Fang was confined and Consort Yun had failed in her schemes, she was finally showing her true colors. Some even quietly went to the Princess Consort to whisper tales and stir up trouble. But the Princess Consort rebuked them. She also explained that it was she who had urged the Prince to visit Concubine Xie's quarters yesterday. Some read between the lines and gleaned a different meaning from this. Concubine Lu couldn't help but ponder deeply: "It seems that although the Prince does not dote on the Princess Consort, he holds her in great respect..." Yesterday, on the winter solstice, the Princess Consort had no time to investigate the matters of Concubine Lu using musk to harm others and stealing charcoal, so she first had her subordinates handle it. Today, after finishing the household management duties, the Princess Consort sent for the attendants of Concubine Lu and Concubine An. From Concubine Li's side, the maid Feixu was also dispatched over.