Chapter 73

Chapter 73 After all the commotion, Qingzhu Pavilion was finally clean. Nanny Li reported the news to the Princess Consort. The Princess Consort had already discerned the situation, raising an eyebrow. "Concubine Han used a diversion." Nanny Li stood beside her. "Exactly. Everyone was watching Concubine Lu, but who would have thought she'd already quietly extended her reach into Concubine Li's bedchamber?" The Princess Consort leaned back in her chair, speaking lazily. "Send someone to investigate." "But I suspect nothing will come of it." Before Nanny Li had arrived, Concubine Li's side had already conducted a thorough inquiry. "Concubine Li's sachet was brought from the palace and had been locked away in a chest, never opened. Somehow musk was stuffed inside without anyone knowing." "The pillow was personally made by Feishuang, Concubine Li's personal maid, and it was also mysteriously poisoned." Nanny Li sighed. "After all that searching, not a single trace was found." The Princess Consort picked up a cup of tea and sniffed it gently, speaking with meaning. "Lady Han certainly has a wealth of talent around her." Nanny Li's eyes lit up. "This Concubine Han was personally selected by Noble Consort Rou for the Prince, and now she turns out to be such a menace..." The Princess Consort lowered her gaze, speaking calmly. "Nanny, it's not yet time." No matter how cold Prince Jing appeared on the surface, he still held his birth mother Noble Consort Rou in his heart. Using Concubine Han to slap Noble Consort Rou in the face at this moment would bring nothing but harm to the Princess Consort. Nanny Li deflated. The Princess Consort lowered her eyes, a hint of contemplation on her face. "Back when Lady Ning was alive, she also cultivated many connections within the household. Now that she's dead, those people remain perfectly stable, not a single sign of disorder." Nanny Li was puzzled. "Why bring up Lady Ning again?" The mere thought of Concubine Ning made Nanny Li feel it was bad luck. How much had her mistress suffered at her hands back then? If Concubine Ning hadn't died early, Nanny Li would have turned into a veritable Granny Rong, seeking revenge for all those old grievances. The Princess Consort reminded her. "Consort Fang's poison came from Lady Ning. Now that Lady Ning is dead, someone is still using that poison..." Nanny Li's eyes brightened. "You mean... before Concubine Ning died, she handed her connections over to Concubine Han?" The Princess Consort nodded slightly. "Last time when Eldest Young Master was instigated to harm his stepmother, the investigation kept tracing back to Concubine Ning. I found it suspicious at the time. Now it seems Lady Han likely had a hand in it as well." A chill ran down Nanny Li's spine. "But that doesn't make sense! If Concubine Han's people are all from Concubine Ning, why would they instigate Eldest Young Master?" Everyone in the household knew that Eldest Young Master was Concubine Ning's very lifeblood. The Princess Consort sighed, seeing things with complete clarity. "Nanny Li, loyal servants are rare in this world. Most servants—call it loyalty if you will—aren't they just kept by money?" "Now that Concubine Ning is gone, they've lost their purpose and are naturally panicked. Whoever feeds them becomes their mother." Nanny Li thought about the people under the Princess Consort's command and couldn't help but nod. She cursed again. "She reaped what she sowed!" "Lady Ning left her people to Lady Han, likely hoping to use Lady Han's hands to stir up chaos in the household. Now that Lady Han has her people, the first target is her own son." "Truly, karma is swift!" The Princess Consort made no comment on this. Cursing a dead person wouldn't make her own life any happier. Just then, news about the child of fortune spread quietly throughout the Prince's residence. "What Concubine Han carries in her womb is a child of fortune!" "The moment she became pregnant, she was promoted from concubine to Concubine Consort, just one step ahead of Concubine Li. If it had been any later, the Concubine Consort position would have gone to Concubine Li." "A few days ago, Concubine Han went to the small garden to admire the flowers. A cold wind suddenly blew through, and all the maids who accompanied her fell ill, but Concubine Han was perfectly fine." "And there's more! Half a month ago, Concubine Han went to pay her respects to the Princess Consort. On the way back, she fell from the rockery. The maid accompanying her broke her leg, but she was completely unharmed. It's absolutely the child of fortune in her womb protecting her." "Carrying a child of fortune, with family standing and beauty, now that she's become Concubine Consort, she might even rise to Side Consort in the future!" With the New Year approaching, the Prince's residence was busy with affairs, so Concubine Han's enfeoffment ceremony was postponed until after the New Year. Still, the household staff, eager to curry favor, had already begun calling her Concubine Han. Now with the added title of child of fortune, Concubine Han's prominence was on the verge of overshadowing Xie Run. Xie Run couldn't be happier about that. "The bird that sticks its head out gets shot!" "If I stand out, I'll attract jealousy, and then scheming." Xie Run said this while sitting in the courtyard watching Yueya'er lead a few young maids in a snowball fight. She pulled her cloak tighter around herself, speaking with some feeling. "I don't want to scheme against others, and I'm afraid of being schemed against, so I have to work hard to stay out of the spotlight." The main thing was that Prince Jing's residence was full of hidden talents. Xie Run considered herself an ordinary person with some self-awareness, lacking any desire for infighting. Dantao stood to the side, smiling. "It's not like you have to scheme." "We can just close our courtyard gate and live our own lives." Xie Run shook her head. "Wasn't the gate of Qingzhu Pavilion next door tight enough?" "Didn't they still get musk and poison slipped in? And to this day, no one has figured out who did it." Everyone suspected Concubine Han. But without evidence, no one could say so aloud. Dantao sighed. "Must you keep your servant on tenterhooks every single day?" Xie Run gave a mischievous smile. "I'm just running my mouth." Just then, a snowball landed at Xie Run's feet, startling Dantao. "Are you asking for death?! Can't you see the mistress is here—how dare you throw things this way?!" Having served as head maid for so long, Dantao had accumulated a certain authority, and the younger maids were all afraid of her. At her shout, they all shrank their heads like quails, standing in the snow of the courtyard. Xie Run laughed. "Don't frighten them." "I said it before—when you're playing, accidents happen, and no matter what, you can't lose your temper." "If I scold them now, wouldn't that make me a liar?" Xie Run tugged at Dantao's hand, coaxing, "Good sister, do spare me some face." Dantao couldn't resist her wheedling, and said helplessly to the maids, "Enough, you may continue playing." Though Dantao had spoken, the maids still couldn't quite loosen up. Xie Run thought for a moment, then said to Dantao, "Make me a snowball." Dantao smiled helplessly, but still did as Xie Run instructed, packing two snowballs in a row. Xie Run took the snowballs and tossed one out. It landed at Yueliang'er's feet, and the silly girl didn't even think to dodge. Xie Run laughed. "Why don't you dodge? Standing there frozen—are you playing statue?" "If you stay out here until you're stiff, my courtyard will end up with a few extra snowmen." At her words, the maids all laughed and gradually relaxed. Xie Run casually tossed the other snowball out as well. The tension everyone had been holding finally eased. Just then, Xiaoshu entered the courtyard, holding an invitation and a few letters, with a familiar-looking young maid following behind her. Dantao said, "She seems to be from Consort Yun's courtyard."