Chapter 86

Chapter 86 The Princess Consort remained the most composed. She asserted, "Prince, with so many unexpected incidents occurring, someone must have been plotting this for a long time!" Prince Jing's demeanor was heavy and oppressive as he asked coldly, "Was anyone hurt?" "Princess Ruyi fell into the water, and Concubine Lu jumped in to save her. She was invaded by the cold and is now running a fever. We'll have to see what the imperial physician says." "There was also a maidservant bitten by the rabbit, and she is currently being treated." Prince Jing swept his gaze over the assembled people bowing before him and waved his hand. "Rise." "Since no one else is hurt, then let's investigate!" "I want to see just how many formidable figures are hidden in this residence!" He took the seat of honor, and the Princess Consort moved to sit beside him. The Princess Consort asked directly, "Who was in charge of the kite-flying? How did the kite strings suddenly snap?" "Rabbits are normally docile, yet today it suddenly went mad, barking wildly and biting people everywhere. Who is in charge of raising the rabbits?" "Also, if anyone noticed anything unusual, you may all report it!" The people in the room exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to respond. It was Xie Run who spoke first. "This concubine is afraid of dogs, so as soon as the Prince left, I deliberately moved farther away." "When the Commandery Princess fell into the water, Zihu and Xiaoshu shielded me and hid me beside the pillar at the inner side of the boat. I did not take a single step out of place, nor did I approach anyone." Xie Run's words were quite interesting. Not a single step out of place, nor approach anyone. Meaning she had no opportunity to harm anyone, nor had she given anyone the chance to frame her. After she finished, it was Consort Yun's turn: "This concubine was originally with Ruyi watching the kites, but for some unknown reason, the kite strings above our heads suddenly snapped." "The rabbit kite in Ruyi's hands also broke its string. In the brief moment I looked away, she went to grab the kite string and rushed into the pond." Consort Yun wiped her tears. "It was all this concubine's negligence, to have caused such a great disaster." Prince Jing neither rebuked her nor comforted her upon hearing this. Because he felt that Consort Yun had indeed erred in not watching over Ruyi properly. But the rabbit was his gift to Ruyi, and the kite-flying was also arranged by his orders. If blame were to be assigned, his own fault was not insignificant. As Prince Jing fell silent, the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly oppressive. Concubine Li said softly, "When the chaos broke out, this servant was frightened and immediately led the maidservants to retreat to the rear." "Eunuch Shian can bear witness to this." Eunuch Shian, standing nearby, nodded in agreement. "This servant did indeed see that Concubine Li never came into contact with that dog." Concubine Li had been standing at the back with her people, and the moment trouble erupted, she immediately ran back. At the time, it had startled Eunuch Shian, who wondered if her reaction was overly dramatic. Now it seemed—this was true cleverness. Wan Linlang also added, "This servant was jostled about and forced to retreat everywhere, but I did not encounter that dog either." The remaining Concubine An turned pale, unable to speak for a long while. It was Ping'an who spoke on her behalf: "Reporting to the Prince. My mistress was frightened by the dog." "At the time, that dog was charging about wildly, barking everywhere, and finally it rushed before my mistress, trying to bite her." "It was Lizi who shielded my mistress, but sadly she was also bitten several times by the dog..." It was only at this point that everyone heard some useful information. The Princess Consort asked, "You say the rabbit kept charging at your mistress and barking?" Ping'an nodded, her expression somewhat stiff. "Yes. Lizi initially kicked it several times to protect my mistress. But it wouldn't give up, charging madly toward my mistress as if possessed..." These words cast considerable suspicion on Concubine An. But many people had witnessed this scene at the time, and Ping'an had no way to lie. Prince Jing said in a flat tone, "Have the imperial physician examine Concubine An's person for anything unusual." The Princess Consort glanced at Concubine Han, who had remained quiet throughout. "Concubine Han, you are usually bold and proactive, yet today you have said nothing. Were you frightened?" Xie Run raised her eyes and looked at Concubine Han. Based on her speculation, Concubine Han should have had a 'miscarriage' during this commotion. But now Concubine Han was perfectly fine, having missed this excellent opportunity. Xie Run thought of how Jing Wu had grabbed Concubine Han by the collar, as if he had noticed her from the very first moment. Jing Wu was Prince Jing's man, and also Prince Jing's eyes at the scene. This meant... Prince Jing had actually been watching Concubine Han all along. Xie Run suddenly grew curious about what Concubine Han would say. Concubine Han forced a faint smile. "This concubine was also frightened, and for a moment couldn't react." Wan Linlang glanced at her. "I had thought Concubine Han was bold, but now it seems she is just as easily startled as Sister An." But those words were laced with distrust. Not to mention Wan Linlang—even Prince Jing's gaze at her carried a different meaning. Concubine Han said with a pale face, "This concubine was standing right beside the Commandery Princess at the time. Seeing her fall into the water, I was worried for a moment and leaned out to look. Who would have thought someone would push me, and I nearly fell into the pond myself." "Fortunately, Jing Wu appeared in time and grabbed hold of me, sparing me from disaster." After she finished speaking, the room fell into silence. Everyone's expressions were strange. Concubine Han was pregnant. When she discovered that Princess Ruyi had fallen into the pond, her first reaction was not to retreat, but to step forward and take a look... This was truly suspicious. Everyone couldn't help but glance at her belly, recalling the rumors of a false pregnancy. If it hadn't been for Jing Wu today, Concubine Han would have fallen into the pond. And if she then had a "miscarriage," that would have been quite the spectacle. Many secretly chuckled at the thought. It seemed Concubine Han wouldn't be the least bit grateful to Jing Wu for saving her life—in fact, she'd probably resent him for ruining her scheme. Consort Yun, with a look of lingering fear, said, "Amitabha! Thank goodness Jing Wu reacted in time!" "If Sister Han had fallen into the water today and hurt herself, and something happened to the child in her womb, I would be overcome with guilt." "Ruyi probably wouldn't dare hold another birthday banquet in the future." Everyone: "..." Those words somehow carried a hint of mockery, didn't they? Prince Jing glanced sideways at Jing Wu beside him and asked, "What happened?!" Jing Wu was a man of few words. After bowing in salute, he replied, "This subordinate saw Lady Han leaning outward, and a restless maid reaching out to push her, so I intervened to save her." "After rescuing Lady Han, I handed her over to my men to look after, ensuring her safety." "The maid who pushed her has been detained and is currently being interrogated."