Chapter 92

Chapter 92 "Still, it's the mistress who reacted quickly—borrowing the eldest young lady's name to fabricate such a formidable poison and excuse out of thin air." Xiaoshu laughed. "Even I was startled at the time." Xie Run: "...Actually, it wasn't entirely fabricated out of thin air. I'd read about this method in a book before." Xiaoshu: "But it still took the mistress's composure to bluff Feihua." Xie Run smiled. "This has turned into the two of us, mistress and maid, singing each other's praises." Xiaoshu laughed along, her crescent-moon-shaped eyes especially endearing. Xie Run lowered her voice. "Everything today—from finding the loophole in Sang Cao's words to exposing Concubine Han's false pregnancy—was a gamble each time, winning by the skin of our teeth." "But we can't win every gamble." Xie Run cast her eyes down. "From now on, we'll need to be even more cautious." This incident had taught Xie Run a lesson. Even if she didn't scheme against others, she still had to seize the initiative. Rather than waiting for others to harm her and then reacting on the spot. In the end, she still lacked experience and was too soft-hearted. A hint of worry crept onto Xiaoshu's brow as well. Xie Run raised a hand to gently stroke her belly. "Concubine Han is a meticulous and bold woman. If she wants me dead, Sang Cao certainly isn't her only move." Xiaoshu asked anxiously, "Does the mistress mean that Concubine Han may have arranged other schemes to harm you?" Xie Run pointed out, "Don't forget—the lost jade pendant still hasn't turned up." Xiaoshu's barely settled nerves began to churn with anxiety again. She said, "Today's chaos started first with the kite string snapping, and second with the rabbit going out of control. These two matters haven't even been properly investigated yet." Instead, it was Concubine Han jumping into the water that had triggered this whole chain of events. Xie Run's expression turned somber as well. "We need to prepare for the worst." "What?" Xiaoshu was slightly startled. "It's possible that in the end, the blame for both incidents will fall on me." As she said this, Xie Run actually laughed. She said sincerely, "If it truly was all arranged by Concubine Han, I'd have to praise her for her skill." Xiaoshu: "...Mistress, you're still laughing?" If that were really the case, shouldn't she be panicking? "Why panic? Meet soldiers with soldiers, dam floods with earth." The hardest part was already over—what was there to fear from the rest? Xie Run's calm steadied Xiaoshu as well. After chatting with Xiaoshu for a while, Xie Run couldn't bear to see her too exhausted, so she brought her people back first. Returning to her own courtyard, Dantao had already brewed tea and was waiting. When Xie Run came back, she first instructed, "Have Yueya'er go to Qiufeng Courtyard to look after Xiaoshu. Tell her to bring clothes and bedding—she'll likely be staying there for a few days." Dantao served the tea and, not seeing Xiaoshu, asked, "Mistress, what happened to Xiaoshu?" Xie Run took a sip of tea, sat still in place pondering for a long while, then let out a deep sigh. She recounted everything that had happened that day. Dantao's expression shifted countless times, finally settling into a lingering fear. "Thank goodness the mistress and Xiaoshu were quick-witted—otherwise, disaster would have truly struck today." Xie Run nodded. Though she had escaped one calamity, her heart was still heavy. She also reminded Dantao, "Much of what happened today hasn't been fully investigated, and it may all be traced back to us. We need to prepare defenses early." Dantao nodded. "I'll have someone clear out the storeroom right away to see what's missing. Then have the maids check each other..." Just as she was speaking, Yueliang'er suddenly rushed in, covered in sweat from head to toe. "Mistress, there are two major matters!" Xie Run set down her teacup, perfectly composed. "Tell them one at a time—we're listening." Yueliang'er said, "Concubine Li took a fall on her way back, and she's showing signs of bleeding. After the mansion physician examined her, he said she'll need to stay in bed to protect the pregnancy." Xie Run immediately had a sense of foreboding. "How did Concubine Li fall?" "The Princess Consort had specifically sent maids and matrons to accompany her on the way there—how could she still fall with so many people?!" If it wasn't an accident, then someone had deliberately schemed against her! Xie Run's heart began to race. Yueliang'er nodded vigorously. "She was said to have tripped on a pebble, but they found that the pebble is unique to our courtyard." Xie Run suddenly thought of something. "Is it the Northern Frontier gold-thread jade from the low hill?" When the steward had renovated Chunshan Courtyard, seeing that Xie Run was pregnant and favored, he had been quite eager to curry favor. There had originally been a pebble path on the low hill, but the steward had it leveled and specially purchased a type of Northern Frontier gold-thread jade to pave the path instead. This jade was pale yellow, and when paved on the path, it shone brilliantly under the moonlight. When Xie Run took evening strolls, she could see more clearly. Purchasing this jade in bulk was no small expense—throughout the entire prince's mansion, only Xie Run's courtyard had this Northern Frontier gold-thread jade. Because Yueliang'er mentioned a pebble, Xie Run immediately thought of it. Yueliang'er nodded, her eyes full of trepidation. "Mistress, with Concubine Li's pregnancy disturbed this time, will it implicate you?" Xie Run said calmly, "It's fine. Tell me the other matter." Yueliang'er's raised heart immediately settled, and she spoke of the second matter. "The Prince sent people to investigate the kite string snapping at Zhishui Pavilion, and the trail led to Ju Zi, who serves Concubine An." "Ju Zi insisted that Concubine An instructed her to tamper with the kite string, but before she could be tortured, she slammed her head against something and died." Xie Run frowned. "Ju Zi? Why does that name sound familiar?" Dantao reminded her softly, "Mistress, back when Concubine Lu stole Concubine An's coal, she was working together with this Ju Zi." Xie Run's brow twitched. "I remember now. Ju Zi was punished with thirty strokes of the cane, and Concubine Lu voluntarily bore ten of those strokes on her behalf." This matter had been spread around the rear courtyard as a joke. Xie Run had happened to overhear it, which was why she had some recollection. Yueliang'er asked in confusion, "Could Ju Zi's wrongdoing also be connected to Concubine Lu?" Xie Run furrowed her brow. "I don't know. But this matter is muddled—how did it come to involve Concubine An?" Yueliang'er said, "Mistress, let me go out and make some more inquiries!" Xie Run waved her hand. "Go ahead." After all the commotion of the day, she was indeed tired. Soon, all the eunuchs and maidservants of Chunshan Courtyard knew everything that had happened that day. The first to come see Xie Run was Chunjuan. Xie Run had already let down her hair and was preparing to sleep when she heard Dantao say, barely containing her excitement, "Mistress, regarding the matter of the stone, Chunjuan has something to report." Xie Run thought for a moment, then draped an outer robe over herself. "Have him come in." The room was heated with a sufficient amount of charcoal, not a wisp of smoke in sight, warm and cozy. When Chunjuan entered, there was a hint of excitement on his face. Xie Run asked softly, "What do you have to say?" Chunjuan replied, "To answer Mistress, last time you were almost tripped by that stone, you had me investigate, but I was useless and never managed to find the culprit." Xie Run seemed to understand something. "You continued investigating afterward?" Chunjuan lowered his head with some embarrassment. "This was the first task Mistress entrusted to me—I had to see it through properly, to live up to your trust."