Chapter 12: Take Sides

Chapter 12: Taking Sides

The autumn air was crisp and cool, and the layered forests were ablaze with color.

In Ciyun Temple, incense smoke curled upwards and the sound of Buddhist chanting filled the air. It was almost time for the ceremony to send off the deities, but Concubine Xin and Concubine Xu had yet to arrive.

Wei Mingjin turned his head and instructed, "Go check on Concubine Xin and Concubine Xu."

Feng Mo acknowledged and left.

After a while, as they still hadn’t arrived and the auspicious hour had come, Wei Mingjin decided not to wait any longer.

He proceeded with the two other concubines to complete the ceremony with the high monk. Just as they finished offering incense, Feng Mo returned in a hurry and reported, "Young Master, there’s been an accident—Concubine Xin has fallen down the steps."

"How could she have fallen down the steps for no reason? Where is she now? Has a doctor been called?" In front of outsiders, Wei Mingjin always made a show of being very concerned about the child in Concubine Xin’s womb.

"Concubine Xin has already been taken back to the guest quarters, and someone has been sent down the mountain to get a doctor. But given the time it takes to go back and forth, it’ll probably be a while."

"Waiting for the doctor to come up the mountain will take too long." Wei Mingjin turned to Master Huineng. "Master Huineng, the concubine in our household is pregnant and cannot afford delays. Does anyone in the temple have medical knowledge? Could they examine her first?"

Master Huineng chanted a Buddhist verse before replying, "My junior brother has some knowledge of medicine. If Mr. Wei does not mind, he can go take a look."

Wei Mingjin thanked him and immediately led the monk to the guest quarters.

When they arrived, Concubine Xu was standing outside the door, her face pale. From inside the room, occasional groans from Concubine Xin could be heard.

Seeing Wei Mingjin, Concubine Xu rushed over. "Young Master, I truly did not push her—she fell on her own."

"We will discuss this matter later." Wei Mingjin stepped aside and gestured to the monk behind him. "After you, Master."

Concubine Xin lay on the bed, huddled in a ball with her arms wrapped around her abdomen. Her brows were tightly furrowed, her face as pale as paper, and a light sweat had formed on her forehead.

Qiong Hua was visibly worried. She wiped Concubine Xin’s sweat with a handkerchief while comforting her, "Don’t worry, Concubine. Feng Mo has already gone to fetch the doctor. You and the child will be fine."

Concubine Xin remained curled up and did not respond.

Everything she had done had only one purpose: she would be fine, but her child had to be in danger.

Last time, she had gone back on her word, which had already displeased Wei Mingjin. If she didn’t take action this time, she feared Wei Mingjin would lose patience.

Moreover, she loathed Zhou Shuisheng, that leech, to the core.

Without this child, Zhou Shuisheng would have no means to threaten her anymore.

"Young Master." Qiong Hua’s voice rang out with surprise.

Concubine Xin snapped back to attention and saw Wei Mingjin’s figure appear behind the bamboo curtain.

But Wei Mingjin did not enter. Instead, he spoke from behind the curtain, "It will take some time for the doctor to come up the mountain. This is Master Huiming—he knows a fair bit about medicine. Let him examine Concubine first."

Qiong Hua quickly moved aside. Master Huiming chanted a Buddhist verse and sat down by the bed to take Concubine Xin’s pulse.

The room was silent, except for the wind rustling the prayer flags hanging outside the corridor.

Concubine Xin lay on the bed, her hand still resting on her lower abdomen.

When she had first fallen down the steps, her abdomen had throbbed with pain, but as time passed, the pain had gradually subsided.

Concubine Xin was actually somewhat uncertain.

But the doctor had previously warned her that during the first three months of pregnancy, the fetus was unstable, and she needed to be careful to avoid bumps and falls, as there was a risk of miscarriage.

That was why she had decided to take this gamble today.

Just as Concubine Xin was lost in her thoughts, Master Huiming withdrew his hand.

"Master, how is my child?" Concubine Xin immediately asked.

"Madam, rest assured. The fetus in your womb is unharmed."

"The fetus is unharmed?! Master, are you certain? I fell down the steps!" Concubine Xin grew anxious. Her abdomen had been in pain earlier—how could the child be unharmed?

Huiming, thinking Concubine Xin was worried about the child, explained, "Madam, you have a strong constitution. Although you fell down the steps, based on your pulse, it seems you have only disturbed the fetal energy. The fetus itself is unharmed."

Qiong Hua immediately broke into a relieved smile, but Concubine Xin was devastated.

She had gone through all this trouble planning the fall, only to end up aching all over herself, with nothing to show for it but disturbed fetal energy.

After speaking, Huiming stood up and left.

When Wei Mingjin walked him out, Huiming added, "Although it is only disturbed fetal energy, you must not take it lightly. For the time being, it would be best for this madam to stay in bed and avoid moving around too much."

"Understood. Thank you, Master." Wei Mingjin replied with a smile before calling Feng Mo over and instructing him to make an additional donation.

Although Master Huiming had said that Concubine Xin should stay in bed, the mountain temple was too simple and uncomfortable in many ways. In the afternoon, Wei Mingjin still took Concubine Xin down the mountain.

This time, however, Concubine Xin did not walk down but was carried down in a rattan chair.

Outwardly, Concubine Xin looked listless, but inwardly, she was extremely frustrated.

For the first time in her life, she resented being so healthy.

If she had known that falling from that height would only disturb the fetal energy, she would have chosen a higher place. At least then she wouldn’t have ended up with a bruised forehead while the child remained perfectly fine.

To make matters worse, even though she had taken a real fall, she still had to explain herself to Wei Mingjin to avoid him thinking she had done a sloppy effort.

Why couldn’t heaven just let lightning strike her—or strike down Wei Mingjin—so she wouldn’t have to face him later?

Although Concubine Xin buried all her frustration and displeasure deep inside, hints of it still showed in the corners of her eyes and brows.

Though Qiong Hua didn’t understand why Concubine Xin was so troubled, seeing her in such a state, she wisely kept her mouth shut during the journey back to the city.

The carriage passed through the city gates, traversed the bustling streets, and finally stopped at the entrance of the Wei residence.

The two concubines who had shared the carriage with Concubine Xu got out and discreetly headed back to Qingwu Court, leaving only Concubine Xu behind.

The matter of Concubine Xin’s fall had to be resolved. But for now, Wei Mingjin had no time to deal with Concubine Xu. Feng Mo said, "Concubine, please come to Cuiwei Court and wait. After the doctor has examined Concubine Xin, the Young Master will likely see you."

Concubine Xu had already regained her composure after her initial panic.

She had always been clever, and it took her only a moment to realize Concubine Xin’s motive for framing her. She would not let her succeed.

Concubine Xu followed Feng Mo to Cuiwei Court.

Soon, the doctor arrived.

He checked Concubine Xin’s pulse, and his diagnosis was the same as Master Huiming’s.

The last bit of hope in Concubine Xin’s heart vanished.

After the physician gave a few more instructions, he left, carrying his medicine chest.

"If that's the case, then Auntie should rest well," Wei Mingjin said from outside the screen, rising as if he too were about to leave.

Xin He, lying in bed, hurriedly said, "Young Master, please wait."

"Is there something else, Auntie?"

Just as Xin He was about to send Qiong Hua away, before she could even speak, a maid announced from outside, "Second Uncle and Second Aunt have arrived."

Xin He had no choice but to swallow her words, and Wei Mingjin left first.

Soon, Zou Shi swept in, taking Xin He's hand and showering her with overly dramatic concern.

After perfunctorily responding a few times, Xin He was about to find an excuse to send Zou Shi away when Chi Yan spoke from outside: "Auntie, Second Master is in the front hall demanding that the Young Master severely punish Aunt Xu for today's incident. But Aunt Xu insists she didn't push you—that you fell on your own. The Young Master is having trouble deciding, so he sent me to fetch you to the front hall to help adjudicate this matter."

Hearing this, Xin He knew this wasn't over yet.

Zou Shi immediately declared, "Don't be afraid. With me and my husband here, no one will let you be bullied."

"I appreciate your kindness, Second Aunt, but let the Young Master handle this matter. I trust he will be fair."

Since the physician had advised Xin He to rest in bed recently, Wei Mingjin had a palanquin prepared to carry her over. But Xin He refused to ride it, insisting on walking to the front hall.

In the front hall, Second Master was again acting all high-and-mighty as the elder: "Mingjin, you've read too many books and are too kind. If your father were here, a lowly woman like this who intended to harm his offspring would have been beaten to death with staffs long ago."

"Second Uncle, according to the laws of our dynasty, killing one's own concubine is punishable by a hundred strokes and three years of penal servitude," Wei Mingjin remarked quietly.

Xin He, who had just reached the doorway, nearly laughed aloud upon hearing this.

Wei Mingjin didn't retaliate often, but when he did, he rendered Wei Jingyao speechless.

Wei Jingyao was stunned for a moment, his face turning beet red, but since Wei Mingjin had cited the law, he had no way to refute it.

"Oh, your Second Uncle was just so angered by this lowly woman's attempt to harm your father's posthumous child that he spoke without thinking," Zou Shi quickly interjected to smooth things over.

Fang Xu immediately retorted, "I did not push Aunt Xin, and the child in Aunt Xin's womb is not the Master's at all."

With that, Fang Xu handed over the sweat towel with the imprinted footprint and recounted everything she had witnessed twice at Ciyun Temple to Wei Mingjin in front of everyone.

"Aunt Xin framed me today only because she feared I would expose her shameful affair."

For a moment, even Zou Shi thought Fang Xu had gone mad. She stared wide-eyed, looking at Fang Xu in disbelief: "Do the monks at Ciyun Temple walk with their feet up by their necks? How could an ordinary footprint become ironclad evidence of Aunt Xin's secret rendezvous with a lover?"

"Preposterous! If this gets out, people will laugh themselves silly," Wei Jingyao also thought Fang Xu had lost her mind.

Xin He, however, cast her eyes down with a sorrowful expression: "Aunt Xu, when you used Aunt Hua and Aunt Hu to frame me before, I let it go and pretended not to know. Why must you now try to ruin me?"

"What?! So that incident was also this lowly woman's doing!" Zou Shi immediately turned to seek justice for Xin He. "Mingjin, such a venomous woman should not be kept in the household—"

"Second Aunt," Xin He abruptly cut her off.

She looked up at Wei Mingjin: "The Master is gone, and the Young Master is the master of our house. I trust the Young Master will give me justice."

At these words, Wei Jingyao and his wife fell silent, their faces turning livid.

Wei Mingjin looked at Xin He.

As their eyes met, he saw the submission and loyalty in her eyes.