Chapter 290: A Hairpin Made by His Own Hands

Chapter 290: The Hairpin Made by His Own Hands

Zhao Ruowan clutched her stinging cheek, staring at Jiang Shuning in disbelief.

The wind in the corridor seemed to stand still, leaving only a ringing in her ears.

She shrieked, "How dare you hit me? You—"

"Exactly because you deigned to call me 'Consort' just now." Jiang Shuning cut her off, her voice cold as an early-winter icicle, each word striking Zhao Ruowan's heart. "Since I am the Consort, punishing a Secondary Consort for insolence is perfectly reasonable and justified."

"Secondary Consort Zhao, you've insulted your superior and shown no respect for rank. Guards!"

Ling Wu and Ling Feng bowed sharply and stepped forward.

"Take her back to her room and confine her for a month. During that time, her meals shall be halved, and no one is allowed to visit. If she sets one foot outside her door, the servants watching the courtyard will be punished too."

"Yes, Consort!" Ling Wu and Ling Feng responded in low, firm voices.

Zhao Ruowan went berserk, thrashing as gold and jade hairpins clattered to the floor in a mess.

"How dare you! The Prince won't let you get away with this!"

Her screams were shrill and piercing, but Ling Wu and Ling Feng's arms clamped down on her like iron pincers. No matter how she kicked and thrashed, it was useless.

Her carefully styled outfit now seemed like a joke.

Jiang Shuning watched coldly until the curses faded at the end of the corridor.

Only then did she slowly bend down and pick up the gold hairpin Zhao Ruowan had been flaunting.

The hairpin gleamed with blinding light, just like its owner—shallow and ostentatious.

She tossed it aside. The hairpin arced through the air and landed with a clatter in the grass, vanishing from sight.

The pent-up frustration in her chest finally eased.

Finally, she'd gotten some justice for Cui Zhilan.

Zhao Ruowan was rudely thrown into her room, and the door slammed shut, locked from the outside.

"Ah—!" She grabbed a teacup and smashed it on the ground. The sharp crack of porcelain split the air.

Her nanny and maid knelt trembling, not daring to breathe.

"The Consort? She's not worthy!" Zhao Ruowan was shaking with rage. "Calling her 'Consort' was already doing her a favor! A murderous fugitive, what right does she have to be Consort Jing? And she dares to confine me? She's gotten too big for her britches!"

Nanny Li scrambled over and whispered in a low voice, "My good Secondary Consort, keep your voice down! Walls have ears! Right now, the Prince dotes on her with all his heart. In the end, this Jing Prince's Mansion is the Prince's domain. We... we should swallow our pride for now and avoid immediate trouble!"

"Why should I!" Zhao Ruowan shoved her away. "I am the Secondary Consort he married with proper rites, recorded in the royal genealogy! Who does Jiang Shuning think she is? What gives her the right to rely on the Prince's favor and do whatever she wants! What spell has the Prince fallen under? She even ran off with Prince Ning, and he still let her come back without a scratch!"

Cui Zhilan had been thrown into the mansion's dungeon and tortured, but Xiao Lingchuan hadn't even punished Jiang Shuning at all—it's unbelievable!

Nanny Li frowned deeply. "Secondary Consort, this matter... is indeed strange. To my mind, the Prince isn't the type to tolerate his woman's adultery. This eldest Jiang daughter clearly eloped, yet she returns without a scratch. There must be a reason. I dare say... this eldest Jiang daughter might be… pregnant."

Zhao Ruowan whipped around to stare at her. "Could it be what? Speak!"

Nanny Li hesitated for a moment before speaking softly. "I dare say... this eldest Jiang daughter might be… pregnant."

"What?" Zhao Ruowan's pupils contracted sharply.

"Men, especially a prince of such noble birth, value offspring above all." Nanny Li analyzed. "If she is carrying the Prince's child, it would be the first child in the mansion. For the child's sake, the Prince might temporarily forgive her improper behavior. That would make sense."

"Pregnant..." Zhao Ruowan muttered to herself. The word weighed on her like a mountain, crushing her breath.

Yes, that must be it.

Otherwise, there was no explanation for Xiao Lingchuan's abnormal attitude.

The anger on her face gradually faded, replaced by a venomous coldness.

If a mere nominal Consort could be this arrogant, what would happen if she actually gave birth to the Prince's first child, and a legitimate eldest son at that?

By then, where would Zhao Ruowan's place be in this mansion?

How could her family rely on her?

No.

This child absolutely could not be allowed to live!

Murderous intent flashed in Zhao Ruowan's eyes. She grabbed Nanny Li and a maid's hands, her nails almost digging into their skin.

"You two, immediately find a way to bribe the servants attending the main courtyard. Spend as much silver as it takes." Her voice was chillingly dark. "Find out for sure whether Jiang Shuning is really pregnant!"

She paused, then spoke each word as if squeezed through her teeth.

"If she is... do whatever it takes to make this child vanish without a trace!"

Nanny Li and the maid exchanged glances, then lowered their heads and replied in unison, "Yes, Secondary Consort Zhao!"

—

In the study, Xiao Lingchuan listened to Ling Feng's report on Jiang Shuning's punishment of Zhao Ruowan. His brow rose slightly, a meaningful glint flashing in his eyes.

"Why did the Consort punish Secondary Consort Zhao? Do you know the reason?" His voice was low, tinged with curiosity.

Ling Feng bowed respectfully and replied seriously, "The Consort stated that Secondary Consort Zhao was insolent. I privately suspect that Secondary Consort Zhao angered the Consort by flaunting the gold hairpin you gave her."

Hearing this, a faint, pleased smile touched Xiao Lingchuan's lips, as if he was quite pleased.

So the Consort was jealous?

Those hairpins he gave Zhao Ruowan were just casual gifts, nothing special.

Since the Consort cared, he'd give her something even better to show his true feelings.

"Send word immediately. Go to the jewelry shop and buy the most fashionable gold hairpins in town, and deliver them to the Consort!"

"Yes, Your Highness!" Ling Feng was about to withdraw to carry out the order when Xiao Lingchuan called him back.

"Wait," Xiao Lingchuan seemed to think of something, a rare tenderness flashing in his eyes. He said in a low voice, "Forget it. Don't buy ready-made ones. Prepare some high-quality materials. This hairpin, I will forge with my own hands!"

What better way to show true sincerity than a hairpin he crafted himself?

This time, surely the Consort would feel his sincerity, right?

But forging a gold hairpin proved far harder than Xiao Lingchuan had imagined.

Forging required precise temperature control to keep the gold malleable—too high a heat would make it brittle and snap; too low, it'd be too soft to hold shape.

As for the intricate carvings on the hairpin? Even tougher—one wrong move and all your work is wasted.

This was nothing like a wooden hairpin, which only required exquisite carving skills; every step of making a gold hairpin tested your patience and skill.

He originally wanted to make a gold hairpin shaped like a peony, symbolizing wealth and deep affection, but no matter how he tried, the result was always crooked and ugly.

After a few days, he'd gone through several gold bars, yet he still couldn't produce a single presentable hairpin.

For the first time in his life, Xiao Lingchuan felt such a strong sense of frustration, and frustration was written all over his face.

Seeing this, Ling Feng quickly chimed in to comfort him: "Your Highness, craftsmen who make hairpins often need to practice for over a decade. You've done this well in just a few days—that's amazing! If the Princess learns that you made the hairpin for her with such dedication, she will surely be deeply moved!"

"Is that really true?"

"Of course it's true!" Ling Feng declared with conviction, his tone full of admiration. "In all of Daye's capital, what other man cherishes his wife as Your Highness does, going so far as to personally craft a gold hairpin? The Princess, upon learning that this hairpin was made by your own hands, will be so touched she won't know what to say!"

Trusting Ling Feng's words, Xiao Lingchuan carefully selected the one he deemed the finest from among the several gold hairpins he had crafted, placed it in an ornate carved brocade box, and personally brought it to the bedchamber to present to Jiang Shuning.

Jiang Shuning took the brocade box and slowly opened it, only to see a gleaming golden object lying inside, but its shape was somewhat strange.

She paused for a moment, then couldn't help asking, "Your Highness, what is the meaning of this little stick?"

At these words, Xiao Lingchuan's face immediately clouded over.