Chapter 291: She’s Clearly Vying for Favor

Chapter 291: She Is Clearly Vying for Favor

"This is not a small stick!" Xiao Lingchuan said sharply.

"Then what is this?" Jiang Shuning asked back.

Xiao Lingchuan took a deep breath, suppressing his displeasure, and turned to look at Ling Wu beside him, saying in a deep voice, "Ling Wu, you take a look. What is this?"

Ling Wu quickly stepped forward and carefully examined the object in the brocade box, then said, "Your Highness, this is clearly not a small stick!"

Xiao Lingchuan nodded slightly, a satisfied expression appearing on his face. His gaze shifted back to Jiang Shuning, his tone carrying a hint of mockery. "Even Ling Wu can tell, how could the Princess not recognize it?"

"So, what exactly is it?" Jiang Shuning remained puzzled, her brow slightly furrowed as she pressed again.

"Your Highness, this is clearly a key!" Ling Wu replied confidently. "The Prince must have bought a mansion for you and the little heir you're carrying. This must be the key to the main gate of that mansion!"

Xiao Lingchuan: "..."

Jiang Shuning was taken aback, looking at Xiao Lingchuan with disbelief and delight. "Is the Prince planning to let me move out?"

"You wish!" Xiao Lingchuan's face darkened, his voice cold and unyielding as he cut her off. "This is clearly a gold hairpin!"

"A gold hairpin?!" Jiang Shuning and Ling Wu exclaimed in unison. In surprise, the two of them took the object out of the brocade box and examined it from all angles.

Seeing Xiao Lingchuan's displeased expression, Ling Wu quickly tried to salvage the situation. "Your Highness, this gold hairpin must have some secret. It must be priceless, right?"

Only then did Xiao Lingchuan's expression soften slightly. He said indifferently, "Indeed it is. This hairpin is a gold hairpin with peony designs I crafted myself."

Jiang Shuning lowered her head and scrutinized the decorations on the hairpin carefully. Her brow furrowed deeper and deeper, and finally, she couldn't help but speak. "Your Highness, do you have nothing else to do?"

"What does the Princess mean by that?" Xiao Lingchuan's face was as dark as a storm cloud, his voice so low it seemed to drip with ice.

Sensing his displeasure, Jiang Shuning softened her tone slightly, but the mockery was still hard to conceal. "I mean, if the Prince has free time, he might as well learn how to cook. Given the Prince's picky taste, if he could cook himself, it would save the chef a lot of trouble."

How could Xiao Lingchuan miss the obvious disdain in her words?

His face darkened even more, anger surging in his chest. Finally, without a word, he abruptly flung his sleeves and turned to leave.

Only after his figure disappeared outside the bedchamber door did Ling Wu cautiously look at Jiang Shuning and whisper, "Your Highness, is it really appropriate to openly disdain the hairpin made by the Prince himself?"

"How about you wear this hairpin?" Jiang Shuning said with a half-smile, extending the hairpin toward Ling Wu.

Ling Wu was so frightened she waved her hands frantically and said in panic, "This servant would never dare!"

That hairpin was made by the Prince himself. No one but the Princess dared to wear it—anyone else would lose their life!

Jiang Shuning withdrew her hand, casually playing with the object in the brocade box, a mocking smile curling at the corner of her lips.

She never expected Xiao Lingchuan to make a hairpin for her with his own hands.

This was something she hadn't even dared to dream of in her previous life.

In her previous life, Xiao Lingchuan had never even paid attention to her birthday, let alone made her a gift by hand.

Now, he had personally experienced what it felt like to have his genuine feelings belittled.

A dark glint flashed in her eyes, and the smile on her lips grew colder: Xiao Lingchuan, can't you stand this? Since you insist on keeping me locked by your side, you'd better be prepared for me to stab you.

---

The more Xiao Lingchuan thought about it, the angrier he became. Was the gold hairpin he had crafted himself really so hideous?

His pride was deeply stung, and his chest felt suffocated with pent-up frustration.

When Ling Feng learned that the gold hairpin he had meticulously made was mistaken for a small stick by Jiang Shuning, he quickly attempted to comfort him, albeit cautiously. "Your Highness, the craftsmanship of a gold hairpin is indeed intricate and difficult. But making a jade hairpin is much simpler. Fine jade is also priceless. Why not try crafting a jade hairpin instead?"

Hearing this, Xiao Lingchuan's anger flared even more. He snorted coldly and said in a deep voice, "I am the master of this household, a prince of the realm. Why should I stoop to please a woman?!"

Seeing his anger, Ling Feng's expression changed slightly. He quickly lowered his head and dared not say another word.

In the end, Xiao Lingchuan not only carved an exquisite jade hairpin overnight but also crafted an extra pair of jade pendants—one he kept for himself, the other for Jiang Shuning.

He not only demanded that she carry the jade pendant with her at all times but also that the jade hairpin be worn daily without the slightest neglect.

Ling Feng watched, speechless.

"Your Highness, you truly are contradictory—saying one thing and doing another!"

---

Zhao Ruowan soon learned that Jiang Shuning was pregnant. She was immediately consumed by jealousy.

Gnashing her teeth, she secretly plotted to bribe the main courtyard servants to slip abortifacient drugs into Jiang Shuning's meals, to get rid of the child in her belly.

But no matter how hard she tried and schemed for days, she could not find the slightest opportunity.

Jiang Shuning's food was handled by dedicated staff, and every dish had to be carefully inspected by the mansion's physician before serving.

This showed how much Xiao Lingchuan valued this unborn child.

Zhao Ruowan paced furiously around her room, barely containing her anger when she suddenly heard soft footsteps outside the door.

Her heart leaped. "Hurry and check—could it be the Prince coming?"

She had always believed that Xiao Lingchuan would never easily abandon the Zhao family as his support, only that he was deeply calculating and slow to trust anyone.

Nanny Li hurried out to check, then returned and shook her head. "It's not the Prince. It's the Princess. She is heading to the Zangjin Pavilion to visit Concubine Cui."

Upon hearing this, a cunning glint flashed in Zhao Ruowan's eyes, and a sinister smile curled at the corners of her lips.

The food delivered to the main courtyard had to undergo strict inspection by the physician, but the food sent to Concubine Cui was not inspected. Wasn't this a perfect opportunity?

"Quickly find a way to put the abortifacient into Concubine Cui's food. Perhaps one day, the Princess herself will eat it!" she said in a low voice, her voice dripping with venom.

"Yes, Secondary Consort!" The maidservants whispered their acknowledgment and quickly withdrew to make arrangements.

Meanwhile, Jiang Shuning arrived at the Zangjin Pavilion to visit Cui Zhilan.

She carefully performed acupuncture on Cui Zhilan, personally fed her the recuperative medicine, and then took her leave

At these words, Zhao Ruowan's face instantly turned as white as a sheet.

Although musk can cause miscarriage, prolonged exposure can also cause infertility.

Jiang Shuning's move was clearly intended to harm her!

"Yes, Princess!" Ling Wu suppressed a smile, respectfully acknowledged, and turned to the storeroom to convey the order.

Jiang Shuning then called Xiao Cui over, handed her the medicine she had brought, and said calmly, "Give these to Concubine Cui. I'll come to see her another day."

"Thank you, Princess!" Xiao Cui was extremely grateful, quickly kowtowed in thanks.

Seeing Jiang Shuning turn and leave, Zhao Ruowan stamped her feet in anger, her face twisted, with no outlet for her fury. She cursed to herself: Damn it! I wanted to harm her, but instead she outwitted me!

The musk burned in Zhao Ruowan's courtyard for nearly two hours, the thick fragrance lingering and spreading. She was left dizzy, nauseous, and with a splitting headache, on the verge of a breakdown.

For this reason, ignoring the guards' attempts to stop her, she cried out and insisted on seeing Xiao Lingchuan, tearfully pouring out her grievances.

The commotion was so intense that the guards were helpless, so Ling Feng reluctantly reported to Xiao Lingchuan: "Your Highness, Concubine Zhao says that the Princess deliberately ordered musk to be burned in her courtyard, clearly intending to render her infertile. She begs Your Highness to seek justice on her behalf!"

Xiao Lingchuan had been feeling down because although he had given Jiang Shuning the jade hairpin and jade pendant, she had only responded with indifference. But upon hearing Ling Feng's report, his spirits suddenly lifted.

Could it be that the Princess was acting this way because she was worried about other women bearing his offspring?

This was clearly a bid for his favor. Indeed, she still cared about him!

At this thought, the corners of Xiao Lingchuan's mouth lifted, and his mood inexplicably improved a bit.

He said to Ling Feng calmly, "Go tell Concubine Zhao that she can rest easy. Tell her that whether or not she smells musk, I will never give her the chance to bear my child."

Ling Feng: "..."

Your Highness, you really know how to twist the knife!