Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Concubine Yun was already favored, and she had Princess Ruyi in her hands.

Now, with another pregnancy, if she gave birth to a boy, she might be directly promoted to Secondary Consort.

Secondary Consort was a formal concubine recorded in the imperial Jade Register, no longer a servant who could be beaten or killed at will.

Xie Run shook her head. "They're all formidable, hiding it so tightly."

After a pause, looking at the crabs before her, she had a sudden thought. "Could it be that the news about Concubine Yun's pregnancy came out because of these crabs?"

The princess had sent crabs to every residence. Crabs were a delicacy, but also cooling; a pregnant woman absolutely shouldn't eat them. If Concubine Yun wanted to hide her pregnancy, but the crabs were delivered—whether she ate them or not, she couldn't conceal it. So she just came out and announced it?

Otherwise, most people would wait until the first three months were over before saying anything.

Xie Run thought to herself, it seemed the princess saw everything that went on in the rear courtyard.

Yuli said, "My lady, you are the one the prince favors most, and you will surely have a child in time."

Xie Run didn't pick up on that thread, instead asking about another matter. "Under what circumstances can my family visit the manor?"

"You miss your family, my lady?" Dan Tao had just brought over a cup of tea and said casually, "I haven't heard any special rules. As long as a mistress's family comes to visit, the princess usually allows them in. After all, visitors are guests, and there's no reason to turn them away."

Xiaoshu spoke softly from the side. "I heard that back when Concubine Yun was first pregnant with Princess Ruyi, the prince was very happy and specially summoned the Yun family to keep her company. As for others... I remember a concubine surnamed Zhang was allowed to see her family when she was gravely ill."

After all, a concubine wasn't a true mistress. Once she entered the prince's manor, she wasn't supposed to have regular contact with her own family.

"So it seems only pregnancy or serious illness can get an exception from the manor..." Xie Run fell into deep thought.

Yuli's indenture was still with the Xie family. If she wanted to send Yuli away unharmed, returning her to the Xie family was the best arrangement.

But Xie Run was trapped in the rear courtyard, with no way to summon the Xie family for no reason—unless the Xie family came on their own?

She only thought about it and let it go.

Back then, the Xie family had sent Xie Run, who had just tried to drown herself, into the courtyard without hesitation, all to avoid disaster. Now there was no way they would willingly come to Prince Jing's manor to court trouble.

This thought had to be shelved for now.

When Secondary Consort Ning heard this news, she was first incredulous, then furious.

"She hasn't had any sign of pregnancy for years—how can she be pregnant again?!"

Everyone had said Concubine Yun damaged her body giving birth to Princess Ruyi, and despite frequent visits over the years, there had been no sign of pregnancy. That was the only reason Secondary Consort Ning had tolerated her.

Now, hearing that Concubine Yun was pregnant again, she was so angry she couldn't eat.

Nanny Zhang was troubled. "The manor doctor said at the time it wasn't certain—pregnancy was still possible."

Secondary Consort Ning couldn't stand to hear any of it. "We haven't even dealt with the one in An's belly, and now Yun is pregnant again. My Ying'er just died—how can I stand to see one child after another come into this manor?"

Nanny Zhang quickly tried to stop her. "My lady, you can't say such things carelessly!"

Secondary Consort Ning gripped Nanny Zhang's hand tightly, her well-manicured nails digging into the nanny's flesh. "Nanny Zhang, Ying'er is gone. I can't bear to see other children born in this manor..."

Nanny Zhang said sadly, "Rest assured, Your Ladyship. I'll handle it. I won't let anything offend your eyes."

That day, Prince Jing did not visit Xie Run. Instead, he went to Fang Yuaner's Splendid Pavilion.

When this news got around, all the women in the rear courtyard were shocked.

Not only had Fang Yuaner lost favor before, but even if she were favored now, today had brought news of two pregnancies, yet the prince hadn't visited either of them.

Did that mean those two pregnant women mattered less to the prince than Fang Yuaner?

More people wondered to themselves: was Fang Yuaner's soap recipe really that good?

Good enough to make the prince change his mind and start doting on her again?

Xie Run... wasn't surprised at all.

After that, the prince didn't set foot in the Forest Pavilion for a month. Aside from occasionally visiting the pregnant Concubine Yun and Concubine An, he spent all his time in the Splendid Pavilion.

The manor was in turmoil, but Xie Run stayed in her small courtyard eating and drinking well, even gaining a few pounds.

Over the month, Xie Run caught some rumors.

It was said that the Fang family helped Prince Jing in business, opening a soap shop that really brought in a hundred gold taels a month.

Of course, that wasn't the income from just one shop.

As Prince Jing made more and more money, Fang Yuaner grew more and more favored.

And Fang Yuaner hadn't forgotten Xie Run's friendship of 'sending coal in snowy weather'—helping her when she was in need. Now that she was earning silver, she didn't forget to send some Xie Run's way.

There was probably also an element of getting even.

Back then, all the women in the rear courtyard had accepted Fang Yuaner's gifts.

But when she fell out of favor, not a single person spoke up for her.

Now Fang Yuaner was singling out Xie Run as her target, making the others jealous, wringing their hands daily, regretting what they'd done.

This kind of psychology... Xie Run didn't really get.

But she was very happy to receive the silver, and she just wished this life would last a little longer.

...

Splendid Pavilion—

Fang Yuaner had someone watching the entrance first thing in the morning. As soon as the prince entered the rear courtyard, she had him invited in.

When the prince arrived at the Splendid Pavilion, his expression didn't look good.

He was willing to favor whomever he pleased according to his own heart. If everyone started blocking his path to invite him like Fang Yuaner, the rules of Prince Jing's manor would be a joke.

Upon entering the main courtyard, the prince sat down imposingly and asked in a deep voice, "You urgently summoned me here. What is so important?"

Since winning the prince's exclusive favor, Fang Yuaner had grown more radiant and alluring, but the ambition in her eyes was increasingly unconcealed.

She knew the prince was displeased at being summoned so abruptly, so she stepped forward and bowed.

"Prince, I called you here in a hurry because I have something important to talk about!"

According to the rules, a concubine can't refer to herself as "qieshen"—that's for wives—but must call herself "nubi," meaning maidservant. Only after becoming a Shu Fei or Ce Fei can she use "qieshen."

That's what it means to be a registered royal concubine.

But Fang Yuaner, having time-traveled here, was proud and naturally refused to call herself a maidservant, always using "qieshen."

Prince Jing never bothered with that kind of nitpicking, and since Fang Yuaner hadn't offended the Princess, no one pressed the issue.

"Prince, today my family sent a letter saying the soap formula got leaked..." Fang Yuaner looked troubled, hesitating.

Prince Jing frowned but didn't get worked up. "That recipe's no big deal—it was bound to leak."

Everyone knew the soap recipe was only good for a quick cash grab.

Prince Jing didn't get why Fang Yuaner was making a big deal about it.

When Fang Yuaner hemmed and hawed, Prince Jing knew there was more going on. Annoyed, he said, "Spit it out!"

That's why Prince Jing liked her well enough but never really cared for her.

The women in his household always talked that way.

They thought they were so clever, putting on a show, but you could see their schemes and ambitions a mile away, treating everyone else like idiots.

Even when Prince Jing did favor them, their scheming just turned him off.

Fang Yuaner murmured, "But my brother found out that the other soap shop has the backing of the Ning family—the Marquis of Weiyuan."

Fang Yuaner stopped there, but Prince Jing's face went dark.

Consort Ning was the youngest legitimate daughter of the Ning family of Marquis Weiyuan.

If it was just a competitor who got the recipe, Prince Jing would have taken the L gracefully.

But if there was a traitor inside his own house, that was a slap in the face.

When they first opened the shop, Fang Yuaner had been smart about it.

She only let her family run it, no equity or anything; the shop belonged entirely to Prince Jing's mansion.

So if Consort Ning really sold out the formula, it would be harming Prince Jing's interests, a textbook case of biting the hand that feeds you.

Prince Jing's eyes narrowed. "That doesn't prove Consort Ning is involved. I'll have someone investigate further to find out where the leak came from."

That just showed how much he favored Consort Ning.

Fang Yuaner wasn't buying it, but she knew Consort Ning had the eldest son backing her, so she wasn't easy to bring down.

She didn't push it, just said all understanding-like, "I also believe Sister Ning wouldn't do such a thing; it must be a misunderstanding."

Hearing that, Prince Jing couldn't even fake a smile.

That was so fake it made him sick.

Then Prince Jing suddenly thought of Xie Run.

If it were Xie Run, she'd purse her lips, all sulky and mad, and tell him she'd be laughing, not feeling sorry for Consort Ning one bit.

That's another reason Prince Jing liked having Xie Run around.

Hardly anyone in his house put him at ease—so yeah, he had to look out for her.

Prince Jing said he'd investigate, but there was no news.

Fang Yuaner knew that Prince Jing intended to protect Consort Ning, and she angrily smashed a set of tea utensils.

But after smashing them, she actually came to terms with it.

Fang Yuaner said, "Better not to punish her. Shiqie An was poisoned, and she acted as a mole to steal the mansion's recipe... If not settled now, everything will be accounted for all at once. I don't believe Prince Jing has that much patience to keep protecting her!"

Time flew by, and soon it was Mid-Autumn Festival.

Prince Jing's mansion had already become lively, with lanterns being woven everywhere, and mooncakes and osmanthus candy being made.

According to custom, the Prince and Princess were to go to the palace for the imperial banquet on Mid-Autumn Festival.

In the past, Prince Jing's mansion would also hold a banquet, but since the last Qixi banquet, the Prince and Princess were not at ease letting Consort Ning organize it, so they let each courtyard set up their own table to enjoy separately.

When Xie Run received the news, she was sitting on the couch studying the flesh around her waist.

Was she really gaining weight, or could she be pregnant?