Chapter 57

Chapter 57

"Sorry to trouble you, Miss Tinghe."

Xie Run gave a meaningful look at Dan Tao and said with a smile, "It's cold out there. Have a cup of tea before you leave."

"I've been craving the tea at Concubine Xie's place. But the princess is busy..." Tinghe paused and lowered her voice. "Lady Ning's funeral can't be too grand, but we still need to prepare what's necessary."

Xie Run said, "In the dead of winter, the princess must be exhausted."

Dan Tao personally saw Tinghe out and slipped her a pouch.

Back in her room, Xie Run dismissed the others, keeping only Dan Tao and Xiaoshu.

When she opened the envelope, she looked visibly stunned.

Xiaoshu, being very curious, quickly asked, "Master, what did the eldest young lady write that surprised you so much?"

Xie Run felt a headache coming on and handed the letter to the two. "You take a look."

After reading, Dan Tao and Xiaoshu exchanged glances, at a loss for words.

Xie Jiang's letter said that two days ago, someone had come to her asking for a mild labor-inducing prescription.

Xie Jiang sold the prescription at a high price, making a good profit.

But yesterday she happened to learn that the prescription was bought by a concubine named Fang from Prince Jing's mansion.

Thinking that Xie Run was also in Prince Jing's mansion and was now five and a half months pregnant, Xie Jiang worried that someone might harm Xie Run, so she wrote this letter.

It was Dan Tao who spoke first. "Concubine Fang bought a labor-inducing prescription... surely she wouldn't use it on herself, right?"

Xiaoshu sneered, "As for labor-inducing medicine, the imperial physician can detect it with a simple check. She wouldn't dare use it on our master or Lady An, would she?"

But deep down, Xiaoshu was still afraid.

At five or six months, a dose of that medicine would make it hard for both mother and child to survive.

Xie Run thought for a long while before saying, "Maybe she plans to use it on herself?"

"Among the three pregnant women in the mansion, she's the least far along. If she gives birth to a boy first..."

Xiaoshu, quick-witted and fast-talking, said with a puzzled expression, "Even if she gives birth to a boy, he'd only be the Second Young Master."

"He is neither the legitimate son, nor the eldest, nor the youngest. A premature baby will inevitably be unhealthy, and will probably make the prince look down on him."

"If she induces labor on herself, one wrong move could kill both mother and child. What is she after?"

Xiaoshu had more she wanted to say but held back.

There's only one heir position. Even if the princess cannot bear children and the Eldest Young Master is not favored, the prince is still young!

Prince Jing will have more kids in the future.

The prince is extremely unlikely to choose a sickly Second Young Master as his heir.

Dan Tao also chimed in, "Concubine Fang's pregnancy has been very rocky."

"When she moved to Xiachi Courtyard, she suffered a threatened miscarriage. At three months, she was poisoned and lost most of her vitality. Only recently has she recovered a bit. If she induces labor now... she may not deliver safely."

"It's really not worth it!"

Xie Run lowered her eyes, concealing the thoughts within.

She thought to herself: If it's just becoming the Second Young Master, it's not worth it.

But what if it's becoming the Second Prince?

In Dan Tao and Xiaoshu's analysis, there was no speculation about Prince Jing ascending the throne.

But if one day Prince Jing becomes emperor, the Second Young Master would become the Second Prince.

The First Prince's birth mother is lowly and he is not favored by Prince Jing. If some means are used to prevent him from growing up, then the Second Prince would be the de facto eldest son.

He would also be the primary candidate for crown prince.

Only with a legitimate title can one speak with authority.

This is what Fang Yuaner is scheming!

Moreover, Xie Run knew that in the original storyline, Fang Yuaner had given birth to the Second Prince, the emperor's true eldest son.

Only by holding the Second Prince could she defeat her archrival, Consort Wan.

The court officials wouldn't care which concubine-born son the prince named as heir, but they would definitely care which son the emperor named as crown prince!

Xie Run suddenly smiled, a meaningful smile.

In the original book, Fang Yuaner had used labor-inducing medicine when giving birth to the Second Prince.

Now with a different soul, Fang Yuaner still intended to use labor-inducing medicine to give birth to the Second Prince.

Those tangled plotlines seemed to have quietly circled back.

However, in the original book, Fang Yuaner hadn't been poisoned, so the induced labor went relatively smoothly.

Now, with her vitality damaged by poison, Fang Yuaner still wants to attempt induced labor... she is truly gambling her life for a future.

Xie Run stared at the finely burning silver-thread charcoal, but her heart felt wrapped in frost, and her voice was very faint.

"Even if she wants to induce labor, she should at least wait until she's seven months pregnant."

"Let's wait and see in three months."

Dan Tao and Xiaoshu didn't know what to say either.

The originally lively atmosphere became somewhat heavy due to Xie Run's inexplicably low mood.

In contrast to the quiet of Chunshan Courtyard, Qingzhu Courtyard was exceptionally lively today.

Concubine Li, being aloof and proud, absolutely couldn't imagine that there could be such a thick-skinned person in the world.

Yesterday she had clearly thrown Concubine Lu out, but who would have thought that she would come again today?

Concubine Lu was holding pastries and tea in her hands, smiling as she said, "Yesterday was my fault. I shouldn't have spoken rashly and angered you, sister."

"Today I've specially brought fine tea and pastries to your door, only begging Sister Li to forgive me."

Concubine Lu had a round face, and when she smiled, her eyes curved, making her look very cute and approachable.

As she spoke, she naturally spoke in a playful, coaxing tone, pleading with Concubine Li and saying, "If my elder sister doesn’t accept these, it must be because she thinks my tea and pastries aren’t good enough."

Concubine Li was about to grit her teeth and agree.

Then she heard Concubine Lu say, "Then I’ll go back and find something better, and bring it to my elder sister tomorrow."

Concubine Li felt a surge of frustration stuck in her throat, neither able to rise nor fall.

It was her maid, Feishuang, who stepped forward and rescued her.

"Lady Lu knows my mistress best—she’s always been tough on the outside but soft at heart."

"Yesterday’s incident was purely a misunderstanding. The moment you left, my mistress regretted being so rude."

Pulled gently by Feishuang, Concubine Li also realized she couldn’t entirely cut ties with Concubine Lu.

Otherwise, if Concubine Lu used apologies as an excuse to visit Clear Bamboo Court every day, her pregnancy would truly become impossible to hide.

"A mistake is a mistake. It was my own careless talk, and it’s only right that my elder sister Li is angry." Concubine Lu put on a generous, straightforward act.

Yesterday, when she saw Concubine Li suddenly gag, Concubine Lu had directly asked if she was pregnant.

Unable to control her temper, Concubine Li immediately flew into a rage.

She scolded Concubine Lu for talking nonsense and trying to harm her, then had her thrown out of Clear Bamboo Court.

Now, with Feishuang calling it a misunderstanding and Concubine Lu generously admitting fault, both sides tacitly agreed to let it go.

For the sake of the child she carried, Concubine Li had no choice but to grit her teeth and bear it. "I was at fault too."

In a stiff tone, she explained, "Given the current situation in the mansion, pregnancy is a dangerous thing."

"If Sister Lu casually says something like that, someone might set their sights on me tomorrow. That’s why I couldn’t control my temper."

For others, a stiff tone would be taken as lying.

But Concubine Li’s proud and stubborn nature made her bluntness more believable.

"It’s all my fault!"

Concubine Lu’s eyes flickered, but she kept smiling: "I’ve apologized, and my elder sister Li has accepted. So this matter is settled, and from now on, we won’t bring it up again?"

Concubine Li nodded.

Concubine Lu then casually picked a few lively stories about the mansion to share with her.

Concubine Li grudgingly replied a few times.

She had a cold nature—Concubine Lu would say three things, and she might not even answer one.

Yet, despite this, Concubine Lu went on talking by herself for a whole hour, having her fill of tea, before finally leaving with her young maid.

The moment Concubine Lu was gone, Concubine Li’s other maid, Feixu, picked up the tea cups to clear them away, unable to help remarking, "She's such a chatterbox!"

"She went on for an entire hour by herself. Anyone would think her courtyard was out of tea and she came here just to freeload."

Concubine Li and Feishuang couldn’t help but laugh.