Chapter 58

Chapter 58

Concubine Li smiled and then suppressed it, "She is a mistress. Better to say less of such words in the future."

Feixu, quick-witted, said with a smile, "I know. I only dared to be bold to amuse you, mistress."

Feishuang's mood also lightened; she carried the things sent by Concubine Lu.

"Mistress, how should we deal with these things?"

Concubine Li frowned, "Throw them all away."

After a moment, Concubine Li added, "Smash the cups and bowls she used, wash the stools, and later clean the floor as well."

She was only two months pregnant and didn't dare to casually touch things sent by others.

In these trivial matters, she had to be especially cautious.

Feishuang asked softly, "Mistress, do you think Concubine Lu might have discovered something?"

"What she discovered is not important." Concubine Li sighed, more melancholy appeared between her brows. "What matters is what she wants to do."

She was naturally beautiful, as pure and proud as a white plum blossom in the snow.

Now a trace of sorrow stained her brows, heartbreaking to see and stirring uncontrollable pity.

"Mistress, what do you mean?" Feixu also leaned in. "She's just a maid who seduced the master—does she dare to harm you?"

Concubine Li lowered her eyes and said flatly, "Don't say such things in the future."

"She's a maid, and I'm just a convict slave from the Side Palace. Neither of us is nobler than the other."

Feixu immediately shut her mouth.

Feishuang leaned in close to Concubine Li and said, "Mistress, are you afraid Concubine Lu has colluded with Concubine Han?"

Concubine Li nodded slightly.

"Even if not before, I fear it will happen soon."

"Concubine Han and I are natural competitors. Concubine Lu's rise was disreputable; if she wants to establish herself firmly in the household..."

Concubine Li turned to look at the heavy snow outside the window, "The daughter of the Dingyuan General is far more attractive than a convict slave like me."

Feishuang looked at her mistress with eyes full of pity, "Mistress, how about telling the prince?"

Concubine Li was silent.

After a long while, she said, "If I tell the prince now, maybe I could become a secondary consort. But this child... would surely be lost."

After all, she was still young and cherished the blood and flesh in her womb.

Between the rank of secondary consort and her child, she valued the latter more.

"Is it truly so dangerous?" Feishuang ventured to ask. "Not to mention Consort Fang and Consort Xie, even that low-profile Concubine An is now carrying her child smoothly to six months."

Concubine Li curled her lips in a bitter smile.

"They are different from me. And the situation in the household... is also different."

Concubine Li explained patiently to her two maids, speaking slowly and clearly.

"At that time, two pregnancies had already been lost in the household. It was only after Noble Consort Rou and the prince both pressured the princess that she stepped in to protect Concubine An."

"At that time, the most powerful was Secondary Consort Ning, but because she plotted against Consort Yun, she was reduced to Concubine Ning and placed under house arrest for life."

"Consort Yun herself was bedridden from illness. Neither Consort Fang nor Consort Xie had malicious intentions, and there were no capable favored concubines in the inner quarters, so those two were able to conceive smoothly."

"Now..."

As Feishuang thought about it, she was on the verge of tears.

"Now there's Concubine Han eyeing hungrily, and the restless Concubine Lu and Concubine Wan."

"The prince's household already has several pregnant women. The princess likely won't meddle in other affairs..."

"Why is my mistress's fate so cruel?!"

Feishuang still had something unsaid.

Earlier, Consort Xie and Consort Fang were both busy protecting their own pregnancies, so naturally they had no time to harm others.

Now that the other two have stable pregnancies, if they take a dislike to our mistress and decide to harm her... she can't defend herself!

Feishuang's tears fell like beads off a broken string. "When my mistress taught me to read, I recall a phrase 'besieged on all sides.' At that time, I found it uninteresting."

"Now I truly understand the despair and hardship of those four words."

Concubine Li wiped Feishuang's tears, "It hasn't reached that point yet."

She smiled lightly, comforting the two maids, "After three months, when the pregnancy is stable, I'll go to the prince."

The first three months of a woman's pregnancy are the most dangerous.

Only after three months, when the fetus is stable, will Concubine Li feel confident protecting her child.

She wanted the rank of secondary consort, and the child... she also wanted it!

Concubine Li suddenly said, "Feishuang, find a way to spread news of what happened these past two days."

"What?" Feishuang was startled. "But if you do that, everyone will suspect you're pregnant."

This "everyone" specifically meant Concubine Han.

With Concubine Li pregnant, the one feeling most threatened was Concubine Han.

If others merely suspected, Concubine Han would actually investigate, or even take direct action!

Concubine Li said grimly, "We must prepare for the worst. Perhaps since Concubine Lu left yesterday, Concubine Han already knows."

Feishuang fell silent.

"But right now, Concubine Lu only suspects."

The plan in Concubine Li's mind gradually took shape. "Since it's only suspicion, we'll actively release news, mixing truth and lies to make them guess."

"What if Concubine Han doesn't guess and directly attacks you?" That was Feishuang's greatest worry.

"Then find a way to make her pregnant as well!"

"What?!"

Feishuang opened her eyes wide in shock.

Concubine Li comforted her, "Don't worry, I certainly don't have the ability to make her pregnant."

"We both come from the palace, so we naturally know about drugs that can cause symptoms of a false pregnancy."

Reminded, Feishuang immediately recalled an incident in the palace where a false pregnancy was used to compete for the prince's favor.

Her heart inexplicably beat a little faster.

Concubine Li continued explaining, "Even if everyone suspects I'm pregnant, no one knows if I'm one month along or two. If at this time Concubine Han were also pregnant..."

Feishuang caught on immediately, "If she were pregnant, she would either report it to the Prince and immediately be promoted to Secondary Consort. But a false pregnancy is a false pregnancy, and within three or four months it'll be exposed."

"If she also intends to wait until the pregnancy is stable, even if she wants to make a move against you, it would be hard to juggle both."

Concubine Li nodded slightly, "That's exactly the idea."

"If I can get through just one more month, my pregnancy will be stable. Hold out this month, and we'll win."

Feishuang laughed, "Now I'm actually hoping that Concubine Han will 'get pregnant' soon and be promoted to Secondary Consort by the Prince!"

"When it's exposed later, it'll be quite a show."