Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Xie Run: "That depends on what Prince Jing finds out."

"Such a formidable person is not easy for ordinary people to win over."

Just as Xie Run wanted a bodyguard skilled in martial arts and medicine, only Prince Jing could arrange someone for her.

"I'm afraid it's someone Concubine Ning left for her!"

"Even in death, she won't let things rest!"

Dan Tao rarely felt such disgust toward a deceased person, but Concubine Ning had successfully incurred countless curses from beyond the grave.

Speaking of this, Dan Tao brought up another matter: "Mistress, Suijin has been transferred out of the Xiuyue Pavilion and is now guarding the courtyard at Dongxue Yuan."

"She sent someone to deliver a message to you the other day, saying she's much better now and is very satisfied with her post at Dongxue Yuan, but she could not thank you in person."

Suijin had secretly relayed the message to Xie Run.

Xie Run had used some influence through the Princess Consort to get Suijin transferred.

This was all done covertly, not in the open, so naturally Suijin couldn't openly come to thank Xie Run.

"No need for thanks; just let her do her job well at Dongxue Yuan. I'm afraid her new mistress will soon move in there."

Dan Tao's eyes lit up. "Mistress, do you mean Prince Jing will promote Concubine Li to Secondary Consort?"

"It's a done deal; what's there to question?" Xie Run said calmly.

Prince Jing himself had said that whichever one of Concubine Han and Concubine Li became pregnant first would be promoted to Secondary Consort.

Now that Concubine Han's false pregnancy had been exposed and she was demoted to a commoner, the Secondary Consort position she had taken would naturally go back to Concubine Li.

Dan Tao: "But I see it's been two weeks, and Prince Jing hasn't mentioned it?"

Xie Run picked up a book from the side and flipped through it casually, smiling. "Silly Dan Tao, it's precisely because Prince Jing wants to protect Concubine Li that he deliberately hasn't brought it up."

"Concubine Li took that fall and jeopardized her pregnancy. If she were promoted to Secondary Consort now, she'd surely become a target for others' envy."

"By not mentioning the promotion, everyone ignores Concubine Li's existence, allowing her to rest and care for the baby in peace."

It was fortunate that Concubine Li was already three months pregnant and the pregnancy was stable.

Otherwise, that fall would have caused her to lose the child.

Prince Jing's deliberate neglect of the promotion also showed that he didn't truly care for Concubine Li.

If Concubine Li were cherished, there would be no need for such caution; he would do whatever was best for her openly.

A man's likes and dislikes are always straightforward.

Xie Run said knowingly, "In a few more days, when the household is calmer, I figure we'll have a new Secondary Consort Li."

The two didn't know that the decision to postpone the promotion wasn't Prince Jing's idea, but the Princess Consort's suggestion.

Prince Jing didn't care for Concubine Li, so he wouldn't think much about her needs.

His reasoning was simple.

He made a promise, so he'd keep it.

As for whether Concubine Li becoming a Secondary Consort would make her a target and cause her to miscarry, Prince Jing couldn't care less.

He gave what he owed. If Concubine Li couldn't protect her child, that was her failure.

And he would never care for an incompetent person.

It was the Princess Consort who made the arrangements for Concubine Li, convincing Prince Jing to postpone the promotion.

But because of this, Prince Jing realized that Concubine Li had likely sided with the Princess Consort.

Well... he didn't care for the Princess Consort, nor did he care for Concubine Li, so it didn't matter much.

Since Suijin had been brought up, Dan Tao couldn't help but ask about Wan Linlang's attempt to frame Xie Run.

"Now that the trouble has passed, Mistress, should you tell Prince Jing what Suijin said?" Dan Tao explained, "I was thinking of how you warned Concubine Li before and also told Prince Jing."

Xie Run shook her head slowly. "Dan Tao, do you really think the trouble has passed?"

Dan Tao was taken aback, unsure how to respond.

Two weeks had passed since Princess Ruyi's birthday, so she figured the trouble was over.

But her mistress's words clearly indicated it wasn't.

Xie Run smiled warmly. "The matter of Zhishui Fang was ultimately blamed on Concubine Han, but how many people were implicated?"

"Secondary Consort Yun, Concubine An, Concubine Li, Concubine Wan, Concubine Lu... and me."

In fact, aside from the Princess Consort and the grounded Fang Yuaner, almost every other concubine in the household was involved to some degree.

She asked seriously, "Do you think Prince Jing has any reason to believe I'm innocent?"

"If he believes I'm innocent, then he'd likely believe Secondary Consort Yun, Concubine An, and the others are innocent too."

"But among these people, no one knows who is truly innocent and who is not."

Most importantly, Prince Jing wouldn't trust anyone!

"Bringing this up would only drag us deeper into the mess, circling around and getting more entangled."

Xie Run said calmly, "I am Prince Jing's concubine. My role isn't to constantly tell him how innocent I am."

"What I need to do is ensure I don't trouble him and serve him well."

"Bearing children and staying in my place—that's what I should be doing."

The fiercer the household's conflicts, the clearer Xie Run's mind became.

Dan Tao was enlightened by her words. "I was too fixated on appearances."

As they chatted in the room, Xie Run heard sounds of play outside and knew the maids were having a snowball fight.

In winter, with nothing else to do, they had to amuse themselves.

Yueya'er said enthusiastically, "Mistress, you're heavy with child and can't go out easily. I've picked some plum blossoms to put in a vase for you. What do you think?"

Xie Run gave a gentle smile, her peach blossom eyes warm with laughter, making her look even more gentle and elegant. "Beautiful!"

After Yueya'er eagerly found some plum blossoms for Xie Run to put in a vase, Xie Run suddenly asked Dan Tao, "It seems the Prince hasn't been around in a while."

Dan Tao thought for a moment. "Since the twentieth of the first lunar month, the snow has been falling heavier and heavier, and the Prince has been getting busier."

"At first, he would come every two or three days, but this time..." Dan Tao counted on her fingers, "it's been five days since he last came to Spring Mountain Courtyard."

Dan Tao didn't know much about politics or the people's hardships, but she could tell from what the young maids were saying that a big snow disaster was likely this year.

"Just like you said, mistress, the Prince's work is getting more and more demanding."

Xie Run said, "Didn't the small kitchen just make some fish soup? Send someone to take it to the front courtyard for the Prince."

"If the Prince is busy with work, just drop off the soup and come back. If he's not busy and asks about you, say I got some new plum blossoms and I'm enjoying them."

Dan Tao quietly glanced at the vase on Xie Run's table.

The slender white porcelain vase held three or four plum blossom branches—pretty, sure.

But "admiring plum blossoms"... that was a bit of a stretch.

Dan Tao thought for a second. "Mistress, are we just sending the soup?"

"I heard Shufei Yun, Shufei Fang, and Shiqie Wan all sent soup too. If we just send soup, it might not get noticed."

Xie Run said, "...Put the newly carved seal in the food box and send it over."

"If the Prince asks, say I was bored and wanted to paint, but when I got the seal out, I got lazy, tossed it aside, and it accidentally ended up in the box."

Xie Run added, "If he doesn't ask, don't bring it up!"

Dan Tao: "...Yes."

Wasn't her mistress's explanation a bit too perfunctory?

The Prince was clever and wise; surely he wouldn't fall for her mistress's trick, would he?

Dan Tao thought this to herself but still hurried to make the arrangements.

Xie Run sighed, "I'm probably going to be called a seductress even more now."

But let them curse.

At least she had gained favor; she had to allow others to be jealous, right?

Sure enough, when Prince Jing received the fish soup, he didn't have much reaction.

He wasn't busy with official duties at the moment, just tired and lazing around in the study.

As soon as Shi An mentioned that someone had sent soup, Prince Jing was silent for a long while before saying, "Refuse them all from now on. Three deliveries in one morning—do they really take me for a water barrel?"

Eunuch Shi'an said with an apologetic smile, "I was about to refuse, but since it was sent by Lady Xie, I didn't dare to make the decision on my own."

Prince Jing said, "...Isn't the soup sent by Shufei Xie still soup?"

Even if it were sent by a celestial being, he couldn't drink any more.