Chapter 112

Chapter 112

Prince Jing returned to the manor before nightfall, his expression far from pleasant.

Whether something had happened in the palace, or he'd heard about the manor's affairs, he was clearly displeased.

The moment he saw the Princess, Prince Jing said, "Shi An already told me what happened in the manor."

"Have Jing Wu handle the interrogation. Don't hold back on the methods."

This meant he was authorizing the use of private punishment.

Jing Wu accepted the task and went off to handle it.

Prince Jing then asked, "Where's Wan Shi?"

The Princess replied, "She's still locked in the side room of Xiachi Courtyard."

"Perfect. I'll go to Xiachi Courtyard and settle this all at once!"

With that, he headed to Xiachi Courtyard with the Princess in tow.

Prince Jing first went to see Fang Yuaner.

After going through a life-and-death ordeal, Fang Yuaner was extremely weak, her face drained of all color.

Still, she forced herself to sit up to receive Prince Jing.

As Prince Jing entered the room, his gaze landed on the swaddled baby beside Fang Yuaner.

Seeing the small, frail child, he couldn't help but furrow his thick brows.

Fang Yuaner said weakly, "The child was born early, but he weighs five jin. With good care, he'll grow up healthy."

Prince Jing looked at her, his expression unreadable, and simply said, "The Princess told me you went through great hardship during this birth. You should rest up and not overdo it."

Fang Yuaner seemed utterly fragile, and she said with effort, "I have an audacious request, and I hope the Prince will grant it."

"What request?"

"I wish to nurse the child myself."

Prince Jing said, "That won't do!"

"You're a Shu Fei—how could you act as a wet nurse?"

If word of this got out, Prince Jing would be a laughingstock.

Fang Yuaner stayed calm and explained slowly, "My Lord, I specifically asked the imperial physician, and he said a mother's first milk can make a child healthier."

"This child was born early, so his body can't compare to other children's. I don't care what others say—I want to nurse him myself so he grows up strong."

Fang Yuaner's eyes were pleading. "My Lord, could you let me try nursing him for two months?"

"He's the child I gave birth to at the cost of half my life. I only want what's best for him. I'm willing to bear any hardship myself, and I absolutely don't want him to suffer at all."

Prince Jing gazed at the frail baby in the swaddling clothes. The thought that the child might not survive bothered him too.

Seeing Fang Yuaner's devoted motherly heart, he couldn't help but soften a little.

"Fine, try nursing him for a while."

"But keep a wet nurse on standby, just in case something happens."

Fang Yuaner cried tears of joy. "Of course!"

"I want to arrange everything perfectly for him—how could I not be fully prepared?"

After getting permission, Fang Yuaner's complexion improved noticeably.

She then brought up another matter. "My Lord, would you like to name the child?"

Fang Yuaner knew that both of Ning Cefei's sons and Shufei Yun's Princess Ruyi had been named by Prince Jing himself.

Her child naturally couldn't be any less favored.

But Prince Jing looked down at the baby in the swaddling clothes and only said after a long pause, "No rush on a name. You can give him a nickname for now."

Speaking of which, Prince Jing brought up another matter.

"The child is weak, so we'll skip the third-day bathing ceremony. We'll have a combined celebration at the one-month mark."

Fang Yuaner nodded. "The Prince has thought of everything."

The fact that Prince Jing hadn't named the child still disappointed Fang Yuaner a bit.

She knew Prince Jing was afraid the child might not survive.

Seeing how frail the child looked, her heart ached, and she said, "I'll give him a nickname—how about Zhuangzhuang?"

Prince Jing nodded. "Handle these matters as you see fit."

"I'm going to interrogate Wan Shi now. Since you're not well, just send two maidservants to relay what happened."

Fang Yuaner's gaze sharpened. She knew Wan Linlang was in for it, but she wouldn't show a petty side now.

She just glanced at Qiu Xiang and Qiu Kui, who were attending her. "You two go."

"Just clearly state what happened that night, one thing at a time."

The two maidservants bowed and took their leave.

As Prince Jing was about to leave, Fang Yuaner suddenly called out, "My Lord, please wait!"

Prince Jing turned back to look at her.

Fang Yuaner seemed to have made a big decision. With a single look, she sent Qiu Xiang and Qiu Kui away.

She tugged at Prince Jing's sleeve and lowered her voice. "My Lord, when I gave birth to the Third Young Master, I had a dream."

Prince Jing's expression stayed calm. "What dream?"

Fang Yuaner's eyes were full of terror, mixed with confusion. "I dreamed that a palace carved with a nine-tailed luan bird suddenly collapsed."

"The luan bird was crushed under the ruins, its crown and feathers stripped off..."

Fang Yuaner looked at Prince Jing, her face pale. "I was terrified. I knew it was bad luck to speak of this dream, but I couldn't help telling you, my Lord."

Prince Jing's gaze was dark and deep. "It's just a dream. But there are some highly disrespectful things in it—watch your tongue and don't speak of it carelessly."

Fang Yuaner nodded eagerly, "I understand the gravity of it, how would I dare say anything rash? I would only dare to tell you, Your Highness, and would never leak a single word to anyone else."

Prince Jing only advised her, "Focus on resting and recovering your health. You bear me sons and daughters, and I won't let you suffer for it."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Fang Yuaner thanked him weakly, gasping for breath.

As he left, Prince Jing found himself thinking of Fang Yuaner's words.

A palace adorned with carvings of nine-tailed phoenixes collapsed?

Could it be the Empress's Fengqi Palace?

No!

A shadow fell over Prince Jing's eyes.

Inside the imperial palace, besides the Empress, there was one other person whose palace bore carvings of nine-tailed phoenixes.

At the time, this had sparked quite a stir of controversy both in court and among the public.

That person was — Chen Consort!

Prince Jing didn't pay much mind to Fang Yuaner's dream; he just filed it away in his mind, not taking it seriously.

When he left, he also didn't mention lifting Fang Yuaner's house arrest.

Clearly, his feelings for her were not what they once were.

When he reached the main hall, someone dragged Wan Linlang forward, her hair in disarray.

As soon as Wan Linlang appeared, she threw herself before Prince Jing and cried out for justice.

"Your Highness, I'm innocent!"

"I never pushed Shufei Fang — she lost her footing and fell on her own!"

"I was resting in my own courtyard when Shufei Fang sent someone to find me in the middle of the night, insisting her pregnancy was unstable and wanting me to come check on her."