Chapter 119

Chapter 119

That person had refused Xie Run's invitation to elope, and afterward was sent by his family to the academy on the direct line of the Xie clan.

He sat for the autumn imperial examination alongside Xie Jing, but failed and went back to his hometown.

Originally, he planned to shut himself away there to study hard in preparation for the next exam.

But when Xie Jing sent people to check up on him, this person had vanished.

The moment Xie Run heard this, all her internal alarms went off.

At this time, she only had Dan Tao by her side.

Xie Run: "This person's disappearance might not be targeting me! But I have to be on guard!"

Dan Tao was also on edge.

She knew that if rumors spread now, it wouldn't just ruin Xie Run's reputation—if it made her labor difficult, both mother and child could die!

Thinking of this, Dan Tao quickly asked, "Mistress, what should we do?"

"Things outside the residence are out of our hands..."

Knowing the hidden danger existed, Xie Run stayed surprisingly calm.

"Don't worry."

"Since it's outside the residence, let people outside handle it."

Xie Run thought that in Xie Jiang's script, Xie Jing could become Prime Minister—surely he could handle something like this.

Moreover, from what he wrote in his letter, she could tell Xie Jing was actually capable.

"I'll write a letter right away asking Big Brother to help find this person—we have to track him down!"

When Xie Jing received the message, he offered a suggestion.

"If this person intends to cause trouble, he will surely show up at the Prince's mansion."

"Why not station some people to keep watch at the entrance? If they spot anyone familiar, they can deal with them early!"

Xie Run agreed immediately, leaving it all to Xie Jing.

After handling all of this, it felt like she had won a big victory, and Xie Run slept more peacefully.

On the day of Princess Duanjing and Fourth Young Master's one-month celebration, Xie Run sent gifts ahead of time, and immediately after, she went into labor.

The people of Chunshan Courtyard were all ready, each taking their positions and working hard.

Prince Jing was still working at the Ministry of Revenue.

When the Princess Consort received the news, she sent someone to inform the Ministry of Revenue, then brought her attendants to Chunshan Courtyard to oversee things.

Seeing that Chunshan Courtyard was already well-organized and everything was proceeding in an orderly manner, the Princess Consort was content to sit back.

Xie Run went into labor after breakfast. During the early stage when the contractions weren't too intense, she walked back and forth in the delivery room while holding her belly.

The maidservants had learned many new things during this period and knew their mistress was doing this to make labor easier, so they didn't try to stop her.

After an hour, Xie Run couldn't take it anymore and lay down on the bed.

Just as Xie Run heard the midwife announce she was fully dilated, Yueya'er suddenly entered.

She whispered in Xie Run's ear, "Mistress, Fang Huaian really did show up at the Prince's mansion!"

Xie Run's eyes went wide.

Yueya'er quickly added, "But he was already intercepted by the people the eldest young master sent in advance!"

"Should we send word to the eldest young master?"

Xie Run let out a long breath. Though her body ached, she kept her composure.

She grasped Yueya'er's hand, "If he dares to come to the Prince's mansion, someone must be pulling the strings."

"Right now, that person has probably arranged for others to be watching secretly!"

"The more we do, the easier it is for them to catch us slipping up!"

"Keep everyone in the courtyard in line, just pretend we know nothing about this. We'll deal with it after I give birth."

Having experienced many things in the residence, Yueya'er had become more and more level-headed.

Yueya'er: "Then I'll make sure to keep an eye on everyone in the courtyard!"

Hearing that the threat of Fang Huaian had been temporarily resolved, Xie Run felt completely relieved and focused on giving birth.

But she was being too optimistic.

Everyone in the rear courtyard of Prince Jing's mansion was a real piece of work.

Since they were prepared to target Xie Run, they wouldn't stop at just one scheme.

At the crucial moment of Xie Run's labor, a young maidservant suddenly yelled from outside.

"Mistress, terrible news! The head of our family has fallen from his horse and broken his leg!"

Xie Run, who was almost passed out from the pain, was briefly confused.

Who is the head of the family?

What is this shouting about?

Dan Tao, who was helping with the delivery, turned pale and immediately bolted out the door, shouting, "Who was just speaking at the door?!"

Chun Juan, who had been guarding the door, managed to catch the person and dragged her back, saying indignantly, "Sister Dan Tao, it's this little brat!"

Dan Tao: "Throw her into the woodshed for now, have someone keep an eye on her, and we'll deal with her after the mistress gives birth!"

"Yes!" Chun Juan clenched her fists, grinding her teeth in anger.

"Coming to cause trouble at the crucial moment of the mistress's labor—you're as good as dead!"

On the fourth day of the fourth month, at the start of the You hour (around 5 PM), Xie Run successfully gave birth to a boy.

The moment the child let out a wail, it echoed through the whole delivery room.

Even the Princess Consort waiting in the main hall heard it.

The midwife holding the child couldn't help but praise, "Fifth Young Master's got a set of lungs on him—shows he's healthy and strong."

Another midwife chimed in, "And look at that thick hair—he's clearly destined for good fortune."

The household had already produced three scrawny, kitten-like kids in a row, so finally bringing a sturdy boy into the world meant they'd be handsomely rewarded.

She started to carry the baby over to Xie Run.

Xie Run, completely spent, only let out a breath when she saw the baby's tiny face.

"Thank you, ladies. Dan Tao, give the midwives double the reward."

"They've worked hard—have the maids look after them, and make sure they're well taken care of."

The two midwives grinned ear to ear and quickly thanked her.

Once they left, Dan Tao seized the chance to ask Xie Run, "Mistress, what should we do with that little wench who disrupted your labor?"

"Disrupted?" Xie Run blinked, only just remembering the maid who'd been yelling.

It took her a second to realize the "Old Master" the maid was shouting about was her own father.

When Xie Run stayed quiet, Dan Tao figured she didn't know what to do yet.

Dan Tao gritted her teeth. "That rotten little wench!"

"Screaming that stuff while you're in labor—she clearly wanted to make you have a hard birth!"

"The Old Master's way off in Chen Commandery—even if something really happened, news couldn't get here that fast."

"Running in to yell like that—she's probably in cahoots with whoever sent Fang Huaian, all to mess with your labor!"

"Good thing you kept your cool, Mistress, and didn't let that little wretch get to you!"

Xie Run didn't bother saying she hadn't even clocked who the Old Master was.

Even if she'd known it was her dad, it wouldn't have fazed her one bit.

It wasn't that she was calm—it was that she had zero connection to this body's biological father.

Xie Run said, "You're probably right. I suspect both groups are the work of the same person."

"I'll have someone question that maid right now!"

"Not so fast." Xie Run's brow was heavy with exhaustion. "She's a small matter. The real danger to us is Fang Huaian."

"If they managed to sneak Fang Huaian into the capital, they must know about what went down between him and me back then."

"If they pull some scheme in front of the Prince and spin the story, my position could be in real danger."

She'd just given birth, so Xie Run was already wiped out. But with these people not letting up, she had to push through.

"Don't rush it either. I think I can handle the Prince."

"We're just missing witnesses and proof."

Dan Tao immediately understood, "I'll find a way to get a message to the Eldest Young Master!"

Xie Run nodded, "Tell my brother to start with the Fang family—ideally someone close to Fang Huaian. See if we can dig anything up."