Chapter 123

Chapter 123

Prince Jing: "The more these people envy you, the more I want to reward you!"

He was mulling over what fine gifts to give Xie Run.

It was customary for concubines to receive rewards after giving birth, but what was given, and how much, was entirely up to Prince Jing's whim.

For a moment, Prince Jing wished he could fling open the treasury and let Xie Run pick anything she wanted.

Of course, that thought only lasted a second.

The Princess was still around, and she ran everything in the inner court.

Prince Jing couldn't just do whatever he wanted.

Prince Jing looked down and asked, "Suisui, what reward do you want?"

Only then did he realize Xie Run had dozed off in his arms at some point.

Her thick, curled lashes fluttered slightly, still wet with unshed tears.

Her delicate, pretty face was pale and worn out, enough to make anyone's heart ache.

Thinking back to what Xie Run had told him, Prince Jing could already picture how dangerous her labor had been.

After barely making it through childbirth, she'd still dragged her exhausted self to explain things to him.

The more he thought about it, the more he couldn't help feeling sorry for Xie Run.

That night, Prince Jing slept in Spring Mountain Court.

Early the next morning, Xie Run had just woken up when she saw Dan Tao standing there with a serious look.

Xie Run: "What's wrong?"

Dan Tao said, "My lady, His Highness stayed in our courtyard last night and skipped court this morning. The Princess's people came for him at dawn."

"The Princess never calls someone from a concubine's place without a good reason..." Xie Run said calmly. "Looks like whoever's behind this has made their move."

"I saw this coming."

Since they'd already dug up the thing with Fang Huaian, they wouldn't just use it to scare Xie Run.

Having Fang Huaian show up and cause a scene during her labor was just the first move.

The second move would probably be to expose Xie Run's connection to Fang Huaian inside the inner court, telling everyone they'd been carrying on in secret!

If this got confirmed, even if Prince Jing didn't punish Xie Run, it would leave a thorn stuck in his heart.

With that thorn in his heart, Prince Jing could never keep spoiling Xie Run like he used to.

Even if it wasn't confirmed, rumors would stir up trouble in the inner court, and gossip would spread like wildfire.

Words get twisted and changed once they start going around.

No matter how much Prince Jing favored Xie Run, he couldn't stand hearing rumors about her and another man every single day.

These two moves had to be pulled back-to-back to work best.

Step after step—this was clearly meant to push Xie Run to her death!

If Xie Run hadn't caught on beforehand, she wouldn't stand a chance.

With that thought, Xie Run's eyes turned cold. "Don't get worked up. Just tell me what happened first."

Dan Tao lowered her head, a bitter taste creeping into her mouth.

Dan Tao: "This morning, someone was hanging around the mansion gate. The guards grabbed her, and she said she was a maid who'd served you since you were little, begging you to save her."

"As soon as they brought her to Green Pine Court, she blabbed everything about your past with that man."

Xie Run's brows knitted slightly, and she said coolly, "Chunxing?"

Dan Tao nodded.

Xie Run laughed out of sheer anger. "Impressive."

"They even managed to dig up that little maid who was sold off almost a year ago!"

Chunxing was the maid who'd served Xie Run since she was a kid.

Chunxing was the one who'd played messenger between the original mistress and Fang Huaian.

After the original mistress was dragged out of the water, the Xie family had Chunxing sold off through a broker.

Now that the other side wanted to prove the "affair" between Xie Run and Fang Huaian, Chunxing—the maid who'd served Xie Run since childhood—was way too useful.

Xie Run leaned back on the bed. "Last night I already told His Highness everything and denied the thing with Fang Huaian, saying it was just rumors."

"You just need to stick to denying it. They've got no proof."

"Even if Chunxing talks till the cows come home, without proof, His Highness won't buy it."

Dan Tao said seriously, "I know what to do!"

When they got to Green Pine Court, Prince Jing and the Princess were both sitting at the head of the room.

After Dan Tao bowed, Mama Li, who served the Princess, spoke up: "Miss Dan Tao, you came into this mansion with your mistress."

"Take a look—do you know this person?"

Dan Tao stepped in for a closer look and instantly recognized Chunxing kneeling on the floor.

She'd originally served the old madam and was a few years older than Chunxing, so she'd seen the girl plenty of times.

Dan Tao bowed calmly. "To answer Your Highnesses, I recognize her."

"She's Chunxing, a maid who used to serve my mistress. But she once talked my mistress into running away from home, which nearly got her drowned in the lake. That's why the eldest master sold her off."

Chunxing, who'd been cowering with her head down, suddenly looked up and yelled, "You're lying!"

"It was the second young lady who wanted to run off with Master Fang! When he didn't show, she jumped into the lake out of shame and rage!"

"The eldest master was afraid the second young lady's scandal would wreck her shot at becoming a concubine in the prince's mansion, so he sold me off!"

Dan Tao gave Chunxing a cold stare.

"Looks like the eldest madam was right—you've always had a nasty streak, never meant well from the get-go."

"Back then, she was trouble at home, setting the young ladies against each other, pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. Later, she even talked the mistress into running away, and now she comes all this way just to drag my mistress's name through the mud!"

At the Xie house, Dan Tao had once served the old lady and was a few years older than Chunxing.

When Chunxing ran into her, she would have to respectfully call her "big sister."

Now, having been a head maid at Chunshan Court for a good while, Dan Tao had built up an imposing presence, and with her air of authority, she instantly cowed Chunxing.

Dan Tao knew that in moments like this, you had to win through sheer force of presence.

She kept pressing, firing off accusations: "You were never any good to begin with—who would believe a word you say?!"

"With just a few empty words, you sling mud on someone that can never be washed clean, destroying who knows how many lives."

"And you, coming from a thousand miles away, just to accuse my mistress of having an affair—what good does that do you?"

"Or did someone promise you a reward?!"

"Otherwise, who gave you the nerve to do something that could get you killed?!"

By the end, Dan Tao's voice was sharp and stern: "Confess everything right now!"

Chunxing was so scared she nearly jumped out of her skin.

Without thinking, she stammered: "I didn't! I swear I didn't mean to hurt anyone!"

"It's just..."

"Just what?" Dan Tao kept pressing. "Who sent you?"

"What did she tell you to do?!"

"Did she promise to save your skin? Do you realize that what you've done is a capital crime that will drag your whole family down with you?!"

"Do you really think whoever's behind you can protect you?!"

Right then, Dan Tao knew she had already gained the upper hand in this conversation.

Fortunately, there was no need to pay respects today, and no Shu Fei, the concubine, had come to the Princess's Qingsong Court.

Otherwise, a few words from them stirring the pot would have made things worse.

Chunxing could only tremble and protest weakly: "I'm not lying—the Second Miss definitely had an affair with Master Fang!"

Dan Tao asked calmly, "Let me ask you—you claim the mistress had a thing with Master Fang. Where's your proof?!"

Chunxing, as if she'd been given a lifeline, pulled out several handkerchiefs and a few letters from inside her clothes.

She said excitedly, "I have letters the Second Miss and Master Fang wrote to each other back then! And the handkerchief she gave him!"

"These are all evidence! I swear I'm not lying!"

Little did she know, Prince Jing and the Princess, watching from above, had cold looks on their faces, with not a trace of emotion in their eyes.