Chapter 151

Chapter 151

As they walked, Xie Run suddenly said, "Hasn't Concubine Li been pregnant for more than ten months now?"

Concubine Lu replied, "She's been getting ready to give birth for a while, but there's been no sign of labor. If you count it properly, it really has been more than ten months."

"Her pregnancy is pretty unusual."

The other women in the household who had been pregnant all delivered ahead of schedule.

But with Concubine Li, even after ten full months, there was no sign of labor. Plenty of people thought it was odd.

Concubine Lu didn't know why Xie Run suddenly brought up Concubine Li.

Actually, Xie Run had only mentioned it offhand when she passed by the entrance of Chunshan Courtyard and saw Qingzhu Courtyard not far away.

After speaking, a sudden idea hit her.

"I think I've figured out why Concubine Wan and Concubine Lian are such good friends."

Concubine Lu was startled, her eyes widening in surprise.

"Let's talk about it once we're inside."

Concubine Lu followed Xie Run into Chunshan Courtyard.

After the maids brought the tea, Concubine Lu asked curiously, "Sister Xie, why would Wan Linlang be nice to Concubine Lian out of nowhere?"

"Today I went into the private room to visit Concubine Lian, and Wan Linlang was attending to her with great care—completely genuine, no sign of faking it."

"I bet it's not just us—everyone's confused."

Concubine Lu didn't believe for a moment that Wan Linlang was being so good to Concubine Lian just because they were in the same boat or out of pity.

Xie Run said slowly, "Perhaps she has her eye on the child in Concubine Lian's belly."

Concubine Lu was shocked, then it clicked.

"She isn't favored by the prince, and her status isn't high enough. She's just waiting around in the household—the prince probably doesn't come to her bed even once a year. She'll never get ahead in this life."

"But if she gets her hands on a child, first, she can use it to win the prince's favor, and second, she'll have someone to lean on in the future... That's actually a brilliant idea!"

For a moment, Concubine Lu couldn't help feeling a twinge of envy.

Wasn't the greatest hope for women like them—concubines—to have a child to take care of them later in life?

She was just too scared to even think like that, unlike Wan Linlang.

Xie Run's expression was calm, but her words were cold as ice: "If that's the case, then the day the child is born will be the day Concubine Lian is done for!"

Concubine Lu felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She broke out in a cold sweat all over.

"How... how would she have the nerve?"

"She would." Xie Run said flatly, with absolute confidence.

Murder—when had Concubine Wan ever been afraid of that?

Inside Songya Courtyard, Concubine Lian had no idea of Wan Linlang's plans.

When the princess was questioning Concubine Jiang, she had been sleeping in the bedroom at the back.

All of Concubine Jiang's humiliating words had reached her ears.

She lay in bed, tears streaming down her face.

Only after everyone had dispersed and Wan Linlang came in to see her did she dare to cry openly.

Wan Linlang's brow furrowed in concern as she gently comforted Concubine Lian.

"You just had a scare with the baby—you can't cry like this."

"You shouldn't have taken to heart a word of what Concubine Jiang said!"

"The prince and princess haven't said anything—who would dare badmouth the child in your belly?!"

Concubine Lian gripped Wan Linlang's hand, sobbing pitifully: "Dear sister, I know you're the only one in this household who truly cares for me!"

"I don't want to hear those words, but today Concubine Jiang said them in front of everyone in the household. Even if the prince proves my innocence later, my child and I will still be haunted by rumors and slander for the rest of our lives!"

She sobbed, her heart breaking: "Who's born wanting to end up in a brothel?"

"Back then, my family was strapped for cash and sold me into one. I grew up being beaten and yelled at. By luck, I met the prince, entered the household, and got my freedom. I thought I finally had hope for the rest of my life."

"Who would've thought—the princess, being the head wife, never tormented me, and the other sisters all treated me with smiles. But I had to come across this black-hearted, poisonous woman!"

"I came to the prince pure and clean—but she's dragged my name through the mud, and I'll never be able to hold my head up for the rest of my life!"

Concubine Lian thought of how she and her child would never escape the word "lowly," and felt utterly hopeless, darkness before her eyes.

She said despairingly: "Am I just destined to suffer and struggle, not even worthy of living like an ordinary person?"

Wan Linlang frowned slightly and scolded her in a low voice: "Don't think like that!"

"She's just jealous of you!"

Concubine Lian was taken aback.

Wan Linlang said softly: "Don't let Concubine Jiang's words cloud your judgment."

"If I'm being honest, not just Concubine Jiang—even I envy you."

Concubine Lian smiled bitterly: "Sister, why say such things to comfort me? How could I compare to you all?"

Even a lowly female physician, as long as she hadn't been tainted by a dirty reputation, counted as a respectable woman.

Wan Linlang had entered the household because of her merit in treating the plague.

Looking around the entire household, Concubine Lian felt she was the lowest of all, which was why she didn't dare say a word when Concubine Jiang bullied her.

Wan Linlang said: "I'm not comforting you."

"Once you've entered the household and become a concubine, we're all the same."

"In the prince's household, who can compare in birth to the prince and princess? To secure your place, first you rely on the prince's favor, second on bearing children—birth is the least important thing!"

"Concubine Jiang has a high birth? But she's harmed you terribly. Just wait until the prince returns—she won't be allowed to be so smug anymore."

“What you don’t know is how much I, with neither favor nor children, envy you.”

Concubine Lian, comforted by her words, felt much better.

She gently took Wan Linlang’s hand. “Sister Wan, you treat me with such sincerity, I will never forget it.”

“If you hadn’t shown up in time today, my baby and I would have died!”

“Now I promise you, this baby I’m carrying will also be your child. If he grows up and ever dares to not treat you as his own mother, then I’ll have given birth to him for nothing!”

“That’s still a long way off.” Wan Linlang didn’t seem the least bit bothered, tucking Concubine Lian’s hand under the blanket and speaking softly: “For now, just rest and get your strength back. Just wait and see what happens to Cefei Jiang!”

“She’s done so many terrible things; she’s bound to get what she deserves!”

Concubine Lian nodded, tears in her eyes, looking at Wan Linlang with gratitude and admiration.

“I’ll listen to you, sister, and take good care of my pregnancy.”

Everything happened just as Xie Run had predicted.

During her previous confinement, Cefei Jiang could still stir up trouble from time to time, but this time she was completely quiet.

Concubine Lu would occasionally drop by Xie Run’s place, bringing news from her old maidservant friends to pass along.

“I heard the Princess Consort has guards posted at the door, not letting Cefei Jiang step out of her room.”

“On the first day, Cefei Jiang was so furious she smashed all the porcelain in her room and yelled for a good long while. The Princess Consort had it cleaned up and stopped sending supplies to Songya Courtyard. Now she’s living in an empty room!”

“Last time she smashed the main kitchen twice in a row, thoroughly offending them. Now the kitchen staff are tampering with her meals. I heard the food sent to Songya Courtyard these past two days has been spoiled.”

Xie Run: “The day before yesterday, on my way back from paying respects to the Princess Consort, I overheard someone muttering that quite a few rats and stray cats had appeared in Cefei Jiang’s room. They wanted someone to deal with it, but no one paid any attention.”