Chapter 218

Chapter 218

After seeing the Princess Consort take her medicine, Xie Run prepared to leave Qingsong Courtyard.

But just as she stepped outside, she ran into Sui Yu, who served Wan Linlang, came rushing up in a panic. The maid grabbed the old woman guarding the gate and said, "The Sixth Young Master is unwell! Please, ma'am, hurry and report to the Princess Consort—send someone to the palace to summon the imperial physician!"

The gatekeeper knew this was a serious matter and didn't dare delay.

Xie Run watched from the sidelines before speaking up, "If I recall correctly, today is the day Physician Chen is scheduled to take Lady Fang's routine pulse."

"Lady Fang is at Yunbi Pavilion—why come all the way here to get a physician?"

Sui Yu hadn't expected to run into Xie Run outside Qingsong Courtyard, nor had she expected that Lady Xie knew about Lady Fang's scheduled checkup.

Her mistress didn't trust Lady Fang, so the moment the Sixth Young Master fell ill, she sent Sui Yu straight here.

So far, Lady Fang still had no idea.

Naturally, she also didn't know that Physician Chen was due to visit her today and was currently at Songya Courtyard.

Sui Yu cursed inwardly—this was bad.

She stammered, "I... I wouldn't know either."

Xie Run's face darkened. "Surely Concubine Wan didn't keep the Sixth Young Master's illness from Lady Fang?!"

Sui Yu instinctively shot back, "Of course not!"

"So Lady Fang knows he's sick and still won't let a physician see him?!"

"That's not true either!" How could Sui Yu dare to admit such a thing?

This wouldn't hold up under scrutiny. If the blame were shifted onto Lady Fang, she would likely tear both Sui Yu and her mistress apart.

Xie Run frowned.

Since word of the Sixth Young Master's illness had reached her, she couldn't just pretend she didn't know and look the other way.

By the time the maids went in to report to the Princess Consort and went through all the proper channels, who knew whether the Sixth Young Master could hold on.

Xie Run immediately called over a young maid nearby and took a bracelet off her wrist.

"Take this bracelet and find the fastest runner in your courtyard. Tell them to run to Songya Courtyard at once and bring Physician Chen to Yunbi Pavilion to treat the Sixth Young Master."

"This is about the life of the prince's son! If anyone questions you, show them my bracelet!"

The young maid knew how serious this was and replied, "I'll go right away!"

With that, she took off running.

Xie Run had no choice but to head back into Qingsong Courtyard to explain the matter clearly to the Princess Consort.

As for the Sixth Young Master's sudden illness, Xie Run couldn't tell if it was on purpose or an accident.

But Wan Linlang bypassing Fang Yuaner to come to Qingsong Courtyard to request a physician—that had to be deliberate.

Wan Linlang was probably afraid Fang Yuaner would stop her from raising the Sixth Young Master, so the moment something happened to him, she went around Fang Yuaner and quietly sent her maid to Qingsong Courtyard to seek help.

What she didn't know was that Fang Yuaner had a physician available to her.

If she'd told Fang Yuaner first, the Sixth Young Master could've gotten treatment right away.

Wan Linlang's vigilance wasn't wrong—but her mistake was letting her selfish motives delay his treatment.

Now that this has come to light, Wan Linlang's hopes of raising the Sixth Young Master wouldn't be so easy now.

When the Princess Consort heard the news, she had the same reaction as Xie Run.

But she had a hotter temper than Xie Run.

She slammed her bowl down and said with a grim face, "Don't think I don't know what your mistress is scheming!"

"No matter how great her selfish desires, she can't mess with the safety of the prince's children!"

"If the Sixth Young Master's treatment is delayed because of her, neither your life nor your mistress's will be enough to pay for it!"

Sui Yu was so scared she kept begging for mercy.

The Princess Consort then said to Xie Run, "Thank goodness you reacted quickly! You handled that well!"

"When the prince returns, I will certainly report this matter to him and make sure you're properly rewarded!"

Xie Run smiled wryly. "I need no reward—I just hope the Sixth Young Master is all right."

The Princess Consort snapped, "Concubine Wan has gone too far!"

Just then, the Princess Consort suddenly clutched her chest, looking like she might throw up.

Xie Run tactfully said, "Taotao is still in the front courtyard, and I'm worried about him. I won't disturb you any longer."

The Princess Consort waved her hand. "Go on, then."

Leaving Qingsong Courtyard, Dan Tao said with her heart pounding, "The Princess Consort just now... could she be pregnant?"

Xie Run shot her a cold, sharp look. "Don't speak nonsense."

"Yes." Dan Tao immediately caught on.

Xie Run sighed deeply.

She'd thought the prince's household was already chaotic enough before.

Only today did she realize the real chaos hadn't even started.

Returning to her courtyard, she took a sip of tea to calm herself down, then settled her thoughts.

She had run into Qiu Xiang, sent by Fang Yuaner, at Qingsong Courtyard today. Fang Yuaner had likely sensed something but wasn't certain, so she'd specifically sent Qiu Xiang to fish for information.

Now Xie Run was absolutely certain—the Princess Consort was pregnant.

And this was definitely not good news.

It wasn't that Xie Run feared the Princess Consort would have a legitimate son and take away Taotao's inheritance.

Rather, she feared the Princess Consort might die in childbirth, taking the baby with her!

The prince's household was already unstable. If the Princess Consort were to pass, leaving a den of vipers to run wild, Xie Run wasn't confident she could protect herself and Taotao.

And if Prince Jing remarried, who knew what kind of person the new Princess Consort might be.

By then, Xie Run would have to spend the rest of her life at the mercy of the new princess's moods—a daunting prospect indeed.

In the original storyline, the princess became pregnant right around this time.

She had a rough go of it from the start, plagued by all sorts of discomforts early on, with signs of a threatened miscarriage.

She started bed rest and precautions at three months, but at five months, she suddenly hemorrhaged badly. Both she and the baby died—and tragically, this happened right after Prince Jing was made Crown Prince.

It stirred up quite a bit of upheaval in and out of the court.

Even though things are playing out very differently this time around, the princess still got pregnant right on cue.

Fang Yuaner and Wan Linlang are probably both wondering whether the princess's pregnancy will go the same way as last time.

Xie Run, however, knows that unless the princess gets rid of the baby early, the only ending waiting for her is death for both mother and child!