Chapter 235

Chapter 235

Xie Run and Fang Yuaner had been keeping an eye on Wan Linlang all along.

The moment Wan Linlang and Hua Shufei met in the small garden, their words fell into the ears of both women.

After listening, Xie Run smiled and said, "So Wan Linlang is resorting to open schemes now?"

"Her words may be harsh, but they're the truth. I'm afraid Hua Shufei has taken them to heart and will stir up some trouble."

Xiaoshu asked, "Milady, shall we have someone keep an eye on Hua Shufei?"

"Keep an eye on her. I can't predict what she'll do given how her mind works."

As long as Huayu didn't set her sights on Xie Run, Xie Run wouldn't say anything more.

Fang Yuaner reacted the same way.

After getting burned repeatedly lately, she'd learned her lesson and stopped acting rashly, just having people keep tabs on Wan Linlang and Huayu.

"Hua Shufei aside, Wan Linlang's outright instigation is totally out of character for her. Is she cooking up some scheme again?"

"When things are out of the ordinary, there's usually something fishy going on. Keep an even closer eye on her!"

Unexpectedly, for the next few days, Huayu and Wan Linlang stayed perfectly quiet.

That just made everyone even more suspicious.

On the day the new Sun Cefei entered the residence, both Fang Yuaner and Jiang Baobao, though under house arrest, were given special permission to leave their courtyards.

Xie Run got the chance to meet the new Sun Cefei—she was indeed a soft, lovely woman.

She wasn't drop-dead gorgeous, but she had a gentle, graceful air—the kind of timeless elegance that turned heads.

She was exactly what everyone pictured when they thought of a legitimate daughter of the Duke's household.

At the banquet, Jiang Baobao—who'd been looking a bit off—took a sip of wine and suddenly gagged.

She was sitting right beside Xie Run, startling Xiaoshu, who instinctively threw herself in front of Xie Run, thinking Jiang Baobao was up to something.

Hua Shufei asked, all wide-eyed and innocent, "Sister Jiang, did you eat something bad? Why are you throwing up all of a sudden?"

The Princess Consort, seated at the head of the table, glanced over casually and asked, "Shufei Jiang, what's the matter with you?"

Jiang Baobao, dropping her usual haughty act, lowered her head with a touch of bashfulness and said softly, "Your Highness, this concubine's monthly flow hasn't come this month. I think I might be pregnant."

The Princess Consort raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Pregnant, are you?"

She said with a knowing smile, "What a coincidence—today of all days, when Sun Cefei enters the residence, you find out you're pregnant. How... doubly fortunate."

Fang Yuaner set down her chopsticks and dabbed her mouth with a handkerchief before speaking. "Not pregnant before, not pregnant after, but pregnant exactly now—seems Sister Jiang and the new Cefei are destined to be close."

"You two should keep in close touch from now on."

Whether Jiang Baobao was really pregnant was anyone's guess, but she had chosen this exact moment to announce it—clearly trying to steal the new Cefei's thunder.

The new Cefei had barely walked in the door before Jiang Baobao hit her with this power play. She couldn't be happy about that.

Xie Run thought to herself, Jiang Baobao really is a reckless one.

She'd already been demoted to Shufei and was still confined to her quarters, yet here she was picking a fight with the brand-new Cefei. What on earth was going through her head?

Xie Run wasn't the only one confused—the looks everyone gave Shufei Jiang said it all.

Soon, the mansion physician was called in to check Shufei Jiang's pulse.

Jiang Baobao lifted her chin, practically radiating smugness.

After taking her pulse, the physician said respectfully, "Your Highness, Shufei Jiang is indeed about a month along. She's a bit weak right now and will need to build up her strength slowly."

Jiang Baobao jumped at the chance to complain, "Your Highness, that little Buddhist hall is so bare and cold. I'm afraid the little master in my belly has suffered a lot."

She was basically accusing the Princess Consort outright—that confining her to the Buddhist hall had weakened her and hurt the baby.

The Princess Consort had never been one to flinch at a concubine's provocations. She just watched coldly. "And that's exactly what punishment is for—to deter."

"I hope Shufei Jiang will be more careful from now on and stop breaking the rules, dragging the Prince's children into your mess."

"If it weren't for Shufei Jiang's repeated mistakes, why would the Prince's child have to suffer like this?"

Jiang Baobao's eyes went wide, and for a moment she had no comeback.

Or maybe she'd finally learned her lesson—knowing anything she said would just offend someone, she played the victim and kept her mouth shut.

Seeing her finally calm down, the Princess Consort threw her a lifeline. "You're at fault, but the child in your belly is innocent. It can't keep sitting in that little Buddhist hall with you day after day while you reflect on your mistakes."

"For the sake of the Prince's child, you may go back to your own courtyard under house arrest. I just hope you learn your lesson and set a good example for your child going forward."

Jiang Baobao gritted her teeth, her annoyance written all over her face. "So the Princess Consort is saying this concubine has to stay under house arrest even while pregnant?"

Hua Shufei chimed in softly from the side, "Is being pregnant a get-out-of-jail-free card? Does it mean you don't have to be punished? Since when does the world work like that?"

"If that were the case, then anyone who commits murder could just say they're pregnant and walk free?"

Jiang Baobao shot her a vicious glare. "What business is this of yours? Why are you sticking your nose everywhere?"

"You'd love to be pregnant, but can you even get pregnant?"

Jiang Baobao was so furious she'd lost all sense, lashing out at everyone in sight.

Hua Shufei, hit right where it hurt, instantly went red with hurt feelings, let out a little huff, and turned her head away.

This was the first time the two had gone at it in front of everyone. The others watched in silence, pretending not to feel the tension.

The Princess Consort didn't call it out either, just said, "Eat while it's hot. It's cold out—if we keep chatting, the food'll get cold."

Xie Run quietly picked up a piece of food and poked at it with her chopsticks.

She thought to herself, those two really are a match made in heaven.

Everyone knew Jiang Baobao would cause trouble, but nobody expected her methods to stay so blunt and ham-fisted as ever.

After all those lessons, she still hadn't learned a thing.

After the meal, Xie Run had barely sat down when news came.

"The banquet in the front courtyard just ended. The servants were escorting the Prince to Sun Cefei's courtyard when Shufei Jiang suddenly sent someone to fetch him."

Xie Run asked, "She must have had a reason to summon the Prince. What was it?"

"She just said she was pregnant and wanted to see the Prince..."

Xie Run was momentarily stunned.

Not even a shred of tact?

Was Jiang Baobao trying to slap the newly arrived Cefei Sun right in the face?

"Did the Prince go see her?"

The maid replied, "No. The Prince said Shufei Jiang should stay confined and reflect on her behavior, and if anything happens to that child, she'll be the one to answer for it."

Xie Run wasn't the least bit surprised; that was exactly the kind of thing Prince Jing would say.

She could only imagine how pissed off Prince Jing must have looked.

"That's it?"

The maid nodded.

"Nothing from Shufei Hua?"

The maid thought for a moment and shook her head, saying, "At the banquet, after that spat with Shufei Jiang, Shufei Hua was sulking and had a couple too many drinks. Someone helped her back to her room, and she's already out cold."

"You may go now."

"Yes."