Chapter 258

Chapter 258

The rumors spreading through the manor must be connected to Consort Sun.

Now that Xie Run and Consort Sun were jointly managing the household, it was inevitable that they would have differing views at times.

Just as Consort Sun hoped the Princess would lose this pregnancy—ideally with both mother and child perishing—Xie Run was determined to save the Princess's life.

At the thought, she raised a hand to rub her temples. "Dan Tao, grind the ink for me. I'll write another letter to urge my elder sister to hurry."

Xie Run's suspicions proved to be correct.

Xie Jiang's journey back had been like a pilgrimage to the Western Heaven in the classic novel *Journey to the West*—every town she passed through presented a rare medical case that required her to stay for a while.

Despite her stop-and-go progress, what should have been a two or three-day trip hadn't even covered a third of the distance yet.

Xie Run decided she couldn't just leave it to fate.

In early April, Taotao would be turning one.

Xie Run didn't plan anything lavish—just two tables at Spring Mountain Courtyard for a simple get-together.

After handling the matter with the stewardess, Xie Run took her attendants to the main kitchen to check on the dishes being prepared for Taotao's birthday feast.

On the way back, passing by Flying Crane Pavilion, she heard a commotion.

Xie Run looked up and asked, "What's going on?"

Dan Tao immediately dispatched a young maid to check.

Soon, the eldest young master was brought before her.

Seeing him, Xie Run felt a moment of disorientation—she barely recognized him.

It had been a year since he had kicked and beaten the pregnant Fang Yuaner, provoking Prince Jing's wrath, and he hadn't been seen in the inner quarters since.

Everyone knew the Prince had kept him in the front courtyard for "guidance"—though in some ways, it might as well have been abandonment.

"He's thinner and taller than I remember," Xie Run remarked.

The eldest young master kept his head lowered, his expression unreadable, refusing to look up at Xie Run.

He now exuded a brooding, withdrawn air—a stark contrast to the boy who had once screamed for Fang Yuaner's blood at Orchid Fragrance Courtyard.

The wet nurse tugged his sleeve and said softly, "Young master, this is Consort Xie. You should pay your respects."

The boy remained motionless, head bowed, as if he hadn't heard.

Xie Run didn't bother to hold a child accountable. She simply asked, "What was all the commotion about?"

The wet nurse quickly replied, "It was this servant's fault."

"I saw the weather had cleared and wanted the young master to change into lighter clothes, but he refused and ran off."

"I said a bit more and upset him."

Hearing this, the eldest young master lifted his eyes to glance at the wet nurse—his gaze dark and heavy, nothing like a child's.

Even Xie Run felt a chill run down her spine.

What on earth had this boy been taught this past year?

Seeing that look, Xie Run lost all desire to engage and simply wanted to keep her distance.

The eldest young master snapped at the wet nurse, "Mother sewed this for me! I'm not taking it off!"

His voice had a child's stubbornness, but also an inexplicable fierceness.

The wet nurse was about to speak again when Xie Run interjected, "The young master is old enough now. Don't push him. Coax him gently, reason with him—he'll come around."

"Besides, he's wearing more clothes, not fewer. No need to worry about him catching a cold."

"If he gets too warm, he won't insist on wearing it."

The wet nurse dared not argue further and bowed respectfully. "This servant thanks the Consort for her guidance."

Xie Run said nothing more and turned to leave with her attendants.

But after just two steps, she suddenly stopped.

Dan Tao asked, confused, "Master, why have we stopped?"

Xie Run said nonchalantly, "Send someone to check the rockery over there."

Dan Tao immediately grew alert. "You suspect the wet nurse and the young master mean trouble?"

Xie Run smiled faintly. "I was just thinking... I happened to catch a glimpse of some red marks on the young master."

Dan Tao was shocked. "They dare to abuse the young master?"

"Hard to tell."

But Xie Run understood one thing for certain.

The wet nurse and the eldest young master clearly had a poor relationship. If she'd brought him to Flying Crane Pavilion to argue, was it really out of concern for him?

Dan Tao had clearly reached the same conclusion and said immediately, "This servant will personally lead the search!"

Xie Run said, "Wait until they leave. Zi Hu is here with me, so you don't need to worry."

"Yes."

At dinner, Dan Tao returned looking composed.

Only after serving Xie Run's meal did she place a stone on the table.

Xie Run glanced at it. "Someone tampered with the rock formations?"

The stone was clearly from the rock formation.

Dan Tao nodded. "Flying Crane Pavilion has many rock formations. I had the servants search them one by one and found one that had been loosened."

"If someone were pushed against it, they could easily fall off the rocks... and be seriously injured."

Xie Run asked again, "Who do you think did it—the young master or the wet nurse?"

Dan Tao looked troubled. "I'd lean toward the wet nurse, but after seeing the young master today... I'm not so sure anymore."

"A year ago, the eldest young lord dared to kick the pregnant Consort Fang. It's not impossible that he could do something even more dreadful now."

Xie Run: "Send word to the front courtyard to have the wet nurse and the eldest young lord watched... and say we suspect Prince An has planted people among them."

Although Xie Run held the token, she couldn't just use it to deploy people at will.

Tipping off the front courtyard now was just a heads-up; the real responsibility lay with their management.

"What about the back courtyard?" Dan Tao said. "Should I have someone repair the rockery ahead of time?"

Xie Run didn't respond, instead asking another question: "So, who do you think they're plotting against?"

Dan Tao paused, looked down and thought it over. "If they want to harm someone, it depends on who would pass by Feihe (Flying Crane) Pavilion."

This spot was out of the way; apart from Xie Run's Chunshan Court, Lu's Qingfeng Court, and Fang Yuaner's Songya Court, no one else typically took this route.

But Fang Yuaner was currently not in the residence, having left her child with her personal maid, and rarely even stepped out.

That left only Lu and Xie Run.

Dan Tao said, "Lu's no threat to anyone. They must be after you, ma'am!"

Xie Run shook her head. "Not necessarily."

"Usually, hardly anyone passes by Feihe Pavilion."

"But Dan Tao, you've forgotten—the day after tomorrow's Taotao's birthday, and people from every courtyard will come here."

Dan Tao was startled and suddenly said, "If they want to harm someone, the trap on the rockery could get anyone. But if we're talking about a big fallout..."

Xie Run and Dan Tao exchanged a glance and simultaneously spoke a name.

"Jiang Baobao!"

"Shufei Jiang!"

In the back courtyard, only Jiang Baobao was pregnant.

If she fell from the rockery, the child would most likely be lost.

Dan Tao added, "You also suspected that Shufei Jiang might be faking her pregnancy. If we dig deeper, could this be a trap set by Shufei Jiang herself, to fake a miscarriage of a nonexistent child and drag someone down with her?"

Wasn't this exactly what Shiqie Han and Wan Linlang had done before?

And it also aligned perfectly with the two's speculations.