Chapter 261

Xie Run narrowed her eyes.

She was familiar with this item.

Back then, Concubine Han had faked a pregnancy and tried to frame her.

Xie Run exposed the scheme in time, and Prince Jing ordered an inspection, which uncovered exactly such a blood bag.

Xie Run raised her eyes to glance at Nanny An. "So Jiang Baobao was faking her pregnancy?"

Nanny Yan lowered her head. "I wouldn't know either."

"But from my years of experience in the palace, Lady Jiang's condition... does look like a real miscarriage."

As Xie Run listened, Zi Hu also came out and whispered in her ear, "My Lady, Noble Consort Jiang has indeed had a real miscarriage."

"But she likely also took drugs to simulate pregnancy."

Xie Run: "..."

After a while, Xie Run went to see the eldest young master and Secondary Consort Sun.

The imperial physician who was summoned examined the eldest young master first.

No fractures or injuries were found on his body, only a lump on the back of his head.

Even the imperial physician dared not casually apply needles to the head.

"This humble physician has taken the eldest young master's pulse—there is nothing serious."

"No visible wounds on his body either."

"Now we can only wait for the eldest young master to wake up and ask him where he feels discomfort."

Fortunately, the eldest young master kept breathing, confirming he was still alive.

Xie Run was thus less worried.

Of the three injured, Secondary Consort Sun seemed the least hurt, but she was also the one most affected.

Xie Run saw the wound on her face—fully half a palm in length.

A scar would definitely remain.

She had only just entered the prince's household at seventeen, and had her face ruined... the road ahead would be difficult.

Even if Prince Jing valued inner qualities, he was ultimately an ordinary man.

Without a beautiful appearance, he wouldn't bother to look deeper into her character.

Even if Secondary Consort Sun had ability.

In the future, in Prince Jing's eyes, she would likely be considered usable but not favored.

Xie Run said a few words of comfort to Secondary Consort Sun.

Secondary Consort Sun was dazed, seemingly not yet recovered from the shock of her disfigurement, not even noticing when Xie Run left.

Just as she exited Secondary Consort Sun's quarters, Concubine Lu looked over with a worried expression. "Noble Consort Jiang seems to have gone mad."

"She keeps screaming and cursing in her room."

"She also says her child was harmed by Wan Linlang and is calling for you to come and get justice for her."

Xie Run: "...She's always done whatever she wanted, and now she suddenly knows the word 'justice'?"

Though she found it somewhat ironic, she still needed to get to the bottom of this.

When Xie Run went to see Jiang Baobao again, the abortion medicine had already been brewed and forced down Jiang Baobao's throat.

Jiang Baobao howled and cursed Wan Linlang with every foul word she knew.

Dan Tao couldn't stand listening. "My Lady, please go rest in the main hall first."

"After that bowl of medicine, this won't be over anytime soon."

Xie Run shook her head. "No need. I'll stay right here and listen."

Hearing others' pain reminds me to stay cautious and careful, so I don't make the same mistakes myself.

They carried basin after basin of bloody water out of the room.

Jiang Baobao first screamed out all the anger in her belly, but then she couldn't hold on any longer, writhing on the bed, crying and screaming, even begging the maids around her.

She had always been arrogant, always looking down on those beneath her.

Now, with tears and snot running down her face, she was begging others—a rare sight indeed.

The princess consort received the news and simply told Xie Run to handle everything, without holding back.

But she stressed the importance of the eldest young master.

She also sent one of her personal maids to look after him.

After all, Secondary Consort Sun and Jiang Baobao were just Prince Jing's women—no matter how important, they couldn't compare to the prince's eldest son.

Once the bleeding on Secondary Consort Sun's face was stopped, she left with her attendants.

Xie Run had a quick dinner at Qingfeng Courtyard before heading to see Jiang Baobao.

She lay on the bed, half-dead, her face paler than rice paper, her eyes somewhat unfocused.

Dan Tao set a stool by the bedside, and Xie Run sat down slowly. "I heard you wanted to talk to me. I'm here now, so say it."

After a pause, Xie Run added, "At Feihe Pavilion, everyone saw you jump off that rockery with their own eyes."

"You can't blame this on anyone else."

"When the prince gets back, you'll go confess to him yourself."

Jiang Baobao slowly came back to her senses, her swollen, red eyes fixed on Xie Run.

She didn't register what Xie Run said, her mind consumed by hatred for Wan Linlang.

"It was Wan Linlang who harmed me, it was Wan Linlang who harmed me!"

"That bitch! She deserves to die a horrible death!"

Even though her voice was hoarse beyond recognition, Jiang Baobao still cursed Wan Linlang.

She still had plenty of fight left in her.

Xie Run said coolly, "So what happened?"

Jiang Baobao was breathing hard: "Back then, I was punished by the Princess Consort and locked in the small Buddhist hall. Day after day, I was stuck in that godforsaken place—couldn't leave, couldn't move, and all I got to eat was pickled veggies and steamed buns."

"Then one day, someone secretly left me food by the corner of the wall."

Xie Run looked up: "Was it Wan Linlang?"

Jiang Baobao nodded.

Xie Run thought, Wan Linlang really had some skill.

She and Fang Yuaner both had people keeping an eye out, yet Wan Linlang still managed to slip past everyone and get food to Jiang Baobao in that hall.

Xie Run asked again, "Was it Wan Linlang who told you to fake a pregnancy to fool everyone?"

Jiang Baobao suddenly got riled up, "I didn't fake it—I really was pregnant!"

"I was deceived!"

"That bitch Wan Linlang played me!"

Xie Run said, "The imperial physician did confirm you really miscarried."

All that bloody water couldn't be faked.

Xie Run's words cut deep, like a knife straight to Jiang Baobao's heart.

Jiang Baobao felt like she couldn't breathe.

Jiang Baobao said, her voice weak, "First, she came to the small Buddhist hall to bring me food, then she kept trying to win me over, saying she was bullied and looked down on in the household, and didn't dare hope for anything more—she just wanted to latch onto someone important to make her life easier."

"So, to make my life easier, I agreed."

"One day, she brought me a roast chicken. The moment I smelled it, I gagged... and then she suddenly said she had a way to get me out and make my life even better."

Sure enough, that's when Wan Linlang brought up faking a pregnancy.

"She said she had a drug that could make your pulse seem pregnant, and it wouldn't give it away for three months."

"I could claim I was pregnant, get out of that hall, and then find a way to miscarry..."

Xie Run kept her face blank: "And when you miscarried, you could pin it on someone—like me?"

Jiang Baobao choked on that, turned her head away, and ignored Xie Run, going on, "I listened to her."

"She set everything up for me—when to announce the pregnancy, when to get ready for the miscarriage..."

Xie Run suddenly sat up straight. "So you're saying today's setup at Feihe Pavilion to frame me was all Wan Linlang's doing?"

Jiang Baobao nodded.

Xie Run said, "That's what I figured."

"If you were faking a pregnancy, you'd have to put on a miscarriage act eventually. I was wondering why there was nothing in your room—turns out someone else had it all planned out for you."

Jiang Baobao didn't have the energy to argue about Xie Run searching her room right now.

Jiang Baobao said, "She told me that the day of Fifth Young Master's birthday would be the perfect opportunity."