It would be a lie if Ji Muqing said she wasn’t afraid.
She was terrified. “It wasn’t me. I didn’t push you, I didn’t…”
However, Chen Xiang looked at her with an enigmatic expression before she fainted from the pain.
Soon after, both the physician and Jing Yi arrived.
In these short few hours, Jing Yi had gone through a rollercoaster of emotions. He initially thought that he would be welcoming a little heir, but never expected that Chen Xiang would now be lying on a bed, not knowing if they’d be able to keep the child. In his current mood, Jing Yi even felt like killing someone.
In front of him knelt a roomful of people.
Ji Muqing was at the front, with all the maids that had been in the room at that time behind her. Jing Yi’s eyebrows were raised high, like a pair of razor sharp swords, as his furious gaze swept over everyone in the room. He demanded, “Tell me. Exactly what had happened here?”
The maids looked at each other, not daring to speak.
“Speak up!” His admonishment echoed in the room.
The little maid that had helped Chen Xiang to her bed spoke up, “It was… it was Her Highness that pushed Side Consort.”
When Ji Muqing heard that from where she had crumpled onto the floor a while ago, she turned back to give that maid a vicious glare. “What nonsense are you sprouting? I evidently didn’t push her.”
“This servant is just telling the truth.”
“You’re saying rubbish.”
Jing Yi questioned that maid coldly, “Speak properly. Just what happened?”
“Replying Your Highness, the Consort was mad because the Side Consort had summoned Cailan to her side and had run over to demand her back. In the resulting scuffle, the Side Consort fell onto the floor. Before she fainted, the Side Consort said herself that it was the Consort who pushed her.”
“I didn’t…” Ji Muqing kneeled on the ground and tugged on the end of Jing Yi’s robes, her head raised upwards and eyes glittering with tears. “Your Highness, you must believe me. It really wasn’t me that pushed her. I didn’t push her at all. She is definitely lying.” Crying and begging.
Jing Yi looked at her with contempt. This woman is truly too disgusting! How could he let someone who dared harm his own child get away with it?
He lifted his foot and kicked Ji Muqing on her shoulder, causing her to skid back over a metre and immediately spit out blood. Her old injuries had not yet healed. With this new injury, she was almost at the verge of death.
Jing Yi looked down at her, saying ruthlessly, “This prince has already been extremely benevolent towards you but there’s a limit to my benevolence. If the child cannot be saved, this prince will kill you.”
In the end, the most important was still the child! It didn’t matter whether Chen Xiang died or not, but nothing could be allowed to happen to the child.
Inside the room, the physician was done with his examination and Chen Xiang had also woken up. The physician said, “Side Consort, you may rest easy. There isn’t any problem with the little heir. You merely had a fall and would feel better after a few days of rest.”
“Doctor, how could there be no problem?” Chen Xiang said meaningfully.
“There really isn’t any problem.”
“No, this consort isn’t fine. There is a great problem with this consort.”
Eh? The physician couldn’t really understand. He had been practising for many years and had never made a wrong diagnosis; this time was no exception.
Chen Xiang sat up in the bed and glanced towards the outside before she spoke. “Doctor, when you go out later, tell His Highness that this consort’s child is in danger of being lost, and must be taken care of delicately.”
“Huh? This…”
“If you say this sentence to His Highness, this consort would not neglect to give you benefits either.”
“How could this be? Side Consort, there’s nothing wrong with you. If I told this to His Highness…” wouldn’t he look like he were an incompetent physician?
Chen Xiang gave the maid beside her a glance. She went to the dressing table and brought out a bracelet from a brocade box and gave it to the physician.
The minute he saw that bracelet, the physician lost his resolve. He held it up in his hands to take a closer look. This bracelet is made of top quality jade!
When she recognised the greed in his eyes, Chen Xiang took advantage of the moment. “You just have to say that one sentence. In the future, what awaits you wouldn’t only be this bracelet, but also gold and other treasures.”
The physician’s eyes were already gleaming with anticipation as he quickly agreed without much more consideration. He kept the bracelet away securely. Was there anyone on earth that didn’t like money? People died for money just like birds died for food; this was predestined.
After the physician went out, he put on a solemn expression like one doctors would use when they had to meet with the relatives of a patient in peril, and told Jing Yi, “Your Highness, this humble one has tried his best. The side consort fell very badly and is fine now, but the little heir in her stomach…”
Jing Yi’s eyes darkened as he asked anxiously, “Tell me, how is the little heir?”
“The little heir is fine for now, but… if he were not nursed carefully back to health, he may not survive.” As he told that lie, his face didn’t turn red, nor did his heart rate increase. Physicians like this deserved to be dragged down to the eighteenth level of hell and fried in a pot of oil.
“Useless.”
The physician hurriedly kneeled down and kowtowed, “Spare me, Your Highness. This humble one will do everything possible to save the life of the little heir in the Side Consort’s stomach!”
“If anything happens to the little heir, forget about keeping that life of yours.”
“Yes… this humble one will certainly do his best.”
“Scram.”
The physician scrambled up from the ground and hurried away to get the medicine.
The little heir may not survive? This sentence practically condemned the whole room to the chopping block. If the little heir died, they would all die along with him.
Jing Yi hurried in to look at Chen Xiang. She lay on the bed, looking sickly and pale. When she saw him, she couldn’t help but start crying and wailing. “Your Highness, it’s all this concubine’s fault. If I didn’t plead for you to let me keep Cailan by my side, the Consort wouldn’t be so angry and our child wouldn’t be in danger.”
Jing Yi held her hand as he consoled her, “Don’t worry, our child will surely be fine. The physician said that with proper care, nothing will happen to the child.”
“Your Highness…”
“You rest well. This prince won’t just stand by and do nothing while you suffer such a great injustice.”
“Your Highness, you must not blame the Consort. She didn’t mean to do this.”
“You don’t need to bother so much about it, just rest well.” Jing Yi caressed her pale face as she nodded weakly.
After Jing Yi turned around to leave, Chen Xiang’s pitiful visage immediately turned terribly sinister. She laughed coldly, “Ji Muqing, this time, you’re going to suffer! I would like to see if your two brothers are more powerful than the little heir in my stomach.” Just wait for death!
The little maid beside her stepped forward. “Congratulations to the Princess Consort in advance.”
That’s right, she called her Princess Consort! Chen Xiang turned radiant with pleasure.
Outside, Jing Yi looked at Ji Muqing who had been kicked aside, and tried to restrain the ball of fury in his eyes. He commanded, “Guards, drag the consort to the firewood shed. She can be let out when the Side Consort’s child is safe.”
“Yes.” The guards stepped forward and dragged that crumpled pile of mincemeat upright.
“Your Highness, you can’t do this to me!” Ji Muqing shouted loudly. “I’m the Princess Consort!”