“Just dry off.” Shen Lingshu was exhausted. After simply drying herself, she pulled the quilt over her and closed her eyes. Utterly worn out, she soon fell into a deep sleep.
Autumn Crabapple Courtyard.
Side Consort Fang held the medicine bowl, her expression unchanged as she drank it down in one gulp. Matron Gui’s voice reached her ears.
“Concubine, this Concubine Shen is truly ungrateful! As soon as she returned to her courtyard, she had someone prepare water for a bath.”
Matron Gui spoke indignantly, offering candied fruit as she said, “Should we…” Her eyes turned fierce.
“Being foolish isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
Side Consort Fang pushed away the candied fruit, letting the bitterness of the medicine spread in her mouth. She wanted to remember this taste—from now on, no one would dare harm her child!
Side Consort Fang asked, “Has Nanny Hua sent from the palace been properly settled?”
Matron Gui replied softly, “Rest assured, Concubine. Nanny Hua specifically checked the bathwater and found nothing unusual.”
“Hmm.”
Side Consort Fang’s eyes flickered. “Tomorrow, move a few pots of double-petaled jasmine to Lady Shen’s courtyard.”
“Yes.” Matron Gui acknowledged. From outside the room came an urgent voice: “It’s terrible, it’s terrible! Concubine Hai has broken out in red rashes all over her body and is itching unbearably.”
“Go, have a physician examine her carefully.” Side Consort Fang raised her gaze, emphasizing the word “carefully.”
…
“Doctor Lin, you must treat her properly. If you delay the Prince’s ability to continue his lineage, I will have your life!” Side Consort Fang put on an act of standing up for Hai Jiaren.
“Reporting to the Concubine, it will take at least five or six days for Concubine Hai’s rashes to subside. If she wishes to avoid scarring, she will need to recuperate for another half month!”
Half a month?
By then, it would be far too late!
Hai Jiaren wanted to scratch but didn’t dare. The thought of being unable to serve the Prince made her feel as if her future was shrouded in darkness.
Anxious at heart, Hai Jiaren unhesitatingly shifted the blame onto Shen Lingshu: “It must have been Shen Lingshu—she tampered with my bathtub.”
“Oh? Is that so?”
Side Consort Fang said, “Someone, go summon Concubine Shen.”
“Concubine, the Prince just went to Secluded Orchid Courtyard and has returned to his study.” Matron Gui whispered softly into Side Consort Fang’s ear.
Side Consort Fang looked up, and Matron Gui replied in a low voice, “Water was called twice.”
“That wretch!”
Side Consort Fang clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She said coldly, “Give the order: anyone who dares to gossip about this will be beaten to death!”
“Yes.” Matron Gui acknowledged and immediately went to handle the matter.
Side Consort Fang’s face darkened. If outsiders were to learn that the Prince had indulged in daytime pleasures and was reprimanded by the Emperor, it would be her fault!
Secluded Orchid Courtyard.
“Concubine, wake up quickly! Caolv from Side Consort Fang’s side is here to ask you to go to Plum Fragrance Courtyard. I heard Concubine Hai has broken out in rashes all over her body.” Zhuxin gently shook Shen Lingshu, hurriedly helping her dress.
“Rashes?”
Shen Lingshu tidied herself briefly. Lady Hai had brought this upon herself—harming others only to end up harmed. She would surely try to shift the blame onto her.
How should she respond?
As soon as she got out of bed, Shen Lingshu’s legs gave way slightly. Zhuxin asked worriedly, “Concubine, can you manage?”
“No problem.”
Shen Lingshu took a deep breath. After washing up and dressing, she put on the jasmine-scented clothes and headed out. Having not bathed, she was truly worried others might smell the lingering scent of intimacy on her.
Rushing all the way to Plum Fragrance Courtyard, Shen Lingshu hadn’t even entered the room when she heard Concubine Hai’s tearful complaint: “Concubine, you must stand up for me! It must have been Concubine Shen trying to harm me!”
“Lady Shen, paying respects to the Concubine.” Shen Lingshu entered the room and directly greeted Side Consort Fang with a bow.
“…”
Side Consort Fang watched her in silence. After having served the Prince, Shen Lingshu’s eyes and brows carried a newfound feminine charm, her entire being as tender and delicate as a freshly picked flower in the early morning.
“Concubine Shen, it was you! You harmed me, made me break out in rashes!”
Although Hai Jiaren did not know that Shen Lingshu had already attended to the Prince, seeing her beautiful face after bathing drove her mad with jealousy!
“Concubine Hai, watch your words!”
Facing Hai Jiaren’s accusation, Shen Lingshu calmly retorted, “I never went near the bathtub. After undressing, I couldn’t have hidden anything on my body. If Concubine Hai truly had something done to her, wouldn’t that imply the Concubine harmed you?”
Slap!
Shen Lingshu stepped forward and struck Hai Jiaren across the face, angrily scolding, “What status do you hold? How dare you suspect the Concubine of wanting to harm you? We entered the Prince’s mansion with only one purpose—to bear children for the Prince. The Concubine works tirelessly to share the Prince’s burdens, and you dare question her?”
Shen Lingshu proactively knelt to apologize, “Concubine, I am sorry. I was too emotional just now, but I cannot tolerate others falsely accusing you.”
From striking someone to questioning and finally apologizing, it all happened so quickly that others could hardly react.
Hai Jiaren was stunned by the slap. Holding her reddened cheek, she stared at Shen Lingshu and asked, “Then why did you insist on switching bathtubs with me?” Did she know about the medicine?
“You love roses, so I gave you the rose-scented bathtub. Was that wrong?”
Shen Lingshu casually replied, then suddenly, as if she had just realized something, exclaimed excitedly, “Could it be that you intended to harm me but ended up harming yourself by accident?”
“Doctor, could you please check if there is any medicine in this rose-scented bathtub?” Shen Lingshu pleaded as she looked at Doctor Lin.
Doctor Lin examined the water that had not yet been discarded and said, “The culprit behind Concubine Hai’s rash is ragweed pollen.”
“You, Concubine Hai! You actually tried to harm me!”
Shen Lingshu seemed to have just realized the truth. Kneeling on the ground, she looked at Side Consort Fang with a mix of shock and fear, like a delicate flower with no one to rely on. “I beg the Concubine to uphold justice.”
As a former film queen, acting was something she excelled at. Now, in front of the Concubine, she played the role of a beautiful yet naive vase with no schemes.
“It wasn’t me. I didn’t poison it.” Hai Jiaren denied in a panic.
“Someone, investigate!”
Side Consort Fang helped Shen Lingshu up and said, “Concubine Shen, rest assured. As the one managing the Prince’s mansion, I will not tolerate such vicious schemes!”
Soon, a maid came forward as a witness, and the matter was settled: Hai Jiaren had schemed against Concubine Shen but ended up harming herself, then tried to shift the blame onto Shen Lingshu.
Side Consort Fang declared, “Someone, escort Concubine Hai. She is unwell and must recuperate in Plum Fragrance Courtyard without leaving.”
House arrest!
Hai Jiaren, already itching unbearably, fainted from agitation upon hearing the news.
“The Concubine is a good person. From now on, Lingshu will surely repay your kindness.” Shen Lingshu thanked her as if she had no ulterior motives.
Side Consort Fang smiled and said, “Serve the Prince well and conceive a child. That will be the best repayment.”
Her gaze fell on Shen Lingshu’s abdomen, a flash of malice passing through her eyes so quickly it was almost imperceptible.
“Concubine.”
Shen Lingshu lowered her head shyly. After bidding farewell to the concubine, the smile on her face instantly vanished.
Did Side Consort Fang, who had just miscarried, fear that none of them would be able to bear children?
Side Consort Fang, the most sinister and ruthless character in the early stages, was skilled in blending fragrances and using poisons. The death of Princess Consort Lin from difficult childbirth, and the absence of any children in the rear courtyard of Lin Prince’s Mansion—all were her doing.
As for Shen Lingshu, earlier in the rose-scented bathing tub, she had first bathed in water laced with cold stone powder added by Side Consort Fang, then was poisoned by Concubine Hai’s ragweed, causing rashes all over her body. Her health was damaged, and she took a long time to recuperate. As an unpopular and childless concubine in the prince’s mansion, her life was worse than that of a dog.
Shen Lingshu took a deep breath. She was determined not to follow the same path as in the script—a life worse than that of pigs and dogs, where even maids could step on her and she had to eat cold, spoiled food. She had no desire to experience such days!
Returning to Secluded Orchid Courtyard, Shen Lingshu collapsed onto the bed and fell asleep.
Study.
“Your Highness, the concubine has sent sweet soup,” Qingwu reported, her gaze fixed on Prince Lin, who was writing swiftly.