Chapter 45, "The Miscarriage Incident".
Chapter 45: Miscarriage ==
"At this critical juncture, why does the Crown Princess still want to invite you to the East Palace?" The Seventh Princess happened to hear this and her whole face scrunched up.
The current Crown Princess is one of the two beauties of Shengjing. Back when she was engaged to Xie Cheng, she was a well-known lady from a prominent family in the capital. The Seventh Princess had always had a good impression of her. However, after she married the current Crown Prince and spoiled Princess Zhaoning, the Seventh Princess no longer liked her. Moreover, the sister-in-law in front of her was her own sister-in-law. The Seventh Princess could tell which was more important.
Su Wanyue's premonitions were always accurate. She felt that the Crown Princess's invitation to her at this time was definitely not a good thing. Appreciating flowers? With such a big incident happening in the royal family, now was not a good time to appreciate flowers.
Seeing Su Wanyue's worry, the Seventh Princess stepped forward and took her sister-in-law's hand. "Sister-in-law, let me go with you. We can visit the Crown Princess."
Crown Princess Lin Ruohan was diagnosed with her pregnancy at the state banquet on New Year's Eve. Calculating the time, she was already nearly three months pregnant. At this time, instead of staying at home to rest, she had the leisure to invite her sister-in-law over for a visit. The Seventh Princess frowned. Could it be that after being husband and wife for a long time, these habits have become similar? The Crown Princess has become as fond of making trouble as the Crown Prince.
After thinking it over, Su Wanyue agreed to let the Seventh Princess accompany her. Right now, the man was investigating the truth of the matter in Fuzhou, and since she was in the Prince Cheng's residence, nothing could go wrong.
Su Wanyue went to the inner palace to dress and change clothes. The Seventh Princess thought of the Crown Princess and couldn't help but wonder what would happen if her sister-in-law became pregnant one day. However, her sister-in-law was so slender that if she were really pregnant, she would definitely need to take good care of herself.
The Seventh Princess and Su Wanyue arrived at the East Palace chatting and laughing. Someone brought out a long bench and invited the two of them to get off the carriage. As soon as the Seventh Princess saw the plaque of the East Palace, the smile on her face disappeared. She tried to raise her chin. The little maid sent by Lin Ruohan saw that the Seventh Princess had also arrived and her eyes flickered slightly. "This servant greets Your Highness, the Princess Consort, and the Seventh Princess."
"Her Highness the Crown Princess is waiting for you two in the inner palace." These words were tantamount to telling the Seventh Princess that there was a trap waiting for them in the East Palace. The Seventh Princess wished she could turn around and leave immediately. Su Wanyue, on the other hand, remained calm from beginning to end. She smiled and nodded, then followed the maid to the main hall of the East Palace.
In the courtyard of the East Palace's main hall stood an ancient phoenix tree, tall and straight. Before the two girls even entered, they smelled a pungent medicinal odor and heard Princess Zhaoning's voice.
"Sister Weiyang and Princess have arrived, please come in quickly." As the maid went in to report, the Crown Princess's charming and laughing voice came from inside the inner hall, but if you listened carefully, you could still hear the weakness in her voice. Su Wanyue had a vague idea in her mind, and her hand hidden in her wide sleeve moved slightly. The Seventh Princess raised her finger imperceptibly, which was a gesture between her and her sister-in-law, meaning that they would leave in a while.
"Please excuse my rudeness, my two sisters. This baby in my belly is really making a fuss, and it's been quite a hassle for me. Please don't stand on ceremony, my two sisters, and sit down." As she entered the main hall, Lin Ruohan was leaning against the bed. She beckoned Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess to come forward, "Zhaoning, why don't you quickly greet Princess Consort Cheng and the Seventh Princess?"
The incident of Princess Cheng staying temporarily last time made Princess Zhaoning look very bad. She was angry whenever she saw Su Wanyue and was unwilling to give her a proper bow. However, since her elder sister had spoken, she could not refuse. Princess Zhaoning reluctantly greeted Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess.
Lin Ruohan's expression finally improved. A servant brought over several bowls of plum juice. Lin Ruohan smiled and said, "Ever since I became pregnant, I've especially loved sour drinks. My two sisters, please have a taste."
"I wonder if the baby in my belly is a boy or a girl."
She gave a feigned sigh, and Princess Zhaoning raised her eyebrows and protectively touched Lin Ruohan's belly, saying, "Eldest sister has such a fondness for sour things, she must be carrying a boy."
Lin Ruohan smiled and looked at Su Wanyue, waiting for her to speak. Su Wanyue was beautiful and had no aggressive look, making her easy to like. "Whether it is the young prince or the young princess, they are the first children of His Highness the Crown Prince and His Highness the Crown Princess, and are extremely precious."
The Seventh Princess sipped her plum juice and echoed these words.
Their back-and-forth banter was perfectly coordinated. Lin Ruohan smiled and said, "Then Weiyang, you'd better hurry up. I think Princess is already ready to be an aunt."
Su Wanyue said that she and His Highness were already trying, which was seen as a secret boast by Princess Zhaoning. Their relationship was so good that it was normal for them to have a child, but Princess Zhaoning was not happy about it.
Lin Ruohan secretly gave Princess Zhaoning a wink, and Princess Zhaoning had no choice but to swallow her grievances. What was so great about her? She was just a little higher in status than her. At this moment, a servant brought over two plates of pastries, namely osmanthus cake and peach blossom pastry. "The Crown Prince also said that he would like it whether it was a boy or a girl, but I thought that the one in my belly was His Majesty's first grandson, so I always hoped that it would be a boy."
As the Crown Princess of the Eastern Palace, Lin Ruohan has too many helpless situations.
Su Wanyue was silent for a moment, her eyes shining like spring flowers. She comforted her, "The Crown Princess is a good person, she will surely get what she wants."
The Seventh Princess couldn't figure out why Lin Ruohan had invited them over. It didn't seem like she was showing off. Did she simply want to complain to them? But they weren't imperial physicians; how would they know whether she was carrying a boy or a girl?
The Seventh Princess usually loved sweets, but in the Eastern Palace, she had no appetite at all.
The Seventh Princess went to see her sister-in-law and saw her wink at her. The Seventh Princess felt relieved. "Didn't you say this morning that you wanted to go to the jewelry store to look at jewelry? Why don't we go now? It will be too crowded if we go too late."
Qin'er hurriedly came to help Su Wanyue. Princess Zhaoning couldn't wait for them to leave, her lips pursed. Lin Ruohan, however, smiled and said, "It's the same no matter when I visit this jewelry store. My days during my pregnancy have been so monotonous and boring. Would you like to keep me company for a while longer, Sister Weiyang and Sister Qi?"
The Crown Princess had already made her point, so it wouldn't be right for them to keep refusing. The Seventh Princess had no choice but to sit back down, feeling a bit resentful, and listen to Lin Ruohan's rambling. The conversation eventually veered back to Princess Zhaoning's marriage. When the topic of marriage came up, Princess Zhaoning was still a little shy, and she kept trying to hide in Lin Ruohan's arms.
Lin Ruohan patted her shoulder, "Little girl, are you still shy? This year is the year of the imperial examination, and I think there will be many talented people in the court. If you think there are any good ones, you can keep an eye out for me."
Su Wanyue nodded slightly, taking the opportunity of drinking tea to think about the Crown Princess's purpose in inviting her over. If it was just to talk, the woman would definitely not believe it. In addition, there was the case in Fuzhou.
This feeling of uncertainty made Su Wanyue frown, and she even became absent-minded when listening to the Crown Princess speak.
Because of Lin Ruohan's warm hospitality, Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess had lunch at the East Palace. Lin Ruohan asked a servant to go to the study to invite the Crown Prince over, but the eunuch came and said that the Crown Prince was not in the mansion, so Lin Ruohan did not insist.
The unexpected happened in the afternoon.
After the meal, the servants brought over plum juice and tangerines again. While Lin Ruohan was drinking the soup, a stout old woman said with a smile, "Your Highness, the imperial physician said that lying in bed all day is not good for the baby in your womb. You should go out for a walk more often. Let me accompany you."
Since it concerned Lin Ruohan, Princess Zhaoning got really excited. "Yes, elder sister, let me accompany you for a walk."
Lin Ruohan looked at her younger sister with doting eyes, and said with a smile to Su Wanyue and Princess Weiyang, "Sister Weiyang and Seventh Sister, come along too."
The group walked along the peony flower corridor, where the peonies were all in full bloom, vibrant and beautiful.
As Lin Ruohan walked, she observed Su Wanyue's expression. Seeing that Su Wanyue's expression was natural, without any surprise, and her emotions were indifferent, it was understandable. As the legitimate princess of the Nanqiong royal family, she must have seen these precious flowers since childhood. Princess Zhaoning picked a peony and presented it to Lin Ruohan like a treasure. Seeing her sister, Lin Ruohan's heart softened. She asked Princess Zhaoning to put the peony petals in her hair.
The Seventh Princess whispered in Su Wanyue's ear, "If you like it, sister-in-law, when your brother returns to the capital, have him put flowers in your hair too."
Su Wanyue gave her a playful glare, and Lin Ruohan led them to the edge of the lotus pond, where they saw clusters of pink flowers, not lotuses, but daffodils.
Lin Ruohan seemed very interested in the daffodils and wanted to get closer to take a look. Considering that the Crown Princess was pregnant, Su Wanyue gave the Seventh Princess a wink. As soon as the Seventh Princess received Su Wanyue's gaze, she immediately smiled and said, "The Crown Princess is pregnant, so it's not advisable for her to get too close to the water."
Princess Zhaoning got angry as soon as she heard them talking. "How can we see the flowers from so far away? We are standing by the pond to see the flowers, not going into the pond to see them."
There was a railing around the pool, but there was no railing on their side. Just as Su Wanyue was about to persuade her, Lin Ruohan smiled and said, "Then let Weiyang help me. You are thoughtful and meticulous. With you by my side, I am not afraid."
The Seventh Princess and Princess Zhaoning followed behind them. Qin'er quietly stepped aside, allowing Qingrui, who was skilled in martial arts, to go to the front. However, no matter how far forward she went, she could not get around the Crown Princess's maid, and they were still some distance apart.
The path to the lotus pond was exceptionally smooth, but once they reached the pond, the ground became incredibly slippery, as if paved with pebbles. Su Wanyue's unease was amplified. She held tightly to Lin Ruohan, asking the Seventh Princess for help. The Crown Princess was pregnant, and the Seventh Princess was also worried. She quickly tried to go around to the right to help the Crown Princess when a foot inadvertently circled around to Su Wanyue's front.
Su Wanyue's attention was focused on the Crown Princess, so she didn't notice the extra foot underneath her. Her foot slipped, and her whole body leaned forward. In order not to drag the Crown Princess down, Su Wanyue quickly released the Crown Princess's hand with her right hand. She had calculated that the Seventh Princess would support the Crown Princess before letting go of her hand.
The woman, still angry, thought she might as well use her lightness skill to stay upright, as she didn't want to get soaked. In the blink of an eye, Qingrui lightly touched the ground with her toes and caught Su Wanyue before she fell into the water. Su Wanyue's hair was disheveled and her hair ornaments were askew.
The Seventh Princess exclaimed in surprise, handing the Crown Princess to Princess Zhaoning for support. She stepped forward a few paces, asking, "Sister-in-law, are you alright?"
"I'm fine." Apart from her hair being a little messy, Su Wanyue was alright. So, the fact that the Crown Princess had invited them over just to push her into the water made Su Wanyue, who was usually good-tempered, a little unhappy. Just as she was about to take her leave, the Crown Princess suddenly sat down, clutching her stomach, her face pale. Princess Zhaoning looked panicked and asked, "Elder sister, are you alright?"
Su Wanyue and the Seventh Princess looked up and saw that the Crown Princess was in pain, and her dress was soaked with blood. Su Wanyue's heart sank. So this was the reason why the Crown Princess had invited them here. She rushed to help the Crown Princess, and the Seventh Princess shouted, "Quickly, summon the imperial physician!"
The Crown Princess, who had fainted due to excessive blood loss, was moved to the pavilion on the viewing platform and treated by the imperial physician arranged by the palace to be stationed in the Eastern Palace, along with several other doctors. Meanwhile, Crown Prince Xiao Ruofei, who had gone out on business, rushed over and asked as if he knew nothing, "What happened?"
Princess Zhaoning was filled with hatred. Her face was contorted with rage as she cried, "Crown Prince, my elder sister was caused to miscarry by Princess Cheng."
"You're spouting nonsense! The Crown Princess clearly fell down on her own." The Seventh Princess was furious and refused to even call the Crown Princess her sister-in-law anymore. Her face turned pale as she retorted.
“My elder sister is only three months pregnant. She is not yet unable to walk. How could she have fallen? All the servants around her saw it. It was because Princess Cheng lost her balance that my elder sister suffered a miscarriage.”
Xiao Ruofei went to look at the so-called "culprit" and saw that her eyes were calm and knowing, as if she already knew what had happened. Xiao Ruofei felt inexplicably guilty. The last time he saw such a look was on Xiao Yu. The two of them were truly worthy of being husband and wife, even their auras were the same. But no matter what, he had to confirm the woman's crimes today. As long as she was convicted of murdering the eldest grandson of the emperor, Xiao Yu, who was far away in Fuzhou, would also be implicated. She was a princess of Nanqiong Kingdom, so it was okay for her to suffer a little, but he was the crown prince. He couldn't make a mistake. If anyone was to blame, it was her bad luck to marry Xiao Yu.
For the first time, Xiao Ruofei's face lacked its usual gentle smile. He looked directly at Su Wanyue and asked, "Third sister-in-law, do you have anything else to say?"
Su Wanyue showed no sign of panic. She calmly looked at Xiao Ruofei and said, "The Crown Princess fell on her own. If Your Highness wants to know the truth, you may ask the Crown Princess and the imperial physician who prescribed the medicine for her."
The Seventh Princess was a clever little thing. Thinking of the strong smell of medicine in the palace when she arrived, she wondered if they were deliberately framing her. "And my sister-in-law almost fell into the lake just now. It was obvious that someone wanted to trip her up. Is the Eastern Palace some kind of dragon's den or tiger's lair? Coming in here is like getting into trouble."
“You…” Princess Zhaoning’s eyes turned red with anger. If it weren’t for the fact that the Seventh Princess was a princess of a country, she might have already taken action.
At this moment, Xiao Ruofei adopted the demeanor of a brother-in-law, gently stopping Princess Zhaoning and asking the imperial physician, "How is the Crown Princess now?"
The imperial physician was also terrified. His face was ashen, and he wiped away non-existent sweat from his forehead. "Your Highness, the Crown Princess has suffered a miscarriage and lost too much blood. She may have great difficulty conceiving in the future."
Even though he orchestrated the whole thing, he couldn't afford the consequences.
Especially after learning that the Crown Princess would have difficulty conceiving in the future, Xiao Ruofei felt more and more resentful. He felt that this couple was specifically there to bring him bad luck.
Xiao Ruofei gritted his teeth until they ached. He was determined to make her guilty today. "Since Third Sister-in-law says you didn't do this, are you willing to accompany me to confront Father Emperor?"
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