"Madam, Qi Jingming's concubine has fallen. The old lady wants you to go there immediately," Lan Ling called to Ruan Yumu.
"If someone falls down this afternoon, they should go to the army medic. Why are you looking for me?" Ruan Yumu muttered to himself.
“Madam, have you forgotten? Master Qi’s concubine is an actress. You even argued with her when she entered the house. You laughed at her for coming in with a big belly, saying she was acting like a prostitute. She said you hadn’t laid a egg in years.”
"Oh? Is that so? Let me go and humiliate her again. What could a wicked girl like her have? I'll have to go and visit her myself."
"Miss Lanling, judging by the dates, hasn't the concubine given birth yet?"
"Ziling, as your older sister, I'm not afraid to tell you this: it's best to stay away from the concubine. Tomorrow I'll ask the old lady to transfer you away. I don't know if today's events will implicate you."
"What are you whispering about? Since the old lady has summoned me, I'll go and meet her. Ziling, let's go!" Ruan Yumu got up and prepared to walk towards Hongfulou.
"Madam, the concubine has fallen and is having a miscarriage. I'm afraid the baby won't survive. Please call a midwife. As the saying goes, seven months pregnant, eight months pregnant, but it's all up to fate." The military doctor looked at the eight-month-old baby with great regret and shook his head repeatedly.
"Ah, Madam! Ah! You must stand up for me! It was Ruan Yumu who hired a Taoist priest a few days ago to curse me with witchcraft! Madam!" Rui'er, Qi Jingming's legal wife, listened to Lin Shuang's incoherent accusations from the bed, her brows furrowed, while she covered her mouth with a handkerchief, trying to stifle a laugh. It was clearly her own fault for loosening the floor tiles by the door, causing Lin Shuang to fall, yet Lin Shuang hadn't thought of her first, instead blaming the main family.
"Shuang'er, you're preparing to give birth. The old lady will take care of things for you. Granny Yun, hasn't she arrived yet?"
"It'll be soon, it'll be soon, Lan Ling has gone to invite her."
Granny Yun leaned close to the old lady and said, "This Lin Shuang is really something. I wonder if Ruan Yu Mu did it, but she's just sticking to this story."
"Don't worry about it. Just deal with that bitch. Xuan'er has been back these past few days and she's been incredibly arrogant. I think her good days are coming to an end once the princess enters the household in a few days." Old Madam Qi thought to herself. If this person stays here, she will definitely teach her a lesson. After all, Xuan'er disobeyed her when she first entered the household.
"Madam, the midwife has arrived."
"Quickly, come here! I'm too old to bear seeing such a bloody place. I need to go outside and pray for Shuang'er's safe delivery." Old Madam Qi quickly got up and walked towards the front hall.
"Let me see, what's the matter? Why do I need to come over when the concubine is giving birth?"
"You wretch, kneel down!" The old lady saw Ruan Yu Mu as soon as she entered the front hall.
"Mother, what mistake have I made?"
"You invited a Taoist priest a few days ago, didn't you?"
“Yes, but…” Ruan Yu Mu wanted to explain that she wanted to understand the issue of her and Qi Jingxuan switching bodies. Before she could explain, she was interrupted by Old Madam Qi.
"Shut up! That's right. You're so vicious as to curse the second wife's first child. Granny Yun, drag her away and give her thirty lashes."
“Madam, it wasn’t the concubine who invited me, it was me, it was me! I’m here to pray for my sick mother at home,” Zi Ling said.
"Sister, Mother is ill at home. Don't make excuses for the concubine." Lan Ling quickly reminded Zi Ling, blinking rapidly.
But Zi Ling completely ignored her and knelt on the ground to continue begging for mercy, "Madam, my young lady can't take this! Thirty strokes of the cane, you're going to kill her!"
"You lowly servant, how dare you speak like that? You make it sound like I, your mother, am being unforgiving. It's clearly your concubine who did something wrong, and you not only defend her but also slander me. Where are the servants? Beat them! Have some old women hold them down. Beat this lowly servant too!" Old Madam Qi was so angry that she wanted to beat both her mistress and servant to death.
"Mother, how can you be so unreasonable! Mother!" Ruan Yumu looked at this unfamiliar mother, "I am your Xuan'er!"
"Yes, Madam."
"Hello, Uncle Qi!"
"Madam, what has disturbed you?" Qi Jingming saw the two concubines being beaten on the ground as soon as he entered the room, while the old lady was sitting at the entrance of the front hall.
"Ming'er, I'm trying to get an explanation for your concubine. You should go see her quickly; I'll take care of things here!"
Inside the room.
"My lady, you've been taking the labor-inducing medicine for ages and you still haven't moved. You have to push! Even if this baby doesn't come, as long as you live, the master will always cherish you. Push!"
"Sister, wake up! Midwife, my sister has fallen into a deep sleep."
"Quickly, fetch my silver needles." The midwife inserted the silver needles directly into Lin Shuang's philtrum, and she woke up instantly.
"Sister, your life is more important. Push harder!"
Two hours later, the baby was born, stillborn, and a boy at that. Looking at the infant who had died so soon after birth, Lin Shuang vowed to settle the score with Ruan Yu Mu.
"Where are Ruan Yumu?"
"Sister, the old lady came to take charge of things for you today. She gave you thirty lashes and sent you back to Yunxiang Tower. I saw that your buttocks were covered in blood and flesh, and you were knocked unconscious. I don't know if you're dead or alive."
"Then I must thank the old lady for this. It's just a pity for my child. I will definitely take revenge one day."
At this moment, Ruan and her servant Mu had been knocked unconscious and sent back to Yunxiang Tower.
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