Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 735 Gambling

Heart-wrenching screams echoed through the inner courtyard of the Prince's Mansion.

Jiang Zhenru's biological second son and two daughters had already entered the courtyard, but only Prince Huai was kept outside.

The Prince of Huai looked at the steward: "If there is any news from my mother, inform me immediately." For many years, he had been in this situation. On the surface, Jiang Zhenru treated him better than her own son, but in reality, everyone knew the difference.

He needed to avoid suspicion, but he couldn't be too distant from Jiang Zhenru, otherwise his father would also blame him.

He understood what Jiang Zhenru was planning.

He didn't care about these things; it was only natural to distance oneself from someone you were close to. But now he realized that Jiang Zhenru's scheming wasn't just about replacing him as the eldest son; she had other secrets.

This secret could drag everyone in the Qin Prince's Mansion into the abyss.

Prince Huai led his men back to his courtyard. As he walked, his expression grew increasingly solemn. He suddenly felt a pang of envy for Wang Yan, who had Lady Xie by his side to help him. Although his mission in Fujian was perilous, at least he had someone wholeheartedly supporting him.

The image of Xie Yuyan appeared in the mind of the Prince of Huai. He had seen many beautiful women, but those things were ultimately useless. There were too many aging and fading concubines in the palace; he had seen them since he was a child.

What truly matters to him is a woman's methods and vision, so that they can walk the same path.

Apart from the Empress Dowager in Cining Palace, no one could surpass Xie Yuyan in terms of talent and ability, and even now, he couldn't see through her.

Even if she were a member of the Xie family, she shouldn't have such courage and vision. Jiang Zhenru was right about one thing: in this matter concerning Xie Yuyan, Wang Yan had the upper hand.

It wasn't that Wang Yan was much better than him, but rather that Xie Yuyan made the choice.

He met Xie Yuyan at the wrong time. Xie Yuyan had no ambition to enter the palace, so naturally he had nothing for her to use.

Power and wealth could not stir any emotion in her; under such circumstances, whatever he did would be futile.

In comparison, she clearly wanted sincerity more, so the only outcome could be Wang Yan.

It's a bit of a pity that he lost a helper; perhaps that's just his luck.

However, he would not give up on his plans, especially since it concerned his life.

……

Jiang Zhenru's clothes were soaked with sweat, and the pain was getting more and more intense. The midwife checked on her from time to time, her face full of anxiety.

Zhao Mama stepped forward and grabbed the midwife, saying sternly, "If the Princess Consort makes any mistake, you won't be able to leave the palace alive today."

The midwife knew all this perfectly well, and nodded frantically, "I will definitely find a way."

"Go and tell the doctor about the situation here," Zhao Mama instructed, "and ask what medicine can be used?"

The midwife replied, "I'll go right away."

With no one else around the princess, Zhao Mama hurried over and whispered, "What should we do now? The princess wasn't like this during her previous pregnancies... should we..."

Jiang Zhenru grabbed Zhao's mother, her expression turning somewhat ferocious: "Even if I faint from the pain, don't let anyone know that I took the medicine."

Zhao's mother hesitated, but after hearing the prince enter the mansion in a menacing manner, the princess guessed the reason. So she asked her for some pills, preparing to give birth to the child in her womb as soon as possible.

After the fall and the medication, Zhao's mother was truly afraid something bad might happen. She wondered if telling the doctor about it would be helpful.

Jiang Zhenru said sternly, "Did you hear me? If even a little bit is leaked, I won't live either." At that time, the prince will definitely blame everything on her. If she uses the child in her womb as a threat, the prince will be even more furious and despise her from the bottom of his heart.

This was a risky move from the start; she anticipated potential problems before she even began, but she was willing to risk her life.

Only in this way can we turn the tide. Looking at Jiang Zhenru's bloodshot eyes, Zhao Mama had no choice but to nod: "This servant will obey the Princess."

After giving these instructions, Jiang Zhenru collapsed onto the bed, completely exhausted.

The pain struck again, and she pressed her hand to her abdomen. Whether she lived or died depended on this. If she could pull through, she and her son would have a bright future, and she could also do something for the Jiang family.

Her brother was gone, and her father was lifeless. The entire Jiang family did not prosper because of her marriage to the royal family. Instead, they fell into decline. How could she accept this?

Thinking of this, Jiang Zhenru gritted her teeth. If she and her child were safe and sound, then it was the will of Heaven.

After an unknown amount of time, the sky grew darker and darker, and the room became deathly still. The King of Qin became increasingly restless, and finally he faintly heard the cries of an infant.

The King of Qin stood up abruptly and strode outside, where he saw the steward running towards him.

"Your Highness, the Princess Consort has given birth to your child, and both mother and child are safe and sound."

The King of Qin's emotions went through ups and downs, and deep down he felt a sense of having regained what he had lost: "Good, good."

The King of Qin muttered to himself unconsciously as he strode toward the main house.

The servants were still busy, but everyone had a happy expression on their faces. Just as the prince was about to barge into the room, the head maid and the midwife immediately whispered their attempts to stop him, but the Prince of Qin ignored them and entered the room by lifting the curtain.

Just as the housekeeper had said, the smell of blood in the house had not yet dissipated.

The maid brought out a basin of bloody water, and seeing it, one could tell how dangerous it had just happened.

Jiang Zhenru lay on the bed with her eyes closed, her face unusually pale, devoid of her usual vitality.

“Aru.”

The King of Qin called out, and Jiang Zhenru immediately opened her eyes, her face full of surprise.

"Your Highness, what brings you into the room?" Jiang Zhenru reached out and shoved the Prince of Qin. "Guards, quickly... escort... Your Highness... out..."

“Don’t worry,” King Qin said, pulling Jiang Zhenru back. “I just came to see you and the child.”

That gentle voice made Jiang Zhenru's eyes redden, and tears fell: "Your Highness, if you... have anything to ask me... please ask!"

The King of Qin immediately recalled his aggressive entrance and felt a pang of guilt. Everything had already happened; there was no need to ask questions now…

Just as this thought crossed my mind, I heard Jiang Zhenru say, "It was I who found Hanlin Wang... to deal with Minister Wang... I even went to the palace to complain to the Empress... It was all my doing. If Your Majesty blames me, I am willing to take full responsibility."

The truth was laid bare before him, forcing the King of Qin to confront his current predicament. Even though he felt sorry for Jiang Zhenru, he still said, "How could you be so foolish? If the Emperor becomes suspicious, do you know what the consequences will be?"

"It is precisely because I am afraid of this that I did this."

Jiang Zhenru took a deep breath, just then the baby in the wet nurse's arms started to cry. Jiang Zhenru stared at the direction of the crying for a long time, unable to look away.

After a long pause, she continued, "I have given birth to another child for Your Highness, and we now have four children... The thought of their lives being held in the hands of others is unbearable for me."

"I have said before that what happened before cannot be repeated, because I have no other brother to help me. Your Highness, all I want is for our whole family to survive."

“The Prince once employed Xia Mengxian, and Xie Yizhi also secretly served the Prince. If these things are exposed, what will the Emperor do? The Wang family is so aggressive, they will find out sooner or later. I don’t want to harm anyone, I just… want to stop the Wang family from continuing like this.”

Jiang Zhenru's tears fell more and more: "These days, the child has been moving a lot in my belly. I feel that the child is reminding me that I cannot just sit and wait to die. I have to do something for them and for the prince."

(End of this chapter)