Free Web NovelChapter 241: Chapter 241: No Evidence Needed, That’s the Rule
As Ji Qingwu took Du Yufang’s pulse, her eyes remained fixed on her.
She took her pulse for a very long time—so long that Du Yufang’s fingers began to tremble unnaturally, as if she were afraid of what might be discovered.
Ji Qingwu withdrew her hand. "The concubine is indeed unwell. The physician from Qingchun Hall said yesterday that nothing was wrong, but that’s only because he has seen too few cases like this."
Du Yufang was filled with suspicion, wondering why Ji Qingwu would help her. She turned a pitiful gaze toward Prince Yong.
"My Prince, with Miss Ji as a witness, I truly am unwell. I am not faking it."
Ji Qingwu spoke up. "Don’t be so hasty, concubine. I’m not finished."
"Your body has a major problem. If you wish to carry this child to term, you must remain on bed rest until the birth."
’Bed rest? Doesn’t that mean I can’t go out whenever I please? This is like dropping a rock on my own foot.’
Du Yufang’s smile stiffened as she changed her tune. "Although I’m a little unwell, it’s just normal morning sickness. As long as the Prince comes to see me more often, I’ll be better in no time."
Shaking her head, Ji Qingwu walked over to Yunxuan, bent down, and waved a hand in front of his eyes. Then, she clapped her hands loudly.
But the young boy just tilted his head, showing no reaction at all, as if he hadn’t seen or heard a thing.
Du Yufang rushed over and yanked Yunxuan behind her.
"What are you doing?" she asked warily.
Since it was Du Yufang who had sought her out, and she had already seen through the charade...
Ji Qingwu looked her straight in the eye. "Your health has been compromised ever since your first pregnancy. As for how this child was born, you should know better than anyone."
Du Yufang’s eyes darted away as she feigned protectiveness, shielding Yunxuan behind her.
"Miss Ji, what are you saying in front of the child!"
Ji Qingwu said, "Can he even understand what I’m saying?"
Du Yufang said, "Yunxuan is normally fine. It’s only when he sees the Princess Consort that he inexplicably becomes like this, as if he’s under a spell."
Hearing her continue to frame Princess Yong without a hint of remorse, Ji Qingwu decided to be blunt.
"This child is not like this because his birth chart clashes with the Princess Consort’s. He suffers from a congenital deficiency, a weakness he’s had since the womb."
Zhao Minghong’s gaze fell on Yunxuan, who was squatting on the floor, chewing his fingers.
Though they weren’t close, he was his child, after all.
His expression filled with obvious worry. "Fifth Cousin, a weakness from the womb... what does that mean? Please be clearer."
Ji Qingwu spoke bluntly. "It’s survival of the fittest, and the same principle applies to conceiving a child. This child should not have been carried to term, but the concubine used medicine to force the pregnancy to continue."
"That physician must have told the concubine about the consequences of using that medicine, didn’t he?"
Du Yufang clenched her teeth, her entire face tensing up. It was clear Ji Qingwu had hit the mark.
Zhao Minghong had complete faith in Ji Qingwu’s medical skills.
The only remaining question was whether Du Yufang knew the medicine would cause the child to be mentally impaired.
He roared, "Speak for yourself!"
Du Yufang’s lips parted several times, but she couldn’t form a complete sentence.
When the child was younger, his abnormal behavior wasn’t obvious. But as he got older and it became harder to hide, Du Yufang fabricated the excuse about them being incompatible and blamed everything on Princess Yong.
Tao Wanxin had no desire to raise another woman’s child, so she had let concubine Du have her way.
Princess Yong was still in shock. ’How could any mother trade her child’s entire life for her own glory and wealth?’
Ji Qingwu said, "Why have you gone silent, concubine?"
Du Yufang pointed at her and shrieked, "I didn’t! You’re framing me! You’re framing me and my son! You’re on the Princess Consort’s side! Yunxuan is fine, he’s a normal child!"
Then, Du Yufang dragged Yunxuan in front of Prince Yong, pinching his back.
"Yunxuan, this is your father! Why aren’t you greeting him? Say something!"
Zhao Yunxuan’s reaction was slow. After a moment, he began to shy away. The child looked small, but his strength was considerable, and he shoved Du Yufang to the ground with a single push.
He then ran straight out of the study. When a little eunuch at the door stopped him, he sat on the floor and burst into tears.
With a dark expression, Zhao Minghong called someone in. "Take the concubine back to her courtyard and place her under confinement. No one is to let her out without my order."
Tao Wanxin closed her eyes. She could still hear Yunxuan’s cries. ’The child is innocent, and a simple-minded one at that.’
"My Prince."
Zhao Minghong looked at her. Beneath the blanket, Tao Wanxin’s hand rested on her lower abdomen as she sat up straight.
"Yunxuan should no longer live in concubine Du’s courtyard."
Du Yufang, collapsed on the floor, said in disbelief, "What do you mean? Of course my child should be raised by my side."
Tao Wanxin looked down at her and said, word by word, "If you truly saw him as your own child, you would have told the Prince and me about his condition. If we had sought a physician for him earlier, there might have been a chance for recovery."
"But you only used him as a tool to climb higher. This ill-fated bond between you and this child ends here."
Du Yufang shook her head violently, refusing to accept it.
"You have no proof! You have no right to do this! The Prince only ordered my confinement; he didn’t say he would separate Yunxuan and me."
’Only she and her trusted handmaiden know about this. They were clean; they didn’t leave any trail.’
In the past, whenever she cried and threw a fit, this kind-faced, soft-hearted Princess Consort would always be the first to back down.
But this time, the Princess Consort did not react as she had expected.
Tao Wanxin once again took out the jade household management tablet and threw it down in front of her.
"The Prince handed over management of the rear courtyards to me long ago. Tell me, do I have authority over this or not?"
Her voice was calm but left no room for argument.
"As a mere concubine, you were never qualified to raise the Prince’s eldest son in the first place. I don’t need any proof, because that is the rule."
Du Yufang finally panicked. Wailing pitifully, she tried to move closer to Prince Yong.
Zhao Minghong was prepared and dodged even faster. He immediately declared, "The Princess Consort is absolutely right. Take her away, quickly!"
Eunuch Changlu, who was waiting at the door, quickly covered her mouth and dragged her away.
Ji Qingwu’s gaze shifted between the Prince and Princess Consort. It was the first time she had seen Princess Yong take such a firm stance.
’It’s about time.’
She had other matters to attend to, so after giving a few more instructions, she left Prince Yong’s Mansion.
The study fell silent once more.
Zhao Minghong picked up the jade tablet from the floor. "Do you think this is just some random trinket, to be thrown on the ground?"
It wasn’t just the authority to manage the household; it also granted access to the entire Prince Mansion’s treasury. More importantly, it represented his feelings for her.
He tried to tuck it back into her sleeve, but Tao Wanxin drew back.
Zhao Minghong’s hand froze. "You don’t want it anymore?"
’That fierce tone... it was as if she weren’t rejecting the tablet, but him.’
Tao Wanxin pointed at the floor, saying sheepishly, "It fell on the ground. It’s dirty."
’Who knows what dust and grime it picked up, and he still wants to stuff it into my sleeve.’
Zhao Minghong said, "You don’t want it just because you think it’s dirty?"
