"Ah Wan!" Seeing Mingwei almost trip over the low steps, Rong Zhen had long forgotten all his schemes and plots; he was terrified. Rong Zhen pulled Mingwei into his arms, asking with suspicion, "Are you feeling unwell?"
For him, nothing in this world was more important than Mingwei.
"I wasn't watching where I was going..." Mingwei's face immediately turned pale, and she smiled weakly, "I just felt a little nauseous, but I'm not feeling unwell!"
Seeing that her legs were weak, Rong Zhen simply picked up Mingwei and strode into the house.
Upon seeing this, the maids serving at the door quickly lifted the curtain, and Biyun repeatedly ordered the preparation of hot water and medicinal tea.
"Go and fetch the imperial physician!" Rong Zhen said decisively as he gently placed Mingwei on the canopy bed, "Just say that the princess has a stomachache!"
"Your Highness!" Mingwei hurriedly grabbed Rong Zhen's sleeve, saying anxiously, "Just have Doctor Zhang examine me, I'm fine!" Seeing that Rong Zhen showed no sign of changing his mind, she became so anxious that she stammered, "I'm just a little tired today, I'll rest for a couple of days and I'll be fine!"
The situation is currently unclear, so it's better to avoid trouble.
"Can't you hear me? Go now!" To everyone's surprise, Rong Zhen remained unmoved. He coldly surveyed the inner room and said to Biyun, "Have Laifu take the Prince's token to the Imperial Hospital!"
Biyun and the others couldn't help but show expressions of astonishment.
In the past, the prince respected the princess the most, and most of the time, as long as the princess insisted, the prince would go along with her wishes. But today, he ignored the princess's earnest advice and insisted on going his own way?
Doctor Zhang's medical skills were evident to all, and he was more than capable of taking good care of the little prince in the princess's womb.
"This servant will go right away!" Biyun was the first of the four to react. She calmly bowed, turned around and went out the door.
"Your Highness!" Mingwei saw that Rong Zhen was ignoring her advice and was about to struggle to get out of bed.
Seeing the awkward atmosphere between the prince and princess, the remaining three dared not offer any advice. They stood silently to the side, their voices trembling with fear.
"Go and bring the Princess some herbal tea," Rong Zhenshen instructed calmly. "Help the Princess change her clothes."
The three of them hurriedly responded and went about their business.
Rong Zhen looked at Mingwei, who was still anxious and unwilling on the bed, and sighed deeply. He held Mingwei's hand and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Awan, do you know that in my heart, nothing is more important than you and the child?"
Despite the calm tone, Mingwei could clearly hear a hint of heartache in his voice.
“Your Highness…” Mingwei was at a loss for words, her lips slightly parted as she said, “I understand your intentions, but at this moment…”
"You won't have a moment's peace until the news of your pregnancy is announced." Mingwei hadn't been feeling well for days, and today she pretended to be perfectly fine, forcing herself to finish receiving everyone... Rong Zhen felt as if an invisible hand was tearing at his heart, making him extremely uncomfortable.
"It's going to have to be said sooner or later, so why not say it now? You can have some peace and quiet then." Rong Zhen's tone was firm and unwavering. If this was the reason, Ming Wei wouldn't have to go out for social engagements for a long time. Nor would she have to endure the schemes and difficulties devised by those princesses.
Mingwei wanted to say something to stop him, but she swallowed the words back. She knew better than anyone that Rong Zhen cared for and cherished her in every way.
"I will do as Your Highness wishes." Mingwei finally nodded obediently.
As soon as the two finished speaking, Dongyue and the other two came in, each carrying a tray. Tangli and Yuelin helped Mingwei change into some casual clothes, loosened her high bun, and removed her heavy hairpins, leaving only a loose bun. After Dongyue brought hot water to help her wash her face, Tangli had already brought out the herbal tea.
"Your Highness, Your Highness, Eunuch Lai Xi has returned." Seeing that she couldn't interfere with what was happening inside, Bi Xi waited outside. Upon receiving the news, she immediately came to report.
Rong Zhen's slightly deep voice came from inside the room. "Let him in and give his answer."
When Laixi entered, Bixi led him to the inner room where the prince and princess lived. In the princess's bedroom, there was an eight-panel screen carved with landscapes and figures made of sandalwood, and the figures behind the screen could be vaguely seen.
"This servant greets Your Highness and Your Highness." Before he could think further, Lai Xi knelt down to pay his respects and said to the two of them, "The Old Madam, the First Madam, and the Eldest Miss have all returned to the manor safely. Please rest assured, Your Highness and Your Highness."
"Get up." Rong Zhen's voice was indifferent, revealing no emotion. "Have you inquired carefully about what exactly happened at the Duke of Ying's residence?"
Lai Xi respectfully replied, "Your Highness, it is true that something improper happened between the Prince Cheng's heir and the third young lady of the Marquis's mansion..."
“You don’t need to hold back, just speak your mind.” Mingwei’s voice came through the screen, faintly revealing a hint of weariness. “Don’t say anything that tries to gloss over the truth, I want to hear the real thing.”
"This servant wouldn't dare." Lai Xi had been hesitant about how to say it, but now that the Princess Consort had given him directions, he felt reassured. "According to the people from the Duke of Ying's mansion, the Prince Cheng's son drank too much and went for a stroll in the Duke's garden when he sobered up. Feeling drowsy from the cold wind, he casually found a room to rest in."
"Who knew that the third young lady of the Marquis's mansion happened to be there at the time..." Despite having Mingwei's permission, Laixi hesitated as she continued, "The young master only treated her as a maidservant, and seemed to have said some frivolous things to her..."
frivolous words?
Mingwei sneered inwardly, thinking that things were probably not that simple!
"Later, several young masters came looking for the Prince Cheng's heir, and the First Madam of the Duke of Ying's mansion came with her people looking for the Third Miss." Lai Xi, afraid of angering Ming Wei, said cautiously, "It just so happened that people from both sides bumped into each other..."
"The Prince Cheng's son has had too much to drink. Could it be that my third sister is also drunk?" Mingwei couldn't help but feel angry. Her voice was full of sarcasm as she said, "Wandering around the Duke of Ying's mansion by herself? Where are the maids with her? Is this how the Duke of Ying's mansion treats its guests?"
Even though she knew in her heart that this was a disgusting drama that was based on mutual consent, Mingwei was still furious.
Before she was even married, Mingrong repeatedly tried to harm her, spreading rumors about her and attempting to ruin her reputation so she couldn't find a good match. However, Mingrong's attempt to steal her away that time backfired, and she ended up getting herself into trouble. So Mingwei decided to let bygones be bygones. Even if she made a scene, it wouldn't do any good for the reputation of the Marquis of Chengping's mansion.
Who would have thought that Mingrong would go even further now, acting as if she had gone mad!
By doing this, she was essentially dragging the entire Chengping Marquis's mansion into the mess, leaving the other young ladies and gentlemen of the mansion wondering how they would find husbands!
Sensing Mingwei's fury, Laixi dared not respond and stood there helplessly.
"How did my third sister leave the Marquis's mansion?" Mingwei quickly composed herself. She took a deep breath, gave Rong Zhen a reassuring look, and slowly said, "I remember that my third sister was closely followed by someone."
Ever since the old lady learned that Mingrong had impure thoughts, she sold out the people around Mingrong and picked new people for her, not only to serve her but also to monitor her.
"Your Highness, the First Madam, the Second Young Lady, and the Old Madam left early this morning, and then the First Madam of the Duke of Ying's Mansion arrived." Lai Xi dared not conceal anything and told the whole story. "She said she wanted to see the young ladies of the Second Branch, and specifically requested to visit the Third Young Lady on behalf of the Second Madam of the Marquis's Mansion."
Mingwei could imagine the true colors of the First Lady of the Duke of England's mansion.
Even when the Second Madam was still in the Marquis's mansion, the First Madam looked down on her. Furthermore, the Second Madam had always disliked illegitimate daughters, and had almost never taken any of her illegitimate daughters to the Duke of Ying's mansion. In Mingwei's memory, she had barely seen the First Madam more than a few times. And the First Madam was a mean and difficult person; would she really have such good intentions?
All the masters in charge of the Marquis's mansion had gone out, and the Third Miss was engaged to the third branch of the Duke of Ying's mansion. It would not look good if things got tense, so the servants had no choice but to invite the Third Miss over.
The First Madam didn't stay long before leaving. Mingrong's servants initially thought she was upset and didn't want to see anyone. After a while, they realized something was wrong; the Third Miss was gone. It turned out she had disguised herself as a maid and secretly followed the First Madam into the carriage.