Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Must Have Been a Guess

Sheng Zhi Wan told Shopkeeper Lin to find a maid who could fight, was the right age, and had a clean background that could stand up to scrutiny.

Just being able to fight and being around fourteen or fifteen was already hard enough. What family would teach their daughter martial arts? It was even harder to find someone with a spotless background. Ordinary families could not afford that, and families who could usually would not let a daughter learn it.

Shopkeeper Lin searched for two full months before he finally found someone suitable. He still could not understand why the Princess was being so cautious. Outside, she was a Princess. Inside, she was also the heir’s wife at the Duke Manor. Who could possibly threaten her, and who would dare investigate the people around her?

But Shopkeeper Lin did not understand. Sheng Zhi Wan was not guarding against outsiders, but against the one above her head.

Had her loyal, capable people not been sent away to other palaces by her Imperial Father, one by one?

Sheng Zhi Wan lowered her eyes. “Tell me where she came from.”

Shopkeeper Lin said, “She was originally a girl from Xing Jia Village in the capital city. She had one sister and two brothers. She was born with great strength and ate a lot.”

“When she was four, her family could not afford to feed her anymore, so they threw her into the mountains. Later, she met a monk who begged for alms, and she went to the temple with him.”

“She basically grew up in the temple. Not long ago, her family went there to pray for a child for their daughter-in-law, and they saw her again. They insisted on taking her back, and they even tried to accuse the monk who picked her up of trafficking children…”

Sheng Zhi Wan frowned.

Shopkeeper Lin continued, “In the end, she had no choice and went back with them. The moment she returned, they sold her for fifty taels of silver to a rich household nearby, to be a replacement wife.”

“When my people went over, we happened to see that girl lift the man up and swing him around like a club.”

Even now, when Shopkeeper Lin remembered that scene, his heart still trembled.

Sheng Zhi Wan laughed. “She sounded like a pitiful but impressive young miss. Once the herbs are all gathered, bring her along when you go report the accounts at the Duke Manor. I’ll decide whether to keep her after I see her.”

“Yes.” Shopkeeper Lin agreed.

Then he suddenly remembered something. “Princess, there’s one more thing. Lady Tao came to Ci Xi Hall a few days ago, and she was diagnosed as pregnant.”

“Oh?” Sheng Zhi Wan raised her brows.

It seemed the Duke really was still strong in his old age. Good news came quickly.

If that was the case, then Concubine Lian’s side would not be far behind either.

That night, as soon as Sheng Zhi Wan returned to the Duke Manor, Sheng Zhi Wan went straight to Concubine Lian’s courtyard.

Concubine Lian had also wanted to find Sheng Zhi Wan. When she saw Sheng Zhi Wan arrive, Concubine Lian quickly dismissed the servants.

“Princess, my monthly bleeding has been delayed for more than ten days!”

“And I don’t know if it’s just my imagination, but lately, whenever I smell certain things, I feel nauseous and want to vomit…”

As Concubine Lian spoke, Concubine Lian could not help rubbing her stomach.

Sheng Zhi Wan told Concubine Lian to hold out her hand.

Concubine Lian did not understand at first, until Sheng Zhi Wan’s fingers settled on Concubine Lian’s wrist. Only then did Concubine Lian react. “The Princess actually knew medicine?!”

“I knew a little.” Sheng Zhi Wan withdrew her hand and did not answer directly. “The cun pulse is deep, the chi pulse is floating. It’s a slippery pulse, and judging by it, you are about a month and a half along.”

“I’ll write you a prescription. It can ease the nausea.”

Concubine Lian froze.

After suspecting pregnancy, Concubine Lian had already calculated the dates herself. It really did match the time from a month and a half ago.

Yet the Princess only took a pulse and immediately knew.

Even Imperial Physician Song might not be able to do that.

[Could the Princess’s medical skill be better than Imperial Physician Song’s?]

The thought startled Concubine Lian for a moment.

[No, that was impossible. The Princess was so young. Maybe Sheng Zhi Wan just happened to know the day the Duke stayed here and guessed it.]

While Concubine Lian was still thinking, Sheng Zhi Wan finished writing the prescription.

Sheng Zhi Wan asked, “Have you thought through how you’ll bring the child safely into the world? Since Madam Cui made you take a Fertility-Suppressing Pill, Madam Cui clearly never wanted anyone other than Madam Cui to bear a child.”

“I have.” Concubine Lian clenched her teeth and looked up at Sheng Zhi Wan. “I’ve always had leverage over Madam Cui.”

“Before Madam Cui married into the manor, the Duke had a cousin he truly loved, and the feelings were mutual. But Madam Cui fell for the Duke at first sight, so Madam Cui secretly hired people to ruin that cousin miss.”

“That cousin miss had a fierce temperament. Later, the cousin miss hanged herself. Because of that, the Duke was depressed for a long time. That was when Madam Cui took advantage of the gap, got to know the Duke, and caught the Duke’s eye.”

Sheng Zhi Wan fell silent.

There was actually such a past.

Sheng Zhi Wan asked, “You plan to use this to threaten Madam Cui?”

Concubine Lian said, “If Madam Cui wants to lay hands on my child, then I’ll have no choice but to protect myself with this.”

“As long as you have a plan.” Sheng Zhi Wan still reminded Concubine Lian, “There’s one more thing you should probably know.”

“What is it?”

“The Duke kept a mistress outside.”

Concubine Lian stared, but a moment later, Concubine Lian nodded as if it suddenly made sense. “So that’s why the Duke is never in the manor and is always out ‘socializing’. He has another home outside.”

“But Princess, don’t worry. I’m just a concubine. No matter how many mistresses the Duke keeps outside, it has nothing to do with me.”

Concubine Lian only wanted a child. Concubine Lian did not truly love the Duke.

Sheng Zhi Wan said, “That mistress is also pregnant. Soon, the mistress will enter the manor. When that happens, I don’t want you to target the child in her belly for any reason. Do you understand?”

“Ah?” This time, Concubine Lian was truly shocked.

Concubine Lian looked at Sheng Zhi Wan, but Sheng Zhi Wan did not say anything else.

Sheng Zhi Wan left in a very good mood and returned to Ping Lan Residence.

Without suffering pregnancy and childbirth, she could still gain a child for free. How could one such gift be enough?

After Qi Fei Yan was beheaded, she would present her mother with these two grand gifts.

Sheng Zhi Wan slept soundly that night.

In contrast, inside Lian Manor, Qi Fei Yan was so furious that Qi Fei Yan did not sleep all night.

At dinner, Old Madam Lian made the decision to elevate all of Lian Wen Hui’s bedchamber maids into concubines.

In the past, Lian Wen Hui could fool around, but it was outside, and at least Lian Wen Hui did not shove it into Qi Fei Yan’s face.

The bedchamber maids in the courtyard had to drink Contraceptive Decoction before serving. There was no chance they would conceive.

But once they were raised to concubines, it was different.

It meant those women now had the right to bear Lian Wen Hui’s children.

Madam Lian, her mother-in-law, even implied again and again that Qi Fei Yan’s character was improper, and that after three years in the manor, Qi Fei Yan still had not produced even half a child.

“Sheng Zhi Wan! It’s all Sheng Zhi Wan!”

“Sooner or later, I’ll make Sheng Zhi Wan pay, and that lowly little maid Ting Lan too!”

Qi Fei Yan ground Qi Fei Yan’s teeth.

Qi Fei Yan’s gaze landed on Chun Chan, who was trembling as Chun Chan followed beside Qi Fei Yan. Qi Fei Yan slapped Chun Chan hard. “You wretch, are you laughing at me too?”

“I wasn’t, I really wasn’t!” Chun Chan dropped to Chun Chan’s knees.