Chapter 160

Chapter 160: Wait and See

Sheng Zhi Wan came back and happened to see the scene. She shouted, “Stop!” Duke Qi froze in place with his foot still raised.

When Duke Qi saw it was Sheng Zhi Wan, his eyes turned sharp. He snapped, “Who do you think you’re talking to with that tone?” Liu Shang and An Zhi seized the chance to hurry to their Princess’s side.

Sheng Zhi Wan acted as if she had not even heard him. She turned to the Palace Eunuch and the Yu Lin Guard who had escorted her back and said, “Thank you for your trouble.”

After the Palace Eunuch and the Yu Lin Guard left, she finally looked at Duke Qi, who still wore anger on his face. In the pitch-black night, two lanterns hung behind her. Her expression was hard to make out, yet Duke Qi still felt his heart shiver for no reason. His jaw tightened.

Sheng Zhi Wan’s voice came over, with none of her old respect. “What did Duke want to do just now?”

Duke Qi paused. She called him what- Duke? He snapped back to himself, annoyed, and felt even more embarrassed about that brief fear. “Naturally, I was disciplining your maids! A junior disrespects elders, and the maids you raised don’t know their place. They even dared to lay hands on their master!”

Qi Shu Xian also spoke coldly, “Zhi Wan, your two maids were too rude. They didn’t even listen to my orders.”

Qi Shu Xian frowned at Liu Shang. Since when did Sheng Zhi Wan have someone this capable at her side?

Liu Shang felt a little guilty. She had never been a maid before, and she did not understand the rules of a noble household. She had only seen that the Heir Apparent, a grown man, wanted to bully An Zhi, so Liu Shang could not just stand by. She wanted to admit fault.

An Zhi stopped Liu Shang. An Zhi stepped forward and complained to her Princess, straight-backed and bold: “Princess, we wanted to go out to meet you, but the Heir Apparent said Concubine Meng had stomach pain and ordered us to go take care of her. Last time, Concubine Meng framed you, and the Heir Apparent even killed Laifu because of her.”

An Zhi continued in a rush: “This servant was afraid Concubine Meng would use this chance to complain to the Heir Apparent again. This servant feared the Heir Apparent would beat this servant to death, so this servant dared to refuse.”

An Zhi finished, voice full of grievance: “Who knew the Heir Apparent would suddenly get angry and try to hit this servant? Liu Shang came not long ago and didn’t know the rules. She only blocked once.”

Qi Shu Xian was furious. In their eyes, was he really that blind and unreasonable? Yet An Zhi’s words also made him remember that Meng Yang was still inside, clutching her belly in pain. He immediately looked at Sheng Zhi Wan and begged, “Zhi Wan, you came back at the right time. Meng Yang’s stomach pain is unbearable. I know she offended you before, but the child is innocent. Even if it’s for the child’s sake, could you go take a look?”

Qi Shu Xian had seen enough to be sure Sheng Zhi Wan’s medical skills were good. Since she was here, he no longer needed to summon an Imperial Physician.

Sheng Zhi Wan said nothing until now. Then she finally laughed out loud.

Her steps carried her slowly into the courtyard. Under the firelight, her gorgeous face showed open mockery. “Is the Heir Apparent truly foolish, or are you pretending to be foolish?”

Duke Qi frowned. What kind of wife spoke to her husband like this?

Before Duke Qi could speak, Sheng Zhi Wan looked at him. “Right. Duke said you wanted to discipline this Princess’s maids?”

Duke Qi’s face darkened. “What, I’m not allowed to discipline them?”

“A dignified Duke meddling in his son’s inner-courtyard matters will not sound good if word spreads,” Sheng Zhi Wan said calmly. “Besides, Duke’s reputation is already on the edge of scandal. Duke should watch your words and actions.”

Duke Qi’s face turned even darker. Sheng Zhi Wan was talking about his mistress. Other people could gossip and he might never hear it, but Sheng Zhi Wan was his daughter-in-law. How dared she point at him?

Duke Qi’s cheeks trembled with rage. He pointed at Sheng Zhi Wan and shouted, “Don’t think saving Northern Di Fourth Prince means you made some great contribution! What kind of woman behaves like you, not even bothering to avoid suspicion? Shameless!”

Sheng Zhi Wan strode forward at once. “Duke, watch your words!”

Duke Qi was stunned by her gaze. Cold fear crawled up his spine, and his pointing hand withdrew on its own.

“Father keeping a mistress counts as avoiding suspicion, as knowing shame,” Sheng Zhi Wan said, voice cutting. “But when this Princess acted to save Prince Lu Chuo for the safety of Sheng Kingdom and Northern Di, it became shameless? Is that truly what Father thinks?”

Duke Qi could not answer.

Sheng Zhi Wan walked past him and headed toward the side room where she stayed.

A shrill scream suddenly rang out.

Meng Yang staggered out, clutching the doorframe. “Heir Apparent- where is the Imperial Physician? I- I hurt so much…”

Sheng Zhi Wan looked over and saw the blood seeping beneath Meng Yang. Sheng Zhi Wan’s steps paused.

Helping was impossible.

In her past life, Meng Yang had given birth early when the child was just over five months. Now that Huan Zhu was no longer borrowing her name to act, the child should have been safe. Why was it still like this?

[Was this child fated to be a stillbirth? If so, then the fate of Grandmother and the fate of Sheng Zhi Wan… could never be changed?]

No.

In the space of a single breath, Sheng Zhi Wan rejected the thought. Things depended on people. Everything was already different from her past life. She had obtained the Separation Edict. After she returned to Duke Manor tomorrow and received the decree, she would have nothing to do with Qi Shu Xian again.

“Zhi Wan!” Qi Shu Xian saw the blood and blocked her. “Are you really going to watch her die?”

Meng Yang’s fingers dug into the doorframe as she begged through pain, “Princess… please save this concubine…”

At this moment, Meng Yang would rather Sheng Zhi Wan truly knew medicine. As long as Sheng Zhi Wan could save her… Meng Yang hurt so much she could barely breathe.

Sheng Zhi Wan only smiled. “If the Heir Apparent hadn’t wasted time here and had summoned the Imperial Physician earlier, Concubine Meng might not have reached this point.”

Sheng Zhi Wan’s tone stayed light as she added, “But if the Heir Apparent forces this Princess to act now and it becomes one corpse with two lives, which will you choose?”

“Zhi Wan!” Qi Shu Xian stared as if he could not believe her. How could Sheng Zhi Wan be this cold? Yet when Qi Shu Xian met her eyes, he saw no ripples at all.

Meng Yang screamed again as even more blood poured out.

Duke Qi glared at Sheng Zhi Wan and roared, “This is outrageous! Truly outrageous! This is Duke Manor’s first grandchild. If anything happens to him, I will never spare you!”

Sheng Zhi Wan gave a soft laugh. “Then this Princess would wait and see.”

She stepped inside and shut the door, trapping Duke Qi’s useless rage outside.

In the end, Qi Shu Xian still went to summon the Imperial Physician. Outside, people shouted and cried. After the Imperial Physician arrived, they struggled until deep into the night before they barely stabilized Meng Yang. Meng Yang finally fell into a heavy sleep.

The Imperial Physician called Qi Shu Xian outside. With a sigh, he said, “Heir Apparent, you came too late. The child in this concubine’s belly has already lost a heartbeat. The medicine now only prevents her from passing the child right away. Tomorrow… after Heir Apparent returns to the manor, you must find a midwife and have the child delivered.”

Alive or dead, the child could not be born in the travel palace.

The Imperial Physician’s words filled Qi Shu Xian with grief. His gaze could not help drifting toward the other darkened side room. If Sheng Zhi Wan had been willing to act, perhaps the child would not have ended like this…