It was lychees.
A small basket, with ice cubes inside, the bright red shells, truly evoking nostalgia.
But these were precious things, how could Concubine Ru Yan have them?
“Where did Concubine Ru Yan buy these? I’ll send someone out to buy some too later,” Qi Zhenzhen asked with a smile.
Ru Yan pursed her lips and smiled, “These aren’t things you can just buy anywhere. I heard they are very precious, transported from Lingnan to the capital, requiring a lot of manpower and resources. Even so, a large portion spoils. They are things that are available but have no market. Madam sent someone to deliver them to my place, and since I was visiting, I brought them along.”
Qi Zhenzhen remained impassive. Was this a display of wealth? Both were concubines, but she had them, while Madam Yun did not. The difference in status was immediately apparent.
“Come, eat quickly,” Madam Yun beckoned Qi Zhenzhen.
“Concubine, you’ve forgotten, my period is due these few days. If I indulge in cold food, I’ll suffer,” Qi Zhenzhen said. “Mother, your stomach is often uncomfortable, you can’t have cold things either.”
Madam Yun nodded. Those years in the countryside, with irregular meals and drinks, had indeed caused her hardship. Her stomach and intestines had been poor ever since, and she truly dared not eat cold food.
“In that case, it’s a pity to have wasted Concubine Ru Yan’s kind intentions,” Qi Zhenzhen sighed. “Concubine Ru Yan, you should eat them yourself.”
“I can’t eat cold things either,” Ru Yan replied.
“Just a month ago, I heard you were eating iced melons every day. How is it that you suddenly can’t eat them? Could it be that you are with child?” Qi Zhenzhen said with a half-smile.
She had been observing Ru Yan since she entered. Her left hand unconsciously kept going to her lower abdomen. She hadn’t had these little gestures before. A few days ago, she had overheard Nanny Fang muttering that the two supervising nannies from the purchasing and kitchen departments had complained that Concubine Ru Yan, relying on the Marquis’s frequent visits to her courtyard, had become increasingly arrogant and difficult to serve, constantly demanding unusual foods, which greatly troubled them.
Putting it all together, Qi Zhenzhen surmised that she was pregnant.
Otherwise, even if it was a display of wealth, she wouldn’t have brought a basket of lychees, especially since they were so precious.
“Second Miss has sharp eyes.” After a brief moment of panic, Ru Yan smiled and admitted it. This matter could be concealed for a while, but not forever.
“Then I must truly congratulate Concubine Ru Yan. Does Father know about this? The Marquis’s mansion hasn’t had a new life born in many years. I imagine Father will be overjoyed when he knows,” Qi Zhenzhen offered her sincere congratulations.
“I haven’t told the Marquis yet, but one of the old women serving me has some medical knowledge and felt it. It hasn’t been long, and I was thinking of waiting a few more days and then having the household physician examine me,” Ru Yan said.
“This is no small matter, Concubine Ru Yan must not be careless!” Qi Zhenzhen said meaningfully.
Ru Yan nodded, “I have always been very careful.”
“Your own carefulness is not enough, the people around you must also be careful. Of course, the most important thing is that they are of one heart with you, Concubine,” Qi Zhenzhen implied. “Not long ago, a maid with sticky fingers from my aunt’s courtyard was dismissed. She actually stole my aunt’s personal clothing!”
Ru Yan couldn’t help but shiver. A woman’s personal clothing symbolized her purity. If it fell into the hands of someone with ulterior motives…
“That maid claimed her family had a gravely ill relative and she was momentarily confused. But personal clothing is hard to sell for money, isn’t it more convenient to steal a piece or two of jewelry?” Qi Zhenzhen said slowly. “My aunt is soft-hearted and still wanted to keep that maid in the courtyard to serve. Concubine Ru Yan, if this happened to you, would you dare to keep her?”
Dare?
No, no, of course not.
This was clearly a deliberate trap, intended to ruin Madam Yun’s reputation.
Who in this inner courtyard would do such a thing? It didn’t require much thought to guess.
It was heard that after Madam Yun returned to the mansion, the Marquis had only visited twice in total, and each time he left in a rage, not even staying the night.
She was clearly out of favor. If Madam couldn’t even tolerate a concubine who had fallen out of favor, would she tolerate Ru Yan?
Then there was Concubine Xiang, who had been hiding in her own courtyard ever since giving birth to the Third Miss. She hadn’t even intervened when her daughter was bullied. Even so, she was sick all year round. And then there was the incident not long ago where the maid attending the Third Miss had been harsh towards her. Although the final verdict was that the wicked servant had bullied her mistress, upon closer examination, the conclusion was flimsy. Without someone instigating her, where would a mere maid get such audacity?
The more Ru Yan thought about it, the more uneasy she felt. Were there people planted by Madam in her courtyard too? Did Madam already know about her pregnancy? If she did, was this basket of lychees today intentional?
Everyone knew that the first month of pregnancy was unstable, and with the slightest carelessness, it could be lost. Thinking further, the maid beside her had even encouraged her to eat more. Was it all deliberate?
“Sister Yun, I suddenly feel unwell and wish to return to rest for a while.” Ru Yan got up to take her leave and left in a hurry, not even taking the basket of lychees.
“Shall I have someone send it over?”
“No, if it causes any further trouble after sending it back, it will be difficult to explain,” Qi Zhenzhen stopped her. “It’s a pity to throw it away, and Mother can’t eat it either, so let’s distribute it to the young maids in the courtyard.”
“Alright.”
After Ru Yan returned, she felt increasingly uneasy. She looked at everyone serving in the room and felt they were all Madam’s people.
“Concubine, the main kitchen has sent over tremella soup. The temperature is just right now, Concubine, please eat it quickly.” A young maid brought over a bowl.
“I won’t eat it, I won’t eat it,” Ru Yan waved her hand. “I won’t eat tremella soup anymore.”
The young maid looked puzzled, “Concubine, don’t you like it the most?”
“If I say I won’t eat it, I won’t eat it. Why are you talking so much nonsense?” Ru Yan was like a startled cat, extremely irritable.
Such a sudden outburst of anger made the young maid’s face turn pale. “Then this servant will go and pour it away.”
“Who told you to pour it away? If you don’t drink it, I’ll give it to you. Yes, this tremella soup is a reward for you.”
The young maid shook her head, “This servant cannot eat tremella. I ate it once before and nearly lost my life. The doctor said this servant is naturally unable to eat this, and told me to be careful.”
Cannot eat? How could it be such a coincidence?
“If you don’t eat it, I’ll say you stole my jewelry, have you beaten, and then sold,” Ru Yan said fiercely.
The young maid trembled with fear. Being beaten and sold, with such a stain on her record, she would definitely not find a good master again. In that case, it was better to drink the tremella soup. At most, she would suffer once.
Gritting her teeth, the young maid held the bowl and began to drink. Before she could finish, she collapsed.
She had difficulty breathing, and her face was covered in red spots, looking very terrifying.
“Someone, quickly, someone!” Ru Yan shouted.
After the commotion, the doctor and Qi Tianming arrived.
“What happened to her?” Ru Yan asked, leaning into Qi Tianming’s embrace, trembling. “This tremella soup was originally for this humble concubine, but I suddenly didn’t want to eat it, so I gave it to her. I didn’t expect her to be like this after eating it.”