Zuo Xiangrong saw Xiangning's lips turn blue and her face devoid of any color, her heart aching with concern, she comforted, "It's okay now, you must be more careful in the future. I think you clash with water, better to stay away from it from now on."
Xiangning blinked, not mentioning that she had already learned to swim.
Zuo Xiangrong, still shaken, muttered, "The lake at the Crown Prince's Mansion is too deep, every year there are always two incidents of people falling in. Even if they carried us there in a grand palanquin next time, we should not go!"
"Sister, someone pushed me into the water." Xiangning bit her lip and said directly, "I suspect it has something to do with Third Sister."
"Your third sister, Zuo Xiangyu?" Zuo Xiangrong's expression changed slightly, incredulously she said, "Has she gone mad? What does she gain by humiliating you?"
That was the part Xiangning couldn't figure out either.
The two people she trusted the most were her third brother, Zuo Zimo, and her eldest sister, Zuo Xiangrong.
The things she had gone through were too bizarre, even for the people she trusted the most, she dared not speak of them.
But she also didn't want to be like in her previous life, timid and goat-like, allowing herself to be slaughtered by others.
She repeated to Zuo Xiangrong what Xiangyu had said.
However, she omitted the words "Second Young Master Gu."
The Gu Family was a support for the Second Prince's fight for succession. She could not allow her personal matters to ruin the Second Prince's grand plan, nor could she cause discord between her elder sister and the Second Prince.
Seeing Xiangning's helpless look, Zuo Xiangrong pondered and said, "It's impossible to confront them about this matter now, and if it gets out, it would be a scandal for our Zuo Family. But don't worry, I will find a way to investigate this."
Xiangning blinked, came back to her senses, and nodded, "We can't rush this matter. A fox's tail will show itself sooner or later."
Zuo Xiangrong, with concern, tightened her collar and said, "But that Gu Zhicheng is really a straightforward person. He heard you fell into the lake and without even seeing you, he didn't hesitate to jump in afterwards."
Xiangning's eyes flickered slightly, but she said nothing.
Thinking she was shy, Zuo Xiangrong took the handkerchief and wrapped her injured finger, softly saying, "Don't worry, your marriage is not up to Old Madam and Father without my approval."
"Take care of yourself in the palace, Sister," Xiangning said, reaching toward Zuo Xiangrong's stomach, "No matter what, your and your child's safety is the most important."
Xiangning knew that her sister's days in the palace were not easy.
All the princes were already established, but His Majesty the Emperor treated them all equally without partiality and had yet to appoint a Crown Prince.
The Second Prince was born of the Former Empress, a legitimate son, but the new Empress was the Crown Prince's maternal aunt. This complex relationship intensified the overt and covert struggles between the princes.
Moreover, the Chu King's Mansion's inner court was also unstable; the women's intrigue, jealousy, and fights never ceased. Although her sister was the Principal Consort, she likely never had a moment's peace.
Zuo Xiangrong's face turned red in an instant, and she asked with a laugh, "How did you know?"
"Huh?" Xiangning blinked, confused, "Know what?"
Zuo Xiangrong saw her puzzled look and pinched her cute nose with a laugh, "I might be pregnant. I was planning to have the Imperial Physician confirm it before telling the family."
Only then did Xiangning realize she had nearly let slip a secret before its time.
She quickly laughed, "Sister, you're sure to have a smart and adorable little imperial grandson."
Zuo Xiangrong sighed helplessly, "For me, a son or a daughter, it's all the same. But to His Lordship, naturally, a little imperial grandson would be better."
The eldest imperial son had already fathered two daughters, and granddaughters were not particularly valued by His Majesty the Emperor.
Xiangning held her sister's hand, smiling, "Sister, your wishes will surely come true."
Zuo Xiangrong laughed along, "I hope your good words come true."
Zuo Xiangrong brought Xiangning back to the Chu King's Mansion, arranged for someone to take her to bathe and change clothes, and had someone make her a bowl of ginger soup.
When Xiangning came out, Imperial Physician Liu had just finished taking Zuo Xiangrong's pulse.
"Congratulations to the Princess Consort, this is indeed a joyous pulse!" The Imperial Physician excitedly congratulated Zuo Xiangrong repeatedly.
King of Chu, who had rushed back from Prince Qi's Residence, just happened to hear the latter part of the Imperial Physician's words. He pulled Zuo Xiangrong, who was about to salute him, and excitedly asked the Imperial Physician, "Is what Imperial Physician Liu just said true?"
"Absolutely true." The Imperial Physician said with a smile.
The King of Chu couldn't hide the joy on his face but also worriedly asked the imperial physician, "Is the Princess Consort's headache serious?"
"The Princess Consort should not take too much medicine right now," the imperial physician deliberated and said, "This humble servant will prescribe some fetus-preserving medicine for the Princess Consort."
Zuo Xiangrong said she had a headache, but it was just an excuse she thought of on the spur of the moment. How could she really take medicine?
"Then I will trouble the imperial physician," she said with a smile to the imperial physician, "By the way, my younger sister from my maternal family just happens to be here. Could you also take her pulse for peace of mind?"
Naturally, the imperial physician had no reason to refuse.
Caihong took the imperial physician to the side hall to take Zuo Xiangning's pulse.
The King of Chu, delighted, wrapped his arms around Zuo Xiangrong's waist, "This is truly wonderful! You must give me a son this time!"
Zuo Xiangrong leaned into the King of Chu's chest with a shy, "Mhm."
After holding Zuo Xiangrong for a while, the King of Chu hurried into the palace.
After her pulse was taken, Zuo Xiangning went with Caihong to see Zuo Xiangrong.
"What did the imperial physician say?" Zuo Xiangrong asked with concern.
"I'm fine." Zuo Xiangning sat beside Zuo Xiangrong and asked, "Didn't my brother-in-law come back? Where is he?"
"He hurried into the palace to report the good news to His Majesty," Zuo Xiangrong pulled Zuo Xiangning's fingers, applying medicine for her, "This is high-quality ointment. After you go back, apply it three times a day, morning, noon, and night. Don't touch water..."
"Sister, I'm not a child." Faced with her gentle and beautiful older sister, Zuo Xiangning couldn't help acting spoiled.
"Right, our Xiangning is all grown up," Zuo Xiangrong smiled, and tapped her forehead, ordering some pastries to be brought up, "I specially instructed them to add more frosted sugar. Take some back with you to eat later."
"You're still letting me eat? Look how fat I've gotten," Zuo Xiangning, who loved sweets, was at her heaviest at the age of fifteen, looking like a little bun.
"Looking plump and fair is nice," Zuo Xiangrong laughed as she watched Zuo Xiangning, "Who wouldn't say our family is blessed with good fortune?"
"Only you and Mother always think I'm blessed," Zuo Xiangning took a pastry and put it in her mouth, glanced at the dim window outside, and said, "I should head back. Mother would be so happy if she knew about your pregnancy."
Zuo Xiangrong smiled with pursed lips, also wary of the rain, and said, "It's better to go back early. If you feel uncomfortable at all, see a doctor again."
"Sister—"
No sooner had Zuo Xiangning drawn out her words than she was interrupted by Zuo Xiangrong, who laughed, "I know you're not a child!"
Zuo Xiangrong walked Zuo Xiangning to the courtyard entrance, and couldn't help but give her more reminders, "Don't be like a sulky gourd every day, not telling Mother anything. Without me by your side, you're making me anxious."
"I know," Zuo Xiangning shook her arm and pouted, "You just take care of my little nephew. I won't make you worry about me."
Zuo Xiangrong watched Zuo Xiangning's retreating figure and sighed quietly to herself.
Her half-sister, who was born of a concubine, was lovely and cute as a porcelain doll, and very much adored by her siblings.
Yet, for some reason, there seemed to be a wall between her and Madame Jiang, always polite and distant, not close.
Now in the back courtyard of the Zuo Residence, only Zuo Xiangning was close to Mother. She truly hoped that Zuo Xiangning could be more intimate with Mother.
Sitting in the carriage, Zuo Xiangning still felt uncertain about the events of her past life.
She knocked on the carriage wall and said to the coachman outside, "Go to Shimenzi Alley."
In her previous life, she had lived incognito in Shimenzi Alley to avoid Gu Zhiqing.
She wanted to see if the small courtyard was the familiar one she knew.
As the carriage was about to arrive at the small courtyard, Zuo Xiangning nervously lifted a small gap in the curtain.
Just then, the next door's courtyard gate opened, and out walked a tall and thin man with a fair complexion and no beard, dressed in a claret straight robe.
Zuo Xiangning was startled and quickly let the curtain fall. It was Ding Jin!
What was he doing here?