Ye Jingcheng narrowed his eyes, a dangerous glint in them. He stepped forward, subtly blocking Mei Yan, and said, "How dare you! Look at you, neither human nor ghost. What kind of decorum is this? Return to your manor immediately, lest you embarrass yourself here."
Lin Yu Ning found his continued pretense of being a prince laughable.
She couldn't help but recall how she had initially believed him to be a refined gentleman when they first met. Even when he later killed her sister's fiancé, she had convinced herself it was due to circumstances beyond his control.
She thought his consideration for the bigger picture was the mark of a man destined for greatness.
Now, looking at him, she saw no redeeming qualities from head to toe. He had merely been using various pretexts, exploiting women, and climbing his way up by their means all along.
"Does the Prince truly care for his concubine? No... I should say he cares for the child in his concubine's belly," Lin Yu Ning said with a sarcastic smile, reaching out to touch her own stomach.
"But Your Highness, the child in my belly is also your flesh and blood. Why can't you show some concern?"
'I will make you the most honored woman in the world once you give birth,' was that something she'd heard before?
Yes, he had whispered words like that in her ear a long time ago.
She wondered if Lin Nian Ge had ever heard such words back then.
Probably not. That woman wouldn't be foolish enough to get pregnant before their wedding; otherwise, Ye Jingcheng wouldn't have killed her.
Ye Jingcheng's eyes deepened with disgust. "What nonsense are you spouting? Get out of here, quickly!"
"Get out? Indeed, I should get out, but it's with you!" A murderous intent flashed in Lin Yu Ning's eyes as she lunged towards Ye Jingcheng like a madwoman.
Her speed was so great that Ye Jingcheng had no time to react.
As Lin Yu Ning lunged at him, Ye Jingcheng instinctively grabbed her hair. "You madwoman!"
He raised his hand, intending to fling Lin Yu Ning away.
But in the next second, Lin Yu Ning drew a dagger from her sleeve and slashed viciously at the man.
"Ah!" Ye Jingcheng cried out in surprise.
The dagger sliced his arm. He suddenly lost his strength and released his grip on Lin Yu Ning.
Seizing this opportunity, Lin Yu Ning raised the dagger to strike Mei Yan.
Mei Yan panicked, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes. She raised one hand, grabbed Lin Yu Ning's wrist, and with a surge of strength, neutralized the force in Lin Yu Ning's wrist.
The two hidden observers were startled.
Mei Yan knew martial arts?!
Lin Yu Ning was also surprised, but she didn't stop. Instead, she put all her strength into shoving Mei Yan, sending her crashing to the ground.
*Bang!* Lin Yu Ning landed squarely on Mei Yan's stomach.
Mei Yan cried out in pain.
"Yan'er!" Ye Jingcheng panicked, not for Mei Yan herself, but for the child.
"Get away!" He roughly pulled Lin Yu Ning up and threw her aside. Then, seeing Mei Yan's state, he froze.
Mei Yan lay on the ground, sobbing loudly and clutching her stomach. At the same time, blood flowed from between her legs.
Ye Jingcheng was no stranger to this scene, and it was he who had caused it last time.
"Guards, quickly, summon the imperial physician! Hurry, summon the imperial physician!" Ye Jingcheng yelled frantically.
Seeing his panicked and chaotic state, Lin Yu Ning couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Retribution! This was all retribution! They had made her lose her child, and now she would make them experience the same!
Palace attendants finally arrived and carried Mei Yan to the nearest chamber.
Ye Jingcheng pointed at Lin Yu Ning and shouted, "Take her back to Prince Lian's manor and lock her up! Don't let me see her again!"
If this child couldn't be saved, he would make this wench pay with her blood!
Palace attendants stepped forward, dragging Lin Yu Ning out from either side.
Lin Yu Ning didn't struggle, only laughed mockingly. "Ye Jingcheng, may you have a terrible end! You too will have a terrible end, hahaha..."
Lin Yu Ning was dragged away, and Mei Yan was placed on a soft couch.
The farce seemed to have ended.
But Ye Jingcheng didn't realize this was merely the beginning of the drama.
The imperial physician arrived quickly to examine her, but it was already too late.
The first three months were a period of great vulnerability for the mother, let alone Mei Yan being knocked to the ground and then having a living person press down on her stomach.
This child was certainly lost.
Upon hearing this news, Ye Jingcheng felt a buzzing in his head, almost collapsing.
In fact, he did collapse.
Seeing Ye Jingcheng like this, the imperial physicians praised him as a good man who cared for his wife.
But Ye Jingcheng could no longer hear these praises.
He didn't wake up until noon.
An imperial physician stood by his bedside, attending to him. Seeing him stir, the physician immediately knelt, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
Ye Jingcheng struggled to sit up, leaning against the headboard. "How is the concubine's pregnancy?"
After asking, he suddenly remembered that he already knew the child was lost before he fainted.
"Damn it!" Ye Jingcheng cursed through gritted teeth, punching the bed frame.
He had intended to use this child to regain his princely title, but it had all been ruined. That wench Lin Yu Ning, he would not let her off when he returned!
"Please, Your Highness, accept my condolences," the imperial physician said routinely, but the sweat on his forehead increased, and upon closer inspection, he was trembling.
Ye Jingcheng didn't notice the physician's unease, only feeling a general malaise. "What's wrong with me? Why did I faint like this?"
While he valued this child, there were plenty of women in the world who could bear children. Though he valued Mei Yan's child, he didn't value it to this extent.
Hearing Ye Jingcheng finally inquire about his fainting, the imperial physician placed both hands on the ground, almost prostrating himself.
"Reporting to Your Highness, this old servant deserves death... While taking Your Highness's pulse, I discovered that Your Highness... you have been poisoned!"
Ye Jingcheng's expression changed drastically. "Poisoned? When did this happen? Who poisoned me?"
The imperial physician wiped away his sweat. "Your Highness, poison residue was found in the wound on your arm."
Ye Jingcheng knitted his brows in hatred. "Lin... Yu... Ning!"
The imperial physician was also inwardly terrified.
The Consort poisoning the Prince, this was an unprecedented event since ancient times.
Ye Jingcheng took a deep breath and clenched his fist. "Stop the nonsense. Just tell me if you can cure it."
The imperial physician shook his head, his face full of distress. "This poison, let alone this old servant, even the entire Imperial Hospital combined has likely never seen it, much less cured it. Moreover..."
Ye Jingcheng punched the bed frame. "Moreover what? Speak quickly!"
The imperial physician's hands trembled. "This is a potent poison. I fear you will not live for more than three days."
Ye Jingcheng gasped, almost fainting again in the next second.
However, he gritted his teeth and endured, speaking each word deliberately. "No one is to speak of today's events. If you dare to spread it, I will kill you!"
He had already been dismissed. If it became known that his days were numbered, wouldn't all the power he had painstakingly accumulated vanish?
This was something he absolutely would not allow!