Chapter 34

“Even Faking an Illness is Hard.” 

Ning Zhen was a healthy and radiant young woman. Even without makeup, her complexion was good. 

“What kind of illness would be suitable to fake?” she asked. 

The servants were all giving her suggestions. 

Ning Zhen thought that any illness should have its symptoms. As soon as the doctor arrived, the truth would likely be exposed. 

“Just say it’s a heartache, that I cried for two nights,” Ning Zhen said. 

Cao Ma asked, “Why were you crying?” 

“No need to explain in detail. Those curious will speculate on their own. Lately, there have been many things, and each of them is worth crying over,” Ning Zhen replied. 

Cao Ma grabbed some powder and applied it to Ning Zhen’s face and lips, covering up her smooth, rosy glow. 

Ning Zhen looked in the mirror. 

The lead powder felt dry, making her appear much paler. She nodded, “This will do.” 

Just as she lay down in bed, someone arrived to summon her on behalf of the old lady. 

Cao Ma handled the situation outside the bedroom, saying, “She hasn’t felt well for several nights. She was afraid people would notice, so she applied some rouge before seeing the stewards. But now she can’t hold on anymore and fainted.” 

Ning Zhen thought to herself, “…What an imagination.” 

The maid asked, “Has a doctor been called? You could also visit the Western hospital.” 

“It’s nothing serious, really. She’s been secretly crying and can’t eat. Her heart feels heavy. I’m persuading her to rest for a few days, and she’ll be fine,” Cao Ma replied. 

The maid remained half-convinced. 

Cao Ma opened the door, “Madam, the old lady has sent someone to check on you.” 

Ning Zhen quickly thought of a hundred sad things to suppress her smile. 

She half propped herself up and said, “How did Mother find out? I’m fine, no need to worry her.” 

Seeing her pale, paper-white face, the maid sighed, “Do you want me to call a doctor?” 

“I don’t feel any pain. I’ll get up now,” Ning Zhen said weakly, struggling to sit up. 

Cao Ma quickly pressed her down, “You just fainted a moment ago.” 

“I’ll be fine after I eat something,” Ning Zhen said. 

Seeing this, the maid offered a few comforting words and advised her to rest well before leaving. 

Ning Zhen let out a sigh of relief. 

“I almost laughed,” she said. 

“Good thing you didn’t, or all that effort would’ve been wasted,” Cao Ma replied. 

The old lady didn’t make any special effort to confirm whether Ning Zhen was truly ill. 

Because Xu Fangdu had bled. 

It was two days later that Ning Zhen finally dared to ask Cao Ma to go out and gather some news. 

The kitchen at the Sheng household, which handled all the meals, was one of the most well-informed places. 

With the kitchen steward’s token in hand, no one, whether trying to curry favor or not, wanted to offend Ning Zhen, so they were willing to share the news with her. 

On top of that, Cao Ma had a way with people, and it wasn’t long before they had figured things out. 

“That day, she was kicked, and the third concubine bled,” Cao Ma said. 

Ning Zhen asked, “Was it saved?” 

“Three doctors were called, all saying it was too early to confirm if she was pregnant,” Cao Ma replied. 

“That makes sense,” Ning Zhen said. 

If she really were pregnant, it would take at least a month for the pulse to show any signs, and that would only be detected by a skilled old physician. Xu Fangdu had only returned from the governor’s mansion a few days ago; it couldn’t have happened that quickly. 

“Then why did she bleed?” Ning Zhen was puzzled. “Was it really a miscarriage?” 

“The doctors couldn’t be sure, and even the experienced old maids in the household couldn’t explain it clearly. They only said it was possible,” Cao Ma replied. 

Ning Zhen asked, “So what was the final conclusion?” 

“Third Concubine’s menstrual cycle has always been regular, and there were still ten days until her next one. So, they concluded she was pregnant, and Second Concubine’s kick caused a miscarriage,” Cao Ma said. 

Ning Zhen thought,  

That conclusion was a bit hasty. Even though she had never been pregnant, Ning Zhen knew that the beginnings of a pregnancy wouldn’t show so quickly. 

“Since the fetus didn’t even have time to form, how could there be a miscarriage? 

For it to miscarry, there had to be a fetus in the first place. 

As for whether the third concubine was actually pregnant, the timing was so peculiar that no one could definitively confirm or deny it. 

But since the old lady had decided it was a miscarriage, that was the conclusion. 

Sometimes, the truth doesn’t matter. 

‘Fanfan has become too reckless,’ Ning Zhen said. ‘Whether it’s true or not, the third concubine was supposedly carrying the governor’s child. Even I don’t have the authority to handle this, let alone her.’ 

Cao Ma agreed, ‘Yes.’ 

‘How did the old lady deal with her this time?’ Ning Zhen asked. 

Cao Ma replied, ‘She’s been confined, waiting for the governor to handle it.’ 

‘And what did the governor say?’ 

‘He hasn’t come yet,’ Cao Ma said. 

Ning Zhen was speechless. 

Two concubines—one had a miscarriage, and the other was locked up—yet Sheng Changyu hadn’t shown up for two days. 

Ning Zhen was starting to feel anxious. 

If he didn’t come soon, her ‘illness’ would have to get better, and she’d need to make an appearance. 

The old lady confined Fanfan instead of using Xu Fangdu’s miscarriage as an excuse to deal with her directly because she knew Sheng Changyu wasn’t someone to provoke. 

But she could use someone else to do it. 

And that person was Ning Zhen. 

As the governor’s wife, she had the title but no real power. The old lady wouldn’t stop until she had wrung out every last bit of Ning Zhen’s value. After all, the old lady had insisted on Ning Zhen marrying into the family for this very reason. 

‘The Sheng family… they devour people and don’t even leave the bones,’ Cao Ma muttered, clearly worried for Ning Zhen. 

Ning Zhen pondered, ‘Let’s wait a little longer and see if the governor shows up in the next couple of days.’ 

‘What if he doesn’t come?’ Cao Ma asked. 

‘Then I’ll go to him personally and ask him to come. I can’t handle this myself; it involves the Sheng family’s heirs,’ Ning Zhen said. 

As she said this, her face tensed. 

She didn’t want to take that step unless absolutely necessary. Ning Zhen didn’t want to see Sheng Changyu. 

Half an hour after this conversation, the maid from the old lady’s side brought Ning Zhen a bowl of chicken soup. 

‘The old lady knows you’re still unwell and sent this to nourish you. Are you feeling better? Have you been taking your medicine?’ the maid asked. 

Ning Zhen accepted the food box. ‘I’m almost fully recovered. Thank you for the concern.’ 

Whether she was better or not, she had to be better. The old lady was just waiting for her to become a tool. 

Ning Zhen took a deep breath. 

‘Tomorrow, I’ll have to make an appearance,’ Ning Zhen said. ‘If I don’t, the old lady will come looking for me herself.’ 

She mentally rehearsed several ways to handle the situation. 

For each scenario, Ning Zhen carefully considered how to minimize future trouble for herself. 

But surprisingly, that evening, Sheng Changyu finally arrived. 

Word spread that he had a fierce argument with the old lady in the main courtyard. 

No one knew what they were arguing about because the maid sent all the servants away, but after the fight, Sheng Changyu took Fanfan with him. 

Ning Zhen let out a huge sigh of relief. 

The hot potato had finally been taken out of her hands, and she no longer had to face an impossible dilemma. 

Cao Ma, however, remarked, ‘It’s no wonder the two concubines are at each other’s throats. The governor and the old lady each favor one of them, giving the concubines the confidence to fight, knowing they have support.’ 

Ning Zhen replied, ‘We’re the ones without support. If you’re going to feel sorry for them, start by feeling sorry for us.’ 

Being the governor’s wife sounded prestigious, but in reality, she had no real backing. The good things never came her way, but all the bad things did. 

Ning Zhen had been scolded by Sheng Changyu, and now the old lady was using her as a weapon. Even pretending to be sick could only buy her two days. If she didn’t get up soon, the old lady would start losing her temper. 

Who had it harder than her?”