Qin Yuwan was in extreme rage and shouted in a loud voice. The word “dead” had greatly stimulated Leng Changxuan’s long-suppressed emotion.
Snapped. A palm fell violently. Leng Changxuan’s eyes were wide open. The hand he used to hit was trembling slightly because of too much strength.
“Shut up! You, foolish woman!” Leng Changxuan was always composed and silent. This outbreak was unexpected but made sense.
Qin Yuwan had tears in her eyes. Her mouth was open slightly. She seemed to feel wronged that how could Leng Changxuan lose his temper so badly.
“Enough,” Prince Ning looked solemn with no more interest to taste the delicious wine, “If you want to argue, go back to your own yard.”
It was silent. However, everybody heard Qin Yuwan’s words clearly. Qin Yuwan, Second Young Madam, seemed to imply that it was Third Young Madam who harmed her. Sisters as they were, it was unbelievable that they schemed against each other. So many were watching Qin Yunuan. Qin Yunuan smiled calmly and lifted Qin Yuwan up, who was slapped to the ground just now. Then she curtseyed to Leng Changxuan, “My second sister is new to the mansion. Many things are unfamiliar to her, so she might not be so thoughtful. Second brother, please forgive her for my sake.”
“I don’t need your shed crocodile tears,” Qin Yuwan pulled Qin Yunuan away subconsciously, “Get away from me. You hypocrite! You pretend to be good in public but stab others in the back in private.”
Qin Yunuan blinked in an injured way, “How can you say something like that? Before your marriage, your mother enjoined me specially that now that we were both in the mansion, we should take care of each other. I just want you and your husband to get along well.”
Qin Yuwan didn’t like to see Qin Yunuan pretend to be kind. She opened her mouth to refute but was interrupted by the firm Leng Changxuan, “Now that third sister-in-law said so, Qin Yuwan, you’d better come back and change your clothes and jewelry. Standing here only makes everyone unhappy,” actually, Leng Changxuan knew that Qin Yunuan was trying to save his face in front of the entire mansion. His behavior just now was a little improper.
Qin Yuwan was still not reconciled. Although she was not as favored as Qin Yunzhuang was in the Qin Family, she had never been greatly wronged because of the feisty Liu. But today…
At this time, someone at the gate reported that Old Madam had come. Hearing that, Leng Changxuan frowned more deeply. He ordered Qin Yuwan in a low voice, “Go. Just go.”
Seeing Qin Yuwan leave in anger, Qin Yunuan took a sip of tea with a smile. It was true that the jewelry sent to Qin Yuwan’s yard was under her secret order. Although Princess Ning and Prince Ning didn’t criticize in the whole process, Qin Yunuan knew that after this time, other’s impression of Qin Yuwan would be fixed. Everybody would feel unhappy about wearing clothes and jewelry left by the dead consort.
Old Madam had already heard servant girls reporting the poetry feast with wine in her yard. Today she was supposed to be absent because she felt a bit tired. However, she needed to come over when something like this happened.
Seeing Old Madam coming, all the people stood up and curtseyed. After the Old Madam took her seat and looked around, her eyes fell on Qin Yunuan, who dressed quiet and proper today. She asked caringly, “I’ve heard that you miscarried. Are you well now?” Old Madam blinked her eyes. It seemed that she was probing.
Qin Yunuan curtseyed calmly, “Old Madam, thank you for your concern. I’ve recovered now. I don’t know that you’re coming. I prepared to send the pear flower wine after hard exploration to your yard. Now that you are here, you may taste it first.”
Leng Changxi chimed in with her, “There are three kinds of pear flower wine. The first one is from Baling with an annual output of 300 cellars and a value of 100 taels of gold. The second one is from East Qin with an annual output of 30 cellars and the value of a whole city. The third one is from North Di with an annual output of 3 cellars. It is priceless because it is supplied only to the royal family of North Di. The one found by Yunuan is the kind supplied only for the royal family of North Di. Old Madam, Yunuan has taken great pains to find it.”
Old Madam nodded. Before she could say anything, the Second Madam of the West House sneered, “Oh! What treasure it is! We, ordinary people, don’t even get a chance to have it. Look. Second Young Madam has only prepared one bottle of it. It’s obvious that it is offered to Old Madam and princess. Humph, we can only watch.”
Clearly, Second Madam was trying to make Qin Yunuan soften and give a bottle of pear flower wine to her. Qin Yunuan smiled slightly, “Second Madam. If you like it, I can offer some help. You only need to prepare 3,000 taels of gold. Then the wine will be transported here in one month.”
There was only her profiting at others’ expense. Nobody could let her suffer losses. Second Madam curled her lips and peeled the Second Master Leng with her arms, who was busy drinking wine. However, the Second Master Leng was useless, so Second Madam had to suffer losses silently. Prince Ning couldn’t help praising, “The wine is so expensive! You’ve taken much trouble.”
The wine was poured into the glass. Old Madam was the first one to have it.
“I’m not comfortable today, so I’ll only drink a little,” Then Old Madam only took half a sip. The fragrance stayed between her lips and teeth, delicious and sweet. The taste of the wine soothed Old Madam’s brows.
Old Madam nodded and was about to praise when she choked suddenly. Her pupils contracted. Her muscles twitched. Her body was stiff.
“Old Madam. What happens to her?”
“Somebody come! Come to take the name card to the Royal Palace and see royal doctors.”
It was in a mess. A group of people was around the pale-looking Old Madam. Even Prince Ning, who was always composed and calm, now became nervous.
Qin Yunuan felt her heart tightened. She remembered that Old Madam happened to drink the pear flower wine brought by her before she was sick. And it was the only thing she had. Qin Yunuan wanted to stand up and see what was going on, but her arm was pulled by a powerful hand beside her. Leng Changxi shook his head calmly, giving Qin Yunuan the hint that don’t panic.
Old Madam was sent back to Lotus Fragrance Courtyard. The imperial doctor arrived. All the people at the feast now waited anxiously in the reception room of Lotus Fragrance Courtyard. Frowned, Prince Ning sat on the chair and looked restless.
Qin Yunuan stood behind Princess Ning silently. Beside her was Leng Changxi, who was holding her hand to comfort her.
The imperial doctor’s diagnosis soon came out.
“She was poisoned by nux vomica,” Imperial Doctor Zhao raised his hands and reported, “I’ve already given a prescription for her. Prepare mung beans, radix sileris, Ming cane, ginger and indigo naturalis. Decoct them along with three bowls of water to make a bowl of decoction. Drink it for three days, and she’ll recover. The amount this time is quite small, so that she will be fine. I can’t be sure whether it will the same next time.”
Small amount? Someone was thinking.
Suddenly, Tang stood and pointed at Qin Yunuan, “It’s you! Old Madam has only drunk the pear flower wine sent by you. It’s you that deliberately plans to poison her.”
“Tang, you cannot frame someone up without any evidence,” Princess Ning looked solemn, “Yunuan has nothing against mother. Why would she poison mother? If she has deliberately planned, she can hardly predict the sudden appearance of mother. Your charge makes no sense.”
Tang was not reconciled, “How can it not be counted as deliberately planned? Didn’t you hear what Second Young Madam said? She said that it was Third Young Madam who made her wear the jewelry left by the dead Consort Cao. Maybe Third Young Madam organized all of this. First, make Second Young Madam become a laughing stock to lure Old Madam to come. Then seize the opportunity to let Old Madam drink the poisonous wine. But Old Madam is lucky this time. She drank only a little so that she will be fine.”
“Ridiculous!” Prince Ning was so angry that he patted the tea table with great strength. The tea ware was nearly to fall down. “You really like to stir up trouble. I should send you to the manor in the suburbs of the Royal City to reflect on yourself.”
“Forget it,” Princess Ning persuaded him, “Now the most important thing is mother’s health.”
Hearing that, Prince Ning bore his anger. At this time, a servant girl passed by the reception room, carrying a half-old gallipot with her hands. She curtseyed to her masters inside. Qin Yunuan called her when she was about to leave.
“Wait,” Qin Yunuan’s nose was always sensitive. If she didn’t get it wrong…
“Is it Old Madam’s gallipot?” Qin Yunuan asked.
The servant girl looked rather young and timid. However, seeing that Qin Yunuan looked kind and gentle without standing her dignity as other masters did, she replied bravely, “Yes. Old Madam likes to use old gallipot. In recent years, she has been using this one.”
“What medicine was in it?” Qin Yunuan had smelled some scent that she was quite familiar with.
“Some medicine to cure rheumatism: fleece-flower root, wrinkled giant hyssop, gastrodia elata, nux vomica…” Before she could continue, Princess Ning questioned closely, “Wait. Are you saying that there is nux vomica in the daily medicine for Old Madam?”
The servant girl nodded. However, Imperial Doctor beside said, “I’ve read the prescription for Old Madam to cure rheumatism. The amount of nux vomica is proper. It is not enough to poison somebody. I’ve also checked the dregs of Old Madam decoction this morning and the medicine pockets left. There’s no problem.”
When others felt shocked, Qin Yunuan stared at the gallipot for long. Suddenly, she raised her lips, “There’s no problem with the medicine inside, which doesn’t mean that the gallipot itself has no problem.” Then she took it up and hit it to the ground with great strength. Before Princess Ning could stop, the gallipot had become the wreckage on the ground.
Picking up one pottery shard among them, Qin Yunuan pointed at the light-colored liner, “Just now the servant girl has said that Old Madam likes old things. The gallipot has been used for several years. If it is true, its color will change because of the dip in the medicine materials for long. However, this is the original color of the clay. How can it be the gallipot used for years?”
Prince Ning frowned and ordered, “Go. Bring the servant girl in Old Madam’s yard responsible for decocting the medicine here.”
Not long, the servant left to report ran back in bewilderment. He staggered and entered the hall with a tumble, “Ma… master, the servant girl… she… she… she hanged herself.”
