Cui Huaying was so frightened she nearly collapsed to the ground. Hearing the old nanny speak thus, she quickly clasped her hands together and recited a prayer to Buddha. The spirit she had been forcibly maintaining could no longer hold up, and she was supported by the Xie family sisters and Cui Huayi as they helped her to the couch to rest.
The old nanny then respectfully approached Song Chuyi, walking a few steps forward and performing a bow: “May I trouble Miss Biao to come out with this old servant for a moment? Madam has some matters she instructed this old servant to tell you.”
Song Chuyi glanced back toward Cui Huaying behind her, nodded imperceptibly, and followed the old nanny down to the second floor. They found a room to sit in, and she said to the old nanny: “Nanny, please speak freely about whatever you have to say.”
This young Miss Biao was truly far more composed and steady compared to their own two young ladies. The old nanny thought of Yu Shi’s words and also felt that Song Chuyi was indeed a rare person who could withstand pressure. She recounted everything that had happened at the feast in detail.
Because it was popular in Jinzhong to hold a banquet the day before marrying off a daughter, with relatives and friends gathering for a lively evening, the Cui household had made preparations early. The family had dug up all fourteen jars of daughter’s red wine that had been buried at a nearby winery, transporting them to the residence in preparation for today’s feast. This was also the custom in Jinzhong for marrying off daughters—families with the means and love for their daughters would begin burying wine from the day their daughter was born, only to retrieve it on the day she married.
The wine had all been escorted by family members, and no one had imagined there would be problems. Therefore, upon being transported back, it was stored in the warehouse. When today arrived, the women in charge of beverages took their matching tokens to collect the wine and arrange it at the feast. This arrangement exposed the problem—the wine seemed particularly intoxicating. At large round tables seating ten people each, before they had even finished half a jar, everyone at the table had become drunk…
Later, it was only when the Imperial Guard Commander returned to his seat that he sensed something was wrong. All his subordinates were renowned for being able to drink a thousand cups without getting drunk. No matter how good the wine was, there was no reason for ten people to become unconscious from drinking half a jar—so drunk they couldn’t be awakened no matter how they were called. This was truly too strange.
After all, with the Crown Prince present, everything had to be handled with utmost caution. To be safe, Commander Lai invited Retainer Hu, Retainer Li, and Physician Yan to prepare sobering medicine. Who knew that when the three physicians came to look, their expressions all changed. They said this wasn’t mere drunkenness at all—this was clearly poisoning. Only then did news of the problem with the wine in the front courtyard spread into the inner courtyard.
Song Chuyi listened quietly to this point, then asked: “Has Auntie now taken people to investigate the wine cellar and winery?”
The old nanny’s mouth had gone dry from talking. Qing Ying, being thoughtful, had already offered a cup of hot water. She gulped it down and nodded: “Indeed. This daughter’s red wine wasn’t abundant to begin with—altogether only thirty jars total. Each table was allocated only one jar, to be used as the opening course. The rest were prepared bamboo leaf green wine, pear flower wine, and burning blade liquor. The physicians said all the other wines were fine—only this daughter’s red wine had problems. Madam has already sent people to investigate.”
Either someone had tampered with it at the winery, or someone had interfered with it in the household wine cellar. It had to be investigated—this matter was truly chilling. To do such a thing at someone’s wedding feast, wanting to poison so many guests attending the banquet, how vicious must that person’s heart be? The old nanny patted her chest with lingering fear.
Song Chuyi made a sound of acknowledgment and asked the old nanny softly: “What did Auntie send you to find me for?”
Only then did the old nanny remember her purpose for coming. She quickly said: “Madam’s meaning is that our young lady is timid, so she only had me tell you about this matter, asking you to please help her get through this evening safely…” Seeing some confusion appear in Song Chuyi’s beautiful eyes, yet she still waited with extreme patience for her to continue speaking, the old nanny couldn’t help but be momentarily dazed by those lovely eyes. Only when Qing Ying coughed behind her did she react, quickly continuing: “Among those who suffered was our future young master. He was at the head table, and being the groom, he was the first to taste this daughter’s red wine that our master personally buried with his own hands. He drank quite a bit… Now Physician Yan has used methods to make him vomit, and given him medicine as well, but we don’t know if he’ll be able to get up tomorrow…”
The problem was that tomorrow was the auspicious day, when they should depart. This wedding procession and bride escort all had prescribed procedures—what hour to leave, what hour to board the boat, which direction the bed on the boat should face, which zodiac sign the person supporting the bride should have, which direction the bride should face while seated—all these had significance. If this was delayed, it would become something people would gossip about for the rest of their lives. The old nanny felt an extreme headache coming on.
Song Chuyi’s heart couldn’t help but rise to her throat as well. Song Yan was young, but he was a groomsman. Previously in the capital, following Song Jue in and out, he had begun learning to drink some wine. Her expression finally changed as she looked at the old nanny: “What about my various uncles, Fifth Uncle, and younger brother? Are they alright?”
“They’re fine, they’re fine.” The old nanny also felt her words had been somewhat frightening, and quickly waved her hands: “Everyone else didn’t drink much, so there’s nothing seriously wrong. Now the physicians have already brewed antidote medicines, purgatives, and emetics, and they’ve all been brought to the feast. Everyone who can be mobilized has been sent to serve at the feast, and quite a few people have even been transferred from the neighboring residence…” The old nanny sighed, then said with some gritted teeth: “This Miss Kong truly has the heart of a snake and scorpion to be able to do such an evil thing!”
Miss Kong? That Miss Kong who had previously tried to sow discord between her and Cui Hualuan, whose father Commander Kong had also accepted bribes from Ma Yuantong and others and passively responded to the Yangquan rebellion, for which he was sentenced to death by Zhou Weizhao? How had this matter become connected to her again? Song Chuyi’s eyes widened somewhat in bewilderment.
The old nanny wiped the sweat that had seeped out from her forehead, whether from excessive agitation or anxiety, and said to Song Chuyi: “It’s exactly that Miss Kong. When her father was serving as commander, the manager of this winery borrowed interest money from him. She’s very familiar with the winery. Not only did she take the opportunity to drug the wine, she also mixed in with the people delivering the wine and snuck into our residence. Madam sent me to instruct you, young miss, to be especially careful tonight. This Miss Kong grew up following Commander Kong, and she has some martial skills…”
So that was it. As a regional military official, Commander Kong had always maintained good relations with the Cui residence. Miss Kong had frequently been a guest at the Cui residence in the past, so if she could sneak in, she might really be able to find her way to Cui Huaying’s quarters.
However, Song Chuyi was quite puzzled. Why had Miss Kong set such a large target? Logically speaking, shouldn’t she only be targeting the Crown Prince alone? After all, it was the Crown Prince who had ordered her father beheaded—what did it have to do with the Cui family?