Yan Qing thought for a moment. “She might have property in Shun Cheng?”

“That is what I think as well.” Shi Ting said. “Not only that — I suspect her family members were brought to Shun Cheng long ago and are currently living in the house she bought here.”

“A maidservant who could not only buy a house but also support an entire family — no one would probably ever suspect it.” Yan Qing rested her chin in her hand. “Shun Cheng is a place where land is worth its weight in gold — most people can only rent rooms, and those who can actually buy a house are few.”

“So I have already had Bai Jin go check. All properties in Shun Cheng are registered — it will just take a bit of time to trace.”

“Then Captain Bai won’t be getting any sleep tonight, I suppose.”

“In our line of work, staying up through the night is commonplace.”

Yan Qing certainly understood. Back at the bureau, whenever a case came in, everyone would be up all night — staying up to investigate, grabbing half an hour of sleep in the morning, then right back at it through the day.

So the people at the bureau were all heavy smokers, with dark circles under their eyes and hair as tangled as a haystack.

If you spotted someone with hair like a wild heap, eyes full of bloodshot lines, and the smell of cigarettes clinging to them — that person was most likely from criminal investigation.

“There should be news by tomorrow.” Shi Ting said. “Before dawn tomorrow, I need to be at the bureau.”

“Then let’s sleep early.” Yan Qing pulled him back toward the bedside. “I’ll say a word to Jing Zhi — have her prepare some breakfast.”

“No need. I’ll eat at the bureau.” If he ate there it would inevitably make noise, and he feared waking her — she had always been a light sleeper.

After the two of them lay down, Shi Ting held her hand in his palm. “The matter regarding the Old Madam can go ahead now.”

~~

The Old Madam took tonics every day.

In the Shi household, the young ladies and mistresses all took tonics. The young ladies ate bird’s nest, and in addition to bird’s nest, the mistresses took various other supplements as well.

For wealthy households, the annual expenditure on tonics alone was a considerable sum.

The Shi family’s tonic expenses were also very large, but most of it was provided free of charge by donors. The owners of those medicine shops would send some over every so often, and only the finest quality at that.

After the Old Madam finished reciting sutras, she accepted the delicate small porcelain bowl a maidservant handed to her.

The soup had been cooled to just the right temperature — neither too hot nor too cold. The Old Madam took a sip, and her brow could not help but furrow. “This soup’s flavor — why is it different from before?”

The maidservant quickly replied, “The kitchen has added a new medicinal ingredient to the Old Madam’s recipe. This ingredient has a natural bitter note, so the taste when drinking it will seem a little strange.”

“So that’s why it’s a bit bitter.” The Old Madam continued drinking the tonic soup, and when she finished, the maidservant quickly took the bowl away. “But after drinking a few more sips, the bitterness is not so strong — it is still acceptable.”

The maidservant brought out a small dish of preserved fruits. “These were sent by the Seventh Young Mistress. She made them herself.”

“Oh?” The Old Madam did not pay this daughter-in-law particularly close attention and did not usually spare her much thought. “She knows how to make these?”

“I hear the Seventh Young Mistress is very skilled with her hands, always making all kinds of unusual dishes for the Seventh Young Master — for instance, skewering lamb meat and grilling it. They say even eggplant and leeks can be grilled.”

The Old Madam was somewhat surprised. “Eggplant and leeks can be eaten grilled?”

“I heard it from the maidservants in the Seventh Young Mistress’s service. They all praise her cooking without end.”

The Old Madam picked up a small silver fork, speared a piece of preserved fruit, and put it in her mouth. Different from what she had imagined, this preserved fruit was sweet but not cloying — as it entered the mouth, it was sweet with a slight cool hint of mint.

The Old Madam could not help eating two more pieces and nodded with satisfaction. “These really are quite good.”

“The Seventh Young Mistress said these preserved fruits were made using something called xylitol. This substance has a sweet flavor but is not sugar — it is extracted from corncobs. It is especially suitable for people like the Old Madam with high blood sugar. Even eating a little more is fine.”

“This Seventh daughter-in-law — she does have many ideas.” Hearing this, the Old Madam could not help eating a few more pieces.

“Why is the Old Madam eating sweet things today?” Qian Lan’s voice drifted in like a spring breeze — the person not yet arrived, but the voice already there.

The Old Madam saw her coming and smiled. “The Seventh daughter-in-law sent them. Try some yourself.”

After Qian Lan sat down, she picked up a silver fork and speared a piece. After tasting it, she was mildly surprised. “These preserved fruits really are delicious. Did Yan Qing make them herself?”

“Yes. She also said she used something called wood-xylitol — it won’t have any effect on people like me with high blood sugar. I was greedy for a moment and ate several, and then you came in and caught me.”

Qian Lan paid the most attention to the Old Madam’s health. Whatever she ate, whatever she drank — Qian Lan always inquired carefully.

Under Qian Lan’s care, the Old Madam’s complexion had grown better and better day by day.

“Such a delicious thing — I must also go ask for some tomorrow.” Qian Lan set down the small silver fork. “The kitchen mentioned to me today that they wanted to add a new medicinal ingredient to the Old Madam’s tonic soup — it might be slightly bitter. I wondered whether the Old Madam would be able to tolerate it.”

“It is fine. Bitter going in, but sweet aftertaste.”

“That is good. I was afraid it might not suit the Old Madam’s palate, and then you would refuse to drink your tonic soup.”

The Old Madam’s maidservant Yin’er quickly said, “Ever since the Madam entered our household and personally supervised the Old Madam’s tonic soup, the Old Madam’s complexion has been getting better and better day by day. They say even if someone claimed the Old Madam was fifty, people would believe it.”

The Old Madam heard this and could not help laughing and scolding, “You little girl — are you saying I am an old witch?”

“Yin’er is right. The Old Madam is not old at all — you look very young.”

“Every one of you is good with words — all of you know how to make me happy.” The Old Madam fingered her prayer beads and smiled with great contentment.

Qian Lan accompanied the Old Madam in reciting sutras. When they finished, Yin’er went out to see her off.

“Was it the Seventh Young Mistress’s first time sending preserved fruits to the Old Madam?” Qian Lan asked idly.

“It was the first time.”

“The Seventh Young Mistress truly has a filial heart.”

Yin’er said, “The Seventh Young Mistress rarely sends food over this way. Today when someone suddenly came to deliver preserved fruits, I was quite startled. If it had not been Jing Zhi — the Seventh Young Mistress’s own maidservant — who brought them, I would have thought they had been sent to the wrong place.”

“Those preserved fruits really are tasty. I will have someone go ask for some too.” Qian Lan said. “No need to see me out.”

Qian Lan left the south courtyard, and her maidservant Magpie said, “Madam, the Seventh Young Mistress suddenly started currying favor with the Old Madam. Who knows what she has up her sleeve?”

“She knows the Old Madam had a new ingredient added today, so she sent preserved fruits. She never used to actively seek favor with the Old Madam — this sudden show of attentiveness, I also want to know what she is up to.” Qian Lan narrowed her eyes, gazing at a parasol tree by the roadside whose leaves had long since fallen bare. “Have someone keep a watch on Tiao Lan Courtyard and see what is happening there lately.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Qian Lan had people watching the situation on Yan Qing’s side, but aside from sending preserved fruits to the Old Madam every day, there seemed to be no other unusual activity.

“Could the preserved fruits be the problem?” Magpie was somewhat suspicious.

“Yan Qing would not be so foolish as to do something in such an obvious thing.”

“Then perhaps it really is just simple flattery.”

Qian Lan made a sound of acknowledgment. “Maybe I am overthinking it.”

“Madam has been thinking too hard lately. You often can’t sleep at night and have nightmares. Should we not have a doctor take a look?”

Qian Lan’s expression cooled. “No need.”

The reason she could not sleep, the reason she had nightmares — she knew perfectly well herself. She did not need a doctor. She only wanted to realize everything she wanted, as soon as possible.

Three days later, Qian Lan was about to head to the south courtyard when Magpie came rushing in. “Commander-in-Chief, Madam — the Old Madam has fallen ill.”

The Commander-in-Chief heard this, and for the first time in a long while, a flash of anxiety crossed his listless eyes. He sat up from the daybed. “Go — let us go quickly. Has a doctor been called?”

“Someone has already been sent to call for one.”

The Commander-in-Chief and Qian Lan walked quickly to the south courtyard. By then, Luo Huaimeng, Du Linghua, and Yan Qing had already arrived.

Shortly after, Shi Guang and Shi Ting also came.

The Old Madam lay in bed with her eyes closed, moaning without stop, looking very uncomfortable.

The Third Concubine was massaging the Old Madam’s palm, pressing and speaking softly. “Old Madam, how are you feeling now?”

“My head hurts.” The Old Madam said weakly. “My legs hurt.”

The Third Concubine quickly moved to massage the Old Madam’s head as well.

“Mother.” The Commander-in-Chief sat down on the chair beside the bed, his face full of worry. “A doctor has been called — the doctor will be here soon.”

The Old Madam gave a faint nod and said nothing more.

Hearing that the Old Madam was complaining of leg pain, Qian Lan sat at the bedside and began massaging her legs.

“The upper thigh.” The Old Madam raised her hand and pointed at her own thigh. “The thigh root hurts. Massage there.”

Qian Lan immediately changed position and began massaging the Old Madam’s thigh.

“Yan Qing, come and have a look. What illness has your grandmother come down with?” The Commander-in-Chief, seeing that Yan Qing was also present, asked her out loud.

In the Commander-in-Chief’s eyes, he had instinctively come to regard her as a doctor.

Yan Qing went before the Old Madam and first felt her pulse.

“How is it?” The Commander-in-Chief, seeing her brow furrow, immediately felt his heart leap into his throat.

“The Old Madam has a severe yin deficiency of the kidneys.” Yan Qing said. “This illness is very strange — I…I cannot be certain either.”

“Why is it strange?” The Commander-in-Chief pressed. “Is it some rare and complex ailment?”

“It is not that exactly, it’s just…it is still better to wait for the doctor to come and take a look. After all, I am not particularly expert in this area.”

The Commander-in-Chief nodded and asked Yin’er, “The day before yesterday the Old Madam was still perfectly fine. How could this illness arrive so suddenly? Could she have eaten something bad?”

“In reply to the Commander-in-Chief, the Old Madam’s diet has been normal — all prepared according to the usual menu. There could not be any problem.”

“Could she have caught a chill?”

“This does not look like a chill.” Yin’er said. “The Old Madam slept very well yesterday. The windows were closed, the underfloor heating was set to a comfortable temperature — neither cold nor warm. I came in twice during the night, and the Old Madam’s blanket was properly on, and she was sleeping very soundly.”

“Then the problem is still with what she ate.” The Commander-in-Chief firmly held to his theory. “Is there anything the Old Madam has only recently started eating?”

At this, Yin’er could not help but glance at Qian Lan.

Seeing Qian Lan’s expression remain calm — neither prompting her to speak nor signaling her to stay silent — Yin’er weighed it carefully in her mind before saying, “There is indeed one thing the Old Madam has never eaten before.”

“What is it?” The Commander-in-Chief asked with a frown.

Yin’er hesitated, her gaze passing repeatedly over Yan Qing. At last the Commander-in-Chief’s patience wore out, and he demanded sharply, “Why are you stuttering? The Old Madam is in this state. Is there anything you cannot say? If you delay her treatment, can you take responsibility?”

Yin’er was so frightened she gave a start, and had no choice but to say, “The Old Madam has been eating preserved fruits sent by the Seventh Young Mistress these past few days.”

“Preserved fruits are just a snack — they couldn’t cause illness.” Luo Huaimeng heard Yin’er mention Yan Qing and could not help speaking in her defense. “I have never heard of anyone falling ill from preserved fruits.”

“That is so.” Qian Lan immediately took up the point. “The Old Madam has high blood sugar, but eating a moderate amount would not cause much trouble.”

Hearing Qian Lan mention high blood sugar, the Commander-in-Chief’s expression darkened, and he looked toward Yan Qing with some displeasure. “Yan Qing, you know the Old Madam has high blood sugar, yet you still sent her preserved fruits. You are yourself half a doctor — surely you know the taboos involved?”

Yan Qing put on a grieved expression. “Commander-in-Chief, the preserved fruits I made were made with xylitol.”

The Commander-in-Chief asked, “What is xylitol?”

“Xylitol’s metabolism does not require the participation of insulin, nor does it raise blood sugar levels. It is most suitable for people with high blood sugar. Not only that, it can also supplement nutrition and assist in treatment.” Yan Qing explained. “However, due to technical limitations, the amount of xylitol I can extract is very small. The xylitol I made for the Old Madam took me nearly half a year.”

“And there is actually such a wonderful thing?” The Commander-in-Chief was genuinely surprised. “With this xylitol, would people with high blood sugar not be able to eat sweet foods as well?”

“Exactly so.”

The Commander-in-Chief immediately showed several traces of delight. “Can this be mass-produced?”

Yan Qing shook her head. “Without advanced equipment, it is impossible to produce in quantity — only small-scale extraction is possible. Just this small amount of xylitol took me several hundred catties of corncobs. I thought since the Old Madam cannot usually eat sweet things, I used this precious little bit of xylitol to make preserved fruits for her. When I heard that a bitter medicinal ingredient had been added to the Old Madam’s tonic soup, I had Jing Zhi send them over right away.”

“This matter I know of.” Shi Ting spoke from one side. “Yan Qing spent nearly half a year extracting this small bottle of xylitol. Eating these preserved fruits will not only not trigger any illness — they also satisfy the craving for sweets.”

The Commander-in-Chief nodded. “You too have a filial heart. It appears the problem is not with the preserved fruits.”

Shi Ting said, “Since the problem is not in the preserved fruits, then it must be in something else she ate.”

At that moment, a doctor came striding in. This was a doctor who regularly served the Commander-in-Chief’s household, highly proficient in diagnosing common ailments.

After the doctor examined the Old Madam, his conclusion was identical to Yan Qing’s — a severe yin deficiency of the kidneys.

“Strange — at her age, how could the Old Madam have come down with this illness?” The doctor said with puzzlement. “This is generally caused by consuming excessive amounts of kidney-tonifying and yang-strengthening medicinal substances.”

“How could that be?” The Commander-in-Chief was the first to express disbelief. “My mother regularly takes tonic medicine, but among all of it, there is absolutely nothing that could tonify the kidneys or strengthen the yang. That is absurd.”

The Old Madam heard this and also shook her head. “Doctor, have you made a wrong diagnosis? An old woman like me — how could I be using such things?”

“Commander-in-Chief, Old Madam, this type of condition is not some rare or complex ailment — I encounter it regularly, so I cannot have made a wrong diagnosis.” The doctor spoke with firm composure. “I will first write a prescription for the Old Madam to take. Neither the Old Madam nor the Commander-in-Chief need worry. As long as the tonic medicine is stopped and the Old Madam takes the medicine I prescribe for a week to regulate her constitution, she will make a full recovery.”

The doctor took up paper and brush and began writing the prescription. When he had finished, he had someone go to fetch the medicine.

“Lan’er, do you know what caused this?” The Commander-in-Chief looked toward Qian Lan, his gaze gentle.

Qian Lan had dimly sensed something, and was still calculating inwardly, when the Commander-in-Chief had been talking for some time and she had not responded.

“Madam.” Magpie gently nudged her from behind.

Qian Lan then snapped back. “What did the Commander-in-Chief say?”

The Commander-in-Chief said, “Mother’s tonic soup has all along been arranged by you. Have you noticed anything amiss?”

Qian Lan shook her head. “Nothing amiss.”

“Could it be the newly added ingredient?” Yan Qing suddenly said. “Perhaps that ingredient was incompatible with the Old Madam’s other medicines, causing a reverse effect.”

“That is not impossible.” The Commander-in-Chief said. “What about the Old Madam’s tonic soup for today?”

Yin’er quickly walked to the table. There sat a small earthenware jar, still warm to the touch. “This is today’s tonic soup. Since the Old Madam was feeling unwell, she has not yet had it.”

“Doctor, please have a look at this tonic soup — is there anything improper about it?”

The doctor came over, took a spoonful, and tasted it. After the first taste, his brow furrowed tightly. He then tasted several more spoonfuls.

Seeing the doctor’s unusual expression, the Commander-in-Chief anxiously asked, “Is there something wrong with the tonic soup?”

“Not only is there something wrong — there is a grave problem.” The doctor said with a grave expression. “If the Old Madam had continued drinking this for a few more days, it would have been life-threatening.”

Everyone present was greatly alarmed.

Qian Lan in particular — her face instantly went pale as a sheet.

The Old Madam’s tonic soup was her responsibility. Now that the soup had a problem, she naturally could not escape blame. But the matter concerned the Old Madam’s health, and Qian Lan had never dared to be careless — from selecting the ingredients to the preparation, she had always used her most trusted people. These individuals could not be bought off.

If that was so, how had the Old Madam’s tonic soup still gone wrong? This left her deeply perplexed.

She could not help shifting her gaze toward Yan Qing, who stood there with an undisturbed expression, only looking at the doctor with apparent curiosity, as though urgently wanting to know the truth.

When Qian Lan withdrew her gaze, it happened to collide with Shi Guang’s line of sight. The two of them immediately and imperceptibly looked away from each other.

Qian Lan could not yet confirm whether this matter was connected to Yan Qing. If it was connected, what was her objective? Was she trying to use this tonic soup to frame her?

But if she did that, would the Commander-in-Chief believe it? Would the Old Madam believe it? What reason would she have to harm the Old Madam?

If that was not her objective, then what was she trying to accomplish? For the moment, Qian Lan could not see through her thinking at all — which also made her even more firmly convinced of one belief: Yan Qing was a stone in her path, and she must kick her away.

The doctor said, “These are all yang-strengthening and kidney-tonifying substances for the young and robust — and potent ones at that. To say nothing of elderly people consuming them over a prolonged period, even vigorous young people could not withstand these effects. Fortunately the Old Madam has only been consuming them for a few days — it will not affect her fundamentally. If she stops the medicine and undergoes treatment, she will recover very soon.”

Hearing that it was kidney-tonifying substances, the Commander-in-Chief could not help being astonished. “My mother’s tonic soup has nothing whatsoever to do with kidney tonics — how could this have happened?”

Hearing that she had been drinking such tonic soup for several days, the Old Madam felt both furious and alarmed, and could not help asking coldly, “What is going on here? Is someone trying to harm me?”

“Old Madam.” Qian Lan could no longer sit still. She had no choice but to step forward. “This matter falls on me — I will go and investigate this thoroughly at once.”

“Lan’er, don’t be anxious.” The Commander-in-Chief hurried to comfort her. “Mother and I both believe you are innocent. You are always meticulous in everything you do, and you care about Mother’s health more than anyone. The fact that Mother’s tonic soup has gone wrong must mean some link in the chain went wrong — don’t be anxious. Don’t let it affect your health.”

Yan Qing watched all of this with cold eyes, inwardly sneering.

No one had even accused Qian Lan yet, and the Commander-in-Chief was already speaking up for her. Even if this were Qian Lan’s doing, the Commander-in-Chief would insist she was innocent. So it was impossible to take aim at Qian Lan through the Commander-in-Chief.

Fortunately, while the Commander-in-Chief followed Qian Lan blindly, the Old Madam had not been so muddled by feelings. After all, it was she who was lying there, she who was suffering, and she who most wanted to know the truth.

After the Commander-in-Chief had finished speaking, the Old Madam said, “No one is accusing her. But this matter must be thoroughly investigated — whether it was a breakdown somewhere in the process, or whether someone has deliberately come to harm me, an old woman — all of it must be made clear.”

Hearing this, the Commander-in-Chief immediately looked to Shi Ting. “Xingzhi, go and look into this at once. What is going on here?”

“Yes.” Shi Ting had people call the two maidservants from the kitchen. These two young women — one named Xiao Yu, the other named Qing Qing — were both responsible for simmering the tonic soups in the kitchen.

This tonic soup often required several hours of simmering, so Qian Lan had arranged dedicated personnel to oversee it.

“Whose responsibility was it to simmer the Old Madam’s tonic soup?” The Commander-in-Chief asked in a weighty tone.

Hearing this, Xiao Yu immediately dropped to her knees, trembling. “It was me — it was me who simmered it.”

“Over these past few days with the Old Madam’s tonic soup — was there anything unusual?”

Xiao Yu said, “Aside from one extra ingredient being added, there was nothing unusual. The medicinal ingredients are all premium items sent from the pharmacy outside. I carefully measured the quantity of every ingredient and cross-checked it against the prescription list — there could not be any problem.”

“And you?” Shi Ting asked the other maidservant. “What are you responsible for?”

Qing Qing saw Xiao Yu had knelt and immediately knelt beside her. Faced with a whole room full of superiors, she was so frightened she did not dare raise her head. “I am the one simmering the medicine for the Commander-in-Chief. My stove is right next to Xiao Yu’s — we look out for each other in the usual way.”

Shi Ting asked, “What medicines does the Commander-in-Chief normally take?”

“That…” Qing Qing heard this and instinctively raised her head to glance at Qian Lan, but immediately lowered it again. “Just some common tonics.”

“Where is the prescription list?”

“That…I…” Qing Qing was asked two questions by Shi Ting and was already becoming incoherent.

The Commander-in-Chief said, “What does this have to do with my tonic soup? Xingzhi — why are you not asking Xiao Yu and instead asking Qing Qing?”