The smooth jade ring, adorned with a silver snake pattern, reflected a faint green light under the flickering candlelight.
Yuanxi observed it for a long time, puzzled. “This finger ring seems to be the one His Highness always wore. Why would it be buried here?”
Li Mama said, “Perhaps it accidentally fell in when His Highness was planting flowers that day.”
Just accidentally fell in? But since the Young Master specifically reminded her of “under the ‘Jiao Huang’,” this finger ring must be related to clearing her name and must be an important item.
Yuanxi cupped her hands together, gently holding the finger ring as if she could still feel the warmth from his hand. She remembered that day vividly, with the bright sunshine, flowing clouds, and him wearing a dark green robe, bathed in sunlight, smiling at her. At that moment, even the air seemed sweet.
Her heart suddenly twinged, and Yuanxi slowly closed her eyes, unwilling to erase the scene from her mind. But why did he go to such lengths to plant flowers for her that day? Even if ‘Jiao Huang’ was difficult to grow, the florist in the Marquis’ Mansion should have been able to handle it. And why did he mention this flower several times to her? Could it be that he deliberately buried this finger ring there?
She abruptly opened her eyes, her heart pounding wildly with this speculation. If that’s true, does it mean he knew in advance that she would be poisoned? Does it mean…
She stood up suddenly, hastily wrapping the finger ring in a handkerchief, and solemnly instructed Li Mama, “Take this finger ring to Xiaochun and ask when His Highness wore it and if it has any special significance. Hurry back, and remember, don’t let anyone know!”
Seeing her serious expression, Li Mama understood that this matter must be very important. She carefully took the finger ring and hurriedly left the room.
Yuanxi felt restless in her room, her mind fluctuating between anxiety and hope.
Anhe quickly poured her a cup of tea and advised gently, “Since you’ve made some progress, Madam, please rest for a while.” She looked at Yuanxi’s much thinner figure with a hint of crying in her voice, “Ever since His Highness had an accident, Madam hasn’t eaten or slept well for a single day. And now being wrongly accused like this, I’m really afraid Madam’s body won’t be able to bear it. If anything happens to Madam, we don’t know what to do.”
Yuanxi was somewhat awakened by her words, and she quickly looked in the bronze mirror, seeing her sunken cheeks, haggard face, and dull eyes, she couldn’t help but caress her face and murmur, “Indeed, I can’t see him in this state.” He didn’t understand her meaning, but when Yuanxi finally expressed a willingness to eat, she couldn’t contain her joy and quickly called Yinger to accompany Madam while she happily went to the kitchen to prepare food.
In the deep night, some people were busy with joy, some were meditating by the window, some were sleepless with hesitation, and some were secretly running around… Many things changed with the footsteps of the night, quietly changing their appearance.
After listening to Li Mama’s report, Yuanxi slowly put down the lotus seed soup in her hand, feeling that her heart, which had been cold for a long time, finally began to warm up with the temperature of the food.
She showed a relaxed smile that hadn’t been seen for a long time and said, “Li Mama, please do one more thing for me. Tomorrow morning, ask Grandfather to come and preside over this matter personally and make sure everyone else is present. Tell him that his daughter-in-law has been wronged for no reason and wants to defend herself in front of everyone.”
The next day, in the main hall of the mansion, under the lingering fragrance of incense, various expressions were reflected on the faces.
The old Marquis and the Princess sat at the top, with Aunt Cai, Yu Mama, Zhou Jingyuan, and others standing beside them, while Xiao Zhixuan and Xiao Qing sat below.
Yuanxi stood in the middle and bowed to the old Marquis and the Princess. When she raised her head again, tears were already in her eyes, and she said, “Since I married into the Marquis’ Mansion, I have been devoted to His Highness with all my heart and never made any mistakes. However, unexpectedly, someone took advantage of His Highness’s coma caused by poisoning to frame me and push me to the brink of death. I beg Grandfather and the Princess to seek justice for me.”
The old Marquis glanced at the Princess, and she coughed lightly before saying, “It’s not that we want to doubt you, but there was indeed a deadly poisonous plant hidden in the sachet, and according to the Imperial Physician’s diagnosis, it was highly consistent with the symptoms of His Highness’s poisoning. If you can provide evidence to prove your innocence, that would be the best.”
Yuanxi nodded and took out the finger ring from her bosom, letting Li Mama pass it to the old Marquis, saying, “Grandfather, do you remember what this is?”
The old Marquis carefully examined it and said, “This is a rare item that His Highness found in the Western Regions a few years ago. It’s said that the jade and silver used were mined from unique veins there, and it would change color when it came into contact with poisonous substances. That year, someone sneaked into His Highness’s tent and tried to poison his wine, but fortunately, this finger ring showed anomalies and saved his life. Since then, His Highness has been very attached to it and wears it every day. But…” He looked at Yuanxi strangely and said, “Why is this finger ring with you?”
Yuanxi said, “It’s just because that day, His Highness wanted to personally plant a Jiao Huang peony for me. It’s possible that when he was digging the soil, he accidentally dropped this finger ring on the ground, and it was covered by loose soil. Many maids and servants in the mansion can testify to what happened that day.”
She glanced at the expressions of the old Marquis and the Princess, then turned to Xiaochun, who had been standing aside, and asked, “Do you remember if His Highness was wearing this finger ring before planting the Jiao Huang?”
Xiaochun thought for a moment and replied, “Yes. Because I remember that just the day before, someone sent a batch of aged bamboo leaf liquor to His Highness. His Highness was not at ease and specifically used this finger ring to test it.”
Yuanxi nodded to him, then turned to Zuoqiu, asking, “May I ask Dr. Zuo, how long does it take for the poison called Daji to penetrate the skin and cause toxicity?”
Zuoqiu pondered for a moment and replied, “According to medical records, it takes at least thirty days or more.”
A smile played at the corner of Yuanxi’s mouth as she lifted her head and stared at the Princess intently, saying, “So, can you believe now that I am innocent?”
The hall fell into silence. The Princess furrowed her brow in thought, while Cai Aunt’s complexion became even more unsightly, and her hands hidden in her sleeves trembled slightly.
Everyone heard it. After Yuanxi’s questioning, the truth became even clearer: since His Highness had been wearing the finger ring for many years and it could detect poisons, and the sachet made by Madam was worn by His Highness every day, how could it be possible that poisonous substances were hidden inside without any anomalies being detected? Moreover, the finger ring had been lost just a few days ago and was used by the villain to cause His Highness’s poisoning. It was clear that this matter had nothing to do with Madam.
The Princess’s complexion changed several times, finally showing anger. She pointed at Cai Aunt, saying to the old Marquis, “Father, this woman is so audacious! She dared to frame the mistress of the house and almost fooled me too. Do you know what punishment she deserves?”
Cai’s Aunt’s body trembled and she knelt on the ground with a “thud,” tears streaming down her face as she said, “Princess, I was wrong, but I didn’t know anything! Someone deliberately placed this sachet in my room, and I was worried that there was something suspicious in it, so I sent it to you. I never thought it would almost harm Madam. I am guilty, I am guilty!” She suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself hard on the face until her cheeks swelled, then she fell to the ground, looking up at the old Marquis pitifully, saying, “Master, you must intercede for me. You know me best. Since I entered the mansion, I have always followed the rules. Even if I had the courage of a lion, I wouldn’t dare to do such a thing.”
Yuanxi gave a cold smile and was about to reveal everything that Xiao Du had discovered behind her back, but suddenly she thought that it would also implicate Xiao Zhixuan. Hesitating, she looked over and saw Xiao Zhixuan sitting in the chair, her eyes blank, as if all her soul had been drawn away by the scene before her.
Yuanxi felt a pang of guilt. She wasn’t sure if Xiao Du had told the old Marquis about this matter. But if she revealed it now, Xiao Zhixuan would be in trouble.
She bit her lip tightly, suppressing the impulse to blurt out everything, and said to the old Marquis, “Yuanxi has said everything she needs to say. As for other matters, please let Grandfather and the Princess decide.”
The Princess was already trembling with anger, pointing at Cai Aunt as she said to the old Marquis, “Father, this woman is cunning and must not be kept in the mansion any longer!”
Zhou Jingyuan, looking at Cai Aunt, who was trembling and crying on the ground, frowned and thought for a long time before speaking up, “Since Du is still unconscious and it’s not suitable for more trouble to arise in the mansion, let’s send her back to her room first and have a few people guard her. As for the truth, we can investigate slowly later.”
With this statement, everyone felt a bit surprised, but since the old Marquis had spoken, no one dared to say more. Zhou Jingyuan called two servants and prepared to escort Cai’s Aunt back to her room. However, Xiao Zhixuan suddenly stood up and rushed over to help Cai’s Aunt, who was lying on the ground, supporting her and looking at Zhou Jingyuan with pleading eyes, “Let me take her back, okay?”
Zhou Jingyuan looked back at the old Marquis with some difficulty. The old Marquis sighed softly and nodded gently.
Yuanxi, however, didn’t care about anything else and hurriedly said to the Princess, “May I go and see His Highness now?”
After the ordeal, the Princess’s breathing had become somewhat rapid, and a tinge of guilt appeared on her face as she said, “Go ahead, it was my impatience that almost led to your wrongful accusation…” She paused, unable to find softer words, and simply waved her hand apologetically to Yuanxi.
However, Yuanxi paid no mind to the Princess’s demeanor. Instead, she hurriedly led Anhe and Nanny Li to Xiao Du’s room. Anhe, displeased with the outcome, muttered to herself as they walked, “His Highness truly favors his own. The Mistress suffered such injustice, yet only the true culprit is punished and confined to her room. It’s truly unfair!”
Nanny Li, beside her, quickly shot her a meaningful glance, urging her to keep quiet. But Yuanxi paid no heed to their reactions, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Xiao Du’s schemes. “Was this your plan all along? To push Aunt Cai to desperate measures, forcing her to resort to such a despicable plot to protect herself? I’ve done what you wished, have you woken up yet?” she pondered silently.
Her growing anxiety drove her almost to a run as they reached Xiao Du’s door. Pushing it open, they encountered a maid rushing out. Seeing her panicked expression, Yuanxi grabbed her arm and asked, “What’s wrong?”
The maid, upon recognizing it was the Mistress, was on the verge of tears. Trembling, she stammered, “His Highness… His Highness seems to have worsened. His body suddenly started convulsing, and he couldn’t stop sweating. I don’t know what to do. I need to find Dr. Zuo quickly to have a look.”
Yuanxi’s body leaned back, almost about to faint. Nanny Li quickly tightened her grip on Yuanxi’s hand, allowing the maid to rush off to find Dr. Zuo. Then, she led Yuanxi inside.
Step by step, Yuanxi walked into the room she had longed for day and night. Seeing him still unconscious, with his lips now turning black and his body starting to convulse, the pent-up grievances within her finally burst forth. Unable to hold back any longer, she crouched on the floor and began to sob, silently screaming in her heart, “Why? Why won’t you wake up? I’ve tried so hard, but I’m reaching my limit.”
Nanny Li and Anhe also shed tears incessantly. At this moment, Dr. Zuo finally arrived with His Highness and the Princess. Seeing Xiao Du’s condition, they were all struck with fear, their faces turning pale. Dr. Zuo turned to the others and said, “His Highness’s condition is critical. I need to administer acupuncture. I would appreciate it if everyone could leave and wait outside. Too many people may cause distractions and lead to mistakes.”
Without hesitation, everyone quickly left the room, standing nervously in the corridor. At that moment, Zhou Jingyuan hurriedly arrived and, after a glance at Yuanxi, said to His Highness, “Marquis Xia has arrived. He said he’s here to see the Mistress.”
Yuanxi was abruptly pulled out of her sorrowful state, her mind racing, “Father? What is he here for?”
This chapter has delivered over 400 words of plot development, which I hope demonstrates my commitment. It’s cold out here! I need comments from my lovely readers to keep warm! Also, I’ve been busy learning to drive lately. The upcoming plot is a bit complex, so I don’t want to rush it. I’ll update every other day, with the next chapter expected to be posted on Sunday at noon. Thank you for your understanding, dear readers.