The maids in the courtyard were all startled. Before they could react, one maid standing at the back quickly turned and ran!
Jiang Taohua smiled. Her shout was just to scare people, as there were too many maids with similar builds to easily identify. Unexpectedly, the guilty party was so timid that they immediately gave themselves away.
“Qingtai, catch her!” Taohua commanded.
“Yes,” Qingtai responded, chasing after the fleeing maid like the wind. In no time, she brought the maid back and threw her in front of Mei Zhaoxue.
Everything happened so quickly that Madam Mei was somewhat stunned. After a moment, she looked down at the maid and asked:
“Which courtyard are you from?”
The little maid trembled all over, and after a while, she finally said, “Ruanyu Pavilion.”
Madam Meng’s courtyard.
Mei Zhaoxue’s face darkened slightly as she glanced at Taohua.
Taohua shrugged, indicating that she knew nothing about this matter and that they should ask Madam Meng.
“So you’re the one who brewed tea for the Prime Minister on behalf of Jiang Shi?” Madam Mei continued to question.
The little maid remained silent for a long time. Taohua smiled and said, “Just look at her hand and we’ll know. There’s no point in asking her; she won’t admit it.”
Hearing this, Qingtai reached out and pulled the maid’s right hand. Mei Zhaoxue looked down and indeed saw an old scar on her index finger.
“How dare you!” She immediately shouted and waved her hand, saying, “Someone, arrest her!”
“Yes!” The guards nearby came forward and pressed the little maid to the ground. Frightened, the maid cried out, “Madam, please spare me! This servant was only following orders. It has nothing to do with me!”
Following orders.
Madam Mei and Taohua exchanged a glance, both understanding clearly. Who else from Ruanyu Pavilion would give such orders, if not Meng Zhenzhen?
Madam Meng was still arguing with Qin Jieyu outside Linwu Court.
Qin Shi was overbearing, while Meng Shi appeared weak but refused to back down: “The lord has been favoring me recently. Now that something has happened, he would surely want me by his side. If you want to take personal revenge and remove my name, I’ll have to speak to the lord when he wakes up.”
Rolling her eyes skyward, Qin Jieyu sneered, “As if you’re the only one who can talk to the lord? You used tricks to keep him in your courtyard for over ten days, making all our sisters miserable. We couldn’t see the lord while you alone were happy. Now that he’s lying inside, do you still want to monopolize him? How shameless.”
“The lord himself said that there are no rules in the mansion anymore, and everything should be according to his preferences. If he favors me, how is that my fault?” Meng Shi pursed her lips. “Concubine Qin, just because you can’t reach the grapes doesn’t mean you should blame others for being tall. Isn’t that ridiculous?”
“Well said. If you’re not tall enough to reach the grapes, don’t blame others,” Qin Shi smiled coquettishly, waving the blank list in her hand. “Now… I’m taller than you. Concubine Meng, you said it would be ridiculous, so don’t do it, alright?”
“You…”
Their argument continued, quite entertaining to watch. However, Madam Mei was in no mood to listen to them argue. She came out with people and said:
“Take Madam Meng to Jingye Hall. We’ll question her when the lord wakes up.”
Meng Zhenzhen was stunned, staring at her with wide eyes. “Question me for what? What does this have to do with me?”
Mei Zhaoxue waved her hand, and the little maid was pushed forward, bound.
“Lüming?” Seeing the maid’s face clearly, Madam Meng was surprised. “Madam, why are you binding her? She’s just a menial maid from my courtyard.”
“Since she’s from your courtyard, then there’s no mistake,” Mei Zhaoxue said. “She’s the one who poisoned the lord. We’ve already questioned her, and she said she was acting on orders.”
Madam Meng was dumbfounded. She stared at the maid on the ground, clutching her handkerchief. After a while, she came to her senses and said, “That’s impossible… This has nothing to do with me…”
The guards nearby only listened to Madam Mei’s orders and immediately came forward to take her to Jingye Hall. Madam Meng kept looking back, her eyes initially bewildered, but later filled with hatred as she looked at Qin Jieyu.
This wasn’t her doing; she wasn’t that foolish. Someone must be plotting against her behind the scenes!
And in this courtyard, the only one who would go to such lengths to harm her must be Qin Jieyu!
Jiang Taohua watched from behind. Madam Meng was refined and didn’t shout or scream, but she looked unwilling. Concubine Qin beside her was triumphant, her eyes full of laughter, though she didn’t laugh out loud. Instead, she covered her mouth and said, “How terrifying. So it was her. And to think the lord has been favoring her so much lately.”
Madam Mei frowned slightly, looking at Taohua and then at the departing Madam Meng. “Come to think of it, I still don’t understand. If Jiang Shi had no reason to harm the lord, what reason would Madam Meng have to do such a thing?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” Qin Jieyu smiled. “Madam, you’re too naive. Think about the whole incident. If it weren’t for Madam’s cleverness in finding the real poisoner, wouldn’t the blame have fallen on Jiang Shi? Madam Meng already had a grudge against Jiang Shi, and then she was favored for half a month before Jiang Shi cut off that favor. It’s not impossible that she would do something like this to harm Jiang Shi.”
Her analysis seemed quite reasonable. Taohua lowered her head and thought about it, finding it indeed plausible. Madam Meng was petty by nature; last time, she had brought the lord over to confront Taohua over a mere painting. It wouldn’t be surprising if she orchestrated such a big event to frame her this time.
However, something still felt off to Taohua.
If Meng Zhenzhen had planned this, why did she look so bewildered when she saw Lüming tied up earlier? She even admitted without hesitation that the maid was from her courtyard. There wasn’t a hint of panic on her face.
Either her acting skills were so extraordinary that they could fool even an experienced actress like Taohua, or… Meng Zhenzhen had been set up.
Based on her rich experience in deception, Jiang Taohua was inclined towards the latter possibility for now.
After some thought, she turned and went into the room to check on Shen Zaiye.
At this moment, Shen Zaiye was probably at his most gentle, lying quietly on the bed with his eyes closed, neither suddenly scheming nor scaring people with a dark face.
Taohua looked at him carefully and realized that he was quite young, probably only in his twenties. His face was truly handsome and refined, but his strong aura always made people feel like he was in his forties or fifties.
How could someone so young have such a ruthless heart?
“The master needs to rest quietly,” Zhanlu stood nearby, looking at her warily as he spoke.
Taohua turned her head and glanced at him sideways: “If you hadn’t spoken, this room would have remained quiet.”
Zhanlu: “…”
Thinking about it, he realized Jiang Shi’s words made sense, and he didn’t dare to speak again to drive her away.
After observing Shen Zaiye for a while, Taohua reached out to feel his pulse. Although she wasn’t skilled in medicine, she could discern a thing or two about pulse readings.
A weak and slow pulsation transmitted through her fingertips. Jiang Taohua raised an eyebrow, thinking that perhaps she had misjudged this man, assuming he was deliberately setting up Madam Meng when in fact he had truly been poisoned.
So, could it be Madam Meng causing trouble?
She lowered her head and pondered for a moment. Just as she was about to stand up and leave, she looked up and met Shen Zaiye’s half-open eyes.
“My lord?” Startled, she quickly asked, “How are you feeling?”
It took a while for his eyes to focus. Shen Zaiye glanced at her and said weakly, “You woman, you have a cruel heart.”
The corner of her mouth twitched. Jiang Taohua had been a bit worried about him, but hearing his annoying tone, she immediately sat up straight, moving away from him. With a forced smile, she said, “Madam has already questioned and found out that the person who poisoned you was Lüming from Ruanyu Pavilion. My lord, you wake up and immediately start scolding; I’m quite hurt.”
“Lüming?” Shen Zaiye was stunned. He turned his head to look at Zhanlu, “How long have I been asleep?”
Zhanlu said in a low voice, “Half an hour.”
Did they find the poisoner in just half an hour?
Somewhat incredulous, Shen Zaiye looked at Jiang Taohua with suspicion in his eyes, “How did you question and find out?”
“I must first admit a mistake,” Taohua said obediently. “I lied to you today. The first cup of tea you drank was brewed by Lüming from Ruanyu Pavilion, not by me. When I went to the kitchen, she volunteered to help me brew tea, so I went along with it and brought you the tea she made.”
Shen Zaiye frowned slightly, “How could a maid from Ruanyu Pavilion be in your Zhengchun Pavilion’s kitchen?”
“That’s something you’ll have to ask Madam Meng and Lüming. I’ve been recovering in the main room, hardly even leaving it.”
Something suddenly flashed through her mind. Taohua paused, staring into Shen Zaiye’s eyes, and asked, “My lord, do you know Lüming?”
“I don’t,” Shen Zaiye said flatly. “I haven’t heard of her in Ruanyu Pavilion either. She’s probably just a menial maid.”
“Yes, she is a menial maid,” Taohua nodded, her eyes suddenly full of inquiry. “But how did this menial maid know that you love Longjing tea the most? Without even asking, she chose Longjing tea for you.”
Shen Zaiye looked up, displeased, and said, “Don’t look at me like that. My love for Longjing isn’t a secret. Everyone in the courtyard knows it. It’s not strange that she knows too.”
“Oh, right,” Taohua nodded and thought for a moment before asking, “Madam Meng has already been confined to Jingye Hall by Madam Mei. Do you want to question her now, or rest a bit more until you have the strength to do so?”
“Later,” he closed his eyes tiredly and said, “My head hurts a bit. Tell the others to go back, and you stay to massage it for me.”
“…” Jiang Taohua chuckled dryly, “I’m still injured, my lord.”
“We’re both not in perfect condition now, so we should take care of each other,” his voice deepened two degrees as he coldly glanced at her. “When I tell you to stay, just stay. Why do you always have to say things that won’t change the outcome?”
“I understand!” Taohua lowered her head, very decisively gave a small curtsy, and then stood up to relay the message.
At this critical moment, with the back courtyard in chaos, he still wanted to keep her in his courtyard. If this wasn’t causing trouble for her, what was it? Taohua was furious but had no way to deal with him. She could only steel herself to convey his wishes.
Madam Mei stood at the door, her gaze resting on Taohua’s head for a long time before nodding and turning to leave. Concubine Qin beside her didn’t leave so readily. She smiled and asked Taohua, “According to the lord’s meaning, should we just write your name alone on the list for attending to his medicine?”
(End of Chapter)