The Marquis of Pingning's illness, whether real or feigned, had no bearing on outsiders.
However, for the servants he controlled with his drugs, his stroke was undoubtedly fatal.
Su Xin and Su Yue were the first to be affected.
Three days later, both were found dead in their respective rooms.
Yin Qiao rushed into the room, panting, "Miss, Su Xin and Su Yue are dead."
"Hiss." The embroidery needle in Zeng Weiyang's hand pricked her index finger. She sucked the drop of blood and said, "Don't talk nonsense, how could they die?"
Evils linger for a thousand years. Those two old fools who aided and abetted the wicked were sure to live longer than her.
"It's true. Dali Temple has already sent people, and the coroner is examining the bodies."
Zeng Weiyang paused, her initial joy quickly replaced by confusion. "Then what about my father?"
Yin Qiao lowered her voice, "The strange thing is, Master didn't show up at all. Instead, Madam is in charge. Miss, wasn't Master's illness a pretense? How can he not react at all to Su Xin and Su Yue's deaths?"
Yin Zhu said, "I'll go out and gather more information."
Zeng Weiyang put down her embroidery hoop. "No, I'll go myself."
As the Marquis of Pingning's trusted head maids, Su Xin and Su Yue held a higher status in the manor than the Marquis's wife. They did not reside in the servants' quarters but slept near the Marquis's courtyard, occupying the two largest rooms in the east wing.
At this moment, low ropes had been erected half a person's height around those two rooms.
When Zeng Weiyang arrived, the Marquis of Pingning's wife was standing by with Qiang Wei. A flicker of disgust flashed in Zeng Weiyang's eyes before she gracefully stepped forward to curtsy. "Mother, why have you left your courtyard today?"
"There's been a murder in the manor, how could I not come out?" The Marquis of Pingning's wife looked at her a few more times. Her complexion had become much rosier than before. Indeed, Zeng Guangyi had been using Xixi's blood recently.
For a moment, she didn't know who to pity more.
Zeng Weiyang ignored her peculiar expression and asked, "Where is Father?"
"Your father has been ill for so long. The imperial physicians examined him a few days ago and said he had a stroke and is paralyzed, unable to get up again." This should be good news for Weiyang.
Zeng Weiyang stood there, stunned for several breaths. "He's, he's truly paralyzed?"
"Yes. Go and see. With Su Xin and Su Yue gone, who will serve him in the future?"
Who cared about such things? Zeng Weiyang did not hesitate and hurried into the room, almost running. Yin Zhu and Yin Qiao followed closely, and the three of them saw the Marquis of Pingning lying on the bed, his mouth askew, unable to move.
The three of them, mistress and servants, exchanged bewildered glances. Even with the Marquis of Pingning's wife's words as a preface, Zeng Weiyang still found it hard to believe.
The person who had controlled her for half her life had truly fallen like this?
Happiness came too suddenly. The sky, shrouded in dark clouds for half her life, suddenly cleared, revealing the sun. Zeng Weiyang, tears of joy streaming down her face, clutched Yin Zhu's hand. "Yin Zhu, I, do I not have to die?"
"Bah, bah, bah! Miss, what nonsense are you speaking? You are still so young. Bitterness before sweetness. You will surely live a long and happy life."
The deaths of Su Xin and Su Yue were ultimately attributed to heart failure.
Dying of illness made it difficult to intervene.
However, Situ Yan managed to have the bodies transferred to Dali Temple. Ji Jin, who had heard the news, had been waiting for a long time. After a lengthy examination involving needles and potions, he exclaimed excitedly, "It is indeed the 'Qian Si Gu' (Thread Pulling Gu)! Ah Yan, I heard the Marquis of Pingning has a medicinal herb garden. I'd like to go and see it."
"That is their private property."
"Let's negotiate. Who is in charge at the Marquis of Pingning's manor?"
"Regardless of who was in charge before, it is now the Marquis of Pingning's wife."
"Isn't she your mother-in-law? We can buy it from her with money."
So generous?
Situ Yan felt a pang of envy. "Do imperial physicians earn that much money?"
"It doesn't compare to the speed of earning money as a prince, but one medicinal herb garden is affordable."
The salary of an imperial physician was not much, but the rewards were plenty. The imperial consorts were fond of competing. They would reward palace maids and eunuchs with at least silver fragments. They were naturally even more generous to imperial physicians, especially Consort Jian and Consort Cheng.
"Alright then, I'll ask for you later."
The Marquis of Pingning's wife was poring over the manor's account books, overwhelmed. She never expected that the manor, which appeared so prosperous from the outside, was actually just an empty shell. The steward, who had never paid her any attention before, respectfully said, "Madam, Master had no other income besides his salary. He had to support the family and research medicines. The legacy left by the old Marquis was enough to sustain for so many years; it's already quite good."
"Then what is left now?"
"Besides a medicinal herb farm, there is only one medicinal herb garden. However, the operating expenses for the garden are high. Do you think it should be disbanded?"