"Ugh! *Gag*... Spit, spit!" Madam Zhen, realizing she had swallowed all the contents of the bottle, disregarded her image and immediately reached for her throat, trying to expel the medicine.
Madam Fang, standing by, also grew anxious. Along with the maid Xiang'er and Madam Zhen's maid Sixi, one patted her back, another soothed her body, and the third helped collect any expelled matter.
Zhong Li found their actions genuinely exasperating yet amusing. "Second Madam, Third Madam, I already told you both that this bottle contains nothing more than the common 'spring water' from brothels, not cantharidin. Why don't you believe me?
Unless..."
Her eyes sharpened as she looked at the four people opposite her. "You already knew it was cantharidin, without even opening the bottle to check, and then claimed it was poison the moment you took it out?"
As Zhong Li spoke, the four people opposite froze.
Madam Zhen glanced at Madam Fang, her eyes narrowing slowly. Her cheeks were already flushed, and the contents of the bottle were clearly evident.
Madam Fang reacted swiftly, falling to her knees with a thud. "Second Madam, this is all a misunderstanding. I, I truly did not know what was in the bottle was spring water. If I had known..."
"If you didn't know what was inside, you dared to slander the Young Lord? Do you realize the Young Lord is of royal blood?" Lin Jin, observing the situation, stepped forward and sneered.
Madam Fang's body trembled, and she turned to look at Lu Wuxie.
The dissolute young man was now seated, eating breakfast, as if none of this concerned him.
Helpless, Madam Fang turned to Madam Zhen, her lips moving as if to silently communicate.
Lu Wuxie narrowed his eyes, looking at the two people opposite him. After Madam Fang finished speaking, he asked, "Grandmother-in-law, how do you suggest we handle this?"
Madam Zhen met his scrutinizing gaze, enduring the rising heat within her. She tugged at the corner of her lips, forcing a smile. "Young Lord, my younger sister was indeed impolite just now. Since you have now been cleared, we shall not disturb you further and will take our leave."
As Madam Zhen spoke, she turned to leave.
How could Lin Jin tolerate someone bullying his master? His brows furrowed. "Is this how Second Madam dismisses our Young Lord?"
Hearing that no one intended to let the matter drop, Madam Zhen turned and looked coldly at Lin Jin. "You're merely a servant by the Young Lord's side. Your Young Lord hasn't said anything, so why are you shouting? Furthermore, this is a family matter of the Xie family. Now that the head of the Xie family is gone, who can control me?"
"I can!"
Before Madam Zhen finished her sentence, a voice from behind her responded.
Everyone turned back. Madam Liang had, at some point, appeared at the courtyard entrance, with Xiangjie supporting her.
Madam Liang had not stepped out of the ancestral hall for over ten years. Her appearance now caused all the Xie family servants to kneel.
Madam Zhen and Madam Fang stood frozen, unsure of how to react.
Madam Liang's gaze swept over them. She cleared her throat and said, "What? When I, the matriarch, am not present, even monkeys dare to claim kingship?"
Seeing this, Madam Fang quickly knelt on the ground.
Madam Zhen, observing everyone's respectful posture, could only grit her teeth and unwillingly kneel.
Madam Liang gave Madam Zhen a faint look and walked around the crowd to stand before her. "Indeed, if the master met with foul play from someone within the household, the yamen can investigate, and family law can also be invoked. Since Madam Zhen claims this is a Xie family matter, I must ask you: does Mo Cang, who bears the Xie family blood, not count as an outer relative of the Xie family?"
"Yes!" Madam Zhen replied through gritted teeth.
"Very well. Guards! Madam Fang and the maid Xiang'er have slandered a member of the Xie mansion and may even be involved in the master's death. According to Xie family law, drag them to the woodshed and prepare to hand them over to the authorities tomorrow." Madam Liang said coldly.
Madam Fang was utterly stunned. She crawled on her knees towards Madam Liang. "Madam, Madam! I don't want to go to the woodshed, I don't want to go to the woodshed!"
Madam Liang brushed away her grasping hand and ignored her.
Madam Fang knew that although Madam Liang had previously stayed out of household affairs, she was still a lady from a noble family and adept at managing the inner court. Seeking her mercy was unlikely to yield leniency. Helplessly, she turned her attention to Madam Zhen.
"Second Madam, Second Madam! You were once the first madam's washbasin maid, and you somewhat hail from the same background as the first madam. Please, plead with the first madam for leniency!" Madam Fang said.
Madam Zhen looked at Madam Fang. She was already in a precarious position, having been implicated in the affair. Now, Madam Fang was bringing up her painful past, her unspeakable origins. How could she tolerate such foolishness?
"Madam Fang, you brought this misfortune upon yourself. If you hadn't told me the Young Lord's room contained cantharidin, how would I have slandered the Young Lord? I haven't settled accounts with you yet, and you still want to shift the blame?" Madam Zhen said, giving Madam Fang a disdainful look.
Madam Fang froze, looking at Madam Zhen with disbelief. She opened and closed her mouth, intending to say something else, but Madam Zhen reacted swiftly. "Why are you all standing there? Drag Third Madam and Xiang'er to the woodshed according to the First Madam's instructions!"
As she spoke, the Xie family guards swarmed towards Madam Fang, binding her securely and dragging her to the woodshed.
During this, screams could still be heard from the back courtyard of the Xie mansion: "No, I don't want to go to the woodshed, don't send me to the woodshed!"
Seeing Madam Fang finally gone, Madam Zhen sighed in relief. She had been focused on Madam Fang's predicament and hadn't noticed the changes in her own body. Now, waves of heat began to spread from her toes throughout her entire body.
She could no longer contain herself, collapsing to the ground. Her eyes were hazy, and she clawed at her clothes in distress.
Sixi, seeing this, quickly took off her outer robe and covered Madam Zhen's exposed shoulders.
Although Madam Liang disliked Madam Zhen, her nature was conservative. She certainly wouldn't approve of this. Moreover, Madam Zhen's condition, if it spread, would tarnish the Xie mansion's reputation. She raised her eyes to meet Zhong Li's gaze. "Are you Miss Zhong?"
Zhong Li looked at Madam Liang and took a few steps forward to bow, her gesture serving as an answer.
Madam Liang studied her deeply, her gaze lingering thoughtfully on Lu Wuxie in the distance, and then smiling knowingly. "I've heard that Temple Officer Zhong is sharp in her investigations, and this person appears to be decisive and capable as well."
"You flatter me, First Madam," Zhong Li replied, bowing again to Madam Liang.
Madam Liang waved her hand, her attention returning to Madam Zhen on the ground. "You have made Miss Zhong witness a joke just now, which is indeed rather impolite."
Zhong Li curved her lips.
"Mo Cang mentioned that Temple Officer Zhong also understands medicine?" Madam Liang asked again.
Zhong Li nodded and said, "First Madam, the spring water that Second Madam drank is much milder in effect compared to other medicines. She will be fine once the medicinal effect wears off."
Hearing this, Madam Liang's worried expression dissipated.
She looked at Madam Zhen, who could not help but groan on the ground. "Guards, carry Second Madam back to her courtyard."
Several maids responded and came out, supporting Madam Zhen as they walked into the inner courtyard.
Once only Zhong Li and Lu Wuxie remained in the courtyard, Madam Liang approached Zhong Li. "I apologize for making Miss Zhong witness such a scene."
Zhong Li shook her head. "It is nothing."
"Mo Cang told me that the restoration of Master's appearance is in Miss Zhong's hands?" Madam Liang, having not seen Xie Xu's body, could roughly guess its condition after being burned.
"Yes, I had planned to go to the yamen today, but I was delayed by other matters," Zhong Li replied truthfully.
"In that case..."
Madam Liang glanced at Lu Wuxie. "Mo Cang, quickly escort Miss Zhong to the yamen."
Lu Wuxie nodded and led Zhong Li out of the courtyard together.
When only Madam Liang and her maid Xiangjie remained in the courtyard, Madam Liang looked at Xiangjie. After a moment of thought, just as she was about to speak, a voice carried from a distance.
"First Madam, First Madam! Bad news, someone has come to the Xie mansion to demand debts!"
Steward Zhang ran over, holding up the hem of his robe.