Granny Wang nodded solemnly, "Madam, rest assured, this old servant is here, the jade pendant is here, this old servant will definitely present the jade pendant to His Majesty, even if it costs this old servant her life, this old servant will not hesitate!"
Granny Wang had always been a steady person. For her to say such words at this moment, the First Madam knew she was prepared to exchange her life for another.
The Imperial Palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivation, was not a place anyone could barge into.
"No, wet nurse, I want you to live," the First Madam said, holding Granny Wang's hand, her eyes red.
Her own mother had died early, and she had been raised by her wet nurse.
How could she disregard her wet nurse's life to save her own daughter!
Her daughter and her wet nurse were equally important to her. She could sacrifice her own life for her daughter, but she absolutely could not ruin someone else's life for her daughter.
"Miss, it is this old servant's greatest fortune to have had the honor of meeting you, Miss. If there is a next life, this old servant will still serve you for a lifetime."
Granny Wang had already prepared herself for utter despair, and how could anyone persuade her otherwise.
As she spoke, Granny Wang took something out of her purse and placed the item in the First Madam's hand. Before the First Madam could react, she turned and left in a hurry.
"Wet nurse, wet nurse..."
The First Madam looked at the three land deeds in her hand, her eyes blurred, and she wept heartbrokenly.
These three land deeds were the savings of her wet nurse's entire life. Her wet nurse had given the deeds to her, which meant she had never expected to return alive.
The First Madam tightly clenched the land deeds in her hand.
She would remember her wet nurse's kindness for a lifetime.
If there was a next life, she would protect her!
"First Madam, First Madam, this servant has found a physician." Cai Guo entered with a man carrying a medicine box and wearing a physician's clothes.
When the two of them entered, the room was inexplicably devoid of any serving maids, leaving only the First Madam.
The First Madam leaned by the bedside, her mind only on her daughter Gu Qianying and her wet nurse who had braved the palace with the jade pendant. How could she notice the unusual scent in her room?
"No need, this Madam is fine. Send him out."
The First Madam closed her eyes and, hearing the footsteps outside, spoke without thinking.
But after a moment, the footsteps continued.
The First Madam frowned and opened her eyes.
"Didn't you understand what this Madam said? Hurry up and..." Her words, which were about to be spoken, stopped abruptly when she saw the man who had entered, having changed out of his physician's attire.
"You... Who are you?"
A sinister smile spread across the man's lips. He walked towards the First Madam step by step, "Madam, do not worry, this humble one is here to serve you."
The First Madam, terrified, retreated, "Do not come closer. This Madam does not know you. Guards, drag this audacious scoundrel away for me."
No one responded.
The First Madam grew anxious, "Guards, hurry, guards!"
"Madam, do not shout, this servant is here."
Cai Guo walked over, her eyes filled with disdain and mockery.
The First Madam stared at her in disbelief, "How could it be you?"
At this moment, the First Madam suddenly realized that there was not a single serving maid in her room.
"First Madam, this servant is here to bring a physician to examine you."
As Cai Guo spoke, she closed the door of the room right in front of the First Madam.
"What do you want to do?"
Even the First Madam, who had never experienced danger, knew from this scene that these treacherous individuals with their hidden motives were about to do something to her.
"Madam, do not be afraid. The physician is here to examine you. Madam, be good and lie down, then take off your clothes."
"You... you all get out! Do not come near me!"
With nowhere to retreat, the First Madam hid in a corner of the couch. In her fear, she casually threw a pillow at the man who was undressing.
The man caught the pillow, licked it shamelessly, and then tossed it aside.
Cai Guo, standing beside him, glanced at him with disgust, then impatiently said to the man, "Hurry up. After you're done, I still need to report back to my master."
The man chuckled. As he looked at the First Madam, the lust in his eyes could no longer be hidden, "Do not worry, I will be quick."
Cai Guo turned around and said to the First Madam with a sinister smile, "Madam, just let the physician treat you well. This servant will wait outside the door and will not let anyone disturb you."
With that, Cai Guo opened the door and walked out. After she left, she closed the door again.
"Do not come near me. If you come closer, this Madam will die for you to see."
The First Madam pulled out the hairpin from her hair and held it to her neck.
She knew that at this moment, these audacious and reckless individuals clearly would not let her go.
She would rather die than lose her chastity.
Moreover, she was the First Madam of the Gu Mansion. If she died, would these villains not fear the matter escalating?
But who knew that the man would look at her and say with a lecherous smile, "I like tender, living people, and I even more like corpses that are still warm and can be manipulated."
As he spoke, the man also licked his tongue as a gesture.
The First Madam felt disheartened, no longer knowing how to choose.
Whether she lived or died, he would not let her go.
What should she do?
At this moment, a helplessness and fear she had never experienced before spread through her heart.
A scene from her past suddenly flashed in her mind.
"Wanying, little sister, shall brother teach you martial arts? If you have martial arts, you can protect yourself."
"No, no, with brother protecting Wanying, Wanying doesn't want to learn martial arts. If Wanying learns martial arts, brother will leave Wanying. Wanying doesn't want that, Wanying wants to be protected by brother forever."
The voices in her mind, mixed with her memories and tears, gradually merged into the deepest part of her heart.
If she could, she wished everything would go back to the beginning.
That was when she was truly happy.
The hands that had been tightly gripping the hairpin gradually loosened. The hairpin was still held, but she no longer threatened with her own life.
She watched the man's every move.
Better to be shattered jade than intact tile.
She was powerless, and although she could not kill the man, she could try to injure him by a third by sacrificing her life.
Just as the First Madam was about to fight the man to the death, the main door of the room was suddenly kicked open.
"First Madam, are you alright?"
Bai Qi knocked the man who was undressing unconscious with a single punch and then quickly went to the First Madam.
Upon seeing Bai Qi, the First Madam knew she had been rescued. Her body went limp, and she fainted from excessive shock.
Bai Qi called for two people. One stayed to take care of the First Madam, and the other went to quietly report the matter to his master.
Then, after tying up the man in front of him and the maidservant he had knocked unconscious outside the door and carrying them to the woodshed, he quietly left.
At the same time.
In the Garden Pavilion.
Everyone watched as more and more maids ran out of the room, covering their faces. They couldn't help but wonder how many of the "murderous white worms" the Eldest Miss had raised, as they had even poisoned the maids in her own room.
Seeing this, everyone was so frightened that they hid to the side.
At this moment, Gu Yumei, the Fourth Miss of the Gu Mansion, who had always been timid, pushed through the crowd and came before Gu Mingyue and Crown Prince Nan Rongqi, raising her voice, "Crown Prince, Second Sister, quickly look. More and more maids in Eldest Sister's room are poisoned. This is conclusive evidence. Crown Prince, you should quickly send people to eliminate those disgusting things. It would be bad if they were to harm you."
As she spoke, Gu Yumei moved a few small steps closer to Nan Rongqi, her intention being more than obvious.
However, Gu Yumei's action made Gu Mingyue, who was standing beside Nan Rongqi, frown. She cursed the shameless little slut in her heart, but said aloud, "Crown Prince, Fourth Sister is absolutely right. You should stay away from those disgusting things. If you were to be poisoned, Mingyue would be heartbroken."
As she said this, Gu Mingyue deliberately pushed Gu Yumei aside, making her move far away from Crown Prince Nan Rongqi.
Gu Yumei felt immense resentment towards Gu Mingyue, but she could not show it on her face. When Gu Mingyue bumped into her, she deliberately pretended to be bullied by Gu Mingyue, yet dared not retaliate or speak, feigning a wronged expression.
She looked at Nan Rongqi pitifully, tears welling up in her eyes but not falling.
Her appearance, like a pear blossom washed by rain, pitiful and delicate, was very pleasing.
Nan Rongqi couldn't help but feel a bit of dislike for Gu Mingyue, and instead looked at Gu Yumei more.
Gu Yumei was overjoyed.
Gu Mingyue wished she could bite Gu Yumei to death.
Damn little slut! So shameless!
As Nan Rongqi and the others watched more and more maids run out of the Garden Pavilion, they became even more convinced that those disgusting things were definitely raised by the Eldest Miss.
"Guards, arrest the Eldest Miss of the Gu family for me."
This time, he wanted to see who would stop the arrest when the evidence was conclusive!
He wondered what it would feel like for the usually proud and aloof Ninth Imperial Uncle to kneel at his feet.
"Crown Prince, why do you want to arrest this subject?"
"Eldest Sister, aren't you asking the obvious? Now that it has been confirmed that you are the culprit who raised and used these white worms to harm people, naturally the Crown Prince must arrest you. However, do not worry, after you are arrested, Fourth Sister will definitely plead for you before the Crown Prince."
Gu Yumei said words similar to Gu Mingyue's, with the same intention, wanting to leave a good impression on everyone, especially Crown Prince Nan Rongqi.
However, Gu Qianying did not respond to her words. She only looked at Nan Rongqi and said faintly, "Does the Crown Prince have poor eyesight? He cannot see that the maids in this room have had their faces drawn upon by that unruly maid, Luzhu."