With Qiu Huaixin's consent, it became much easier for Old Madam Wu to visit the prison.
At least Prefect Jiao would no longer obstruct her entry. However, he still dispatched two matrons who supervised female prisoners to thoroughly search them before allowing Old Madam Wu and her maidservant, Baolian, who carried a food box, into the prison cell.
"Thank you." Baolian quickly slipped a sachet into the hand of the leading matron. Though the sachet appeared flat, it indicated the presence of banknotes, at least ten taels of silver.
"Old Madam, mind your step." The matron maintained a stern expression, but her attitude clearly softened after receiving the sachet. She moved the lantern she held aside, providing some light for Old Madam Wu, who followed behind.
The female prison held fewer inmates. Even in the early winter, a musty smell permeated the cells. Coupled with the chilling air, it sent shivers down one's spine.
After leading them to the cell, the matron hung the lantern on the wall and stated impassively, "I will return in fifteen minutes. Madam, please speak quickly."
Madam Wu sat in a daze amidst the straw. Perhaps due to the prolonged confinement, her entire demeanor was listless and vacant. Hearing the matron's voice, she slowly raised her head.
"Zixian." Old Madam Wu's voice choked with emotion as she looked at her daughter, disheveled and frail.
Even Baolian beside her was taken aback. Was this the same young lady who was once pampered and spoke with an air of noble refinement?
Madam Wu almost believed she was hallucinating from her confinement. But upon seeing Old Madam Wu outside the cell, tears streamed down her face. After a moment of stunned disbelief, she lunged forward like a madwoman, "Mother..."
"Zixian, my unfortunate daughter..." Old Madam Wu's tears also began to fall as she looked with immense heartache at her daughter, who knelt on the ground like a beggar before the cell door.
Despite her shock, Baolian, as a senior maidservant attending Old Madam Wu, was no ordinary servant. Regaining her composure, she quickly said, "Old Madam, allow this servant to help Miss eat something first."
Old Madam Wu, still choked with emotion, took the bowl from Baolian and handed it over. "Yes, Zixian, don't cry. Mother is here. Drink some soup first."
The soup was still warm and carried a rich scent of ginseng. Compared to the cold steamed buns and boiled vegetables in the prison over the past few days, this ginseng soup was undoubtedly a delicacy.
Perhaps it was seeing Old Madam Wu, or perhaps it was drinking the bowl of ginseng soup, but Madam Wu regained her usual composure. She grasped Old Madam Wu's hand through the wooden bars and asked, "Mother, did you use that old ginseng from your dowry to make this soup?"
For aristocratic families, a single ginseng root was not a rare treasure, but an old ginseng root of considerable age was indeed hard to come by.
This particular branch of Old Madam Wu's family had been brought to the Wu family when she married. It was a life-saving treasure. Over the years, with smooth sailing, Old Madam Wu had been reluctant to use it. It was only because Madam Wu was suffering now that Old Madam Wu had someone retrieve the old ginseng from the storeroom to nourish her daughter.
Looking at Madam Wu, whose face was dirty and hair disheveled, Old Madam Wu, who had been wiping away her daughter's tears, felt a surge of grief. She couldn't help but pat her daughter's back with force.
"Child, why were you so reckless? That was your younger uncle, your husband's own brother. How could you be so heartless as to lay a hand on him?"
Madam Wu was an intelligent woman. From the investigation by the Imperial Guards to her imprisonment in the prefectural yamen, Madam Wu knew she would not survive.
As the saying goes, a stepmother is like a father. When Madam Wu was unmarried, she had several close girlfriends whose families were managed by stepmothers. Thus, Madam Wu was well aware of the intricacies involved. There were plenty of stepmothers who appeared kind but were cruel at heart, finding ways to torment their stepchildren.
Madam Wu had also come to a realization: if she died, as long as her maternal family remained, with her maternal grandfather and uncles looking after her, her son Chenge'er's life would not be too difficult. He was a boy and had already begun his studies. It was not easy for the women in the inner chambers to extend their influence to the outer court.
Furthermore, Madam Wu had served as a daughter-in-law under Madam Qiu for several years. Even if her stepmother was unkind, Madam Qiu would never allow her own grandson to be mistreated. If she had given birth to a daughter, then she would have reason to worry.
After calming her agitated emotions, Madam Wu subtly glanced around. The dark, gloomy cell was devoid of any other figures. Yet, even so, Madam Wu dared not let her guard down.
"Mother, I was momentarily confused." Madam Wu spoke with a face full of bitterness. Meeting Old Madam Wu's pained and helpless gaze, she smiled and said, "Father-in-law and Mother-in-law have always favored Huaixin. Moreover, Mother-in-law is planning to betroth a young lady from the Gu family of Nanling to Huaixin this time. I panicked instantly and, without knowing how, became convinced that if Huaixin met with misfortune, no one would compete with my husband for the family fortune."
"You are foolish! How could you think that!" Old Madam Wu raised her hand as if to wake her daughter from her obsession. But seeing Madam Wu's emaciated face, she ultimately couldn't bear to strike and instead gently stroked her head. "When brothers are united, they can break metal! By doing this, how will Bingde face his brother in the future? How will Chenge'er face this uncle?"
Thinking of her son, Madam Wu's composure crumbled. She slumped to the ground, burying her head and sobbing, "Mother, I know I was wrong... but it's too late... too late..." m..oΓg
The fifteen minutes were almost up. After crying, Madam Wu resigned herself to her fate. Clutching Old Madam Wu's hand, she said, "Mother, please convey to my husband that I have wronged him."
Sobbing, Madam Wu continued, "Mother, you must also tell Chenge'er that I, his mother, made a mistake. This is all my own doing. Tell Chenge'er not to resent anyone..."
After Old Madam Wu and her maidservant left the cell, the matron who had led them in immediately brought in a doctor. After carefully examining Madam Wu's pulse and confirming there were no abnormalities, the doctor departed.
Meanwhile, the individuals lurking in the prison cell reported the conversation between Old Madam Wu and Madam Wu verbatim to Prefect Jiao and the other yamen officials. Given that it involved Lord Qiu's daughter-in-law and the daughter of the Wu family, they had to handle the matter with extreme caution.
"She seems intelligent, how could she have done such a foolish thing?" the official responsible for recording muttered. Madam Wu's final thoughts were of her son, asking not to resent the Qiu family, which indicated she was not stupid. Yet, it was precisely this intelligent person who had committed a foolish act.
Prefect Jiao paid no mind to what Madam Wu had said. He turned to Doctor Luo, who was standing below, and asked again, "Are you certain there are no issues?"
"Replying to Your Excellency, the prisoner is not poisoned, nor are there any other abnormalities in her body," Doctor Luo replied with certainty. He had personally inspected the food box brought by Old Madam Wu, and there were no problems with the food or the ginseng soup.
Prefect Jiao was cautious. He was wary of Old Madam Wu using other methods to poison Madam Wu, so he had Doctor Luo examine Madam Wu to ensure no mistakes were made.