“Tell me! Who exactly put the drug in?” First Madam Chen slammed her hand heavily on the table, hard enough to make the teacups jump.
Hu Xiaoyue knelt in the middle of the hall, her hair disheveled and her clothes in disarray. Another woman knelt beside her. She looked quite young and kept her head lowered, so Lin Zhijin could not make out her features.
“Madam, I truly do not know! A little maid came to tell me that the Master wanted me to go over. Since he had asked for me, of course I went immediately. Who could have known that the moment I entered the room, the Master would pull me onto the bed? I thought he had been ill for so long and must have missed a woman’s company, so I simply went along with him. I really had no idea he had been drugged!” Hu Xiaoyue cried out in protest, her face full of grievance.
The woman beside her did not shout or make a scene. She merely sobbed with an innocent expression and shook her head.
“Madam, I truly do not know why that drug was found in my room. Master has not summoned me for a long time, and I had already given up hope.
My family was even preparing to ask you to let me leave the residence so I could marry. How could I possibly be a drug master?”
“Hmph! Who knows whether you are telling the truth? Li Xiangyun, was it you? Are you resentful because I stole your favor, so you deliberately plotted against me?” Hu Xiaoyue glared viciously at Li Xiangyun.
“No!” Li Xiangyun shot Hu Xiaoyue an angry look before taking a deep breath and turning toward First Madam Chen. “Madam, someone must be framing me. Please have someone investigate who purchased the drug. I have not even left the residence these past few days. Where would I get such a shameless drug?”
Only then did Lin Zhijin get a clear look at Li Xiangyun. She had almond shaped eyes, peach blossom cheeks, willow leaf eyebrows, and cherry red lips. She was very beautiful, but what stood out most was her temperament. She was alluring and captivating, with a natural charm in every glance that made her especially enticing.
That old geezer Chen certainly knew how to enjoy himself. Although First Madam Chen was getting on in years, it was still obvious that she had not been unattractive when she was young. The Second, Third, and Fourth Concubines were no longer young either, but they had clearly been beauties in their prime. The Fifth and Sixth Concubines still possessed mature charm, while the Seventh Concubine was graceful and elegant. As for the Eighth Concubine…
Lin Zhijin secretly turned her head for a look. She was the cold beauty type, and did not seem particularly old either, perhaps around twenty seven or twenty eight.
So far, Lin Zhijin had met only three bedchamber attendants: Hu Xiaoyue, Wang Xiuzhu, and Li Xiangyun. Hu Xiaoyue was coquettish, Wang Xiuzhu was delicate and refined, and Li Xiangyun was alluring.
Tsk, tsk. That old geezer had certainly lived a worthwhile life.
At that moment, Fifth Concubine yawned and said lazily, “I think Xiaoyue was the one who administered the drug.”
“Fifth Concubine, I have never had any grudges against you. Why are you trying to harm me? First Madam, I really was not the one who administered the drug. I… I have not left the residence recently either. Where could I have bought it?”
Hu Xiaoyue suddenly pointed at Lin Zhijin.
“It must have been the Ninth Concubine! She left the residence. She resents me for stopping her from meeting Master, so she drugged him to frame me!”
Lin Zhijin had never expected to become part of the spectacle she had been watching. She fought the urge to roll her eyes and shook her head with an expression of fear.
“Madam, it was not me. Without Xiaohong to guide me, I do not even know how to find the Master’s courtyard.”
No one seemed to suspect Lin Zhijin. She had only entered the Chen residence a few days ago and had not even learned the names of everyone in the household. How could she possibly have the ability to be a drug Master?
First Madam Chen slapped the table again.
“Hu, do not drag innocent people into this. Ninth Concubine is well behaved, obedient, and respectful of the rules. She would never drug the Master. You had better confess honestly. If I discover the truth myself, your punishment will be even more severe.”
First Madam Chen gestured for Lin Zhijin to sit down. Nanny Zhang worked for her, so she trusted that Lin Zhijin was not the culprit.
“Thank you, First Madam.” Lin Zhijin looked at Chen Li gratefully.
Hu Xiaoyue really was a rabid dog, biting anyone she could reach.
Sure enough, Hu Xiaoyue began accusing someone else.
“It was Wang Xiuzhu! Yes, it must have been her! She came to see me a few days ago and asked whether I wanted a child. I said I did, and then she gave me a fertility prescription. But there was a condition. She said I would have to agree to do something for her once it worked. It must have been her!”
As soon as she finished speaking, Wang Xiuzhu walked out from the back and knelt in the middle of the hall. She looked at Hu Xiaoyue with disappointment.
“Little Sister Xiaoyue, how can you repay kindness with betrayal? First Madam, it was not me.”
“Not you? Then why did you give Hu Xiaoyue a fertility prescription? Did you not know that the Master’s body could not withstand sexual intercourse? Wang Xiuzhu, you were incredibly bold to give Master such a potent drug! Did you know that his health had almost recovered? But because of this drug, he may… he may…”
As she spoke, Sixth Concubine covered her face and burst into tears.
When she began crying, the others all put on sorrowful expressions. Lin Zhijin lowered her head and glanced around. She immediately put on the expression of someone whose father had just died.
Good heavens! They were all award winning actresses. How could they switch expressions so quickly? Especially those tears. They could summon them at a moment’s notice.
“Sixth Concubine, how could it possibly be me? I spend my days praying and observing a vegetarian diet. If Little Sister Xiaoyue had not helped me in the past, I would never have given her the fertility prescription.”
Wang Xiuzhu looked sadly at Hu Xiaoyue.
“When I gave you the prescription, did I not tell you to wait until Master’s health improved before using it? As for the favor I asked of you, there is no harm in explaining it. I once carried two children, but I was not fortunate enough to keep either of them. I can no longer bear children, so I wanted to help Little Sister Xiaoyue conceive. We could raise the child together, and when we grew old, we would have someone to depend on.”
Her story was pitiful enough that many people present began to sympathize with her. They even felt that Hu Xiaoyue was being unreasonable by dragging her into the matter without evidence.
“First Madam, it was her! It must have been her! Please believe me. Wang Xiuzhu never said that I should wait until Master’s health improved before using the medicine. I did not do it. It really was not me!” Hu Xiaoyue stammered incoherently.
Lin Zhijin frowned. It did seem as though Hu Xiaoyue might not be the culprit after all.
Just then, Nanny Sun entered, escorting a little maid. Lin Zhijin thought the girl looked familiar, but she could not remember her name.
“Who is that?” Lin Zhijin whispered to Xiaohong.
“She is one of the maids who serves Madam Hu,” a cool voice answered.
Lin Zhijin froze for a moment and turned her head toward Eighth Concubine. Has the Eighth Concubine just spoken?
Eighth Concubine glanced at her disdainfully. So foolish. No wonder people had targeted her. Still, fools sometimes had good luck. Since she had not fallen into the trap, she had managed to escape disaster.
Lin Zhijin gave her a friendly smile.
“Thank you for explaining, Eighth Sister.”
Eighth Concubine was taken aback. Then she glared at Lin Zhijin and turned away, refusing to speak to her again.
Lin Zhijin was bewildered. When she had met the Second, Third, and Fourth Concubines, they had told her to address them as Second Sister, Third Sister, and so on. Eighth Concubine ranked eighth. Was there anything wrong with calling her Eighth Sister?
While Lin Zhijin was distracted, the situation took a dramatic turn. Hu Xiaoyue’s maid confessed that she had administered the drug to Master Chen under Hu Xiaoyue’s instructions.
“Ah!” Hu Xiaoyue screamed and grabbed her personal maid by the collar.
She stared at her in disbelief. “Wang Juhua, I have treated you well! How could you slander me? Who bribed you? Tell me! First Madam, I really did not do it!”
“Your personal maid has already confessed, yet you still dare to plead your innocence?” The Third Concubine, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke in a sharp voice. “Hu Xiaoyue, Master has doted on you so much, yet you actually drugged him. If anything happens to him, I will never forgive you!”
“First Madam, I really did not do it.” Hu Xiaoyue slumped to the floor, looking utterly disheveled.
At that very moment, Shi Qing uncovered some additional information, and the evidence also pointed toward Hu Xiaoyue.
“Enough. Lock Hu and Wang Juhua in the woodshed for now. Everyone else may return to their own rooms. Do not come out and cause trouble.”
First Madam Chen brought the matter to an end with those words.
Third Concubine curled her lip, rose to her feet, and left with the help of her maid. The other concubines also got up to leave. Lin Zhijin noticed that Second Concubine remained seated, apparently with something else to discuss with First Madam Chen. She waited for the Eighth Concubine to stand, then hurried after her.
Once she left the main courtyard, Lin Zhijin let out a long breath.
That drugging incident was finally over, right?
When she returned to Wenzhu Courtyard, Nanny Zhang was nowhere to be seen. Lin Zhijin had no idea where she had gone.
She took Xiaohong by the hand and asked, “Have you found the maid who brought me that false message today?”
“Not yet, Ninth Concubine. Please do not worry. First Madam is fair and perceptive. She would never wrong you. Besides, you spend every day in your room and do not even recognize all the servants in Master’s quarters.
How could you possibly have had the ability to drug him?” Xiaohong explained earnestly.
Although Xiaohong had essentially called her incapable, Lin Zhijin was pleased. Exactly. She was timid, cowardly, and incompetent. How could someone like her possibly drug Master Chen?
She had already slept once, so Lin Zhijin was no longer sleepy. Lying in bed, she kept wondering who had really administered the drug.
To be precise, she doubted that Hu Xiaoyue had been responsible for the entire incident.
Or rather, had Hu Xiaoyue really acted alone in drugging Master Chen?
Early the next morning, everyone was summoned to the main courtyard again. Lin Zhijin glanced around and noticed dark circles beneath everyone’s eyes. They had probably slept poorly the night before, or perhaps had not slept at all.
“Master was given a dangerously potent drug. The physician says his body has been depleted too severely. He may… may not survive until next month,” First Madam Chen said through her tears.
“Master!”
Third Concubine cried out in grief, rolled her eyes, and fainted.
“Third Concubine! Third Concubine!” her personal maid exclaimed anxiously, catching her in her arms.
Lin Zhijin then watched as the servants efficiently carried the Third Concubine back to her own room.
“The Third Concubine is in poor health and cannot withstand emotional shocks. Otherwise, she will faint,” Xiaohong explained in a whisper.
Lin Zhijin remained skeptical. Could someone really faint the instant they wanted to?
“First Madam, this is all Hu’s fault. If not for her, Master’s health would have greatly improved by now. You must punish her severely!” Fourth Concubine said through clenched teeth.
“Of course I cannot let someone who drugged Master off lightly. However, Hu has already shared a bed with him. If she really is pregnant, the child may be Master’s last. The Chen family’s bloodline is at stake, and we cannot afford to make any mistakes. We should wait a little longer before deciding on her punishment.”
First Madam Chen spoke with an expression of compassion.
Lin Zhijin was curious too. The original owner had conceived after just one encounter. She wondered whether Hu Xiaoyue would be so fortunate.
But that brought her back to another question. Who had been plotting against the original owner?
Compared with this room full of experts at household intrigue, Lin Zhijin felt that her own brain was utterly inadequate. As the saying went, never challenge someone else’s profession with your amateur skills. In her case, she was not even an amateur.
After more than half an hour of rambling, Nanny Sun entered with two little maids. Lin Zhijin recognized one of them as the girl who had delivered the false message to her.
“Madam, these are the two maids who delivered the message yesterday,” Nanny Sun said coldly.
“Madam, I do not know anything! Someone gave me two silver dollars and told me to pass a message to Ninth Concubine. I truly do not know anything else.” The round-faced maid dropped to her knees with a thud and looked at First Madam Chen in panic.
The long faced maid beside her was so frightened that she kept crying. It took her quite a while to say the same thing as the round faced maid.
“Madam, I have already investigated. These two girls are telling the truth,” Nanny Sun whispered into Chen Li’s ear.
“Then what Hu Xiaoyue said was true. She was not a drug Master. But if she was not responsible, who was?” Seventh Concubine asked, looking confused.
The Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Concubines glanced at her.
What a fool. If she had not been lucky enough to bear children, and if her children had not grown up and even given her grandchildren, would she ever have become a concubine? They no longer wanted to commit more bloodshed.
“Enough. It is getting late. You may all leave,” First Madam Chen said, dismissing them.
“First Madam, Master’s condition is worsening. Should we not take turns caring for him? Should each of us serve for one day, or is there some other arrangement?” The third concubine suddenly asked.
Chen Li shot her a glance. Originally, she had not intended to make the concubines take turns. But now that someone had brought it up, refusing would make her seem unreasonable.
“You are no longer young, and you have lived comfortably for many years. Having to care for a Master all day would probably be too much for you. How about half a day each, starting with Second Concubine?”
Chen Li lifted her teacup, signaling that the meeting was over.
Everyone gradually left. At the courtyard gate, Seventh Concubine called out to Lin Zhijin.
“Ninth Sister, you have not left your courtyard since entering the household. Come visit me sometime when you are free.”
Lin Zhijin quietly agreed, then hurried away with Xiaohong.
“Why did Seventh Concubine invite you to visit her courtyard?” Xiaohong asked curiously.
Lin Zhijin shook her head. “I have no idea.”
How could she know? None of these concubines was easy to deal with. She did not want to get involved with any of them.
That afternoon, Nanny Zhang returned with some news. Wang Juhua had indeed administered the drug, and Hu Xiaoyue had indeed instructed her to do so. However, the drug they had used was not the dangerously potent kind. It was a fertility drug.
“Someone else administered a drug too?” Lin Zhijin asked, her eyes wide.
“Most likely.” Seeing the fear on Lin Zhijin’s face, Nanny Zhang smiled.
“Ninth Concubine, there is no need to be afraid. As the old saying goes, those with a clear conscience have nothing to fear. You did not do anything wrong, so what are you afraid of?”
She herself had done nothing wrong. Neither had the original owner, yet the original owner had still been framed. In this deep household, everyone had eight hundred tricks up their sleeves. Of course a newcomer like her was frightened.
“How could I possibly have that kind of ability? Let’s not talk about this anymore. Just hearing about it makes my scalp tingle. I’m hungry. Is there anything to eat?” Lin Zhijin held her stomach.
The following afternoon, the matter took another turn. The person who had drugged Master Chen was neither Li Xiangyun nor Wang Xiuzhu, but another bedchamber attendant who had kept a low profile.
“Why would she drug the Master? Was she hoping to give birth to a child so she would have someone to rely on?” Lin Zhijin could not help asking out of curiosity as she headed to the main courtyard.
“I do not know,” Xiaohong replied, shaking her head.
When everyone gathered in First Madam Chen’s courtyard once again, Lin Zhijin saw a thin woman with a pale complexion kneeling on the floor. Although she looked rather disheveled, her beauty was still unmistakable.
“I called you all here to tell you that the culprit who drugged the Master has been caught. It was Wang Dawang. She drugged him because she resented being neglected by the Master. Wang Dawang, we have both witnesses and physical evidence. Do you confess?” First Madam Chen asked sternly.
Wang Dawang sneered.
“Neglected? He is nothing but a decrepit old man on the verge of death. I have no interest in his favor. He is an animal. If he had not forcibly dragged me into this household, my parents would not have died. Why? He was already close to death, yet he recovered because of that ridiculous attempt to bring him good fortune through marriage? I do not have much time left.
Before I die, I must see him dead. Only then will I be satisfied.”
“So it really was you who drugged him? I never would have guessed!” The Seventh Concubine cried out in shock.
The moment her words fell, Wang Dawang suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. She kept vomiting more and more blood until she collapsed on the floor, her life and death uncertain.
“Ah!”
“Ah!”
Screams rang out throughout the room. Lin Zhijin screamed too, then quickly shut her eyes, unable to bear the sight of Wang Dawang’s horrific condition.
First Madam Chen had not expected Wang Dawang to do something like this. She quickly ordered everyone to return to their rooms and sent a physician to prescribe calming medicine for them.
Lin Zhijin drank a bowl of it too. This time, she really was frightened. In her previous life, she had lived for thirty years, yet this was the first time she had witnessed someone die at such close range.
Soon afterward, Hu Xiaoyue and the others were released, while Wang Juhua was punished. Nanny Zhang and Xiaohong did not explain exactly what happened to her, and Lin Zhijin did not want to ask. At a time like this, human life was worth very little.
Time passed quickly, and soon it was Lin Zhijin’s turn to care for Master Chen. She was assigned the first half of the night, so she went over after dinner. By the time she arrived, Master Chen had already taken his medicine and fallen asleep.
Looking at his sunken eye sockets and cheeks, with little more than skin stretched over his bones, it seemed he truly would not survive until the following month.
During her shift, Master Chen woke up once. He glanced at Lin Zhijin, then fell unconscious again.
On the twenty seventh day of the second lunar month, Master Chen suddenly seemed full of energy. Everyone in the Chen residence, including Master Chen himself, knew exactly what it meant. He was experiencing a brief resurgence of energy before death.
“Shi Qing, go call the Madams and the children over. I am feeling well enough now to arrange my affairs before I die.”
When death truly approached, Master Chen seemed surprisingly calm about it.