The steward was drenched in sweat from exhaustion, but he understood the Prime Minister’s intentions.
Upon reaching the study, Chancellor Feng quickly located the secret compartment. As he opened it, he froze on the spot: “Where is the chest? Where has my chest gone?”
At that moment, a surge of warmth seemed to churn violently within his chest.
Finally unable to suppress it any longer, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood: “This is going to be the death of me!”
Chancellor Feng pieced it together and said weakly, “The treasury wasn’t destroyed by a fire—it was robbed!
Whoever did it must have taken all the silver notes they could carry and set fire to what they couldn’t.
What deep hatred must they harbor against me?
In all my years as an official, I’ve never made such a deadly enemy of anyone.
Which bastard did this? If I ever find out, I’ll dig up the ancestral graves of their entire lineage, all eighteen generations of them.
The theft happened last night, and today that wretched creature returns. Is this a coincidence, or was it done on purpose?”
The steward spoke up: “Prime Minister, the Eldest Miss has always been weak and incompetent. She rarely interacts with the outside world, and even some of the servants in the mansion don’t recognize her. She doesn’t have the capability for this.”
Chancellor Feng’s eyes burned with rage as he said viciously, “If this matter is connected to that wretched creature, I will have her beaten to death with sticks.”
Suddenly, Chancellor Feng felt a sharp pain in his chest and clutched it with one hand.
“Prime Minister, what’s wrong?” the steward asked.
“I’ve been so angry all morning that my chest feels terribly tight. Help me lie down for a while.”
The steward assisted Chancellor Feng to his bedroom.
A physician arrived with his small medicine chest to examine Chancellor Feng’s pulse.
The old physician frowned slightly. “Prime Minister, your anger has harmed your health. Try not to get so angry in the future and rest more.
I’ll prescribe a remedy for you to take and see how it goes.”
Chancellor Feng thought it was just a minor ailment, but he didn’t realize it was caused by Feng Qianqian’s poisoning. It wasn’t until the poison had seeped into his five viscera and he was on the brink of death that Feng Qianqian revealed the truth to him…
………
Feng Xue’er returned to her courtyard, so furious that she swept all the teacups on the table to the ground.
“Feng Qianqian, you little wretch! How dare you not die and come back? Why didn’t you die out there?”
She then turned to Meixiang: “Could it be that the poison was faulty and didn’t kill her?”
Meixiang furrowed her brows: “Second Young Miss, I clearly saw her vomit blood and die, with no breath left. She was even nailed inside the coffin. She should be dead.”
“Her face is still the same, and the scars remain. How can a dead person come back to life? Is this resurrection?”
Meixiang shuddered in fear: “Second Young Miss, I’ve never heard of such a thing.
Perhaps she was poisoned so many times over the years that she didn’t die and was saved by a master.”
A cold smile curled at the corner of Feng Xue’er’s lips, her eyes as icy as frost. She ordered, “Meixiang, come here.”
Knowing her master had another plan, Meixiang leaned in.
Feng Xue’er whispered softly into Meixiang’s ear.
Upon hearing it, Meixiang’s face instantly paled: “Second Young Miss, what if the Prime Minister finds out about this? Would he beat me to death? After all, it concerns the reputation of the Prime Minister’s Mansion.”
“Don’t worry. She’s already an ugly woman, and Father has never favored her, always treating her as a disgrace to the mansion.
If she loses her virtue and becomes a defiled woman, Father will surely drive her out of the mansion.”
Feng Xue’er wore a smug expression.
“I’ll go make the arrangements right away.”
“Take two people. I still have the silver I gave you last time. Reward each of them with an extra tael of silver.
Wait at the back gate and send away that wretched maid Mingyue and the old woman Granny Wang who guards the courtyard.”
“Yes!”
Feng Xue’er’s eyes gleamed with triumph, as if she could already see two wrinkled, foul-smelling old beggars pinning Feng Qianqian down and venting their lust upon her…
A smile spread across her face: You little bitch, so what if you survived? Giving your body to old beggars—just thinking about it makes me happy.
But this matter must be handled carefully. No one else can know. Go quickly and return swiftly.
“Yes, this servant will go at once.”
…………
Feng Qianqian sat on a chair and opened the bundle of clothes. Inside, she saw dresses that had been washed until they were faded, and it was obvious they were too small.
“Am I supposed to wear these? Even the maids in the mansion wear better clothes than these?” she frowned.
Mingyue lowered her head. “Yes, Eldest Miss. Usually, when clothes are made in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, you are never included. These are old clothes that Granny Wang’s daughter outgrew. She gave them to you out of pity.”
Feng Qianqian tossed the dresses aside. “Mingyue, from now on, we will never live in hardship again.”
“Eldest Miss, in the future, this servant will embroider more handkerchiefs. Selling them will allow me to buy you dresses like the ones Second Young Miss wears.”
Feng Qianqian looked at this loyal maid and smiled faintly. “From now on, you won’t need to embroider handkerchiefs anymore. With me here, we will definitely live a good life.”
Mingyue nodded.
Feng Qianqian’s expression was calm. “Mingyue, I was forced to drink poison by Feng Xue’er. Although someone saved me, I’ve forgotten some things. Can you tell me about my two elder brothers and the concubines in the mansion?”
Mingyue looked startled for a moment, then quickly composed herself. “It’s good that you’re back. Perhaps it’s for the best that you don’t remember the past.”
“Second Young Master has gone to Jiangnan with friends and likely won’t return for some time. As for Eldest Young Master… they say he went mad and was sent away somewhere. But where exactly, this servant doesn’t know…”
Feng Qianqian now had a general understanding. While her second brother was temporarily out of reach, she needed to rescue her eldest brother. She instructed, “Mingyue, you must find out where they are keeping my elder brother. I will go save him.”
Mingyue agreed without hesitation.
By noon, the person delivering meals from the Main Kitchen arrived carrying a food box.
She took out two bowls of spoiled rice and placed a bowl of bland vegetable soup without a trace of oil on the table.
Her tone was unfriendly. “Eat up, Eldest Miss.”
Feng Qianqian looked at the food on the table, anger rising in her heart.
Her eyes blazed with fury as she snapped, “Is this what I’m supposed to eat? You’re feeding me slop fit for pigs!”
The maid delivering the food glanced at Feng Qianqian. “Eldest Miss, this servant is just delivering the meals. The Main Kitchen decides what to send. Please don’t make things difficult for me.”
“You may go.” Feng Qianqian had no intention of troubling her.
This is outrageous, these damned servants. Today, I’ll make sure they learn their lesson. If I have to eat pig slop, they won’t get off easy either.
“Mingyue, come with me. We’re going to the Main Kitchen.”
Feng Qianqian took Mingyue with her, picked up a wooden stick in the courtyard, and headed toward the Main Kitchen…
…………
Main Kitchen
The Main Kitchen was filled with steam, and the aroma of food lingered throughout the room.
Granny Chen, who had only recently entered the mansion, was somewhat worried. “Steward Wu, the Eldest Miss has just returned, and you had someone deliver spoiled food to her. That food was meant for the big dog, Ah Fu. Even he would turn his nose up at it. What if the Eldest Miss tells the Prime Minister?”
Granny Wu leaned against the doorframe, sharing melon seeds with Granny Liu. She sneered disdainfully and said, “What are you afraid of? You’re new here and don’t know—for so many years, the Eldest Miss has always eaten that kind of food.
Have you ever seen the Prime Minister care about her? An ugly girl, just a discarded pawn.
This is what Second Madame ordered. If we don’t do this, do you want to be beaten?”
“But in such hot weather, could she die from poisoning after eating that food?”
“Don’t worry. She’s been eating Spoiled Food for so many years and is still alive and well. The Eldest Miss has the Fate of Stone—her life is tough.”
Feng Qianqian glared angrily. “Damn it, why don’t you say I have the Fate of Steel? That’s even tougher!”