Early the next morning.
Shou’an Hall.
The old madam was already up, and the maids were serving her breakfast.
She held a bowl of lotus seed soup and ate a few spoonfuls before suddenly asking, “Why hasn’t Qinghe come today?”
Song Qinghe had always been dutiful. Because of the former madam, she was especially favored by the old madam. The younger members of the Lu family didn’t need to come every morning to pay their respects, but Song Qinghe came every single day.
Over the years, she had almost never missed a day.
Yet now it was already this late, and she still hadn’t appeared.
A young maid hurried in to report, “Old Madam, my lady suddenly fell ill and isn’t able to come attend to you today. She asked this servant to come and apologize to you. Once she recovers, she’ll come again.”
The old madam frowned. “What illness did she catch?”
Hua Shan hesitated before answering, “She accidentally came into contact with rose pollen, which triggered her asthma.”
The old madam grew even more puzzled. “How would she come into contact with rose pollen for no reason? I know her condition well. She’s always careful and never touches flowers or plants. Her courtyard only has bamboo. Where would rose pollen come from?”
Song Qinghe was unlike other young ladies. She never liked flowers or fragrances. Not only pollen—even the scented powders other girls used, she avoided entirely, finding them vulgar.
Her courtyard was filled with bamboo, and even the old madam had praised her for being pure and detached from worldly things.
Hua Shan struggled for a moment, then suddenly dropped to her knees with a thud, tears immediately falling. “Please save my lady, Old Madam!”
The old madam’s expression changed. “What happened?!”
Hua Shan cried as she spoke. “My lady didn’t want to cause trouble and ordered this servant not to tell anyone, but I truly couldn’t bear it. The attack started last night. My lady didn’t dare call a doctor and endured it until morning before finally sending for one. The doctor said that if it had been any later, she might not have survived!”
“So serious?” the old madam said angrily. “You servants—when your master is ill, you should call a doctor at once!”
“My lady didn’t dare,” Hua Shan sobbed. “She said she holds little status and isn’t a proper master of the Duke’s household. She’s always been cautious, afraid of causing even the smallest trouble. Even this rose pollen—she was nearly harmed to death and still didn’t dare pursue the matter…”
The old madam’s eyes sharpened. “What do you mean by that? How did your lady come into contact with rose pollen?”
Hua Shan trembled. “This servant… this servant doesn’t dare say. My lady also forbade me from speaking.”
“Speak!” the old madam slammed the table.
Hua Shan shook again and finally told the truth.
“Last night, my lady tried on the gold hairpin that the cousin lady gave her. Not long after, her asthma flared up. The doctor examined the hairpin and found a large amount of rose pollen on it. The hairpin’s craftsmanship is very intricate, with many crevices where pollen could easily hide. My lady wasn’t on guard and tried it on directly. She never expected…”
“Outrageous!” the old madam roared, slamming her palm on the table so hard that the teacups shook. “That Shen Li Chu has such nerve!”
Hua Shan knocked her head against the floor as she cried. “Please seek justice for my lady, Old Madam. She has no one to rely on in this household and has always been careful in everything she does. She doesn’t even know how she offended the cousin lady. Could it be… could it be because the heir helped my lady refuse the marriage arranged by the Duchess?”
Shen Li Chu visiting Lu Shiji every day was known throughout the Duke’s household.
The old madam stood up in fury. “I’m going to see Qinghe!”
The maids quickly supported her as she headed toward Song Qinghe’s courtyard, Cuizhu Garden.
“Qinghe!”
The old madam hurried inside. Song Qinghe, lying on the bed, was startled and struggled to sit up. “Why has Old Madam come?”
The old madam sat by the bed and quickly pressed her back down. “Lie still. How did you end up this sick?!”
Song Qinghe’s face was pale, her voice weak as she lay there.
“I just caught a chill and came down with a cold. Old Madam, please don’t worry.”
“Hua Shan already told me everything. And you’re still trying to hide it from me?”
Song Qinghe’s expression shifted as she looked at Hua Shan. “What nonsense did you tell Old Madam?”
Hua Shan immediately knelt. “This servant… I only told the truth, that the gold hairpin was given by the cousin lady…”
“How dare you…” Song Qinghe began coughing violently. A faint flush rose on her pale cheeks, and fine beads of sweat appeared on her forehead.
A maid quickly brought a small porcelain bottle to her nose and let her inhale from it. Only then did she slowly recover.
The old madam patted her back. “Silly child. You tried to hide this from me—do you think this old woman can’t protect you anymore?”
Song Qinghe’s eyes reddened. “I just… I just didn’t want to stir up trouble and burden Old Madam. Qinghe is only an adopted daughter of the Duke’s household. How could I be worth—”
“That doesn’t mean anyone can bully you!”
Seeing her pitiful state, the old madam clenched her teeth. “That Shen Li Chu is utterly shameless, daring to do something so vicious! Just like her aunt!”
Tears streamed down Song Qinghe’s face. “Old Madam, Qinghe is truly fine. The cousin lady probably didn’t do it on purpose. Please don’t blame the cousin lady.”
How could the Old Madam possibly let this go?
She gave a cold laugh. “Do you think I don’t know what she’s really after? Ever since that girl entered the Duke’s residence, she’s never behaved herself for a single day. She’s constantly hovering around Ji’er, showing up everywhere. The marriage hasn’t even been settled yet, and she already thinks of herself as part of the Lu family. And she dares to use such filthy tricks inside my Duke’s residence!”
Someone that vicious—she would never allow her to marry into the Duke’s household.
“Go,” the Old Madam said sharply. “Bring the cousin girl here.”
“Yes,” a nanny replied and hurried out.
Song Qinghe looked flustered on the surface, but inside, a quiet sense of satisfaction rose.
The Old Madam hated most the kind of people who stirred up trouble in the household using dirty, underhanded means. Shen Lichu, you still think you can marry into the Duke’s residence?
Dream on.
Lichu was curled up in her room, carefully practicing her writing, when the curtain was suddenly lifted. Chunxing came in with an elderly nanny.
Lichu looked up and immediately recognized her—it was Nanny Zhuang, who served by the Old Madam’s side.
She quickly set down her brush and greeted her politely. “Nanny Zhuang, what brings you here?”
Nanny Zhuang’s voice was cold. “The Old Madam has ordered this servant to invite the cousin miss to Cui Bamboo Courtyard.”
Lichu froze. “Cui Bamboo Courtyard?”
The Old Madam lived in Shou’an Hall.
“Please come at once, cousin miss. Don’t keep the Old Madam waiting.”
Seeing the stern look on Nanny Zhuang’s face, Lichu had a bad feeling that something had gone wrong.
She nodded. “I’ll go right away.”
Nanny Zhuang turned and walked out.
As Lichu followed, she quietly instructed Chunxing, “Go find my aunt and tell her the Old Madam has summoned me to Cui Bamboo Courtyard.”
In the Duke’s residence, she was only a guest. If anything truly happened, she would need her aunt’s support.
Chunxing quickly answered, “Yes!”
Lichu followed Nanny Zhuang toward Cui Bamboo Courtyard.
The moment she stepped inside, a strong smell of medicinal herbs hit her.
She frowned slightly. Could it be that Song Qinghe was ill?
When they entered the room, Nanny Zhuang announced, “Old Madam, the cousin miss is here.”
Lichu stepped forward and gave a proper bow. “Greetings, Old Madam.”
The Old Madam’s voice was icy. “I can’t accept a greeting from Miss Shen.”
Lichu’s heart skipped. She lifted her eyes in confusion. “Old Madam…”
“There are things I shouldn’t have to say,” the Old Madam continued coldly. “After all, you’re not a member of the Lu family, and it’s not my place to discipline you. But since you’ve caused trouble here in the Lu household, I have no choice but to step in!”
With a loud bang, she slammed a small pearwood jewelry box onto the table. “Did you give this to Qinghe?”
Lichu nodded. “Yes.”
“Qinghe suffers from asthma. Once she comes into contact with rose pollen, it triggers an attack. And this hairpin—just happens to be covered in rose pollen! Shen Lichu, how bold of you! How dare you stir up trouble in my Duke’s residence!” the Old Madam shouted.
Lichu looked at the golden hairpin. “I never did such a thing.”
“Qinghe nearly lost her life because of you, and you still dare to deny it?” The Old Madam sneered. “So young, yet already this cruel and vicious.”
Lichu’s expression darkened. It was obvious now—someone had framed her.
“Was it Miss Song who said I harmed her?” Lichu asked.
Huashan cried out, “Please, cousin miss, show some mercy! My lady has never offended you in any way. Please stop harboring jealousy and targeting her. I beg you!”
As she spoke, Huashan knelt down and kowtowed to Lichu.
Song Qinghe was still leaning against the bed, coughing nonstop. She looked weak as she spoke to Shen Lichu, “This has nothing to do with the cousin miss. I was careless myself…”
The Old Madam’s gaze toward Shen Lichu grew even colder.
Seeing how everyone now treated Shen Lichu with fear, it was clear how domineering she usually was.
Lichu looked at Song Qinghe and nodded. “You were careless indeed. With asthma that serious, you could still be so inattentive—so careless that you didn’t even notice the pollen on the hairpin.”
Song Qinghe’s face stiffened for a moment. Whether she was choked by the words or not, she suddenly started coughing violently again.
The Old Madam shouted, “Shen Lichu! You are utterly lawless!”