Lichu looked at the Old Madam and said, “If I really wanted to harm Miss Song, I would never tamper with the hairpin. After all, I was the one who gave it to her. The moment anyone investigated, it would point straight back to me. It’s too obvious. What if she didn’t even die, and I just ended up dragging trouble onto myself instead?”
“How dare you!”
The Old Madam’s cloudy eyes widened. She could hardly believe this junior would dare say something so outrageous right in front of her.
But Lichu didn’t stop. Instead, she went on calmly, “If it were me, I’d order a stewardess who has nothing to do with me. I’d have her mix rose pollen directly into the flower cakes Miss Song eats, the tea she drinks, or even the hot water she bathes in. After all, my aunt is the Duchess. She manages the inner household. Something this small only takes one order.”
Lichu blinked. “What use is the tiny bit of pollen on a hairpin? It’s not even enough to kill someone. If I truly wanted to murder you, I’d make sure you died completely, or all my effort would be wasted. Using my method, there would be more than enough rose pollen. Miss Song would die quickly and cleanly, never even seeing the sunrise.”
Song Qinghe’s coughing suddenly stopped, but her face turned even paler.
The Old Madam’s gaze slowly stiffened.
Lichu continued, “After it’s done, just drive that old servant out of the mansion. Quietly give her some silver to keep her mouth shut. This is family business inside the Duke’s residence. There’s no way you’d let outside officials investigate. If they really found something, where would the Duke residence’s reputation go? Even if the Duchess agreed, Old Madam, would you agree?”
The Old Madam’s expression darkened. Her sharp but cloudy eyes stared at Shen Lichu. Surprisingly, she didn’t argue back.
Family reputation came first. How could internal household matters be handed over to government officials?
It would definitely be handled inside the family.
“Since it’s impossible to let outside officials investigate, then the mansion investigates it themselves. The Duke doesn’t handle inner household affairs. Old Madam, you’ve been unwell for a long time and no longer manage the household. After all the investigation, in the end, it would just be called a mistake.”
Lichu paused, then curved her lips slightly. She looked at Song Qinghe, the faint dimples on her cheeks appearing and disappearing. “Miss Song, don’t you think this method is better than the one you thought of?”
Song Qinghe suddenly raised her voice. “What nonsense are you talking about!”
This time, she was probably truly furious. She clutched her chest and started coughing violently.
The Old Madam stared coldly at Shen Lichu and sneered. “You little girl… your methods are quite something. I really didn’t see before that your thoughts run this deep.”
Lichu shook her head. “My teacher once said, a gentleman judges actions, not thoughts. Old Madam, everything I said today is only what I thought of. I never did it. If I really had, Miss Song would probably already be dead.”
“As for smearing pollen on a hairpin… such a crude trick…”
Lichu’s face was completely expressionless. In her clear almond-shaped eyes, there was a natural pride and aloofness. “I wouldn’t even bother doing something like that.”
Lu Shiji stood outside the door. Hearing her voice, he could almost picture her clear, cold eyes — filled with pride and boldness, fearless and untamed.
The corner of Lu Shiji’s lips moved slightly.
Xiping asked softly, “Young Master, are we still going in?”
“Has the Duchess arrived?”
“She’s already on the way. She’ll be here any moment.”
Lu Shiji pulled back his gaze, turned, and left. “Let’s go.”
“Huh?” Xiping was left standing there, completely confused.
The Young Master rushed over in panic when he heard Miss Song was in trouble. So why wasn’t he even going inside?
Qingsong smacked the back of his head. “Are you leaving or not? Everything’s already settled. Why are you still hanging around?”
Xiping scratched his head again. Miss Song was still sick. How was everything already settled?
Just as Lu Shiji left, Madam Shen arrived.
“What matter has alarmed Mother to personally question someone? Did this child A’Li offend anyone?” Madam Shen walked in quickly. She still wore a smile, but her eyes were already scanning the room sharply.
Lichu shook her head innocently. “Miss Song suddenly fell ill. The Old Madam asked me to come answer a few questions.”
The Old Madam’s face looked terrible, but she couldn’t say anything else.
After all, Shen Lichu’s earlier “perfect arrangement” only made the trick of putting rose pollen on the gold hairpin look clumsy and amateurish in comparison.
The Old Madam had lived through countless ups and downs in her life. There was no way she couldn’t see that something was off by now.
Madam Shen stepped in front of Lichu protectively and said to the Old Madam, “Please don’t take offense, Old Madam. This child speaks without thinking sometimes and may have offended you. But A’Li has always been well-behaved and sensible. She’s never one to stir up trouble.”
Madam Shen then cast a cold look at Song Qinghe. “Qinghe’s illness is strange. In my opinion, this needs a thorough investigation. What if some servant below was careless, or worse, trying to take advantage of the chaos to harm their master? That would throw the whole household into disorder.”
As she spoke, she shouted, “Guards! Seize all the servants of Cuizhu Courtyard and interrogate them one by one!”
Song Qinghe’s face changed instantly. She looked at the Old Madam in panic, silently begging for help.
A group of old maids rushed in.
The Old Madam’s face darkened. “Enough! Don’t turn a small matter into a complete mess.”
Madam Shen smiled, but there was no warmth in it. “Qinghe falling ill is no small matter. It’s a question of life and death. If we don’t get to the bottom of this, won’t A’Li end up taking the blame again?”
The Old Madam glanced at Shen Lichu, rubbed her aching forehead, and said heavily, “It was the servants’ negligence. All the servants of Cuizhu Courtyard are to be dragged out and beaten with thirty strokes, their pay docked for three months. This matter ends here.”
Once the Old Madam had spoken, Madam Shen could only nod in agreement.
“Yes.”
Madam Shen shot Song Qinghe a fierce look, then took Shen Lichu and left.
Inside the room, all the servants were dragged away. Huashan cried and screamed, “Miss, save me! Miss!”
Song Qinghe opened her mouth as if she wanted to speak, but in the end, she didn’t dare say anything.
From the courtyard came the servants’ desperate cries for mercy, mixed with the sound of sticks striking flesh.
The Old Madam turned to Song Qinghe, who was sitting on the bed, her face dark. “What happened today… was it your doing?”
Song Qinghe was already in tears. “Old Madam, I didn’t—”
“You were foolish! How could you do something so stupid?” The Old Madam could already guess the truth from her evasiveness.
Disappointment filled the Old Madam’s eyes. “I always thought you were a sensible child.”
Song Qinghe hurriedly climbed down from the bed, knelt in front of the Old Madam, and cried, “I was just worried about Brother Shiji. The Duchess bringing Shen Lichu into the residence—wasn’t it just to push her onto Brother Shiji? Madam Shen is so vicious, and Shen Lichu isn’t anything good either. Now Shen Lichu clings to Brother Shiji every day. Even if Brother Shiji dislikes it, he can’t openly refuse…”
“So you thought of using this method to drive her out of the residence?!” the Old Madam snapped.
“I… I was also standing up for the late Madam. The late Madam died because of Madam Shen, yet her niece still has the nerve to shamelessly cling to Brother Shiji…”
The Old Madam pointed at her. The scolding words reached her lips, but in the end, she only let out a long sigh.
“I know you care deeply for the late Madam, but you shouldn’t have acted so recklessly. And using your own body to play such games!”
Tears in her eyes, Song Qinghe said, “The late Madam showed me great kindness. I should repay it with my life if necessary. Even if it costs me my life, it would be worth it.”
“Enough. You are a filial child, and the late Madam didn’t dote on you in vain.”
The Old Madam was tired. “This matter ends here. No one is to mention it again.”
She stood up. Nanny Zhuang immediately stepped forward to support her and escorted her out of Cuizhu Courtyard.
Song Qinghe remained kneeling on the ground, her face soaked with tears, her expression shaken and unsettled.
Was this really the end of it?
No. She wasn’t willing to accept that.
She scrambled to her feet, grabbed a cloak and wrapped it around herself, then stumbled out in a hurry.
Wenlan Courtyard.
Xiping hurried in to announce, “Young Master, Miss Song has arrived.”