Qin Yurong spoke disdainfully, “What trouble could a low-born, ugly, and fat illegitimate daughter who doesn’t even dare show her face stir up? Isn’t it better to let her bring about her own destruction and suffer?”
Upon hearing this, Wang Momo couldn’t help but ask, “Madam, when Liu Yiniang and her two children entered the manor, you didn’t make the Second Young Miss remove her Weimao in public. Could it be that you had other intentions?”
In Wang Momo’s view, the Madam had employed tactics not only to cut off Liu Yiniang and her children’s means of survival but also to ruin the Second Young Miss’s stunning beauty.
Originally, when Liu Yiniang entered the manor to pay respects to the Madam earlier, it would have been the perfect opportunity to expose the Second Young Miss’s ugly appearance.
Yet the Madam acted as if she hadn’t noticed the Second Young Miss wearing a Weimao?
Qin Yurong’s eyes shifted, a calculating and sinister smile curling at the corners of her lips as she spoke unhurriedly.
“The Master has a portrait of Liu Yiniang and her family of three. In the painting, Ji Yunsu has a slender figure and breathtaking beauty.”
“Although Ji Yunsu is the illegitimate daughter of a village woman, the Master holds high hopes for her appearance.”
“For this reason, he specifically added this illegitimate daughter’s name to the list of attendees for the Imperial Concubine Selection Banquet.”
“If I were to publicly remove that illegitimate daughter’s Weimao, wouldn’t that cause the Master to lose face? Instead, it would make him resent me, and the loss would outweigh the gain.”
Wang Momo nodded, “The Madam is thorough in her considerations.”
“What the Second Young Miss truly looks like will be revealed when the Master returns.”
“There’s no need for the Madam to play the villain and needlessly upset the Master.”
As her words fell, an urgent report suddenly came from outside the room.
“Madam, Liu Yiniang has fallen unconscious. The Second Young Miss insists on leaving the manor to fetch a physician. Several servants who tried to stop her were injured by the Second Young Miss!”
Hearing this, Wang Momo immediately shrilled, “Madam, this lowly illegitimate daughter has no sense of propriety.”
“This old servant will take people to capture her and bring her back so the Madam can properly teach her some manners!”
It was well-known throughout the Grand Tutor Manor that the household rules were strict.
After nightfall, female family members were not permitted to leave the manor without the Madam’s permission. Violators would be punished with thirty strikes of the cane!
Moreover, this rule had been personally set by the Master.
Over the years, from concubines to maidservants, no matter how favored they were, none dared to overstep this boundary.
Now, with Liu Yiniang’s family having just entered the manor, the Second Young Miss dared to challenge the rule set by the Master. In Wang Momo’s eyes, the Second Young Miss was courting death!
“Since the Second Young Miss is so filial, let her go.”
However, Qin Yurong leisurely addressed the servant outside.
The servant acknowledged the order with a “Yes” and hurried away.
Wang Momo asked with a puzzled expression, “Madam, are you just letting the Second Young Miss leave the manor so easily?”
“Then, should we still summon a physician?”
“If Liu Yiniang is unwell, it’s naturally my duty as the Madam to summon a physician. That illegitimate daughter left the manor without permission—what does that have to do with me?”
A sinister, cold smile played on Qin Yurong’s deceptively gentle and benevolent face as she spoke indifferently.
Hearing this, Wang Momo’s wrinkled old face immediately showed understanding, “Madam, this old servant understands.”
“This old servant will immediately send someone to inform the Master about the Second Young Miss disregarding the household rules and leaving the manor without permission.”
“Teaching Second Young Miss a lesson is best done through the Master’s hand, lest the Madam attract trouble upon herself.”
Qin Yurong nodded in satisfaction, speaking in a low voice, “This Madam cannot tolerate any impurity in her sight.”
“Make sure all the servants in the manor keep their mouths shut. If the Master hears even a whisper that this lowborn daughter left the manor with my tacit approval, they shall pay with their hides!”
“Madam, regarding fetching a physician for Concubine Liu, that country woman, shall we still request one from Baohe Hall, the great pharmacy owned by your maiden family?”
Wang Momo inquired with utmost deference.
“Liu Shi is bound to die sooner or later. If we request a physician from Baohe Hall, wouldn’t the blame for ineffective treatment fall upon my maiden family?”
“How could the century-old reputation of Baohe Hall for aiding the world be tarnished by a lowly country woman?”
“Take the Grand Tutor Manor’s waist token and go to the Tài Yīyuàn to request one. This way, the Master will also see how much importance I place on Liu Shi.”
As her words fell, Qin Yurong and Wang Momo’s gazes met in the air.
Wang Momo immediately turned with deference and proceeded to the Tài Yīyuàn as instructed by the Madam.
“By the way, once the imperial physician is brought back, do you know what to do?”
Suddenly called to a halt by her Madam, Wang Momo was taken aback, a look of confusion in her eyes as she turned to Qin Yurong.
Qin Yurong’s dignified face then wore a disdainful sneer as she enunciated each word clearly.
“At that time, take the imperial physician to the side courtyard of Cuiyue Courtyard, have him drink a cup of tea, and then send him on his way.”
Hearing this, a look of sudden understanding dawned on Wang Momo’s aged face, and she quickly fawned,
“Madam, this old servant understands your meaning.”
…
Baohe Hall.
As soon as Ji Yunsu left the Grand Tutor Manor, she asked passersby for the specific location of the capital’s largest pharmacy.
The previously missing ingredient, Qi Yu Nanzhu Cao, was exceedingly rare.
To avoid wasting time searching for the medicinal herb and delaying her mother’s treatment,
Heading to the capital’s largest pharmacy was undoubtedly the right choice.
Following the directions given by the pedestrians, Ji Yunsu arrived at Baohe Hall.
Upon entering the main hall, she went straight to the counter and asked the attendant in a serious tone, “Do you have Qi Yu Nanzhu Cao in stock?”
The attendant had clearly heard Ji Yunsu’s question, but upon seeing the woman’s shabby clothing, he didn’t even grant her a proper glance, continuing to dust the medicine cabinets with a feather duster.
Seeing that the attendant was ignoring her, Ji Yunsu thought she might have spoken too softly earlier and raised her voice to ask again.
“Do you have Qi Yu Nanzhu Cao?”
“You can’t afford it anyway, why bother asking?” The attendant turned his head impatiently and glared fiercely at Ji Yunsu.
Before Ji Yunsu could respond, the attendant continued with a snide, disparaging tone.
“Such a valuable medicinal herb like Qi Yu Nanzhu Cao—not only can you not afford it, but even if you could, it’s useless! It’s already been completely bought out!”
“Throughout all the pharmacies in the entire capital, none have this herb in stock. Go on, get out of here! Don’t clutter up the place!”
Ji Yunsu paid no mind to the attendant’s snobbish and unpleasant remarks.
However, upon hearing that Qi Yu Nanzhu Cao had been completely bought out, her face, hidden beneath the weimao, turned cold.
Days of arduous travel, compounded by excessive worry, had left her mother’s body extremely weak.
And Su Yiniang’s unreasonable commotion had directly triggered the chronic toxins accumulated in her mother’s body, putting her life in grave danger!
No matter what, the key ingredient for this antidote must be obtained!
With a slight shift in her thoughts, a calm determination flashed through Ji Yunsu’s clear almond-shaped eyes. Her slender hand shot out abruptly, grabbing the snobbish shop assistant by the collar and nearly dragging half his body over the counter.
Through the thick veil of her weimao, Ji Yunsu stared coldly at the terrified assistant and demanded in an icy tone:
“Who bought it? Speak!”
The assistant, lifted completely off his feet, was scared out of his wits.
Having worked odd jobs at Baohe Hall for years, he had seen everyone from high-ranking officials to wealthy merchants come for medical consultations and prescriptions—all had been polite and respectful.
Never had he encountered a poor person daring to cause trouble at Baohe Hall!
Almost simultaneously, the assistant instinctively wanted to call for help.
“Do you believe that before you can even open your mouth, I can render you speechless?”
Ji Yunsu’s tone was flat as she spoke these words.
Hearing this, the assistant shuddered violently. The aura emanating from the veiled woman before him sent chills down his spine, drenching his back in cold sweat.
For some reason, though her words were spoken lightly, he inexplicably believed her.
Thus, the assistant immediately cowered and stammered out the truth: “They were… all bought out by the Ninth Prince’s Residence.”
The Ninth Prince’s Residence?
Ji Yunsu’s delicate brows furrowed slightly. She promptly tossed the assistant back behind the counter and turned to leave.
Her mother’s condition couldn’t afford any delay—she had to obtain the Qi Yu Nanzhu Cao tonight!
This Ninth Prince’s Residence would have to be infiltrated!
“Doctor! Please, I beg you, save my father! He’s critically ill and near death. Please, save him!”
However, just as Ji Yunsu was about to leave Baohe Hall, a distraught, tearful plea suddenly erupted at the entrance.