17 – The Fourth Birthday Banquet
The afternoon passed uneventfully, with Old Duke and Xiao Taijun making another brief appearance later in the day.
After the evening banquet concluded, fireworks began lighting up the night sky. Suddenly, a maid rushed over and knelt before Shen Qiu, exclaiming, “Young Miss, please uphold justice for Second Miss!”
The newcomer was Peony, Shen Rouyun’s personal maid. Seeing potential drama unfolding, the crowd immediately shifted their attention from the fireworks to Shen Qiu. Ming Yue, being impatient by nature, didn’t wait for Shen Qiu’s instruction. She grabbed Peony and leaped several yards away, clearing the courtyard in just two bounds.
After explaining to the crowd, Shen Qiu followed them.
Ming Yue swiftly brought Peony to Ye Chen’s study in the Water Pavilion. When Shen Qiu arrived, Peony was kneeling on the ground, trembling with her head bowed.
Shen Qiu sat down without immediately questioning her. After taking a sip of tea, she finally said, “Didn’t you ask me to save Second Miss? Why are you silent now?”
How could Peony explain? Their Second Miss’s original plan was to publicly accuse her brother-in-law Ye Chen of defiling her, forcing him to take responsibility and marry her. After all, both being daughters of the Shen family, two sisters serving one husband wouldn’t be considered shameful.
But Peony never expected Ming Yue to immediately carry her away without a word.
Still dazed from being hauled around by Ming Yue’s leaps, Peony received a kick from Ming Yue who said, “Are you deaf? Answer the question!”
Trembling, Peony finally stammered, “Young Miss, you must uphold justice for Second Miss! The young master defiled her by the lotus pond in the west. You must help her!”
Shen Qiu glanced at Ming Yue, who shook her head and said, “I haven’t seen the Duke since halfway through the banquet!”
Clenching her fists, Shen Qiu told Ming Yue, “Gag her. If she makes another sound, beat her to death with sticks!”
With that, she headed toward the small lotus pond. On the way, Xing Er caught up and reported, “Madam, Mu Qing has disappeared. I can’t find her anywhere, and I don’t know if she’s with the Duke!”
Walking briskly, Shen Qiu shook her head. “She wouldn’t be with my husband. Someone must have detained her. The banquet is nearly over. Go find Grandmother immediately and ask her to help see off the guests. I’ll go find my husband!”
Xing Er acknowledged and rushed toward the Hall of Glory and Majesty. Normally, the distance from the Water Pavilion to the small pond wasn’t far, but today it felt endless to Shen Qiu. Eventually, disregarding whether anyone might see her, she gathered her energy and leaped over all obstacles.
When Shen Qiu reached the small pond, she found Ye Chen lying on the ground, his upper garments completely unfastened. Shen Rouyun, wearing only an undergarment, sat nearby weeping softly.
Rushing forward, Shen Qiu discovered Ye Chen unconscious. She immediately lifted him, cradling him against her chest. Though Ye Chen was physically strong, he was ultimately a scholar. Only when holding him did Shen Qiu realize his body was burning with fever.
Shen Qiu turned to Shen Rouyun and declared, “If anything happens to my husband, I’ll make sure you and your mother join your father!”
Then she delivered a swift chop to Shen Rouyun’s neck, rendering her unconscious. After dragging Shen Rouyun behind a rockery, Shen Qiu lifted Ye Chen and sped back toward the Water Pavilion.
On the way, she encountered the approaching Ming Yue and instructed her to bring Shen Rouyun to the Water Pavilion.Shen Qiu brought Ye Chen all the way back to the Water Pavilion. Seeing Ye Chen unconscious with blood seeping from his forehead through his hair, Ming Yue, upon returning, locked Shen Rouyun and the peony maid in the storage room of the Water Pavilion.
Shen Qiu instructed Ming Yue to take Ye Chen’s waist token to summon the imperial physician, but as soon as she stepped out, she bumped into someone’s chest.
“Well now, whose young lady is this? How come you’re throwing yourself into my arms so directly?” the person teased with a laugh.
Ming Yue instinctively struck out with a palm, but the person effortlessly dodged it. Though Ming Yue wasn’t as skilled as Shen Qiu, she was still considered a master, yet this person avoided her attack with ease.
Shen Qiu asked, “Who are you? How did you enter the Duke Manor?”
The person grinned and said, “Don’t be like that, we’re all family here. I’m the owner of that Medicine Garden!”
Shen Qiu asked in surprise, “Are you Xiao Hang?”
Ignoring Ming Yue’s glare that seemed ready to devour him, Xiao Hang said, “Oh, you know me? Let me guess, you’re the little bride Ye Chen just married? The one named Shen Qiu?”
Shen Qiu nodded and said, “Yes.”
Xiao Hang glanced at Ye Chen lying on the bed and said, “Little Chen, oh little Chen, what happened to you?”
Then he grabbed Ye Chen’s hand to check his pulse. After finishing, he said to Shen Qiu, “This guy really attracts women. Who knows which woman wanted to be with him so badly that she gave him such a potent drug!”
Shen Qiu asked worriedly, “What kind of drug is it? Can you cure it?”
Xiao Hang waved his hand and said, “I can’t cure it, but you can!”
Shen Qiu pointed at herself and asked, “Me? How do I cure it?”
Xiao Hang laughed and said, “By performing your marital duties! He’s been poisoned with Harmony Powder, an aphrodisiac ten times stronger than Union Powder.”
Before Shen Qiu could react, Xiao Hang pulled out a cloth roll from his robe, opened it, and said, “This drug is too potent. If you directly cure him, he might end up exhausted to death. I need to apply needles to alleviate it first, then you can start detoxifying him.”
Without waiting for Shen Qiu to speak, Xiao Hang directly pulled down Ye Chen’s pants. Ming Yue gasped in shock and ran out, while Shen Qiu immediately turned her back.
They heard Xiao Hang say, “The person who poisoned little Chen is after his life—not just his life but also his reputation! How vicious!”
Hearing Xiao Hang’s words, Shen Qiu unconsciously clenched her fists. What kind of deep-seated hatred did Shen Rouyun hold against her to treat her husband like this?
Although her husband had liked someone else in the past, ever since the second day of their marriage, he had treated her extremely well. She couldn’t think of anyone better than her husband—not even her father or brother could compare.
As Shen Qiu was lost in thought, she heard Ye Chen let out a muffled groan. She immediately rushed to the bedside, crouched beside Ye Chen, and asked anxiously, “How is my husband? Why hasn’t he woken up yet?”
Xiao Hang picked up a silver needle and inserted it into Ye Chen’s foot. Ye Chen abruptly sat up, grabbed Shen Qiu’s hand, and said, “Qiu’er, I didn’t do anything to betray you. I was afraid I couldn’t control myself, so I knocked myself out. I truly didn’t do anything to wrong you!”
Xiao Hang chuckled and said, “If you had, your wife wouldn’t need to detoxify you. Alright, little bride, you can start detoxifying your husband now.”
With that, he winked at Ye Chen and left.
Xiao Taijun helped Shen Qiu see off the guests and asked Xing Er what had happened. Xing Er had been by Xiao Taijun’s side the whole time and wasn’t clear about the specifics either.Just then, Xiao Hang arrived. He directly recounted everything he had witnessed at the Water Pavilion, reassuring Xiao Taijun and the Old Duke not to worry and assuring them that everything would become clear when the others arrived tomorrow.