Xie Yining stroked the jade thumb ring on his hand, putting on an exaggerated expression. “Oh my, how serious.”
Then he turned his gaze toward Dingyuan Marquis.
“Then the Marquis must take good care of Miss Yan. Once she recovers, she should be able to remember where my jade pendant is.”
Dingyuan Marquis was seething with anger but dared not be rude to Xie Yining. Moreover, he still needed his help, so he forced a smile and fawned, “Xing’er is my daughter, of course I will take good care of her. Your Highness need not worry. Could I trouble Imperial Physician Ji to examine my wife as well?”
Xie Yining nodded.
Imperial Physician Ji then went to examine Wen Rushuang.
His conclusion was the same as the previous physician’s: she would survive but remain paralyzed for life.
Seizing the opportunity, Pei Mingjing looked at Yan Zhuxing, hoping to extract the truth from her. “Miss Yan, I have a matter I would like you to clarify.”
Yan Zhuxing nodded obediently. “Please ask, Your Honor. I will hold nothing back.”
But before Pei Mingjing could even speak, she slumped against the soft sedan chair, suddenly clutching her forehead. “Ah… my head… so dizzy…”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she closed her eyes.
Pei Mingjing laughed in exasperation.
This person said to ask away, but before he could even ask, she had fainted.
With such cunning, how could she possibly be bullied in the Marquis’s Mansion?
Dingyuan Marquis returned to the mansion with Wen Rushuang and Yan Zhuxing. When Yan Mingyue learned that her mother was so severely injured, she fainted from crying on the spot.
Yan Zhuxing was sent back to Yulan Courtyard.
Ban Tang was summoned to the room, looking at Yan Zhuxing with fear and unease.
She had previously delivered a message for the young miss, and then the mistress ended up severely injured and nearly dead. Could this have something to do with the young miss?
Yan Zhuxing lay on the bed and let out a soft sigh.
Wen Rushuang was now gravely injured and still unconscious. Her courtyard was likely in complete chaos—the perfect opportunity to extract information.
She decisively gave an order: “Go bring Shuangli back, and while you’re at it, invite Nanny Li over. Tell her to return my gold bracelet. If she refuses to come with it, tell her I have a grand gift for her—one that will ensure she doesn’t see tomorrow’s sun.”
Gold bracelet?
Ban Tang was horrified.
When had the young miss bribed Nanny Li?
She grew increasingly unable to decipher Yan Zhuxing’s actions, and her fear of her deepened. Not daring to say another word, she immediately went to carry out the task.
Before long, both Shuangli and Nanny Li arrived at Yulan Courtyard.
“Young Miss, are you alright?” Shuangli’s tears flowed freely the moment she saw Yan Zhuxing injured on the bed.
“I’m fine. And you? They didn’t mistreat you, did they?” Yan Zhuxing patted her head.
“No.” Shuangli shook her head emphatically.
Before the young miss left, she had issued a stern warning, and with the mistress absent and no one in charge, they naturally didn’t dare to abuse her privately.
Yan Zhuxing smiled at her. “That’s good. Go prepare some medicinal cuisine for me. I don’t trust anyone else with it but you.”
“Alright! I promise no one will harm you, Young Miss.” Shuangli immediately got up to prepare the medicine.
The young miss’s meals were absolutely not something to be careless about.
Listening nearby, Ban Tang felt a faint twinge of envy in her heart.
The young miss was so good to Shuangli.
Although the second young miss always appeared gentle and benevolent like a Bodhisattva descended to earth in public, Ban Tang had heard from her friends in Yaohua Yuan that the second young miss would take out her frustrations on those around her whenever she was displeased.
She used the silver needle to specifically poke the flesh under the fingernails—agonizingly painful yet drawing no blood. Those in the outer courtyard were unaware of these matters, still thinking how fortunate they were to serve by the second young lady’s side.
After instructing Shuangli to work, Yan Zhuxing then sent Ban Tang to handle other tasks for her, keeping everyone in the entire courtyard bustling about.
And thus, Li Shi was left standing idly by.
Clutching her handkerchief, Li Shi stood by the bedside, watching the maids come and go. Cold sweat soaked through her inner garments as she grew increasingly nervous.
With the mistress in trouble, what exactly did the eldest young lady mean by summoning her here?
Could it be that she remembered everything?
And what exactly was that fatal gift?
The longer Yan Zhuxing remained silent, the more anxious Li Shi became.
Finally, she could no longer hold back and spoke first: “I wonder why the eldest young lady has summoned this old servant? If there is nothing, I shall take my leave. After all, with the mistress unconscious, there are many matters in the courtyard awaiting my attention.”
Only then did Yan Zhuxing look at her: “Where is my gold bracelet?”
“What does the eldest young lady mean? This old servant does not understand.” Li Shi still hoped to muddle through.
“The gold bracelet that Wen Rushuang stole and put on my wrist when I was a child—where is it?” Yan Zhuxing’s expression darkened.
“If you do not confess truthfully, no one will be able to protect you later.”
“After all, hidden in your bedding is the gold hairpin bestowed upon me by the Empress.”
“This old servant is wronged!” Li Shi hurriedly knelt on the ground.
Just yesterday, the eldest young lady had made a scene about losing an imperial gift. If the item were found in her possession today, she would have no way to explain herself.
Moreover, the mistress was now unconscious, and it was unclear when she would awaken.
If Yan Zhuxing was determined to punish her, she feared she might not survive until the mistress woke up.
Yan Zhuxing smiled faintly: “Whether you are wronged or not, I know in my heart. If you still refuse to tell the truth, I will openly order someone to search your room.”
Then, she took out the jade pendant hidden in her sleeve and dangled it before Li Shi: “By the way, I forgot to tell you some good news, nanny. The Lieguo Duke intends to adopt me as his daughter. Before returning to the estate, he declared that if I were mistreated, he would surely come knocking to seek justice for me.”
Li Shi was stunned, never expecting Yan Zhuxing to have such great fortune—to be taken in as an adopted daughter by the Lieguo Duke.
Under Yan Zhuxing’s threatening gaze, she tremblingly pulled out the gold bracelet from her sleeve and handed it over, her voice quivering: “I’ll speak, I’ll tell everything.”
Then, she recounted in detail how she had brought Yan Zhuxing back during that year’s Lantern Festival.