Last night, a sudden storm arrived, the wind rattled the window frames, and the entire night felt unsettled, as if something ominous was about to happen.
Before dawn broke, Ye Wushuang gave up any thought of continuing to sleep and rose to wash up.
Today was the flower banquet at the Minister’s residence. No matter what, she had to attend—not because she willingly faced challenges head-on, but because she was genuinely worried about the Imperial Grandson, Ye Langting.
With only a few days left before the assassination attempt on Ye Langting, if she missed the flower banquet, she would have no chance to pass on the message.
She had considered using Shu Lan as a channel, but this matter was a matter of life and death. She didn’t want to entrust it to someone else and risk unnecessary complications.
As the sky grew brighter, Shu Lan glided gracefully into the room.
Ye Wushuang inwardly cursed, “seductress,” but her expression remained unchanged.
“Miss, the Madam has sent someone to deliver clothes and jewelry for you.”
Following Shu Lan’s gaze, she saw an unfamiliar maid enter carrying a tray. Unlike Mama Zhao, this girl appeared respectful and observed proper etiquette.
Ye Wushuang sneered inwardly.
How strange—had the sun risen from the west today? Was the Madam actually showing her such face?
The luxurious clothing on the tray was something she recognized—extremely precious “Floating Light Brocade.”
She glanced at the hairpin, adorned with over a dozen evenly sized, plump southern pearls, clearly of extraordinary value.
Such fine items were rarely seen even by Ye Jintang on ordinary days. Had the Madam’s long-dormant maternal love suddenly awakened? Or had her conscience been spat out by a dog?
Was Ye Wushuang moved?
She didn’t dare move an inch.
But to ensure she could reach the Minister’s residence smoothly today, she obediently expressed her thanks.
Fortunately, the maid didn’t insist she wear the items immediately. After a slight bow, she departed.
Ye Wushuang dismissed all the servants and stared at the items on the table for a long time before letting out a cold laugh.
Abnormal occurrences always hide sinister motives, and something as unusual as today’s events meant the Madam must be plotting something big.
She carefully examined the clothes and jewelry. After a long while, the last trace of a smile vanished from her face.
The Floating Light Brocade had been soaked in medicinal liquid, the sachet had medicinal stems added to it, and the pearls had been carefully split in half, their cores hollowed out and filled with medicinal powder before being meticulously sealed with rice grains.
It wasn’t a lethal poison, but they were all extremely potent Blood-Activating Medicines.
In her previous life, not long after returning to the estate, she noticed her menstrual flow becoming increasingly heavy.
Young and ignorant, she sought her mother’s help, hoping to consult a physician.
But when Su Yun found out, not only did she show no concern, she scolded her for being promiscuous.
“How serious can menstrual matters be? How dare you speak of such things to an outsider? You have no sense of shame!”
And every time she reprimanded her, Su Yun would bring up the incident of her violation again.
From then on, she gradually understood that this was something she had to endure alone—no one could help her.
Later, after being sold to a brothel, she slowly realized that her menstrual cycle was gradually returning to normal.
At first, she thought it was due to poor nutrition in the estate that had disrupted her body.
Only now did she understand that all of it had been a premeditated scheme to harm her.
Did it hurt? Not really. After all, she already knew what kind of person Su Yun was and had long stopped expecting anything.
But thinking of those unjust sufferings, she still felt hatred and resentment.
Only after becoming strong did she understand: all fairness, all glory, all respect—they are all earned through one’s own efforts.
Taking out a silver needle, she carefully pried open the pearls, meticulously pouring the medicinal powder aside one by one, then cleaned the pearls and restored them to their original state.
She then rolled the powder into pills and stored them carefully.
Since this substance was so potent, she intended to keep it for Ye Jintang, letting her experience its effects firsthand.
She dared not tamper with the clothes and decided to wear the lake-blue long gown she had on—elegant and dignified.
Though the pearl hairpin was expensive, it wasn’t overly ostentatious and could even mislead Su Yun. After some thought, she lifted the hairpin and inserted it into her bun.
Just as she withdrew her hand, Ye Zeyu and Ye Jintang arrived at Ink Garden. Without waiting for an announcement, they strode directly into the hall.
Ye Jintang wore a smile, her eyes sparkling, dressed in a playful emerald-green gown. The moment she saw Ye Wushuang, she began chattering “sister” this and “sister” that, feigning affection.
To an outsider, she might seem lively and easygoing.
Ye Zeyu, on the other hand, looked impatient. Though dressed respectably, it was clear at a glance that he was nothing but a beast.
Qiu Ju served tea to the two guests, but as soon as they lifted their cups, the teacups inexplicably shattered, splattering tea everywhere and soaking Ye Jintang’s expensive embroidered shoes.
Surprisingly, Ye Jintang seemed unbothered, while Ye Zeyu suppressed his anger with visible effort.
Their reactions struck Ye Wushuang as strange—truly bizarre!
Ye Jintang calmly set down her saucer and, spotting pastries on a nearby table, her eyes lit up instantly.
“Sister, these pastries look delightful. Let me try one.”
Just as she reached for them, the entire plate was lifted away. Shu Lan spoke gently,
“Second Young Lady, please don’t mind. These pastries have been here for several days. In summer, food spoils easily—it’s better to be cautious.”
Shu Lan’s action was on Ye Wushuang’s orders. She forbade the pair from consuming anything in Ink Garden, fearing they might feign illness or injury and blame her.
In her past life, such incidents were frequent. Even after she had given up seeking her parents’ affection, merely hoping to survive, these two would seek her out relentlessly— sometimes tripping in her courtyard and accusing her of pushing them, other times falling ill after eating in her quarters and accusing her of poisoning.
Su Yun, too, was foolishly complicit. How could Ye Wushuang, who could barely secure a decent meal, have pastries delivered by servants?
Looking back, it might not have been entirely Su Yun’s blindness—perhaps she had orchestrated it all.
Though crude, these tactics were effective. In her past life, they had tormented and subdued her thoroughly.
Watching the pastries being taken away, Ye Zeyu could no longer restrain himself. He stood up and pointed accusingly at Ye Wushuang.
“What do you mean by this? We came here out of kindness to see you, and this is how you treat us? Stingy over a mere pastry—how are you fit to be the eldest daughter? You’d be better off scurrying back to the countryside like a rat!”
Ye Wushuang found it amusing.
Who invited you here, brother?
She had important matters to attend to today and had no patience for verbal sparring.
Though she didn’t have much silver on her, she had plenty of pebbles—perfect for situations like this.
A pebble flew out, and Ye Zeyu felt a sharp pain in his knee, collapsing forward into a kneel.
Ye Wushuang chuckled lightly, “Elder Brother, there’s no need for such courtesy. It was just two broken teacups—fifty taels of silver in total. You can repay me. Consider this bow an apology, but the silver is non-negotiable.”
She was short on money now, and every bit she could squeeze out counted.
Ye Zeyu stood up, drawing a soft whip from his waist, his face flushed with fury.
“Two broken cups, and giving you a string of coins is already showing you respect! You shallow-eyed creature, how dare you open your mouth like a lion! Today, I’ll whip your face to shreds and see how you’ll go out and embarrass yourself!”
Ye Wushuang felt anger rising at the sight of the whip. In her previous life, she had suffered countless lashes from this scoundrel.
She could tell that Ye Zeyu had ulterior motives and was testing her skills, but she also knew now was not the time to reveal her martial abilities.
If these two realized her kung fu was formidable, their methods to deal with her would extend far beyond the inner residence.
Thinking this, she sighed inwardly.
If not for her desire to make the Marquis of Zhennan Residence a support for Ye Langting, why would she need to go through such trouble dealing with these petty individuals?
The Marquis of Zhennan Residence must not fall into chaos. Therefore, dealing with these people had to be done gradually, letting them expose their own flaws and reap what they sowed.
Ye Zeyu had practiced martial arts since childhood, and with Ye Siyuan’s extremely strict daily training, although he was a scoundrel, his skills were quite decent.
In that instant, the whip came lashing over.
Ye Wushuang quickly stood up and dodged behind a chair, avoiding the strike. She was unharmed, but the hem of her skirt was torn.
Just as Ye Wushuang planned to retaliate stealthily, Xia He rushed in anxiously.
“Eldest Young Master, stop! The Marquis is heading toward Ink Garden!”