“Lord, please find another doctor to examine this. I truly am innocent.”
Jiang Bochen harshly rebuked Concubine Qiao: “Nonsense! Uncle Zhao is highly skilled in medicine, his prescriptions are miraculous, and he is the foremost divine physician in all of North Zhili. How could there be any mistake in the medicine he prescribed?”
Concubine Qiao felt utterly wronged, on the verge of tears. I really am innocent, more wronged than Dou E ever was.
Jiang Bochen had no time to deal with Concubine Qiao; he was busy expressing his loyalty to Old Imperial Physician Zhao: “Uncle Zhao, rest assured, your nephew has never doubted your medical skills and will absolutely not seek another examination.”
Old Imperial Physician Zhao sneered: “Your words sound sweet, but you’re actually trying to flatter me, to make me happy so I’ll leave quickly. Then you can hurry to find someone to examine the medicine and prove me wrong, and your little concubine right.”
Jiang Bochen’s smile stiffened. Though guilty, he wore a look of determination: “No, your nephew absolutely does not have such thoughts.”
“I’ll give you one hour. Within this hour, investigate and interrogate thoroughly. Whether you find someone to examine the medicine or do whatever else, I won’t interfere. After the time is up, you must tell me the outcome of the handling.” Old Imperial Physician Zhao said: “I’ll go stroll in your back garden. Until this matter is settled, none of us can leave!”
It’s over. Jiang Bochen was dumbfounded. He finally understood what it meant to invite a god easily but send one away with difficulty.
As soon as Old Imperial Physician Zhao left, Concubine Qiao began crying again: “Lord, please believe me, Yingrou truly is innocent.”
She no longer referred to herself as concubine but called herself Yingrou, weeping pitifully with tears streaming down her face, her eyes reddened, looking truly pitiful.
“That year, when elder sister was gravely ill, it was Yingrou who cared for her day and night without rest. If Yingrou truly had any intention to harm elder sister, I could have administered poison then. Why wait until now?”
Mei Xueniang sneered coldly. That was because that year, Jiang Bochen was serving in the Board of Works and had incurred a deficit. All the family’s money had been used to cover it, and it still wasn’t enough. It was she who carved jade day and night to sell and borrowed loans with interest to barely fill the shortfall.
At that time, the deficit wasn’t fully covered, and they still owed a large sum in interest loans. If she had died, Jiang Bochen would have been thrown into prison. Concubine Qiao was merely a concubine; no matter how capable she was, she could only stand by helplessly.
Yet Jiang Bochen couldn’t see this. He thought Concubine Qiao was indeed good, having even developed health issues from caring for Mei Xueniang. Instinctively, he chose to believe Concubine Qiao.
“Then what about this medicine?”
Seeing him waver, Concubine Qiao crawled forward on her knees, grabbing the hem of Jiang Bochen’s robe: “Could it be that Old Imperial Physician Zhao dislikes Yingrou and deliberately misinterpreted it?”
She actually wanted to shift the blame onto Mei Xueniang, claiming that Mei Xueniang colluded with Old Imperial Physician Zhao to frame her. Unfortunately, Old Imperial Physician Zhao had a terrible and stubborn temper, impossible for Mei Xueniang to bribe.
She could only push the problem onto Old Imperial Physician Zhao.
She truly hadn’t administered any poison. This old fool misdiagnosed and now was harming her like this. Damn it, damn it!
“Lord, please call Doctor Wang. I beg you, as Yingrou,” she pleaded sorrowfully.
Mei Xueniang spoke coolly: “If Doctor Wang also says there’s a problem with the medicine, will you then go find Doctor Li, Doctor Zhang, and Doctor Qian?”
“Qiao Yingrou, I have treated you well. First, you slandered me in front of the Lord, spreading rumors that the child in my womb is not his flesh and blood. Then you incited Wan Jie’er through Jiang Lingyuan. Not content with wanting me to miscarry, you even sought to take my life. If Old Imperial Physician Zhao hadn’t been here, your goal would likely have been achieved.”
“Qiao Yingrou, is your heart black? How can you distort right and wrong like this without fearing retribution?”
Concubine Qiao neither cried nor panicked. Her face showed three parts grievance and seven parts righteousness: “Sister, it is true that Yingrou told the Lord about you spending a night alone with a man of unknown origin. But Yingrou spoke the truth; there was no slander. If you resent me, hate me, I do not blame you.”
“Lord, summon Doctor Wang,” Concubine Qiao said without a trace of guilt or fear, straightening her back. “Let Doctor Wang examine this. If he also says there is a problem with this medicine, then this concubine has nothing more to say and will accept whatever punishment the Lord decides.”
She had not added anything to the medicine—there was nothing to fear!
Doctor Wang was very familiar with the Jiang Family. Though his medical skills and reputation were not as esteemed as Old Imperial Physician Zhao’s, he was good-natured, reliable, and cautious with prescriptions. When patients came to him, he spoke plainly—if he could treat an illness, he would do so properly; if he could not, he would directly say so, never resorting to deception or trickery.
Among the rising stars of the Apricot Grove Realm in the capital, his medical skills might not be the best, but he was undoubtedly the most trusted.
After Doctor Wang arrived, Jiang Bochen got straight to the point: “Examine this bowl of medicine. Is it safe for inducing a miscarriage in a woman?”
Doctor Wang picked up the bowl, sniffed it, and was greatly startled: “This is no miscarriage-inducing medicine—it is clearly a life-taking poison. If a pregnant woman drinks this, she will inevitably bleed to death. Even if Hua Tuo were alive today, he could not save her.”
Concubine Qiao was even more shocked than Doctor Wang. She immediately stood up: “That’s impossible! You must be mistaken, you must have made a mistake!”
Her voice, sharpened by terror, lost its usual gentleness.
Doctor Wang was taken aback: “The formula of this medicine is quite ordinary, nothing particularly sophisticated. If I couldn’t recognize such a simple concoction, I might as well quit practicing medicine. Did the concubine brew this medicine herself?”
Concubine Qiao’s face turned pale, while Jiang Bochen gritted his teeth, clearly restraining something.
Having practiced medicine for many years, Doctor Wang was accustomed to such scenes. He hurriedly took his leave and quickly departed from this troubled place.
“Madam Qiao,” Jiang Bochen’s voice was low, his gaze as cold as ice, filled with utter disappointment. “You have gone too far!”
“Lord!” Concubine Qiao reached for Jiang Bochen’s sleeve. “I have been wronged. I swear to heaven, I followed your instructions. I did not deliberately add medicine to harm Madam. Please believe me.”
Jiang Bochen’s face turned livid as he forcefully pulled his sleeve away.
“You’ve been wronged? Madam Qiao, do you truly take me for a blind fool? This medicine was brewed by your own hands, untouched by anyone else. Even now, you stubbornly deny it. I trusted you so much!”
Jiang Bochen was truly enraged.
He knew that a bandit had broken into the room where Mei Xueniang was staying and held her captive. The bandit had not harmed Mei Xueniang, only demanded dry rations, water, and clean clothes from her.
At the time, besides Mei Xueniang, there were two maids on night duty and Mama Du in the room.
He interrogated the two maidservants, nearly beating them to death, and even threatened the lives of their entire families. Yet, the two maidservants remained consistent in their accounts, matching what Mei Xueniang and Mama Du had said.
But he dared not take the risk. He feared the slightest possibility, so he still demanded that Mei Xueniang abort the child.
He only wanted Mei Xueniang to miscarry, never intending to take her life.
When Mei Xueniang told him there was something suspicious about the matter, he refused to believe it. Now, it turned out that Madam Qiao was truly the one stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
Jiang Bochen clenched his teeth, his eyes dark and brooding as he stared at Concubine Qiao. Beyond disappointment, there was also the humiliation and anger of having been deceived. Old Imperial Physician Zhao’s words had come true—he was indeed both foolish and blind.
Concubine Qiao was utterly panicked. Something was wrong—there must have been a mistake somewhere. It must have been Ma Yipo who gave her the wrong medicine.
Could she have mixed up yesterday’s medicine?
Yes, it must have been Ma Yipo’s mistake.
“No, Lord, I truly didn’t do it…” Concubine Qiao refused to give in. She clung to Jiang Bochen’s leg. “Lord, summon Ma Yipo. It must have been her mistake. She can testify for me—I am innocent.”
“Even now, you still dare to twist your words and make excuses.” Jiang Bochen could no longer restrain himself and slapped Concubine Qiao across the face.
Concubine Qiao was stunned, covering her cheek as she stared at Jiang Bochen as if seeing a ghost. “Lord, you hit me…”
Jiang Bochen gritted his teeth, his face contorted with rage. “Hit you? For what you’ve done, a mere slap is nothing. Even killing you would be justified.”
Concubine Qiao was shocked by his cold-heartedness. She couldn’t believe it, nor did she want to.
“Sister, you have truly disappointed me!” Mei Xueniang imitated Concubine Qiao’s manner of crying, her gaze filled with pity as she looked at her. You’re only now realizing how heartless this man is? It’s not too late. There may be even more heartlessness to come.
Jiang Bochen indeed showed no mercy as he turned on her. He ordered, “Guards, lock Concubine Qiao away. No one is allowed to visit her.”
Concubine Qiao trembled all over, her face as pale as paper. “Lord, you cannot treat me like this. Sister’s spirit in heaven is watching. How will you explain this to her in the future? Have you truly forgotten her completely now that you’ve taken a new wife?”
This “sister” was not Mei Xueniang but Jiang Bochen’s first wife, Qiao Yingrong.
“And what about Jie Ge’er? I am his birth mother. If you wrong me based on the words of others, how will you explain it to him when he asks?”
Mei Xueniang narrowed her eyes, her gaze filled with mockery. What sister? Concubine Qiao is reminding Jiang Bochen that she is his first wife, the mother of his only son. Unfortunately, Jiang Bochen values his reputation above all else. Concubine Qiao has made him lose face in front of Old Imperial Physician Zhao. Whatever marital affection or past love existed will be cast aside by Jiang Bochen. Concubine Qiao is destined to be disappointed this time.
Sure enough, Jiang Bochen sneered, “You need not think I have wronged you. I will send someone to question Ma Yipo immediately. If it truly was her mistake, I will naturally release you. But if you were behind this, you will no longer stay in the Jiang Family. First, go to the Zhuangzi to Reflect on Mistakes. Only when you realize your error may you return.”
“Fine.” Concubine Qiao stopped crying. She stared straight at Jiang Bochen. “Then wait until Ma Yipo arrives. You will see for yourself that I am innocent.”
She had supported Ma Yipo for so many years and held many of her secrets in hand, confident that Ma Yipo would settle the matter for her.
Unfortunately, Concubine Qiao miscalculated once again.
Ma Yipo had disappeared—or, more precisely, Ma Yipo had gotten into trouble. It seemed she had conspired with a concubine from another household to drug the principal wife and was caught red-handed. She was now imprisoned in the Shuntian Prefecture jail.
Upon learning this, Jiang Bochen no longer believed Concubine Qiao, no matter how she tried to explain or protest her innocence.
That evening, a carriage carried the unwilling Concubine Qiao out of the house to the Jiang Family’s farm estate in the suburbs of the capital.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lingwan had just finished dinner with Mei Xueniang. She let out an unladylike burp, her face full of contentment. Not only that, she acted like a spoiled child, insisting on staying and sleeping with her mother that night.
That night, Jiang Lingwan lay happily beside Mei Xueniang, humming a tune while Mei Xueniang fanned her, smiling as she watched her daughter.
Jiang Lingwan felt utterly content. Indeed, a child with a mother is like a treasure. And if she could have a younger sibling, that would be even more perfect.
Since that was the case, she was determined to preserve this happiness.
Jiang Lingwan rolled over, blinking her big eyes at Mei Xueniang. “Mother, you know Father asked Doctor Wang to prescribe a medicine today, right?”
“Mm,” Mei Xueniang nodded slowly. In the candlelight, her fair and elegant face remained calm, as if she didn’t know it was an abortifacient or that Jiang Bochen would come first thing in the morning to force her to drink it.
“So tomorrow, you’ll tell Father that you won’t abort the child and that you want to leave the Jiang Family, right?”
Mei Xueniang’s expression was serene, as if it were a trivial matter. “Don’t worry, I’ve already figured out what to do. Your father will obediently write the divorce letter tomorrow.”
“Mother, Mother,” Jiang Lingwan grabbed Mei Xueniang’s hand, pleading coquettishly. “Give me a chance, okay? Leave this matter to me. Let’s not take the divorce letter—being divorced sounds so disgraceful. I promise to help you leave the Jiang Family smoothly and honorably, through an amicable separation. Okay?”
Being divorced meant the wife was at fault, having violated one of the Seven Grounds for Divorce. An amicable separation, on the other hand, occurred when the couple was incompatible or when the husband was caught in a wrongdoing and had no choice but to let the wife leave. Both ended a marriage, but an amicable separation was far better than being divorced.
Jiang Lingwan gently shook Mei Xueniang’s arm. “Dear Mother, please agree, please?”
“Very well, I’ll let you handle it. Let me see what skills you’ve learned from your dreams.” Mei Xueniang smiled softly, thinking to herself, Let her try. If she fails, I’ll be here to back her up.
Jiang Lingwan seemed to read Mei Xueniang’s thoughts and giggled. “Mother, something big will happen in the household tomorrow morning. Father will be too tied up to come looking for you. By the time he realizes and comes to you, I’ll have already settled everything. Just relax and wait for my good news.”