Upon hearing this, Nanny Yang also furrowed her brow. "Are you saying, Madam, that our young lady was deliberately set up?"
Su Shi did not answer, her expression inscrutable. Nanny Yang pondered for a moment and recalled what Ren Yaoqi had said when she saw Ren Yaoting off earlier. She couldn't help but say, "Now that you mention it, Madam, this matter does seem far too coincidental. It just so happened that our young lady witnessed Eighth Miss pushing Concubine Kang. If our young lady hadn't been there, and only Eighth Miss and Concubine Kang were in the garden, then it would be a case of 'each side sticking to its own story.' Given Madam Lin's unwillingness to suffer losses, Concubine Kang would likely find it difficult to clear her name, even if she were in the right."
"In the right?" Su Shi's expression turned somewhat mocking upon hearing Nanny Yang's words.
Seeing her expression, Nanny Yang was taken aback. Just as Su Shi was about to say something, faint voices could be heard from the adjoining room. After listening for a moment, Su Shi immediately stood up and walked toward the side chamber next door. Nanny Yang and two maidservants quickly followed.
In the side chamber, Ren Yaoting was lying on a soft couch, asleep. However, she was clearly not resting peacefully. Though her eyes were closed, her pupils darted restlessly beneath her eyelids, her lashes fluttering like butterfly wings. She kept murmuring in her sleep.
Su Shi immediately stepped forward and took hold of Ren Yaoting's hand, which was tightly clutching the thin quilt in her unease. In a soft, gentle tone, she whispered, "Ting'er? Having a nightmare? Don't be afraid... don't be afraid..."
Ren Yaoting seemed to hear Su Shi's call and immediately opened her eyes. At first, she stared blankly for a moment, but once her gaze focused on Su Shi, she threw herself into her arms, her voice trembling with tears. "Mother, so much blood, so much blood! Eighth Sister pushed me, and then I bled a lot, just like Concubine Kang. Mother, I'm scared..."
Hearing this, Su Shi frowned slightly, though her tone remained gentle. She patted Ren Yaoting's back softly. "Good child, don't be afraid. It was just a dream. Now that you're awake, it's over."
Ren Yaoting clung to Su Shi's embrace, unwilling to move. Su Shi said nothing more, simply holding her gently and whispering comforting words.
"Mother, don't leave. Sit here with me. I'm scared," Ren Yaoting pleaded, recalling the horrifying nightmare and tugging at Su Shi's sleeve.
Su Shi nodded, stroking her hair. "Mother won't leave. I'll stay here with you."
Only then did Ren Yaoting feel somewhat reassured. She lay back down, though her hand still clung tightly to Su Shi's sleeve. Su Shi knew her daughter was truly frightened and allowed Ren Yaoting to crumple her sleeve.
After some time, Ren Yaoting's breathing gradually steadied again, though it was unclear whether she had fallen asleep. Su Shi gently held her hand, not moving. Once she was certain Ren Yaoting was truly asleep, Su Shi beckoned to one of Ren Yaoting's senior maidservants, withdrew her own hand, and let the maid continue holding Ren Yaoting's hand to help her sleep more peacefully.
After doing this, Su Shi quietly led Nanny Yang back to the small room where they had been speaking earlier.
"Madam, the young lady was truly frightened this time," Nanny Yang whispered, her voice filled with concern.
Su Shi remained silent, but the rhythmic tapping of her fingers on the kang table—"thump... thump..."—sounded unsettling to those who heard it.Nanny Yang cautiously glanced at Su Shi, who remained as composed and indifferent as ever. Drawing on years of experience serving her, Nanny Yang sensed that Su Shi was actually angry at the moment. Wisely, she stood solemnly to the side and refrained from speaking.
After a long while, Su Shi finally stopped tapping her fingers on the kang table. The trusted attendants in the room unconsciously let out a sigh of relief.
"Have someone investigate Concubine Kang," Su Shi suddenly spoke, her tone utterly calm.
Nanny Yang instinctively responded immediately, then, after a moment's thought, added, "Madam, do you think there's something wrong with this Concubine Kang? But before the West Mansion acknowledged her status, Old Madam Ren over there had people look into her background. Otherwise, she wouldn't have been allowed into the Ren Family. Since she's been let in now, it's likely they didn't find any suspicious traces."
Su Shi, however, replied coldly, "Her identity isn't the issue. Investigate those close to her before she entered the Ren Family. And also..." She paused briefly before continuing, "Look into whether she has any connections with Jiangning."
"Jiangning?" Nanny Yang pondered for a moment and immediately realized—Concubine Fang was from Jiangning. "Madam, do you suspect Concubine Kang is related to Concubine Fang?"
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Su Shi's lips, but it never reached her eyes. "This method feels all too familiar. It's hard not to suspect it's the handiwork of that one."
Nanny Yang had immense trust in Su Shi and immediately grew indignant upon hearing this. "If it really is related to her, then Concubine Fang is going too far! She keeps using our young lady over and over. Does she think our East Mansion is so easy to bully?"
Su Shi's expression remained indifferent. "All these years, I've never interfered in the affairs of the West Mansion. Last time she used Ting'er, I didn't say anything. She probably thinks I'll turn a blind eye to minor exploitation."
Nanny Yang frowned. "How is using our young lady 'minor'? And she frightened our young lady so badly!"
"Perhaps she's had things too easy these years," Su Shi said softly, lowering her head to gently stroke the silver threads on her skirt.
"This servant has also heard that Concubine Fang's own younger brother has been promoted again. Although his official rank isn't high, the Ren Family's business in Jiangnan can rely on him for some connections. So I've heard that whatever the legitimate wives in the West Mansion have, Old Madam Ren never leaves her out. But she's grown accustomed to stirring up trouble in the West Mansion—does she think our East Mansion should also step aside for her?" Nanny Yang sneered. "What nonsense! Pah!"
Compared to Nanny Yang's visible anger, Su Shi appeared much calmer.
"I've always appreciated clever people, but... she shouldn't have targeted Ting'er. It seems now that if I don't remind her appropriately, she might grow even more comfortable using my daughter."
Hearing Su Shi say this, Nanny Yang knew she was angry with Concubine Fang. She, too, despised this woman who always climbed by stepping on others. "Madam is right. Some people just keep pushing their luck, not even realizing when they've overstepped."
Su Shi didn't respond to Nanny Yang's words, but a flicker of deep thought inadvertently passed through her slightly lowered eyes.Concubine Fang's desires were clear to her, and it wasn't hard to guess why Fifth Madam Lin was now in trouble when considering the chain of events. However, if their Eastern Manor wanted to remain unscathed, it would be better to temporarily maintain some balance among the various branches of the Western Manor. Su Shi wondered if she should simply stand by and watch Madam Lin fall.
After returning from Glory and Splendor Courtyard to Purple Magnolia Courtyard, Ren Yaoqi immediately went to the main room to find Nanny Zhou.
"Help me investigate whether Eighth Sister has taken any medicinal decoctions recently. If she has, it would be even better if we could obtain the dregs," Ren Yaoqi whispered to Nanny Zhou.
Ren Yaoqi had noticed Ren Yaoyu's unusual behavior. If Ren Yaoyu had indeed been given the kind of medicine she suspected, judging by Ren Yaoyu's condition and the nature of the drug, it must have been administered more than once. To avoid detection, the dosage would have to be gradually increased.
Though surprised by the request, Nanny Zhou immediately agreed and went to arrange for someone to handle the matter.
As Ren Yaoqi stepped out of the main room, a sudden downpour began outside. The rain came without warning, falling heavily. Standing on the steps, Ren Yaoqi could feel the raindrops splashing like scattered beans, dampening the hem of her skirt and her embroidered shoes.
Fortunately, summer rain came and went quickly, and compared to the damp chill of winter rain, it was far more tolerable.
The maids, however, whispered among themselves, saying the rain had come just in time—the bloodstains left in the small garden from Concubine Kang's miscarriage would be washed clean, saving them a great deal of effort in cleaning.
Meanwhile, in Glazed Tile Courtyard, Concubine Kang lay motionless on her bed with her eyes closed, though it was unclear whether she was asleep.
As she had suffered a miscarriage, the physician had instructed that she be cared for according to the standards of a woman's postpartum confinement.
The windows of the side room where Concubine Kang resided were tightly shut, and the loud sound of rain outside, along with the dampness trapped beyond the windows, made the atmosphere even more stifling.
Fine beads of sweat even appeared on Concubine Kang's forehead, yet she still did not open her eyes.
The whispers of the maids guarding the door outside drifted in—they were merely discussing how Fifth Master had been staying with Fifth Madam in the main room and had not come out. As for Concubine Kang, Fifth Master had only visited briefly at first, offered a few words of comfort, and then gone to the outer courtyard to find the Old Master and Eldest Master.
Originally, the people in Glazed Tile Courtyard, seeing that Fifth Master had not visited for a long time and that he got along well with Concubine Kang, had thought that Fifth Madam Lin had fallen out of favor and that Concubine Kang had captured Fifth Master's heart. Today's events, however, had made it clear where Fifth Master's true affections lay.
This was Glazed Tile Courtyard, and the maids assigned to guard the door were also from there. Thus, they did not lower their voices when speaking; instead, it seemed as though they wanted those inside the room to hear them.
Concubine Kang, however, slept peacefully, her breathing unchanged. No one noticed that the bedding beneath her had been torn apart by her grip at some point, leaving it in a sorry state.
The rain indeed came and went quickly. By evening, it had inexplicably stopped, and the air felt much fresher.
By the next day, Nanny Zhou's investigation into whether Ren Yaoyu had taken any medicine had yielded results.*************************************************************************************************************************************************************************(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian () to cast your recommendation votes and monthly votes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
OpenNovel