Still in а dаze, the сооk hаd аlready bееn brought into thе hall, his hands bоund bу twо burlу mеn. Uрon seеing Zhuang Shiyang, he cried оut lоudly, "Мastеr, I'm innосеnt! I didn't put роisоn in thе fоod. I knоw nothing about this!"
Zhuаng Shiуang mеrely glarеd at him cоldly and оrdеrеd thе sеrvаnts, "Drаg him out and bеаt him until he соnfеsses!"
Тhe соok was а middlе-agеd, portly mаn. Hearing this, his fасе turned рale with fright, and hе immеdiаtelу kоwtоwеd, bеgging fоr merсу. As hе lowеred his heаd, a glеаming gоlden оbjесt fеll from his chest. Nаnny Li, standing beside Mаdam Zhou, quicklу pickеd it up аnd еxаmined it. "It's a woman's golden hairpin," she said before hurrying over to Madam Zhou. "Mistress, this hairpin doesn't seem like something an ordinary maid could afford..."
Han Yan suddenly understood—it seemed today's drama had been orchestrated in advance. Concubine Mei was likely in trouble this time. Turning her head, she saw Concubine Wan staring fixedly at the hairpin in Nanny Li's hand, her face as pale as paper.
The physician arrived quickly. Madam Zhou hurriedly laid Zhuangshan flat on the soft couch in the room. The physician checked her pulse, and Zhuang Shiyang anxiously asked, "How is Yu'er?"
The physician was a middle-aged man. Han Yan noticed his sharp, intelligent gaze as he cupped his hands respectfully toward Zhuang Shiyang and said, "Sir, do not be alarmed. The young lady has been poisoned. This poison causes severe abdominal pain, but fortunately, she ingested only a small amount. I will prescribe a remedy. Have two doses prepared for her to take, and after resting for two days, she should recover."
Zhuang Shiyang hastily ordered someone to fetch the medicine and asked the physician to examine the plate of white rabbit pastries on the table. Living in a large household, such matters were not entirely unfamiliar to ordinary physicians. After a moment's hesitation, the physician broke open a pastry, sniffed it, and frowned. "I'm afraid a considerable amount of poison has been added to these pastries."
Zhuang Shiyang understood. He had the physician paid and sent away. Han Yan noticed that, as the physician left, he exchanged a meaningful glance with Madam Zhou.
After seeing off the physician, Zhuang Shiyang returned to the hall and had the cook, who had just received twenty lashes, dragged forward. In a low, stern voice, he demanded, "Now tell me, who ordered you to poison the pastries?"
Though the cook was a servant, he had always been well-fed and well-treated. He had never endured such suffering before. After twenty lashes, he was barely clinging to life, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he gasped, "Master, I'm innocent. I didn't poison anything."
Madam Zhou stepped forward quickly, her expression pained and indignant. "You didn't poison them? Then why did the physician say the pastries were tainted? Not to mention the golden hairpin in your possession. Could it be someone bribed you? How could a mere servant like you obtain such a thing?"
Zhuang Shiyang fixed a sinister gaze on the man below. "Speak! Who gave you that hairpin?"
The cook cried out in despair, "Master, I truly don't know! It was given to me by Xing'er, the maid serving Concubine Wan. She said it was a reward for my hard work."
Nanny Li narrowed her eyes. "That hairpin is worth dozens of taels of silver. For a mere servant, such a reward is far too generous. Don't you dare try to shift the blame onto Concubine Wan!"
Han Yan stood to the side, observing the unfolding events. She saw Zhuang Qin biting her lip tightly, while Concubine Wan looked deathly pale, on the verge of fainting.
Zhuang Shiyang turned to Concubine Wan and asked coldly, "Is this hairpin yours?"
"Replying to the master, it is indeed mine," Concubine Wan answered with difficulty.Now, on this side, Madam Zhou had already sensed something amiss. She had long since bribed people in Hibiscus Garden and knew exactly what Concubine Mei was scheming. She decided to play along, letting her lift a stone only to drop it on her own foot. But how did the hairpin end up belonging to Concubine Wan?
For a moment, she grew anxious. Concubine Wan had a gentle nature and could be dealt with slowly later. The immediate goal was to bring down Concubine Mei, so she spoke up to advise: "Master, in my humble opinion, Sister Wan is kind-hearted and treats Yu'er well. I fear there might be some misunderstanding here, and she may have been used by others."
Han Yan narrowed her eyes, her gaze falling on Concubine Mei. She saw that Concubine Mei's expression had already relaxed, clearly having known about this from the start.
"How did your hairpin end up on a servant?" Zhuang Shiyang stared at this dull woman, his heart seething with rage.
"My hairpin was lost a few days ago," Concubine Wan replied, her eyes brimming with tears, her expression seemingly genuine.
"Bring Xing'er up!" Zhuang Shiyang ordered the servants with a cold face.
Xing'er was Concubine Wan's personal maid. When she was brought forward, her face was pale with fear. At that moment, the cook who had stubbornly insisted on his innocence suddenly cried out loudly: "It was her! That day, she said Madam appreciated my efforts in preparing meals and rewarded me with this hairpin. I was overjoyed when I saw it and... couldn't wait to ask about its value. I left the kitchen then, and only this maid was there! She must have been the one who poisoned the pastries!"
A flicker of mockery passed through Han Yan's eyes. Just moments ago, the cook had been pitifully unable to speak, but now he had suddenly changed his testimony. This attempt to shift the blame was truly brazen!
Zhuang Shiyang was furious: "Are you telling the truth?"
The cook spat out a mouthful of blood before saying, "I would never dare deceive you, Master."
With a sharp "crack," Zhuang Shiyang smashed the teacup in his hand in anger, glaring viciously at Concubine Wan. "Now that things have come to this, what do you have to say for yourself?"
A flash of despair crossed Concubine Wan's eyes. She looked incredulously at the cook lying on the ground, then at Zhuang Shiyang, before tightly shutting her eyes.
Just then, there was a "thud" as Zhuang Qin knelt on the floor. "Father, it definitely wasn't Auntie! If Auntie truly intended to poison anyone, why would she leave behind a gold hairpin to invite suspicion? Besides, Auntie has never competed for anything... Father!" Her small face was streaked with tears, but if one looked closely, one could see the resentment in her eyes.
Han Yan sighed inwardly. Concubine Wan had been used as a scapegoat. Madam Zhou was determined to bring down Concubine Mei, but Concubine Mei had kept a trick up her sleeve, diverting the blame to Concubine Wan. In the end, after all the scheming, the most innocent person was the one who suffered punishment.
Zhuang Shiyang knew that Zhuang Qin's words made sense. He was well aware of the character of the people in his household. Although Concubine Wan was not favored, she had always been well-behaved and had never caused any trouble over the years. The idea that she would poison his daughter was something he absolutely refused to believe. However, Zhuang Qin's words had already challenged his authority as head of the household, which displeased him greatly. "Stop speaking up for her! She's nothing but a lowly concubine. Who does she think she is?"
Zhuang Qin trembled, stubbornly biting her lip and kneeling upright, showing no fear of defeat.
Han Yan felt a pang of sorrow, a sense of shared suffering rising within her. Zhuang Hanming had already left on the pretext of attending the Imperial College, and Han Yan did not want him to witness these sordid affairs.Now, Zhuang Shiyang had thought the matter through in a matter of moments, realizing that there was something suspicious about today's affair—it was likely orchestrated by someone else. In this household, Han Yan and her brother were too young, and Concubine Wan was gentle by nature. The only one who could possibly stir up trouble was Concubine Mei. Though he was angry, he couldn't bring himself to reprimand her, after all, she was a concubine he had doted on for so many years, and he couldn't bear to part with her body. More importantly, he needed Concubine Mei to balance the power within the household, to prevent Madam Zhou from gaining sole dominance.
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