Ji Wushang withdrew his hand and gently helped Madam Bei to lie down on the bed. Several maids from the courtyard also rushed over to take care of her.
Madam Bei woke up quickly, and Doukou stepped forward to help her by placing an embroidered pillow under her head. "Madam, how are you feeling?"
"It's nothing, I just felt a little strange. I was perfectly fine, but then I suddenly fainted." As Madam Bei spoke, she saw Ji Wushang bring in a cup of tea, his eyes filled with anxiety, so she comforted him, "It's alright, Wushang, don't worry!"
"Mother, please lie down quickly." Ji Wushang placed the tea on the dressing table, then helped the North Madam, who was trying to get up, lean against the headboard. "The doctor will be here soon." Turning around, he instructed Granny Shi, who immediately responded and ran out. A moment later, she returned with a bearded doctor. "Madam, the doctor has arrived!"
Ji Wushang immediately ordered someone to set up a screen and curtain, and then he retreated behind the screen. He saw a doctor with a long white beard, about fifty years old, wearing a short robe with a dark blue silk sash. His eyes were narrowed, and he seemed to be a traveling doctor. But upon closer inspection, he also had a touch of otherworldly chivalry. Behind him was an eight-year-old boy carrying a medicine box, with bright eyes and a rosy face that made people happy.
Ji Wushang felt a little relieved; the ghost doctor his uncles had found was indeed the kind of doctor who seemed to have real talent.
The Ghost Doctor leaned forward slightly to take Madam Bei's pulse, but frowned. "Physical and mental exhaustion, irregular heartbeat, spleen deficiency, and cold uterus. May I ask, Madam, have you been taking medication to control your palpitations?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Shi looked puzzled. Why was the doctor talking in such a confusing way?
Madam Bei gestured to Granny Shi, who immediately dismissed the maids and prevented anyone from approaching.
“Panics have been a chronic condition for many years, and medication is a regular occurrence,” said Madam Bei. “But please explain further, sir.”
The Ghost Doctor stroked his beard and chuckled, "It's alright, he's not terminally ill. It's just that I don't want to get involved in the affairs of this manor. Little Eight, let's go." With that, he turned to leave.
Granny Shi immediately stopped her, a brilliant idea flashing in her mind. "Sir, please stay! My lady has suffered from heart palpitations for many years. Please help me save her from this dire situation!" With that, she immediately stuffed a silver ingot into the Ghost Doctor's hand.
Madam Bei was also anxious. If the doctor said that something was wrong in the manor... Thinking this, Madam Bei felt an urge to cry. Ji Dingbei had said that the manor sought peace and stability. How come even peace and stability were not possible now?
The Ghost Doctor seemed to weigh the silver in his hand for a moment before saying, "Actually, the lady's physical functions are improving, but ever since I entered from the side courtyard, I have smelled a floral fragrance, faint and indistinct. This fragrance came from the Western Regions. It wouldn't bother most people, but the medicine the lady is drinking clashes with this fragrance. This means it's slowly tormenting the lady's body. Until one day..." The Ghost Doctor stopped abruptly.
Madam Bei felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. How could such a thing have happened? Her eyes welled up with tears, and she cried out, "Please, doctor, save me!"
"It's not difficult. Just replace the flowers in the yard, or modify the prescription for palpitations. I'll prescribe two or three more doses. As long as you take them on time, you can live to be a hundred and have many children and grandchildren!"
Lady Bei listened with gratitude, thinking, "That's wonderful."
The Ghost Doctor nodded, but Granny Shi stepped forward and asked, "Please take a look around here and see if there is anything ominous."
The Ghost Doctor listened, then looked around and saw that where the flowerpots used to be on the high table, only flower stands remained. He then smiled and said, "A master has already taken the first step, so Madam can rest assured!"
Upon hearing this from behind the screen, Ji Wushang naturally understood what the ghost doctor was talking about. Sure enough, there was a problem with the flowerpot and the flowers and trees in the yard!
Granny Shi presented over twenty taels of silver, saying, "Please, doctor, prescribe a remedy."
The Ghost Doctor accepted all the silver. He then sat down at the table, and the boy immediately handed him a brush, ink, and paper. The Ghost Doctor wrote a long and elegant piece of writing.
When the prescription was handed to Granny Shi, Granny Shi asked, "Sir, may I ask which clinic you work at? So that we can look for you again in the future."
"Miraculous Hands Hall." The Ghost Doctor stroked his beard. "Miraculous healing, hehehe."
"May I ask your surname?"
"Single word: ghost."
When Granny Shi and Madam Bei heard this, they were both stunned. How could it be a single-character ghost?
"Sir, you're joking." Granny Shi patted her chest to calm herself down.
"To remain untouched by worldly affairs is to fall into the mortal realm. Difficult, difficult, difficult." The Ghost Doctor shook his head, then said to Granny Shi, "Please do not discuss this matter..."
"Of course I understand. Doctor, please rest assured." Although Granny Shi didn't understand the first half of his sentence, she understood the second half. "Please come back for follow-up visits in the future, Doctor, and please don't refuse!"
The Ghost Doctor nodded and walked out with the boy. Granny Shi personally saw them off. Ji Wushang emerged from behind the screen, "Mother, how are you feeling?"
"Hmm, much better." Madam Bei looked at Ji Wushang, her eyes almost filled with tears. "I thought you didn't like it when you said you wanted to remove those potted plants, but who knew it would turn out like this."
"Isn't it all better now?" Ji Wushang helped her catch her breath, then asked Granny Shi to bring the prescription she had just written. She was satisfied to see that it was pretty much what she had in mind, except for a few ingredients that she didn't recognize.
"You go back first! I'll rest for a bit." Madam Bei felt tired, so she waved her hand.
Ji Wushang helped Madam Bei lie down, saying, "Then Mother, please take good care of yourself. I'd like to see how the flowers in the courtyard are doing."
Hearing the word "flower," Madam Bei felt a mix of emotions, but mostly she felt affection for Ji Wushang. If it weren't for her, she probably wouldn't even know how she died!
Ji Wushang walked out of the courtyard and saw Granny Shi directing the cutting down of all the flowering trees and replacing them with new varieties. Ji Wushang remembered what the Ghost Doctor had just said: how come those flowering trees came from the Western Regions? Besides the Kunlun slaves that her father brought back from the border, there was nothing else! How could there be anything from the Western Regions?
Seeing Doukou carrying away the water that Madam Bei had just used, Ji Wushang quickly called out to her. As he expected, Doukou probably knew about the conversation between Madam Bei and Madam Zhou that morning.
Doukou saw that it was Ji Wushang, so she bowed with the basin of water in her hands and said with emotion, "Thank you for the medicine, Miss! My mother took it and after being bedridden for many years, she can now get out of bed! Miss is so kind to me!" As she spoke, she was about to shed tears.
Ji Wushang nodded and pulled Doukou aside. "You've followed my mother for many years, so I should thank you, shouldn't I? But I've heard that the matter between Madam Zhou and Young Master Zhou has made my mother very anxious."
Upon hearing this, Doukou knew that Ji Wushang wanted to know about that matter, so she leaned in and whispered in his ear.
Ji Wushang listened and learned that although Zhou Muxuan was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, he had actually fallen in love with the daughter of the schoolteacher. However, they were not of equal social standing, so his father forced him to return home, intending to end the relationship. But the woman caused a huge uproar between Zhou Muxuan and his family; one side wanted him to marry her, while the other side refused to allow them to see each other at all costs. Therefore, the father decided to arrange a marriage between them, hoping to dissuade Zhou Muxuan from his romantic pursuits and allow him to continue pursuing his bright future.
Ji Wushang broke out in a cold sweat. If she were to marry, wouldn't she suffer mistreatment? Although she would certainly be the principal wife, Zhou Muxuan might take that woman as a concubine. A man might have three or four wives and concubines, and the wife couldn't say anything. What she feared was that there might be someone like Aunt Bai. Since this woman could make a mess of the household with Zhou Muxuan, she might one day even climb over the principal wife.
"Alright, I understand. Just don't tell anyone about this! Don't make my mother worry again. You know her health isn't very good." Ji Wushang lowered his eyes.
"yes."
Ji Wushang returned from Beiyuan and went to his own courtyard, where he spent the whole day thinking about things.
Seeing that Ji Wushang was not happy, Zhu'er quietly went about her work.
The next day, while Ji Wushang was writing in her study, Xian'er rushed in from outside, calling out, "Miss, Miss!"
"What's all the fuss about?" Ji Wushang picked up the embroidery again and started embroidering.
"The plum garden is in an uproar! Just now, while eating breakfast, the second young lady suddenly had a stomachache, and we immediately called a doctor to take a look. The doctor said that the second young lady has been poisoned!"
"Really?" Ji Wushang stopped embroidering. "What happened? Could someone in this manor have poisoned it?" His face was full of surprise.
Xian'er leaned closer and said mysteriously, "Maybe it's a ghost possession!"
"Look at what you're saying, what nonsense!" Ji Wushang retorted. "What did the doctor say?"
"I heard it's because she ate something unclean! Yesterday, the second young lady ate quite a lot of crabs and snails. Could those things be unclean?"
“Didn’t I give you all the food? How come you’re all alright? Many courtyards in the manor received crabs and snails, how come they’re all fine? It couldn’t be Steward Xue, could it?” Even Ji Wushang’s expression turned surprised. “Come on, let’s tidy up. Zhu’er, help me, I’m going to take a look.”
Before long, Zhu'er helped Ji Wushang tie his hair into a flowing cloud bun, inserted a snow-white silver hairpin, put on a dark blue robe with a cloud-patterned design, and then, seeing that no one was around, Ji Wushang quietly put a sachet into his bosom.
Upon arriving at the plum garden, they saw a group of maids and servants kneeling on the ground, all pale-faced and too afraid to breathe. Aunt Bai was there, angrily cursing, "You wretched maids! A bunch of useless wretches! I told you to take good care of the Second Miss, and you've let her suffer from poisoning! I think you've grown too big for your britches; you'd be perfect to sell to a matchmaker!"
☆、049 A reciprocal exchange of gifts leads to American aid being poisoned!
The maids and servants were busy kneeling and kowtowing, saying, "We wouldn't dare, please investigate thoroughly, madam. None of us have the heart to murder the young lady..." Then, there was another round of pleas for mercy.
Ji Meiyuan, having taken the medicine prescribed by the doctor, was feeling much better and lay sprawled on the bed, wailing, "Auntie, it doesn't matter whether they sell it or not, I want to find out who the murderer is! How dare she... cough cough, how dare she poison me, I'll make her pay!"
Aunt Bai glanced at Ji Meiyuan, her heart aching again. "You rest well. I will definitely find out who did it! Whoever did it, I will make them die!" Aunt Bai glared fiercely at the maids and servants kneeling below, all of whom were terrified by her gaze and lay prostrate on the ground, but dared not move. They were inwardly lamenting their plight, yet utterly helpless.
The head maid, Baoqi, practically crawled to the bedside and climbed onto Ji Meiyuan's bed. "Miss," she cried, "I am utterly loyal to you, as the sun and moon can attest! If anything were to happen to you, I would be the first sinner for all eternity! Even if you gave me a hundred lives, I would never do such a despicable thing! Besides, when I carried dinner from the kitchen to this courtyard, there were dozens, if not hundreds, of people involved! Miss, please investigate thoroughly." With that, she burst into tears again.
Aunt Bai thought about it and realized that Baoqi's words made sense, but she still glared coldly at the people around her.
Ji Wushang concealed the slight smile on his lips before stepping forward with a worried expression. "Second sister, what's wrong? Have you called a doctor? Has she taken her medicine?" These three questions were enough to draw everyone's attention. Aunt Bai, seeing that it was Ji Wushang who had come with several maids, snorted coldly, "How come Wushang has so much free time?"
"I hadn't even finished my breakfast when I heard that my second sister had been poisoned. I was worried, so I rushed over to check on her. I was hoping that nothing bad would happen to the household since Grandmother's birthday was approaching, but I never expected something like this to happen." As she spoke, tears streamed down Ji Wushang's face.
Those around them were moved by the deep sisterly bond between Ji Wushang and couldn't help but wipe away their tears.
Ji Meiyuan looked at Ji Wushang and thought of the pastries she had brought yesterday. But then she thought, Baoqi had eaten some of the pastries and she was fine, so why would she be in trouble? It wasn't about the pastries anymore.
"Have you found the villain who committed the evil deeds?" Ji Wushang asked, wiping away his tears with a handkerchief.
"No! Seeing how worried you are about your second sister, who do you think poisoned her?" Aunt Bai looked at her, her malice deepening.
"I'm afraid we'll have to investigate thoroughly, inside and out. Auntie, think about it, all those maids and servants in the plum garden were personally selected by Second Sister, right? How could Second Sister have made a mistake in her selection? In my opinion, it's probably because there are so many people and so many eyes when it comes to the ingredients delivered to the mansion that we don't even know who tampered with them."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Bai wondered, "Isn't this purchasing agent managed by Steward Xue? Is he still not satisfied with me? All I did was ask him to do that thing at the Buddhist temple. Why wasn't the money I gave him back then enough?"
The kneeling maids and servants looked at Ji Wushang with gratitude. It was rare for Ji Wushang to speak up for them. Ji Meiyuan also thought it made sense. She was very discerning. She had sent any disloyal maids to brothels. How could she have made a mistake in her selection? So she said, "Auntie, why don't you investigate those purchasing agents? Also, investigate the meals I ate last night."
Aunt Bai spat coldly at the maids and servants on the ground, "I'll investigate first. If I find out you're involved, none of you will escape! You can choose to be sold to a matchmaker or a brothel!" After saying that, she gave a few instructions to the servants, told Ji Meiyuan to rest well, and then left.
Ji Wushang wiped away her tears and walked to Ji Meiyuan's bedside. Ji Meiyuan looked at her, afraid that she might do something to her. Unexpectedly, Ji Wushang moved a stool and sat down next to Ji Meiyuan's bed. "You should rest well!"
Ji Meiyuan could hardly believe it. She usually disliked this older woman, and she was sure the woman could tell. Why was she so kind as to come and visit her now that she was poisoned? And even sit next to her and chat with her? What kind of show was this?
Ji Wushang didn't care what she was thinking and just chatted with her about things at home. Ji Meiyuan also chimed in with a few words here and there.
After a while, Baoqi brought in the medicine bowl. "Miss, the medicine is ready. Shall I feed it to you?" she said, placing it on the table. Then she helped Ji Meiyuan sit up straight by the bedside, and Ji Wushang stood up to help. Baoqi was even more grateful to this young lady; she hadn't even thanked her yet for speaking up for her and the other maids earlier!
Ji Wushang smiled and asked, "What kind of medicine is this?" As he spoke, he walked to the table and gently stirred it with a spoon.
Ji Meiyuan was worried that she might tamper with it, so she kept a close eye on it. Ji Wushang knew this, and with a smile, she put down the spoon and didn't touch the bowl of medicine.
“It’s for regulating the stomach,” Baoqi said. “The doctor said it will take several days.”
"Then let her take it for a few more days." Ji Wushang smiled. No matter how closely Ji Meiyuan watched, she had absolutely no idea that the herbs in the sachet in her arms were specifically for her. Colorless and odorless, Ji Meiyuan had unknowingly inhaled too much. Now, if she takes this medicine, she'll be bedridden for ten days to half a month! That'll probably coincide with her grandmother's birthday!
After taking the medicine, Ji Meiyuan was already feeling sleepy, so Ji Wushang stood up to say goodbye.
Baoqi escorted her to the garden gate and whispered before leaving, "Thank you for speaking up for me, Miss. Have a safe journey."
"You're too kind, Baoqi. I was just telling the truth. Fortunately, Aunt Bai and Second Sister listened attentively," Ji Wushang replied with a smile.
Bao Qi thanked her again and smiled as she saw Ji Wushang off. Ji Wushang watched Bao Qi's departing figure, gazing at the plum garden, a glint in her eyes. If it weren't for the bird's nest from the night before last, she wouldn't have done this! She, Ji Meiyuan, loved eating crabs and snails, and since the manor had just received some seafood, how could she not indulge? But she couldn't eat cantaloupe, broad beans, or peanuts at the same time; doing so would cause poisoning and intestinal cramps. She, Ji Meiyuan, had fallen victim to this. She figured he wouldn't find anything wrong, and suspicion was futile! Without evidence, nothing could be proven! She hadn't let her eat that yellow fish-skinned crispy cantaloupe or the green candied broad bean slices!
There's still a lot to come! We'll take our time to clean up!
Ji Wushang went to see Madam Bei and was relieved to see that Madam Bei's complexion had improved considerably.
Because of Madam Bei's illness, and because the Zhou family didn't come to disturb them, the mansion was quiet for a while. Nothing could be found out about Ji Meiyuan's matter. Aunt Bai's visit to Steward Xue was also fruitless. In the end, Aunt Bai could only punish some of the maids in the garden, but the matter was still dropped. In the blink of an eye, ten days had passed. Now, the mansion was busy preparing for Ji Wushang's grandmother's birthday celebration, and the surroundings were filled with festive colors.
When Ji Wushang had nothing to do, she would go to the school to accompany Ji Wusi in his studies, and the two siblings were very happy. At night, Ji Wushang continued to do needlework with Granny Fang, and finally finished the gold-threaded cloak a few days before her grandmother's birthday.
Having finished making the cloak, Ji Wushang also realized that the medicine he had prepared for Madam Bei was almost gone, and he wanted to go out for a walk to choose another gift. Therefore, Ji Wushang made an excuse and left the mansion with Zhu'er and several maids.
Sitting in the sedan chair, Ji Wushang felt completely relaxed. The purpose of this trip was very simple: first, to get medicine for his mother; and second, to see if Jin Yutang had any good gifts to send to his grandmother. Everyone in the courtyard had gone to great lengths for his grandmother's birthday, and Ji Wushang thought that he couldn't be too stingy.
Because of what happened on the street last time, Zhu'er sat in the carriage with Ji Wushang. After turning several streets, they arrived at Miaoshoutang. The carriage stopped, and Zhu'er helped lift the curtain. Ji Wushang saw that the three characters "Miaoshoutang" on the plaque were very grand. He nodded slightly and got out of the carriage.
Upon entering the hall, she saw many people coming and going, all buying medicine and seeking medical treatment. Ji Wushang stepped forward, and a young apprentice approached her, "Miss, what do you need?"
"I'd like to ask, is the Ghost Doctor in the hall?" Ji Wushang asked instead of handing over the prescription.
The young apprentice paused for a moment after hearing her question before replying, "The master just went out."
"Oh, I see. Then I'll trouble you to fetch the medicine, boy." A slight disappointment flashed through Ji Wushang's mind as he handed over the prescription. The boy glanced at the prescription, then at Ji Wushang, before going to fetch the medicine.
Ji Wushang received the medicine, weighed it in his hand, and paid with a smile.
Zhu'er looked at the boy and whispered to Ji Wushang, "Why are you asking about that so-called ghost doctor?"