When the group arrived at the West Garden, there were already quite a few maids and servants standing there. Aunt Bai was clearly in a good mood, looking around at the people with great joy, as if she had reclaimed a new continent.
Ji Wushang was momentarily stunned upon seeing Aunt Bai, but quickly realized that the Minister of Personnel must have secretly pressured her to leave Qingya Garden. Hmph, she got off easy! But don't delude yourself into thinking that a black-hearted person will become white-hearted after punishment! This is what they mean by a leopard can't change its spots!
Aunt Bai looked at Ji Wushang with a slight smile, as if she had already gained the upper hand in her contest with him. However, Ji Wushang remained expressionless, completely ignoring her, which greatly annoyed Aunt Bai.
When Aunt Nangong saw Aunt Bai emerge, dressed in new clothes and looking radiant, her heart turned cold. This clearly meant that Aunt Nangong would soon be handing over control of the inner quarters to Aunt Bai again? She was unwilling! She hadn't even had a few days to enjoy her newfound happiness! She didn't want to be solely in charge of the finances! Although it did involve a great deal of silver, many houses, land deeds, and shops!
Once everyone had arrived in the courtyard, the matriarch was already seated, looking at them. "Is there any truth to this matter?"
At this moment, the Ghost Doctor stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the Old Madam, the truth has indeed come to light. However, we still do not know who the perpetrator is."
"Tell me about it." Judging from her appearance, Aunt Qin should recover soon; this ghost doctor is indeed quite skilled. Although we won't catch the murderer, at least we'll know the truth. The old lady took a sip of tea.
"From the moment I entered the inner room, I smelled a very fragrant aroma. The fragrance was indeed delightful, but it was an unidentified floral scent. My knowledge is limited, and I need to consult my senior brother for guidance. However, I have a premonition that inhaling that floral scent too much may be bad for one's health. Therefore, I would like to request that the fragrance in Concubine Qin's room be removed. That fragrance is indeed from the incense that is usually burned in Concubine Qin's room. Please remove that incense as soon as possible, as it will be very good for the child in Concubine Qin's womb."
I have already taken Aunt Qin's pulse; it is normal, and the child is healthy. Aunt Qin's illness this time was not caused by catching a cold, but by inhaling too much of that incense. The rose bush in the next room, combined with the incense, naturally became poisonous. Over time, Aunt Qin's sudden illness was no accident.
"You doctor, you just said you didn't recognize those incense sticks, so how could you say that the incense was poisonous?" Aunt Nangong refused to believe it and insisted on getting an explanation.
"I don't know the name of that incense, but I've seen it mentioned in ancient books." The Ghost Doctor cupped his hands in greeting. "If you don't believe me, Aunt, you can take the incense back to your courtyard and leave it there."
Aunt Nangong's face paled. "No need!"
"Please continue, sir, don't interrupt!" The old lady frowned and glared at Concubine Nangong. "Someone, immediately remove all the incense and potted plants from Concubine Qin's room, and don't put them back in!"
Seeing this, Aunt Nangong could only step aside. A maidservant immediately went to carry out the order.
The Ghost Doctor chuckled. "It's nothing really. Hehe." Ji Wushang looked at the Ghost Doctor expectantly, hoping he would actually say something.
The Ghost Doctor continued, "To prove the young lady's innocence, I personally ate the exquisite pastries she ordered to be made last night in front of everyone, and then drank the honey water that Concubine Qin had drunk. The facts show that I am standing here perfectly fine, the young lady is innocent, and she is not the villain who poisoned Concubine Qin."
Ji Wushang nodded to the Ghost Doctor.
"What kind of pastries? Let me see." The old lady was curious when she heard about the pastries. Ji Wushang immediately ordered someone to bring them over. The old lady looked at them with delight. Ji Wushang immediately said, "If Grandmother likes them, I will have the servants make them in different ways and then send them to Grandmother's Jingyuan Garden."
"Alright." The matriarch nodded and waved for the snacks to be served.
The Ghost Doctor continued, "Those incense sticks should have originated from Japan, not from the Great Zhou Dynasty. If you're looking for the murderer, you can start by investigating here."
Ji Wushang raised an eyebrow. This "Fusang" country—isn't that the same as the Japanese pirates? How is this connected to the Japanese pirates? But that incense must have been in Aunt Qin's room for days; it was only discovered now. Could the Japanese pirates have already infiltrated the mansion?
The matriarch was also uneasy. Ji Dingbei was not at home at the moment. What if there really was someone from Fusang Kingdom lurking in the house?
"So the truth is now clear?" Aunt Bai looked coldly at the Ghost Doctor and sneered.
The Ghost Doctor glanced over and immediately felt a chilling aura creep up from the soles of his feet to his heart. This woman was no good. "Reporting to Aunt, the truth has indeed come to light."
"In my opinion, you're just pretending to know everything!" Aunt Bai sneered as she stepped forward and walked to the Ghost Doctor's side. "What a lousy doctor! I think he's just out here to swindle people."
“Aunt, the Master has already made himself very clear.” Ji Wushang stepped forward. “Isn’t it clear enough? Aunt, you’ve only been out for a short while. Do you already know the whole story? As far as I know, Qingya Garden is very, very far from here. I’m afraid the news will reach your ears in no time, Aunt?”
As Aunt Bai listened, her face flushed red and then turned pale. Ji Wushang's words had three points: first, they revealed that she had just come out of Qingya Garden and had just been released from confinement; second, if she knew the truth about Aunt Qin's poisoning and questioned the Ghost Doctor so soon after coming out, it would be an admission that she herself had a problem; and third, they showed that Aunt Bai really wanted to get attention, but unfortunately, she ended up losing face instead.
"I was just saying, I've only been here a short while, I just heard about it!" Aunt Bai said a few words to bluff her way out of it, standing aside cursing Ji Wushang in her heart, without saying a word.
Seeing that she remained silent, Ji Wushang smiled and said, "I knew it. No matter what, Aunt Bai would never participate in the plan to harm Aunt Qin."
Aunt Bai was so angry by what she said that she clenched her knuckles.
Ji Meiyuan came out and said to Ji Wushang with a smile, "It seems that the ghost doctor that eldest sister invited is very powerful! He was able to find out the truth of the matter in no time, hehe! But, it seems that eldest sister forgot that this ghost doctor was invited by eldest sister. Maybe, there is some secret relationship between them?"
"Insolence!" Ji Wushang frowned and shouted, "What kind of talk is this?" To say such a thing in front of so many people, is he trying to make people think he's colluding with the Ghost Doctor? To put on an act together? How ridiculous!
Ji Meiyuan rolled her eyes at Ji Wushang, said nothing, and stood arrogantly to the side.
The elder's wife looked extremely displeased; Ji Meiyuan's words were indeed unpleasant.
“As long as Aunt Qin wakes up, we can ask her and find out whether the Ghost Doctor is right or wrong! We will understand what the truth is!” Ji Wushang turned around and said to Ji Meiyuan.
Ji Meiyuan listened and snorted.
"According to my calculations, Aunt Qin should be awake by now." At this moment, the Ghost Doctor stroked his half-gray beard and said thoughtfully.
Ji Wushang was overjoyed. He was just thinking about whether to call someone to check on her when he saw Zhucui come out of Aunt Qin's room and kneel happily in front of Madam Yuan. "Madam, Aunt Qin is awake!"
"Alright! Let's go take a look." The matriarch immediately got up, leaning on her cane.
Granny Guo was in too much pain to be helped up. The old lady looked at her sternly and said, "Someone, help Granny Guo down to see a doctor. If anything goes wrong, you will not be spared!"
"yes!"
Seeing this, Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward to support Madam Yuan, who nodded at him.
The two went inside together. Bai Yiniang and the others followed behind, including the Ghost Doctor, who was there to check on Qin Yiniang's condition.
As soon as Ji Wushang entered, the fragrance was indeed much fainter, and the air was fresher. Lifting the beaded curtain, Ji Wushang helped the Old Madam Yuan into the room. He saw that Aunt Qin had opened her eyes and was staring at the ceiling above her head, looking slightly lost. When she heard someone coming in, she looked over and saw that it was Ji Wushang and the Old Madam Yuan. Aunt Qin immediately struggled to sit up.
Ji Wushang immediately stepped forward to comfort her, "Auntie, lie down and don't get up. Grandmother won't blame you."
"Qin Fu greets the old lady." Aunt Qin nodded, then bowed to the old lady. A maid had already brought a chaise lounge for the old lady, who sat down. "Hmm, no need for that. You're not feeling well, so just lie down and rest." She looked at Ji Wushang, "Wushang, come over here."
After helping to tuck Aunt Qin in, Ji Wushang went to stand with the Old Madam. Actually, Ji Wushang had helped tuck her in to check on Aunt Qin's condition. He had noticed that Aunt Qin's dark circles were gone, her complexion was slightly rosy, and her lips were much more moist, no longer so dry. It seemed that Aunt Qin's health was gradually improving.
Then came Aunt Bai, Aunt Nangong, Ji Meiyuan, Ji Wuxia, Ji Yinxue, and the Ghost Doctor, along with some maids and servants.
"Fourth Madam, please tell me the truth. Did... Wu Shang put medicine in your pastries, causing you to catch a chill and be poisoned?" Madam Nangong asked when she saw that Madam Yuan did not speak.
Aunt Qin frowned as she listened. Her high eyelashes obscured her eyes, making it difficult to understand what she was saying. After a while, she spoke softly, "It wasn't the eldest young lady. I saw her sitting in the pavilion and thought I'd chat with her, so I went to sit there for a bit. The eldest young lady was very hospitable and, taking advantage of the time, had some exquisite pastries made. We both ate them and had no adverse reactions. When we got back to the room, we drank some honey water to soothe our throats, but as soon as we put it down, we smelled... um? Where did the incense go? We felt unwell after smelling that incense and that's why we fainted."
"Grandmother has already ordered someone to take the incense away," Ji Wushang said, then looked at Aunt Nangong, "Well, do you understand now? Aunt Nangong, you can stop doubting Wushang now, right?"
Aunt Nangong lowered her head and remained silent.
The matriarch turned her gaze to Aunt Qin, "How are you feeling now? Is there any discomfort?" The most important thing is that the baby in your belly is alright.
"Thank you for your concern, Madam. Qin Fu is fine," Aunt Qin said, peeking out from the bed. Then, looking at the people around her, she added, "So many people have come to see me. I've really made everyone worry! I'm so sorry."
Hearing this, everyone hurriedly said some flattering things to make the matriarch sitting to one side happy.
The matter passed in this way. Since Aunt Bai had returned to the courtyard and regained power, Aunt Nangong was naturally unhappy. However, out of respect for Madam Yuan, she dared not say a word and could only angrily return to her Nanyuan.
Aunt Bai harbored deep hatred for the people in this compound. While she maintained a humble demeanor, she was secretly plotting something else.
Watching Ji Yinxue return with Consort Nangong, Ji Wushang could only sigh. As long as Consort Nangong didn't change, Ji Yinxue would likely suffer every day. After the Old Madam returned to Jingyuan, Ji Wushang instructed the cook to prepare several exquisite pastries according to his instructions. The pastries were delicate and beautifully presented, and he and Xian'er carried them to the Old Madam's Jingyuan. The Old Madam was even more pleased and rewarded Ji Wushang with a pair of jade phoenix hairpins.
Ji Wushang returned to his Xinyuan Garden and learned from Yue'er that Zhu'er had returned to her room to recuperate. Fortunately, her injuries were not serious, and the doctor had examined her; she would recover after some rest. Naturally, Ji Wushang brought some things and, led by Yue'er, went to Zhu'er's room.
Zhu'er was flattered to see Ji Wushang arrive and immediately tried to get out of bed. Ji Wushang went over and helped her up, saying, "Zhu'er, lie down and rest. Don't move."
"Miss, thank you, Miss!" Zhu'er was in tears. She thought she was going to be beaten to death by Aunt Nangong! She never expected to be spared. When she woke up, she heard Yue'er say that it was Miss who had saved her and punished Aunt Nangong's head maid, Qianjiao.
"Don't mention it. I brought some food, Yue'er will feed you later. You should take good care of your injuries. These days, Yue'er and Xian'er will take care of your work. Yue'er can do more of the thread work." Ji Wushang turned his gaze to Yue'er and said.
Upon hearing this, Yue'er immediately knelt down and said, "Yes, Miss."
"Thank you, Miss. I could never repay your kindness, no matter how hard I work!" Zhu'er said, her tears still wet on her face.
Ji Wushang smiled and said, "From now on, you all need to be more careful. When I'm not around, you need to know how to protect yourselves, otherwise you won't even know if you've been beaten or punished by some master in the manor without any reason."
"Yes," Zhu'er and Yue'er both nodded in agreement.
Ji Wushang sat for a while longer before returning to his own room.
The sky had darkened, and ornate lanterns were lit all around. Ji Wushang finished his meal and sat down at his desk. He picked up a book to read, but then he remembered the events of the past two days. He had been extremely careful, yet he had almost been outmaneuvered. Now that Aunt Bai had left Qingya Garden, things were bound to get uneasy.
But I wonder what kind of scheme Aunt Bai will come up with?
Aunt Bai brought Ji Wuxia and Ji Meiyuan back to the East Garden. After closing the door, Aunt Bai turned around and immediately slapped Ji Meiyuan across the face!
Immediately, Ji Meiyuan was beaten until her mouth was bloody and her eyes were brimming with tears, crying out, "Auntie!"
"Useless thing! How dare you say congratulatory words in front of my father!" Aunt Bai roared, turning around to strike Ji Wuxia again. However, seeing Ji Wuxia cleverly kneel down and kowtow, she said, "Aunt, please don't hit me! I didn't say anything!"
Aunt Bai snorted, "Once you're married, you're like water spilled from a cup! Besides, as the legitimate daughter, I have no right to hit you!"
"Auntie!" Ji Wuxia's tears fell instantly. "I know I was wrong, please punish me, Auntie."
"Hmph!" Aunt Bai said, "Not a single thing I've asked you to do has satisfied me! It's a good thing I left Qingya Garden, otherwise, you would all be dead!"
Upon hearing this, Ji Meiyuan also knelt down, saying, "Auntie, please calm down." But in her heart, she thought, "Wasn't this just a perfectly good performance? When Grandpa came, I cried so bitterly that even Grandmother was saddened."
"What are you up to?" Aunt Bai was very perceptive. She turned to look at Ji Meiyuan, who was startled and leaned back. "No, Aunt, I really don't."
Aunt Bai glared at her, "Tomorrow, you will do this and that... Remember, just find a few people to do it! Be careful!"
"Aunt, is this alright?" Ji Meiyuan frowned. How could Aunt Bai ask her to find several people...?
"What? You won't listen to your aunt anymore?" Aunt Bai stood up, looking at the two kneeling women. "Listen to me, you were both born of me, raised by me! How could your aunt possibly harm you?" She then turned to Ji Meiyuan, "Think about it, that Ghost Doctor is definitely Wu Shang's accomplice. Otherwise, she probably wouldn't escape punishment today! Aunt Qin, I'm afraid she's not that simple! Hmph! Meiyuan, do you understand?"
Upon hearing her words, Ji Meiyuan thought for a moment and understood slightly. Since it wasn't about killing anyone, the matter was bound to succeed, so she said, "Yes, Meiyuan understands, and will certainly satisfy Aunt."
"Yes. Also, Wu Xia, you should embroider your dowry carefully! These next few nights, your aunt will personally teach you some secrets! So that you can establish yourself in the Zhou family! If Zhou Muxuan dares to take a concubine, you can strangle her to death!"
"Auntie." Ji Wuxia opened her eyes, finding it hard to believe. Was Auntie Bai helping her? But what secret was this?
"Auntie, what is a secret?" Ji Meiyuan was really rather brainless, asking on behalf of Ji Wuxia.
Aunt Bai gave her a cold look. "Do you need to know about matters between husband and wife?"
Upon hearing this, Ji Meiyuan blushed. She had already guessed what she meant by what she said, so she lowered her head and stopped talking.
"Go back now! Just finish these things tomorrow." Aunt Bai gave the order, and Ji Meiyuan and the other woman bid farewell to Aunt Bai and returned to their respective courtyards.
As they were about to part, Ji Meiyuan secretly pulled Ji Wuxia aside, then dismissed the maids and whispered in her ear, "Third sister, what secrets did your aunt teach you? Could you teach me too?"
Ji Wuxia blushed, "Second sister...how could you..."
"Isn't this what men like? A beautiful figure, a fair face, and smooth skin. I have all of those, except for that secret thing..." Ji Meiyuan said in a low voice.
“Okay!” Ji Wuxia secretly leaned forward as well. “I’ll tell you.”
Ji Meiyuan was overjoyed, but in her mind she was thinking how wonderful it would be if the object of her affections were Nan Jinxue!
The two laughed and joked for a while before parting ways.
——
The Ghost Doctor and the boy had just returned to the Miraculous Hands Hall when the manager gestured to the Ghost Doctor at the front desk. The Ghost Doctor immediately nodded, told the boy to leave, lifted the curtain, and went into the inner room. They walked through several long corridors and passed through several courtyards before finally arriving at a hall. Upon closer inspection, they could vaguely see a man backlit in a wheelchair through the door.
The Ghost Doctor pushed open the door and respectfully walked up to Nan Xuzong, "Master."
"How is it?" Nan Xuzong asked immediately upon seeing that it was the Ghost Doctor.
"All is well," the Ghost Doctor said. Judging from these past few days, it seems the Master has truly fallen for the eldest daughter of General Ji's household. However, his legs... alas! That young lady comes from a high-ranking family; General Ji would never agree to this marriage! Alas! They were a perfect match, but alas, what a pity!
"Yes. The Japanese pirates have invaded, and the Grand General is leading troops to suppress them. You should send someone to secretly help him."
"Yes." The Ghost Doctor nodded.