"Please don't get angry, Granny." Hai Tang said awkwardly, "I've passed on everything I should. As for the Madam's side, I'm just a lowly little maidservant who can't persuade her. Over the past few days it seemed like Madam kept sending Granny Wang over to make arrangements and move about, but the last couple of days I haven't noticed any activity. I don't know what Madam is thinking in her heart. Granny should just listen and wait patiently."
Granny Sun narrowed her eyes, "Could it be that Madam thinks this old lady has let slip something?"
Hai Tang shook her head, "I don't know about that. I just pass messages between you two to earn a little money. I don't want to get involved in anything else."
Hai Tang didn't say anything further, making the doubts in Granny Sun's heart grow heavier.
"I should get going first. Be careful we get discovered later. Hurry and eat, Granny. All this tasty food and drink was prepared under Granny Wang's instructions."
Hai Tang got up to leave. As soon as she stepped out of the woodshed, the door was immediately closed behind her. Standing guard outside were two martial arts experts dressed in black. No matter how much she pounded on the door, it was useless.
Granny Sun clenched her sleeves tightly, glaring at the bowl of pigeon soup with murky, piercing eyes. For some reason, her heart was beating very quickly.
At that moment, an ailing old rat somehow scurried into the woodshed, gnawing nosily at people's patience. Clenching her teeth, she grabbed the rat in her palm and used a spoon to pour a mouthful of hot soup down its throat.
After the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, the rat foamed at the mouth and died in front of her.
Granny Sun's eyes widened in shock, her whole body frozen stiff, as if struck by lightning.
By this point, what more was there for her to not understand? It must be that Madam sent someone to silence her!
Madam was always so suspicious. Back then, she had already taken the lives of four or five people. Now that she had been kept in Changfeng Pavilion for so long, even if she hadn't said anything, Madam would never believe her.
Granny Sun's throat tightened as she shoved away the food violently. Glaring fiercely with reddened eyes, she cried hoarsely, "Come quick! Come quick! I want to see the Eldest Young Madam!"
...
When Gu Ying arrived, they had just lit an oil lamp in the woodshed, instantly brightening the gloomy room.
A spring rain was falling, pitter-pattering on the eaves, blowing damp air in through the window lattices.
Though it was spring, it was somewhat chilly.
Gu Ying wore a cloak embroidered with haitang branches, sitting leisurely in a chair.
Next to her bejeweled embroidered shoes lay a dead rat, with Granny Sun slumped beside it. Her withered, gloomy old face was twisted up as she fixed Gu Ying with a fierce, sharp gaze from her murky old eyes.
Gu Ying appeared calm and composed. She knew Granny Sun wouldn't make it through tonight, so she patiently waited.
Granny Sun licked her dry lips. Shivering all over, she recalled the poisoned soup she had narrowly avoided, still feeling some lingering fear.
In the residence, killing someone didn't require much effort at all. If she was poisoned to death in Changfeng Pavilion, Madam could take the opportunity to cause trouble and gain an advantage over the Eldest Young Madam. It could be said to kill two birds with one stone.
So Madam had probably wanted to kill her for a long time, just lacking the opportunity to send someone in. When Granny Wang managed to get involved with Hai Tang from Changfeng Pavilion, Madam could no longer restrain herself and wanted to make her move.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Fortunately, as long as she clung to the Eldest Young Madam's good graces now, she still had a thread of hope for survival.
She immediately started sobbing, "Eldest Young Madam...someone wants to poison this old slave...You must uphold justice for this old slave!"
Gu Ying asked in a steady tone, "Who wants to harm you?"
Granny Sun gritted her teeth and said, "It's...it's the Madam of Baomo Hall..."
Gu Ying gave a cold laugh. "The Madam of Baomo Hall is the legal wife of our Duke's estate. How could she possibly poison a loyal old servant like you? Don't make wild unfounded accusations to frame and scheme against Mother, or else I will surely send you to Baomo Hall and have Mother deal with you directly."
Gu Ying didn't believe her, and Granny Sun immediately became anxious. Having come this far, she no longer had a way back. In any case, the moment she opened her mouth tonight, she would never be able to return whole and unharmed to serve in Baomo Hall again. She might as well go all in and bet that the Eldest Young Madam could protect her.
Thinking this, Granny Sun smiled mockingly and strategically feigned compromise. "If Madam doesn't believe this old slave, then feel free to leave now. But Madam, you should know that as long as Cheng is in the Duke's estate, you'll never find peace, let alone give birth safely to the little prince!"
At this point, the atmosphere was sufficiently dramatic.
Gu Ying knitted her brows solemnly and waved her hand for Yin Lan, Yanzhi and the others to leave, showing full sincerity.
After the door closed, only she and Granny Sun remained in the room.
Granny Sun swallowed again and eyed Gu Ying for a good while before slowly saying, "The reason this old slave was poisoned by the Baomo Hall Madam is because...this old slave knows all her secrets..."
"Oh?" Gu Ying lightly arched her brows. "What secrets could Mother have?"
Granny Sun furrowed her brows tightly. "As long as the Eldest Young Madam promises to protect this old slave's life, this old slave will tell you everything without reserve."
Gu Ying gently pulled up the corners of her lips in a gentle smile. "Mammy hasn't done anything wrong, so of course I will protect you."
Granny Sun knew Gu Ying was greatly favored by the Eldest Young Master. Now pregnant with the little prince, her status was rising with the tide. How could the aged and feeble Baomo Hall Madam compare?
Thinking of this, she steeled herself and spilled everything she knew in a torrent, like pouring beans from a bag.
After hearing it all, Gu Ying was slightly stunned, turning deathly pale. She tightly gripped the armrests of her chair and stood up in shock. "What did you say?"
Granny Sun's old eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "The Eldest Young Master's birth mother Mrs. Lin did not commit suicide. She was driven to death step by step by the Baomo Hall Madam!"
"Do you have any proof when you say this?"
"This old slave is the living proof. Many things back then were done by this old slave's hands. Eldest Young Madam, think about it, who else would know if not this old slave?"
Gu Ying's heart thumped violently as her lips pressed in a tight line and her elegant brows knitted tightly together.
Her heart was somewhat flustered as she looked at Granny Sun kneeling on the ground, eyes complicated.
To survive, Granny Sun had already abandoned all restraint and wouldn't lie to her.
After quite a while, Gu Ying finally digested Granny Sun's words and calmed down. "Are you saying that back then, in order to climb up to the Duke, not only did Cheng plot to drug the Duke, she took advantage of the chance to fake a pregnancy and coerce the Duke into marrying her? But the Duke refused, so she pretended to be ill and pitiful to force the Duke to keep her outside, is that it?"
"Yes."
"So whose child is Zhao Changxing?"
He's older than the Eldest Young Master, so he should have been born while Cheng was a concubine.
"Please don't get angry, Granny." Hai Tang said awkwardly, "I've passed on everything I should. As for the Madam's side, I'm just a lowly little maidservant who can't persuade her. Over the past few days it seemed like Madam kept sending Granny Wang over to make arrangements and move about, but the last couple of days I haven't noticed any activity. I don't know what Madam is thinking in her heart. Granny should just listen and wait patiently."
Granny Sun narrowed her eyes, "Could it be that Madam thinks this old lady has let slip something?"
Hai Tang shook her head, "I don't know about that. I just pass messages between you two to earn a little money. I don't want to get involved in anything else."
Hai Tang didn't say anything further, making the doubts in Granny Sun's heart grow heavier.
"I should get going first. Be careful we get discovered later. Hurry and eat, Granny. All this tasty food and drink was prepared under Granny Wang's instructions."
Hai Tang got up to leave. As soon as she stepped out of the woodshed, the door was immediately closed behind her. Standing guard outside were two martial arts experts dressed in black. No matter how much she pounded on the door, it was useless.
Granny Sun clenched her sleeves tightly, glaring at the bowl of pigeon soup with murky, piercing eyes. For some reason, her heart was beating very quickly.
At that moment, an ailing old rat somehow scurried into the woodshed, gnawing nosily at people's patience. Clenching her teeth, she grabbed the rat in her palm and used a spoon to pour a mouthful of hot soup down its throat.
After the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, the rat foamed at the mouth and died in front of her.
Granny Sun's eyes widened in shock, her whole body frozen stiff, as if struck by lightning.
By this point, what more was there for her to not understand? It must be that Madam sent someone to silence her!
Madam was always so suspicious. Back then, she had already taken the lives of four or five people. Now that she had been kept in Changfeng Pavilion for so long, even if she hadn't said anything, Madam would never believe her.
Granny Sun's throat tightened as she shoved away the food violently. Glaring fiercely with reddened eyes, she cried hoarsely, "Come quick! Come quick! I want to see the Eldest Young Madam!"
...
When Gu Ying arrived, they had just lit an oil lamp in the woodshed, instantly brightening the gloomy room.
A spring rain was falling, pitter-pattering on the eaves, blowing damp air in through the window lattices.
Though it was spring, it was somewhat chilly.
Gu Ying wore a cloak embroidered with haitang branches, sitting leisurely in a chair.
Next to her bejeweled embroidered shoes lay a dead rat, with Granny Sun slumped beside it. Her withered, gloomy old face was twisted up as she fixed Gu Ying with a fierce, sharp gaze from her murky old eyes.
Gu Ying appeared calm and composed. She knew Granny Sun wouldn't make it through tonight, so she patiently waited.
Granny Sun licked her dry lips. Shivering all over, she recalled the poisoned soup she had narrowly avoided, still feeling some lingering fear.
In the residence, killing someone didn't require much effort at all. If she was poisoned to death in Changfeng Pavilion, Madam could take the opportunity to cause trouble and gain an advantage over the Eldest Young Madam. It could be said to kill two birds with one stone.
So Madam had probably wanted to kill her for a long time, just lacking the opportunity to send someone in. When Granny Wang managed to get involved with Hai Tang from Changfeng Pavilion, Madam could no longer restrain herself and wanted to make her move.
The more she thought about it, the more frightened she became. Fortunately, as long as she clung to the Eldest Young Madam's good graces now, she still had a thread of hope for survival.
She immediately started sobbing, "Eldest Young Madam...someone wants to poison this old slave...You must uphold justice for this old slave!"
Gu Ying asked in a steady tone, "Who wants to harm you?"
Granny Sun gritted her teeth and said, "It's...it's the Madam of Baomo Hall..."
Gu Ying gave a cold laugh. "The Madam of Baomo Hall is the legal wife of our Duke's estate. How could she possibly poison a loyal old servant like you? Don't make wild unfounded accusations to frame and scheme against Mother, or else I will surely send you to Baomo Hall and have Mother deal with you directly."
Gu Ying didn't believe her, and Granny Sun immediately became anxious. Having come this far, she no longer had a way back. In any case, the moment she opened her mouth tonight, she would never be able to return whole and unharmed to serve in Baomo Hall again. She might as well go all in and bet that the Eldest Young Madam could protect her.
Thinking this, Granny Sun smiled mockingly and strategically feigned compromise. "If Madam doesn't believe this old slave, then feel free to leave now. But Madam, you should know that as long as Cheng is in the Duke's estate, you'll never find peace, let alone give birth safely to the little prince!"
At this point, the atmosphere was sufficiently dramatic.
Gu Ying knitted her brows solemnly and waved her hand for Yin Lan, Yanzhi and the others to leave, showing full sincerity.
After the door closed, only she and Granny Sun remained in the room.
Granny Sun swallowed again and eyed Gu Ying for a good while before slowly saying, "The reason this old slave was poisoned by the Baomo Hall Madam is because...this old slave knows all her secrets..."
"Oh?" Gu Ying lightly arched her brows. "What secrets could Mother have?"
Granny Sun furrowed her brows tightly. "As long as the Eldest Young Madam promises to protect this old slave's life, this old slave will tell you everything without reserve."
Gu Ying gently pulled up the corners of her lips in a gentle smile. "Mammy hasn't done anything wrong, so of course I will protect you."
Granny Sun knew Gu Ying was greatly favored by the Eldest Young Master. Now pregnant with the little prince, her status was rising with the tide. How could the aged and feeble Baomo Hall Madam compare?
Thinking of this, she steeled herself and spilled everything she knew in a torrent, like pouring beans from a bag.
After hearing it all, Gu Ying was slightly stunned, turning deathly pale. She tightly gripped the armrests of her chair and stood up in shock. "What did you say?"
Granny Sun's old eyes narrowed as she gritted her teeth and said in a low voice, "The Eldest Young Master's birth mother Mrs. Lin did not commit suicide. She was driven to death step by step by the Baomo Hall Madam!"
"Do you have any proof when you say this?"
"This old slave is the living proof. Many things back then were done by this old slave's hands. Eldest Young Madam, think about it, who else would know if not this old slave?"
Gu Ying's heart thumped violently as her lips pressed in a tight line and her elegant brows knitted tightly together.
Her heart was somewhat flustered as she looked at Granny Sun kneeling on the ground, eyes complicated.
To survive, Granny Sun had already abandoned all restraint and wouldn't lie to her.
After quite a while, Gu Ying finally digested Granny Sun's words and calmed down. "Are you saying that back then, in order to climb up to the Duke, not only did Cheng plot to drug the Duke, she took advantage of the chance to fake a pregnancy and coerce the Duke into marrying her? But the Duke refused, so she pretended to be ill and pitiful to force the Duke to keep her outside, is that it?"
"Yes."
"So whose child is Zhao Changxing?"
He's older than the Eldest Young Master, so he should have been born while Cheng was a concubine.
