Chapter 650 Does She Really Fall Sick or Pretend to Be Sick?
“Miss, do you mean that Wang Yishu is not pretending to be sick? It’s true… that she can’t get up and can only lie in bed?” After thinking of Shao Wanru’s words carefully several times, Yujie said with her face suddenly changing, “Miss Wang has been drugged, so she can’t get up all these years?”
Only the drug could make someone, who pretended to be sick, really fall sick.
Shao Wanru nodded. Wang Yishu was probably unwilling to waste her life in bed. But now she couldn’t determine her fate, so she had been lying in bed for three years.
Seeing Shao Wanru nod, Yujie thought of another problem and asked, “Miss, since Miss Wang could be a threat to Madam of Duke Xing, why doesn’t she kill Miss Wang directly? Anyway, she has drugged Miss Wang. She could end it by poisoning Miss Wang. Isn’t that better?”
The existence of Wang Yishu was a hidden danger for Madam of Duke Xing, so the best solution was to kill Wang Yishu.
“Wang Yishu can’t die. If she really dies, others will be more suspicious of Madam of Duke Xing. At that time, everyone thought it was Madam of Duke Xing who intended to deal with me. If something happened to Wang Yishu as soon as she returned to Duke Xing’s Mansion, Madam of Duke Xing would definitely take the blame. Moreover, I have reclaimed my identity now!”
Shao Wanru stared at Yujie meaningfully and said.
Yujie was frightened by her words, but after thinking about it for a while, she thought that her master was right. When her master was still the Second Miss of the Qin’s Mansion, others might not think that Duke Xing’s Mansion would set up her master, because there were no connections between the two mansions.
But now, her master was the Fifth Miss of the Shao’s Mansion, the only daughter left by the former Heir of Duke Xing. The relationship between the two branches of Duke Xing’s Mansion indicated that the overt and covert struggles for power and position between them were normal. It was very likely that Madam of Duke Xing had known Shao Wanru’s identity long ago and attempted to kill her before she reclaimed her identity.
In this case, Duke Xing’s Mansion would get into big trouble!
Not only Madam of Duke Xing was vicious, but also the second branch of Duke Xing’s Mansion would be suspected of plotting to murder a member of the eldest branch of Duke Xing’s Mansion. If Rui’an Great Elder Princess got the evidence, they would not be able to settle it by determining Hao’er as the Heir of Duke Xing’s Mansion.
Duke Xing’s Mansion could not take drastic steps on it.
“They should maintain her life for a few more years. In this way, no one will associate it with Madam of Duke Xing, because no one will care about Wang Yishu after a long time.” Shao Wanru continued saying.
She said calmly even with a faint smile on her delicate little face. However, her smile was frightening, as if there were some bottomless coldness in her eyes.
“Check on Wang Yishu!”
“Miss, it’s not easy to get close to Miss Wang. That place is very remote, and few people go there at normal times. My showing up there must be conspicuous. Moreover, Miss Wang and you have borne grudges against each other. If I go there openly and something happens, they will probably shift the blame onto you.”
Yujie had scruples and thought it inappropriate to do so. Based on her master’s remark, Madam of Duke Xing had always considered her master as a threat and had an evil intent towards Wang Yishu, so Madam of Duke Xing would definitely kill two birds with one stone by shifting the blame for murdering Wang Yishu onto her master once she got the chance.
When the time came, the grudges between Wang Yishu and her master would be mentioned. Her master would be disdained by everyone because of killing a patient, who was on her deathbed, due to the previous grudges between them.
“Let Qing’er do it. You don’t have to do it, but you can occasionally show up around the area. You don’t have to be too close to the place and just watch from a distance! Your frequent showing up there will make her anxious!” Shao Wanru was amused by Yujie’s anxiety and said. She picked up another needle and carefully wiped it against the light.
Yujie’s frequent showing up there would inevitably make Madam of Duke Xing anxious. If she got anxious, she would inevitably cover it up. With some other guards to help her, Qing’er could naturally come and go without being noticed.
Qing’er acted quickly and came back with detailed information the next day. From the dregs of Wang Yishu’s medicine and food to Wang Yishu’s appearance, all of these showed that Wang Yishu was in very poor condition. If she remained in this state, she might really die.
“Miss, the medicine is actually a general tonic for nursing her health rather than curing any disease. I find nothing else in her medicine and food, both of which are ordinary.” Yujie reported after finishing checking the dregs of the medicine and food and cleaning her hands in the warm water.
Everything seemed to be normal as if Duke Xing’s Mansion really tried to cure Wang Yishu. However, it was actually useless for a patient to take some common tonic medicine instead of an antidote against the disease.
“Miss, Wang Yishu seems to be sick. I saw her face. She looked very old with yellow hair and even some wrinkles on her forehead and dark circles under her eyes. She obviously has lived a terrible life and been in very poor condition. She couldn’t fall asleep until the doctor treated her with acupuncture. During the rest of the time, she was too weak to get up, couldn’t fall asleep, and lost her temper easily!”
Qing’er reported what she had seen to Shao Wanru.
She was not a doctor, so she did not know what kind of disease Wang Yishu suffered from. But judging from Wang Yishu’s appearance, she could tell that Wang Yishu was obviously in poor condition and seriously sick.
“Miss, if she’s really poisoned, how did they poison her? Besides, she’s still alive after being poisoned for three years. The poison doesn’t seem to be very toxic!” Yujie, who was curious about this kind of thing, said to Shao Wanru in a low voice.
Shao Wanru said, “It seems to be something unusual, which is non-toxic but could make her weak and unable to get up! Many kinds of medicines reinforcing or counteracting each other could achieve the effect!”
Connecting a series of things, she was now sure that Wang Yishu must have been taking medicines reinforcing or counteracting each other. General poisons were easy to expose. Even if Wang Shengxue had Wang Yishu buried directly without looking into it, if someone intended to reverse the case years later, Wang Yishu’s bones would be different from those of ordinary people, which could get Duke Xing’s Mansion into trouble easily.
If someone stirred up trouble by requesting to check Wang Yishu’s body immediately, it would be exposed easier.
Of course, these medicines were not enough!
“Miss, what kind of medicinal materials do you think they are?” Yujie couldn’t figure it out and asked with a frown.
After all, Yujie was not a famous doctor and had no access to some of the medicinal materials. Although Shao Wanru was skilled in acupuncture, she even knew less about the efficacy of medicinal materials than Yujie.
Shao Wanru couldn’t figure it out at the moment. She picked up the medical book beside her, flipped through it, gently bit her lips, and then asked Qing’er, “Where does the doctor come from?”
“It’s said that he’s a skillful doctor with ancestors working in the imperial palace before. He’s hired by Madam of Duke Xing with a high salary from another place to specially treat Miss Wang during all these years. Now he lives in the mansion and treats Miss Wang with acupuncture twice a day!”
Qing’er told all information she got.
Shao Wanru suddenly had an inspiration, stood up with her hands on the table, and said, “Acupuncture?”
“Acupuncture!” Hearing Shao Wanru’s words, Yujie immediately realized something, stared at Shao Wanru in horror, and said.
Shao Wanru nodded silently. She and Yujie had learned from Mingqiu Nun, but neither of them could compare with Mingqiu Nun in medical skills. Despite their speculations, they could not get the correct answer.
It seemed that they should turn to Mingqiu Nun for confirmation.
With an idea in her mind, Shao Wanru calmed down. Since she couldn’t find out anything about it, for the time being, she decided to put it aside and change the topic, “Did Wang Yishu take the blame for what happened to Qi Rongzhi?”
“There is indeed such a rumor in the mansion. It is said that Wang Yishu was in a bad mood, but Miss Qi went to piss her off. So Miss Wang sent a few servants to smash everything in Miss Qi’s room!”
Yujie said.
In fact, there was no need to inquire about it, because today everyone in the mansion was talking about it in great detail as if they had seen Wang Yishu send some servants to smash Qi Rongzhi’s courtyard.
How could a half-dead person get furious and send some servants to smash Qi Rongzhi’s courtyard? It sounded really inexplicable.
“She is so sick that she can only talk in a voice even too low to be heard. How could she send some servants to smash Qi Rongzhi’s courtyard? Madam of Duke Xing did choose a perfect scapegoat!” Qing’er said with a sneer. She, who was sent to watch over Wang Yishu, could tell from Wang Yishu’s current condition that it was impossible for Wang Yishu to vent her spleen on Qi Rongzhi.
“Where is Wang Shengxue?”
“He still comes to the mansion with the excuse of visiting his sister when he’s free and spends most of his time visiting Old Madam and Madam of Duke Xing.” Yujie said disdainfully. It was obvious that Wang Shengxue didn’t care about his sister much.
“When you are free, you’d better go to Wang Yishu’s place and leave if someone comes. Even if no one comes, you should leave alertly!” Shao Wanru advised.
“Rest assured, Miss. I know!” Yujie understood and said.
“Miss, Old Madam sent someone to invite you over!” While they were talking, a maid, who was outside the room, reported.
Shao Wanru glanced at Yujie. Yujie understood and turned to walk out of the room. Seeing her lift the curtain and come out, a little maid standing in the corridor and facing the door showed a brighter smile.
“Why does Old Madam want to meet the Fifth Miss?” Yujie looked the little maid up and down and asked.
“I don’t know. Maybe Old Madam misses the Fifth Miss and wants to ask about her physical condition!” The little maid gave a flawless answer.
“You can go back now. My master will come over after tidying herself up!” Seeing that she could not get any information, Yujie said.
“Yes, I’m going to report it to Old Madam now!” The little maid said with a smile. After bowing sideways to Yujie, she turned around and left.
After the maid left, Yujie entered the room. Shao Wanru was sitting in front of the dressing table. Qu Le set her hair into a simple bun and picked a simple hairpin to insert into Shao Wanru’s bun.
“Use this one!” Shao Wanru shook her head and said while drawing another hairpin from her jewelry box and handing it over.
“Miss, this hairpin was given by the Empress Dowager that day!” Qu Le took the hairpin, looked at it, and then reminded her. Although it was also of a simple style, its superior material made it an extraordinary hairpin.
“Just use this one!” Shao Wanru said with a sneer on her face as pretty as a flower. Old Madam should give an explanation for deducting most of the gifts from the Empress Dowager, and it was time for Old Madam to meet her.
Even Old Madam couldn’t deduct such a large proportion of the gifts given by the Empress Dowager to her!
“Yujie, go to watch over Wang Yishu. If you see the doctor, who treats Wang Yishu with acupuncture, think of a way to get some information from him. Qing’er, go to watch over Qi Rongzhi. I’m taking Qu Le to Old Madam’s place!”