When Jinchao returned to Qingtong Courtyard to find Yuzhu, the young maid was still sitting on the stone stool beneath the grape arbor, eyes fixed longingly on the clusters of green grapes hanging above her head.
Jinchao called her over and said,
“…Father’s birthday is approaching, and I’m not sure if the Affairs Office has everything ready. Why don’t you come with me to take a look? You might also run into some familiar faces among the servants and attendants there.”
Yuzhu looked puzzled.
“Miss, you know I was stationed at the Attendants’ Office before serving you. I don’t know a single soul in the Affairs Office.”
Jinchao merely smiled. “Once you see them, you’ll remember.”
She changed into a sapphire blue beizi embroidered with the auspicious ruyi motif, then headed for the Affairs Office accompanied by Yuzhu, Qingpu, and Xu Mama.
Xu Mama didn’t understand what Jinchao intended, and gave Yuzhu a once-over. The young maid looked about eleven or twelve, with a round face—nothing about her seemed particularly clever, though her eyes were bright and alert.
Qingpu remained silent, but she understood perfectly well. The young mistress was bringing Yuzhu along to see if the man secretly meeting with Yuxiang was one of the servants from the Affairs Office. If it turned out to be true, then the rhubarb in Madam Ji’s medicine must have been added at the direction of Song Yiniang.
The Affairs Office was housed in the southern wing of the outer courtyard, just beyond the carved flower gate—a mere half-quarter-hour’s walk.
It normally handled guest reception and coordinated events in the residence. The steward in charge, surnamed Sun, had once been a tea merchant. After his business failed, he entered the Gu household as a steward and was someone Jinchao’s father trusted greatly.
Steward Sun wore a slate-blue zhiduo and looked sharp and well put together.
“…What an honor to see the young miss herself! Your father’s birthday is still more than ten days away, but I’ve just begun preparing the guest list and procurement orders,” he said with a smile. Inwardly, though, he found it odd—Jinchao had never concerned herself with affairs managed by this office. With the birthday still some time off, and since internal matters usually fell under Song Yiniang’s purview, why had the young miss come personally?
Jinchao seated herself in the taishi chair and smiled as she replied,
“I’ve come on behalf of Mother—she always pays extra attention to Father’s affairs. Oh, and while I’m here, she asked me to check on something. The medicinal herbs she often uses have run out—has Doctor Liu delivered a fresh batch?”
Steward Sun’s confusion deepened. Didn’t she summon Doctor Liu just this morning? Why not ask him directly?
Still, he maintained a pleasant demeanor. “I’m not sure about that—it’s usually Luo Liu who handles those deliveries. Let me call him for you…”
He stepped away to summon the steward.
Yuzhu looked around and whispered to Jinchao,
“Miss, I really don’t know anyone here…”
Jinchao simply smiled and said nothing. When Luo Liu lifted the curtain and entered, he first bowed to her and then reported,
“In response to Young Miss, Doctor Liu usually delivers medicines at the beginning and middle of the month. It will still be some days before the next delivery.”
Yuzhu stared at the servant, wide-eyed in astonishment.
Seeing her expression, Jinchao understood immediately. When Steward Sun returned, she rose to take her leave.
“…Please inform Song Yiniang that I came by to ask about Mother’s medicine.”
Once outside, Yuzhu quickly caught up and exclaimed,
“Miss! That’s him! That’s the one who was meeting secretly with Yuxiang! How did you know he’d be here?”
Jinchao’s voice turned cold.
“He wasn’t merely having a tryst with Yuxiang. He’s up to far worse.”
So Song Yiniang was colluding with the outer courtyard to harm her mother. What boldness! All for the sake of claiming the position of principal wife—she had truly exhausted every underhanded tactic.
Xu Mama immediately pulled Qingpu aside to ask what was going on. Qingpu relayed everything Yuzhu had witnessed, leaving Xu Mama utterly shocked.
“…We knew Song Yiniang was two-faced, but to go so far as to try and kill the Madam? That’s downright vicious! Then… what does the young miss intend to do?”
Jinchao fell silent.
If she hadn’t seen Song Yiniang instruct Luo Liu to add rhubarb to the medicine herself, she wouldn’t have believed it either.
And if she took this to her father now, without irrefutable proof, Song Yiniang’s silver tongue could easily twist the whole affair and pin it back on her—accusing her of false slander.
How could she convince Father to believe Yuzhu, her own maid? Especially when Madam Ji had been taking the tainted medicine for over half a year—why had no one noticed until now?
Her father might be furious with Gu Lan, but he still trusted Song Yiniang. After all, she still oversaw the inner residence—that much loyalty spoke volumes.
After some thought, Jinchao returned to her mother’s chambers, wrapped a piece of rhubarb in a handkerchief, and made her way to Linyan Pavilion.
She had only just arrived when Steward Sun left.
Since Song Yiniang managed the inner residence, Steward Sun greatly respected her. He repeated everything Jinchao had said, word for word, including her inquiries about the rhubarb.
Song Yiniang was astonished. Once Steward Sun left, she spoke softly to Qiaowei,
“Our young lady is truly something. She’s even found out about the rhubarb…”
Qiaowei looked uneasy.
“Yiniang, do you think the young miss will tell the Master?”
Song Yiniang fell into thought and slowly shook her head.
“She’s not that foolish.”
She had begun adding rhubarb to Ji Shi’s medicinal meals a month after her illness began. Had it not been for Gu Jinchao, Ji Shi would likely have died by now from overconsumption.
Yuxiang had always been the one to liaise with the Affairs Office. She was loyal—she wouldn’t say a word.
Without evidence, Gu Jinchao would never dare bring this to Gu Deshao.
Just then, a young maid’s voice came from outside the curtain:
“Yiniang, the young miss is on her way here. She’s walking quickly—none of the mamas could stop her…”
Song Miaohua straightened her collar and sneered,
“Why stop her? Let her come to the flower hall.”
From outside, Jinchao had already heard her words.
As she stepped beneath the eaves of the corridor, the young maid stammered,
“Young miss, please… the flower hall…”
“Move aside! How dare you block the young miss’s way,” Caifu scolded in a low voice. The little maid immediately fell silent, not daring to make another sound.
Jinchao lifted the bamboo curtain embroidered with the Three Friends of Winter motif and stepped into the western side room. There was no folding screen inside; Song Yiniang was seated on the heated platform by the window and looked over at her.
“What brings the young miss here in person?” Song Yiniang greeted her with a smile and instructed Qiaowei to bring over a brocade stool for her.
Jinchao walked up to her, recalling how she had seen Steward Sun hurrying away earlier, and arched a brow with a smile.
“You really are composed, Yiniang. Even now that everything’s been exposed, you’re still calm and unhurried. If Sister Lan had even half your cunning, she wouldn’t have ended up in such a pitiful state that day.”
Song Yiniang’s smile stiffened, but she quickly feigned confusion.
“Whatever is the young miss talking about? I truly don’t understand.”
“Then have a look at this, and you’ll understand.”
Jinchao tossed the embroidered handkerchief onto the small table, revealing the piece of rhubarb wrapped within.
Song Yiniang gave it a glance but didn’t so much as twitch a fingertip. She lazily raised her eyes to Jinchao.
“What is that? The more you speak, the more I’m at a loss. If you’ve come to trouble me, then sit and speak slowly. If not, then I must ask you to leave.”
Qiaowei brought over the stool. Jinchao sat down with a smile.
“Oh, I’m most certainly here to trouble you, Yiniang. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have bothered to step foot in here.”
She wasn’t in a hurry. After sitting, she continued,
“Your maid Yuxiang… was seen today in a tryst with a male servant near the rockery beside the hanging flower gate. My maid just happened to pass by and saw them—very intimate they were, whispering sweet nothings. I brought her to the Affairs Office today for a look, and guess what? The man Yuxiang was meeting turns out to be none other than Luo Liu, the one responsible for delivering my mother’s medicine.”
“And today, I just happened to discover a piece of rhubarb in my mother’s decoction. That herb is cold in nature—Mother absolutely cannot take it. Tell me, how do you think it got there? Surely you weren’t so careless as to let it slip in while plotting to become the principal wife, or perhaps because Sister Lan wished to become the legitimate daughter?”
A flicker passed across Song Yiniang’s face.
She had thought Gu Jinchao had merely discovered the rhubarb and was speculating. But now, it seemed the girl was already convinced of her guilt. Yuxiang had always met Luo Liu in the secluded crooked willow grove—how could a maid just “happen” to walk by and catch them? Could it be that Gu Jinchao had been keeping watch over Linyan Pavilion all along?
Song Miaohua quickly composed herself and sneered.
“So when you say something is black, then it’s black? When you say it’s white, then it’s white? You name a maid, instruct her to accuse mine of fornication, and that makes it true? Do you think I’m so easily bullied? What if I named one of your maids and accused Qingpu of sleeping with some servant—would she be guilty too and be thrown out of the household?”
Yuzhu was furious.
“Yiniang, how could you say that? I saw it with my own eyes—Yuxiang and Luo Liu met in the crooked willow grove! How could you speak ill of Sister Qingpu like that? You clearly instructed Yuxiang to harm Madam! If not, then how did the rhubarb end up in her medicine?”
Song Miaohua shot her a cold glare.
“What an ill-mannered girl. Seems the young miss hasn’t raised you properly. Qiaowei, teach her some manners on her behalf.”
Qiaowei acknowledged the order and stepped forward to strike. But Qingpu instantly reached out and grabbed her wrist. Qiaowei tried to pull away, only to find herself unable to move—Qingpu’s grip was firm and unyielding, sending pain shooting through her bones. Her expression soured instantly. She hadn’t expected Qingpu’s strength to be so overwhelming.
Yuzhu fell silent and retreated behind Jinchao.
Jinchao patted her hand gently and turned a frosty gaze toward Song Miaohua.
“My maids are not for you to discipline. Have you forgotten your place, Yiniang? Do you still remember the rules of rank and propriety?”
No matter how clever Song Yiniang was, she was still a concubine. Gu Jinchao, as the legitimate eldest daughter, outranked her in every way. How dare she presume to reprimand her maid?
Seeing Jinchao’s icy expression and Qingpu standing there motionless yet intimidating, Song Yiniang felt a wave of frustration surge in her chest. In the past, Jinchao had never used her status to suppress her. But now—she was done pretending. She was truly playing the status card!
Song Yiniang slowly stepped down from the platform and bowed.
“Please forgive me, young miss. It was my fault. But even if you pressure me with rank and propriety, I still won’t confess to something I didn’t do. No matter how harsh your accusations, I cannot admit to a crime I didn’t commit… Besides, I’ve always served Madam with utmost care. She has treated me well in return. Why would I poison her? Young miss, you must think this through carefully.”
Yuzhu and Caifu trembled with rage at her feigned innocence, their fingertips nearly shaking.