Chapter 061
Chapter 61: Buddha’s Chosen Bleeds From His Head
Hiding in the shadow by the kitchen door, Zheng Xiu Yun curled her lips into a proud smile.
She watched with her own eyes as that lowly maid Xiao Man poured tea leaves into the white porcelain teapot she had “seasoned,” then added boiling water.
The fine jasmine scent spread at once, covering the faint sweet smell completely.
Unaware of everything, Xiao Man lifted the tray and walked step by step toward Lin Qing Xuan’s study, onto the “fast track” Zheng Xiu Yun had paved for her.
As the study door closed, Zheng Xiu Yun turned in satisfaction to slip back by a side path. But from the corner of her eye she caught a Servant coming this way with a broom. Startled, she jumped back into the shadow by the kitchen door to wait for the person to pass.
She never guessed someone stood behind her.
“Miss Zheng?” A harsh, old voice sounded like a bucket of ice water dumped over her head, and her soul almost flew away.
She spun around. Granny Chen, who managed the chores in Lin Qing Xuan’s back courtyard, was staring at her coldly. The old, cloudy eyes were as sharp as a hawk’s.
“What are you sneaking around for outside the small kitchen of our Auspicious Cloud Residence?” Granny Chen asked, her tone like a whip.
Zheng Xiu Yun’s heart sank, her blood near freezing. She tried to hide the empty porcelain bottle behind her back.
Too late.
Granny Chen’s thin arm shot out and snatched the bottle from her hand.
Granny Chen lifted the mouth of the bottle to her nose and took a deep sniff. A faint but cloying sweet scent slid into her sinuses.
Her face changed at once, from doubt to shock, then to raging fury.
“Well!” Granny Chen’s voice shook with anger as she pointed at Zheng Xiu Yun and scolded: “So this is what you are! A proper young lady sent by the Zheng Clan, a learned Cousin Miss, and you carry such dirty, low things on you!”
“What did you just put into the Buddha’s Chosen Young Master’s tea?” she barked.
Her shout brought Old Chen and Chen Shi from their sweeping in the yard.
Zheng Xiu Yun went pale as paper and panicked: “I didn’t! You are making it up! I did nothing!”
“Still trying to lie!” Granny Chen raised the tiny bottle high, furious: “This Spring Breeze Powder smell, I saw it plenty when I was a young Old Granny in the inner courtyard! You dare use this trashy trick in front of our Buddha’s Chosen Young Master? Do you have no shame? You have thrown away the face of the Lin Clan and the Zheng Clan!”
“Old Chen, tie her up! We will report to Old Madam and Madam at once!”
Hearing that she tried to harm the Eldest Grandson Young Master, Old Chen and Chen Shi saw red. They rushed up, grabbed Zheng Xiu Yun like she was a chick, and twisted her arms tight.
“Let me go, you dogs! I am a Miss! How dare you touch me!” Zheng Xiu Yun thrashed and sobbed, hair flying, as Granny Chen and Old Chen dragged her toward the wood shed.
Granny Chen followed, scolding until the spittle flew and her voice filled half the back courtyard: “Shameless! You planned to stain the good name of the Buddha’s Chosen. You deserve the harshest punishment! I’m going to tell First Madam and Old Madam right now and let them deal with this shameless Miss!”
She handed Zheng Xiu Yun to Old Chen, then lifted her skirts and stormed off toward First Madam’s yard.
Old Chen was about to shove Zheng Xiu Yun into the wood shed when he froze.
“Not good!” he shouted. “That tea with the drug… did Xiao Man already take it to the Eldest Grandson Young Master?”
Chen Shi’s face changed. Father and son traded a look. Old Chen barked: “Tie her tight and toss her in the shed!” He spun and ran for the study. Chen Shi looped the rope hard around Zheng Xiu Yun, pushed her inside, and sprinted after his father.
They did not care about manners. They shoved open the study door and heard:
“Bang!”
A heavy thud echoed inside.
Lin Qing Xuan grunted. His tall body jolted, and the force holding Xiao Man in place suddenly loosened.
Xiao Man grabbed the chance. Like a slippery fish, she slid under his arm, rolled and scrambled, and ran out of the study without looking back.
She slammed straight into Old Chen and Chen Shi charging in.
“Oof!” Old Chen staggered back, then saw it was Xiao Man. He glanced past her at Lin Qing Xuan lying on the floor with his head split and bleeding, and he sucked in a breath: “Girl, that was too fierce! Chen Shi, go find Physician Wang!”
Shaking all over, Xiao Man’s teeth chattered: “Uncle Chen… I… I had no choice. Young Master lost his mind. If I didn’t smash him, my innocence would be gone!”
Old Chen stomped his foot as he stared at the unconscious Lin Qing Xuan: “You! Me! Quick! Help Young Master up! Old Madam and First Madam will be here any moment. If they see this, you are done!”
They rushed to set things straight. Luckily Physician Wang’s legs were quick, and he arrived before First Madam and Old Madam.
Old Chen blurted: “Physician Wang, please, stop the bleeding first!” He handed over the small porcelain bottle he had gotten back from Granny Chen for the physician to smell.
Physician Wang sniffed, raised an eyebrow, and pointed at the pale Xiao Man: “Spring Breeze Powder. Did this girl use it?”
Xiao Man went cold with fear and shook her head wildly: “It wasn’t me! Really, it wasn’t!”
Old Chen urged: “Stop the bleeding first! All that blood is scary! First Madam and Old Madam will be here soon. The girl will be in big trouble!”
Physician Wang took one look at the unconscious Lin Qing Xuan and another at Xiao Man, then chuckled: “Oh, the girl did the hitting. Heh, that works. When he’s out cold, he can’t run wild.”
He gave orders briskly: “Girl, you started this, so help. Old Chen, get hot water. Girl, bring clean cloths. Chen Shi, pick up the broken porcelain. And keep that pot of tea as evidence. Don’t let the Madams see this mess.”
Old Chen, Chen Shi, and Xiao Man moved at once.
Hot water came. With trembling hands, Xiao Man wiped the blood from Lin Qing Xuan’s forehead and face.
Physician Wang glanced at her and spoke with a hint of surprise: “You’ve got strength. That strike was sharp and on point. You knocked him out and saved me some trouble.” He pointed at the wound and added: “But if the Buddha’s Chosen Young Master’s forehead scars, you won’t have good days ahead.”
Chen Shi shivered at the thought.
Old Chen smacked his son on the back of the head: “Quit gaping! Guard the door!”
Xiao Man’s face burned with shame, but the tight string in her heart loosened. If the physician could talk like this, Lin Qing Xuan’s life was not in danger. [But this is ancient times. What about tetanus?]
Physician Wang worked fast. He trimmed the hair at Lin Qing Xuan’s temple and wiped away the welling blood. He opened a small gourd, and a strong smell of liquor filled the room. He poured the liquor onto rough cloth and pressed it hard on the wound to clean it.
Lin Qing Xuan let out a pained whimper even in his faint.
Physician Wang took tweezers and probed again and again to be sure no porcelain bits were left. At last he threaded a silver needle, passed it through the candle flame, and stitched the skin. The cut was not long, so it took only six stitches.
Packing up his tools, Physician Wang said to Xiao Man: “You did the hitting, so from today the bandage changes and medicine are your duty. If you don’t understand something, send Shi Tou to ask me.”
Right then Granny Chen’s loud voice sounded outside the door: “Old Madam, slow down! I have locked that shameless Zheng Xiu Yun in the wood shed! In a moment, First Madam’s Old Granny will question her well!”
Chen Shi followed the physician’s plan and reported to the arriving Old Madam and First Madam: “Old Madam, First Madam, Eldest Grandson Young Master was drugged. His body heated up and his mind went cloudy. He tried to get a cup of cold water to clear his head, but his legs went weak and he bumped into the table edge by accident. Physician Wang is stitching inside. He asks that you please do not go in.”
First Madam tried to rush in, but Chen Shi held the door tight: “Physician Wang said you must not disturb him while he stitches!”
First Madam paced in a circle, worried. Old Madam stayed calmer and comforted her: “Don’t you trust Physician Wang’s skills? If he says it is fine, it is fine. Only… stitches on the forehead will likely leave a scar.”