Chapter 165
Chapter 165: Poisoning
The Marquis of Zhen Nan spent the night at the inn and did not wake up until mid-afternoon the next day.
His servant boy stood respectfully in front of him and said: “The Eldest Miss went back to the manor early last night. It got very late, and you drank too much, so Second Young Master stayed here to rest with you. The academy only has one court rest day. He got up early and went back. He told Lord Marquis not to worry. He will study hard.”
The Marquis of Zhen Nan had slept too long. His head and neck hurt. On top of that, he was hungover and felt dizzy.
“Let’s go back to the manor first,” he said.
Thinking back on last night, he still felt it was quite pleasant. There had been a luxurious painted boat, a famous courtesan playing the zither, and pretty maids pouring his wine. It had been truly carefree.
He rode home in the carriage, swaying all the way, and his stomach still felt a little sick.
He drank a bowl of rice porridge and forced himself to vomit up last night’s wine. Only then did Luo Chong Ye feel a bit clearer.
He went to the West Main Courtyard to pay his respects to the Old Madam.
He had not expected that his madam, Madam Bai, would also be there.
Now, whenever Luo Chong Ye saw Madam Bai, he felt annoyed, and his head hurt even more.
“I came to keep Mother company while she chants scriptures and counts Buddha prayer beads,” Madam Bai said.
She was gentle and obedient, just like when she had first married him. But now she was too thin and swollen, and she looked especially haggard.
Luo Chong Ye no longer felt even a trace of pity or compassion for her.
If not for the matter with Qiu Shi Dong, he would not be this disappointed in her.
Now, Luo Chong Ye was only waiting for Luo Ning to be married off, so he could have his hands free to deal with Madam Bai.
“Go back,” he said coldly. “Mother already has people to serve her.”
Madam Bai did not leave. She said: “Mother said that after supper, she will have me recite scriptures with her and pray together for the Luo family.”
Luo Chong Ye frowned.
He looked at the Old Madam.
“Let her stay,” Old Madam said. “This is her sincerity. Otherwise she’ll cry again and make a fuss.”
Luo Chong Ye said nothing more.
Before the meal was served, Luo Ning arrived.
As soon as Madam Bai saw her, she felt strangely nervous, mixed with a hatred she could not hold back.
Luo Ning said: “Father, Mother, Aunt says there is something, and she doesn’t know if she should tell you both.”
Luo Chong Ye’s head hurt badly. He only wanted to eat quickly and then go catch up on sleep. He said: “Tell me tomorrow.”
Madam Bai said: “I don’t care about these things. Let your aunt decide. She is the one running the household now.”
Luo Ning agreed.
While they were talking, Madam Wen came in with Luo Li Qin.
Behind her, her trusted maidservant carried a food box.
“I made some very good mutton soup,” Madam Wen said. “I stewed it for four hours. It’s really good, so I wanted to bring it for Grandmother to taste.”
Old Madam nodded. “You are thoughtful.”
Then she said to her steward, Nanny Sheng: “Go tell the main kitchen that tonight the Lord Marquis, the Senior Madam, the Eldest Young Madam, and the Eldest Miss will all have their meal here in the West Main Courtyard.”
Nanny Sheng answered at once.
Luo Ning sat beside Old Madam.
The Marquis of Zhen Nan looked at Luo Li Qin and, for no reason, thought of Luo Yin, which made him a little unhappy.
But Luo Li Qin took after Madam Wen. He looked rather cute and lovable.
[I should wait until A’Ning is married. Before Princess Consort Yong’s grand wedding, even if the sky falls, I have to hold it up myself.] This was what the Marquis of Zhen Nan thought.
Old Madam looked at Madam Wen.
She had a maidservant bring some candy for Luo Li Qin to eat, then let him go to the side to play with a little cloth tiger toy.
Old Madam went to change her clothes, and Luo Ning followed to attend her.
“Why has your sister-in-law suddenly become so attentive?” Old Madam asked. “Before this, she just hid in her own courtyard.”
“I asked around,” Luo Ning said. “Younger Concubine Mei went to her courtyard. I guess Qiu Shi Dong has been trying to sow discord, so Sister-in-law feels uneasy.”
Then she added: “She doesn’t have a bad heart. She’s just afraid of leaving the Luo family.”
What she was really afraid of was being separated from her son.
Most likely, Luo Yin was not Luo Chong Ye’s flesh and blood, which made Luo Li Qin’s situation very awkward.
Madam Wen did not need to spend the Marquis of Zhen Nan household’s money. She had her own dowry and could afford to raise her child. But before her son came of age, she could not set up his own household, and she was still just a woman.
She needed protection.
“Madam Wen has a clear head,” Old Madam said, “but even a clear-headed person can be blind when it comes to her own affairs.”
“I also wanted to talk to you about this,” Luo Ning said. “Please give her some kind of guarantee.”
Old Madam nodded. “I will talk with her.”
Luo Ning agreed.
Supper was fairly pleasant. Madam Bai kept her head down, acted very humble, and did not cause trouble.
After the meal, Luo Chong Ye went back to his own rooms, and Madam Wen took her child to play nearby.
The Marchioness said to Old Madam: “Mother, let’s go to the Little Buddha Hall first.”
“You go ahead,” Old Madam said. “I’ll be there soon.”
“Mother, I’ll go with you,” Madam Bai said.
“I need to use the toilet,” Old Madam said. “I’m old, and tonight’s soup was too greasy. I don’t feel very well.”
“…” Madam Bai had nothing to say.
“Mother, you go on ahead,” Luo Ning said. “I’ll wait on Grandmother.”
Madam Bai had no choice but to go to the Little Buddha Hall first.
She knelt in front of the Buddha statue and looked at the small incense burner she herself had sent there. After a moment of silence, she put a pill into her mouth and swallowed it dry.
This was the medicine Qiu Shi Dong had given her, saying it was an antidote.
Madam Bai took a deep breath.
There were candles burning in the Little Buddha Hall. Madam Bai stood up and closed all the windows.
Footsteps sounded behind her.
Luo Ning walked in, followed by two old maidservants.
“Mother, Grandmother can’t stay to recite scriptures with you. You can pray on your own,” Luo Ning said with a smile, as she stepped forward, picked up the fire-striker stick, and lit the incense in the small burner.
Then she calmly took out a handkerchief and covered her nose and mouth.
Madam Bai’s face suddenly changed. “A’Ning, what are you doing?”
“Ever since I blocked a stab for the Empress Dowager, I often get sick spells. I can’t stand the smell of incense. Mother, you’re used to it,” Luo Ning said with a smile.
As she spoke, she quickly backed up to the doorway.
At the door, the two rough servant women moved to close the doors of the Little Buddha Hall.
“What are you doing?” Madam Bai asked sharply.
“We don’t want to disturb you while you recite scriptures, so it won’t be noisy,” Luo Ning said.
“There’s no need to close the doors,” Madam Bai said.
“Grandmother closes the doors when she recites too. That way it’s quieter,” Luo Ning said. “Close them.”
The two old maidservants agreed and pushed the doors shut.
Madam Bai knelt there, a bit hesitant, her eyes filled with shock and doubt.
Just before the doors closed, Luo Ning suddenly reached out to block them. “Mother, if something happens to you, doesn’t that count as ‘killing to silence a witness’?” she asked.
Madam Bai’s back went stiff.
“You already have children. What help can you still be in anyone’s future plans?” Luo Ning went on. “Your body is already this weak. If something really happened, they could dump everything on you. You would die with no way to defend yourself.”
Then she said: “Close the doors.”
The doors of the Little Buddha Hall slammed shut.
Madam Bai only froze for a moment. Then she quickly snuffed out the incense in the small burner.
She went to open the windows.
But the windows had been fastened from the outside.
When a person meets danger, panic makes it hard to breathe. Madam Bai’s health was already poor; her suspicions grew stronger and stronger.
When the window would not open, she became even more frantic. She pulled wildly at the door and shouted: “Open the door, quickly! Luo Ning, open the door, now!”
She screamed herself hoarse.
Suddenly, she managed to yank open the door of the Little Buddha Hall. Holding her breath, she rushed out, coughing hard.
In front of her stood the Old Madam, Luo Chong Ye, who had come back again, and Luo Ning.
They all watched her quietly.
“What are you doing?” Luo Chong Ye asked her.
Madam Bai was panic-stricken and furious. Her whole face twisted.
Luo Ning walked over, picked up the small incense burner and the incense inside, and said: “Father, this is poisoned. If you have someone test it, you’ll know.”
Madam Bai wanted to snatch it back.
She did not even know what good it would do. She was just panicking and wanted to grab it.
“Give it back! Give it back to me!” she screamed.
Suddenly, she pulled a hairpin out of her hair. The head of the pin could be taken off, and inside was an incredibly sharp spike. She thrust it toward Luo Ning’s ear.
Luo Ning had the offering table right behind her and could not dodge.
“A’Ning!”