chapter 28
Chapter 28
Ye Liaozhai’s nose was running and tears were streaming down his face.
After a moment, he trembled as he nodded: “……”
“That’s good,” Ye Piaoling let out a sigh of relief and, with filial piety, said, “If the poison in this soup isn’t vomited out in time, you won’t survive.”
After saying that, she quickly ordered the servants nearby, “Quickly help Father back to rest well, and then go find a doctor to see if there is any remaining poison.”
The servants on the side were already stunned, their minds a mess and slow to react.
So Master was poisoned…
Then was fiercely beaten by the Eldest Miss…
Beaten until he vomited…
“What are you standing around for? Hurry up!” Ye Piaoling urged.
The servants immediately helped Ye Liaozhai up.
Ye Liaozhai’s face had become ashen; his gaze fell upon the soup bowl.
It seemed that the person who poisoned the soup intended to kill two birds with one stone, sending both him and Ye Piaoling to the next world together…
…
Very soon, news spread throughout the Capital City.
A major incident had happened again at the Prime Minister’s Mansion!
Poison had been put in the soup at the Prime Minister’s Mansion. The Prime Minister was unharmed thanks to vomiting in time, but Aunt Liu, who was pregnant, happened to drink a bowl of the poisoned soup and, unfortunately, suffered a miscarriage.
The reason Aunt Liu survived was because the poison was absorbed by the fetus; though she lost the child, she managed to keep her life…
Of course, all of this was part of her plan.
The best way to clear herself of suspicion was to become a victim!
Upon hearing this, Ye Piaoling immediately understood what had happened.
With this move, Aunt Liu could not only clear herself of suspicion, but also conveniently get rid of a child that never existed-a move that guaranteed profit without loss.
Ye Piaoling sighed in her heart; in terms of cunning and ruthlessness, Aunt Liu was indeed a master of inner-court intrigue. If it hadn’t been for that truth-telling moment before, she might really have become the primary wife…
Ye Liaozhai, on the other hand, was furious. All the kitchen staff present that day were sent to the Ministry of Justice’s prison for interrogation one by one.
He even went out of his way to Wenxiang Courtyard to harshly scold Aunt Liu, blaming her for not taking care of her pregnancy.
After Ye Liaozhai left, cursing and swearing,
Aunt Liu knelt on the ground in a daze. This time, it seemed she had escaped death yet again.
But she knew that the Prime Minister was not dealing with her for now only because he was busy searching for the culprit who had poisoned the soup.
What she had done could only remain hidden for a while; Ye Liaozhai had never planned to let her live. Once he calmed down, even the slightest suspicion would mean she would die with no burial place!
To survive, she could no longer remain at the Ye Mansion…
After deep contemplation, Aunt Liu made up her mind.
She had to get a large sum of money and then escape from here!
…
That night, Aunt Liu summoned Ye Xiangxiang.
The two of them met by the dry well in the deserted courtyard.
Ye Xiangxiang looked much more haggard and asked fearfully, “Why did you call me? What do you want?”
Aunt Liu said, “Within a day, I want one hundred thousand taels in silver notes.”
“One hundred thousand taels?” Ye Xiangxiang was shocked. “What do you want to do now?”
Aunt Liu replied, “That’s none of your business.”
Ye Xiangxiang said with a trembling voice, “I know now-the poison was yours, because you were never really pregnant… You’re afraid your scheme will be revealed, so you want to take the money and run far away!”
Aunt Liu snorted coldly, “So what if it was me?”
She mocked inwardly-now you suddenly become clever, but what’s the use? It’s too late; you can only obey me now!
Ye Xiangxiang couldn’t help but say, “What about Ye Tianbao? He’s your own son-are you going to abandon him?”
Mentioning Ye Tianbao finally brought a hint of struggle to Aunt Liu’s face. “Tianbao is my own flesh and blood. Of course I can’t bear to leave him… But as his mother, there’s nothing more I can do for him. If I don’t leave, sooner or later the Master will kill me, and then he’ll be left without a mother anyway…”
She gritted her teeth and said, “I’ve already sent him to be raised by another concubine. After all, he’s the only male in the Ye Mansion. Even if Master hates me after I’m gone, he won’t let him go hungry or cold!”
Ye Xiangxiang glared at her, shaking her head in disbelief. “You’re truly vicious. You poisoned your husband, and you can even abandon your own son…”
“Enough nonsense!” Aunt Liu interrupted impatiently. “Do as I said and hurry up to prepare the money!”
Ye Xiangxiang said, “I don’t have that much money…”
“You don’t? Then don’t blame me for exposing your loss of chastity!”
Aunt Liu sneered maliciously, “Tu San has already been locked up in prison. Soon everyone will know you were slept with by a filthy prisoner!”
Ye Xiangxiang trembled. Aunt Liu’s words lashed at her like a whip, draining all color from her face.
Aunt Liu took out a small porcelain bottle and said, “I have a secret pill here. If you take it, your body will be restored as before. Bring me one hundred thousand taels of silver notes at this time tomorrow night, and I’ll give you this secret pill… Don’t you want to regain your maidenhood?”
Ye Xiangxiang’s eyes reddened with anxiety. “Of course I do, but where am I supposed to find a hundred thousand taels for you?”
“That’s your problem,” Aunt Liu said coldly. “I don’t care what you do-steal, borrow, whatever. As long as you bring me the money, we’ll both be fine. Otherwise, you can wait to be buried with me!”
Ye Xiangxiang had been pushed to the brink.
She bit her lip hard, her body trembling uncontrollably with anger and fear.
Aunt Liu sneered cruelly and ordered, “Stop standing there like a fool. Go back and get the money!”
Ye Xiangxiang’s eyes were bloodshot. After standing dazed for a moment, she suddenly reached out. “Give me the medicine first!”
Aunt Liu was caught off guard, and the porcelain bottle was snatched away by Ye Xiangxiang.
“You little wretch, you dare to resist now?”
Aunt Liu cursed and immediately lunged to grab it back.
Ye Xiangxiang clutched the bottle tightly, and the two struggled fiercely.
In the tussle, Ye Xiangxiang pushed hard, and Aunt Liu staggered backward.
Behind her was the old dry well.
“Ah-”
Aunt Liu’s body fell back uncontrollably. With a shrill scream, she tumbled into the dry well.
“Bang!!”
A moment later, a dull, agonizing thud echoed from the bottom of the well.
Ye Xiangxiang’s face turned deathly pale with fright.
She stumbled back and fell to the ground.
-She had just pushed Aunt Liu into the well!
The well was very deep. Aunt Liu would surely die from the fall.
Ye Xiangxiang was at a complete loss. Remembering she had managed to snatch the pill, she hurriedly opened the bottle.
A faint, pleasant fragrance wafted out.
She was very familiar with this scent-it was the beauty pill that the young ladies in the capital often took, not some secret restorative at all!
Ye Xiangxiang was dumbfounded.
Aunt Liu had lied to her. There was no pill that could restore her purity.
Ye Xiangxiang sat on the ground, lost and broken, trembling and weeping.
She had killed someone with her own hands, and had no idea what to do next…
Suddenly, a voice said, “Are you just going to sit here and wait to be discovered?”
Ye Xiangxiang jumped in fright.
She spun around and saw Ye Piaoling walking over.
Ye Xiangxiang asked in panic, “Did you see everything?”