A guard came in from the courtyard when he heard Old Lady Fang’s instruction. He placed a small porcelain bottle beneath Lingzhi’s nose.
An acrid scent filled the room.
Concubine Yuan watched the scene from where she was kneeling on the floor through the cracks in her fingers.
It looked like there was no more child. Lingzhi would be cast away like a worn-out shoe. When she was with child, she ate food personally prepared by Lady, but without a child, they wouldn’t even call a doctor when she was bleeding.
Old Lady was merciless and callous, but that was nothing.
Concubine Yuan couldn’t help but shiver.
Lingzhi sneezed violently several times as she slowly came into consciousness.
But the newly awoken Lingzhi only had a moment’s time to be distracted. When she saw the blood beneath her, she recalled what had happened. Alarmed, she screamed.
"Lingzhi, what happened? How did you become like this? Who came here? What was done to you?" Lady Fang stamped out her screams with a flood of questions.
At Lady Fang’s interrogation, Lingzhi looked around the room, terrified. She saw the people kneeling on the ground.
Concubine Yuan, Concubine Su, Fang Jinxiu, and Liu’er.
Liu’er.
Liu’er, as expected, had been around.
Lingzhi looked at the blood on her and shuddered.
With this much blood, the child was definitely gone.
This indeed was the her desired result, but she didn't use the medicine she had prepared.
What had happened? It was definitely something that she ate.
Today, the only thing she had eaten was food sent by Lady. It seemed that there were only two outsiders here.
Lingzhi's gaze fell to Concubine Yuan and Concubine Su.
"I did not give you any tea." Concubine Yuan felt anxious when she felt her gaze. She couldn’t help but shout, "Lady, you saw it."
Everyone looked at her.
"She hasn’t said anything yet. What are you flustered for?" Lady Fang scolded.
Concubine Yuan lifted her hand and slapped herself. She held her face and continued crying.
Lingzhi next looked at Concubine Su who was on the ground.
Her expression was stiff; she had no reaction.
That bowl of sweet soup…
Lingzhi clenched her hand, her heart in a precarious place.
Was it Concubine Su?
The only suspicious thing was that bowl of soup and Concubine Su. But what if Lady really did have Concubine Su send the soup? If she eliminated this chance, it would not be easy to find another one.
Moreover, there was still the medicine powder hidden beneath her bed.
If that was found, then everything would be over.
No matter. This was the will of Heaven.
Lingzhi’s eyes passed over Concubine Su and fell onto Liu’er.
When they met eyes, Liu’er smiled. She scoffed at her, unable to disguise her joy at her catastrophe.
This cheap slut. And Miss Jun too.
If she didn’t eliminate them, then she would not be able to live well in the Fang Family in the future.
Lingzhi lifted her hand and rubbed her tears, then pointed at Liu’er.
"It’s her," she sobbed.
At this, everyone in the room had a different expression.
Lady Fang was stunned.
Concubine Yuan leaned against the ground heavily and let out a breath. She clutched her heart.
Although Concubine Su was kneeling upright, her shoulders were tight and stiff. When she looked next to Fang Jinxiu, her wooden face filled with anxiousness.
Liu’er had come with Fang Jinxiu. She had given birth to Fang Jinxiu.
This response was human nature.
Fang Jinxiu was not paying attention to her. She was angrily glaring at Liu’er.
Liu’er was staring, wide-eyed. She spat then jumped to her feet.
Old Lady Fang was still looking at all of them, not saying anything.
"Has the little wench gone mad?" Liu’er cursed.
"It’s you; the only one is you," Lingzhi sobbed.
"What is going on
?" Lady Fang raised her voice.
"I-I was in the room, then I saw Third Miss bring Liu’er in. Concubine Su and Third Miss went to your room," Lingzhi said. "I went to the bathroom, and when I went out I saw Liu’er in the room, standing by the table."
Fang Jinxiu stood up. She looked at Liu’er with eyes of anger.
This stupid servant, I told you not to go in so don’t. Are you looking for trouble?
"Hey, have your eyes gone bad?" Liu’er shouted. "I was outside the whole time."
"Continue," Lady Fang told Lingzhi coldly.
"I-I went out and asked what she was doing. She didn’t say anything and ran out." Lingzhi lowered her head. "I didn’t take it as anything, so I went to pick up a cup from the table and th-then…"
At this point, her sorrow overtook her and she couldn't get out anymore words.
"Y-you really are..." Liu'er was flabbergasted. She looked like she was gonna pounce on Lingzhi. "You dare play such a game with me. Do you think I’m some old vegetarian lady?"
She shouted and moved as if she was going to hit her. Lingzhi screamed and dodged.
"Stop her," said Lady Fang.
Several of the guards immediately grabbed Liu'er like they were picking up a chicken.
"Let me go, let me go!" Liu'er writhed in their grasp.
"Make her shut up," said Lady Fang.
A guard produced a peace of cloth from somewhere and stuffed it into her mouth.
The room was quiet again save for the sounds of Lingzhi’s weak sobs.
Concubine Yuan’s eyes were darting around wildly. Concubine Su was expressionless once again, and Fang Jinxiu’s expression was wildly fluctuating.
Old Lady Fang still didn’t say anything. Lady Fang was exhausted.
"This…" she began.
"Mother," interrupted Fang Jinxiu as she got to her feat. "Liu’er would not do this kind of thing. It definitely wasn’t Liu’er."
Concubine Yuan looked at Fang Jinxiu and her jaw dropped. Concubine Su lowered her head.
Liu’er whose mouth was stopped nodded vigorously at Fang Jinxiu.
"Why?" Lady Fang asked. "You saw it?"
"I didn’t," said Fang Jinxiu.
"Then how do you know for sure it wasn’t her?" asked Lady Fang. "Is it because she came with you, so you’re afraid of being implicated?"
Fang Jinxiu shook her head angrily.
"Mother, Liu’er only listens to Jun Zhenzhen, and Jun Zhenzhen would not do such a stupid thing," she said.
Really, how annoying. Didn’t everyone hate Jun Zhenzhen? Why was Third Miss speaking up for her?
Lingzhi sobbed into her hands.
"I don’t know, maybe it wasn’t her. I just drank that water...maybe it’s my own body that’s not well," she said.
"Lady, since it’s like that, have someone investigate." Concubine Yuan lifted her head. "See if Miss Lingzhi partook of medicine…"
Lady Fang looked at Old Lady Fang. "Mother…"
The ever silent Old Lady Fang slapped the table.
A senior guard standing behind her came over to inspect Lingzhi. He then stood up and nodded at Old Lady Fang.
"It was poison," he said.
This definitely was no accident. Lingzhi had done all she had to do. What happened next had nothing to do with her; she only had to wait peacefully. She continued to sob on the ground.
Concubine Yuan did not speak. Fang Jinxiu clenched her hands. She was about to say something when Old Lady Fang slapped the table again.
"Enough," she said.
She stood up and slowly walked over to Concubine Yuan and Concubine Su.
Concubine Yuan was fiddling with her lapels, almost choking.
Concubine Su’s expression was still blank. Fang Jinxiu forcefully held her tongue.
Old Lady Fang stopped.
"Don’t you think it’s strange?" she said from above, looking at Concubine Su. "Why did the medicine cause her to miscarry?"