The Prisoner of Beauty - Chapter 78

Chapter 78

The kitty cat leapt onto the ground, drew close to the spilt noodles to sniff at them, and gave a "meow," extending its tongue about to lick them. Xiao Qiao bent her body and scooped it up with a single grasp, subsequently carrying it to the doorway and releasing it outside.

The moment she lifted her head, her gaze swept across Nanny Jiang, who was currently waiting within the corridor, gathering her expression into her eyes. Subsequently, without revealing her emotions, she turned around and returned within the room.

The room suddenly fell into a state of quiet.

Lady Zhu gazed at that lump of noodles intermingled amidst the broken bowl fragments upon the ground, her face unsightly to the extreme. Abruptly lifting her eyes, she glared at Xiao Qiao in fury, appearing as if she were about to flare up. Just as she was forcibly restraining herself, Nanny Zhong suppressed the doubts within her heart and hurriedly stepped forward first to smooth things over: "This cat is truly mischievous, and is furthermore spoiled rotten. Even when held in one's hands, it drills this way and that. Just now, we watched with our own eyes as it unexpectedly leapt out on its own, happening to knock over the tray. Madam must not take offense."

Madame Xu cast a glance at Xiao Qiao. Seeing her expression remained completely natural, as if nothing had happened, and that she unexpectedly did not explain anything to Lady Zhu either, she also felt this abnormal reaction of hers was peculiar within her heart. It was merely that she did not think toward the depths either. Noticing that Lady Zhu's face was unsightly to the extreme and that she wished to flare up, yet was probably unable to dare to do so before her own presence, she let out a secret sigh in her heart, thinking to herself, Her disposition is ultimately still biased toward narrow-mindedness. Thus she opened her mouth and said: "Let it pass, it was nothing more than an inanimate, unintelligent living thing. It has been broken, so it has been broken. Your intent, I have accepted. Next turn when I wish to eat, I shall call you to make it again! This morning I am also fatigued; you return first."

Lady Zhu secretly hated Xiao Qiao in her heart, suspecting that she had intentionally released the cat to knock over her own tray, not allowing her to execute her filial piety before Madame Xu. It was merely that even Madame Xu spoke in this manner, her tone clearly carrying a bit of a partial meaning, making her all the more resentful. Exerting her utmost to restrain it upon her face, she complied with a phrase, and after bidding farewell, she went out, departing together with Nanny Jiang, who continuously turned her head back.

Nanny Zhong called the serving women inside to clear away the spilt noodles along with the soups, waters, and messes upon the ground. She herself served Madame Xu to lie back down upon the bed once more.

Xiao Qiao watched from the side. Waiting until that serving woman finished clearing up and was about to go out, she spoke to Nanny Zhong: "Can Nanny take a step aside to speak?"

Nanny Zhong cast a glance at her and complied. Giving a word of notification to Madame Xu, the two subsequently went out of the room.

The moment they went out of the room, Xiao Qiao ordered that serving woman who had just swept the floor to bring along the swept-up leftover soup and cold noodles, following after them. Nanny Zhong contained doubts down in her heart, restraining herself from asking, merely following Xiao Qiao to an open space in the courtyard. Xiao Qiao ordered the serving woman to set down the spilt noodles and depart first. Once there was no one around in the four directions, only then did she say: "Nanny must have seen it out just now; in truth, I intentionally released the cat to collide with and overturn the tray within the Madam's hands."

Nanny Zhong had naturally also perceived it. Although she was also doubtful at that time, she still stepped forward to smooth things over. Seeing her actively bring it up, she subsequently said: "Why did the Lady act in this manner?"

Xiao Qiao said straight out: "I suspect there are unclean things within this noodle soup."

Nanny Zhong was slightly startled. Looking toward Xiao Qiao: "Does the Lady know the meaning within these words of yours?"

Xiao Qiao drew a deep breath and said: "I naturally know. To not conceal it, I do not possess complete certainty. But since I possessed suspicion, taking grandmother's safety into consideration, even if I clearly knew this action was improper, I could not avoid doing it first."

Nanny Zhong gazed at her for a long duration, her expression gradually easing as she nodded and said: "The Lady acted rightly. Provided there is suspicion, regardless of whether it is clean or not, it absolutely cannot be delivered to the Old Madame. The Lady is usually an extremely orderly person. Since you struck today and furthermore called me over, there must presumably be a reason for the matter. Please speak, Lady."

Xiao Qiao said: "Nanny also knows that since entering the door, I have consistently failed to obtain my mother-in-law's joy. That useful Nanny Jiang by her side is all the more everywhere instigating my mother-in-law to target me. I shall also not conceal it from Nanny; I know I stem from the Qiao family, and the Qiao and Wei families possessed grievances in the past. As the saying goes, the heart to defend against others is indispensable, so I let my wet nurse associate with Nanny Huang within the Eastern Chambers, entrusting her to pay more attention to Nanny Jiang's movements during ordinary days. If there were any anomaly, she was to come inform me so that I could make early preparations. It was precisely several days ago that Nanny Huang came to report, claiming Nanny Jiang quietly went out of the estate from the back gate and went into the local marquis's residence surnamed Li in the west of the city. She did not take the side door, conversely entering from the back gate as well, coming out after no more than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, her traces treacherous. I inquired into it a bit; my mother-in-law and that local marquis's Madam should possess no great interactions during ordinary days. I subsequently placed it upon my heart, entrusting someone to pay attention to that local marquis's Madam. It was precisely this morning that I obtained news, claiming the local marquis's Madam hides a wondrously unique snake venom in her hands that comes from the Kingdom of Shendu, capable of killing with a single drop. Thinking on how Nanny Jiang could unexpectedly hide it from the Madam to interact privately with that local marquis's Madam, I felt uneasy in my heart and hurried back home. When coming toward this side, I happened to see Nanny Jiang's person outside the door, and again saw my mother-in-law currently delivering food to grandmother. Dreading the absolute worst, in a moment of urgency, I also did not think much, subsequently releasing the cat to go out and knock over the tray."

Following along with Xiao Qiao's speech, Nanny Zhong's expression grew more and more solemn.

Xiao Qiao said: "Nanny, I also said just now. I do not know whether Nanny Jiang went to the local marquis's residence to actually fetch the snake venom back in the end. Even if she fetched it, whom she wished to drug to death, I also have no way of knowing. Everything just now was merely my intuition! Therefore, I also did not dare to make a clamor before grandmother's presence, only calling Nanny out to speak. Regardless of whether this bowl of noodles is clean or not, this Nanny Jiang—in the future, Nanny must definitely pay attention to her!"

Nanny Zhong stared fixedly at that lump of spilt noodles gathered within the dustpan. Abruptly taking it, she walked with rapid steps to that large earthenware basin in the corner of the courtyard where the golden carp were raised, pouring the spilt noodles along with the soup juices completely down into it.

Xiao Qiao stepped forward, holding her breath, and together with Nanny Zhong, opened her eyes wide to gaze upon it.

The goldfish inside the basin, seeing the food cast in, initially swam over to compete in pecking and eating. After a brief moment, their swimming became sluggish. After another brief moment, one, then two—the five or six large goldfish inside that had been raised for many years unexpectedly all slowly floated up to the surface of the water, turning over their bellies.

Xiao Qiao cast a glance at Nanny Zhong.

Nanny Zhong's two eyes stared dead-fixedly at the goldfish that had turned over their bellies, her face abruptly turning deathly pale with rage. Her two eyes were as if rising with a furious fire; turning around violently, she dashed swiftly toward Madame Xu's room.

...

Nanny Jiang followed Lady Zhu back to the Eastern Chambers, her mood actually uneasy to the absolute extreme.

She could never have imagined in her wildest dreams that, seeing that bowl of noodle soup was just about to be delivered into Madame Xu's hands, it would unexpectedly be knocked to the ground by a cat that suddenly flew out.

Recalling that glance the Qiao girl had cast toward her when she escorted the cat out the door, she could not restrain herself; the nerves of her entire body all pulled tightly.

It was impossible for the Qiao girl to know the inside story of this bowl of noodles.

But why would it be such a coincidence that precisely at this juncture, the cat she cradled within her embrace flew out, happening to spoil the major matter that had been meticulously planned?

According to the previous agreement, outside the back gate, there should currently be a person waiting for her to deliver the news.

She felt restless, as if a sinister wind were blowing across her back. She wished to go out quickly to pass the news out. Yet Lady Zhu continuously spoke with her, cursing the Qiao girl's sinister motives before her face, unable to bear seeing Madame Xu regard herself favorably in the slightest.

Nanny Jiang endured her temperament to advise her, finally soothing Lady Zhu down slightly and escorting her back to her room. Just as she was hurriedly about to rush to the back gate, she heard a burst of footsteps rise within the courtyard. Lifting her head, she saw Nanny Zhong leading seven or eight elderly women coming within.

Nanny Zhong stood there, her two gazes like icicles overgrown with backward barbs, sweeping over her coldly from head to foot. Without saying anything, the two serving women behind her came up, seizing Nanny Jiang—who stood frozen at the doorway—by pinning her arms behind her back.

Lady Zhu was inside the room, blanking out for a brief moment. Suddenly hearing a burst of chaotic footsteps travel from the courtyard, it appeared quite a number of people had come. Messed up in her heart, she rose and was just about to go out to berate them when she suddenly saw the door be pushed open, and Nanny Zhong appeared at the doorway.

Lady Zhu froze: "What have you come to do?"

Nanny Zhong gazed fixedly at Lady Zhu, saying: "The Old Madame ordered me to invite you over; there are matters she wishes to ask."

Lady Zhu did not understand the reason. Faintly, she felt it should be that some matter disadvantageous to herself had arisen. She immediately thought of that suppressing doll hidden within her room. Her heart subsequently went thud-thud with thumping. But turning her thoughts to consider it, this matter was secret, so it was impossible to let people know. In the end, she forced her mind to steady, slowly rising as she said with a smile: "Do you perhaps know what matter it is?"

Nanny Zhong said indifferently: "Once the Madam goes, you shall know."

Lady Zhu went toward the Northern Rooms once more with an anxious mind. The moment the person left, Nanny Zhong swept her gaze across the room, instructing the subordinates: "Bring all the people within this room to be watched over. Search meticulously; not a single corner can be let pass."

"Do not make a clamor."

In the end, she exhorted a phrase in this manner.

...

Lady Zhu arrived at the Northern Rooms. Initially, she was not permitted to enter the main room.

She was brought by serving women into a side ear-room. Waiting for a long duration, she gradually began to feel impatient. Rising several times to go out, she was unexpectedly blocked by the serving women at the doorway every time.

Upon being blocked for the third time, Lady Zhu finally flew into a rage: "What great audacity! Could it be my son is not the master of the Wei Estate? To unexpectedly treat me with such negligence!"

"Madam, please come."

A serving woman who attended at Madame Xu's side suddenly walked over and spoke.

Lady Zhu cast a resentful glare at the serving woman who had blocked her from going out just now, going toward the main room.

She entered within, seeing that within the room there was only Madame Xu alone sitting upon the couch, her eyes closed as if she had entered meditation.

Lady Zhu stopped beside the desk several steps away from her. Gazing at her for a brief moment, for a time she also did not dare to voice out first. Waiting for another brief moment, finally unable to restrain herself, she asked carefully: "I wonder for what matter mother-in-law has called me over?"

Madame Xu slowly opened her eyes, her single eye staring fixedly at Lady Zhu, remaining without a single word from beginning to end.

Lady Zhu's heart jumped and her flesh crept.

"Since you do not know, I, this old woman, shall tell you then. Nanny Zhong, bring all the things inside to let her look."

Madame Xu spoke indifferently.

Nanny Zhong immediately complied and entered within, arranging the things upon the ground before Lady Zhu's presence.

On the left was a dish containing dead fish; on the right was a doll. Upon the brow of the doll was stained a drop of blood of a darkened color, looking strange and grim.

The moment Lady Zhu caught a glimpse of the doll, her face immediately turned white.

"These few fish have been raised within the courtyard basin for several years already. Just now, I poured that dragon-whisker noodle dish you carried over early this morning into the basin, and the fish were subsequently poisoned to death, turning over their bellies."

"This shamanic doll was also found from within your room just now, and upon it happens to be the Old Madame's birth characters!"

"You unexpectedly plotted to harm the Old Madame in this manner. The sinister nature of your motives is simply too mind-boggling!"

Nanny Zhong's voice traveled over word by word, ice-cold.

Lady Zhu's eyes opened completely round, her sight shifting from those few fish that had already died rigid onto the doll, and shifting from the doll onto the dead fish once more. After repeating it in this manner several times, her entire person began to shake, shaking more and more violently, almost becoming unable to stand upon her legs and feet. Suddenly, she let out a sharp cry of lamentation, violently throwing herself to kneel upon the ground.

"It was not me! Mother-in-law! How could the noodles I sent over poison the golden carp to death? It must definitely be a mistake! The birth characters upon this doll—I was also framed by someone! The one I wanted to suppress was not you, mother-in-law! How would I dare to be disadvantageous toward you, mother-in-law! I have never thought of harming you, mother-in-law, you must believe me—"

Lady Zhu continuously lamented.

Upon Madame Xu's face, not a single bit of a furious expression could unexpectedly be seen; her expression was peaceful, merely looking at her with a kind of gaze that was close to compassion.

"These noodles were not made by me! The poison within the noodles was all the more not placed by me! It was Nanny Jiang who called me to carry the noodles over for mother-in-law to eat!"

Lady Zhu appeared to suddenly think of something, saying in a flurry, "Quickly call Nanny Jiang over! She definitely knows! She can bear witness for me!"

Nanny Zhong said: "Nanny Jiang confessed just now that the poison within these noodles was something you ordered her to fetch from that local marquis's Madam surnamed Li and place within the noodles, intending to murder the Old Madame. Nanny Jiang also confessed that you feared in the event that you could not poison the Old Madame, you furthermore instigated your niece to go to the Grand Shaman to request this doll to execute the ritual to suppress her! What else do you have to say?"

Lady Zhu was as if struck by a thunderbolt, her face deathly pale. Unable to catch a single breath, she unexpectedly fell headlong onto the ground. After falling down and recovering consciousness, her throat let out two "gurgle" sounds, and she spoke in a hissing voice: "Let that old devout hag come, I want to tear her apart! She unexpectedly framed me in this manner! It was she who called me to carry the noodles over for you, mother-in-law! I remember clearly, upon the doll were that Qiao girl's birth characters! It was not you, mother-in-law! That old devout hag harmed me!"

Lady Zhu suddenly appeared as if her mind had been blessed with a sudden stroke of insight, scrambling up from the ground in one movement.

"I originally also did not think to suppress the Qiao girl; it was that old devout hag who egged me on! I all the more dared not harm you, mother-in-law! Mother-in-law, you must investigate clearly for me, you cannot teach me to bear this crime..."

When Madame Xu heard the phrase "originally also did not think to suppress the Qiao girl" emerge from within her mouth, a sliver of a shadow flitted across her eyes.

She waved her hand slightly toward the direction of the doorway.

Nanny Zhong caught her meaning. Two serving women subsequently entered within swiftly, forcibly dragging Lady Zhu—who was still rolling upon the ground continuously crying out her grievances—downward.

The person was dragged away, yet that strand upon strand of echoing sound from the lamentations appeared as if it still wound above the housebeams, circling continuously for a long duration without breaking.

Madame Xu sat there fixedly, remaining without a single word. Suddenly closing her eyes briefly, her body swayed slightly.

Nanny Zhong had consistently been gazing at her, and seeing the situation, she went up in a flurry, catching her with a single support.

"This servant shall support you to lie down! Invite the Leling Physician to come!"

...

As night fell, the Wei Estate appeared completely peaceful as before.

The Leling Physician had come during the day.

Madame Xu woke up from sleep, and Nanny Zhong served her to drink a few sips of water. Her spirit appeared to slowly begin to recover.

Beside the edge of her bed curled that kitty cat, its eyes closed, still drowsy and about to sleep.

Madame Xu lifted her hand to stroke the cat, asking Nanny Zhong who was to the side: "Before Nanny Jiang bit her tongue to commit suicide to escape her crime, she still maintained with one mouth that she was instigated by Lady Zhu?"

Nanny Zhong said: "This servant already applied heavy torture. It was merely that at that time, she maintained with one mouth that she was instigated by the Madam. This servant also dispatched people to apprehend Zheng Shu, and Zheng Shu likewise confessed that it was hearing the Madam's instigation that she only then sought out the Grand Shaman to apply the method of suppression."

"It was this servant's negligence. I unexpectedly did not think that Nanny Jiang would crash against the wall to die so quickly." Nanny Zhong was extremely self-reproachful.

Madame Xu's hand reposed upon the cat's back for a brief moment, and she suddenly said: "You say, with Lady Zhu's courage, would she dare to murder me in this manner?"

Nanny Zhong hesitated for a bit and said: "Nanny Jiang confessed on her own that she was instigated by the Madam to obtain the snake venom from the hands of that local marquis's woman surnamed Li. It is merely that hearing what the Lady spoke, it appeared as if Nanny Jiang possessed the intent to play with the Madam within the palm of her hand." Seeing Madame Xu look over, she again said, "This servant dispatched people during the day to apprehend that local marquis's woman surnamed Li. Unanticipatedly, only after arriving did we know that the woman was late to rise this morning. The serving women within her household initially believed she was asleep, but entering the room later, they saw her eyes were open, and her thoughts appeared as if they were also clear, yet her hands and feet were paralyzed and her mouth was unable to speak, looking exactly as if she had suffered a stroke. They hurriedly invited a physician, but the physician was also helpless. Right now she is lying there just like a living corpse."

Madame Xu wrinkled her brow: "Could there be such a coincidence?"

"This servant also feels it is a coincidence. I have already ordered the Yuyang Magistrate to investigate the case."

Madame Xu's hand slowly continued to stroke the cat. The cat woke up, stretched its back, leaped off the bed in a single bound, and went out the room door.

Madame Xu escorted the cat's departing silhouette with her eyes, a sliver of a tender color gradually flowing out within her gaze.

"Where is my grandson's wife?"

She asked suddenly.

Nanny Zhong said: "In the evening when the Old Madame took her medicine and slept down, the Lady was still continuously accompanying you. Being well advised by me, she only returned a short while ago, saying she would come again tomorrow morning."

"If it were not for her coming timely this morning, and furthermore being alert and on guard, I fear at this moment I would have already lost my life at the hands of that fierce and foolish daughter-in-law of mine!"

Madame Xu blanked out in thought for a brief moment before speaking.

"It is best for the Old Madame to look on the bright side, do not stir up anger to harm your own body."

Madame Xu slowly shook her head: "You do not know, what anger do I have to possess? Although consecutively losing sons and grandsons is the misfortune of the family gate, right now as I approach old age, not only do I have Shao'er, I furthermore obtained such a Qiao girl to serve as a grandson's wife. Where there is loss there must be gain; the Heavenly Way always revolves. I ought to be content."

...

On this day, starting from the morning, one after another, too many matters had occurred.

Xiao Qiao dragged her two fatigued legs back to her room, took a bath, threw herself onto the bed, and subsequently closed her eyes.

Her grandmother's pass of life and death from her past life had finally been crossed without peril or mishap.

Passing through this calamity, in the future her grandmother and Nanny Zhong would definitely also possess a degree of alertness. For that black hand that stretched into the Wei family's home to want to strike again, it would fearfully not be that easy.

Even though the outcome still contained regrets, during the subsequent future, at least she did not have to constantly be filled with anxiety and fear over her grandmother being killed by someone.

Xiao Qiao was actually already satisfied.

She closed her eyes, quickly falling asleep.