The disturbance in the household quickly reached the ears of Yang Yiniang.
She scrambled out of bed and asked her maid, Yinghong, “The Second Madam has detained the kitchen staff? The whole kitchen is locked down?”
“Yes,” Yinghong replied, pale-faced. “I snuck over to take a look. The head cooks have all been tied up. The Old Madam has gone to the Eldest Miss’s courtyard. I didn’t dare approach, but I suspect something happened to the Eldest Miss.”
Yang Yiniang’s eyes darted quickly. “Go find out where the Marquis is.”
“Yes.” Yinghong dashed off.
Yang Yiniang paced anxiously around the room, clutching her handkerchief. A sense of opportunity stirred within her—it must be something serious, and she had to find out what it was.
She quickly called over a young maidservant from her own courtyard, whispered instructions to her, and handed her a small pouch of silver coins.
The maid slipped the silver into her sleeve and reassured, “Don’t worry, Yiniang. I’ll find out.”
“Be quick, and I’ll reward you more later.”
This maid had been selected by Yang Yiniang because she rarely left the courtyard and was thus unfamiliar to most in the household. No one would suspect her.
After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, Yinghong returned first. “The Marquis is drinking with Deqing Marquis and hasn’t returned to the estate yet.”
Yang Yiniang’s expression hardened. “Take two taels of silver and ask an outer court servant to summon the Marquis back, saying there’s been trouble in the estate.”
Yinghong took the silver and hurried off to find a trusted servant to deliver the message.
Meanwhile, the young maid also returned, panting as she reported, “Yiniang, I found out that the Eldest Miss broke out in a rash. It happened after dinner. The Old Madam and the Second Madam are interrogating the kitchen staff now.”
“A rash?” Yang Yiniang muttered to herself. Suddenly, her expression changed. “Go to the Second Miss’s place and see if anyone left the estate.”
After the maid left, Yang Yiniang’s expression grew grim and calculating. Her emotions fluctuated—smiling one moment, gritting her teeth the next. How could this be a coincidence? She didn’t believe it for a second.
Two years ago, her daughter, Qingyin, had similarly developed a rash. At that time, the Old Madam had planned to take the family’s daughters to a palace banquet, but on the eve of their departure, Qingyin fell ill.
Back then, she had been too preoccupied with her daughter’s health. By the time she suspected foul play and tried to find evidence, it was too late.
Although she had subtly hinted to the Marquis, he dismissed her suspicions as mere paranoia.
Her doubts had lingered ever since. Now the Eldest Miss had fallen victim as well. Could it truly be a coincidence?
That seemed too far-fetched.
The frustration of the past two years bubbled up. Perhaps this time, I can finally seek justice.
Yang Yiniang knew her position as a concubine carried little weight, and the Old Madam disliked her. If she tried to point fingers, it might backfire. She needed an ally.
She thought of the Third Madam.
The Third Madam and Second Madam had recently grown closer to the Eldest Miss and would likely be willing to help to curry favor.
Duan Mingxi was applying ointment to her face while outside, the Old Madam, along with the Second Madam, was interrogating the kitchen staff. Madam Jiang, having heard the news late, hurried over. The moment she entered, she scolded Mingxi, saying that it was merely a rash but had caused unrest throughout the entire household.
Duan Huirou followed closely behind Madam Jiang, her expression looking rather unwell.
“Doctor Ren, will my granddaughter’s face be scarred?” the Old Madam asked gravely.
Ren Mian replied in a serious tone, “In response to the Old Madam, the eldest young miss’s dinner was laced with Baiqi Powder, which caused the toxic rash. Fortunately, the issue was caught in time, and the rash wasn’t scratched open. With proper treatment, no scars will remain.”
“Baiqi Powder? What is that?” The Old Madam had never heard of such a thing.
“This is a compound made from dozens of herbs. In 70-80% of cases, consuming it causes a rash. It is not fatal but makes the body unbearably itchy and covered in small bumps. Scratching them can harm the complexion,” Ren Mian explained in detail.
The Old Madam’s face darkened. “How is she now?”
“It was caught early and treated promptly. If the eldest young lady takes the prescribed medicine for two days and continues to apply the ointment externally, she will recover completely in three to five days.”
The Old Madam breathed a sigh of relief and immediately ordered a generous payment for the doctor. She requested Ren Mian to prepare the prescription next door and had a servant accompany him to the pharmacy to fetch the medicine.
Meanwhile, the Second Madam’s interrogation had yet to yield any leads. The kitchen staff adamantly denied any knowledge of the matter. They insisted they had never heard of Baiqi Powder and claimed they would never dare to use such a thing on the eldest young lady.
Their cries of innocence echoed loudly, as if they were facing a grave injustice.
At that moment, the Third Madam arrived with an imposing air. She glanced at Madam Jiang before saying anything.
Madam Jiang, feeling baffled, showed a hint of displeasure on her face. “Third Sister-in-law, what’s wrong with you?”
The Third Madam asked, “Eldest Sister-in-law, are you truly unaware of this matter?”
Madam Jiang was completely confused. “What do you mean by that?”
Seeing her response, the Third Madam thought that Madam Jiang might indeed not know. She ignored her and turned to the Old Madam instead.
“Mother, I caught a young maid sneaking out of the residence. At first, I thought she was just shirking her duties, but after questioning her, I was utterly shocked.”
Duan Huirou, who had been at ease, suddenly stiffened at the Third Madam’s words. She raised her head sharply to look over.
However, the Third Madam ignored her and continued, “And wouldn’t you know, I found something under the maid’s fingernails—something with a medicinal smell.”
The Old Madam’s heart skipped a beat.
The Second Madam, unable to get the kitchen steward to confess, was already upset. Hearing the Third Madam’s words, she couldn’t help but quip, “Oh, how convenient! The doctor is still here; let’s have him examine it.”
At this moment, Madam Jiang seemed to have realized something. She tilted her head slightly to glance at her younger daughter beside her.
Duan Huirou pressed her lips tightly together, looking at her mother with pleading eyes.
Madam Jiang’s vision darkened. She clenched her hands tightly, digging her nails into her palms to steady herself before speaking quickly: “Second Sister-in-law, it’s just a little maid. It’s common for their nails to be dirty, given they do rough work in the household.”
At this point, Duan Mingxi pushed aside the curtains and walked out from the inner room. Her face, covered in red welts, was horrifying to look at.
Madam Jiang froze at the sight of that face, her breathing becoming noticeably erratic.
“What does the Marquis Madam mean by this? I’ve suffered so greatly, and yet even a little maid cannot be interrogated?” Duan Mingxi stared at Madam Jiang. In this moment, any remaining familial affection she had for Madam Jiang vanished.
“That’s not what I meant. You’re not seriously harmed. Why must you create such a disturbance, leaving the entire household in chaos?”
“Am I the one causing chaos? Or is it the person behind this who’s stirring trouble?” Duan Mingxi snapped angrily.
Her voice echoed through the hall, startling Madam Jiang so much that her knees nearly buckled.
Duan Huirou hurriedly supported her mother, glaring at Duan Mingxi with indignation. “Why are you shouting at Mother? You truly lack filial piety, just as expected of someone who wasn’t raised in the household.”
Duan Mingxi gave Duan Huirou a cold glance before speaking each word deliberately: “Let Doctor Ren examine it! If it’s confirmed to be Baiqi powder, all those involved will receive fifty strokes and be dragged off for interrogation. If anyone is beaten to death, I’ll take responsibility!”
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