Chapter 132: Chapter 131: Silence a Witness to Murder_1
Nanny Tong, Chun Tao, and Lu Ping hurried to catch up with Bai Qingyan after they paid their respects.
âBig sister!â Bai Jinzhi shouted, wanting to chase after her, but Bai Jintong held her back.
âBig sister doesnât want us to see her weak side. Wait a little!â Bai Jintong said.
âBut⊠but big sister cried!â
Bai Jinxiu glanced back at the brightly lit mourning hall and lowered her eyes. âYes⊠big sister cried. Being separated from her closest kin, her pain is beyond words, like a blunt knife cutting flesh, making it impossible to eat or sleep peacefully.â
Nanny Jiang looked in the direction Bai Qingyan left, tears streaming down her face, unsure of what to do. She had advised the Eldest Princess⊠if Big Young Lady knew about killing Ji Tingyu, it would surely cause a rift between them. But she never expected Big Young Lady to be so resolute in severing their relationship with the Eldest Princess!
...
Nanny Jiang couldnât care about much else and rushed into the mourning hall, afraid that the Eldest Princess might have an accident.
âThat illegitimate son cannot be kept!â Fifth Lady Mrs. Qi suddenly spoke, âI will talk to mother!â
Saying this, Fifth Lady held her lower back and entered the mourning hall.
âJinxiu, Jintong, Jinzhi, you three should go see your big sister after a while. Donât let her⊠be too upset! Tell your big sister that we will persuade your grandmother here!â Mrs. Dong gently instructed.
âYes!â Bai Jinxiu bowed and led her two younger sisters away.
âEldest Princess!â Nanny Jiangâs frantic voice came from outside.
Mrs. Dong, Second Lady Mrs. Liu, and Third Lady Mrs. Li were all startled. They hastily lifted the hems of their skirts and rushed into the mourning hall.
Mrs. Dong saw the Eldest Princess fainted in the mourning hall and shouted, âQuick! Take my name card and invite the Imperial Physician! Nanny Qin, call someone to take mother back to Changshou Courtyard!â
The mourning hall instantly turned chaotic, but for Bai Qingyanâs reputation, Mrs. Dong couldnât let the news of the Eldest Princess fainting after confronting Bai Qingyan in the mourning hall spread!
She grabbed Nanny Qin, who was about to rush out to call for help, and said, âThe Eldest Princess fainted because she was grieving over our grandfather. Remember that!â
Nanny Qin nodded repeatedly.
·
In the rear courtyard.
Bai Qingyan entered the courtyard, where the doctor, bleeding profusely, lay weakly on the ground, and Jade Lotus, impersonating Mrs. Ji Liu, knelt there crying incessantly.
Seeing Bai Qingyan returning and walking straight into the room, Jade Lotus immediately kneeled and crawled forward, shouting, âBig Lady! I beg you to give me a quick death! Let me die!â
Her steps halted, her fist clenched tightly. She turned her head and said to Lu Ping, âUncle Ping, order someone to take Jade Lotus back to the manor. Keep the whole family of the manor steward, Wang Wangen, under strict watch. Give a proper burial to Ji Tingyuâs wife, Mrs. Ji Liu! Then have Nanny Qin assign a capable steward to thoroughly investigate what Wang Wangen has done over the years. Gather all evidence and hand it over to the official government in the name of the Dukeâs Mansion!â
âYes!â Lu Ping clasped his fists and responded.
âBig Lady! Big Lady, please kill me right here! Otherwise, my mother will not survive! I beg you, Big Lady!â Jade Lotus pleaded in terror.
She turned her head to look at Jade Lotus, her voice calm as water. âYour mother is likely already one step ahead of you in the Netherworld.â
Murdering to silence witnesses.
How could her grandmother leave Jade Lotusâs mother, a knowledgeable person, alive?!
They had arranged a dead end for Jade Lotus, the same for her mother.
The truest love in this world is willing to trade oneâs own life for a loved oneâs survival but shouldnât place their life or death in the hands of others! And certainly shouldnât exchange someone elseâs life for it.
Jade Lotusâs eyes widened. âNo! No! My father promised me!â
âThen go back and see for yourself! Take her awayâŠâ
With that, she stepped into the inner room.
At that moment, the poison had already been forced down Ji Tingyuâs throat, and needles had been administered. When Bai Qingyan entered, Ji Tingyu was lying on the bed, vomiting black blood profusely.
âGood, good, good! Vomit it all out! Vomit it all out!â Doctor Hong unhesitatingly supported Ji Tingyuâs back, feeling relieved.
The heart that had been in her throat finally began to calm down.
Doctor Huang instructed Chun Xing to take away the black blood Ji Tingyu vomited and checked Ji Tingyuâs pulse. âFortunately, the poison wasnât deep. If no one had discovered it tonight, even a living Hua Tuo couldnât have saved him!â
âThank you, Doctor Huang. Thank you, Doctor Hong!â She bowed solemnly.
âBig Lady, thereâs no need for such words. We are doctors⊠our duty is to heal and save lives!â Doctor Huang cupped his hands and sat at a table to write, âI will prescribe some detoxifying and nourishing medicine!â
That night, Bai Qingyan sat in Ji Tingyuâs room, quietly watching the bloodless Ji Tingyu, contemplating how to tell him about the illegitimate son who had harmed his newlywed wife after he woke up.
·
The Imperial Physician administered acupuncture to the Eldest Princess, who woke up but could no longer sleep after taking the medicine.
Leaning against the cushion embroidered with colorful silk threads depicting magnolia flowers, she had Nanny Jiang take out half a black jade dragon-patterned pendant from a hidden compartment and carefully caressed it.
Nanny Jiang, fearing that the Eldest Princess would use the Hidden Guard to restrain Bai Qingyan, leading to a complete dissolution of their grandmother-granddaughter relationship, knelt in tears before the Eldest Princessâs bed. âYour Highness! This old servant knows your heart is pained. You want to ensure the Bai family lineage continues. But the Big Young Lady is right! Every daughter of the Dukeâs Mansion is outstanding! Any one of them staying at home to marry is better than that illegitimate son! The Big Young Lady was raised and cherished by you! Could you really sever your relationship with her for that illegitimate son?! Fortunately, Ji Tingyu is safe now, and there is still a chance to make amends. Your Highness must not protect that illegitimate son anymore! Think of the oath the Big Young Lady made in the mourning hall! Do you really want the Big Young Lady to die?!â
Upon hearing Nanny Jiang refer to her as âYour Highnessâ again, the Eldest Princess tightly gripped the jade pendant in her hand. She recalled her granddaughter Kid kneeling and severing their ties through three kowtows in the mourning hall. Her heart felt as if it was being torn apart, the pain unbearable, and she closed her eyes, her face streaked with tears.
In this world, there was no such thing as having the best of both worldsâŠ
She had been too greedy, wanting to keep that illegitimate son and maintain her bond with Kid. As a result, she had driven Kid and herself into opposition, with Kid vowing to kill that illegitimate son.
Only one of us, that illegitimate son and I, can survive in this world! If he doesnât die, I will not rest in peace!
Recalling the oath Kid made in the mourning hall, the Eldest Princessâs hand trembled, and a cold chill ran through her body.
No, she couldnât sacrifice Kidâs life for that illegitimate sonâŠ
Kid was the apple of her eye! The one she had nurtured and loved dearly!
She couldnât!
Given the choice between the two, she would always choose KidâŠ
Whether for the Bai family or for her own selfish reasons!
Such a vile and despicable creature could never compare to her precious Kid!
Kid had already won the moment she wagered her own life!
Reflecting on her granddaughterâs heartfelt words in the mourning hall, the Eldest Princess finally realized that she had aged.