The maid placed the dishes on the table. Zhang Minhua dismissed her and then looked at her daughter, curled up in bed, wrapped in a quilt. "Get up and eat something first, then drink your medicine."
Curled up facing the wall, Zhou Shuyao closed her eyes, her face pale. Even though the heated kang was exceptionally warm, her body still trembled uncontrollably. She didn't want to think, but the gruesome scene of Fu Langhuan's death kept replaying in her mind, impossible to drive away.
"Shuyao." With a long sigh, Zhang Minhua sat on the edge of the bed and gently stroked Zhou Shuyao's head. Zhang Minhua, usually dignified, virtuous, and even somewhat stern, now wore a look of maternal worry and unease.
"Mother, I don't want to eat. I can't eat," Zhou Shuyao choked out, wishing she could turn back time. Why had she come to Xiangwu County? If she had stayed in Linzhou Prefecture with the Zhou family, none of this would have happened.
"As long as you didn't kill anyone, Mother will absolutely not let anyone falsely accuse you. But if you fall ill and can't bear it, even if your name is cleared, what will you do if your health is ruined?" The thought of all that Zhou Shuyao was enduring caused a flash of sternness to cross Zhang Minhua's meticulously made-up face.
Let them not find out who the mastermind is, otherwise, even if it cost her life, she would seek justice for Shuyao.
Zhou Shuyao, still curled in the quilt, remained unmoved. Her headache had subsided, and she could recall fragmented memories. She remembered arguing with Fu Langhuan.
As for who struck first, Zhou Shuyao couldn't recall. But she remembered the scene of them fighting.
Zhou Shuyao could vaguely remember why they argued. It seemed Fu Langhuan was arrogant because she was sure she would marry Yang Xu.
Zhou Shuyao couldn't stand Fu Langhuan's condescending demeanor. She seemed to have said, "A merchant's daughter can at most be a concubine."
This blunt truth likely enraged Fu Langhuan. Zhou Shuyao closed her eyes, trying hard to recall. She didn't even mind the headache. After she spoke, Fu Langhuan had gone mad, smashing things. How they ended up fighting, Zhou Shuyao couldn't remember at all.
Seeing Zhou Shuyao's unresponsiveness, Zhang Minhua, thinking of the various forces involved in the case, had to speak sternly, "Shuyao, the county constables are waiting outside. Half an hour ago, Magistrate Zhu took his men to the Qiu residence. He'll likely come to question you soon. You must eat, even if you have to force it down!"
If they were in Linzhou Prefecture, or if it were simply a murder case, Zhang Minhua could have hidden the truth for Zhou Shuyao. But the moment she thought of Zhang Yiyi, who was in the county jail – the wife of the Marquis of Zhenbian, now also imprisoned – her heart sank.
The waters in Xiangwu County were too deep. Those people didn't even respect the Marquis of Zhenbian's estate, let alone the small Zhou family or Zhang family. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to scheme and frame Shuyao.
No matter how angry or worried Zhang Minhua was, her mind remained clear. For now, they could only react to whatever came. Shuyao's priority was to take care of her health. If she fell ill and died, the murder charge would never be cleared.
Perhaps startled by Zhang Minhua's stern words, Zhou Shuyao's stomach began to ache from hunger. Finally, she got up, dressed, and sat at the table, eating without tasting anything.
Zhang Minhua, also hungry after a morning of busyness, breathed a sigh of relief and picked up her chopsticks.
Two quarters of an hour later, the maid cleared the bowls and chopsticks and brought the ginseng soup that had been simmering all morning. She then retreated outside the door, leaving only the mother and daughter in the inner room.
"Shuyao, try to recall last night's events carefully. Your uncle will be here soon." Zhang Minhua spoke gently, looking at her distraught daughter with affection. She hadn't even reached her capping ceremony and had already suffered such a malicious scheme. But regret was useless now. The priority was to protect Shuyao.
After Zhang Minhua and Zhou Shuyao finished the ginseng soup, they felt a bit more energetic. Zhang Minxian, arriving a quarter of an hour later, entered the inner room with a chill about him.
"Eldest Brother, please sit down and warm up. This ginseng soup just arrived and is still hot." Zhang Minhua hurried to greet him.
Having been out all morning, Zhang Minxian was indeed quite cold. He didn't refuse and gulped down a bowl of hot ginseng soup, finally feeling a bit of warmth.
"Is Shuyao feeling any better?" Setting down the bowl, Zhang Minxian looked at his niece with concern. Who would have thought that the people behind this would be so malicious as to scheme against a young girl like Shuyao?
"Uncle, I took my medicine and I'm not feeling as bad." Sensing the concern in Zhang Minxian's voice, Zhou Shuyao's eyes welled up.
She usually felt her uncle was biased, favoring her brother who could carry on the family lineage. Zhou Shuyao had harbored some resentment. But at this moment, she suddenly realized her narrow-mindedness. When real trouble struck, it was her uncle who braved the cold wind and snow to run errands for her.
After Zhou Shuyao recounted all the memories she could recall, Zhang Minxian's expression grew more somber. Zhang Minhua, too, even as a woman confined to the inner quarters, knew these memories were very detrimental to Zhou Shuyao. If it were ordinary people, they would likely have been imprisoned by the authorities by now.
Looking at her anxious daughter, Zhang Minhua grasped her hand, her gaze on Zhou Shuyao filled with sternness and ruthlessness. "Shuyao, forget everything you just said. No matter who asks you, you can only say that you were drugged and your head hurt so much you couldn't remember anything!"
Looking at her stern mother, the already uneasy Zhou Shuyao nodded blankly. "I remember. I won't say anything."
Zhang Minxian, sitting beside them with a serious expression, did not intervene. Fortunately, after Shuyao returned, she had been examined by Doctor Qian. Apart from catching a chill, Doctor Qian couldn't find anything wrong with her headache, but he did suspect she had been drugged.
However, a night had passed, and the drug's effects had dissipated. Doctor Qian's medical skills were average, so he hadn't discovered anything.
After giving instructions to Zhou Shuyao, Zhang Minhua turned to Zhang Minxian. "Eldest Brother?"
"Just have Shuyao keep silent," Zhang Minxian said, and both mother and daughter felt relieved.
When faced with a major crisis, they couldn't help but panic. No matter how strong or capable a woman was, it was only within the confines of the inner chambers. Once it involved the outside world, the court, or officialdom, a woman's vision and abilities were simply insufficient.
After Zhang Minhua carefully reviewed Zhou Shuyao's statement three times, ensuring there were no loopholes in her words or demeanor, she finally felt a little at ease. After Zhou Shuyao took her medicine, Zhang Minhua had the maid watch over her in the room before leaving.
In the study, Zhang Minxian sealed the confidential letter he had written with sealing wax and immediately sent it back to Linzhou Prefecture. Regardless of whether Shuyao was implicated in this case or if the enemy was secretly targeting the Zhang and Zhou families, Zhang Minxian had to inform his father and prepare both families.
"Eldest Brother." After the guards left, Zhang Minhua walked in, closing the door behind her to block out the cold air. "Shuyao has taken her medicine and is asleep. Did Eldest Brother find anything when he went out this morning?"
Zhang Minxian was not surprised by Zhang Minhua's sharpness and alertness. He gestured for her to sit down and then said, "Xiangwu County is now a mix of dragons and snakes. The people sent by our Zhang and Zhou families dare not act rashly. However, we have gathered some information..."
"What? Did that bitch Zhang harm Shuyao?" Even with Zhang Minhua's composure and calmness, which was not inferior to any man's, she was now both shocked and enraged. The immense anger made her voice rise several decibels. "Does that scourge Zhang want to drag our Zhang family down with her even as she dies?"
It wasn't just Zhang Minhua who hated Zhang Yiyi deeply; Zhang Minxian also had no good feelings for this concubine sister. When she married into the general's estate with a high dowry, the Zhang family gained no benefit. Instead, they were suppressed by Zhang Yiyi's arrogance.
Later, when Old General Yang was falsely accused of colluding with the enemy and treason, the Zhang family, as in-laws, was almost implicated. Now that things had finally settled down, the imprisoned Madam Zhang dared to cause trouble again, and it involved Zhou Shuyao. It was no wonder Zhang Minhua was furious; this was adding new hatred to old grievances.
He handed a cup of tea to Zhang Minhua, who had a stern face and fierce eyes. Zhang Minxian, having been an official for many years, had better self-control. "Calm down. Madam Zhang is just a grasshopper in autumn; she won't last long. She also doesn't have the ability to orchestrate all this to frame Shuyao. Madam Zhang has someone behind her."
And this person was the true mastermind. Zhang Yiyi herself, including the Fu family and the already deceased Fu Langhuan, were merely tools in the hands of the mastermind.
After drinking some tea, Zhang Minhua suppressed her anger and calmed down. "Eldest Brother, what is the mastermind trying to achieve by orchestrating this? Are they targeting the Yang family, who are about to be reinstated?"
As for the Zhang and Zhou families, it wasn't that Zhang Minhua was being self-deprecating. The various forces hidden in Xiangwu County likely didn't even consider the Zhang and Zhou families. Although the two families were described as official and scholarly, in the eyes of these people, they were merely ants, not worthy of being framed.
"Since Madam Zhang was imprisoned, she has been held alone in the women's prison, guarded by soldiers from the garrison, and watched by various forces. Apart from Yang Xu visiting her once, only this time did the Fu family bribe the matron to sneak into the prison. No one else has entered, so it's impossible to determine who Madam Zhang is taking orders from."
The reason Zhang Minxian was able to find out that the Fu family had gone to the prison was that their purpose in coming to Xiangwu County was to target Zhang Yiyi. Therefore, they had sent people to watch from the beginning, which allowed them to receive some information.
Zhang Minhua nodded in agreement, reviewing everything in her mind. "No matter what, Yang Xu is involved. The Yang family will not stand idly by. Fu Langhuan was not killed by Shuyao. Speaking of which, we were dragged down by the Yang family. Given Old General Yang's methods, perhaps this is not a bad thing."
As the saying goes, "a blessing in disguise." Zhou Shuyao was framed for murder. As a mother, Zhang Minhua was naturally furious. Even if it was cleared up later, it would still affect the reputation of Zhou Shuyao, who was about to reach her capping ceremony. It would be difficult for her to marry into a good family in the future.
But now, thinking about it carefully, Zhou Shuyao was implicated by Yang Xu and the Yang family, which led to this unwarranted disaster. The Zhang and Zhou families were worried about repairing their relationship with the Yang family, and this presented an opportunity. Perhaps they could even climb onto the general's estate in the future, allowing both families to rise with the tide.
"You can rest assured now. With the Yang family around, no one can falsely accuse Shuyao," Zhang Minxian's usually stern and cold face softened slightly.
Zhang Minhua, no longer worried about Zhou Shuyao, finally smiled. "I know. Thank you, Eldest Brother, for running around for Shuyao."
"We are family, no need for formalities. You should also rest. Shuyao is still ill, and there are many things you need to attend to later," Zhang Minxian said gently.
"Eldest Brother, you should also take care of yourself. I'll go see Shuyao first." Zhang Minhua stood up. She was indeed a bit tired, but before, she had been worried sick about her daughter, Zhou Shuyao. Now that she could relax, she felt a deep sense of fatigue.
After Zhang Minhua left the study, Zhang Minxian instructed the servant boy at the door not to let anyone approach. Then, he closed the study door from the inside.
"Master." At this moment, a middle-aged man emerged from a small side room behind the study. He wore a blue long gown, and his hair was tied up with a simple wooden hairpin. At first glance, he looked like a down-and-out scholar.
"Pingqing, sit," Zhang Minxian nodded slightly, gesturing for Feng Pingqing to sit and speak. "What do you think of Shuyao's matter?"
As a strategist and Zhang Minxian's classmate and friend, Feng Pingqing's attitude remained respectful. He first poured Zhang Minxian another cup of tea and handed it over before speaking.
"Considering the conduct of Old General Yang and General Yang, even if Miss Zhou was implicated because of the Yang family this time, the reason this incident occurred is also because our Zhang family wanted to curry favor with the Yang family."
Feng Pingqing's words were direct and unpleasant, but Zhang Minxian did not get angry. After many years in officialdom, even he could easily be swayed by flattery and sycophancy. Only Pingqing's consistent directness allowed Zhang Minxian to remain clear-headed and make the most rational and correct judgments.
Picking up the teacup, Zhang Minxian did not drink. After a long silence, the tea had gone cold. He took a sip, and his mind instantly became clear.
"Master, considering the overall situation, any sacrifice is worthwhile. Even Magistrate Zhou would agree," Feng Pingqing said earnestly, maintaining his gentle scholar-like demeanor, but his words carried a hint of bloodlust and killing intent, along with undisguised malice and ruthlessness.
"Let me think about it again." Zhang Minxian put down the cold teacup. He recalled Zhou Shuyao, whom he had seen not long ago, and her filial and grateful appearance. Zhang Minxian closed his eyes, concealing the complexity in his eyes.
Seeing this, Feng Pingqing did not urge him. Instead, he helped himself to more tea and drank it slowly. For a family to prosper, sacrifice was inevitable. If they could climb onto the general's estate, the Zhang and Zhou families would benefit immensely.
The study was quiet. The servant boy guarding the door immediately stepped forward to block anyone who approached. After listening, he returned to the study door and gently knocked twice. "Master, Magistrate Zhu is here."
Zhang Minxian's eyes suddenly opened. All hesitation and indecisiveness vanished. He stood up and walked towards the door, once again becoming the shrewd and calculating Zhang Tongzhi of the officialdom.