News of Old Madam Wu's visit to the prison quickly spread from the Prefectural Yamen to the families in Qianzhong Prefecture, a move that Prefect Jiao had intentionally orchestrated.
"Big Brother, even the Forbidden Dragon Guard found no anomalies?" Zhan Feiyu couldn't help but be surprised by Old Madam Wu's incredibly discreet methods.
It was understandable that Prefect Jiao's dispatched Doctor Luo found nothing amiss, but for the Forbidden Dragon Guard to also discover no abnormalities indicated that these prominent families were not to be underestimated.
In the years he had led the Forbidden Dragon Guard, Yin Wuyan had been responsible for numerous confiscations of property and exterminations of entire clans. Naturally, he was aware of the life-saving measures these families possessed, especially those that had existed since the previous dynasty. Even the women in their inner chambers held many secret remedies.
However, the Emperor detested the corrupt practices within the imperial harem. This top-down influence meant that families also strictly controlled their inner quarters. Once acts like harming concubine-born sons, abusing and murdering servants, or poisoning were exposed, the man of the house's official career was over.
"If you can't sweep a single room, how can you sweep the world?" If one couldn't even manage affairs within their own household, how could they be expected to govern a region and benefit the populace? Therefore, Yin Wuyan was not surprised by Old Madam Wu's methods.
...
While Bao Lian was shocked, a head maid serving Old Madam Wu was naturally no ordinary servant. Recovering her composure, she quickly spoke, "Old Madam, please let this servant serve Miss something to eat first."
Old Madam Wu choked back a sob, took the bowl from Bao Lian's hand, and handed it over. "Yes, Zixian, don't cry. Mother is here. Drink some soup first."
The soup was still warm, exuding a rich scent of ginseng. Compared to the cold steamed buns and plain boiled vegetables in the prison over the past few days, this ginseng soup was undoubtedly delicious.
Perhaps it was seeing Old Madam Wu, or perhaps it was drinking a bowl of ginseng soup, but Madam Wu also regained her usual composure. Through the gaps in the wooden bars, she grasped Old Madam Wu's hand and said, "Mother, did you boil your dowry's old ginseng root into soup?"
For prominent aristocratic families, a single ginseng root was not considered a precious item, but an old ginseng root of considerable age was rare and hard to come by.
She understood. If she died, as long as her maternal family remained, with her maternal grandfather and uncles looking after him, Chen Ge'er's life would not be too difficult. He was a boy and had already begun his studies; it was not easy for the women in the inner chambers to extend their influence to the front courtyard.
Moreover, Madam Wu had served under Madam Qiu as a daughter-in-law for several years. Even if her mother-in-law was not kind, Madam Qiu would certainly not allow her own grandson to be mistreated. If she had given birth to a daughter, then she would truly have reason to worry.
Calming her agitated emotions, Madam Wu subtly glanced around. The dark, gloomy prison walls had no other figures, but even so, Madam Wu dared not let down her guard.
"Mother, I was momentarily confused," Madam Wu said with a face full of bitterness. Meeting Old Madam Wu's pained and helpless gaze, she smiled and continued, "My in-laws have always favored Huaixin. Furthermore, my mother-in-law intends to arrange a marriage for Huaixin with a young lady from the Gu clan of Nanling. I panicked all at once and, without knowing why, became fixated on the idea that if Huaixin met with misfortune, no one would compete with my husband for the family inheritance."
"You foolish girl, how could you think that!" Old Madam Wu raised her hand as if to strike sense into her daughter who was caught in a mental trap. However, looking at Madam Wu's gaunt face, she couldn't bring herself to do it. In the end, her hand fell onto her head, gently stroking it. "When brothers are united, they can break metal! By doing this, how will Binde face his own brother in the future? How will Chen Ge'er face this uncle?"
Thinking of her son, Madam Wu's resilience crumbled. She collapsed onto the ground, lowering her head and sobbing uncontrollably. "Mother, I know I was wrong... but it's too late... too late..."
The quarter of an hour was almost up. After crying, Madam Wu resigned herself to fate. Clasping Old Madam Wu's hand, she said, "Mother, please tell my husband for me that I am sorry to him."
Sobbing, Madam Wu continued, "As for Chen Ge'er, Mother, you must tell him that I, his mother, made a mistake. This is all my own doing, and tell Chen Ge'er not to resent anyone..."
After Old Madam Wu left the prison with her maid, the old woman who had led the way immediately brought in a doctor. After carefully taking Madam Wu's pulse and confirming there were no abnormalities, the doctor left.
Meanwhile, the people lurking in the prison had reported the conversation between Old Madam Wu and Madam Wu verbatim to Prefect Jiao and other officials of the prefectural yamen. As it involved the daughter-in-law of Lord Qiu and the daughter of the Wu family, they had to handle the matter with extreme caution.
"She seems intelligent, so why did she do something so foolish?" the official responsible for recording muttered. Madam Wu's final thoughts were of her son, asking him not to resent the Qiu family, which indicated she was not stupid. Yet, a smart person had committed a foolish act.
Prefect Jiao paid no mind to what Madam Wu had said. He looked at Doctor Luo, who was standing below, and asked again, "Are you certain there are no problems?"
"Replying to your honor, the prisoner is not poisoned, nor are there any other abnormalities in her body," Doctor Luo replied with certainty. The food box that Old Madam Wu brought during her visit was also personally inspected by him, and there were no issues with the food or the ginseng soup.
Prefect Jiao was cautious. He suspected Old Madam Wu might have poisoned Madam Wu through other means, so he had Doctor Luo examine Madam Wu's pulse to ensure there were no slip-ups.