The moment Xiao Man and her entourage reached the entrance of the Upper Courtyard, they heard the mournful cries of Concubine Lin, interwoven with sobs and laments, indicating a lively scene within.
"Old Madam, Madam, Eldest Miss has arrived."
Xiao Man entered and bowed, "Greetings to Grandmother, greetings to Mother."
"Did Fourth Sister visit you today?" The Old Madam glanced at the pale, unconscious Fourth Miss lying on a soft couch and asked coldly.
"She indeed did. She played for a while, ate half a plate of pastries, and drank a cup of tea before leaving," Xiao Man replied calmly. "Is Fourth Sister unwell to be in such a state?"
"Eldest Miss, how cruel you are! I only spoke a few words to you earlier, was it necessary for you to poison Ting'er as revenge? She is but a child, and she has always protected you; how could you bear to poison her?" Concubine Lin wept bitterly, convinced that Xiao Man had poisoned her daughter.
"Concubine Lin, has Fourth Sister been poisoned? I only learned of it just now. How have I become the murderer?" Xiao Man asked with feigned confusion.
"Was it not you?" Concubine Lin choked back her sobs. "Apart from dining in the Upper Courtyard today, Fourth Miss only ate at Eldest Miss's courtyard. Now she is poisoned. If it wasn't you, then who? It couldn't be the Old Madam poisoning her own granddaughter, could it?"
"Is that so?" Xiao Man looked astonished, then turned to the Old Madam with concern. "Grandmother, are you well?"
"Eldest Miss is truly heartless. Not only did you poison Fourth Miss, but you even cursed the Old Madam. Old Madam, look, this is the General's Mansion's legitimate daughter, truly vicious. My poor daughter, suffering so much at such a young age."
Concubine Lin was genuinely heartbroken. She had waited many years in the household to have this daughter, whom she cherished and doted on like her own heart. Now, her daughter lay unconscious on the bed, and Concubine Lin felt as if her heart were breaking.
The Old Madam's displeasure was evident on her face. She had reprimanded Xiao Man in the morning, only for her to poison her sister that evening and now curse her. Displeasure immediately colored her expression.
"I am perfectly fine!"
"That's good. After all, the pastries made today, besides Fourth Sister eating them, I also sent a plate over for Grandmother to taste. Qiu Tong said Grandmother tasted them. If Fourth Sister only ate at my Water Moon Pavilion and here with Grandmother, then the food here is certainly not the problem. The problem must be with the food in my courtyard. Fortunately, Grandmother also tasted the pastries, and there were no issues, so the problem must be with the tea..."
"That tea, it was probably cleaned up long ago," Concubine San said sarcastically. She seized every opportunity to bring down Eldest Miss.
"Coincidentally, Fourth Sister knocked over an inkstone in my courtyard today and stained my clothes. Most of the maids in my courtyard were dismissed, leaving only four. Yin Zhu always serves in the study. Qiu Tong is the head maid in the courtyard. The other two maids are responsible for meals. Qiu Tong is busy washing my stained clothes. The teacups Fourth Sister used have probably not been tidied up yet."
Xiao Man walked to the bedside and sat down, holding Fourth Miss's hand. "Although Fourth Sister is not of legitimate birth, she is still my sister. Now that Fourth Sister has been poisoned by a wicked person and is in this state, this matter absolutely cannot be tolerated. Otherwise, the mastermind behind this, who dared to poison Fourth Sister today, will dare to poison Grandmother tomorrow. Grandmother, this matter must not be overlooked. Please have someone retrieve Fourth Sister's teacups from the Water Moon Pavilion and have the doctor examine them. If there is a problem with my Water Moon Pavilion, I will hand over everyone in my Water Moon Pavilion to Grandmother for disposal."
"Eldest Miss is quite adept at shirking responsibility. How would a servant dare to act on her own to poison a young lady? It must have been instigated by the mistress," Concubine San sneered. "The people in Eldest Miss's courtyard surely act according to Eldest Miss's commands."
"Grandmother, next time you must speak to Father. Don't bring just any woman into the mansion. Not only are they ill-mannered, but they also bark like mad dogs. Ignorant people would think our General's Mansion specifically raises mad dogs," Xiao Man said slowly, not even sparing Concubine San a superfluous glance.
Concubine San trembled with rage. She was merely the daughter of a city guard, from a poor family. Even though she had raised her daughter to be excellent, skilled in all arts, her ordinary family background still made her disliked by the General and the Old Madam. Su Dan Novels.
"Old Madam, look at what Eldest Miss is saying," Concubine San wiped away non-existent tears from her eyes. "Although my family is poor, we are from a respectable family, certainly better than those who come from brothels."
"The one surnamed Bai, what do you mean by that?" Concubine Lin immediately grew angry. Among all the concubines in the General's Mansion, she was the one from a brothel. Concubine San was clearly using this to mock her.
"Concubine Lin, don't be angry. Concubine San is just speaking casually," Xiao Man interjected. "Last night, I went out to pray for Father's blessings, and Concubine Lin suspected me of secretly meeting a man and engaging in illicit affairs. I didn't hold it against you, did I?"
"Eldest Miss, you are..."
"Enough!" The Old Madam interrupted Concubine Lin. "Madam Bai, go kneel outside the courtyard gate. When the masters are speaking, what business is it of yours, a concubine, to be interfering here so sarcastically?"
Concubine San gritted her teeth but dared not resist. She ran out to kneel outside the gate, weeping softly, appearing meek and as if everyone was bullying her.
"Grandmother, what did the doctor say? Is Fourth Sister alright?" Xiao Man asked with great concern. "I wonder who is so malicious to poison Fourth Sister."
"The doctor said the poison is extremely potent. If not for the timely treatment, Fourth Miss would have lost her life," the legitimate wife, Madam Yan, added.
The Old Madam sent someone to retrieve Fourth Miss's teacup. After the doctor's examination, no issues were found. However, Fourth Miss's poisoning and unconsciousness were undeniable facts. It couldn't possibly be the food in the Upper Courtyard, so they had someone examine all the food in the Upper Courtyard again, but still found no problems.
"This... my meals are fine, Grandmother's meals are also fine, then how was Fourth Sister poisoned?" Xiao Man asked with worry. "Fourth Sister is still a child. I wonder who could be so heartless as to target a child."
Concubine Lin wiped the tears from her face. She had initially suspected Xiao Man of seeking revenge for the day's events, but now that Xiao Man had proven her innocence, who could be the poisoner?
Was it the Madam, Concubine San, or Concubine Si?
"Doctor, what kind of poison did Fourth Sister ingest?" Xiao Man inquired.