Wang Qingyao had read numerous palace intrigue and harem dramas. With Old Madam Wang's death being so unclear and full of peculiar circumstances, she naturally considered various possibilities.
"You know," she discussed with Xiao Yun, "is it possible that Old Madam Wang was killed by He Rufang?"
Xiao Yun frowned.
"Old Madam Wang's death benefits that He Rufang the most. If I hadn't thought of the expedient measure of having Grandmother recognize her as an adopted daughter today, and she insisted on following Old Madam Wang's dying wish, I would have had no choice but to agree. No matter how bad Old Madam Wang was, she was still my paternal grandmother."
"Ah, this aspect of your ancient times is truly difficult. The concept of filial piety being paramount, and the saying that no parents are wrong, prevents one from speaking out even when being bullied to death. There's nowhere to complain." Wang Qingyao grumbled casually.
Xiao Yun had received similar education since childhood, but judging by his attitude towards Consort Dowager Fang, he wasn't blindly filial.
However, if Consort Dowager Fang had pushed it to the point of threatening her own life, he would have been helpless.
Hearing Wang Qingyao say this so carelessly, he found it rebellious yet refreshing.
"You don't have to be filial to your parents where you come from?"
"It's not that we don't have to be filial. In any dynasty, filial piety is expected. However, the premise of filial piety is that parents also love their children. Must children remain filial even if their parents frequently scold and abuse them? Why should they? Everyone is living for the first time!"
Xiao Yun listened, dumbfounded. He had never heard such a theory before.
"But parents gave their children life and raised them to adulthood. The grace of birth and upbringing is heavier than the sky."
Wang Qingyao sneered, "Being born into whose womb is not something children can choose. Before parents give birth to children, they don't ask if the child is willing. Since they have given birth, they must raise them well. This is the parents' responsibility and obligation."
"Responsibility and obligation?"
Xiao Yun had heard of responsibility, but what was obligation?
"I never thought of asking my children to repay me for raising Ping An and Ke'er. I brought them into this world, and I am responsible for them. As for whether they will be filial in the future, I trust my own education."
Xiao Yun looked at her with a smile, "Your world is so different from ours. I wonder if I'll have a chance to visit."
Wang Qingyao was stunned. She probably wouldn't have the chance.
She had died of overwork, and her physical body was likely reduced to ashes long ago, with tall grass growing on her grave.
Seeing her expression, Xiao Yun knew the possibility was very low, and he subtly changed the subject.
"You suspect He Rufang, but you haven't found anything unusual, have you?"
Wang Qingyao nodded. "So this cousin He Rufang is quite capable. We can't let our guard down."
Inside the Wang family mansion, He Rufang, who had been busy all day, couldn't sleep.
She was too excited. The thought of becoming an adopted daughter of the Consort Dowager soon and reaching the pinnacle of her life made her thrilled and unable to sleep.
The old woman's death was good, a brilliant death!
It was thanks to her decisive action and lack of mercy that she had earned herself such a bright future.
He Rufang lay on her bed, gazing at the dark canopy of the bed curtains, recalling the scene before Old Madam Wang's death.
"That damned girl Wang Qingyao, to distrust me so much, not only inviting an imperial physician but also a National Preceptor!" Old Madam Wang was furious, her old face flushed red.
He Rufang had never heard of the National Preceptor Feng Fu and didn't know who he was.
Old Madam Wang then recounted how powerful the National Preceptor Feng Fu was.
She was afraid that as soon as the National Preceptor Feng Fu arrived, her illness would be exposed, and all her previous arrangements would be in vain.
She didn't know that He Rufang feared her illness being exposed even more than she did.
It was at this moment that He Rufang conceived a wicked plan.
She smiled slightly, "Aunt Dowager, please do not worry. Before I left home, my maternal grandfather gave me several bottles of special medicine. One of them, when consumed, can induce a state of extreme illness for a short period. Even Hua Tuo himself could not detect anything unusual."
"Really?" Old Madam Wang's eyes lit up.
"How could I deceive Aunt Dowager?"
He Rufang went to her room, retrieved a white porcelain bottle, mixed it with warm water in a teacup, and served it to Old Madam Wang.
"If Aunt Dowager takes it now, it will start to take effect tomorrow morning, so you won't have to fear this so-called National Preceptor Feng Fu."
Old Madam Wang, without suspicion, drank the medicine.
"Also," He Rufang said, "since Imperial Physician Lu diagnosed Aunt Dowager as critically ill today, I should attend to Aunt Dowager by her bedside tonight. This will not only corroborate Imperial Physician Lu's words but also show that I am virtuous and filial, earning Aunt Dowager's favor."
Old Madam Wang nodded. "You think of everything so thoroughly."
Thus, that night, He Rufang slept on the floor by Old Madam Wang's feet. The maids in Old Madam Wang's courtyard couldn't stop praising her.
Old Madam Wang never dreamed that what He Rufang had her take was not a special medicine at all, but merely a sedative.
After taking the sedative, she slept like a log.
He Rufang seized the opportunity and suffocated her.
He Rufang had studied medicine and knew how to act without leaving any traces of abnormality on the corpse.
Moreover, Old Madam Wang, who had taken the sedative, offered no resistance.
She died silently in her sleep.
As expected, no one suspected the cause of Old Madam Wang's death.
In fact, she should thank Wang Qingyao for inviting Imperial Physician Lu. The imperial physician from the palace personally diagnosed her pulse and concluded that she was critically ill and had only a few days to live. This was ironclad evidence.
Who would suspect her?