Xie Zhaozhao remained noncommittal about visiting her half-brother.

Madam Xie frowned. What were Madam Xu and her daughters up to today?

She had three legitimate sons and four legitimate grandsons, plus one illegitimate grandson, but she didn't really feel any surprise or excitement about it.

Xie Tingting, however, tugged at Xie Zhaozhao's arm and said coquettishly, "Big sister, you're a first-rank imperial consort now, wouldn't it be great to bring some good fortune to your little brother!"

Madam Xu also smiled and said, "That child, Xiao Wu, looks just like Aunt Qu; his nose and eyes are very beautiful. It's truly a blessing for him that Miss went to see him."

Xie Zhaozhao suddenly laughed. These people are really interesting.

She stood up and said to her grandmother, "Well, since we're here, let's go see my fifth brother. Please wait while I change into clean clothes so the baby doesn't get dirty."

She had Yuan Yuanman serve her as she went to the inner room to change her clothes.

Upon entering the inner room, she immediately told Yuanyuan, "Tell Ying'er to go to Aunt Qu's place and inform her that I will be there in fifteen minutes. Be sure to pay close attention to what Luyi feeds Xiao Wu, and make sure to gather witness evidence..."

Yuanyuan stared wide-eyed in horror: "Miss, what do they want to do?"

Xie Zhaozhao sneered, "Someone has repeatedly invited me to visit a half-brother and ask me to hug him. They're just trying to frame me. What else could they be planning!"

"This is too vicious!" Manman was furious. Her young lady never touched anything poisonous, let alone harmed her siblings.

Yuanyuan was filled with hatred and asked in a low voice, "Miss, should we remind Aunt Qu that someone wants to harm her son?"

Xie Zhaozhao nodded, the child looking innocent.

The matter of rebirth is too bizarre and superstitious. It would be best if Aunt Qu and Madam Xu fought each other. Only when they expose each other can Grandmother and Father be brought down in one fell swoop.

Yuanyuan went immediately.

Xie Zhaozhao said to Manman, "I'm going to visit my half-brother later. When I get to the entrance of Aunt Qu's Tinghe Garden, I'll make an excuse to twist my ankle. You need to cooperate with me and leave quickly."

Manman nodded. "Miss is now not only the wife of the Grand Secretary, but also a first-rank imperial consort. If she is accused of harming her own siblings, I'm afraid her title will be revoked, and Grand Secretary Gu will be impeached by the censors."

That's too ruthless!

Xie Zhaozhao changed into a soft dress and said to the old lady with a smile, "Grandmother, since Mother and my sister have both insisted on inviting me to see my younger brother, then I will go and see him."

The old lady smiled and said, "It would be an honor for him if you were to even glance at him."

Yuanyuan and Ying'er had already run back and were accompanying her with Manman. They chatted and laughed as they went to Tinghe Garden, showing no signs of anything amiss.

Xie Xiangxiang, Xie Tingting, and Xu Shi all followed.

The group walked through the covered walkway and headed towards the Listening Lotus Garden in the northwest corner.

From afar, one could see the entrance to Tinghe Garden, where Aunt Qu and her maid, Luyi, were obediently waiting to greet them.

Greenery held a small swaddled baby in her arms, with a silk parasol covering the baby's head. The baby was quiet and well-behaved.

Upon seeing Xie Zhaozhao arrive, she quickly came to greet her, carrying the baby.

"Young Miss, look at Fifth Young Master, he's so handsome," Greenie said with a smile.

Xie Zhaozhao said with heartache, "Your younger brother is too small. I'm afraid he can't withstand such a scorching sun. We should bring him indoors quickly."

Xie Xiangxiang said with a smile, "Isn't it because Aunt Qu was happy to hear that her elder sister had come?"

"That's true. We'll only be able to come back to the mansion a handful of times in the future. You can hold him too, and get some of the good luck. Maybe you'll have your own child soon too."

As soon as she finished speaking, Xie Xiangxiang's expression froze.

The mistress and servant quickened their pace, and when the greenery was only two zhang away from them, Xie Zhaozhao suddenly stumbled and almost fell to the ground.

Yuan Yuan quickly grabbed her, exclaiming in surprise, "Miss, are you alright?"

Xie Zhaozhao, supporting Manman's arm and frowning as if in great pain, said to Aunt Qu, "I twisted my ankle, and it hurts terribly. Aunt Qu, I'm sorry, I'll come to visit my younger brother later."

Children are innocent, and the malice between adults should not harm these newborns.

She's already run away, so Greenery should give up now, right?

Aunt Qu naturally dared not hold it against her, and said humbly, "The road here is uneven, causing Miss to be injured. This servant is guilty."

She suddenly felt very disappointed that she hadn't been able to get involved with Xie Zhaozhao.

Yuanyuan subtly told her that someone might be plotting against the Fifth Young Master, and that she should protect him and catch the culprit.

She was filled with mixed feelings and immediately realized that someone must be trying to harm her son and frame Xie Zhaozhao. After all, why did they have to harm the child when the young lady was here? What else could they be trying to do but frame the young lady?

If she gets the infamy of harming her younger brother, the young lady will be finished!

In some dark corner of her heart, she was restless and desperately wanted to destroy Xie Zhaozhao.

It would be satisfying to drag such a dazzling woman, such a lucky woman, down from the clouds to the ground, trample her into the mud, and never let her rise again.

However, she was unwilling to sacrifice her child.

"Get out of the way! The young lady is injured and needs to see the royal physician."

Before Xu Shi, Xie Xiangxiang, and the others could stop her to greet her (in reality, to create an opportunity for Luyi), Yuanyuan, who was skilled in martial arts, carried Xie Zhaozhao and strode away.

Manman was so anxious she was about to cry, shouting, "Where is the doctor?"

Seeing that Xie Zhaozhao and her servant had left, Madam Xu naturally didn't want to stay either.

Unexpectedly, when Lvyi saw Xie Zhaozhao and her servant run away, her face turned pale.

Without much hesitation, she placed the swaddled baby in Xie Tingting's arms and said with a smile, "Third Miss, isn't Fifth Young Master handsome?"

Xie Tingting didn't care whether he looked good or not. Her smile just now was just to help frame Xie Zhaozhao. Now that everyone was gone, she had no interest in holding a concubine's illegitimate son.

The greenery was offered to her, but she didn't take it.

"Thud!" The child fell to the ground!

"Wah wah wah"

When the baby cries, the sound is a little thin, and the baby is crying so hard that he can hardly breathe.

Aunt Qu rushed over desperately, but still couldn't catch the child.

She yelled, picked the child up from the ground, and slapped Greenie seven or eight times across the face with one hand.

"That damned, lowly maidservant, she actually tried to kill Wulang!" She cried as she ran desperately toward Wutong Courtyard, "Old Madam, save Wulang."

The old lady was startled. Xie Zhaozhao had just sprained her ankle, and now her grandson was in trouble too?

After listening to Aunt Qu's brief account, the old lady ordered the family physician to examine Xie Zhaozhao's ankle and also to check on the baby.

"Treat the younger brother first." Xie Zhaozhao saw the baby crying badly and her face was very unpleasant. She scolded, "Aunt Qu, you've been too careless!"

Aunt Qu was filled with regret. Watching the physician examine the baby, she dared not utter a sound and could only watch helplessly.

The physician repeatedly examined the limbs and head, and took the pulse.

The baby cried until he seemed to stop breathing. The doctor examined him thoroughly but found no fractures or obvious swelling. The doctor was covered in sweat.

"Did you eat something you shouldn't have?" Ying'er suddenly asked.

The entire room fell silent.

The physician, already having a plan in mind, said solemnly, "Madam, quickly send someone to fetch Physician Ye. The Fifth Young Master has been poisoned."