“Master, I really didn’t know that Ayan poisoned my aunt. This has nothing to do with me.”
"Did you listen to those two doctors talking nonsense, sir? You have to believe me."
Yesterday, Wei Anjun went to see Su Luo because she was afraid that Su Luo would discover that there was something wrong with the old lady's incense, even if she didn't suspect that Su Luo had tampered with it at first.
Given the master's filial piety, he will surely investigate this matter. He could have stopped it from happening to Ayan. Su Luo has really gone too far.
“Wei Anjun, you are my cousin, and the old lady is your aunt. What good will it do you to harm her?”
Xu Hongkuo tossed the medical book from his sleeve into Wei Anjun's arms.
"Look at what you've researched. You're the one who provided the old lady with the incense, but you used achyranthes bidentata to trigger the poison in her body, causing her great suffering."
Xu Hongkuo was so angry that his jaw was trembling. Little did he know that his seemingly peaceful backyard was actually full of man-eating poisonous creatures.
Wei Anjun knelt and begged at Xu Hongkuo's feet, crying. She hadn't written this medical book very clearly, so it couldn't prove anything.
"My lord, I did not use ox knee to harm my aunt, I really did not. I don't understand these things at all. I only look at these medical books and study them, but I don't understand the herbs in them at all."
This must have been told to you by that Lady Su, sir. You must not believe her, sir; she is not a good person.
After returning home last night, she even tried to steal the concubine's jewelry and broke one of the jade bracelets that the master had given to the concubine. If the concubine hadn't discovered it, who knows what might have happened.
She's just a village woman, sir. Don't believe her. She's actually a thief. I was just about to talk to you about this this morning so we could kick her and that Doctor Du out.
I never expected her to strike first! I'm innocent, sir!
Oh……
If Xu Hongkuo hadn't been to Changping Village and Su Luo's courtyard, he would have been misled by Wei Anjun's words.
They said that Lady Su was a thief, and that she only stole worthless jewelry.
She had no idea how luxurious Su Luo's courtyard was, surpassing even the combined grandeur of three Xu mansions. Such a courtyard couldn't be built without several thousand taels of silver.
Putting aside the house, Su Luo also has a hundred acres of fertile land bestowed by the emperor. With such wealth, would anyone even bother with the jewelry of a mere concubine?
Xu Hongkuo shook his head. How could he have been deceived by the feigned gentleness of such a woman?
"Enough! Madam Su doesn't wear jewelry because she doesn't like it. Why would she steal your things? Don't try to deny it anymore. Your maid, Chrysanthemum, has already confessed everything."
"I haven't punished you according to the laws of this dynasty, which is already out of consideration for your uncle. What more do you want?"
Wei Anjun was ruthlessly thrown aside by Xu Hongkuo. She was stunned and terrified. Her ox knees were all bought for her by Juhua. Juhua had actually betrayed her.
"Someone, bring in the chrysanthemums."
Turning around, I saw Chrysanthemum being escorted in by two yamen runners, her body covered in bloody welts, as if she had been whipped.
"Auntie, I'm sorry, it really hurts so much, I didn't mean to say it out loud."
This little maid has been by Wei Anjun's side since she was a child, and the two are like sisters.
Seeing the chrysanthemum like this, she really told her everything.
Xu Hongkuo gave the old lady incense made with ox knee and spices.
"Mother, is this the kind of incense you usually use?"
Wei Anjun helped her with all of this; she only smelled the aroma.
He took the face powder from Xu Hongkuo, smelled it, and suddenly felt a slight discomfort in his head.
“It’s this incense. An Yun said it’s a calming incense, but I can only fall asleep after it has burned out.”
The old lady didn't know if it was because her head was hurting too much, she struggled for too long, or she fainted from the pain.
When she was in pain, Wei Anjun must have been secretly overjoyed.
"Master, Aunt, I was wrong. I will never do it again. Please forgive me this once. I will burn incense and pray for you every day from now on. I was really wrong, Master."
Suppressing his anger, Xu Hongkuo stared sadly at the roof. The beautiful mortise and tenon structure of the wood and the wooden windows that let in plenty of light all appeared dark to him at this moment.
"Why, An Jun, why are you doing this?"
Xu Hongkuo felt utterly powerless as he said those words.
"Kuo'er, let this old woman tell you why. It's just the position of the principal wife, An Jun. You want to take this old woman's life."
Do you think I'm the one stopping Kuo'er from marrying you?
"But you're wrong. Even if I die, Kuo'er will never take you as his wife. In the future, Kuo'er will be promoted to a high-ranking official position in the capital. Taking you as his wife will only ruin his career. Don't you even know who your mother is?"
"I...I..."
Wei Anjun had no way to defend herself; every time she tried to whisper in Xu Hongkuo's ear, the answer was always, "We'll talk about it later."
The old lady's answer was that it was impossible for her.
Comparing the two, she naturally assumed that the old lady was blocking her way. For so many years, not a single day had passed without her wishing for the old woman to die.
But this wife just wouldn't die. She even knew that Ayan had poisoned her, but she still wouldn't die and was even saved by Su Luo. Heaven was really unfair to her.
"Today I am giving you a letter of divorce. Go back to your parents' home."
Wei Anjun trembled all over. Xu Hongkuo wanted to divorce her. If she was divorced and sent back, her father would kill her. She couldn't be divorced.
"Master, I was wrong, I really know I was wrong. Please don't divorce me, I'm your cousin."
Wei Anjun crawled on her knees to Xu Hongkuo's feet, but no matter how much she cried and begged, Xu Hongkuo's face remained cold.
"It's only because you're my cousin that I haven't killed you. If it were according to the laws of this dynasty, you would be beaten to death for secretly harming your mother-in-law."
Wei Anjun was terrified, and even the old lady remained unmoved by her behavior.
"Aunt, Anjun begs you, please don't send me back to my parents. You know my father, he will kill me and my mother. Please help me."
The old lady shook her head and sighed, "I shouldn't have agreed to your marriage to that rich man in the first place. If your father hadn't begged for it, this wouldn't have happened. You'd better pray for yourself."
"Sigh... I'm tired."
After the old lady finished speaking, she returned to her courtyard with the help of Granny Yu.
Su Luo and Du Xiuyuan spent an hour brewing the medicine. When they brought it to the old lady, they saw several servants chasing Wei Anjun and her maid Juhua out of the mansion.
The two girls were crying as they hugged their bundles. Su Luo had taken the bundle that Wei Anjun had tried to use to bribe her last night. It seemed that Xu Hongkuo wasn't as cruel to his cousin as he thought.
"Dr. Du, it's not appropriate for you to go into the old lady's courtyard. Please give me the medicine."
Du Xiuyuan grunted in acknowledgment and handed the tray to Su Luo.
After drinking her medicine, Madam Xu asked Granny Yu to take the bowl away. She sat on the bed and gently rubbed her temples.
In just two days, I suddenly learned a lot of truths, and I became much more weathered.
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