"Replying to Madam, the master was fine during the day yesterday. When he went to bed last night, he soaked his feet in warm water, and an extra quilt and blanket were added. His undergarments were lined with fleece to keep him warm. I don't know why he caught a cold in the middle of the night. It came on very suddenly. The two imperial physicians who came prescribed almost the same remedy, but neither of them was very effective."
The old lady gave a cold laugh.
"This is too bizarre. Every disease has its warning signs. I'm afraid you're just trying to shirk your responsibility by making up stories to deceive this old woman. I may be old, but I'm not blind or deaf."
"You wouldn't dare, Madam. The servants did these things, and I still need to check them. I'm sure they were all done properly. Last night, Master had a great appetite and ate half a bowl of rice more than usual. He doesn't seem sick at all."
"Grandmother, could it be that someone is framing Father and trying to seize the benefits that belong to our Zhao family?"
Zhao Rushuang, Lord Zhao's eldest daughter, stood aside and guessed.
A look of wariness rose on the old lady's face: "What do you mean by that?"
Zhao Rushuang also sat down by the bed and took the old lady's hand.
“Grandmother, I’ve thought about this matter over and over again, and I always feel that there’s something fishy going on. These servants are usually quite dutiful, and they wouldn’t be so incompetent as to not even keep warm. But Father suddenly fell so ill. Someone must have secretly tampered with something and given him some kind of medicine that can’t be detected.”
The old lady also began to think seriously: "Yes, something about this matter doesn't seem right. Your father's health isn't that weak."
Then he asked, "Who do you think it could be?"
“Who else could it be?” Zhao Rusheng’s elder brother, Zhao Ruye, entered. “Whoever could benefit from this is the prime suspect.”
“That’s right. He’s only twenty years old and he’s already a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Personnel. He has no family background, yet he’s climbed to this position so quickly. How could he be a simple-minded person with gentle methods?” Zhao Rushuang added.
The old lady finally understood.
“But the Zhao family and the Qiao and Mu families don’t have much contact. They are just nodding acquaintances at banquets. Their people have never come to our house. How could they find an opportunity to do something wrong?”
In the past, when the Zhao family went to the Qiao family to buy fruits, nuts, and other goods, they would send servants. But they got tired of these things and gradually stopped going.
Zhao Rushuang's eyes flickered: "Grandmother, I heard that Princess Feiluan has some special abilities, such as placing objects remotely. I suspect it was her who did it."
During this time, a rumor has been circulating in the capital that Princess Feiluan is no ordinary person. She may even possess extraordinary abilities and skills, such as flying into the air and soaring like a deity. Offending her would have dire consequences.
But is that her excuse for bullying others?
Qiao Lian'er stroked his chin, thinking to himself, "This is what they call 'sitting at home and getting blamed from the sky.'"
But who else could have spread those words? Of course, it was that wicked Song Ruier.
"This is too mystical." Old Madam Zhao shook her head as she listened: "I have seen the princess before, but she is just a mortal with flesh and blood. What you are saying is impossible."
"Of course there's some exaggeration involved, but nothing comes from nowhere. At the very least, it shows that if she wants to harm someone, her methods will be more sophisticated and harder to detect than others," Zhao Rushuang said with certainty.
"This is just speculation. Without evidence, are we to treat the Qiao family as enemies?" Old Madam Zhao also had her doubts, because the Qiao family was clearly the beneficiary.
However, she was well aware of the principles governing interactions between high-ranking families; making unfounded accusations would only give others ammunition against her and put her at a disadvantage.
“Yes, we have no evidence, so it’s not appropriate for us to accuse the Qiao family of doing this.” Zhao Ruye’s eyes darkened. “But if our Zhao family doesn’t get the benefits from hosting foreign guests this year, we will never let Mu Xinghe get them, and we certainly won’t let the Qiao family get them through Mu Xinghe.”
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