Chapter 165: Vomiting
As soon as you enter the door, you will see a table full of delicious food with a fragrant aroma.
Hu Xiner stopped and didn't dare to go in.
The Duke's wife sat beside him, smiling brightly: "Come in and sit down! I gave you and Lu Yunjue a hard time some time ago because I didn't know your identities. You won't be angry, will you?"
Ever since the Second Young Miss and Hu Xiner had a falling out, the Duke's wife has never been kind to Hu Xiner again.
At this time, they were surprisingly friendly.
Something must be wrong when things are out of the ordinary. Hu Xin'er shook her head: "Madam is my elder, so I won't get angry with you. But I don't know why you called me here today?"
The Duke's wife smiled even more kindly. "The Duke's Mansion and the Lu family have always been on good terms. It's because of my momentary impulsiveness that I've damaged that relationship, which is truly unpleasant. So, I thought I'd treat you specially today as an apology."
The Duke's wife is of such a noble status, yet she actually came running to apologize to a junior like her. This doesn't make sense!
Hu Xin'er's mind raced, but she put on a polite smile. "What are you talking about, Madam? I should be the one apologizing to you."
"Please sit down first." The Duke's wife said attentively.
Nanny Zhou took Hu Xiner's hand and half-dragged and half-supported her to sit on the stool.
There were dozens of dishes on the huge dining table, but only Hu Xiner and the Duke's wife were there.
Hu Xiner thought of the news Xuanyuan Jing'an had heard before, and guessed in her heart that the Duke's wife had ulterior motives.
There are many such plots in the storybooks. First, they drug her to make her unconscious, and then falsely accuse her of having an affair with another man to destroy her innocence.
She was a powerless peasant girl, and she had lost face so badly in the circle of aristocratic families in the capital, where reputation was the most important thing. She might have angered her seriously ill mother Lu to death.
Although as the young lady of the Lu family, she would not be drowned, but she was inevitably tortured.
No matter how much she is favored by her husband, with the power of the Duke's Mansion and the widespread publicity, the public opinion can force her to death. The best outcome is to have her hair cut off, become a nun and practice hard for the rest of her life, and be criticized by others.
She had already completed all the plots in her mind, but when she really encountered such a situation, Hu Xiner couldn't help but sigh at the viciousness of human nature.
When I first met the Duke's wife, how could I have imagined that she would be such an unscrupulous person?
Just as in the eyes of others, Xuanyuan Huili is a talented, beautiful, gentle and virtuous daughter of a wealthy family.
But in reality, it is Xuanyuan Jing'an, who has a very bad reputation, who lives a real and free life.
Hu Xin'er was sighing inwardly when the Duke's wife calmly pushed a bowl of soup towards her. "Why aren't you picking up your chopsticks? Is it not to your liking? This bowl of soup is specially made for you. Why don't you try it and see if it whets your appetite?"
Hu Xiner took a look and saw that the bowl containing the soup was a white porcelain carved bowl!
She was now even more certain that the subsequent plot would most likely unfold as she had imagined.
He smiled and declined: "It's not time for dinner yet, I'm not hungry. Why don't you wait a while and ask the Duke and the others to come and eat together?"
She wanted to delay time.
The Duke's wife stared at her intently. "It's nothing serious. It's just a bowl of soup. Try it first. Maybe you'll want to eat after you try it!"
The intention of these words was too obvious. Nanny Zhou's heart skipped a beat, fearing that Hu Xin'er might notice something.
But Hu Xin'er looked flattered. "How could I deserve such hospitality from the Duke's wife? You are my senior. How can I start eating before you start? It's not polite."
She pushed the soup back with respect.
The Duke's wife secretly cursed this little bitch for being so tactless. She was just a village girl, what did she know about rules and etiquette!
She was much stronger than Hu Xin'er, and with her persistence, even if Hu Xin'er used all her strength, she couldn't move the bowl even a little bit.
Even wanting to take the opportunity to overturn it is impossible.
She looked around calmly. The maids were dismissed, several nannies were watching covetously, and the Duke's wife herself was an expert in martial arts.
If you confront him head-on, you will most likely be knocked unconscious and then falsely accused of having an affair.
At this time, we can only delay as much as possible, waiting for the Duke to leave the court, or for Mu Qing to return in time.
The Duke's wife's voice became gentler: "Good boy, don't be polite to me, drink it quickly!"
Hu Xin'er deliberately fanned her nose with her hand. "This smell is really strange, ma'am. I wonder what's in this soup?"
"We've put ginseng and deer antlers in here to nourish your body. You've worked hard with the Second Miss and Jing'an during this time."
If you ignore the previous conflicts and only look at the Duke's wife's current expression, you would think she is such a loving elder!
Facing the Duke's wife's earnest gaze, Hu Xin'er feigned panic: "There's... something I'm not sure if I should tell you or not."
"Drink the soup first." The Duke's wife was a little impatient.
If she wasn't worried about being caught, she would have thrown Hu Xin'er and the peddler onto the same bed.
Hu Xin'er pushed the bowl away again: "I really can't, I'm allergic to ginseng! How about trying something else first?"
She picked up the chopsticks and pretended to pick up something.
The Duke's wife quickly said, "I misremembered. There's no ginseng in here, right, Madam Zhou?"
"Yes, it only contains deer antlers."
The master and servant sang in unison, and the bowl of soup moved closer and closer.
Hu Xiner cursed in her heart, it seemed that this old guy was determined to force her to drink the medicine today!
She repeatedly declined, and the Duke's wife gradually showed an expression of impatience: "If you don't drink it now, the soup will get cold. You won't drink the soup I personally served you, are you unwilling to forgive me?"
"Madam, you've misunderstood me!" Hu Xin'er smirked. "It wasn't a deep-seated grudge to begin with, so what's there to forgive or not?"
The Duke's wife kept her eyes fixed on Hu Xin'er, trying to discern any clues from her expression. "Let's be frank. This bowl of soup is just a token of my appreciation. You wouldn't be so reluctant to accept such a small request, would you?"
Hu Xiner thought, if this is called speaking frankly, then the Duke's wife's house must have no windows.
Seeing that she was unmoved, the Duke's wife continued, "You are a smart person. If our two families were to fall out, it would not be good for Lu Yunjue or Old Madam Lu."
Helplessly, Hu Xiner had to drink a bowl of soup, then stood up and said she wanted to go to the toilet.
The Queen Mother smiled on the surface, but as soon as she left, she immediately asked someone to follow her.
Mu Qing was not at home, and Xuanyuan Jing'an was nowhere to be found. Hu Xin'er was extremely anxious, but she could not find anyone she could trust to ask for help.
But the effect of the medicine gradually began to show, and I felt dizzy and my legs and feet became weak.
In desperation, she could only take a risky move and ran into the study as soon as she passed by it. Suddenly, she heard the sound of banging on the door outside.
Hu Xiner quickly locked the door and anxiously looked for something to induce vomiting.
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