Chapter 55 All's Fair in War
Song Shilang flew into a rage and pointed at Song Yi, cursing loudly.
"You unfilial brat, you actually used a self-inflicted injury ruse to frame us! How could you be so vicious!"
I...I should beat you to death today, you unfilial wretch.
As he spoke, he grabbed a rattan cane from the wall and lashed it at Song Yi once again.
"Mother."
Li Nanke screamed and lunged at Song Yi.
Song Yi pulled her back two steps, and they stumbled and bumped into the wall.
The cane in Song's hand slipped from his grasp, and coupled with his back injury, the pain made his arm tremble, and the cane fell to the ground.
Song Hui stepped forward to support him, looking at Song Yi with a reproachful expression.
"You wanted the money for the dowry shop, and your mother has already given it to you and also written a letter of repentance for you."
Father has already apologized to you, sister, what more do you want?
Look how angry your father is! Do you really want to drive your parents to their deaths before you're satisfied?
"Sister, when did you become such a vicious person?"
Song Hui accused him with a heartbroken expression.
Song Yi's face was pale, tears welled up in her eyes and clung to her eyelashes, and the grievances and anger surging in her chest were almost destroying her.
She was clearly the victim, yet she was portrayed as the poisoner in just a few words.
How can people be so evil!
"I didn't..."
"Mother."
Li Nanke's crisp voice suddenly interrupted her, her small face filled with panic as she held her hand.
Even his voice sounded hurried.
"Mother, did you really poison me? Was it the medicine that Aunt Tao gave you a couple of days ago?"
Did you smear it on the teapot?
As Li Nanke spoke, he secretly winked at Song Yi and squeezed her hand tightly.
Shen Cong, who had been sitting at the head of the table with his eyes half-closed, opened them at some point. His narrow eyes fell on Li Nanke, a hint of interest in them.
Then his gaze shifted downwards, and he gave a barely perceptible shake of his head to Wei Yan, who had already stepped forward, ready to intervene.
Wei Yan raised an eyebrow, touched his chin, and glanced between Shen Cong and Li Nanke.
What's this kid up to?
He didn't believe that Shen Cong couldn't understand what was going on.
It was clearly Minister Song and his second wife who bullied their married eldest daughter, even to the point of taking her life.
In the past, Shen Cong wouldn't have even bothered to look up at something like this, but today he's sitting here and refusing to leave.
If you say he's involved, he doesn't say a word; he seems like an outsider.
Not only did they not care, but they also wouldn't let him get involved.
It was as if they were watching to see just how far this young girl, Li Nanke, could go.
Unable to fathom Shen Cong's thoughts, Wei Yan silently took another step back.
"Mother, say something!"
Li Nanke squeezed Song Yi's palm again.
Song Yi came to her senses. Although she didn't know what Li Nanke wanted to do, she instinctively responded to her words.
"Ah? Um, I... I put it on the teapot."
Li Nanke turned and pointed to the teapot on the small table, saying to the doctor from Bianjing Prefecture, "Grandpa just said there was no poison on this teapot, right?"
The old doctor was brought in late at night to test for drugs, but found nothing, and was getting impatient.
Suddenly hearing a sweet "Grandpa," I saw the little girl with delicate features, her grape-like eyes, though red and swollen, were exceptionally bright and spirited, making her instantly adorable.
He softened his tone and said, "I have carefully examined the teapot, and it is indeed not poisoned."
Li Nanke held Song Yi's hand, her little face all wrinkled.
"Mother said she put the poison in the teapot, but the teapot in front of us isn't poisoned. The teapot that Mother poisoned must have been taken away."
"Oh dear, Mama Tao said that medicine is very poisonous. If even a little bit is applied to the wine pot, anyone who touches it will be poisoned."
First, he felt itchy all over, then the next day he started vomiting blood, his whole body became ulcerated, and he died from the pain of vomiting blood.
As soon as he finished speaking, a thud was heard behind him.
The old woman who had just accused Song Yi of poisoning the teapot collapsed to the ground, her face deathly pale with fright.
Song Hui's expression changed slightly.
"Useless thing, you can't even stand up straight, get out of here."
As he spoke, he secretly glared at the old woman, signaling her to leave.
She didn't believe Song Yi would put poison in the teapot; Li Nanke was clearly just bluffing.
But the old woman couldn't understand. When she heard Li Nanke say that he felt itchy all over, she subconsciously scratched her arm.
The more I scratched, the itchier it became, and I was so frightened that my limbs went weak. I tried to get up, but I fell back to the ground.
Li Nanke glanced at her, then looked at Wei Yan.
"My lord, perhaps we should have the doctor examine the servants who have been to the ancestral hall."
"Once we find out who's been poisoned, the prince still has the antidote. Taking it now will save their lives, but any later and they'll truly be beyond saving."
As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman seemed to grasp at a straw.
He lay prostrate on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly toward the person above him.
"Please, Your Highness, save me! Save me!"
“This servant…this servant did not mean to take the teapot from the ancestral hall. It was…it was Mother Zhou who instructed this servant to put the teapot away.”
Li Nanke asked with a serious face, "Who is Aunt Zhou?"
"Yes... she's the head housekeeper who works for my second aunt."
The old woman was terrified and cried as she spoke.
"I don't know anything. I ran into Mama Zhou on my way to the kitchen to get tea."
After exchanging a few words with her, she gave the maid one tael of silver and said that the second aunt felt sorry for the eldest aunt and asked me to persuade the eldest aunt to eat more and drink more water.
After my eldest aunt vomited blood, I went to find the madam, and then Zhou Mama asked me to take the teapot away.
"That's all I know. I beg Your Highness to spare my life and grant me an antidote."
The old woman cried so hard that tears streamed down her face, and her forehead was almost bleeding from banging it against her chest.
The flower hall fell silent for a moment.
Song Yi raised her hand tremblingly and pointed at Song Hui.
"It was you, wasn't it? You were the one who instructed Aunt Zhou to harm me."
Song Hui's face was extremely pale, and she looked utterly wronged.
"Sister, are you trying to frame me? I even secretly delivered your lunch to you without telling Father and Mother."
"If I wanted to poison my sister, why wait until night? Besides, why use someone close to me? Wouldn't that be an admission of guilt?"
Song Yi was no match for him in verbal sparring and was rendered speechless for a moment.
Li Nanke gently swayed her.
"Mother, we beg Lord Wei to make the decision."
Song Yi realized what was happening and pleaded with Wei Yan to make the decision.
Wei Yan looked up at Shen Cong.
The kid closed his eyes again at some point.
Wei Yan shrugged, his face darkening, and gave instructions to the yamen runners.
"Go and bring over this Zhou Mama that the old woman is talking about for questioning."
He then turned to Song Hui and Vice Minister Song and said, "Now that I have taken on this case, all those involved must be brought in for questioning."
Vice Minister Song remained silent with a dark expression.
Song Hui twitched the corner of her mouth. "Of course, we'll cooperate with you, sir, whoever you need to call."
Li Nanke leaned against Song Yi, quietly observing Song Hui.
When she learned that her mother had been poisoned, her first thought was that it was orchestrated by her aunt, Song Hui.
But why does Song Hui seem so calm and composed, without any sign of panic?
Song Hui was reborn; did she already have a backup plan in mind?
This thought made Li Nanke's heart sink.
The constable who went out to look for the person soon returned, confirming her worries.
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