Chapter 265 Poisoning
Before going to sleep, Jiang Yu learned about Lu Yifang's actions from Dong Xue. She smiled and said, "My mother has considered everything very thoroughly."
Jiang Yu never underestimated matters concerning the inner quarters of a large family. Throughout history, the peace and tranquility of the inner quarters of a family has directly impacted the family's development. Clearly, Lu Yifang has matured considerably.
She hadn't expected that even with Lu Yifang's meticulous arrangements, something still happened the next morning. One of Yan Fengju's maids had died.
Jiang Yu was washing up when she received the news. She hadn't even had time to change her clothes, so she just threw on a cloak and rushed over. When she arrived, Lu Yifang was already there. Upon seeing Jiang Yu, she calmly explained what had happened.
"They said he was fine last night, but this morning they found he had stopped breathing."
"I'm sorry to have troubled you." Yan Fengju quickly came over to apologize to Jiang Yu. She was naturally heartbroken that her maid, who had grown up with her since childhood, had lost her life. However, she understood that the maid's death had nothing to do with the Duke of Chu's mansion, and the Duke of Chu's mansion had no reason to harm her.
Yes, she believed that the maid was taking the blame for her.
"Get up."
Jiang Yu gave her a deep look. For a fleeting moment, she felt this was a trap set by the Grand Tutor's Mansion. But seeing Yan Fengju's clear eyes, she dismissed the thought. If this were a trap set by the Grand Tutor's Mansion, it should have been Yan Fengju who died, not a maid.
"Go and inform Grand Tutor Yan," Jiang Yu said to Li Zhong.
Li Zhong responded and hurriedly went out. Jiang Yu then said, "From now on, you are only allowed to enter the mansion, not leave."
Lu Yifang immediately instructed Granny Feng to take care of it, and Jiang Yu strode towards the place where the dead maid had lived. Upon seeing this, Lu Yifang immediately stopped her. After all, it was a dead person, and just thinking about it made her heart pound, let alone going to see it.
"Mother, it's alright, I'm not afraid." Jiang Yu gently pushed Lu Yifang aside and went around the screen to enter.
In wealthy households, personal maids who were on night duty would sleep in a gauze-draped bedchamber, making it convenient to care for their masters. This maid was on night duty last night. Approaching the narrow couch, I saw the maid lying there, her face somewhat pale but not showing signs of poisoning. She looked as if she had died in her sleep.
Jiang Yu glanced around the small space of the Bisha Pavilion. There was only a narrow couch and a round table, nothing else, and it seemed normal. She walked out of the Bisha Pavilion, sat in the main seat of the small flower hall, looked around at the people in the room, and pointed to Yan Fengju's other maid, saying, "You, come here and answer."
The maidservant immediately knelt down, her body trembling slightly.
"Tell me what happened after you received the news from the Grand Tutor's Mansion to come to the Duke of Chu's Mansion," Jiang Yu said.
The maid turned to look at Yan Fengju, and after receiving his nod, she said, "Yesterday, it was Fu Hui, who was by the First Madam's side, who came to the young lady's courtyard to inform me and Yuechan to pack the young lady's clothes and daily necessities, and to go to the Duke of Chu's mansion with the steward. After Fu Hui finished speaking, she left, and Yuechan and I took two sets of the young lady's clothes, rouge and powder, and daily jewelry, and then left the courtyard and headed towards the mansion gate."
She hesitated for a moment before saying, "...On the way, I...I accidentally tripped and fell, the box I was carrying fell to the ground, and the things scattered all over the place. Two old women who were responsible for sweeping came over and helped me pick up the things. Then Yuechan and I followed the steward to the Duke of Chu's mansion."
After arriving, my two servants met with the madam and then went to the Third Miss's side. Later, we helped the Third Miss wash up and rest. After the Third Miss rested, Yuechan said she was on night duty, so I went to rest in the next room. Then... in the morning, when I got up, I saw that Yuechan hadn't gotten up yet, so I went to the gauze-draped room to wake her, and... and found that she was no longer breathing.
Jiang Yu was silent for a moment after hearing her words. Analyzing from the maid's words, the only change was that the maid tripped in the Grand Tutor's mansion and the two cleaning ladies helped pick up the things.
Jiang Yu looked at Ruizhu beside Lu Yifang; she had also spent the entire night in this courtyard last night.
“Ruizhu, tell me what happened when you came to this courtyard yesterday.”
"Yes." Ruizhu bowed and said, "Yesterday, Madam asked me to serve Miss Yan. When I arrived, Miss Yan's two maids were helping her change clothes and prepare for a bath. So I took out the clothes that Madam had prepared for Miss Yan and gave them to her. After using what I had prepared, Miss Yan went to the bathroom to bathe."
"At this point, have they opened the boxes they brought from the Grand Tutor's mansion?" Jiang Yu asked.
"No," said Yan Fengju's maid. "The things we brought from the Grand Tutor's mansion have not been opened."
“It’s open.” At this moment, Ruizhu said, “I don’t know if the box was opened before I came to this courtyard, but later… Yuechan opened the box.”
“Tell me more specifically,” Jiang Yu said.
“Yes,” Ruizhu continued, “After Miss Yan took a bath, she went to bed to rest, and Yuechan stayed behind to keep watch. She opened the box, took out a box of incense and tried to light it, saying that Miss Yan was used to using that incense when she slept at night.”
I remember what you said, Madam. When Miss Yan was in the Duke's mansion, she used all the Duke's items. So I asked Yuechan what kind of incense she brought out, and Yuechan said it was pear incense. It just so happens that we have this kind of incense in our mansion, so I had someone bring some pear incense over.
Yuechan wasn't very happy about this, but she said nothing. She put the pear-scented incense back into a box, tidied up the contents of the box, and then closed it. Afterwards, Yuechan went to rest in the green gauze-draped room. "I sat on the chair in the outer room all night, and there was no movement inside until I discovered the incident."
After hearing Ruizhu's account, everyone realized that the key issue was the box. Lu Yifang immediately asked, "Where is that box now?"
“In…the dormitory.” Although Yan Fengju’s expression remained calm, it was obvious to anyone with eyes that her face was somewhat pale.
Jiang Yu got up and went into the bedroom, where she saw a vermilion box next to the dressing table. After glancing at it for a moment, she turned to Lu Yifang and said, "Mother, have someone invite Doctor Li, who treated my brother's poison, over."
The deceased Yuechan was most likely poisoned.
Lu Yifang asked Granny Feng to invite Doctor Li, and Jiang Yu turned to Yan Fengju and said, "Hurry up and get ready to take the exam."
"I... I can still take the exam?" Yan Fengju asked incredulously.
Jiang Yu replied matter-of-factly, "Of course, hurry up, there's no time left."
"Alright, thank you, thank you Duke of Chu." Yan Fengju bowed deeply to Jiang Yu.
Just then, Steward Li came to report that Grand Tutor Yan and his son had arrived. Jiang Yu had them invited over while she went back to change her clothes. When she returned, she saw Grand Tutor Yan interrogating Yan Fengju's remaining maid with a gloomy expression.
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