Rewards and Crisis
Ningxiang Courtyard is located on the east side of the Prime Minister's residence. Although it is not as magnificent as the main courtyard, it is still elegant and quiet. There are three main rooms and two side rooms. An old crabapple tree in the courtyard is in full bloom, and its pink and white flowers are blooming noisily in the morning light.
Qingdai directed the newly arrived maids and servants as they unpacked the trunks, her voice carrying a long-lost lightness: "Be careful! This piece of brocade is an imperial gift; don't wrinkle it!"
Standing under the eaves, Su Qingyue watched the bustling scene before her, feeling little joy. These rewards were less of an honor and more of a death sentence. The glory of yesterday's palace banquet must have already spread throughout the capital, attracting countless jealousies.
"Miss, look at this Moonlight Brocade! It would look beautiful made into a ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress)!" Qingdai came over carrying a piece of shimmering satin, her face flushed with excitement.
Su Qingyue reached out and touched it; the satin was cool and silky smooth, indeed of superior quality. "Put it away; now is not the time to wear these."
Qingdai asked, puzzled, "Why? This was a gift from His Majesty..."
"Precisely because they were bestowed by His Majesty, we should never wear them," Su Qingyue said calmly. "Are we supposed to wear them all day long, flaunting them in the mansion and reminding everyone that we've gained His Majesty's favor?"
Qingdai suddenly realized what was happening and quickly put the satin into the bottom of the box.
Just then, an announcement came from outside the door: "Madam has arrived."
Wang entered with a group of maids and servants. Today, she was wearing a crimson-purple jacket and skirt with lotus patterns, and a headdress adorned with red gold and kingfisher feathers. Her makeup was exquisite, but it couldn't hide the dark circles under her eyes.
"Mother." Su Qingyue greeted her politely.
Madam Wang surveyed the newly renovated courtyard, a polite smile playing on her lips: "This Ningxiang Courtyard has been uninhabited for a long time, so it's inevitably a bit simple. If you need anything, just send someone to the storeroom to get it."
"It's already very kind of you, Mother, to go to so much trouble." Su Qingyue's tone was respectful, yet neither humble nor arrogant.
Wang's gaze swept over the rewards displayed in the courtyard, lingering for a moment on the glittering gold objects, a barely perceptible hint of jealousy flashing in her eyes.
"At yesterday's palace banquet, you brought honor to the Prime Minister's residence, and the master was very pleased." Madam Wang sat down in the rosewood armchair brought by the maid, "but..."
She paused, then picked up her teacup and gently stirred the foam. "You're still young; you don't know how deep the waters run in the capital. It's better to stay out of the limelight."
Su Qingyue lowered her eyes: "I understand."
"It's good that you understand." Madam Wang put down her teacup, her tone turning cold. "I heard that after yesterday's banquet, the Imperial Advisor and Prince Rui both met with you privately?"
As expected, they've arrived. Su Qingyue sneered inwardly, but her face remained impassive: "Yes. The Imperial Preceptor has granted the Imperial Medical Bureau a pass, and Prince Rui has arranged to meet us at the western suburban horse farm in three days."
Her choice to tell the truth left Ms. Wang speechless for a moment.
"You're quite frank," Madam Wang said, staring at her. "But you must remember, you are ultimately the daughter of the Prime Minister's family, and your every word and action represents the face of the family. When interacting with outsiders, you must know how to maintain proper boundaries."
"Your daughter will remember this."
Madam Wang got up, walked to the crabapple tree, and suddenly said, "Go to the horse farm in three days. Have your eldest sister go with you. She's a good rider and can look after you."
Alarm bells rang in Su Qingyue's mind. Bringing Su Qingxue along? This was clearly an attempt to monitor her every move.
"Elder sister, you are of noble status, how could I trouble you..."
"It's settled then," Madam Wang interrupted firmly. "Sisters should look after each other."
She turned to look at Su Qingyue, her gaze deep: "You must remember, in this grand mansion, only your maternal family is your eternal support. If you do anything that would damage the reputation of the Prime Minister's residence..."
The unspoken words were full of threats.
After seeing Wang Shi off, Qingdai approached with a worried expression: "Miss, Madam wants the eldest young lady to spy on you!"
"As expected." Su Qingyue said calmly, "They won't let me move around freely."
She walked to the desk, laid out paper, and ground ink: "But this is for the best, saving us the trouble of dealing with schemes from the shadows."
"Does the young lady wish to write a letter?"
"No, I need to organize some medical records." Su Qingyue picked up her brush, dipped it in ink, and said, "Now that I've received permission from the Imperial Medical Bureau, I should at least make a show of it."
She does need to systematically organize the medical knowledge of this era, while also carefully incorporating some modern medical concepts. This is both to better establish herself here and to prepare for the future.
The afternoon sun shone through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the paper. Su Qingyue wrote intently, occasionally pausing to ponder. Qingdai quietly ground ink beside her, and occasionally poured her hot tea.
"Miss, what you've written... seems a bit different from the medical books of the Imperial Medical Academy?" Qingdai looked curiously at the anatomical diagrams and prescriptions on the paper.
"Medical techniques are constantly evolving," Su Qingyue said without looking up. "The experience of our predecessors is certainly valuable, but we must also keep pace with the times."
Just then, a commotion arose outside the courtyard gate. A maidservant rushed in, flustered: "Miss, something terrible has happened! The eldest young lady is coming this way with her entourage, and they don't look friendly!"
Su Qingyue put down her pen, a cold smile playing on her lips: "They came so quickly."
She straightened her clothes and calmly walked towards the courtyard gate.
As expected, Su Qingxue arrived in a menacing manner with a group of maids and servants. Today, she was dressed in a bright red brocade riding outfit, clearly preparing to go to the horse farm for practice.
"Third sister, you really have quite the airs!" Su Qingxue said sarcastically before even entering the room. "You've moved to a new courtyard, and even Mother has to come and visit in person. Anyone who didn't know better would think you were the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion!"
Su Qingyue stood inside the doorway, her expression calm: "Sister is joking. Mother is loving and treats each of her children equally."
"Treat everyone equally?" Su Qingxue sneered. "Then tell me, why do the Imperial Advisor and Prince Rui treat you differently? Did you use some underhanded methods?"
These words were extremely harsh, and even the maid behind Su Qingxue looked embarrassed.
Su Qingyue wasn't angry. Instead, she smiled slightly and said, "If you're interested in medicine, I can teach you. Why say such hurtful things?"
"You!" Su Qingxue's face turned pale with anger. "Stop pretending! I'm warning you, stay away from Prince Rui! He's not someone of your status to be associated with!"
So it was all because of Xiao Jue. Su Qingyue suddenly realized why Su Qingxue had lost her composure today.
"Sister, you're overthinking it," she said calmly. "Prince Rui's request for an audience is only because of my rescue of the horse yesterday. I know my place and wouldn't dare to have any improper thoughts."
"That had better be!" Su Qingxue glared at her fiercely. "You better behave yourself when we go to the horse farm in three days! If you dare to try anything funny..."
"Don't worry, sister," Su Qingyue interrupted her, "I will definitely keep to my duty."
After seeing Su Qingxue off, Qingdai stomped her feet in anger: "The young lady is really bullying us!"
"The more she acts like this, the more it shows she has a guilty conscience," Su Qingyue said calmly. "It seems that this Prince Rui holds considerable weight in her heart."
Over the next three days, the Prime Minister's residence appeared calm on the surface, but undercurrents were turbulent beneath.
Besides organizing medical records, Su Qingyue spends her days exercising. She understands very well that maintaining good physical fitness is crucial in this era without modern medical equipment.
During this time, many servants secretly came to her for medical treatment, and she treated them all carefully. The news spread, and even people from outside the mansion began to come seeking her help. Su Qingyue welcomed all, but each time she had Qingdai meticulously record the patient's medical history.
"Miss, why do you bother to record these things?" Qingdai asked, puzzled.
"This is all valuable clinical data," Su Qingyue explained. "Moreover, we need to establish our own information network."
She understood very well that in this era of limited information, whoever has more information has the upper hand.
On the morning of the third day, Su Qingyue had just gotten up when Qingdai rushed in, panicking: "Miss, something's happened!"
"What's wrong?"
"Yesterday you treated the cook's son, and today the child's condition suddenly worsened; he's vomiting and has diarrhea, and he's on the verge of death!" Qingdai was so anxious that tears were about to fall. "Now the cook is crying in the madam's courtyard, saying that you gave him the wrong medicine!"
Su Qingyue's eyes turned cold. They've come, just as expected.
She quickly stood up: "Let's change our clothes and go take a look."
"Miss, you can't go!" Qingdai grabbed her arm. "This is clearly a trap!"
"Since it's a trap, we have to go," Su Qingyue said calmly. "You can run away one day, but you can't hide the next."
When she arrived at the main courtyard, a large crowd had already gathered. Madam Wang sat upright in the hall, her face grim. Su Qingxue stood to the side, a smug, cold smile playing on her lips. A woman was kneeling on the ground, weeping bitterly; it was Zhang, the cook who had come seeking medical help the day before.
"Madam, you must do justice for me!" Zhang cried out. "Yesterday, the Third Miss prescribed medicine for Gou'er, but who knew that he... he would die in the night! He's my only son!"
Su Qingyue calmly stepped forward: "Mother."
Wang looked at her coldly: "You still have the nerve to come here? Zhang said you gave her the wrong medicine, putting her son's life in danger. Do you have anything to say about that?"
"My daughter did indeed examine Zhang's son's pulse yesterday," Su Qingyue said calmly. "The child only had a common case of indigestion, and the prescription I gave was extremely mild; it could not possibly have worsened his condition."
"You mean Zhang framed you?" Su Qingxue interjected. "Why would a cook risk her own son's life to frame you?"
"That's exactly what my daughter wants to know," Su Qingyue said, looking at Zhang Shi. "Could my daughter take another look at the child?"
"You still want to harm my son!" Zhang shouted emotionally.
"If I truly misused the medication, I'm willing to pay with my life," Su Qingyue said firmly. "But if someone deliberately framed me..."
Her gaze swept over Su Qingxue, meaningfully.
Madam Wang pondered for a moment: "Since that's the case, I'll let you go and see. If you've truly committed a wrong, don't blame me for being ruthless in my family's rules!"
The group moved to the servants' quarters. On a simple bed, a seven- or eight-year-old boy lay pale and weak, his life hanging by a thread.
Su Qingyue stepped forward to take the pulse, her brows furrowing deeper and deeper. This pulse was definitely not a simple case of food stagnation; it sounded more like...poisoning?
She carefully examined the child's mouth and nails, and sure enough, she found some fine white powder under the nails.
"Is there any medicine left from the prescription I gave you yesterday?" she asked Zhang.
Zhang's eyes flickered: "They...they're all gone."
"What about the dregs?"
"It's falling down..."
Su Qingyue ignored her, took out silver needles, and inserted them into several acupoints on the child. Then she took out some medicinal herbs from her medicine pouch and quickly prepared an antidote.
"What are you doing!" Su Qingxue tried to stop her.
"To save lives." Su Qingyue answered briefly, deftly administering the medicine to the child.
In just fifteen minutes, the child's complexion gradually improved, and his breathing became much more stable.
"This...how is this possible?" Zhang was dumbfounded.
Su Qingyue stood up, her gaze sharp as a knife: "Now you can tell the truth, right? This child wasn't poisoned by the wrong medicine; he was poisoned by the Gelsemium elegans!"
She held up the powder she had taken from under the child's fingernails: "This poison is extremely potent. If I hadn't discovered it in time, this child would certainly be dead! Tell me! Who ordered you to use it!"
Zhang was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, her gaze involuntarily drifting towards Su Qingxue.
"Why are you looking at me like that!" Su Qingxue said sharply, "You poisoned someone yourself, and now you're trying to frame someone else?"
"Young Miss, you can't do this!" Zhang cried out, "It was clearly you who told me..."
"Shut up!" Madam Wang suddenly shouted, "Drag this wicked woman who murdered her own child away! Lock her in the woodshed and await her fate!"
Several old women stepped forward and dragged the crying Zhang away.
Wang turned to Su Qingyue, her face grim: "It seems to be a misunderstanding. You've been wronged."
Su Qingyue sneered inwardly. What a "misunderstanding," just like that, brushed aside so lightly.
"My daughter understands." She lowered her eyes, "It's just a pity for that child, who almost became a victim of some people's power struggles."
These words were loaded with meaning, and Su Qingxue's face immediately turned deathly pale.
"That's enough for today." Madam Wang stood up, her tone authoritative. "Anyone who dares to spread rumors outside will be punished according to family rules!"
Back at Ningxiang Courtyard, Qingdai patted her chest in lingering fear: "Miss, that was so close! How did you know the child was poisoned?"
"The pulse is off," Su Qingyue said calmly. "Moreover, Zhang's reaction is too abnormal. If I had truly prescribed the wrong medicine, she should have wanted me to treat her."
"Was it the young lady who ordered this?"
"Besides her, who else?" Su Qingyue sneered. "But after this, they should quiet down for a while."
She walked to the window, gazing at the blooming crabapple trees in the courtyard, her gaze growing cold.
She won this time, but what about next time?
In this treacherous and secluded mansion, she must quickly establish her own power. Otherwise, she will inevitably become someone else's prey.
The faint sound of horses' hooves came from afar, reminding her of her appointment with Xiao Jue the next day.
Su Qingyue clenched her fists slightly. Since there was no way to retreat, she might as well forge ahead.
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