Turn the tables on them
The early summer morning light filtered through the bamboo blinds, casting dappled patterns of light on the bluestone ground. Su Qingyue was tending to her medicinal herb garden in the courtyard when she heard footsteps outside the door.
"Miss, Granny Qian from Madam's side has arrived." Qingdai walked over quickly, her face showing a hint of wariness.
Su Qingyue put down the small hoe and patted the dirt off her hands: "Please invite her in."
Granny Qian was unusually polite today, followed by two maids carrying brocade boxes. "Greetings, Third Miss. Madam was concerned about your recent fright and specially sent this old servant to bring some tonics."
The brocade box was opened, revealing top-quality bird's nest, ginseng, and several packets of prepared tonics.
"Mother, you've gone to so much trouble." Su Qingyue's gaze swept over the medicinal herbs, a slight smile playing on her lips. "These all look like rare and precious items."
"Indeed," Granny Qian said with a smile. "This bird's nest is a tribute from Southeast Asia, and the ginseng is a century-old ginseng from Changbai Mountain. Madam specifically instructed that the Third Miss should take good care of herself."
Su Qingyue reached out and picked up a packet of prepared tonic, sniffing it gently. A faint medicinal fragrance was mixed with a very subtle, unusual odor. If she weren't an expert in pharmacology, she wouldn't have noticed it at all.
"This tonic is quite exquisitely prepared," she asked casually. "Was it prepared by the new doctor hired by the household?"
Granny Qian's eyes flickered slightly: "It was a prescription specially prepared by a renowned doctor from Baohetang, commissioned by Madam."
Baohetang was the most famous pharmacy in the capital, so this excuse was flawless.
"Please thank Mother for me." Su Qingyue gestured for Qingdai to accept the gift. "I will begin taking it today."
After seeing Granny Qian off, Qingdai immediately closed the courtyard gate: "Miss, these tonics..."
"There's a problem." Su Qingyue opened the packet of tonic and carefully examined its ingredients. "It contains a small amount of Tripterygium wilfordii."
"Thunder Vine?" Qingdai's face turned deathly pale. "Isn't that poison?"
"A small amount can dispel wind and dampness, but long-term use..." Su Qingyue sneered, "will slowly damage the liver and kidneys, eventually leading to failure and death. Moreover, the symptoms are similar to general weakness, making them difficult to detect."
What a brilliant scheme! If she hadn't possessed knowledge of modern toxicology, she wouldn't have noticed the oddity of it all.
"We'll go tell the master right away!" Qingdai said angrily.
"Tell Father?" Su Qingyue shook her head. "Where's the evidence? Just say I smelled poison in the tonic? Who would believe that?"
She picked up a pinch of powder and rubbed it between her fingertips: "Since they want to play, we'll play a big game with them."
Three days later, news that Ningxiang Courtyard had invited a doctor spread throughout the Prime Minister's residence.
"I heard that the Third Miss suddenly fell ill, vomiting and having diarrhea, and has become extremely thin."
"That's right, Qingdai's eyes are all swollen from crying."
When the news reached the main courtyard, Madam Wang was pruning a potted orchid. Upon hearing the maid's report, her golden scissors paused slightly: "Has a doctor been summoned?"
"We've invited Doctor Liu from Baohetang," the maid replied. "He said the patient has a weak spleen and stomach and needs to rest well."
A barely perceptible smile played on Wang's lips: "Since you're ill, you should take good care of yourself. Go to the storeroom and fetch some more bird's nest soup."
"Mother is so loving," Su Qingxue said with a smile. "Even though my third sister is such a worry, Mother still cares so much about her."
"She is, after all, a young lady from the Prime Minister's residence; we can't let people say we've mistreated her." Madam Wang put down the golden scissors. "Aren't you going to the Marquis of Yongchang's residence today? Hurry up and prepare."
Su Qingxue happily agreed and left with her maid.
After she had walked a distance, Madam Wang whispered to Granny Qian, "How is the situation over there?"
"He is indeed quite ill," Granny Qian replied. "This old servant saw him with my own eyes; his face was ashen, and he couldn't even get out of bed."
Madam Wang nodded in satisfaction: "Have Doctor Liu come to check pulses on time, and continue administering the prescribed medication."
"yes."
Inside Ningxiang Courtyard, Su Qingyue leaned weakly against the headboard, her face covered with a special medicinal powder, making her complexion appear sallow. Qingdai was secretly pouring the brewed medicine into a flowerpot, following her instructions.
"Miss, how long are you going to keep up this act?" Qingdai asked softly. "Lying in bed all day, I feel so sorry for you."
"Almost there." Su Qingyue glanced out the window. "The fish have taken the bait; we just need to haul in the net."
She hadn't been completely bedridden these past few days; she had been secretly gathering evidence. Through Qingdai's activities outside, she had discovered that Doctor Liu of Baohe Hall was related to a distant relative of the Wang family by marriage. Furthermore, the shipment of bird's nest had been traced back to a merchant caravan that had dealings with the Yongchang Marquis's residence.
All these clues, when put together, point to a much larger conspiracy.
"Miss, why do you think Madam treats you this way?" Qingdai asked, puzzled. "You are, after all, a young lady from the Prime Minister's residence."
"In some people's eyes, self-interest is far more important than family ties," Su Qingyue said calmly. "If I were ordinary, they might still tolerate me. But now..."
Now she has not only won the Emperor's favor, but has also attracted the attention of Prince Rui and the Imperial Preceptor. This is absolutely intolerable for the Wang mother and daughter.
"So what should we do now?"
"Wait." Su Qingyue's gaze was calm. "Wait for the right opportunity."
The opportunity arrived quickly.
Five days later, an unexpected guest arrived at the Prime Minister's residence—Lord Zhou, the head of the Imperial Medical Academy. He had come on the Emperor's orders to examine Su Qingyue's pulse.
"Why is Lord Zhou here?" When Madam Wang received the news, she was having breakfast and was so surprised that she dropped her chopsticks on the table.
"They say His Majesty heard that the Third Miss was seriously ill and specially sent Lord Zhou to treat her," the maidservant reported tremblingly.
Wang's face turned deathly pale. How could the head of the Imperial Medical Academy possibly hide his pulse when he himself was examining her?
"Quick! Get to Ningxiang Courtyard..."
But before she could finish speaking, Judge Zhou had already led the medicine boy to the main courtyard.
"Greetings, Madam." Imperial Physician Zhou bowed. "I was ordered to examine the Third Miss's pulse, and there are some matters I need to verify with you, Madam."
Wang, forcing herself to remain calm, said, "Please speak, Lord Zhou."
"Only after examining the Third Miss's pulse did I discover that her condition was not simply due to a weak spleen and stomach, but rather..." Zhou, the Imperial Physician, paused, "...poisoning."
"Poisoning?" Wang exclaimed in shock. "How is that possible!"
"I have examined the medicines that the Third Miss has been taking recently," Judge Zhou instructed the apprentice to present the evidence. "These tonics have been adulterated with Tripterygium wilfordii."
Looking at the familiar medicinal herbs, Wang's hands began to tremble: "Where...where did these come from?"
"I heard it was a tonic bestowed by the Madam," said Imperial Physician Zhou, his eyes sharp. "Is the Madam aware of this?"
Just then, Prime Minister Su returned to his residence after court. Hearing that the head of the Imperial Medical Academy had arrived, he went directly to the main courtyard.
"What's going on?" Prime Minister Su asked in a deep voice, noticing the tense atmosphere.
Judge Zhou recounted the situation again. Prime Minister Su's face grew increasingly grim, until finally he slammed his fist on the table: "Investigate! Investigate thoroughly for me!"
This investigation uncovered a major problem.
Not only were the tonics problematic, but even the food in Su Qingyue's courtyard had been tampered with. All clues pointed to an old woman working for Wang Shi.
"My lord, please see the truth!" Madam Wang cried, kneeling on the ground. "How could I dare to do such a thing? It must be those villains who framed me!"
"Framed?" Prime Minister Su sneered. "The evidence is overwhelming; you still dare to deny it?"
"Father, please calm down." Su Qingyue was "weakly" helped in. "I believe Mother wouldn't harm me; someone must be interfering."
The more she pleaded, the angrier Prime Minister Su became: "Even at this point, you're still speaking up for her!"
"My daughter just felt..." Su Qingyue suddenly swayed and "fainted" on the ground.
"Miss!" Qingdai exclaimed, "Quickly, fetch a doctor!"
Imperial Physician Zhou hurriedly stepped forward to take her pulse, his face grave: "Third Miss's poisoning is already severe. If it had been discovered a few days later, I'm afraid..."
Prime Minister Su trembled with rage: "Lock this wicked woman in the ancestral hall! No one is to release her without my order!"
As Wang was dragged away, she stared intently at Su Qingyue, her eyes filled with resentment and malice.
After everyone had left, Su Qingyue slowly woke up.
"Miss, you really scared me to death just now," Qingdai said, her eyes red.
Su Qingyue sat up, the "sick look" on her face gradually fading: "A performance should always be as realistic as possible."
"But... will this really bring down Madam?"
"Bring her down?" Su Qingyue chuckled. "How could that be? Even if Father is angry, he wouldn't really punish Wang Shi severely."
"Why?"
"Because Wang's family still needs her," Su Qingyue said clearly. "I'm doing this not to bring her down, but to buy time."
After this incident, Wang Shi would not dare to harm her again in the short term. And her status in the household would be completely different.
Sure enough, the next day Prime Minister Su ordered that all supplies for Ningxiang Courtyard be drawn directly from his study, without having to go through the main courtyard. This was tantamount to stripping Wang of her jurisdiction over Su Qingyue.
To Su Qingyue's surprise, after hearing about this, the emperor specially bestowed another batch of medicinal herbs upon her and allowed her free access to the Imperial Hospital to consult medical books.
"Miss, we won!" Qingdai said happily.
Su Qingyue gazed at the blooming crabapple blossoms in the courtyard and gently shook her head: "This is just a minor victory."
The real contest has only just begun.
But she is no longer the Su Qingyue who was at the mercy of others.
Starting today, she will begin to plan and build a power that truly belongs to her.
And medical skills were her best weapon.
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