Chapter 23 Luring the Enemy
The pure white fox's convulsions gradually subsided, its bright eyes fixed on Meng Qingyu, two tears trembling slightly at the corners of its eyes, a truly heartbreaking sight.
To others, Lingzhi was just a little fox, but to Meng Qingyu, it was a companion she had spent two years with day and night.
Du Shiyin: "Has the doctor been summoned?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than a maidservant rushed over with the family physician.
Meng Qingyu: "Dr. Cheng, could you please check if the Ganoderma lucidum is poisoned? Please save it quickly."
Upon discovering the condition of the lingzhi mushroom, he hurried to his mother's room while instructing a maid to fetch the family physician.
Everyone in the Prime Minister's residence knew that Lingzhi was the young master's treasure. Upon hearing that Lingzhi had been poisoned, Doctor Cheng rushed over and immediately took Lingzhi to examine the situation.
After careful observation, Dr. Cheng was shocked: "What Lingzhi was ingested was not actually poison, but a very potent aphrodisiac called 'Pink Tears.' This drug, costing only a penny, can instantly turn a virtuous woman into a slave to desire, making her shamelessly beg men for pleasure."
"The Ganoderma lucidum is just a small animal, and the amount of the powdered medicine is relatively heavy, so it is even more poisonous to it. Its body cannot withstand the effects of the medicine, and its internal organs are already ruptured, beyond saving."
Meng Qingyu burst into tears: "Lingzhi, who is trying to harm my Lingzhi? Give me back my Lingzhi..."
Du Shiyin knew how much her son valued Ganoderma lucidum, and was even more furious that someone had put aphrodisiacs in her food.
This incident happened right after Lingge's homecoming, clearly indicating that the poisoner's primary target was Lingge. This person not only had a grudge against Lingge but was also extremely familiar with both mother and daughter.
Knowing that Lingge intended to dine with her, he put poison in her food, hoping to kill both mother and daughter.
The person who could be so cruel to them, mother and daughter, and who knew them so well, is most suspicious of all, and after much thought, it must be Meng Huanyan.
Du Shiyin's face was cold. She had thought Meng Huanyan was just foolish and greedy, but she hadn't expected her to be so ruthless. She asked herself honestly, as the mistress of the house, she had been more than lenient with her concubines and illegitimate daughters, but Meng Huanyan was not grateful and content. Instead, she took advantage of her every step of the way and now she even wanted to poison her and Lingge.
Applying powder and making her cry is only the first step; the second step will certainly be to use this to ruin the reputation of the mother and daughter.
This really crossed her bottom line.
"Lingzhi was poisoned after eating my food. Could you please examine these dishes again, Dr. Cheng, to see if they were laced with aphrodisiacs?"
Upon hearing this, Doctor Cheng became even more cautious. Poisoning from Ganoderma lucidum was already a serious matter, but for the mistress to have been given aphrodisiacs in her food was even more tantamount to murder, a horrifying feud within the inner quarters.
He dared not be careless and checked the dishes repeatedly before whispering, "Madam, there is nothing wrong with the other dishes, except for the Agaricus blazei stewed chicken soup, which has been adulterated with fennel powder, and at least three qian of it."
really.
Du Shiyin narrowed her eyes slightly. Lingge liked to eat matsutake mushrooms, so this was a scheme mainly targeting her daughter.
"I understand. Dr. Cheng, you've worked hard. Please take your time and rest. This matter must not be made public."
"Yes." Doctor Cheng bowed and withdrew. He knew that the lady wanted to find out who was behind the poisoning, and even if the lady didn't say anything, he wouldn't go out and spread rumors. To work in the household of a high-ranking official, one must not only have real skills, but also know how to keep one's mouth shut.
As soon as Doctor Cheng left, the old nanny who had been waiting behind Du Shiyin knelt down on the ground.
“Madam, this old servant took the food from Chef Li as usual. These dishes have been under my eyes the whole way. This old servant really doesn’t know why there are such lewd things in the dishes.”
Du Shiyin said softly, "Granny, please get up. You've been with me for a long time, and I trust you. Since these dishes haven't left your sight since you took them, they must have been poisoned before you brought them. You don't need to blame yourself."
This Granny Tang was brought from her maiden home. They had been together for over two or three decades. In her courtyard, Granny Tang was practically a mistress. If something had happened to her, Granny Tang would certainly not be living such a comfortable life.
Logically and emotionally, there was no way that Granny Tang would harm her.
The cook, Li, was given to her by her brother from her maternal family. She had been cooking for her for over ten years and was a very honest and dutiful person.
Du Shiyin rubbed her forehead and looked at her daughter, who had remained silent: "Lingge, what do you think we should do?"
Now that my daughter has become the Crown Prince's wife, she may encounter similar schemes and plots in the future. Let's take this opportunity to let her gain some experience so that she won't be caught off guard later.
Meng Lingge knew her mother's good intentions and pondered with a furrowed brow, saying, "Granny Tang and Chef Li are both people you trust. The fact that this person was able to bypass their precautions and succeed shows that the plan was meticulous and unlikely to have any flaws. Rather than going through all the trouble of investigating, we should take advantage of the fact that this matter has not yet spread, pretend to be poisoned, and when this person is misled into thinking that the matter has succeeded and continues to commit crimes, we can capture him without lifting a finger."
Du Shiyin nodded with satisfaction: "We'll do as you say. Qingyu and the young master, go to the front hall immediately and have your meal as usual. Secretly inform the steward to order the guards to surround Zhufeng Residence and not to make any rash moves. They will only appear when I give the order."
"Mother, Qingyu knows."
Meng Qingyu wiped away her tears, reluctantly put the Ganoderma lucidum in a corner and hid it away. She forced a smile on her face, pretending to be nonchalant, and took Wen Zhiming's hand, skipping and hopping away.
We must first find out who harmed Lingzhi before we can avenge Lingzhi.
Wen Zhiming couldn't understand what they were discussing, but he could tell from Meng Lingge's expression that the matter was serious. Since his wife and mother-in-law had things to do, he obediently listened to his wife and didn't want to cause her any trouble.
Seeing the two leave, Granny Tang and the remaining maids tidied up the dishes on the table, creating the illusion that they had been eaten.
Thinking of the bloodstains left on Lingzhi's lips, and in order to catch the murderer as soon as possible and prove her innocence, Granny Tang made a cruel decision. Taking advantage of Meng Lingge and Du Shiyin's inattention, she cut her finger and smeared the blood on the lips of the Madam and the Eldest Miss.
Meng Lingge secretly thought that these were signs that Lingzhi had been drugged with an aphrodisiac. Adults shouldn't vomit blood after being drugged with aphrodisiacs. But Granny Tang was so loyal, and her hand was already cut, so why not use this blood?
Moreover, if she wasn't mistaken about who poisoned her, then changing the aphrodisiac into a deadly poison might bring unexpected surprises.
After disguising themselves, Du Shiyin lay down on the bed, and Meng Lingge lay down beside the bed. Both of them were pale and had blood trickling from the corners of their mouths.
Granny Tang waited a while longer before her face showed panic, and she and the little maid ran out of the courtyard in a fright.
Du Shiyin preferred quiet, so she usually only had one or two servants in the main courtyard, with most of them staying in the outer courtyard. Just as the two girls ran out of the main courtyard and were about to call for help, several masked men slipped in from the courtyard gate, gagged and knocked out Tang Mama and the little maid, dragged them to the wall and hid them, and headed straight for Du Shiyin's room.
The men were quick and agile, and it turned out they were all skilled martial artists.
What was most chilling was that the eyes peeking out from under the masks were all gleaming with lust.
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