Chapter 690 Woodcarving

The health condition of the old lady of Duke Xin frightened everyone.

Several maids hurriedly helped the old lady of Duke Xin to the couch.

The old Duke Xin was also very anxious: "Madam, wake up! Madam!"

Fortunately, Xingxing was there. She hurried forward and took the pulse of the unconscious old lady of Duke Xin.

Jiao was simply trembling with fear.

Her mother-in-law suddenly collapsed while scolding her. If anything happened to her mother-in-law, she would definitely be labeled as "unfilial"!

Jiao was already a little devastated by Yu Chongen's matter, and now she was even more anxious. Seeing Xingxing checking the pulse of the old lady of Duke Xin, she couldn't help but said anxiously: "Didn't he come to check Ping An's pulse every now and then... Why did he do this suddenly!"

Xingxing was concentrating on examining the pulse of the old lady of Duke Xin and ignored Jiao.

But the old Duke Xin was furious and shouted coldly, "That's enough!"

The old Duke Xin never spoke harshly to the women in his family. This rare cold shout made Jiao shudder slightly and she dared not say anything more.

Xingxing withdrew her hand with a serious look, and the old Duke Xin immediately asked, "Xingxing, what's up?"

Xing Xing frowned: "...the old lady was too emotional, so her anger accumulated and her blood flow was blocked, causing her to faint."

After a pause, Xing Xing couldn't help but frowned again and said, "That's what the pulse says, but I always feel like something is not right. I just checked the old lady's pulse a few days ago, and she was fine at that time. How could she suddenly become so emotionally agitated that she hurt herself like this..."

Nanny Qingluan thought of something and her face turned pale. "Princess, our old lady has indeed had some headaches and dizziness in recent days. I wanted to tell you when you come to check your pulse in a few days..."

Xingxing nodded, but she always felt something was not right.

But the pulse showed that he was too emotional for a moment...

Xing Xing frowned and said, "I'll prescribe some mild medicine for the old lady to stabilize the situation first."

"Okay." The old Duke Xin had great trust in Xing Xing. "My wife will take care of you, Xing Xing."

Xing Xing said calmly, "Don't say that, Duke. The old lady is always very kind to me. I am just returning the favor."

After Xingxing finished speaking, she went to busy herself with prescribing medicine.

Jiao sat in the chair in a daze, feeling anxious and painful.

The son was seriously injured and on the verge of death, and the mother-in-law fainted while scolding her...

Why is she so difficult...

Jiao's eyes became redder and redder, but she couldn't cry. She covered her mouth with a handkerchief and her shoulders trembled.

Yu Mingzhu's eyes were redder than Jiao's: "Mom, don't be sad, I know you are feeling bad right now. I will always be with you..."

Jiao was deeply moved and burst into tears while hugging Yu Mingzhu.

The old Duke Xin looked cold and drove everyone out: "Alright, Chong'en has survived the danger now, and Madam has someone to serve her here, you all go back first and don't be a nuisance here."

The families of other families did not dare to question the order of Duke Xin. They all nodded their heads and quietly retreated.

Yu Mingzhu pulled Jiao's arm, and Jiao, with tears in her eyes, hesitated for a long time, and then left.

After Xingxing prescribed medicine for the old lady of Duke Xin, she always felt something was wrong.

Some of the maids were busy making fire and decocting medicine, while others were busy clearing away the tea sets that had just been served to the masters of each room and cleaning the tables. They were all busy in an orderly manner.

The old Duke of Xin sat beside the couch where the old lady of Duke of Xin was lying, accompanying her.

Xing Xing looked at it for a while, and finally spoke: "Master, can I go to the old lady's living room and bedroom to take a look?"

The old Duke Xin looked up at Xing Xing and did not refuse. Instead, he pointed at Nanny Qingluan and said, "Qingluan, take the princess for a walk."

Madam Qingluan knelt down and said, "Yes."

The two of them left the house, and Nanny Qingluan took Xingxing straight to the living room where the old lady of Duke Xin lived.

The old lady of Xin Guogong is a Buddhist, and there is a faint scent of Zen in her living room.

Xing Xing started looking around from the door and it was obvious that she was looking for something.

Nanny Qingluan didn't ask Xingxing a single question on the way until they entered the house. She watched Xingxing look around the living room, touching this and that, then looking at the decorations there.

The more Nanny Qingluan looked, the more shocked she became.

She knew that given Xingxing's personality, this action must have some hidden meaning.

They were all old people who had lived in the back house for many years. She took a breath and said, "Princess, are you suspicious that there is something wrong with the old lady's living room?"

Xing Xing pursed her lips and said, "It's hard to say... I don't have any evidence, but I'm a little confused. I think the old lady's illness today was a little too sudden."

As she spoke, her hands did not stop moving, stroking an ornament in Duobao Pavilion.

As she stroked it, she suddenly realized something was wrong.

This is a wood carving of an old man fishing with children playing beside him.

But the problem is, why does this wood feel moist to the touch?

Xing Xing picked up the ornament and looked at it carefully.

Nanny Qingluan was a little nervous: "Princess, is there something wrong with this decoration?"

Xing Xing shook her head: "No, what is this wood coated with? Tung oil?"

Nanny Qingluan said, "It seems not. This wooden ornament is from the Nanman area. It is said to be painted with the juice of the moon lacquer tree, which is more moisturizing than tung oil. I have heard that some craftsmen in the Nanman area would use the juice of the moon lacquer tree on their utensils to prevent insects from eating them."

"Moon lacquer tree..." Xing Xing muttered, and suddenly an idea flashed through her mind. She immediately widened her eyes, and she remembered something, and looked around, "Wait, I remember that the old lady likes camellias and often puts camellias in the house, right?!"

When Xing Xing came to check the pulse of the old lady of Duke Xin before, she sometimes saw camellias in full bloom in the house. She knew that the Duke Xin's mansion had a special greenhouse and special craftsmen who cultivated camellias for the old lady of Duke Xin.

For example, she had seen a pot of green camellia before and was deeply impressed.

Nanny Qingluan nodded blankly: "Yes. Camellias are always placed in the house. Today, the manager said that the camellias in the greenhouse were not blooming well enough, so they were not sent over..."

Xing Xing's expression darkened. She quickly walked to the Duobao Pavilion, picked up the wood carving, and asked Qingluan Ma: "Was this wood carving put up recently?"

Nanny Qingluan had already vaguely realized that there must be something wrong with the wood carving. She widened her eyes and said, "...This wood carving was given to the old lady by the fourth young lady. The old lady placed this wood carving in the Duobao Pavilion because she was grateful for the fourth young lady's filial piety..."

At this point, Nanny Qingluan's voice trembled, "Princess, are you saying that there is something wrong with this wood carving? Fourth Miss..."

Xing Xing shook her head: "No, we can't draw a conclusion yet. There is nothing wrong with the wood carving itself, and there is nothing wrong with applying the sap of the moon varnish tree on the wood carving. But the problem is that when the sap of the moon varnish tree meets the pollen of the camellia, it will produce a very weak gas. That gas has no effect on young and strong people, but it has no effect on the elderly. For the weak, it will subtly make them tense! As people age, they are weaker. Add to that the effects of the lacquer tree sap and camellia. Once something important happens, people's emotions will be agitated, and they will end up like the old lady today! The old lady is already old, and if she is not treated in time, I'm afraid it will affect her life expectancy!"

Nanny Qingluan listened and felt her legs go weak: "You mean, it was the fourth young lady who deliberately murdered the old lady?!..."

She still found it hard to believe. It was not because she doubted Xing Xing's words, but because she felt that the illegitimate daughter of the second house, who looked timid and usually kept her head down and looked docile to everyone, where did the fourth lady get the courage to murder the old lady like this? !

What a deep scheme!

Xing Xing looked at the wood carving in her hand that was painted with the juice of the moon lacquer tree, her brows still furrowed. "...We don't have many things from the South Barbarians here. If you say that I bought it by chance, I'm afraid that's also possible."

Nanny Qingluan's body was still trembling slightly.

In this family, someone actually tried to murder the old lady intentionally!

"We must tell the Duke about this!" Nanny Qingluan said anxiously, "Whether the Fourth Miss did it intentionally or unintentionally, we must investigate!"

Xing Xing nodded and decided not to get involved in this private matter anymore.

She said that she felt that the old lady's illness came too suddenly.

Normally, there is no sign of this in the pulse.

It could only be that something was subtly and silently affecting the old lady's body.

After checking like this, she actually found something.

Xing Xing sighed.

It's not easy to be a wealthy family.

…

Nanny Qingluan took the wood carving to find the old Duke Xin. The old Duke Xin was furious and immediately asked someone to call the fourth young lady from the mansion over.

The fourth young lady of the Duke Xin's mansion is the concubine's daughter of the second house. She usually behaves very low-key. When she was suddenly summoned by the old Duke Xin, not to mention the fourth young lady of the second house, even the mistress of the second house was a little stunned.

The second lady speculated, could it be that the fourth girl was rude just now?

The more the Second Madam thought about it, the more worried she became. Her mother-in-law was still ill, so she hoped nothing would happen in their room!

The Second Lady specifically told the Fourth Miss Yu Mingxin: "When you go there, answer whatever your grandfather asks you honestly. Don't try to cheat in front of your grandfather."

Yu Mingxin was also very uneasy in her heart. She nodded honestly and said softly, "Don't worry, mother."

How could the Second Lady feel at ease? After thinking it over, she decided to go with Yu Mingxin.

When they arrived at the old Duke Xin's place, they found themselves in a side hall. No one else was there except the old Duke Xin and Madam Qingluan, the most trusted confidant of the old Duke Xin and his wife.

The second wife was a little weak in the hands and feet. After she went in to greet her father-in-law, she smiled and said, "Father, I don't know why you asked the fourth girl to come over, but what did this girl do wrong? What did she do wrong?"

The old Duke Xin said calmly, "Second brother, you go out first."

The second wife choked, but still managed a smile and left with perfect courtesy.

The only people left in the room were old Duke Xin, Nanny Qingluan and Yu Mingshen.

Yu Mingxin was a timid person. Seeing her grandfather, who was always serious, chased her stepmother out, her legs were shaking with fear and she was about to cry.

"Fourth girl..." As soon as the old Duke Xin opened his mouth, Yu Mingshen's legs went weak and he almost fell to his knees.

Yu Mingxin finally stood up and said, "Grandfather."

The old Duke Xin frowned slightly.

To be honest, he didn't quite believe that it was the fourth girl who did it.

After all, the fourth girl has had this kind of temper since she was a child. If she really wants to harm others, she may not have the courage to do so.

Not to mention murdering her grandmother who had always been kind to her?

When the old Duke Xin thought of this, he looked at his granddaughter who was frightened like a quail, sighed, and spoke more slowly. He pushed the wooden sculpture in his hand forward and asked, "Do you recognize this?"

Yu Mingxin raised her head and saw that it was the wood carving she had given to her grandmother not long ago. She nodded in confusion: "...I recognize it. This is a gift from me to my grandmother."

Old Duke Xin stared at Yu Mingxin's expression, his tone still gentle: "Fourth girl, why did you think of giving such a thing to your grandmother?"

Yu Mingxin intertwined his fingers and confessed truthfully: "...Actually, that day, I saw my sisters doing needlework in the warm pavilion. They said that grandma was getting old, and they wanted to make something for her personally to express their love. But my needlework..."

Yu Mingxin's pale face was flushed with embarrassment. She lowered her head and said, "My needlework skills are not good enough. So I thought about giving my grandmother something else. It happened that when I went out shopping later, I heard people talking about some strange wood carvings from the South Barbarians that had just arrived at the Treasure Pavilion. They all had good meanings and were very popular with the elders... So I went to buy it."

After Yu Mingxin finished replying, he was still a little uneasy: "...Grandfather, is it because I didn't do needlework for grandma myself? That's not good..."

The old Duke Xin didn't say anything. He had been staring at Yu Mingxin's expression. Naturally, he knew that Yu Mingxin was not lying.

Is this really a coincidence?

Old Duke Xin tapped the table with his fingers, again and again.

Yu Mingxin stood there, becoming more and more at a loss.

The old Duke Xin suddenly spoke up, "You just said that when you were out of the house, someone was talking about something from the Nanman area... Do you remember who was talking about it?"

When the old Duke Xin asked this, a look of confusion first flashed across Yu Mingxin's face, and then she frowned and thought hard, but she couldn't remember anything.

She could only say weakly: "...Grandfather, I really can't remember what they look like."

After Yu Mingxin finished speaking, she managed to remember some details and said, "Ah," and added, "I remember that one of them had a birthmark on his wrist. The birthmark was a bit round, so I took a closer look."

This can barely be considered a detail.

Old Duke Xin looked at his granddaughter, who was anxious, confused and frightened, and sighed, "Okay, go back first. If you remember anything else about this wood carving, come find me again."

Yu Mingxin responded at first, and when he was about to leave, he suddenly realized what was happening, shuddered, and asked hastily, "...Grandfather, no, grandma suddenly fainted, is there something wrong with this wood carving?"

Yu Mingxin was trembling with fear.

Seeing Yu Mingxin's expression, the old Duke Xin completely believed that this matter had nothing to do with her.

He waved his hands, unwilling to say more: "Nothing, you can go back first."

Yu Mingxin left with red eyes, like a frightened little rabbit.

The old Duke Xin sighed.

Was this a deliberate murder or just a coincidence?