Chapter 35: Testing Confidants with Water
Ling Zixia closed the door of Jingsiyuan.
The heavy door panels block out all views from the outside world.
She turned and walked towards her bedroom.
Her steps were light and steady.
There was no trace of cowardice or tears on his face anymore.
The cold silence returned to the depths of her eyes.
She had just sat down by the bedroom window.
The voice of guard leader Zhang Mo was heard outside the courtyard gate.
The voice was respectful but with a hint of distance.
"Your Highness Aunt Ling."
"The Prime Minister has sent new people to take care of your daily life."
Ling Zixia did not respond immediately.
She waited quietly.
A moment later.
The gate of the courtyard was gently pushed open by the guards from the outside.
A group of four people entered one after another.
The leader was a woman about forty years old.
She was wearing a clean and neat blue cloth dress.
Her hair was combed meticulously.
There was no expression on his face.
His eyes looked very smart and capable.
Behind her followed three young maids.
They were about fifteen or sixteen years old.
They all have handsome features.
Their movements were in unison.
He followed the woman with his head lowered and his eyes submissive.
The four of them stopped at the bedroom door.
They dared not enter without permission.
The leading woman bowed towards the room.
Her voice was steady and clear.
"Old servant Guifang greets Aunt Ling."
"I am here under the order of the Prime Minister, bringing two first-class maids, Qing'er and Mo'er, and one menial maid, Xiaoxing, to Jingsiyuan to serve."
Ling Zixia stood up from the window.
The weak and helpless expression returned to her face.
She walked slowly to the door.
She nodded slightly at Guifang.
"Thank you, Madam."
Her voice was as soft as a feather.
Guifang raised her head.
She looked at Ling Zixia inconspicuously.
The woman in front of me is thin.
Pale face.
There was a lingering trace of fear in his eyes.
She really looks like a frightened young girl.
This was in stark contrast to the horrific tactics she had just displayed in the courtyard.
Guifang felt a little alert.
She knew the purpose of the Prime Minister sending them here.
They are servants.
He is also the most strict monitor.
"No need to be so polite, auntie."
Guifang turned sideways respectfully.
"I have been ordered to come here and will do my best to serve you, my aunt."
Ling Zixia nodded.
She turned around and walked back to the table in the room and sat down.
She gently pressed her forehead with her handkerchief.
He looked listless.
"I'm a little tired."
She said softly.
"Mammy and the sisters should go and settle down first."
She seemed to want to send them away.
Guifang had no intention of leaving.
She took a step forward.
Standing at the door of the bedroom.
"My aunt has just been frightened and cannot be left alone."
"I'll let Qing'er and Mo'er serve here."
Her words were respectful.
There was an undeniable insistence in his tone.
A barely perceptible cold light flashed in Ling Zixia's eyes.
She knew this was Zhao Wuji's arrangement.
From now on.
She will not have any private space.
A look of embarrassment appeared on her face.
But she finally nodded obediently.
"Okay."
She picked up the cold teapot on the table.
She wanted to pour herself a cup of tea.
But her wrists seemed to have no strength.
The teapot swayed slightly in her hands.
Guifang immediately winked at Qing'er beside her.
Qing'er understood.
She immediately took a step forward.
She took the teapot from Ling Zixia.
"Auntie, the tea is cold. I'll go get you a hot pot."
Her voice is clear and pleasant.
His behavior is also very decent.
Ling Zixia responded weakly.
Qing'er then walked out with the teapot in hand.
Guifang and two other maids stood quietly at the door with their hands hanging down.
They were like four emotionless statues.
His eyes looked at the ground submissively.
In fact, he was watching Ling Zixia's every move with his peripheral vision.
Ling Zixia didn't do anything else.
She just sat there quietly.
As if waiting for something.
Soon, Qing'er came back with a pot of steaming tea.
She took a clean white porcelain teacup.
She poured Ling Zixia half a cup of clear yellow tea.
The aroma of tea rises.
It is top-grade Junshan Yinzhen.
Qing'er held the teacup in both hands.
She walked slowly to Ling Zixia.
"Auntie, please have some tea."
She handed the teacup over respectfully.
Ling Zixia stretched out her right hand.
She seemed to want to take the teacup.
But just when her fingertips were about to touch the teacup.
Her wrist suddenly twisted.
It's as if I've lost all my strength.
The tip of her index finger seemed unintentional.
It gently slid across Qing'er's thumb as she held the cup wall.
The movement was extremely slight.
And it happened very naturally.
Just like a normal mistake.
Qing'er's body stiffened for a moment.
But she quickly returned to normal.
She still held the teacup steadily.
Ling Zixia smiled apologetically.
"Look at me, I can't even hold a cup of tea."
This time she finally took the teacup steadily.
She held the teacup in her palm.
She felt the warmth coming from the wall of the cup.
She didn't drink the tea right away.
Instead, he turned his gaze to Guifang at the door.
she asked in a chatty tone.
"Where did Mammy work before?"
Guifang answered respectfully.
"To answer your question, Auntie, this old servant has been serving as a clerk in the Prime Minister's study."
This answer confirmed Ling Zixia's guess.
These people are indeed Zhao Wuji's confidants.
Ling Zixia looked at Qing'er again.
"Sister Qing'er has such a skillful hand. The tea is neither too strong nor too weak, just right."
Qing'er lowered her head.
There was no emotion in her voice.
"Thank you for the compliment, Auntie."
Ling Zixia gently blew away the hot steam from the tea.
She brought the cup to her lips.
She made a tea-drinking motion.
But her lips never actually touched the tea.
The power of the golden finger had been activated the moment she touched Qing'er's finger.
A special colorless and odorless substance.
It has been transmitted through her fingertips to Qing'er's thumb skin.
This substance itself is non-toxic and harmless.
It has only one feature.
That is, it will produce a violent reaction when it encounters another specific substance.
And that particular substance.
It is a potion developed by her father, Doctor Ling, for identifying poisons.
She had improved that potion.
Now it is hidden in the cracks of her nails in the form of powder.
Just now, she seemed to have accidentally brushed Qing'er's finger.
In fact, it just left a small amount of powder on Qing'er's skin.
And the cup of tea in her hand now.
She had already transformed it with her body.
It turned into that specific potion.
Now.
She just needs to wait for a result.
Ling Zixia put down the teacup.
She wiped the corners of her mouth with her handkerchief.
"This yard is too deserted."
She spoke as if to herself.
"Let Xiao Xing plant some flowers and plants in the yard tomorrow."
Guifang immediately interjected.
"I don't know what kind of flowers my aunt likes. I will go to the flower room to arrange them."
"Just plant some impatiens."
Ling Zixia said casually.
"I heard that the juice of Impatiens can be used to dye nails."
She finished saying this.
She glanced out of the corner of her eye.
He observed Qing'er's reaction calmly.
Qing'er standing aside.
When I heard the words "dyeing nails".
Her body trembled slightly.
Her breathing also stopped for a moment.
She subconsciously hid her hands behind her back.
This is the instinctive reaction of a well-trained spy when he hears a conjunction.
Because the nails were dyed red by Impatiens juice.
It is these female spies who lurk in the deep mansions.
A code used to convey urgent information.
This reaction was short-lived.
But it did not escape Ling Zixia's eyes.
Ling Zi-Xia already had the answer in her heart.
She picked up the cup of tea on the table.
She stood up and walked in front of Qing'er.
A hint of confusion appeared on Qing'er's face.
Ling Zixia had a kind smile on her face.
"It's a pity to leave this cup of tea."
"Sister, you've been busy for a long time, you must be thirsty, so this cup is for you."
Give the tea that the master has drunk to the servants as a reward.
This is a manifestation of grace in the deep courtyard.
Qing'er's face showed a flattered expression.
She quickly knelt down to express her gratitude.
"Thank you, my aunt, for your reward."
She stretched out her hands to take the cup of tea.
Ling Zixia shook her head.
"No need to be so polite."
She said.
The wrist suddenly twisted again.
This time the magnitude is even greater than before.
A full cup of warm tea.
They all splashed towards Qing'er's hands holding the teacup.
"oops!"
Ling Zixia exclaimed again.
The empty teacup in her hand also fell to the ground.
It was smashed to pieces.
Everyone was stunned by this sudden change.
Qing'er's hands were splashed with tea.
She subconsciously let out a short, muffled groan.
The next moment.
An extremely strange scene happened.
All I saw was Qing'er's hands.
Especially her right thumb which had just been touched by Ling Zixia.
A bright red spot quickly appeared on the surface of the skin.
The spot looked like a bloodstain.
It spread quickly across her skin.
It only took a few breaths.
Her whole hands turned red.
It felt like being scalded by boiling water.
But the red color looked extremely unnatural.
It was as if someone had painted her hands all over with the brightest rouge.
Guifang's face changed instantly.
she snapped.
"Qing'er, what's wrong with your hand?"
Qing'er also looked at her hands in horror.
She had no idea what was going on.
Besides looking scary, those hands...
There was no pain or itching.
Ling Zixia's face was full of panic and self-blame.
She quickly took a few steps back.
"I...I didn't mean to..."
She looked at Qing'er's hand.
His eyes were filled with fear.
"This tea... is there poison in the tea?"
Her words.
Like a flash of lightning.
It instantly illuminated Guifang's mind.
Qing'er brewed the tea herself.
The teapot and tea leaves were originally from the yard.
If the tea is poisonous.
The person who poisoned it could only be Qing'er herself.
And she herself was poisoned.
The only explanation is.
She wanted to poison her aunt.
But without knowing it.
I accidentally got poisoned by another kind of poison that I didn't even know about.
This is a perfect frame-up.
Guifang looked at Ling Zixia's terrified face.
For the first time, a bone-chilling chill rose in my heart.
She finally understood.
This seemingly weak concubine Ling.
It is the most terrifying existence in this courtyard.
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