Chapter 31: Who Did It?

The maids in the courtyard were all startled, glancing at each other. Before they could even react, one of the maids standing at the back swiftly turned and ran!

Jiang Taohua smiled. Her shout was merely meant to intimidate, as there were too many maids, many of whom looked similar in build, making it difficult for her to identify the culprit at a glance. Unexpectedly, the guilty party proved to be so easily frightened that they gave themselves away immediately.

“Qingtai, catch her!”

“Yes.” Moss replied, darting after her and, in no time, dragging her back to drop her in front of Mei Zhaoxue.

It all happened so quickly that Mrs. Mei was somewhat caught off guard. After a stunned moment, she finally lowered her head to look at the maid and asked:

“Which courtyard are you from?”

The little maid trembled all over, and it was a while before she stammered, “Soft Jade Pavilion.”

The courtyard of Lady Meng.

Mei Zhaoxue’s expression darkened slightly as she glanced at Peach Blossom.

Peach Blossom shrugged, indicating that she was also in the dark about this matter. If anyone was to be questioned, it should be Lady Meng.

“Were you the one who served the tea to the Prime Minister on behalf of Lady Jiang?” Mei-shi continued to ask.

The young maid remained silent for a long while, offering no response. Peach Blossom smiled and said, “If you take a look at her hand, you’ll know. Asking her won’t lead to a confession anyway.”

Upon hearing this, Moss immediately seized the maid’s right hand and pulled it out. Mei Zhaoxue glanced down and saw a clear old scar on the index finger.

“How dare you!” Immediately lowering her voice, Mei Shi waved her hand and commanded, “Someone, seize her at once!”

“Yes!” The guard beside her stepped forward and pressed the little maid firmly to the ground. Terrified, the maid pleaded tearfully, “Please spare me, Madam! I was only following orders, it really wasn’t my fault!”

Acting under orders.

Mrs. Mei and Peach Blossom exchanged a glance, and their hearts grew clear as day. Apart from Meng Zhenzhen, who else in the Jade Pavilion would take orders from anyone?

Meng Shi was still standing off with Qin Jieyu outside the Linwu Courtyard.

Qin’s tone was haughty, though she appeared delicate, she refused to back down even half a step: “The lord has been favoring me lately, and when there’s trouble, he surely wants me by his side to serve him. If you’re thinking of settling personal scores under the guise of duty and remove my name, I’ll have a thing or two to say when the lord wakes up.”

Rolling her eyes skyward, Qin Jieyu sneered, “Who doesn’t know how to go cry to the master? You used tricks to keep him in your courtyard for over ten days, making things hard for the rest of us sisters in the other courtyards. We couldn’t see the master at all, while you alone were happy. Now that the master is lying in there, you still want to monopolize him? How utterly shameless!”

“The master himself said there are no rules in the mansion from now on, and everything is to be done according to his preferences. So if he favors me, how is that my fault?” Meng Shi pursed her lips, “If Madam Qin can’t reach the grapes, she blames others for being taller. Isn’t that laughable?”

“Well said. If you’re not tall enough to reach the grapes, don’t blame others.” Madam Qin chuckled charmingly, waving the blank list in her hand, “Now… I’m taller than you. Since Madam Meng finds such things laughable, you shouldn’t do them, should you?”

“You…”

Their endless bickering was quite a spectacle to watch. However, Madam Mei wasn’t in the mood to listen to their quarrels right now. She led her people out and said:

“Take Lady Meng to the Hall of Silent Night. We shall interrogate her further after the master wakes.”

Meng Zhenzhen was taken aback, staring at her in disbelief. “Interrogate me? What does this have to do with me?”

Mei Zhaoxue gestured, and the little maid was brought before her, bound and pushed forward.

“Green Tea?” Recognizing the maid’s face, Lady Meng was astonished. “Madam, why have you tied her up? She’s just a lowly maid from my courtyard.”

“If she is from your courtyard, then there’s no mistake.” Mei Zhaoxue said, “She is the one who poisoned the master. She has already been interrogated and confessed to acting on orders.”

Lady Meng was dumbstruck. Clutching her handkerchief, she stared at the maid on the ground, taking a long moment to come back to her senses before saying, “That’s impossible… This has nothing to do with me…”

The house guards nearby only took orders from the mistress. They immediately stepped forward to restrain Lady Meng and escort her to Jingye Hall. As she was dragged away, Lady Meng kept looking back, her eyes at first filled with confusion, but later brimming with hatred as she glared at Qin Jieyu.

This wasn’t her doing—she wasn’t that foolish. Someone must be scheming behind her back!

And in this courtyard, the only one who would go to such lengths to harm her must be Qin Jieyu alone!

Jiang Taohua watched from behind. Mrs. Meng was rather dignified and didn’t make a scene, though she clearly looked unwilling. Meanwhile, the Qin lady next to her was clearly delighted, her eyes brimming with a smile, even though she didn’t actually let it out. Instead, she covered her mouth in a show of shock and said, “How terrible, so it was her. And to think the master had been favoring her so much recently.”

Madame Mei frowned slightly, glancing at Taohua and then at Mrs. Meng, who was being taken away. “Come to think of it, I still don’t understand. If Madam Jiang had no reason to harm the master, why would Mrs. Meng have any reason to do this?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Qin Jieyu said with a smile. “You’re too kind-hearted, Madame. Think about the whole situation. If not for your cleverness in uncovering the true poisoner, wouldn’t the blame have fallen on Madam Jiang’s head? Mrs. Meng had a previous grudge against Madam Jiang, and after being favored for half a month, it was Madam Jiang who ended her favor. Setting up such a scheme to harm Madam Jiang—it’s entirely possible.”

The analysis does sound quite reasonable, Peach Blossom thought, lowering her head—it does make sense. After all, Meng Shi has always been petty. Last time, over just a painting, she dragged Lord Meng here to settle the score. So it’s no surprise she’d go to such lengths now to pin the blame squarely on her.

However, she always felt something was off.

If Meng Zhenzhen had truly planned it this way, why would she have been so bewildered and admitted, upon seeing Green Tea tied up, that this was someone from her courtyard? Her face showed not a trace of panic.

Either her acting skills were extraordinary, to the point of fooling an old hand like her. Or… Meng Zhenzhen had been set up.

Drawing from her own extensive experience in acting and deception, Jiang Taohua was inclined, for the time being, to believe the latter possibility.

After a moment’s thought, she turned around and entered the room to check on Shen Zaizi.

At this moment, Shen Zaize might be at his most gentle—lying quietly in bed with his eyes closed, not suddenly scheming against anyone or frightening people with a dark expression.

Tao Hua looked carefully and realized this man was actually quite young, only in his twenties. His face was truly handsome and refined, though unfortunately, his aura was too strong, often making people feel he was already in his forties or fifties.

How could someone so young have such a ruthless heart?

“The master needs to rest quietly.” Zhanlu stood nearby, eyeing her warily as he spoke.

Peach Blossom glanced back at him sideways: “If you just stay quiet, the room would have been peaceful all along.”

Zhanlu: “…”

After thinking it over for a moment, Lady Jiang’s words actually made a lot of sense. He wanted to speak up again to chase her away but didn’t dare make a sound.

After sizing up Shen Zaizhe for a while, Peach Blossom reached out and felt his pulse. Although she wasn’t skilled in medicine, she could still distinguish a thing or two from the pulse signs.

A weak, sluggish pulse transmitted through her fingertips. Jiang Taohua raised her eyebrows, thinking perhaps she had judged this man too harshly, assuming he had deliberately set out to harm Lady Meng. Unexpectedly, he was truly poisoned.

So, could it really be the Meng family stirring up trouble?

Bowing her head in thought for a moment, Tao Hua pursed her lips and was about to stand up and leave when, upon looking up, she met Shen Zaije’s half-open eyes.

“Master?” Startled, she quickly asked, “How are you feeling?”

It took a long while for his eyes to focus. Shen Zaiye glanced at her, weakly saying, “You woman, your heart is truly cruel.”

The corner of Jiang Taohua’s mouth twitched. She had initially been a bit concerned about him, but upon hearing this irritating tone, she instantly sat upright and moved farther away from him, smiling sarcastically as she said, “Madam has already investigated and found out that the one who poisoned you was Green Tea from the Ruanyu Pavilion. With Master waking up and immediately scolding me, I feel deeply hurt.”

“Green Tea?” Shen Zaiye was taken aback and turned to look at Zhan Lu, asking, “How long have I been asleep?”

Zhanlu whispered, “Half an hour.”

They found the poisoner in just half an hour?

Somewhat unable to believe it, Shen Zaiji looked at Jiang Taohua with suspicion in his eyes: “How did you interrogate them?”

“I must first admit my mistake,” Taohua said meekly. “Today, I deceived you. The first cup of tea you drank was brewed by Lümíng from the Ruan Yu Pavilion, not by me. As soon as I arrived at the kitchen, she volunteered to brew the tea for me, so I took the opportunity and served the tea she made to you.”

Shen Zaiye’s brows furrowed slightly. “How did a maid from the Soft Jade Pavilion end up in the kitchen of your Blossom Contention Pavilion?”

“You’ll have to ask Madam Meng and Lü Ming about that. I’ve been recuperating in the main room all this time and seldom even step outside.”

Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. Peach Blossom paused, then stared into Shen Zaiye’s eyes and asked, “Do you know Lü Ming, my lord?”

“No, I don’t,” Shen Zaiye replied indifferently. “I haven’t heard of her in the Soft Jade Pavilion either. She must be a low-ranking maid.”

“Yes, she is a menial maid.” Peach Blossom nodded, her eyes suddenly filled with scrutiny. “However, this menial maid knew exactly what tea you prefer without even asking—she chose Longjing, your favorite.”

Shen Zaiye looked up, displeased, and said, “Don’t look at me that way. It’s no secret that I love Longjing tea; everyone in the courtyard knows, so it’s not surprising she does.”

That’s right,” Peach Blossom nodded, thinking for a moment before asking, “The Meng family has already been confined by Madam to the Hall of Tranquil Night. Should Master interrogate them now, or rest for a while to regain strength before proceeding?”

“In a little while,” Shen Zaiye said wearily, closing his eyes. “My head is aching a bit. Have everyone else go back, then stay and massage it for me.”

“……” A faint laugh escaped Jiang Taohua’s lips. “Your servant is still wounded, my lord.”

“Both of us are no longer whole and perfect individuals; we ought to look after each other all the more.” His voice dropped two tones lower as he glanced at her with a cold eye. “Stay if I tell you to stay. Why must you always add words that can’t change the outcome?”

“I understand,” Peach Blossom lowered her head, decisively performed a small bow, then stood up and went out to deliver the message.

At this critical moment, the entire back courtyard was in chaos, and yet he insisted on keeping her in his quarters—what else could this be but trouble for her! Peach Blossom ground her teeth in frustration but could do nothing about him, so she braced herself and conveyed his intentions.

Madam Mei stood at the doorway, her gaze lingering on the top of Peach Blossom’s head for a long time before she finally nodded and turned to leave. Madam Qin, standing nearby, was not as straightforward; she smiled and asked, “According to the master’s meaning, does that mean the list for serving medicine only needs your name, lady?”