Chapter Sixteen: Breaking the Deadlock

Page 1 of 3

Should she take them to the Marchioness under the pretext of “I dare not accept Eldest Brother’s things, so I’ll have Mother keep them for me” and “I’m giving Mother my favorite things as thanks for finding me an etiquette governess,” then let the Marchioness discover the clues herself before arguing her case?

No. That would alert the enemy—unless Zhao Xianzhi’s spy was blind.

But mentioning an etiquette governess gave Meng Zhenyue an even better idea.

The matron who had accompanied her out today had probably finished reporting everything to the Marchioness by now.

After thinking it over, Meng Zhenyue said, “It’s better to share joy than enjoy it alone. Do as Xia Liu did.”

With that, she exchanged a glance with Manzhi, then said to Xia Liu, “Go with Manzhi to collect your reward.”

After the two had left, Meng Zhenyue turned to Yunxia, who was sitting there with her lips pursed.

“Is this really worth quarreling over? Come with me and take Mother the pastries I bought earlier.”

To be safe, Meng Zhenyue thought, she might as well make the trip herself.

Yunxia was puzzled. They had not specifically bought any pastries for the Marchioness earlier, so she guessed that something must have happened, and the grievance in her heart faded away.

However, before Meng Zhenyue and Yunxia could even leave, a large group of people appeared at the courtyard gate. The matron who had gone out with them that day stood at the front with an especially proud expression, while the woman leading them was none other than the Marchioness.

Meng Zhenyue was overjoyed and hurried out to welcome her.

They had arrived at exactly the right moment!

Before Meng Zhenyue could speak and pay her respects, the Marchioness’s accusations came first.

“You went out dressed like this?”

“You walked faster than a racing horse?”

“And you even came into contact with an unrelated man?”

“You shouted in public?”

With every question, the Marchioness’s expression grew darker.

By the time the accusations ended, the only sound left in the courtyard was the shrilling of cicadas in the trees.

Though there were enough people to nearly fill the courtyard, not even a breath could be heard.

“Was that wrong?” Meng Zhenyue seemed to remain stunned for a long while before asking the Marchioness in confusion.

She gathered her emotions, then continued.

“I like going to bookshops, but people look down on me when I wear women’s clothes.”

“When I was in the countryside, I couldn’t walk quickly. If I didn’t hurry, it would be dark before I finished even a few things.”

“Your daughter has neither power nor influence. If I don’t raise my voice, people won’t even stop to listen.”

As the Marchioness listened to Meng Zhenyue’s answers one after another, memories of her own childhood rose within her. Each reply felt like a knife stabbing into her heart.

Page 2 of 3

“It won’t happen again. Never again. Mother will protect you.”

Unable to restrain herself, the Marchioness embraced Meng Zhenyue, tears streaming down her face.

After crying for a while, she finally released Meng Zhenyue and said gently, “The etiquette governesses are already here. You’ll be fine once you study with them. Mother will stay beside you. Don’t be afraid, all right?”

Among the crowd, the matron who had come to report the matter was utterly dumbfounded.

Hadn’t the Marchioness been cursing the Eldest Young Lady until she was thoroughly berated, saying that she would teach her a proper lesson? How had she suddenly stopped being angry?

“Thank you, Mother.”

Meng Zhenyue paid no attention to what the others were thinking and hurriedly invited the Marchioness to sit on the daybed.

The Marchioness came from an eminent aristocratic family. When she had been young, there had been many capable men in the household, and the family had looked down on women.

By the time she was nearing adulthood, however, there had been only a handful of capable men left in the family. That was when they had thought of marrying off the daughters to form alliances.

The girls of the household had been required to master, within a short time, the music, strategy games, calligraphy, painting, etiquette, and bearing they had never studied before.

Thus, whenever the Marchioness recalled that period, she felt immense heartache for her daughter.

After settling the Marchioness comfortably, Meng Zhenyue studied proper etiquette with several governesses in the open space several paces before the daybed.

About fifteen minutes passed.

The Marchioness sat upright and dignified on the daybed. Seeing how quickly Meng Zhenyue learned—she understood almost everything after being told only once—she could not help feeling proud. As expected of a child who shared her blood.

In high spirits, she lifted her teacup.

Suddenly, she felt dizzy and disoriented. The teacup in her hand crashed to the floor.

“Madam…” The servant beside her was just about to hurry forward and check on her when it seemed as though the entire room had begun to move. Their feet went unsteady, and they all fell together.

“The flowers outside are blooming beautifully. Madam, come out and have a look, and let me pick a few for our Young Lady…”

Xia Liu, who had rushed back anxiously from outside, abruptly fell silent when she saw what had happened inside.

“Mother!”

Hearing the commotion, Meng Zhenyue turned around. Her face filled with terror as she hurried toward the Marchioness.

Then she quickly ordered, “Help Mother onto the bed and send for a physician.”

As though she had suddenly thought of something, Meng Zhenyue added, “Manzhi, take people and guard the courtyard. Whoever was making such a disturbance just now—seize her!”

The Marchioness’s head was spinning violently. She had no mind to think about anything else at that moment; she only felt that someone’s cries of injustice were especially grating.

The physician arrived soon. After taking the Marchioness’s pulse, he hurriedly instructed a female doctor to administer acupuncture.

Then he solemnly declared, “Madam has inhaled a deadly poison. In another two or three fifteen-minute intervals, her life will certainly be in danger! Fortunately, she has not inhaled it for long. I will go and prepare a prescription at once.”

The Marchioness, whose condition had already eased somewhat, became even more alert upon hearing this.

Behind the gauze curtains, she abruptly sat upright.

“A deadly poison?!”

Page 3 of 3

Now that she had the strength to think, she recalled that the servants beside her had all collapsed as well.

Who wanted to harm her?

Almost instinctively, she turned her suspicious gaze toward Meng Zhenyue, who was standing beside the bed.

Could it be that the girl felt her mother had treated her badly…

At that moment, Meng Zhenyue murmured thoughtfully, “Why did Mother and everyone beside her collapse? Could it be…”

As though she had suddenly realized something, her expression changed slightly. She looked toward the physician and said, “Please examine the daybed and see whether anything is amiss.”

The Marchioness found the suggestion reasonable and could only suppress her suspicions for the moment, exhausted as she leaned against the pillows.

The spot where Xia Liu was kneeling under Manzhi’s restraint happened to provide a clear view of the physician as he fanned the objects to inspect them.

As she watched him move closer and closer to the vase and porcelain doll, her heart began to pound harder and harder, as though it would leap from her chest.

What was she to do?

She was not worried that the investigation would lead to her. It had not been entirely her doing, after all; she had only been responsible for placing the objects.

What she feared was that some unforeseen change would ruin the Eldest Young Master’s plan.

She had heard the Marchioness arrive.

But after Manzhi had given her money, she had praised Xia Liu for being clever, asked what she knew how to do, and even said that Xia Liu might one day become the Young Lady’s personal maid!

While Xia Liu was wondering how she would explain matters to the Eldest Young Master, the physician’s voice came from inside.

“Yes, it’s this!”

Inside the room, the physician covered his nose with a handkerchief and pointed to the porcelain doll and vase that had already been placed in a basin of water, explaining the reason.

After hearing him, the Marchioness ordered the physician to leave and prepare a prescription, then turned her gaze toward Meng Zhenyue.

Meng Zhenyue said, “The porcelain doll was only bought when I went out today…”

Before she could finish, the Marchioness was already preparing to fly into a rage.

So Meng Zhenyue truly thought her mother had failed in her duty and had taken this opportunity to retaliate?

Once the investigation was complete, would she then escape by arguing that she could never have used her own belongings to harm anyone, and so on?

Then Meng Zhenyue said, “The vase belongs to Eldest Brother.”

Suspicion filled the Marchioness’s eyes as she looked at the vase once more.

Indeed, it belonged to Xianzhi.

At the thought of her son, a flicker of shock passed through the Marchioness’s eyes.