The following day, within the Su Mansion, in the Qinghui Courtyard, Lü Shiyán lay somewhat askew on the Empress's couch. Two medicated patches adhered to her temples, her complexion pallid, bearing an air of languor.
The night before, after being frightened into a swoon by Su Yuxin's ghostly disguise, she wasn't roused until the next morning. She had sprawled awkwardly on the outer chamber's floor, witnessed by many maids and old matrons.
Feeling a mix of embarrassment and anger, compounded by a night's sleep on the cold floor, her headache flared up suddenly. Despite the physician's pulse diagnosis and brewing of medicine, the entire day had passed without improvement. Learning that Su Yuxin was completely unharmed only fumed her further, almost causing her to faint in exasperation.
Consequently, her headache intensified, prompting her to reapply two more patches to her temples. These imported remedies, though previously used several times, offered swift relief; while not curative, their application provided a sense of ease.
At that moment, the senior maid, Jin Xi, entered carrying a tray. It bore a bowl of cooled medicinal soup alongside a plate of crystalline rock sugar.
"Lady, it's time for your medicine," Jin Xi placed the tray on the nearby table, offering the medicinal soup to Lü Shiyán.
Only upon sipping the concoction did Lü Shiyán furrow her brow. Promptly, Jin Xi handed her a piece of crystalline rock sugar. After savoring it, the medicinal aftertaste in her mouth diminished considerably.
"How is your grandmother?" Lü Shiyán reclined once more against the soft pillow, inquiring lazily.
After inquiring about Li Gui's whereabouts, Jin Ling directly rendered Jin Granny unconscious and spent the night sleeping in the outer corridor. Despite the present mild weather, the cold night took its toll on Jin Granny, now afflicted heavily with a cold. She remained in a rear chamber, uncertain if she could overcome this ordeal.
"She coughed intermittently throughout the night but seems better today, yet still not fully conscious," Jin Xi sorrowfully relayed.
"Summon the physician again this afternoon," Lü Shiyán ordered.
"Thank you, my lady," Jin Xi quickly curtsied and withdrew.
Just then, a young maid entered to report, "Madam, the Eldest Madam has sent in a visiting card seeking an audience."
Upon hearing this, Lü Shiyán's countenance turned a ghastly pale, with hints of fire smoldering in her eyes. How dare she show up!
Jin Xi involuntarily tightened her grip. While the rest of the Qinghui Courtyard remained oblivious to the events of the previous night, she was privy to them. The severity of her grandmother's illness this time was all due to Su Yuxin's machinations.
After a pause, during which the maid assumed she hadn't heard, she repeated, "Madam, the Eldest Madam has sent in a visiting card seeking an audience."
Lü Shiyán collected herself and, with a stern expression, uttered, "Let her in." She was eager to see what that wretched girl was up to now!
Today, Su Yuxin adorned herself in a gown woven from snow-white silk—a garment exclusive to the Imperial Noble Consort's palace in Jing. Not even the birth mother of the Crown Prince, the Consort Yu, possessed such attire.
At the sight, Lü Shiyán's heartache surged, but she maintained her composure, even managing a faint, affable smile.
"What brings you here today, Xinxin?" Lü Shiyán spoke with a usual tone of endearment, although her teeth were nearly ground to dust.
"Aren't you tired, stepmother?" Su Yuxin's lips curved with a touch of mockery. "There's no one else here."
Lü Shiyán momentarily faltered, her smile wavering. Nevertheless, she suppressed the rage within her. She had grown adept at maintaining a facade in public.
"Xinxin, you—"
"I think 'Su Yuxin' sounds better from my stepmother," Su Yuxin interjected.
Lü Shiyán's expression immediately soured at the words.
"Su Yuxin, what scheme are you plotting now?" Lü Shiyán's voice turned cold, devoid of its usual tenderness, her gaze piercing like a poisoned blade.
"What scheme could I possibly have?" Su Yuxin raised her eyes to meet Lü Shiyán's. "Shouldn't my stepmother ask herself that question?"
"Do you know that it's your fault that Jin Granny is seriously ill?" Lü Shiyán preemptively retorted.
"How is that my fault?" Su Yuxin shrugged, looking innocent.
"How is it not? Wasn't it you who crept into the Minister's residence and played tricks?" Recalling that night made Lü Shiyán's anger flare up again.
"There's an old saying: if you've done no wrong, you won't fear ghosts knocking at your door in the dead of night. Your reaction and Jin Granny's fright indicate guilt." Su Yuxin spoke calmly, nonchalantly.
"Your trespass into the Minister's residence in the dead of night—do you comprehend the severity of your transgression?" Lü Shiyán squinted, questioning.
"If my stepmother says so, then I also have a question for my stepmother," Su Yuxin maintained her relaxed tone. "What crimes warrant the poisoning of the General's wife and colluding with outsiders?"
"I don't understand what you're saying." Lü Shiyán's eyes flashed, then she sneered, "I don't understand, but I'll make sure you do."
Saying this, Su Yuxin retrieved a transparent glass bottle from her purse, revealing inside it a half-filled vial of golden thread ants.
Lü Shiyán instinctively recoiled. She recognized the golden thread ants—the foremost venomous insects in the realm.
"What is my stepmother afraid of?" Su Yuxin arched her brow, her tone icy.
"Such repulsive creatures would unsettle anyone who beholds them," Lü Shiyán attempted to appear indifferent.
"Li Gui has already been captured by the General," Su Yuxin toyed with the bottle, stating matter-of-factly.
Lü Shiyán's pupils contracted slightly.
She had almost forgotten; that night, she had inadvertently mentioned Li Gui's name. But could they really catch someone just based on the name "Li Gui"? It was as common as "John Smith" in the streets. They must be bluffing.
But then, how did they acquire the golden thread ants if they hadn't found Li Gui? She didn't yet know that, under duress, Jin Granny had revealed Li Gui's whereabouts to Jin Ling.
"It's not just Li Gui; there's also a Chahetai tribesman with him. They conspired to poison high-ranking court officials with golden thread ants, causing panic and disorder in Jing. They claimed that selling the golden thread ants to my stepmother served two purposes: incapacitating the General through her and controlling the Minister's residence." Su Yuxin raised her gaze, a s
ly glint in her eyes. "My stepmother wonders what would happen if I told all this to the Emperor?"
Upon hearing this, Lü Shiyán's heart plummeted. She vividly remembered mentioning Li Gui when she went to purchase the golden thread ants. But with just the name "Li Gui," could they apprehend someone? After all, such a name was as common as dirt.
Surely, this was a deception.
But if they hadn't found Li Gui, how did they obtain the golden thread ants?
She was unaware that, under coercion, Jin Granny had disclosed Li Gui's whereabouts to Jin Ling.
The turmoil within Lü Shiyán churned with fear, anger, and shock, her face cycling through various hues.