She narrowed her eyes and looked at Cui'e, who was behaving quite dotty. As she rambled in her speech, Doug Qing'e turned to Xiu Gu and instructed, "Splash water over her face, wake her up and take her back."
"Splash" went the basin of cold water down on Cui'e. A cold shiver ran down her spine. Her eyes that were fixed on Dou Qing'e suddenly brightened. She was delirious, grabbing Dou Qing'e and murmuring, "Madam, I saw Concubine He. She asked me so many questions. She blamed that…."
"Enough. The girl was discontented with her lot and drank my pear blossom wine yesterday. Now she was drunk. Xiu Gu! Bring her back," Dou Qing'e was anxious to cover up. Cui'e had been her servant girl for a long time, and she was always cautious. Now she seemed to have lost her mind. She wouldn't mind if she was crazy, but Cui'e was murmuring about the secret that happened six years ago. Dou Qing'e was firm that someone made her behave this way. But who…?
"Mother, what are you doing?" Qin Yunuan saw the crowds in the distance. She went around the small stone bridge and walked to her mother, her steps were light and gay. With one glance she caught Cui'e, who was clutched by the arms. Two stout nannies were about to drag her back to the courtyard. "Ow, what happened to Cui'e? She didn't seem to be in good health."
Dou Qing'e snorted coldly. She didn't wish to continue this conversation with Qin Yunuan. It's urgent to seal up Cui's mouth. Cui'e knew about what happened in the past. Now that she was insane with her mouth unblocked, she was like a cannonball buried next to Dou Qing'e that might explode at any time.
Butler Xie ran up to Dou Qing'e before she could make her steps to leave. He saluted reluctantly and said, "Madam, forgive me, Master ordered me to guard Furong Courtyard last night, where Cui'e burned paper money and murmured things at midnight. It's suspicious and I must report it to Master. You couldn't take her away at will."
"As I just have said," Dou Qing'e was anxious for the first time, "Cui'e was drunk while on duty, and now I want to take her back for her punishment."
"On duty?" Qin Yunuan's clear eyes blinked, "But it didn't seem that Cui'e was on duty last night. Mother, aren't you mistaken?"
"Third Miss, how dare you, as a junior, ask me about things that happened in my yard?" Dou Qing'e looked impatient. She needed to handle her crisply. Cui'e had always been her confidante. She knew too much about everything. Her sudden escape to the Furong Courtyard was unexpected.
"It might not be appropriate for Yunuan to ask. But I could always ask you." Just when Dou Qing'e made a constrained and decent gesture, Qin Zhi was standing at the corner door of the courtyard. His eyes narrowed. All the lights in his eyes gathered into a sharp knife that could cut one's heart open right at the moment.
"Ma… master," For the first time, the calm Dou Qing'e stuttered. Her eyes flickered between Cui'e and Qin Zhi, "The girl was not obedient. She started to act crazily after drinking…."
"Enough. I heard about everything before." Qin Zhi stood still, but his eyes told Dou Qing'e clearly that no matter what the outcome of this incident would be, she would never be the Madam of the Qin Family. The servant girl beside her was related to the sudden death of his beloved Lian six years ago, which determined the misery and loneliness that Dou Qing'e would experience for the rest of her life.
Qin Zhi had guessed most of the cause and effect. He wanted to smash Dou Qing'e corpse at this moment and revenge for his beloved after six years. But he couldn't do so. In the court, a heated dispute arose on whether the seventh prince should return to the palace. The seventh prince was the son of the first Empress. Ten years ago he was punished for practicing witchery. Witchery was always a serious crime. It was a grace for the Emperor to not kill him because of his love for the deceased empress. Embroiled in the argument, Qin Zhi didn't wish to cut off support from the Dou Family.
Dou Qing'e probably knew the trend in court. She had long lost her love for Qin Zhi, who saw only fame and power in his life. She even despised him. Although she was doubted six years ago, he couldn't remove her from the family because of the Dou's power. Six years later, he still didn't dare to touch her because of the Dou Family.
Qin Zhi finished his words and looked back at Qin Yunuan. She was saluting without hesitation and haste. It was this daughter of his concubine that first notified him of the news so he could get the message and arrive at the spot timely. He might have looked down upon this girl in the past.
"Lift up your head," Qin Zhi said to Cui'e, who was a little unconscious. He narrowed his eyes, saying, "Butler Xie, wake her up."
Two portly nannies beside Qin Zhi scooped up the cold water directly from the lotus pond and took turns pouring water onto Cui'e's face. The pond hadn't been cleaned for a long time. Dead leaves were stuck on Cui'e's hair and her skirt. Qin Zhi didn't ask them to stop until Cui'e struggled to block the splash with her hand.
"You are awake? Good. Now say, why did you burn paper money at the Furong Courtyard in the midnight? Why was He's birthday horoscope on the wooden board you wrote? Was He murdered six years ago? Is the matter related to you? Is there anyone behind you…who instructed you?" Qin Zhi threw his words at Cui'e. Qin Yunuan felt that Dou Qing'e tightened the grip on her handkerchief when Qin Zhi asked the last question.
Everything was too obvious.
It was a pity that although Cui'e was almost awakened by water, she remained to act like a lunatic. She rambled to herself in a panicked voice, "I don't know. I really don't know. Concubine He, your death has nothing to do with me. The musk and the poison in your medication. I didn't have the choice. No one in my family would be able to survive if I don't do this. They couldn't live." Cui'e grinned and cried in her words.
"Master, now Cui'e is crazy and talking about crazy things. If you insist on asking, what she said may not be credible," Dou Qing'e explained hurriedly. But Qin Zhi's eyes were so cold that they choked her throat and she couldn't spit out another word.
"Father, I think that although Cui'e is saying confusing things, judging from her description, she must know something about Concubine He's sudden death. She mentioned her family several times, suggesting that she might be threatened by someone. Now she may have qualms about saying it with so many people as witnesses. Why not take her back first and deal with her later?" Qin Yunuan's words cleared out a way for Qin Zhi's idea.
"Bring her back," Qin Zhi endured the fiery anger in his heart silently. Giving Dou Qing'e a sidelong glance, his meaning was obvious. He wanted to tell her that he was not the one he was a decade ago, who had to parasitize in Dou's family to live.
"Master." Dou Qing'e chased after him, but she didn't intend to catch up. She just stroked the gold hairpin inlaid with eight kinds of treasure gemstone on her head casually.
When Cui'e heard that she was about to be taken back, she suddenly shouted, "No, don't take me back. Don't leave me alone. Concubine He came back for me. I will tell. I will tell everything. Concubine He was poisoned, she didn't die suddenly. The one who made me do it was…."
Dou Qing'e fondled her gold hairpin with a vicious grin. Seeing this, Qin Yunuan groaned inwardly. It all happened in an instant. Something poked into the nape of Cui'e at a speed that her eyes could barely capture. It was moving unimaginably fast. At the same time, Cui'e's neck froze. Her pupils enlarged immensely and collapsed suddenly on the two nannies who supported her. She rolled up her eyes like she was dead.
"Master," Butler Xie stepped forward to check, his voice trembled slightly, "Cui'e, she… she's dead."
Dead?
Even if Qin Zhi strived to maintain an appearance of calm, the evident shock on his face exposed his anxiety inside. Subconsciously, he turned to Dou Qing'e. Dou frowned with her eyes faint.
"Cui'e was my servant girl for so many years. Eh…." As soon as Dou Qing'e finished, Xiu Gu picked up immediately, "Madam, you shouldn't be blamed. Cui'e had suffered from epilepsy since childhood. It was Madam who gave her tender and love. It was her blessing to work for you."
Epilepsy? In Qin Yunuan's heart, the beginning shock transformed into endless peace. She knew it clearly why Cui'e came to Furong Courtyard in insanity and burned paper money. She found out earlier that this Cui'e besides Dou Qing'e, who had not only followed Dou for a long time but also was terrified of those stories of gods, buddhas, ghosts, and monsters. Servant girls on duty shouldn't wear jewelry like bracelets or beads. But Cui'e often hid a string of Buddha Beads in her sleeve. That was the reason why Qin Yunuan brought up about the crying at night in Furong Courtyard in front of Cui'e deliberately. After the fright last night, Cui'e would react definitely.
As for the nonsense she spoke, it's just a return of favor from Qin Yunuan for the Cold-Food Powder that Dou Qing'e failed to add into her meal.
But Cui'e's sudden death….
"She was your servant girl!" Qin Zhi's eyes turned red gradually with the appearance of scarlet blood streaks inside. It was as if he had been about to knead and crush Dou Qing'e to vent his hatred. "Your servant girl came to the Furong Courtyard at midnight, held a memorial ceremony and burned paper money. She even admitted that the events of that year were related to her. Dou Qing'e! How dare you to say that what happened that year had nothing to do with you?"
"Master, how can you say that?" Dou Qing'e had tears on her cheek, "I was wronged. When Sister He was still with us, I knew that my Master cared for her, and I always saved some of the good things that my birth parents sent me for her. She had not been pregnant for a long time, so I found nourishing medicine everywhere for her. When Sister He got ill, I asked the best doctor in the Royal City to give her long-term treatment. Why would I do extra superficial work if I had been meant to harm Sister He?"