Jiang Wumei recovered quickly.
About an hour after the two dowagers were seen off, she slowly drifted back to consciousness. Xu Junjun, Old Madam Huo, and a crowd of servants stood before her bed. Amidst the Old Madam’s apologies, Jiang Wumei spoke in a weak voice:
"Please, Old Madam, do not blame yourself. No one could have foreseen such a disaster. As long as you apprehend the perpetrator and punish them severely, I shall explain the situation to His Highness upon my return. He is a man of benevolence and will not hold this against you."
Jiang Wumei’s words were graceful and reasonable. Old Madam Huo was stunned, as if she hadn’t expected such an accommodating response from a woman rumored in the capital to be arrogant and overbearing.
"Thank you for your understanding, Concubine. Rest assured, the moment I catch the culprit, I will personally escort the sinner to the Crown Prince’s Mansion to beg for mercy."
Jiang Wumei gave a soft hum and turned to her personal maid. "Qingzhi, help me up."
Qingzhi, who had been standing behind the Old Madam, stepped forward and gently assisted Jiang Wumei to a sitting position. "My Lady," she sobbed, "does anything still hurt?"
Qingzhi knew nothing of the plan between Jiang Wumei and Xu Junjun. Seeing her mistress suffer such a calamity the moment she stepped out of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, she couldn’t stop her tears. In her view, if they had been at the Mansion, every bite of food or fruit would have been tested by professionals, and this would never have happened.
When they returned later, the Crown Prince would surely be furious to see her in such a wretched state and would punish everyone involved. Qingzhi didn’t fear the Crown Prince’s retribution, but she felt terrible for her mistress’s misfortune.
Jiang Wumei, not expecting such a strong reaction, murmured that she was fine, then looked at Old Madam Huo and Xu Junjun.
"I have been out for a long time and must return to the mansion. Once you have captured the culprit, do come and find me."
Old Madam Huo nodded repeatedly and hurriedly ordered her staff to prepare the sedan chair.
The sedan chair left the General’s Estate and returned to the waiting carriage. As Jiang Wumei nodded toward the Old Madam and Xu Junjun at the gate, she caught the tears in Xu Junjun’s eyes and gave her a wink, signaling her not to worry.
The wheels began to roll, and the servants followed. Once the luxurious, ornate carriage vanished around the street corner, Old Madam Huo’s face turned cold. She spun around and walked back into the estate.
"Bring Chen Yue'er to the courtyard!"
Meanwhile, deep in the back courtyard, Chen Yue'er was lost in a pleasant dream. She had not known there were guests in the estate before the plot was set in motion, and when she first heard the commotion in the front courtyard, she assumed Xiaocui and the others had already succeeded.
Hearing the sounds of guards making arrests and binding people outside, Chen Yue'er stood in her courtyard, her eyes gleaming with excitement and a cruel smile curling her lips.
*Old Madam Huo, have a safe journey. Don’t worry, you won't be lonely on the road to the afterlife; I’ll soon be sending your filial granddaughter-in-law down to keep you company.*
The footsteps outside were chaotic. Chen Yue'er looked up at the sky; before long, the various branches of the Huo family would arrive as well. Once everyone was gathered, she would tidy herself up and make her entrance.
As soon as the Old Madam took her last breath, she would search Xu Junjun’s room in front of all the Huo relatives and find the arsenic. By then, Xu Junjun would never be able to clear her name, no matter how hard she tried.
Once General Huo and his wife returned in grief, they would surely demand Xu Junjun’s life! With those two obstacles gone, she could marry her beloved Brother Ming in grand style and become the rightful Young Madam Huo of the General’s Estate!
Thinking of the magnificent scene of her wedding, dressed in her phoenix coronet and robes, Chen Yue'er laughed out loud with joy.
Night began to fall, and snow began to drift down once more. The darkness was as thick as ink, but the entire General’s Estate was ablaze with light. Chen Yue'er sat in her room, and judging that the time was right, she stood up, checked her appearance to ensure she looked elegant and composed, wrapped herself in a cloak, and opened the door.
Outside, Mammy Li, with a gloomy expression, was leading a group of sturdy servants, marching toward her with an air of aggression. They moved quickly, and in the blink of an eye, they were at Chen Yue'er’s courtyard.
With a loud bang, Mammy Li kicked open the gate. Seeing Chen Yue'er standing in the yard, she offered a mirthless smile. "Cousin, the Old Madam wishes to see you."
*Is the old hag finally dying?*
Hearing that Old Madam Huo wanted to see her now, Chen Yue'er’s eyes brightened. She lifted her skirt and stepped down the stairs, failing to notice the thunderous look on Mammy Li’s face.
"Mammy Li, what does the Old Madam want with me?"
As she reached Mammy Li, the joy in Chen Yue'er’s eyes was impossible to hide. Her lighthearted tone only made Mammy Li’s expression darker. "You’ll find out when you get there, Cousin."
Chen Yue'er hummed in acknowledgment, putting all her effort into suppressing the smile on her lips, her fingertips trembling with excitement. In her hyper-stimulated state, she didn’t even notice that at this hour, her two maids hadn't returned, nor had any of the servants who usually attended to her appeared.
The snow fell harder, leaving a layer of silver on the ground. A set of footprints stretched across the snow, soon reaching the courtyard where Old Madam Huo lived. As she walked deeper into the courtyard, Chen Yue'er felt an eerie silence. A belated sense of unease made her hesitate.
"Mammy Li, has the Old Madam finished her dinner?"
Chen Yue'er turned to ask, but to her surprise, Mammy Li and the servants behind her remained silent, their eyes lowered. Chen Yue'er finally realized something was wrong and began to look around, riddled with anxiety.
The group did not stop. Chen Yue'er stepped into the room, and the first thing she saw was Xu Junjun sitting to one side. Then, her gaze shifted to the right, and when she saw Old Madam Huo sitting at the head of the table, perfectly unharmed, Chen Yue'er’s pupils constricted, and her breath hitched.
*How is this old woman still alive?! Did Xiaocui and the others fail to poison her?*
The shock on Chen Yue'er’s face was too blatant. Xu Junjun’s expression sank instantly. Old Madam Huo stared fixedly at Chen Yue'er, her gaze sharp as ice. The authority of one accustomed to power radiated from her, so overwhelming that Chen Yue'er felt too guilty to even look up.
"G-Greetings, Old Madam."
Chen Yue'er curtsied, her mind a mess of confusion. She couldn't understand why the Old Madam, who should have been dead by now, was sitting there so healthily. If the old woman was fine, why had the estate guards made such a scene arresting the kitchen staff hours ago?
"Chen Yue'er, do you know your crime?"
From her high seat, Old Madam Huo barked the question, frightening Chen Yue'er so much that she collapsed to the floor with a thud.
"I... I don't understand what you mean, Old Madam... Everything is fine, what crime could I have committed?"
Chen Yue'er’s face turned deathly pale. She sat on the cold ground, unable to form coherent sentences. Xu Junjun, sitting below the Old Madam, watched her, eyes narrowed. "The crime is the one you committed when you sent your personal maid to poison my grandmother. Chen Yue'er, do you know that according to the laws of this dynasty, murdering an elder is punishable by death through slow slicing?"
The mention of the execution hit Chen Yue'er like a thunderbolt. Her expression shifted wildly, but as the mastermind behind it all, she quickly steadied herself after the initial panic. She forced a pale smile and looked at Xu Junjun.
"Sister, please don't joke. I’ve been afraid to even step on an ant since I was a child; how could I ever dare to harm the Old Madam? There must be someone malicious trying to frame me."
So saying, she straightened her back and kowtowed in the direction of the Old Madam, tears flowing softly. "Old Madam, I grew up by your side; you know me best. I can’t even stand the sight of blood in my daily life, how could I possibly poison you? Someone must be jealous of me and is intentionally trying to set me up."
Seeing her steal glances at her while crying, all the while taking jabs at her, Xu Junjun was furious to the point of laughter. She rose abruptly, walked slowly to Chen Yue'er’s side, and gripped her chin, her tone chillingly cold:
"Stop the pretense, Chen Yue'er! In this entire General’s Estate, who would be jealous of you? Hmm?"