Shen Lianxin bit her lip hard. She had paid Qi Hui handsomely and made him promise that if anything went wrong, he would pin the blame on Shen Feiwan. In her mind, the family would naturally save him, and at worst, he would just receive a few strokes of the cane.
However, Shen Lianxin had miscalculated one thing.
"Since you won't talk, I have ways to pry your mouth open," Shen Feiwan said. She turned to her maid. "Zhuying, invite Imperial Physician Chen."
Shen Feiwan then bowed her head and explained to Madam She, "Mother, this is Imperial Physician Chen from the palace. I just had my maid take the Heir’s token to request his presence. He can examine Qi Hui’s medicine, and the truth will be revealed immediately."
Madam She had been frantic and had even felt a moment of irritation toward Shen Feiwan, but as she looked at her face and listened to her calm tone, she gradually composed herself. She nodded. "Very well."
With Madam She’s permission, Imperial Physician Chen took the pulse and examined the medicine.
"Madam She, Eldest Young Mistress, this medicine is wrong. It is not a tonic for fertility, but a concoction that severs the line of descent and prevents pregnancy!" Imperial Physician Chen’s face darkened instantly. He was a man who despised evil, and as a healer with a kind heart, he was appalled that anyone could stoop to such a malicious act.
He gripped the medicine residue in his palm and scolded angrily, "The Heir has suffered severe injuries, and his pulse is already dangerously weak! Continuing with this will destroy his foundation."
Nearby, Xiao Nian'an’s expression shifted. Once the ingredients of the medicine were identified, they could no longer frame Shen Feiwan—it was inconceivable that she would poison her own husband. The room fell into a state of shock.
"Who? Who told you to do this!" Madam She clutched her chest, trembling with rage.
Shen Feiwan steadied her and ordered for Qi Hui to be dragged away. "Take him to the woodshed. No food, only water. Beat him until he talks."
Qi Hui turned pale with fright. He hadn't expected the delicate and dignified Eldest Young Mistress of the Marquis Manor to be so ruthless. He immediately tried to turn state's evidence, but Xiao Nian'an blocked him.
Shen Lianxin stood in the background, her face ashen. She couldn't help but interject, "Sister, Imperial Physician Chen is still here. Using such private punishments might not be appropriate."
"What is inappropriate about it?" Shen Feiwan turned to her. "Someone tried to poison my husband, made my mother-in-law ill, and sowed discord between our two families. Let alone hanging him up to beat him, even if I were to carve him to pieces, it would merely be justice for my husband!" She stared intensely at Shen Lianxin. "Why are you so anxious? Are you worried about what Qi Hui might say?"
"I... I didn't mean that..." Shen Lianxin didn't dare speak further.
Xiao Nian'an kept glancing outside. "Mother, I should go and check on things, lest something go wrong." He was suddenly very concerned for the Marquis Manor.
Shen Feiwan had no time for him. "Imperial Physician Chen, may we begin the treatment for my husband now?" She was prioritizing Xiao Ling’s well-being.
After some thought, the physician nodded gravely. "I can attempt to purge the toxins from the Heir’s body, but he will require absolute rest. He must not exert himself or practice martial arts for the time being."
This happened to suit his needs perfectly. Shen Feiwan looked at Madam She, who did not object. "Very well, thank you, Imperial Physician Chen."
Half an hour later, the physician departed. As he left, Shen Feiwan personally escorted him to his carriage. "Please report the Heir’s condition truthfully; he truly does need to recuperate."
When she returned, she heard a pained cry from the woodshed; Qi Hui had been beaten until he was barely hanging on.
"He confessed!" reported Steward Li. "He was nothing but a quack who used random herbs in hopes of a reward. When things went south, he made up rumors to shirk responsibility."
The explanation was flimsy. Shen Feiwan glanced coldly at Shen Lianxin, then at Xiao Nian'an. It was clear that the two were in league together—it was nauseating.
"Mother, I will send this man to the magistrate's office immediately!" Xiao Nian'an offered, his face full of feigned ruthlessness. He had to silence the man to avoid future trouble.
Madam She agreed. Shen Feiwan did not stop him. Once Xiao Nian'an had left, she called Zhuying in, who was followed by Hongliu, the personal maid of Concubine Li from the Shen Residence.
Upon seeing Hongliu, Shen Lianxin’s head spun.
"Greetings, Madam She, Eldest Young Mistress, Third Young Mistress. Concubine Li sent me to see if the General’s health has improved. That Physician Qi has such brilliant skills; he surely must have cured him with his medicine!"
Shen Lianxin stumbled, nearly losing her footing. Hongliu’s words had ruined her.
"Shut your mouth!" Shen Lianxin tried to stop her, but it was too late.
Shen Feiwan looked at her calmly. "The physician recommended by Concubine Li nearly took my husband’s life, and now you say he was sent by the Shen Residence. It seems I must return to the Shen Residence and ask Concubine Li, in front of my parents, about the ins and outs of this affair! Since when does a concubine have the authority to represent the Shen Residence?"
Upon hearing this, the other concubines in the room felt uneasy, but they had to admit that Shen Feiwan spoke the truth. They were of lower status, and overstepping their bounds by posing as the lady of the house was a grave taboo. Even if the mistress of the house punished them, they would have no right to object.
Shen Lianxin did not dare utter a word, yet the fire still consumed her.
"Mother, since this matter originated in the West Courtyard, may I handle it?" Shen Feiwan asked softly. With Madam She’s permission, she turned toward Shen Lianxin.
"Sister, what are you..." Before she could finish, a slap landed across her left cheek.
"As a daughter of a concubine, you should act like one. Since you have married into a family, you should behave yourself. Last night, as soon as you returned from the ancestral hall, you had your maid send a letter to the Shen Residence, demanding they send a physician. Today, Qi Hui arrived! And he fed my husband medicine that would ruin his ability to father children. Do you mean to tell me this wasn't your doing?"
"Of course not! I have no idea what you are talking about! I only wrote a letter to my family!" Shen Lianxin tried to argue, thinking that since they were both daughters-in-law of the Marquis Manor, Madam She wouldn't be so biased against her.
That was until Shen Feiwan produced the letter. "Would you like me to read it aloud in front of everyone?"
"..."
Xiao Nian'an, having finished handling matters outside, walked in just in time to hear this. He glared at her, stunned that Shen Lianxin’s methods were so clumsy.
"Shen Lianxin, what have you done!" Xiao Nian'an was furious and turned on her instantly. Being a cowardly man who feared Madam She’s wrath, he decided to sacrifice Shen Lianxin. A martial artist himself, he grabbed her arm with such force that he dislocated it on the spot.
She cried out in agony. "It hurts! It hurts..."
Xiao Nian'an ignored her, dragging her away. "Mother, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and give Big Brother an explanation. But since Lianxin is my wife, let me be the one to question her, lest it harm the bond between the sisters."
*Hmph.*
How brazen. This was the Third Young Master of the Marquis Manor—arrogant since childhood, never restrained, and only capable of covering things up when trouble arose. And yet, Madam She always shielded and protected him.