Chapter 126

Chapter 126: Return to the Capital

When Aunt Kang entered, the Old Madam had already composed herself. Her expression was unreadable, but her posture was ramrod straight. One hand turned prayer beads while the other rested on the nanmu wood square table, assuming a combative stance.

Zhao Fuying and Dong Yuting sat below her, like two guards, ready to shield and support her.

As planned, Zhao Fuying first brought up the matter of guards visiting that morning. After she finished, Dong Yuting interjected, "Aunt Kang, so you knew all along that the medicine was not to be taken, didn’t you?"

The three of them stared intently at Aunt Kang, as if three swords hung over her head.

Aunt Kang remained silent.

Finally, the Old Madam couldn’t hold back and sneered, "Has Aunt Kang lost her tongue?"

Earlier, while calming down the Old Madam, they had agreed that Zhao Fuying and Dong Yuting would ask the questions, with the Old Madam listening on the side. But upon seeing Aunt Kang, the Old Madam could no longer suppress the fury in her heart.

"Yes, I knew all along." After bowing her head in thought for a long time, Aunt Kang looked up and admitted it. She clenched the handkerchief in her hands fiercely, the chrysanthemum pattern on it distorted beyond recognition.

The Old Madam erupted in anger, her eyes glaring at Aunt Kang as she rebuked, "I treated you well, yet you tried to poison me!"

Aunt Kang lifted her head, the veins in her neck bulging like serpents into her collar. She glared back at the Old Madam who was seated in her chair. The gold hairpin adorned with a ruby was nestled in her hair. Had it been set against raven black hair, it would have accentuated the ruby’s nobility. But the Old Madam, having been ill repeatedly, now had streaks of white at her temples, dimming the hairpin's brilliance.

Aunt Kang sneered, her pupils fixed on that crimson hairpin. That shade of red was exactly like the blood her son had coughed up before her all those years ago!

If the Old Madam hadn’t forced them back to Danzhou, her son wouldn’t have fallen ill from the arduous journey, and she wouldn’t have believed that quack doctor and personally administered that bowl of medicine to her son.

Remembering this, Aunt Kang said bitterly, "You mock me, Madam. If you hadn’t forced us back to Danzhou, my son wouldn’t have fallen ill. Had we stayed safe in the capital, he would never have suffered such a calamity, and in the end, he wouldn't have..."

Aunt Kang’s voice trembled with tears, a stark contrast to her usual demeanor—or perhaps, this was her true self.

The Old Madam was stunned momentarily, but she wasn't about to reflect on herself.

Locked in confrontation with Aunt Kang, her mind raced, and she gave Aunt Kang a mocking smile. "If you had listened to the doctor, this would never have happened! You’ve always been overprotective of your son, thinking everyone meant him harm. If not for that, why would I have sent you back to Danzhou? I thought you had changed over the years, but it seems a leopard can't change its spots. You’re still the same!"

Back when Old Master Li died, Aunt Kang lost her backing. The Old Madam, blaming the concubines for failing to care properly for the old master, became increasingly fearful that the Old Madam meant them harm, to the point of becoming paranoid. Exasperated, the Old Madam sent them back to Danzhou in frustration.

As for the illness, how could the Old Madam have known?

Aunt Kang always believed the Old Madam meant to harm her. After returning to Danzhou, her son fell ill. Though doctors were called and prescriptions given, his lingering illness persisted. Aunt Kang had no choice but to seek other desperate means, but unfortunately, she encountered a quack selling fake medicine and ended up giving it to her son herself.

Afterward, unwilling to believe she had caused her son’s death, she buried the truth deep in her heart, concealing the truth from everyone.

Who would have thought she would see the Old Madam again? The instant she saw her again, the hatred welled up uncontrollably within her.

Especially after seeing the Old Madam’s second son carousing and groping the maids, Aunt Kang felt it was unjust.

Her son had been so well-behaved, destined for greatness. Why was it her son who died?

It wasn’t until she went to visit her son's grave and encountered another peddler selling dubious medicine in the city—though not the same person, the sales pitch was the same: a miracle cure for paralysis and colds—that Aunt Kang recognized it as the very medicine that had killed her son.

The Old Madam callously laid bare the truth Aunt Kang refused to acknowledge. Aunt Kang heard it but defiantly retorted, "If it weren’t for you, my son wouldn’t have died... If it weren’t for you, my son..."

She repeated this several times, her expression growing increasingly disturbed, as if trapped in a disturbed state.

Dong Yuting wasn’t afraid of anger, but she feared a madwoman—there was no telling what a madwoman might do next.

Seeing her like this, the Old Madam knew reasoning was impossible. She waved her hand and ordered the servants to take Aunt Kang away.

Before Aunt Kang arrived, Zhao Fuying had summoned several servants to stand guard, fearing Aunt Kang might become violent.

However, Aunt Kang couldn’t be handed over to the authorities.

In families like theirs, major issues were often minimized and minor ones swept under the rug.

In such cases, the usual practice was to fabricate a charge against Aunt Kang, then expel her from the household. Whether sent to a temple or a manor, she would never return or be seen again.

Dong Yuting sighed inwardly. Things had still come to this.

Zhao Fuying and the Old Madam discussed what charge to assign Aunt Kang, but Dong Yuting didn’t pay attention.

The next day, however, Chun Yue whispered something in her ear.

"Aunt Kang is dead?" Dong Yuting asked in astonishment.

Chun Yue nodded. "Yes, I just returned from outside, and the servants are all talking about it. I heard no one wanted to carry Aunt Kang’s body. The chief steward offered silver, and only then did two servants agree to do it."

Since close contact with a corpse was considered inauspicious, no one wanted to do it. But money talks—with silver offered, some were willing.

Thanks to her connection with Dong Yuting, Chun Yue didn’t need to seek out news deliberately. The maids, hearing something, would rush to tell her, so she learned quickly.

"How did she die?"

Chun Yue said, "They say she drank medicine sold by a quack doctor outside."

Chun Yue’s expression was uneasy. Those close to Dong Yuting and her knew what really happened.

Aunt Kang likely felt her scheme was exposed, leaving her no chance for revenge, and uncertain how the Old Madam would treat her, she chose to take the medicine and end her life.

Coincidentally, the matter of the quack doctor outside was causing a stir, so none of the servants in the old residence suspected the truth behind Aunt Kang’s death.

Even if they knew, they probably wouldn’t dare speak of it.

Many who heard merely sighed, and some even seemed to recall only then that there had been such a person in the household.

The death of a concubine didn’t cause much of a ripple in the household.

The deceased was given respect, and even the Old Madam could say little more, offering ten taels of silver for Aunt Kang’s proper burial.

From learning of it to sending her off, less than half a day had passed. Given Dong Yuting’s status, it wasn’t appropriate for her to pay a personal visit. Yet the sudden passing of a living person left her somewhat subdued.

Soon, however, a joyous event made everyone forget the matter.

It turned out that in Bianzhou, with Prince Wulie and General Qin stationed there, the Tatars were retreating steadily. Not only that, they had wounded the current khan, who was described in letters as fleeing in disgrace. The letters also mentioned that Li Lingchuan would return to the capital soon. Due to imperial orders, he couldn’t stop in Danzhou first on the way.

This meant Dong Yuting and the others could also set off.

The Old Madam said with a laugh, "General Qin already has grandchildren, yet at his age he can still fight on the battlefield. Truly a blessing for our dynasty."

Zhao Fuying also smiled. "Aunt, are you speaking of the old General Qin Zi’an?"

"Him, yes." The Old Madam, upon hearing this, was all smiles, her wrinkles layering together, making her look like a kindly old woman.

Both tacitly avoided mentioning Prince Wulie.

The Li family supported Prince Yongming and thus held no goodwill toward other princes, especially those who might become crown prince, and Prince Wulie most of all.

But facing the Tatars, internal strife was not an option; they had to unite against the external threat. So the two tacitly ignored Prince Wulie, focusing their praise on old General Qin.

But listening to what the old lady said, this old General Qin was likely there to oversee the battlefront and might not actually take part in the fighting.

Dong Yuting kept these thoughts to herself; voicing them would only needlessly upset the old lady.

However, these were merely her own speculations. After pondering for a while, Dong Yuting put it out of her mind. Since they were about to depart for the capital, she'd have much to attend to. She hoped that this time, nothing unexpected would happen.

Unconsciously, she had begun to regard the capital residence as her own home.

Although the old estate was overall more spacious than the capital residence, living there felt confined to just one courtyard, making it a bit cramped and less comfortable than the capital home. Moreover, having not seen her daughter for some time, Dong Yuting missed her.

The servants who received the news were also delighted. If even Dong Yuting felt the living quarters were cramped, the servants certainly felt even more so. Thus, they eagerly began packing their belongings.

"Sister Chun Yue, are we really leaving this time?" asked a maid from Li Nianzi's side, who had come to inquire about the return to the capital.

"Well... we are," Chun Yue replied vaguely, not wanting to jinx it. "Does the Second Young Miss not want to go back?"

The maid hurriedly said, "No, no, of course our young miss is happy. It's just that we're afraid we'll finish packing only to be told we're not leaving after all, going through all the trouble for nothing."

Chun Yue said, "Just go ahead and pack. There shouldn't be any changes this time."

Meanwhile, Li Nianzi and Li Nianyu sat together, watching the maids pack.

Li Nianzi sighed repeatedly, and even Li Nianyu, who wasn't usually very observant, noticed. She couldn't help but ask, "Second Sister, what's got you so down?"

Li Nianzi said, "I'm not down."

Li Nianyu, always blunt, pointed at her mouth and said, "Second Sister, you're pouting so much you could hang an oil bottle from them!"

Li Nianzi glared at her and said, "I'm just thinking about how I don't know when I'll see the sisters from the old estate again. Can't I be sad about that?"

Hearing this, Li Nianyu's mood also sank.

To be honest, Li Nianzi wasn't actually that reluctant to leave.

Fashionable clothing and accessories from the capital always influenced other regions, and Danzhou was no exception. Since Li Nianzi had returned from the capital, the young women in the old estate often asked her about the latest trends. Being the center of attention made Li Nianzi feel pretty full of herself. Once back in the capital, however, she would have an elder sister above her, always overshadowing her. How could Li Nianzi possibly be happy about that?