Chapter 39 039 Court Trial

Chapter 39: The Poisoned Tonic

Deep in the night, the heavily guarded Marquis manor was exceptionally silent, with few footsteps heard.

The couple talked in their room, having sent all the servants away. Even Chang Sheng, who usually stood guard at the door, stayed well back. Chang Sheng gazed thoughtfully toward the door, recalling the grave looks on the Marquis and the Lady's faces when they entered. He felt something serious was going on—something important, maybe even a major event.

The night was cold, and Chang Sheng hugged his arms, shivering slightly. He hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn't affect the Marquis. That would be the best outcome.

Inside the room, the charcoal fire crackled and jumped, filling the air with warmth. This made Qiao Wanyue feel a bit better. She hadn't mentioned the medicine was bad, but Qin Yan had already figured it out. He was really sharp.

Qiao Wanyue had no intention of hiding anything. As soon as they got back, she closed the door tight. She took out the prescription and the leftover dregs and set them on the table. "This is the medicine we've been drinking daily. Here are the prescription and the dregs. Take a look, Marquis. Is something off?"

Qin Yan's face was dark, his eyes blazing with fury. His whole demeanor was sharp and intimidating, enough to make anyone feel suffocated. If Qiao Wanyue hadn't been with him for a while, she would have felt crushed by the pressure.

After looking them over, Qin Yan set them down, looking even angrier. "Are you sure? Did you check everything?"

She shrugged. "You can look into it yourself, Marquis."

He sighed, then said, "It's not that I don't trust you. But if this is true, we have to handle it by the family rules."

The Qin family rules were long, and Qiao Wanyue hadn't finished reading them all. She didn't know what "handling it" meant. But she figured it wouldn't be a slap on the wrist.

Qin Yan was totally fair—he'd even punish his own stepmother. If she messed up, would he punish her just as harshly?

Qiao Wanyue couldn't help but shiver. She squared her shoulders and said, "The person who boiled the medicine is Xiao Hua from the Dowager's courtyard. After boiling it, she took the dregs and dumped them at Liuli Bridge. As for who bought the herbs, you can look into that yourself, Marquis."

The room went quiet. Seeing he had no more questions, Qiao Wanyue turned to look at him. Qin Yan was frowning, lost in thought, so she kept quiet. Whatever came next, she would leave it to him to decide.

After a moment, his brow relaxed. The anger faded from his eyes, and his expression softened. "How much of that medicine did you drink? Go see a doctor."

She shook her head and said honestly, "I only drank it the first two days after we got married. After that, I dumped it all. So it's not a big deal. But you—you've had a lot."

Qin Yan grunted in acknowledgment. He'd also drunk it during his marriage to Lin Aizhen, but not as much as lately. He wasn't worried about himself—he was a man, strong and tough. What worried him was her. She was young and delicate. If she'd had too much, there could be side effects.

"I'm fine."

Qin Yan still insisted on getting a doctor for her. To put both their minds at ease, Qiao Wanyue agreed, and she told him to get checked too. Health was important.

They were still young and didn't have kids yet. If something went wrong and they couldn't have children, wouldn't that be a shame?

It was late. Figuring they'd talked enough, Qiao Wanyue got up to go rest. As she passed Qin Yan, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms.

He held her so tight, her chest was pressed against his, making it hard to breathe.

"What's wrong? He was holding her so tight, his arms seemed to be trembling. Was she imagining it?"

Qiao Wanyue wanted to push him away to see his face, but she wasn't strong enough. So she gave up.

"Be smart. Don't be too good. If I'm not around, you'll get into big trouble."

Oh, he meant the tonic thing.

Qiao Wanyue wanted to scold him too. This time, she was the one who caught it. He'd been clueless for so long. But then again, it made sense—Qin Yan was focused on court business; he didn't know much about what went on in the inner quarters.

Leaning against his broad chest, she could hear his steady, strong heartbeat. It was reassuring and made her feel safe.

The young girl smiled secretly against his chest. "Aren't you going to say I'm being rude?"

He used to always say she had no manners. Now he rarely said it, except when she really pissed him off.

The man let out a low chuckle, his chest rumbling. His voice whispered right in her ear: "So what if you're not proper? Being too proper isn't always a good thing."

It would make life a lot less fun.

The corners of Qin Yan's mouth lifted and stayed up. He went on, "Leave this to me. Don't worry."

"Mm." Of course, it was the Marquis's job. He was the head of the household.

Qin Yan pushed her back a little, his hands on her shoulders. His eyes burned as he looked at her. "So that's why you've been making excuses not to let me drink these past few days. You were worried about me, weren't you?"

He already knew, so why say it out loud? She grumbled to herself.

"We're husband and wife. If something happens to you, what would I do?"

In her heart, Qiao Wanyue thought, she was still young—she didn't want to become a widow.

Qin Yan didn't know what was going on in her mind; he only saw it as her caring deeply for him, and he couldn't hide his joy and excitement.

He had a wife—how could he let himself get hurt?

Overcome with emotion, the man bent down and kissed her on the lips. He nibbled and sucked, as if wanting to devour her. His hand stealthily moved to her belly. Between kisses, he asked, "Do you want children?"

Qiao Wanyue closed her eyes, dazed from the kisses. "Haven't thought about it."

"Think now."

Qin Yan wouldn't let her off. He was forceful and domineering, demanding an immediate answer. She was dizzy from the questions and couldn't think straight. Seeing that she didn't respond after a long while, the man gave her a gentle bite. She winced in pain.

"Ow, it hurts."

Qiao Wanyue came back to her senses a little. Her eyes were shimmering, and her brows were tinged with desire, making her even more enchanting.

"Either way is fine."

If a child comes, they'll accept it. If not, there's nothing to be done. It certainly wasn't her fault.

Her answer was perfunctory, clearly a reluctant reply. But Qin Yan wasn't angry. He pressed his palm against her back, pulling her closer, and laughed softly.

"Shall we go make a child now, hm?"

As he spoke, that part of him had already awakened, standing tall and greeting her. Qiao Wanyue was shocked, fully snapping back to reality. The allure in her face faded somewhat as she stammered, "I'm tired today. Let's do it some other day."

"I'm willing, but what if it doesn't agree?"

The gesture was somewhat lewd, yet when Qin Yan did it, it didn't seem so. Qiao Wanyue even liked seeing him like this—this madly infatuated look at her.

The man lifted her and carried her toward the bed. His steps were slow but powerful. His burning gaze never left her, making her face flush and her breath hot.

Tonight, Qin Yan was exceptionally gentle—perhaps the gentlest and most restrained he had ever been since their marriage. He was careful, his movements tender, as if handling a precious treasure, afraid of breaking her.

At the height of passion, Qiao Wanyue couldn't help but wonder: Was he afraid? Afraid that she might be in danger, or something else?

She had no time to think further before she was exhausted and drifted off to sleep.

She fell asleep, but Qin Yan couldn't sleep at all. He threw on a robe, stepped out, and beckoned to Chang Sheng in the distance. Then he whispered a few brief instructions.

Chang Sheng’s expression shifted slightly. He glanced at Qin Yan, nodded, then turned and vanished into the night.

-

Under the corridor, maids were sprinkling water and sweeping, bustling with activity.

Qiao Wanyue was awakened by the sound of leaves being swept. Habitually, she reached out to touch the spot beside her in the bed—it was cold. He had been up for a long time. She stretched lazily, with no intention of getting up yet, and buried her head back under the covers to continue sleeping.

After a moment, Qiao Wanyue suddenly remembered something. She lowered her head to check herself—clean, dry, and warm. Last night, when it was over, they hadn’t cleaned up; Qin Yan had done it for her. At least he had the sense, or she'd ignore him next time.

Delighted, Qiao Wanyue closed her eyes again. She slept who knows how long until Zhu Qing woke her up.

“Madam, it’s almost noon. You still need to go see the Dowager.”

There was no need to pay morning respects, but she had to drop by either in the morning or afternoon. Yesterday, Yang had just found out about her pouring out the medicine. She couldn’t give her another handle to use against her, or she'd never stop nagging.

Qiao Wanyue immediately climbed out of bed, languidly saying, “Mm, I’ll go in a bit.”

After getting washed and dressed, she grabbed a quick bite and then went to Yang’s place. Yang had been expecting her. When she saw her appear, Yang's face instantly changed. Qiao Wanyue noticed.

She entered with a smile, exchanging pleasantries and asking after Yang’s health. Sure enough, Yang brought up the matter of the poured medicine again. Since Qin Yan wasn’t around at the moment, she knew better than to argue. No matter what Yang said, she didn’t argue, listening obediently.

Her good behavior finally helped Yang calm down. Yang told her to keep taking the medicine and get up early to bear children for the Qin family.

Qiao Wanyue sneered inwardly, but her face gave nothing away. She nodded repeatedly, appearing exceptionally docile.

“I understand, Mother. I will do as you say.”

She gave Yang her medicine, waited until she rested, and only then did she head back.

Only when she got back to her own yard did she feel something was wrong. Something was strange about the household today. She couldn’t pinpoint exactly what. Resting her chin in her hand, she thought for a moment, and finally realized what it was.

Quiet. It was too quiet.

That kind of silence meant something big was going down.

Qin Yan had sent people to investigate. Perhaps someone in the household had been taken away. At that thought, Qiao Wanyue anxiously called Hongmei in and asked in a low voice, “Was anyone missing from the kitchen today?”

Hongmei thought for a moment and said, “I didn’t notice. Oh, right, I didn’t see Xiao Hong from the Dowager’s courtyard. I’m not sure if she didn’t come or if she’s off duty today.”

What duty? She's definitely been taken by Qin Yan.

Qiao Wanyue waved her hand, her heart racing with anxiety—worried for Qin Yan, concerned about the impending storm.

She hoped things would blow over safely.

In the evening, the weather suddenly changed. Dark clouds gathered, and a chilly wind was howling. A heavy rain was coming tonight. Qiao Wanyue leaned against the doorframe, her slender waist slightly bent, giving off a lazy, seductive air. She gazed at the sky, then looked under the eaves, wondering why Qin Yan hadn’t returned yet. It would rain soon.

The usual servants who followed him were nowhere to be seen either. Was it that busy?

She waited until nightfall, but still he didn’t appear. She stopped waiting; she was sleepy, so she went to bed.

Alone, the night was inevitably a bit cold. She curled up, feeling a chill even in her dreams. Suddenly, the scene in her dream changed. The sunlight was warm and pleasant. She let out a contented little whimper and moved toward an even warmer spot.

Qin Yan looked down at the woman in his arms and held her even tighter.

The next day, Qiao Wanyue woke up in a warm embrace. She opened her eyes to find the man’s hard jawline and prominent Adam’s apple.

Qin Yan hadn’t gone to court. He was still asleep. His sleeping face was softer than usual. She reached out to touch his Adam’s apple, gently squeezed it, then let him be.

“Why are you awake so early today?” His voice, still rough from sleep, was a little hoarse, low and magnetic.

Qiao Wanyue chuckled. She hadn’t expected he’d been awake all along.

“No court today?”

“No. I have something to deal with.”

When she heard “something,” Qiao Wanyue’s expression changed. She tested the waters: “Is it related to Mother?”

“Yes.”

Qin Yan opened his eyes, answering quickly and firmly.

She didn’t know how far Qin Yan’s investigation had gone, but judging by his mood, he seemed completely unaffected. On second thought, it made sense; there had never been much affection between them, so why would his emotions be stirred?

“How is it?” she asked.

Qin Yan didn’t respond. The atmosphere grew slightly oppressive. She didn’t want to know that badly. Since Qin Yan didn’t want to say, she wouldn’t press him. Lightly, she said, “It’s okay if you don’t want to say.”

She pushed him away and was about to get up when Qin Yan suddenly spoke: “When you see Mother later, just follow my lead. Don’t be afraid.”

They were going to handle it now? So urgent. It seemed Qin Yan was pretty angry.

“Alright.”

-

Yang was sick, and Qin Yan didn’t want to be too harsh. But when he thought of what she had done, of her schemes, he could no longer tolerate it. All these years, he had been completely in the dark. She had hidden it deeply and covered it well.

Qin Yan didn’t go to Yang’s courtyard. Instead, he received her in the main hall. Chang Sheng was sent to fetch her, and it was quite a while before Yang arrived.

The moment she stepped through the door, Yang froze in place. She glared at the two seated at the head, unable to conceal her displeasure and anger.

Qiao Wanyue knew she was being stared at. She shifted slightly, adjusting to a more comfortable position.

Since marrying into the Qin family, this was the first time she had sat in the seat of honor. She felt restrained, uncomfortable, and a little awkward. But Qin Yan had a point—as the mistress of the house, if she didn’t sit there, who would? It was her rightful place.

Seeing her seated up there, Yang’s anger was understandable. That used to be her seat.

Stepping over the threshold, Yang sensed what was coming. She sneered, “This looks like a courtroom trial, don’t you think, Da Lang?”

Qin Yan nodded. “There are a few things I need to confirm with you.”

Yang took a deep breath and sat down to the side. “Go ahead.”