Chapter 5: Dog-Eat-Dog

Chapter 5: Dogs Biting Dogs

"Speak up, who slipped the drug?" The First Madam slammed the table hard, hard enough to make the teacup jump.

Hu Xiaoyue knelt in the middle of the hall, hair a mess and clothes all rumpled. Beside her was another woman, seemingly young, who kept her head down so Lin Zhijin couldn't see her face.

"Madam, I truly don't know. A maid came to tell me the Master wanted me to go over, and since the Master summoned me, of course I went right away. But the moment I walked in, the Master pulled me onto the bed. I figured after being sick for so long, the Master was in the mood, so I went along with it. I really didn't know the Master had been drugged!" Hu Xiaoyue cried out in grievance.

The woman beside her didn't shout or make a fuss. She sobbed with an innocent expression, shaking her head. "Madam, I really don't know why that drug was in my room. The Master hasn't called for me in a long time, and I've already given up on that idea. My family was even planning to beg you to let me leave the household so I could get married. How could I possibly drug the Master?"

"Hmph, who knows if that's true or false. Li Xiangyun, was it you? Do you hate me for stealing the Master's favor, so you set me up like this?" Hu Xiaoyue glared at Li Xiangyun with hatred.

"No." Li Xiangyun gave Hu Xiaoyue an angry look, took a deep breath, and turned to the First Madam. "Madam, someone must be framing me. Have someone look into who bought the drug. I haven't left the residence these past days—where would I even get such a nasty drug?"

Only then did Lin Zhijin get a clear look at Li Xiangyun's appearance—almond eyes, rosy cheeks, arched brows, and full lips. She was quite beautiful, but it was mainly her vibe—alluring and captivating, with a natural charm in her glances that was especially enticing.

Old Chen really knew how to pick 'em. Although the First Madam was advanced in years, one could still tell she hadn't been ugly in her youth. The Second, Third, and Fourth Concubines were also older, but they had good bones—they must have been beauties in their youth. The Fifth and Sixth Concubines still had some charm left, the Seventh Concubine was elegant and graceful, and the Eighth Concubine...

Lin Zhijin turned her head for a sneaky look—an ice-queen type, seemingly not too old, around twenty-seven or twenty-eight.

Among the chamber maids, she had only met Hu Xiaoyue, Wang Xiuzhu, and Li Xiangyun. Hu Xiaoyue was coquettish, Wang Xiuzhu was fresh and refined, and Li Xiangyun was alluring. Tsk tsk, old Chen really lived a good life.

At that moment, the Fifth Concubine yawned and said lazily, "If you ask me, it was Xiaoyue who did it."

"Fifth Concubine, I've never had any beef with you. Why would you harm me? First Madam, it truly wasn't me. I... I haven't left the residence recently either—where would I buy the drug?" Hu Xiaoyue suddenly pointed at Lin Zhijin. "It must be the Ninth Concubine! She left the residence. She's mad at me for stopping her from seeing the Master, so she drugged him to harm me."

Lin Zhijin hadn't expected the spotlight to fall on her while she was just watching the drama. Fighting the urge to roll her eyes, she shook her head with a frightened expression. "Madam, it wasn't me. Without Xiaohong to show me the way, I don't even know how to get to the Master's courtyard."

No one really suspected Lin Zhijin. She had only been in the Chen household for a few days? She hadn't even learned everyone's names in the household—how could she possibly have the ability to drug the Master?

Chen Lishi slapped the table again. "Hu, don't go around pointing fingers. The Ninth Concubine is a good girl—she'd never drug the Master. You'd better come clean, or when I find out the truth, I'll make it worse for you."

Chen Lishi gestured for Lin Zhijin to sit down. Old Lady Zhang was her person, so she trusted that Lin Zhijin wasn't the one who administered the drug.

"Thank you, First Madam." Lin Zhijin looked at Chen Lishi with gratitude.

This Hu Xiaoyue was a real mad dog, biting anyone she could.

Sure enough, Hu Xiaoyue started biting again. "It was Wang Xiuzhu! It was her—yes, definitely her. She came to me a few days ago and asked if I wanted a child. I said I did, and then she gave me a fertility prescription, but with conditions. She said I had to promise her one thing if it worked. It must be her!"

The moment she finished speaking, Wang Xiuzhu walked from the back to kneel in the center of the hall, giving Hu Xiaoyue a disappointed look. "Sister Xiaoyue, how can you bite the hand that fed you? Madam, it wasn't me."

"Not you? Then why did you give Hu Xiaoyue a fertility prescription? Don't you know the Master's body can't handle that kind of thing? Wang Xiuzhu, you've got some nerve, giving the Master such a potent drug. Do you know that the Master was almost better, but because of this drug, he might... might..." As she spoke, the Sixth Concubine covered her face and burst into tears.

Her crying triggered sad expressions on everyone else's faces. Lin Zhijin lowered her head, glanced left and right, and immediately put on a face like she'd just lost her father.

Good lord, these were all Oscar-winning actresses! How did they switch expressions so fast? Especially those tears—they came on cue.

"Sixth Concubine, how could it be me? I spend my days eating vegetarian and praying. If it weren't for remembering that Sister Xiaoyue once helped me, I wouldn't have given her the fertility prescription." Wang Xiuzhu looked at Hu Xiaoyue with a hurt expression. "When I gave you the prescription, didn't I say to wait until the Master got better before using it? As for the favor I asked of you, there's no harm in saying it. I was pregnant twice, but I was unlucky and lost both. I can't bear children anymore. I thought I'd help Sister Xiaoyue get pregnant, and we could raise the kid together, so I'd have someone to depend on when I'm old."

She sounded so pitiful—at least a lot of people there started feeling sorry for her and thought Hu Xiaoyue was unreasonable for making wild accusations.

"First Madam, it's her! It must be her! Believe me—Wang Xiuzhu never said to wait until the Master recovered before using the drug. It wasn't me, truly not me!" Hu Xiaoyue said, all flustered.

Lin Zhijin frowned. It really didn't seem like it was Hu Xiaoyue.

Just then, Mother Sun brought in a young maid. Lin Zhijin thought she looked familiar but couldn't remember her name.

"Who is this?" Lin Zhijin whispered to Xiaohong.

"She's Hu's maid," a cold, clear voice said.

Lin Zhijin was startled and turned to look at the Eighth Concubine. Did the Eighth Concubine just say that?

The Eighth Concubine gave her a look of disdain—so dumb, no wonder someone tried to set her up. But fools have fool's luck; she didn't fall for the trap and dodged a bullet.

Lin Zhijin offered a friendly smile. "Thanks, Eighth Sister, for clearing that up."

The Eighth Concubine was taken aback for a second, then shot her a glare and turned away, ignoring her.

Lin Zhijin was confused. What was wrong? When she'd run into the Second, Third, Fourth, and Fifth Concubines, they'd told her to call them Second Sister, Third Sister, and so on. The Eighth Concubine was ranked eighth—calling her Eighth Sister should be correct, right?

In just a moment of distraction, the situation took a major turn. Hu Xiaoyue's maid admitted that she had been instructed by Hu Xiaoyue to drug the Master.

"Ah!" Hu Xiaoyue shrieked, grabbing the front of her personal maid's clothes in disbelief. "Wang Juhua, I've treated you well! How can you slander me like this? Who bought you off? Tell me! First Madam, it truly wasn't me!"

"Your personal maid has already confessed, and you still dare to claim innocence? Hu Xiaoyue, oh Hu Xiaoyue—the Master doted on you so much, yet you drugged him! If anything happens to the Master, I won't let you off!" The Third Concubine, who had remained silent until now, suddenly spoke in a harsh tone.

"Madam, it truly wasn't me." Hu Xiaoyue collapsed onto the ground, looking utterly pathetic.

Just then, Shi Qing uncovered some evidence, and it also pointed toward Hu Xiaoyue.

"Enough. Lock Hu and Wang Juhua in the woodshed. Everyone else, return to your rooms and stay there—don't come out and cause trouble." The First Madam made the final decision.

The Third Concubine pursed her lips, rose, and left leaning on her maid's arm. The other concubines also got up. Lin Zhijin noticed the Second Concubine remained seated, presumably having more to discuss with the First Madam. She waited for the Eighth Concubine to rise, then quickly followed behind her.

Once outside the main courtyard, Lin Zhijin let out a long breath. The drugging plot was over now, right?

Back at the Bamboo Courtyard, Old Lady Zhang wasn't there—no telling where she'd gone.

Lin Zhijin pulled Xiaohong aside. "Has that maid who delivered the false message to me today been found yet?"

"Not yet. Ninth Concubine, don't worry. The First Madam is perceptive and won't wrong you. Besides, you stay in your room all day and don't even recognize all the servants in the Master's courtyard—how could you possibly have the ability to drug the Master?" Xiaohong analyzed seriously.

Though she was being dismissed as incompetent, Lin Zhijin thought it was perfect. Yes, she was a timid, cowardly, incompetent person—how could she possibly drug Old Chen?

Having already slept once, Lin Zhijin couldn't fall back asleep. Lying in bed, she kept speculating about who had actually administered the drug.

Yes, she was skeptical about Hu Xiaoyue being the one.

Or rather—was the drugging of Old Chen really something Hu Xiaoyue had done alone?

The next morning, everyone was summoned to the main courtyard again. Lin Zhijin scanned the room—everyone had dark circles under their eyes, suggesting they hadn't slept well, or perhaps hadn't slept at all, the night before.

"The Master was given a violent aphrodisiac. The physician says the damage is too severe—he might... might not last until next month." The First Madam said tearfully.

"Master!" The Third Concubine cried out in grief, her eyes rolling back as she fainted.

"Third Concubine? Third Concubine?" The Third Concubine's personal maid caught her, calling out anxiously.

Then Lin Zhijin watched as the servants efficiently escorted the Third Concubine back to her own room.

"The Third Concubine has poor health and can't handle shocks—otherwise she faints," Xiaohong explained quietly.

Lin Zhijin was skeptical. Could someone really faint on command like that?

"First Madam, it's all that Hu's fault! If not for her, the Master's health would have already recovered. You must punish her severely without mercy!" The Fourth Concubine said through gritted teeth.

"Of course, someone who dares to drug the Master can't simply be let off lightly. But Hu has been intimate with the Master—if she truly is pregnant, that might be the Master's last child. It concerns the Chen family bloodline and can't afford the slightest mishap. Let's wait a while and see." The First Madam said with a compassionate expression.

Lin Zhijin was also curious. The original body got pregnant on the first try—she wondered if Hu Xiaoyue would have the same luck.

Then again, who exactly was behind setting up the original body?

Compared to all these scheming veterans in the house, Lin Zhijin felt her brain just wasn't enough. As the saying goes, don't bring your amateur game against professionals—and she wasn't even close to being an amateur.

After half an hour of small talk, Mother Sun escorted two young maids inside. Lin Zhijin recognized one of them as the girl who'd delivered the fake message to her.

"Madam, these two maids delivered the message yesterday," Mother Sun said coldly.

"Madam, I know nothing. Someone gave me two silver dollars to pass a message to the Ninth Concubine. That's all I know, truly." The round-faced maid dropped to her knees with a thud, staring at the First Madam in a panic.

The long-faced maid next to her was sobbing uncontrollably, and only after a long while managed to say the same thing as the round-faced girl.

"Madam, I've already investigated. These two maids are telling the truth," Mother Sun whispered in Chen Lishi's ear.

"Then Hu Xiaoyue was telling the truth—she didn't drug the master. So who did?" the Seventh Concubine asked, looking puzzled.

The Third, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth Concubines shot her a look. Idiot. If it weren't for her fertile belly, and the fact that their own kids were grown with grandkids already, and they didn't want to commit more sins anymore—how could she have ever given birth and become a concubine?

"Enough, it's getting late. All of you, return to your quarters." The First Madam dismissed them outright.

"First Madam, the master's condition has worsened. Shouldn't we take turns taking care of him? One person a day, or how should we do it? Is there a schedule?" the Third Concubine suddenly spoke up.

Chen Lishi shot her a side-eye. She hadn't planned on having the concubines take shifts, but since someone brought it up, refusing now would make her look cold-hearted.

"You're not young anymore, and you've been living the easy life for years. A full day of taking care of the master would be too much for you. Let's do this: half a day each, starting with the Second Concubine." Chen Lishi raised her teacup to dismiss them.

Everyone filed out one by one. At the courtyard gate, the Seventh Concubine called out to Lin Zhijin, "Ninth Sister, you haven't stepped foot outside your courtyard since you got here. Come by and visit me when you have time."

Lin Zhijin softly murmured an okay and hurried off with Xiaohong.

"Why does the Seventh Concubine want to invite you to her courtyard?" Xiaohong asked curiously.

Lin Zhijin shook her head. "I don't know either."

How would she know? None of these concubines were pushovers, and she didn't want to mess with a single one of them.

That afternoon, Old Lady Zhang came back with news: the one who'd administered the drug was Wang Juhua, and the one who'd instructed her was indeed Hu Xiaoyue. However, what they'd used wasn't some harsh aphrodisiac but a fertility-boosting medicine.

"There were other people who drugged him too?" Lin Zhijin's eyes widened.

"Probably." Seeing the scared look on Lin Zhijin's face, Old Lady Zhang smiled and said, "Ninth Concubine, no need to be afraid. As the old saying goes, a clear conscience doesn't fear the knock at midnight. You've done nothing wrong, so what is there to fear?"

She hadn't done anything, and neither had the original body—yet she'd still been set up. In this big old mansion, everyone had eight hundred schemes up their sleeves. As a newbie, of course she was scared.

"How would I have that kind of ability? Let's not talk about this anymore—it gives me the creeps just hearing about it. I'm starving. Got anything to eat?" Lin Zhijin clutched her stomach.

The next afternoon, things took another turn. The one who'd drugged the master wasn't Li Xiangyun or Wang Xiuzhu—it was another inconspicuous chamber maid.

"Why did she drug the master? Was she trying to get pregnant for security?" Lin Zhijin asked curiously on her way to the main courtyard.

"I don't know." Xiaohong shook her head.

Gathered once again in the First Madam's courtyard, Lin Zhijin saw a thin, pale woman kneeling on the ground. Despite her disheveled state, her beauty was still hard to conceal.

"I called you all here to tell you that the culprit who drugged the master has been caught—it's Senior Wang. Out of resentment for the master's neglect, she administered the drug. Senior Wang, we have both witnesses and evidence. Do you confess?" the First Madam asked with a grim face.

Senior Wang let out a mocking laugh. "Neglect? A dying old fool like him—I couldn't care less about his favor. He's a beast. If he hadn't forcibly taken me into this household, my parents wouldn't have died. Why? He was clearly on the verge of death, but because of that 'joy-bringing' marriage, he recovered? I'm running out of time. Before I go, I must see him dead to be satisfied."

"So it was you who drugged him? That's truly unexpected!" the Seventh Concubine exclaimed in shock.

The moment she finished speaking, Senior Wang vomited a mouthful of blood, and it kept coming, more and more. Soon she collapsed to the ground, unconscious—or worse.

"Ah!"

"Ah!"

Screams rang out one after another in the room. Lin Zhijin let out a cry too, then quickly shut her eyes, unable to bear looking at Senior Wang's gruesome state.

The First Madam hadn't expected Senior Wang to pull such a stunt either. She hastily sent everyone back and dispatched a physician to prescribe calming medicine for all.

Lin Zhijin drank a bowl as well. She was genuinely frightened this time—in her thirty years of her previous life, this was the first time she'd seen someone die up close.

Shortly after, Hu Xiaoyue and the others were released, and Wang Juhua was dealt with. As for the specifics of the punishment, Old Lady Zhang and Xiaohong didn't say, and Lin Zhijin didn't want to ask. At times like this, human life was cheap.

Time passed quickly, and soon it was Lin Zhijin's turn to care for Master Chen. She had the first half of the night, so she went over after dinner. When she arrived, Master Chen had already taken his medicine and fallen asleep. Seeing his sunken eye sockets and hollow cheeks—skin stretched thin over bone—it really seemed he wouldn't make it to next month.

During the night, Master Chen woke once, glanced at Lin Zhijin, and drifted back to sleep.

On the twenty-seventh day of the second lunar month, Master Chen suddenly became spirited and energetic. Everyone in the Chen household—including himself—knew this was the final rally before death.

"Shi Qing, go call the madams and the children. While I still have my wits about me, I want to settle my final affairs." Facing death at last, Master Chen took it surprisingly calmly.

Author's note:

Continuing the story—there will be another chapter tonight, but it'll be a bit late. Dear readers, check back tomorrow morning. Mwah mwah (づ￣3￣)づ╭❤～