Chapter 144: Chapter 144
Chapter 144
Tang Mujin was excited and happy all the way. As the sun began to set, Yueqian arrived at her friend’s Tang household.
"Yueqian, if my mother is in such a critical condition that even you think something terrible might happen, please don’t say anything," Tang Mujin said to her friend before bringing Yueqian inside.
She didn’t want to hear any words suggesting her mother would die within a few days or that her mother would not survive. Every word would break her heart and hurt her. Especially coming from Yueqian, whom she trusted completely—if the other said her mother would die, she would believe that she would really die. This would mean she would end up crying her eyes out.
Yueqian couldn’t help but gently stroke her friend’s hair, feeling truly sorry for the other party who had to go through something like this. She could only pray that what she suspected was true. If her friend’s mother was merely poisoned... that would be an easy problem for her and her junior disciples to handle.
"Hmm, I promise." Hearing the confirmation, Tang Mujin led Yueqian into her mother’s quarters.
Many servants were already watching the other party’s condition. When they saw Eldest Young Miss Tang entering with Eldest Young Miss Qin, they quickly made way for the two young women.
The temper of both girls was formidable, and no one wanted to cross them, not even the Tang family’s own servants. Previously, when their eldest young miss brought Eldest Young Miss Qin over, dozens of servants were sold off as low-class slaves, with some even ending up in brothels. It was said that making the other party unhappy was a grave misfortune.
Unaware of the deeper reasons behind the sales, if they had known why many servants were sold, they might have chosen to kill them instead of selling them off.
Yueqian never kept untrustworthy people around her. No! It wasn’t just about herself. For her, everything relied on acting. She needed to keep wretched servants around to spread vile rumors about her. When it was time to beat them up, she would not feel guilty for doing so.
But for her naive friend Tang Mujin and her mother, Yueqian came in and swiftly removed all the wicked servants, leaving only those monkeys who had witnessed the chicken slaughtering show before. Now, these servants served Tang Mujin with fear, not daring to do anything that would displease her.
These remaining servants belonged to no particular master and had no protector like those ten people who were sold off. Hence, they had never thought of rebelling or plotting harm against Tang Mujin.
“How is my mother?”
“She hasn’t regained consciousness yet. Since early this morning, she’s been vomiting blood and has been unconscious all day,” an older servant said.
Tang Mujin’s face fell upon hearing this. Her mother was suffering greatly, but she still wanted her to fight on and survive to care for her and play with her future children.
"Let’s go in and take a look," Yueqian, noticing her friend’s worsening expression, gently patted the other party’s back and pushed the small figure to go inside with her.
The condition of the principal wife was indeed dire. Her body was emaciated, making her look like she was on the brink of death. Her hands were clenched tightly as if she was suffering from a nightmare, occasionally loosening and then tightening again.
Yueqian waved the other servants away, then sat by the principal wife’s bedside to gently check her pulse. She discovered that her arm was severely bruised. Even with a light touch, she could feel the flesh give way under pressure and it didn’t bounce back easily. It was like an overripe sapodilla. It could be said that it was about to rot.
She carefully opened the other party’s eyelids and saw the pale eyes with dark red veins. Yueqian exhaled softly.
Tang Mujin couldn’t believe her friend could smile so calmly. She stared at Yueqian, bewildered, but remembered what she had said earlier. Tang Mujin couldn’t help but ask.
“You, you mentioned that your acquaintance might be able to cure it, the illness my mother has. Could it really be treated?” Tang Mujin asked, her eyes filled with hope. So, Yueqian nodded in response.
“Yes, it’s as you understood. In five days, I’ll have an acquaintance come to examine and administer the medicine.” Yueqian could handle it herself, as this poison wasn’t rare. On the contrary, it was commonly used in the north. It was a poison that easily misled people.
Many died without realizing they had been poisoned, with everyone blaming their weak constitution. When they were pregnant, it caused both of them to die!
Hmph! What nonsense about the child. First Furen Tang’s body no longer that of a young woman who could have another child. She had struggled greatly to conceive before. How could she suddenly conceive so easily? Besides, after giving birth to Tang Mujin 16 years ago, her health had significantly deteriorated. How could anyone believe she was like this because she was pregnant?
It seemed the imperial physicians in the royal palace had never broadened their horizons. It was embarrassing that they didn’t recognize this poison. But never mind! How could they have time to explore the kingdom when they were constantly busy attending to the women in the inner palace?
Women were like venomous snakes, causing trouble in one palace after another without end. Even the Empress Dowager sometimes pretended to be ill to garner attention!
"You, are you serious? Your acquaintance can really treat her?" Mujin was so shocked that she stood up, seeking a clearer and more confident confirmation from her friend.
"Mhm."
"Yueqian, are you really serious?"
"Yes." When she was asked repeatedly, Yueqian looked up and stared back at Tang Mujin. The girl realized what she was doing and stopped asking silly questions, but then she burst into tears instead.
"You are so good to me. Thank you so much for helping me and my mother all this time. I will definitely repay you, and your mother too," Tang Mujin said through her tears, some words clear, some not, but Yueqian understood how she felt.
She patted her only friend on the shoulder. They had almost severed their relationship because she never believed in such bonds between her and the other party.
In the past, she had always used Tang Mujin, making her a partner in crime to amplify her own villainous image with the help of a loud, mischievous friend. All of that...whether it was kindness or help, had been meticulously planned by her.
On the day she was about to leave the capital for a better life, Yueqian decided to tell Tang Mujin some things. She didn’t know what the original novel’s Tang Mujin or her mother was like, or how all the events revolved around the main characters, be it the heroine, the hero, or a new villain. That was all there was to it. So, she didn’t know until the plotlines changed.
It seemed that returning to the capital this time had revealed to Yueqian that, in truth, she did indeed have a friend, didn’t she? It wasn’t like she initially thought, that she had no one and nothing to worry about. Now, she had Tang Mujin to care about too.
Although she was worried about her friend, deep down there was a warmth inside her.
However, treating First Furen Tang was no longer a big issue. Now that she knew what was wrong with the other party, she was confident she could treat it. Moreover, Tang Mujin had already started her plan. Not taking pregnancy supplements would prevent the poison in her body from becoming more severe. It was expected that Furen Tang’s suffering should lessen soon, and within three days, she should regain some consciousness.
While Furen Tang’s condition was under control, the more pressing concern was finding the culprit!
"Your mother was definitely poisoned, and the person responsible is very clever. They knew that when First Furen Tang found out she was pregnant, she would be so happy that she wouldn’t question if the pregnancy was real. It’s as if they knew your mother was eagerly awaiting another pregnancy. Because she didn’t suspect anything, your mother took a lot of pregnancy supplements, which caused the poison to spread rapidly."
"This person is dangerous. You need to observe carefully and inform me of anyone suspicious. If we don’t remove them, the Tang family will face turmoil in the future," Yueqian said seriously.
Normally, the Tang family had been peaceful for a long time, so it was unexpected to have such a malicious person hiding in the manor, waiting for an opportunity. If Yueqian hadn’t been called back to the capital, First Furen Tang might have already passed away.
"Understood, I will definitely keep watch," Tang Mujin was not a fool. Previously, she and her mother had followed Yueqian’s plan, intimidating everyone in the household so they wouldn’t dare to commit any evil acts. Therefore, the Tang family manor had always been peaceful.
However, people’s nature doesn’t change easily. Even though the Tang household seemed calm, inside they might not be. Everyone desires money, power, and the position of the principal wife. This plot was extremely cunning, indicating that they had prepared meticulously. Outwardly, they pretended to be innocent and content with their status, but in reality, they had devised this wicked scheme, intentionally aiming to eliminate Tang Mujin’s mother.
Moreover, they chose a poison that aroused no suspicion. It was likely that they had been searching for this poison for a long time.
"Yueqian, you will help me and my mother, right?" Tang Mujin asked. Besides her mother, she only had this friend left. Tang Mujin knew that she was inherently weak. Without the strength she gained from believing in her friend, she could never have become the proud eldest young miss of the Tang family.
"Umm, but after this... you need to learn to fight for yourself. My family and I will be leaving soon. Whether you stay with the Tang family or marry into your husband’s family, you must always be vigilant and observe everything around you. The servants by your side are trustworthy. Let them take care of everything and make sure that no mistakes happen. I can’t take care of you forever. I have my own life and responsibilities to manage. So..." Yueqian looked at Tang Mujin seriously.
This young girl, just over 16 years old, two years younger than Yueqian, clung to her like a little child. If Yueqian hadn’t called her a friend and addressed her by name, Tang Mujin would have called her "big sister."
"So, you must survive in this den of vipers. Snakes like to hide and camouflage. If you aren’t a snake, you must tread cautiously," Yueqian instructed her friend, who was like a little sister, hoping that, in the future, when she returned as an envoy of the Bai Kingdom, she would find Tang Mujin living peacefully.
"I will try," Tang Mujin stammered. Though she wanted to ask her friend not to leave her, seeing how happy Yueqian’s life was, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.
Yueqian’s claim of gaining weight was true. Moreover, her husband was very good to her, respecting her decisions and caring for her well-being, unlike other husbands who treated their wives as mere possessions, setting them aside when they weren’t needed, and only recognizing their importance when required.
Furthermore, Yueqian’s absence from the capital wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Considering how her mother had been targeted, if her friend had become Young General’s furen, she would undoubtedly have been targeted by envious individuals.It seemed Tang Mujin began to understand why Yueqian chose to marry a man from the countryside. Despite being exceptionally intelligent, she chose to be labeled as a villain and be exiled!
