good season

Chapter 247 The Second Young Lady Takes Action (Two chapters combined)

Wei Ya'er has been having a lot of bad luck lately.

People in the capital, seeing that she had been exceptionally granted the title of county princess and had a domineering younger brother like Wei Wubing, assumed that she had grown up as a precious jewel.

actually not.

She and Wei Wubing were twins. Wei Wubing was born weak, while she was healthy.

Grandmother and her mother both believed that all the good food her mother ate during her pregnancy was taken away by her in the womb, and that Wei Wubing's lack of nutrition in the womb was entirely her fault.

Therefore, the more Wei Wubing was favored at home, the more she was disliked by her family.

Wei Wubing was a sickly child. She was not even as tall as the stove, so she took the initiative to brew medicine for Wei Wubing. The Wei family had plenty of maids and servants, so there was no need for Wei Ya'er. However, Wei Ya'er said with tears in her eyes that she was worried and wanted to take care of her younger brother herself.

Not only did she brew medicine for Wei Wubing, she would also carefully feed it to him. When Wei Wubing threw a tantrum, she would tell him stories. After a while, whenever Wei Wubing refused to take his medicine, the maids would come to her. As long as she brought the medicine to Wei Wubing, he would obediently drink it. If the medicine was brewed by Wei Ya'er herself, Wei Wubing would even drink it without crying or making a fuss.

Because he knew that his sister was the best to him.

Everyone saw how good she was to Wei Wubing, and even her grandmother looked at her differently. Her grandmother had many granddaughters, but she was her grandmother's favorite.

In reality, only she knew that she was spitting into the medicine she brewed for Wei Wubing. As she grew older, she added even more things to the medicine. In addition to urine and crushed insects, she would secretly reduce the dosage of one or two of the herbs so that even if the dregs were examined, it wouldn't be noticeable. However, this would force Wei Wubing to stay on his sickbed for a few more days.

She hated Wei Wubing; she had hated him ever since she could remember!

Because of Wei Wubing, she was disliked by her family; because of Wei Wubing, she had to insincerely try to please everyone in her family.

But now that Wei Wubing is really dead, she is afraid.

This time, she didn't reduce the dosage or add any dirty things to the medicine. She really did brew the medicine for him and served it to him personally. No one else was involved in the process, so how did Wei Wubing die?

If her family finds out that Wei Wubing died from drinking her herbal medicine, they will kill her, they really will kill her!

She didn't want to die yet. Next year, she would be married into Liang. Her husband was a good-for-nothing, her brother-in-law was a sickly man with little time left, her sister-in-law came from a humble background and was not presentable, her mother-in-law was chronically ill, and her capable sister-in-law had married far away. Everyone with eyes could see that she was the true mistress of the Liang Prince's Mansion, and even the Dowager Consort Li said so.

Her future will not only be that of a county princess or a county princess, but also that of the Princess of Liang!

She has a long life ahead of her, and she can't let that sickly Wei Wubing ruin it!

To prove her innocence, she personally killed the horse that had caused Wei Wubing to lose his leg.

That beast was Wei Wubing's darling; she couldn't bear to blame him even when he broke his leg, yet he still died under her blade, turning into a pile of horse meat.

The maids who witnessed Wei Wubing bleeding from all seven orifices were all beaten to death by her.

Although Wei Wubing looks cheerful, he is actually very weak. He almost died from the siblings a while ago and had not fully recovered before running away again. His fall from the horse was also related to his weak health.

Wei Ya'er had someone bring over the imperial physician who had examined Wei Wubing's leg. After some intimidation, she gave him a box of silver. In the end, the imperial physician concluded that Wei Wubing was too weak to tolerate such treatment.

After Wei Wubing was injured, he used a lot of tonics, but unexpectedly this led to a disaster.

Madam Wei naturally didn't believe it and sent her trusted imperial physician to examine her. Wei Ya'er was terrified. After the physician returned, he reported the truth to Madam Wei.

"What? You said it was poisoning?" Although Madam Wei suspected that Wei Wubing's death was due to his inability to tolerate strong tonics, she never expected that he was actually poisoned.

The imperial physician confirmed, "It is poison. If the old lady does not believe it, she can ask the coroner to examine it."

Of course, we can't call a coroner. How can we let those lowly people from the government interfere in the Wei family's affairs?

Madam Wei then asked, "Do you know what kind of poison it is?"

The imperial physician tentatively said, "It looks like arsenic to me."

Madam Wei was greatly surprised. The imperial physicians were very shrewd. The fact that they could say the words "arsenic" meant that it was no longer just "looks like" as he had said, but that it was a certainty.

It was actually arsenic! Who poisoned it?

Madam Wei then thought of the previous imperial physician. How bad could the medical skills of an imperial physician who was sent to treat Wei Wubing's injuries be?
Why was this imperial physician able to confirm it was arsenic, while the previous imperial physician said that the body was too weak to tolerate tonics?
Just as Madam Wei was about to have Wei Ya'er summoned to the palace, a eunuch rushed in: "Madam, His Majesty is coming this way."

Since Lady Wei moved into Cining Palace, Emperor Yongjia visited Cining Palace even less frequently.

Madam Wei frowned. What wind blew him here today? Has he finally remembered that he has a birth mother, Consort Li?

Thinking of Consort Li, Old Madam Wei snorted coldly. That wretched woman can't win over either the old or the young. No wonder she's still a consort at her age.

"At this hour, His Majesty must have just finished the morning court session, right?" Old Madam Wei asked.

The eunuch hurriedly replied, "Reporting to the old lady, His Majesty just finished court and came straight to Cining Palace."

Madam Wei calculated the days and realized that today was the first day of the new moon. Although she had never attended the morning court session before, she would always stay until very late on the first day of the new moon. It was indeed rare for her to attend as early as today.

However, Madam Wei did not expect that Emperor Yongjia would not only come to Cining Palace, but also specifically request to see her.

Old Madam Wei knew perfectly well that Emperor Yongjia disliked her for staying in the palace.

But her purpose in coming to the palace was twofold: first, to save her life, and second, to disgust the mother and son.
She'll stay here and not leave unless the emperor, disregarding all decorum, kicks her out.

Now that Emperor Yongjia wants to see her, Old Madam Wei sneered inwardly. The two girls that the Wei family sent to the palace have not yet been favored by Emperor Yongjia. Today is a good opportunity to talk about this matter.

Before Madam Wei could even speak, she was stumped by Emperor Yongjia's question.

"Madam, please accept our deepest condolences regarding Young Master Wei. Several officials spoke of him in court today. Would you like to hear what they had to say?"

Madam Wei's face was frosty: "This humble woman wishes to hear the details."

Emperor Yongjia pointed to Eunuch Liu beside him: "Old Liu, you've always been the best at mimicking others, so repeat it for the old lady."

Eunuch Liu stepped forward, bowed to the crowd, and then began to recite the words spoken by everyone in the court.

"Now everyone on the streets is talking about the death of Young Master Wei, and they all say that he did not die of illness, but was poisoned."

"After Young Master Wei's death, the Lady of Changling County did not investigate the cause of his death, but instead personally killed Young Master Wei's beloved horse. Her cruelty and cold-heartedness were appalling."

"Furthermore, before his death, Young Master Wei drank a medicinal soup personally brewed by the Princess of Changling County. Young Master Wei died of poisoning, and the Princess of Changling County is the suspected culprit!"

After Liu Gonggong finished speaking, he bowed again and retreated behind Emperor Yongjia.

Madam Wei was shocked. She had just discovered that Wei Wubing had died of poisoning, but the ministers at the court meeting were already talking about it.

"How did they find out about these things?" As soon as the words left her mouth, Madam Wei realized her voice was trembling. Emperor Yongjia replied calmly, "I have already sent people to investigate in the streets and alleys."

Madam Wei pursed her lips, and after a long while, she finally spoke: "Your Majesty, I thank you."

Emperor Yongjia showed no intention of leaving, ignoring Madam Wei and instead inquiring about Consort Li's health.

Madam Wei had originally intended to ask about the two Wei women, but she had completely forgotten about it.

A moment later, a eunuch rushed in: "Your Majesty, I have confirmed that it is indeed true that the rumors outside are that the Princess of Changling County poisoned Young Master Wei. I randomly asked a passerby if he knew about Young Master Wei's death, and the passerby said that he heard it was Young Master Wei's elder sister who did it. I asked many people in this way, and their answers were all the same."

Emperor Yongjia nodded: "Very well, you may leave."

After the eunuch left, Emperor Yongjia looked at Madam Wei again: "I do not know what grudges exist between the Wei siblings. Originally, this was a family matter of the Wei family, and I should not have interfered. However, this matter has become common knowledge, and the Princess of Changling County has been betrothed to the second son of the Prince of Liang's mansion. For the sake of the royal family's dignity, I have no choice but to investigate. What do you say, Madam Wei?"

Madam Wei gritted her teeth: "Your Majesty need not trouble yourself with this matter. I will investigate it myself behind closed doors."

Emperor Yongjia: "I have already said that this concerns the dignity of the royal family, and this matter is no longer just a matter for the Wei family. Guards, summon Yan Xia to the palace!"

Madam Wei was so angry that her hands trembled. Emperor Yongjia was trying to disgust her. He could have asked the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate, or someone else to investigate. Why did he have to ask Yan Xia?

It's because Yan Xia had a grudge against her, and also against the Baoqing Marquis's mansion!

"Your Majesty, Yan Xia is unsuitable."

Before she could give her reason, Emperor Yongjia had already stood up: "Does the old lady think I handled this improperly?"

Madam Wei was taken aback, and quickly said, "This humble woman dares not."

Emperor Yongjia smiled and said, "I believe that the old lady is a sensible person."

It wasn't until Emperor Yongjia left that Lady Wei realized her clothes were soaked through.

Consort Li looked at her coldly: "See, I told you Wei Ya'er wasn't a good person. She's already useless before she's even married into Liang."

Old Madam Wei looked at her coldly. She was afraid of the Emperor, but not of Consort Li.

"I think you've gone senile. Wubing is Wei Ya'er's younger brother, and he'll be her support in the future. She's going to kill Wubing? Has she gone mad? The most important thing right now is to protect Ya'er. Ya'er is a member of the Wei family. If she's framed and imprisoned, not only will I lose face, but you will too!"

Princess Li rolled her eyes and rubbed the nail guards on her hands.

After Yan Xia received his assignment at the palace, he went to the Wei residence. There were no elders in the Wei family, and although he had already informed the Wei clan, the elders would not be able to come for a while.

Today, after the imperial physician left, Wei Ya'er had someone prepare Wei Wubing for burial. Once he was in the coffin, it was no longer a matter of just anyone examining him.

Unexpectedly, before the mourning hall was even properly set up, a servant rushed in: "Princess, Princess, something terrible has happened! The Ministry of Justice has arrived!"

No sooner had the words left his mouth than another servant rushed in, looking flustered: "Princess, Master Yan has led his men through the second gate!"

Wei Ya'er had never experienced anything like this before. She shouted angrily, "Who let them in? Throw them out!"

"No, Master Yan is acting on imperial orders. The gatekeeper can't stop him, nor does he dare to!" the servant said.

Wei Ya'er's legs were trembling, but she still forced herself to say, "Call more people over to guard the mourning hall and prevent them from coming in, quick!"

But she forgot that she wasn't facing a servant in the inner quarters, but a chivalrous warrior, and moreover, the chivalrous warrior had come with an imperial decree.

Half an hour later, all two hundred people from the Wei family were taken to the Ministry of Justice prison.

This included Wei Ya'er, the magistrate of Changling County.

The coroner from the Ministry of Justice examined Wei Wubing's body and found that he had been poisoned with arsenic and died from the poison.

Yan Xia searched all over the Wei residence and found many medicinal herbs, but not arsenic.

No sooner had Wei Ya'er been imprisoned than the imperial physician was also taken in.

Without saying a word, the imperial physician confessed.

He was coerced and lured by the magistrate of Changling County, and was forced to conclude that he was not worthy of the benefits.

Although Wei Ya'er was a deep and thoughtful girl, she was still just a teenager. As soon as she entered the prison, she cried out that she was innocent.

"I didn't poison him, I really didn't! I don't know why he died, I really didn't poison him! If you don't believe me, go ask those lowly maids. He was perfectly fine when I brought him the medicine, and he was fine when he took it. If you don't believe me, go ask them and investigate!"

Yan Xia's voice was cold: "I've investigated. All the maids who were present at the time were silenced by you."

Wei Ya'er was struck dumb, her body swayed, and she collapsed to the ground.

When she woke up, she finally remembered something.

“I know who the murderer is. It’s the brother and sister from Porcelain Street. They hate us so much. When we sent them away that day, those two bitches gritted their teeth and said they would haunt us even as ghosts. It was them, they must have killed Wubing, and they framed me. What are you all standing there for? Go and arrest them!”

Yan Xia looked at the girl's face, which was distorted by anger and fear. His brother-in-law was really unlucky. This Wei Ya'er was not only ugly, but also ugly at heart.

"Now that the siblings are one dead and one injured, the only way for them to seek revenge is to go to the underworld."

Wei Ya'er was shocked: "Impossible, you're protecting them, aren't you? How could they die? I even kindly gave them money to take care of their injuries. They won't die."

Thinking of what he had investigated, Yan Xia wanted nothing more than to smash that face with his fist. That beast Wei Wubing ruined a brother and sister's life, and Wei Ya'er gave him twenty taels of silver and that was the end of it.

“Princess of Changling County, there is no other suspect besides you. You had better confess honestly, otherwise you might not be able to withstand even one round of torture.”

Meanwhile, in a small courtyard in the capital, Jian Deng returned from outside and took the child from Wei Ren's arms: "Did you miss your mother?"

The child hugged her neck and asked sweetly, "Mommy hasn't come back for several days, where did she go?"

Jian Deng smiled and said, "My mother went to kill a plague chicken."

Wei Ren hurriedly said, "Why are you saying these things to the child? Go to the stove and get some chicken soup. I knew you would definitely be back today, so I started cooking this chicken soup early this morning."

Jian Deng smiled as she went to ladle out the soup. Then, as if remembering something, she said to Wei Ren, "I've only been hiding for two days, how come this matter has become such a hot topic? I've heard it all over the street."

Wei Ren lowered his voice: "I suspect it was the Second Miss who made the move."

Jian Deng breathed a sigh of relief. So it was the Second Miss. That's good.

Wei Ren and his wife, Jian Deng, were disciples of Murong Linlang's father, who was the number one martial arts master in the world. They came to the capital with Murong Linlang; I forget which chapter mentioned them earlier. They accompanied Murong Linlang to see the Grand Princess.