Jinyi Spring

Chapter 98 Car accident
Feng Chuchen said, "I'm just guessing. Whose interests do you think will be affected if Madam Ming recovers?"

Shangguan Ruyu carefully considered her words before speaking, "The Ming family has a small population, with only my uncle having one concubine... Miss Wan? She wouldn't dare, would she?"

Feng Chuchen said, "People die for money, birds die for food. Some people are willing to do any evil for profit."

He further analyzed, "The Ming family has a small population; the older generation consists only of the old Duke and his wife. They certainly hope their only daughter-in-law is healthy."

"The next generation only has two sons and Kong Xiyan. Kong Xiyan is still a child. It is impossible for Master Ming and Second Young Master Ming to harm their own mother. Among the peers are Second Master, Third Master, Aunt, and the Duke's concubine."

"Neither of the two gentlemen is married, so whether the elder sister-in-law is sick or not is none of the younger brother-in-law's business. Of the remaining two women, one may be for love, and the other may be for profit. I am just speculating, and there are other possibilities as well."

"For the sake of people" refers to Concubine Wan, while "for the sake of profit" refers to Madam Xia.

If it really was done by the Ming family, he was just trying to get treatment for his illness and ended up getting unintentionally involved in the power struggle within the family.

After a moment's thought, Shangguan Ruyu said, "If the person who harmed us must be from the Ming family, the only possibility is Miss Wan, not Aunt Xia. Aunt Xia is gentle and reasonable. She grew up in the Ming family and has been close to my aunt since childhood. My mother also likes her very much."

"If she wanted to harm my aunt, she would have done it long ago, not now. Besides, she's quite wealthy; harming my aunt for the sake of such meager family fortune would be a losing proposition..."

“Ming Shanyue went out on official business a few days ago. When he comes back, I’ll have him thoroughly investigate the manor. I’ll also send someone to monitor the Zhao family. You should be careful too.”

He couldn't tell Madam Ming about this, nor could he tell the Duke of Dingguo or his elders. He could only wait for Ming Shanyue to return.

Feng Chuchen glanced at him. This kid looks like a spoiled brat, but he's actually quite thoughtful.

He added, "Do you think it could be Doctor Fan? She seems to hate me a lot..."

Shangguan Ruyu also knew about Doctor Fan, who was the fiancée of a relative of the Xue family.

He shook his head and said, "It's unlikely to be her. She might hate you out of jealousy and use underhanded methods to get back at you, but it's highly unlikely she would spend so much money to buy your life."

Feng Chuchen also felt that this possibility was small.

"Did you have dinner?"

"Not yet, I want to eat golden shrimp chips."

"If there are no shrimp, how about golden popcorn chicken?"

"Row."

Feng Chuchen got up and asked Aunt Wu to cook a few dishes for Shangguan Ruyu and the servants to have with their drinks, and then kill the newly bought rooster to make golden popcorn chicken.

After Shangguan Ruyu left, Feng Chuchen opened the package. Inside were not only medicines for treating external injuries such as Panax notoginseng, but also tonics such as Cordyceps sinensis, Korean ginseng, and Ganoderma lucidum.

What a thoughtful child. If I could have been his best male friend in a past life, I would love him to be his most heartwarming friend.

Feng Chuchen wasn't so narcissistic as to believe that Shangguan Ruyu would fall in love with her. She certainly had feelings for him, but love was impossible. This was due not only to their personalities but also to the difference in their social classes.

Even if the eldest princess and her husband were grateful to their aunt and themselves for saving Shangguan Ruyu, they would never agree to the marriage.

Feng Chuchen rested at home for two days under the pretext of his injury, and then went to the Ming Mansion on the 20th of the eleventh month.

Because today's procedure involves bloodletting, she must administer the acupuncture herself.

Today is also the last day of the fifth course of treatment, and I can rest for another five days.

Madam Ming and Granny Li were overjoyed to see Feng Chuchen finally arrive.

Judging from their conversation, Ming Shanyue returned home last night, but because he came back late, he didn't come to see Madam Ming. He went to the yamen early this morning, but Madam Ming still hasn't seen him.

Madam Ming missed her son terribly.

Granny Li comforted him, "Being busy with official duties shows that the master is capable. If he stayed at home all day doing nothing, the madam would be worried."

After Feng Chuchen finished her treatment, the servants invited her to have lunch in the side room.

Before the suspect was found, Feng Chuchen didn't want to eat at the Ming residence, nor did she want anyone to suspect that she had guessed something. She figured the food in the small kitchen in the main courtyard shouldn't be a big problem; otherwise, she wouldn't have gone to such lengths to harm Madam Ming.

Just a few bites are enough.

As soon as Feng Chuchen stepped out, Granny Song entered the room with a grim face. "Madam, something terrible has happened."

"what's up?"

Granny Song shouted at the maids, "All of you, get out!"

Except for Granny Li, all the other servants left.

Granny Song approached Madam Ming and whispered, "Madam, Miss Wan is pregnant. The reason she went back to her parents' home is to stay there and protect her pregnancy. Once her belly gets bigger, the Duke won't be willing to part with that lump of flesh."

The lady is in poor health and usually doesn't bother her with ordinary matters. But this matter is important, and we dare not hide it.

Concubines and illegitimate children are commonplace in other families, but not in the Ming family. Old Master Ming explicitly stipulated that the Ming family was not allowed to have concubines or illegitimate children.

A concubine can only be taken as a concubine if a man has no sons by the age of thirty. After she gives birth to children, the children will be registered under the name of the legal mother and thus become legitimate sons and daughters.

The concubine received a large sum of money and went off to live independently. She could choose to marry, or if she didn't want to marry, she could live in the Ming family's villa, where she would have no worries about food or clothing.

Tears welled up in Madam Ming's eyes, and her hands, clutching the handkerchief, trembled.

Thinking of her husband's past vows, she felt a deep bitterness in her heart.

She had a serious gynecological problem, and her husband was in his prime, so she had to bring in a concubine for him.

But they already had two sons and never imagined that her husband would have children born out of wedlock...

Granny Li said angrily, "It must have been Miss Wan who bribed the servants to pour out the contraceptive soup. Over the years, she has been dissatisfied with just being a concubine and wants to have children to become a concubine."

"Thinking that Madam is unwell and won't send her away, she can live in the mansion and enjoy a life of luxury. This is outrageous! Dream on! Madam, I'll take some men to bring her back and get rid of that lump of flesh."

Madam Ming closed her eyes and pondered for a long time before opening them and saying, "Wait until Master returns and ask him."

Granny Li disagreed, "Madam, what if the Duke is reluctant to let Miss Wan give birth?"

Madam Ming closed her eyes again. "If my husband can't bear to part with her, then let him have his wish. It is I who have wronged him; it is my body that is failing me."

Tears streamed down her face.

Granny Song said anxiously, "Madam, it's the Duke who forbids the Ming family from having illegitimate children. We're not wrong to get rid of that lump of flesh. It's better to strike first. If the Duke really can't bear to part with it, you'll have a lot of worries in the future."

Madam Ming closed her eyes and remained silent.

Granny Li and Granny Song were anxious but helpless.

They knew that the lady wanted the Duke to order the baby to be removed...

In the west wing, Granny Hong personally brought over the food.

He chuckled, "My daughter-in-law got her period this morning and is planning to go to the clinic this afternoon."

In this situation, Feng Chuchen was even more eager to cultivate a good relationship with Granny Hong.

She ate a few bites of food and said, "It's still early, I'll go to your house to give her acupuncture."

Granny Hong smiled broadly, "Thank you, Doctor Feng, thank you, Doctor Feng. This old woman has a lot of influence, to be able to bring the miracle doctor home."

Feng Chuchen sent a maid to the front yard to tell Wu San to drive the mule cart to the back street, while the three of them walked through the side gate.

The back street was mainly inhabited by servants of the Ming government, along with a small number of merchants and some craftsmen. The houses and blue brick paths were similar to those in Beianfang.

Feng Chuchen took the pulse of Hong's daughter-in-law, then had Banxia take her pulse and explain, and then personally performed acupuncture.

After doing all this, Feng Chuchen and Banxia left, and told Hong's wife to go to the clinic for acupuncture the next day.

Granny Hong and her daughter-in-law saw them off at the door, giving them three taels of silver for the home visit fee and two pieces of cloth.

Feng Chuchen did not accept any money; she came here for medical treatment as a side effect.

Granny Hong forced the ruler into Banxia's hand.

When they arrived at the entrance of the alley, Uncle Wu was waiting for them.

Feng Chuchen and Banxia got into the cart, and Uncle Wu cracked his whip, "Giddy up!" The mule cart hadn't gone far from the alley entrance when Uncle Wu turned back and said, "I don't know what's wrong with the mule today, it's been a bit irritable."

Feng Chuchen asked, "Are you tired?"

"Our mule is living a life of luxury. Apart from bringing girls to Mingfu and occasionally picking up and dropping off patients, it spends most of its time..."

Before he could finish speaking, the mule suddenly brayed and galloped forward.

Feng Chuchen and Banxia screamed and clung tightly to the wooden pillars on the carriage to avoid being thrown off.

Wu San was terrified, desperately pulling on the rope, "Control, control..."

The mule cart sped faster and faster, and the people around screamed and dodged in all directions.

The roads here are narrow and full of trees, and the mule cart could not go very fast even if it was driving recklessly. After about half an hour, it crashed into a big tree and fell over, with the cart overturning.

Feng Chuchen and Banxia were also thrown out of the car.

Wu San got up and asked, "Miss, are you alright?"

Feng Chuchen was in pain all over her body. She stood up and moved around. Fortunately, she hadn't broken any bones.

She thought of a possibility and hurriedly said, "Quickly, check the mule to see if anything has been tampered with, but don't make a fuss."

Wu San's eyes widened even more, and he quickly bent down to examine the area.

People gathered around, asking, "Young lady, are you alright?"

Feng Chuchen shook her head. "It's nothing."

Banxia helped Feng Chuchen tidy her clothes and hair.

Wu San examined the scene carefully, while the onlookers gradually dispersed.

A quarter of an hour later, Wu San exclaimed, "Girl, look here!"

There was half a needle stuck in the flesh of the mule's neck hair.

Wu San's face turned pale. "Who wants to harm the girl? Let's report it to the authorities."

The needle had already penetrated halfway in, and the mule was restless, its four hooves kicking wildly as it lay there.

Feng Chuchen's expression grew even more serious as he reached out and pulled the needle out.

He said with lingering fear, "Luckily, we went to the Hong family's house first. If we had taken the main street, which is wide with fewer obstacles, the mules would have run incredibly fast, and we might have been injured or even killed. We might have also hit or killed pedestrians, or even collided with other carriages..."

"This is going to kill me, it's outrageous!"

She was now certain that the person behind the Shen family was in the Ming residence, and that the needle had been placed there while she was there.

He himself treated Madam Ming, thus jeopardizing someone's interests.

Banxia said angrily, "Report to the authorities and find the person."

Feng Chuchen said, "Don't report to the authorities, don't make a fuss." He then said to Uncle Wu, "If the yamen runners come, just say you don't know the reason. Let the mule rest for a while, and Banxia and I will call a cart to go back."

If the matter is reported to the authorities, the Ming family's scandal will become public knowledge. Regardless of whether the perpetrator is Miss Wan or Madam Xia, it is the Ming family that will lose face.

By keeping the matter a secret, I can consider it a favor I'm doing for the magistrate.

Ming Shanyue is the Northern Garrison Commander; he will give himself an explanation.

They went to the street corner and hailed an oxcart to go home.

After returning home, tell Mulan to go to the Northern Garrison Command and meet Ming Shanyue. She mustn't hail a cab at the entrance of her alley; instead, she should pretend to be going to North Street to buy something and hail a cab there.

They were mainly afraid of being followed.

"If you can't see Ming Shanyue, go see his personal guard Guo Hei first and tell him that I was almost killed by his family and that I want to see him."

I only told Aunt Wang about it, and she was also quite frightened.

"It seems that the Ming family is definitely behind this."

Wu Sanshen led the mule home at the end of the day. The mule was no longer in pain and was very quiet.

He said, "The constables said we didn't manage the mules well, causing panic among pedestrians. Fortunately, no one was injured and no property was damaged. We were only fined five hundred coins. I happened to have a few coins on me, so I gave them to them."

Feng Chuchen returned the silver to him, saying, "Uncle Wu, you've worked hard."

At the end of the day, Mu Jin returned home and whispered, "This servant saw Lord Ming and told him that someone in the Ming family wanted to harm the young lady, and asked Lord Ming to come to the house. Lord Ming asked what happened, and this servant said she didn't know."

"The presence of Young Master Shangguan shows that Your Excellency is unworthy of being the Northern Garrison Commander. You failed to even discover that someone in your family was plotting against your mother, and you even implicated Doctor Feng."

"Lord Ming said he would come to see the young lady after finishing his official duties, and he also specifically instructed the young lady to be careful."

Feng Chuchen knew that "be careful" meant both for her own safety and for her to keep a certain distance from him.

The group sat around the table eating dinner when Ah Xuan's distinctive "woof woof" sounded from outside the window again.

Big Head was overjoyed and responded with even more enthusiastic "woof woof".

Knowing that its master liked Ah Xuan, Da Tou carried it on its back, pushed open the door, and entered the hall.

Upon seeing Feng Chuchen, Ah Xuan's eyes crinkled with joy, and he exclaimed, "Miss, even the lotus cannot compare to your beauty!"

Seeing this little thing made Feng Chuchen feel a bit better.

She picked up Ah Xuan and personally fed it a few small pieces of lean meat.

After dinner, Feng Buji took A Xuan to the upper room to do his homework, while Feng Chuchen waited for Ming Shanyue in the east wing.

The night was as still as water, the cold stars twinkled, and a half-moon hung obliquely in the sky.

A horse-drawn carriage entered the alley and stopped at the second house.

The gate to the courtyard was slightly ajar, and Hibiscus was waiting there.

The driver lifted his straw hat slightly; it was Guo Hei, one of Ming Shanyue's personal guards.

Hibiscus opened the courtyard gate.

The carriage arrived, and Ming Shanyue, dressed in casual clothes, alighted.

During the day, he had heard Shangguan Ruyu say that someone from the Ming family might be plotting against Feng Chuchen, but he didn't quite believe it. In the afternoon, Mu Jin came to say that Feng Chuchen had almost been killed by someone from the Ming family, which finally confirmed that there was a problem within their own family.

He looked around. The courtyard wasn't large, and two lanterns swayed under the eaves.

The sound of children reading aloud could be heard from the small window of the upper room, occasionally punctuated by the sound of Ah Xuan, the parrot, mimicking their words.

The east wing door was wide open, and a cold wind whistled in, while the candlelight flickered.

Feng Chuchen and Banxia stood at the innermost octagonal table.

Mu Jin gestured towards the east wing, "Lord Ming, this way please."

Feng Chuchen, who was inside the house, did not come out to greet him, but gestured for him to come forward.

It was best not to let the servants know what had happened today, so Ming Shanyue told Guo Hei to wait outside.

Guo Hei stood at the bottom of the steps in the east wing, and Mu Jin stood opposite him.

Ming Shanyue walked into the east wing alone.

A chair was placed not far from the door, about half a zhang away from where Feng Chuchen was standing. A horn lamp was lit on a tall table to the left, and a candle was lit on the octagonal table.

Ming Shanyue knew that this chair was prepared for him.

He sat down very consciously, and Feng Chuchen sat at the octagonal table.