FBC – Chapter 35 Poisoned

Gu Hua raised her eyes, gazing into her mother’s moistening ones again.

Madam Wang instructed, “Granny Zhou, notify the kitchen to prepare several good dishes. Also, arrange for Miss Zhou and the other two young ladies to dine together.”

Granny Zhou responded and personally went to the kitchen to give orders.

Madam Wang held Gu Hua’s hand. “Good child, sit down and talk.”

“Someone, bring seats for the three young ladies.”

The maidservants hurriedly brought embroidered stools for Zhou Zhilan and the other two girls to sit.

It was the first time Madam Wang had shown her such tenderness. Gu Hua wanted so badly to throw herself into her mother’s arms and cry her heart out.

But afraid of startling her mother, she held herself back and swallowed her tears with force.

Madam Wang chatted with her kindly, asking mostly about Gu Wanru—how her daily life was, if she was happy, if her husband treated her well…

Gu Hua felt a pang of discomfort.

If her mother knew what the daughter she had raised had done, how heartbroken would she be?

She chose pleasant things to say—for instance, that her eldest sister was pregnant, eating and sleeping well, that Jin Kui and Yin Zhi served her attentively.

She said the young lord often joined her sister for meals and stayed overnight, and that the entire Duke Manor respected her sister greatly.

Madam Wang felt deeply comforted, and thought more and more that Gu Hua was a sweet and sensible child.

“When Ru’er was in the residence, she loved to play with you. She even insisted you accompany her during studies.

I used to find it odd—you were so quiet, why did she like you so much? Now I see, you’re truly a good child. I didn’t care enough for you before; don’t hold it against me.”

Gu Hua’s nose stung, and she choked out, “How could I ever blame Mother? Mother has always loved her children.”

Her words carried hidden meaning.

But Madam Wang didn’t understand.

“Of course. You’re all my children—I naturally love you.”

Gu Hua lowered her eyes slightly.

Gu Wanru didn’t play with her out of affection.

She liked being with her birth mother, Concubine Pei, and together, the malicious mother and daughter plotted how to bully her.

Gu Hua steadied herself.

She looked up and sincerely said, “Mother, Shen Li is the closed-door disciple of a former Imperial Physician. Her medical skills are excellent. I noticed your complexion is poor—may I ask her to examine you?”

She brought it up again, and Madam Wang, in good spirits, didn’t want to refuse this show of filial piety from her concubine-born daughter.

She nodded. “Then I’ll trouble her.”

Gu Hua looked at Shen Li.

Shen Li pulled out a pulse pillow from her cloth bag. Madam Wang placed her hand on it.

Shen Li carefully took her pulse. Her brows knit tighter and tighter, making Gu Hua nervous.

“Please give me your other hand.”

Madam Wang switched hands. Shen Li pressed her fingers to the wrist, then spoke calmly, “That will be all.”

Madam Wang withdrew her hand, expecting the girl to say something similar to what other physicians had: too much dampness, stress-induced stagnation, general fatigue.

She smiled, “I’ve just been feeling a bit lazy, and I didn’t sleep well last night. That’s why I look pale. It’s nothing serious.”

“You’ve been poisoned.”

Shen Li spoke in a low, unruffled voice while putting away the pulse pillow.

Only those seated nearby could hear; the maids waiting at the door could not.

One sentence made everyone freeze, mouths agape, but no one dared speak rashly.

“Poisoned?” Madam Wang asked in a hushed, shaken voice.

Gu Hua’s heart pounded.

It must be Concubine Pei and her people!

No wonder… In her previous life, her mother had always been in good health, but before her death, she heard that her mother was bedridden with serious illness…

Madam Wang was about to ask more when Gu Hua quickly held her hand and glanced at the maids nearby.

Madam Wang understood at once. “You may all leave. Without my orders, don’t let anyone enter.”

Once the maids left and closed the door, the atmosphere inside turned heavy.

Shen Li arched an eyebrow. “I specialize in poisons. To me, poisoning is nothing unusual. My diagnosis won’t be wrong.”

Gu Hua clutched her mother’s hand, voice trembling, “Can it be cured?”

“Of course. It’s not some rare or complicated poison. A few acupuncture points and two doses of medicine will clear it.”

Madam Wang still looked uncertain. “Are you sure it’s poison? I just feel tired.”

Shen Li took out a cloth bundle from her pouch, kicked the embroidered stool over to Madam Wang’s feet, and sat down.

She opened the bundle—neatly arranged silver needles of various lengths.

She pulled one out and retrieved a small bottle, poured a liquid over the needle tip, and gestured for Madam Wang to extend her hand.

Somehow, Madam Wang instinctively trusted her and obeyed.

Shen Li took a two-inch-long needle, pressed Madam Wang’s Hegu point (between thumb and index finger), and said seriously, “If the tip of the needle turns black after I insert and withdraw it, it proves you’ve been poisoned.”

Madam Wang’s palms sweated in tension.

Gu Hua gripped her hand tightly. “Mother, don’t be afraid. Miss Shen’s acupuncture is excellent—it won’t hurt at all.”

Madam Wang nodded.

She wasn’t afraid of pain—she was afraid it really was poison.

The girls held their breath, eyes wide, watching the silver needle plunge deep from the Hegu point toward the wrist until it fully disappeared.

As Shen Li withdrew it, everyone simultaneously looked at the needle tip and gasped in hushed alarm.

“It turned black!”

Both Madam Wang and Gu Hua turned pale.

The tip had turned a shaded black.

There was no denying it—silver doesn’t darken for no reason.

Shen Li sniffed the needle tip, examined its shade carefully, and concluded, “Fortunately, it hasn’t been long. The poisoner feared being exposed and only used a light dose. Most likely, they intended for you to die slowly and unknowingly.”

Madam Wang gasped.

From outside came Granny Zhou’s voice: “Madam, the guest courtyard is ready.”

Madam Wang, now cold to the bone, said, “Granny Zhou, come in alone.”

Granny Zhou entered, her steps faltering when she saw everyone’s expressions.

She guessed something had happened, quickly shut the door, and stepped forward. Her eyes immediately caught Shen Li carefully wrapping a silver needle in cloth.

“What’s wrong? Madam, what happened to your health?” she asked, voice tinged with urgency.

Granny Zhou was Madam Wang’s dowry maid and trusted like family, having served her maternal grandmother for years.

Madam Wang grasped her, eyes full of grievance, voice trembling, “Granny, someone poisoned me.”

“What?!”

Granny Zhou was shocked. “Someone dared to poison you?!”

Madam Wang’s eyes welled with tears. “Our courtyard may not be clean.”

Granny Zhou understood.

She was no ordinary servant—she was trained under the Langya Wang clan.

Her eyes hardened. “Don’t worry, Madam. I will investigate thoroughly and uncover the culprit!”

Shen Li handed over a bottle of medicine. “Madam, take this first to protect your heart and lungs. I’ll examine further what type of poison it is. But Madam must now be extremely cautious with what you eat and use—no more exposure to toxins.”

Granny Zhou gratefully received it. “Yes, thank you, Miss Shen.”

Suddenly, Gu Hua said, “When will third brother return from his studies? I recall he often seemed fatigued too.”

Her words made both Madam Wang and Granny Zhou freeze.

If someone dared poison Madam Wang, they could just as well target the legitimate son.

“Granny Zhou, quickly bring Rui’er back!” Madam Wang’s lips were white with fear.

Granny Zhou nodded. “Yes, I’ll go personally.”

Gu Hua secretly sighed in relief.

She had brought Shen Li back, not expecting to discover the poisoning.

Her own younger brother, the legitimate heir of the Marquis’ household, Gu Ruiwen, had always been in poor health.

Her father longed to make him the heir apparent but was constantly dissatisfied with his condition, once even blaming Madam Wang, accusing her of failing to raise a strong son.

Yet ironically—

Concubine Pei’s son, the second young master Gu Jinwen, also often fell ill.

Gu Hua knew the truth. Concubine Pei would periodically poison her own son to make him appear weak, just to keep her favor. Occasionally, Gu Jinwen would suffer fevers, headaches, even pass out for days.

There was a time when her father and mother reconciled and he spent several nights with Madam Wang. Furious, Concubine Pei broke her own son’s wrist to lure the Marquis back to her bed.

Gu Hua had grown up feeling deeply for her little brother, often comforting him when he cried.

Sometimes, it felt like they depended on each other.

Concubine Pei deserved death, but the child was innocent. Jinwen was a good and sensible boy.

Years of unnecessary poisoning had left Gu Jinwen with a weak constitution.

Gu Hua had originally wanted Shen Li to quietly check Jinwen’s health and help him recover.

But after discovering Madam Wang had been poisoned, she suddenly realized—her younger brother might be a target too.

Only if the third young master died, would Concubine Pei’s son, Gu Jinwen, have a chance to become the heir of the Marquis household.

Concubine Pei would stop at nothing to rise in status.

Half an hour later, Granny Zhou returned with Gu Ruiwen.