MFURCC -Chapter 32 Settling the Accounts

Ruan Yunzheng outwardly expressed concern only for Liuzheng, but inside, her heart was a stormy sea.

She hoped that the doctor was incompetent, that he wouldn’t be able to figure it out.

But her wish was doomed to fail. Soon, Doctor Chen reached a conclusion.

“Miss isn’t suffering from an old injury—it’s poisoning.”

At those words, the entire hall fell silent.

Madam had no prior knowledge of this, so she was equally shocked.

Seeing the Master glance at her, a surge of anger flared in her chest.

She had only confined Liuzheng—she had not administered any poison.

What did the Master mean by this?

Was he suspecting her?

She would never take the blame for something she hadn’t done.

If there weren’t so many people present, Madam would have argued with him on the spot.

The matriarch, hearing Doctor Chen’s words, immediately grabbed him.

“What kind of poison? Can it be cured?”

Her only concern was Liuzheng’s safety. Who had poisoned her was not a priority at the moment.

Her granddaughter’s life came first, above all else.

Doctor Chen said, “It’s a potent poison, but fortunately the dose wasn’t heavy. First, we must use silver needles to draw out the toxin, then use medicine to remove the remaining poison. After that, with careful treatment, she can regain her health in about half a month.”

The matriarch immediately said, “Then begin the needling quickly!”

She didn’t want to waste a single moment.

The Duke of Wei also spoke, “The imperial physician I summoned will arrive soon. You two can prescribe medicine together.”

He added, “General Ruan is an official of the court. This matter is serious. Matriarch, please ensure it is fully investigated.”

The matriarch nodded.

“Of course! I will see this matter through to the end.”

The Duke said, “Once you have results, kindly inform me. If you cannot handle it, I will do so in your stead.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

“No need for thanks.”

As they spoke, the imperial physician the Duke had sent for arrived.

Since the Duke’s residence was also in Wuyi Alley, it wasn’t long before they came.

The imperial physician brought along a female assistant, making the needling easier.

Liuzheng was moved to a side room in the front courtyard.

She was no longer vomiting blood, but her complexion was even paler than before.

After a few silver needles were applied, she vomited blood again, but her color gradually returned.

The matriarch exhaled in relief and instructed Nanny Qian, “Call the servants from Tinglan Courtyard to attend to her.”

Nanny Qian immediately complied.

Now that miss held leverage over her, she dared not delay and hurried to Tinglan Courtyard.

However, she discovered that the servants there were still under confinement.

“What is this? Why are the people of Tinglan Courtyard restricted from coming and going?”

The two young guards on duty lowered their heads, too afraid to speak.

Nanny Qian, skilled in persuasion, managed to get them to talk after a few threatening words.

“It was Madam and the Master…”

“When the young lady returned, they seized the people and locked her in the wood shed.”

“It’s not our fault! We were just following orders. Nanny, spare us! Don’t let the matriarch punish us.”

The matriarch’s former steward had been strict and decisive.

Later, when the stewardship was handed to Madam Song, she retired to enjoy her old age and no longer meddled in household affairs.

But her lingering authority remained, and the servants still feared her.

When Nanny Qian invoked the matriarch, they dared no longer hide anything.

Nanny Qian’s face twitched slightly in disbelief.

“Why would they lock up the young lady?”

It was obvious even to outsiders that Madam disliked the young lady. Yet everyone knew the matriarch favored her.

The matriarch had just returned, and the young lady had saved her life—yet they still committed such a foolish act?

“They said the young lady had offended someone and needed to be confined. When the person came, they would hand her over to ensure the safety of everyone in the residence.”

Upon hearing this, Nanny Qian realized the situation.

It was the wife of the Duke of Wei who had caused trouble. Madam and the Master, fearing that the young lady might be caught in the crossfire, resorted to this desperate measure.

Moreover, they deliberately concealed it from the matriarch.

No wonder the Duke of Wei was not only not angry, but in fact very grateful to the young lady.

What a misunderstanding!

Yet, who had actually administered the poison?

Madam?

Or someone else entirely?

Nanny Qian had no way of knowing; she hadn’t been in the residence.

“Understood. You may leave. The confinement of Tinglan Courtyard is lifted as well.”

“This…”

“This is the matriarch’s command. Do you still dare to disobey? Are you seeking death?”

The two no longer dared to resist and hurried off with the other gate guards.

Nanny Qian returned to the courtyard and informed Nanny Jiang and the others.

Upon learning that Liuzheng had been poisoned, Nanny Jiang almost went weak in the knees.

They had been confined, left in the dark, thinking the young lady hadn’t returned.

They assumed the confinement was related to Liuzheng being out all night.

They weren’t worried because they knew Liuzheng had gone to see the matriarch.

But they hadn’t expected that she had returned early in the morning, been confined, and even poisoned…

Nanny Qian steadied Nanny Jiang and said, “Don’t worry. The young lady is no longer in danger. The Duke of Wei summoned the imperial physician. When I arrived, she was said to be out of critical danger.”

Nanny Jiang exhaled slowly, finally able to relax.

Nanny Qian continued, “The matriarch is unaware, and judging by the young lady’s attitude, she doesn’t intend to make the confinement public. I suspect she has other plans. When you go to the flower hall, first see what the young lady wants. If she doesn’t speak, don’t say anything.”

Nanny Qian was clever, though she had not previously used her intelligence for proper purposes.

Now, anyone willing to work for Liuzheng was like a sharp blade in her favor.

Nanny Jiang nodded. “I know what to do.”

She brought Baoqin along and headed to the front courtyard.

When they arrived, Duke Wei was still there.

Madam Ruan had already spoken twice, urging Duke Wei to leave first, but he insisted on staying, waiting for a result.

He wasn’t foolish; he could sense something was off in this General’s residence.

Especially regarding Madam Ruan and Master Ruan.

The two of them were entirely focused on investigating what had happened, showing no real concern for Liuzheng’s well-being.

In fact, Madam Ruan even let slip a personal thought:

“No one in the residence would harm her. If anything, perhaps she ate something wrong herself.”

On the surface, it seemed to blame Liuzheng for eating the wrong thing, but in reality, it was a hint—this might have been Liuzheng orchestrating the whole thing herself.

Duke Wei could only laugh in anger at the implication.

But this was the General’s residence, not the Duke’s. Until the matter was fully resolved, he couldn’t interfere too much.

Nanny Jiang hurried over, made a polite bow to the distinguished guests, and then quickly went into the side chamber to tend to Liuzheng.

Watching Nanny Jiang’s back, Duke Wei thought to himself: this was the person who truly cared about Liuzheng.

Inside the side chamber, the matriarch was personally attending to Liuzheng.

She constantly wiped the cold sweat from Liuzheng’s forehead.

“Grandmother is here, don’t be afraid. The imperial physician says you’re no longer in serious danger—only some residual poison remains.”

Liuzheng nodded, but deep down, she felt ashamed.

She had voluntarily drunk that bowl of poisoned porridge.

Just then, Nanny Jiang arrived.

Seeing Liuzheng’s pale face, Nanny Jiang’s eyes immediately reddened.

“Miss…”

“Nanny, I’m fine,” Liuzheng forced a smile and, taking advantage of the matriarch changing the sweat cloth, shook her head slightly.

Nanny Jiang understood immediately.

Just as Nanny Qian had said, the young mistress wasn’t ready to speak about being locked in the firewood storage.

At that moment, the imperial physician, along with Doctor Chen, prepared an antidote.

The matriarch ordered the kitchen to brew it immediately.

After taking the medicine, Liuzheng felt her stomach hurt less and her energy return considerably.

The porridge she had drunk was very small in quantity.

Plus, she had used her internal energy to expel much of the poison.

There wasn’t much left in her body, so it wouldn’t harm her, and with a few days of rest she would fully recover.

She would not sacrifice her health just to exact revenge.

“Grandmother, is Duke Wei still outside?” Liuzheng asked.

The matriarch nodded. “Yes. You saved Madam Duke; he’s grateful and has been waiting for news of you, hasn’t left.”

Just then, Madam Ruan walked in.

Hearing this, she immediately stepped forward. “Mother, Yao Yao… Duke Wei is an outsider. It’s not right to let him wait here all this time. Perhaps Liuzheng should see him out…”

The matriarch’s face darkened.

“Yao Yao doesn’t have the strength to get up.”

Duke Wei was a man; he could not be allowed inside to see a young lady who had not yet married.

Madam Ruan continued, “Then let Yao Yao send him a message out…”

Earlier, when Yun’er mentioned Liuzheng being confined, she had felt uneasy, genuinely afraid Duke Wei would learn of it.

It was obvious to anyone how grateful Duke Wei was to Liuzheng.

In the future, when Changzheng inherited Liuzheng’s military achievements and official position, he would still need the help of many allies, and it would be unwise to make an enemy of the Duke’s household.

“You…”

The matriarch was about to scold her, but Liuzheng spoke first: “Grandmother, I’ll go out and see the Duke. If he sees I’ve recovered, he can leave reassured.”

In her mind, however, she was thinking that now that she had recovered somewhat, it was time to settle accounts with Ruan Yunzheng.

“But your body…”

Liuzheng sat up, moved her arms, and said, “See? I’m fine.”

It was the truth.

She really wasn’t in serious condition.

Earlier in the flower hall, when she seemed about to faint and couldn’t walk, that had been an act.

Seeing that she truly seemed energetic, and not wanting Duke Wei to wait indefinitely, the matriarch reluctantly agreed.

“Support the young mistress,” she instructed quietly.

“Yes.” Nanny Jiang responded, and together with Baoqin, helped Liuzheng up from the bed and escorted her to the flower hall.

Seeing her come out, a heavy weight lifted from Duke Wei’s heart.

He couldn’t leave without seeing Liuzheng safe, and he couldn’t report back to his own wife otherwise.

His wife was even more grateful to Liuzheng than he was.

“Duke,” Liuzheng went to bow, but Duke Wei quickly had Nanny Jiang support her.

“After what’s happened, no need to be so formal. Are you still feeling unwell anywhere?” Duke Wei asked softly.

Liuzheng shook her head. “I feel much better. Thank you for your concern, Duke.”

Madam Ruan immediately took the cue. “Duke, Yao Yao is fine now. With a couple of days’ rest, she’ll be fully recovered. We’ve already kept you here too long—please go and rest.”

Duke Wei, seeing her recovery, was about to leave, relieved.

But hearing this only made him want to stay and see the result.

“No rush. I have nothing pressing. First, let’s figure out what kind of poison this was! With Jiang the imperial physician here, he can help investigate.”

“Ah… how can we trouble you further?”

Master Ruan added, “This is a family matter; it’s inappropriate to trouble Duke Wei.”

They were practically saying, “This is our own affair; it has nothing to do with you.”

Duke Wei understood.

He sensed that the trick here likely involved this couple.

But they were Liuzheng’s biological parents; he couldn’t make that judgment lightly.

Just as he was debating whether to leave first, a messenger arrived outside: “Matriarch, Master Ruan, Prince Su has arrived.”