The Prime Minister, still recalling Madam Liu from the day, tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He thought it would pass, but it only intensified. He tried to call for help, but found himself voiceless. He tried to rise, but his body wouldn't move, leaving him utterly helpless.
Fortunately, during his struggle, he accidentally knocked over a tea set placed by his bedside. The maid on duty, hearing the commotion, rushed in. Upon seeing the Prime Minister's condition, she screamed in terror.
Servants, alerted by the noise, quickly dressed and lit oil lamps. The quick-witted among them immediately went to fetch a doctor.
The doctor arrived swiftly. After examining the Prime Minister's pulse, he declared his helplessness.
Though the Prime Minister's wife harbored resentment and grievances against him, seeing him in such a state, all her anger dissolved.
This doctor was renowned in the capital as a miracle worker. If even he was stumped, then the Prime Minister was truly in grave danger.
She could only plead with the doctor, urging him to do his best, and leave the rest to fate.
The doctor then inserted several silver needles into the Prime Minister. The pain subsided significantly. As his mind cleared, he realized with a jolt: Madam Liu must have poisoned the tea.
"Madam, I should have heeded your warning and sent that woman far away. She must have done this to me. She probably thought I was trying to poison her, so she wanted to take me down with her." As he spoke, the Prime Minister broke into tears. "She drank some too. If my healthy body can't withstand it, how could she, so frail? She must be dead by now."
"How could you be so foolish? How many times have I told you to stay away from her? You never listened," the Prime Minister's wife said, a mixture of jealousy and exasperation in her voice.
"I was wrong. After I'm gone, don't worry about those two children. The Prime Minister's estate will go to our two sons." Facing his mortality, he felt compelled to arrange his affairs.
"Don't speak such ill omens. You will get better. We'll ask the Emperor for imperial physicians; they will surely cure you." Though the Prime Minister's wife knew the hope was slim, she still wanted to try.
Not long after the Prime Minister left, Madam Liu called her two children over. She distributed the silver coins the Prime Minister had given her, urging them to look after each other, support each other, and live well.
Having made all her arrangements, she felt a pang of reluctance, knowing she wouldn't survive the night.
When the poison took its toll that night, her frail body couldn't endure it, and she soon died.
The next day, the Emperor heard of the Prime Minister's poisoning. To think he had brought himself to the brink of death in just a few days. The Emperor, accompanied by his personal imperial physician, visited the Prime Minister's mansion.
However, even this could not save him. A few days later, he too stopped breathing.
The Prime Minister's wife, holding back her grief, organized a grand funeral for him, ensuring he was laid to rest with honor.
As the saying goes, "When the person is gone, the tea grows cold." The Prime Minister's mansion, once propped up by him alone, crumbled, losing its former glory.
Since both sons were commoners with no connections in court, their businesses were gradually encroached upon, and half of their family fortune was lost.
While keeping an eye on the Prime Minister's mansion's affairs, Wu Caiwei took on additional tasks: earning money and gathering information.
During this period, the two would occasionally meet, but their encounters were brief and hurried.
With Wu Caiwei's assistance, Zhao Yunfei felt his burden lighten considerably, at least he no longer had to worry about financial matters.
In court, the struggle between the First Prince and the Second Prince escalated, intensifying into a full-blown conflict. Many ministers had already chosen their sides. Those who remained neutral lived in fear of being caught in the crossfire.
Meanwhile, Zhou Hanxiao, whom Wu Caiwei had seemingly forgotten, sent word, requesting to see her one last time. Wu Caiwei surmised that Zhou Hanxiao must be on her deathbed and decided to meet her, to let her die with clarity.
Upon entering the Third Prince's mansion this time, it felt much more desolate than before. The courtyard was gloomy. Seeing Zhou Hanxiao lying on the bed, reduced to skin and bones, Wu Caiwei could barely recognize her. Where was the beauty she once possessed?
"You've come?" Hearing the unfamiliar footsteps, Zhou Hanxiao opened her eyes and greeted her with a calm, expressionless voice.
"I came to see if you were dead yet," Wu Caiwei stated bluntly.
"They say good people don't live long, while bad people live for a thousand years. How could I die so easily?" Zhou Hanxiao spoke with agitation, her words punctuated by fits of coughing.
"Whether you're dead or not, you're close. I only came because you're about to die. Speak, what is it?" Wu Caiwei seemed intent on provoking her until her dying breath.
"I want to know if my illness and the Third Prince's illness are related to you. I've been in bed for so many days, replaying everything that happened. You studied medicine at a nunnery, and we fell ill only after you visited. I don't believe in so many coincidences. The Third Prince had just shown interest in you when he lost his life." Zhou Hanxiao glared at her, teeth clenched, hoping to see guilt or a plea for mercy on Wu Caiwei's face.
To her disappointment, Wu Caiwei simply smiled faintly and said, "Guess?"
Zhou Hanxiao's eyes widened in disbelief. "It really was you?"
"Just because you could bully others, does that mean others can't fight back?"
"You even laid a hand on the Third Prince? How dare you?" Zhou Hanxiao thought Wu Caiwei had gone mad. Even she, who considered herself ruthless, would never dare to harm princes or nobles.
"If he hadn't harbored improper intentions, why would I have dealt with him? In fact, it's all thanks to you." Wu Caiwei sneered dismissively.
Zhou Hanxiao's mouth opened to shout, but Wu Caiwei was faster. She pricked her a few times with needles, and Zhou Hanxiao despairingly found herself unable to utter a sound.
She had initially intended to call for help upon hearing Wu Caiwei confess to harming her and the Third Prince. Even if others didn't believe her, they would have reported the issue and investigated when it concerned the Third Prince. She believed Wu Caiwei wouldn't escape unscathed.
But now, unable to speak, she felt a profound despair. Soon, she would die here, silently.
Wu Caiwei quickly feigned surprise. "Sister, what's wrong? You were speaking fine just now, how can you suddenly be unable to talk?"
Maids and servants entered, took a look, and quietly withdrew.
They felt their lives were truly bitter. This lady had been unwell for a long time; it was only a matter of time. It seemed they too would have to seek new livelihoods soon.
Seeing that the maids and servants showed no suspicion, Zhou Hanxiao spat out a mouthful of blood, her gaze towards Wu Caiwei filled with a ravenous intensity.
"Sister, don't worry, you'll be better soon. Your sister is just a weak woman and will certainly find the best doctor for you. It's not that I'm not helping, it's that I truly can't. You just said that if I didn't help you, you'd fabricate accusations that I harmed you and the Third Prince. I'm just a weak woman, how could I have that ability? Sister, please pity me," Wu Caiwei said aggrievedly.
Zhou Hanxiao coughed up another mouthful of blood, her breaths shallow and her life fading. She was clearly on the verge of death.