Wang Qingyao naturally remembered the incident. She had felt something was amiss at the time and had even reminded Fang Zheng a few times before leaving.
Madam Huang indeed harbored malicious intentions.
"What, is it related to this matter?" Wang Qingyao asked.
Zuo Yun nodded. "Listen to me slowly."
Madam Huang's heart was truly venomous. She had given Yu'er a packet of abortifacient, instructing her to put it into the soup that Zuo Yun drank daily.
Zuo Yun was already seven months pregnant, and the fetus had taken shape. If she had truly consumed the abortifacient, she would likely not have survived.
Yu'er handed the medicine to Fang Zheng, pretending to have already put it in the soup.
This day was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Madam Huang chose such a joyous family occasion to stir up trouble, intending to disrupt the Fang family's peace for years to come, making them recall this bloody incident every Mid-Autumn Festival.
Zuo Yun drank the soup and soon began to experience "stomach pains" and "bleeding."
Fang Zheng immediately sent for a doctor.
This doctor was the same one who regularly attended to Zuo Yun, so there were no immediate suspicions.
Fang Zheng asked him to cooperate with the charade, and the doctor declared, "The madam has taken an abortifacient. The child is likely lost and must be removed as soon as possible."
The crucial part was here.
Madam Huang had prepared a dead male fetus. If Zuo Yun's child was a son, nothing would be done. If it was a daughter, it would be secretly replaced with the male fetus.
"What is she trying to do?" Wang Qingyao frowned.
It turned out that Madam Huang had instructed Yu'er to give false testimony, claiming that Zuo Yun, having believed Wang Qingyao's words, thought she was carrying a daughter. Since she only wanted a son and not a daughter, she had secretly asked Yu'er to procure the abortifacient and ingest it herself. The result was a miscarriage of a boy.
Damn, this was truly ruthless! Not only did she want to kill another's child, but she also wanted the mother to take the blame.
If the people of the Zhongyong Duke's mansion truly believed this, wouldn't Zuo Yun be unjustly accused?
And Wang Qingyao would also be hated.
Wang Qingyao almost admired Madam Huang's scheming. An ordinary person would never have conceived of such a devious plan.
"If I had told you that you were carrying a boy back then, wouldn't Madam Huang's play have fallen apart?"
"I suspect if you had said it was a boy, she would have simply had Yu'er administer the medicine and been done with it, without all these subsequent events. The blame would have fallen on Yu'er. However, she believed she had seen through you, thinking you were incapable of such things and were merely spouting nonsense for fame. She first claimed it was a girl, and if it turned out to be a girl, it would have validated your supposed insight. If it were a boy, it wouldn't have mattered much either, as every family desires a son. No one would have troubled you over it."
"And then?" Wang Qingyao asked.
Zuo Yun and the others went through with the act. Yu'er presented the dead male fetus prepared by Madam Huang. The unsuspecting Old Zhongyong Duke and Fang Xiuqi's eyes turned red.
Madam Huang, orchestrating everything, pressed Yu'er, demanding to know why Zuo Yun had miscarried.
At this opportune moment, the doctor stepped in and stated that the Heir's wife had taken an abortifacient.
Madam Huang feigned even greater surprise, saying, "Everything the Heir's wife eats and uses is thoroughly inspected. How could an abortifacient go undetected?"
Fang Xiuqi knew his son was somewhat wary of Madam Huang, and everything that entered their courtyard was checked multiple times. How could an abortifacient have been brought in?
He became suspicious, believing there was a traitor among Zuo Yun's attendants.
Yu'er, at this point, "could no longer hold back," kneeling and weeping, she accused Wang Qingyao.
"It is all the Princess of Ding'an. She told the Heir's wife that the baby was a girl, and the Heir's wife believed her... The Heir's wife only wished to bear a legitimate son for the Fang family as soon as possible. Who would have thought this child would be a boy! The Princess of Ding'an has truly harmed the Heir's wife!"
The implication was that Zuo Yun had taken the abortifacient herself.
Yu'er's acting was superb, tears and snot flowing freely.
The others easily believed her.
Fang Xiuqi lamented, "Yun'er, you were foolish!"
Madam Huang redirected the blame towards Wang Qingyao, saying, "How could the Princess of Ding'an speak such falsehoods? Yun'er was clearly carrying a son, why did she say it was a daughter? This is the first great-grandchild of our Zhongyong Duke's mansion, and it was a son. What a pity!"
The Old Zhongyong Duke and Fang Xiuqi remained silent. Although this matter had some connection to Wang Qingyao, the final decision lay with Zuo Yun. Wang Qingyao had not instigated Zuo Yun to abort the child.
However, if this matter were to spread, Wang Qingyao's reputation would be ruined, and she would be cursed by others.
Fang Xiuqi couldn't help but blame his son. "Did you know about this? Yun'er didn't even discuss it with you?"
Fang Zheng let out a cold laugh and called out into the room, "Come out!"
Zuo Yun, supported by two maids, slowly walked out.
She was unharmed, and her belly was fine.
The Old Zhongyong Duke and Fang Xiuqi were stunned.
"What is going on?"
The most astonished was Madam Huang.
She stared intently at Zuo Yun's belly, as if she had seen a ghost, her face filled with disbelief.
The feigned anger and sorrow on her face had not yet faded when astonishment and disbelief surged, making her expression appear somewhat twisted and ferocious.
She blurted out, "Didn't you miscarry? How is your belly still fine?"
Zuo Yun looked at her coldly. "Mother seems very disappointed."
Madam Huang's tongue seemed to tie itself in knots. Suddenly, she realized something and glared fiercely at Yu'er.