Xing Jiahui, with a surge of strength she didn't know she possessed, lifted Madam Gu from the ground.
Madam Gu, her neck choked, turned purple in the face, her eyes bulging. Just as she was about to suffocate, something flew in through the window and struck Xing Jiahui's hand, rescuing Madam Gu.
Madam Gu fell to the ground, unconscious.
A figure leaped through the window, quickly formed a hand seal, and touched Xing Jiahui's forehead, calming her down.
The entire incident, from beginning to end, took less than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea. Furthermore, all the servants had been ordered to stay inside, so no one noticed the commotion.
Xiao Jianli, having dealt with Xing Jiahui, looked at the mess in the room and fell into thought.
The corpse-controlling technique required four people to activate. There had been three before, and he hadn't expected the fourth to be the Prime Minister's daughter.
After that night, a few more days passed. Chun Tao and the others woke up. They were physically unharmed. Although they had fought for a long time, they had sustained no injuries, only extreme fatigue and weakness. After a few days of recuperation, they were released along with everyone else.
Upon their release, they gathered together, having no recollection of what had happened.
Dong Mei looked at the remaining few, a look of confusion on her face. "I feel like I had a dream, and in the dream, I wasn't myself."
"I was," Xia He and Qiu Ju nodded in agreement.
"I feel like several days have passed. What day is it now?"
Qiu Ju asked everyone. They looked at each other, all bewildered.
Rong Zhi thought to herself that these people had been under the corpse-controlling spell since they were poisoned. Several days had passed, and they had only just woken up, so it was strange if they remembered anything.
"My body aches all over, like I've done a day of hard labor," Xia He said, looking at herself in confusion. They had been in prison for days, which was much easier than being outside. Why would their bodies ache?
"Perhaps the dampness inside made us catch a chill. A couple of days' rest will fix it. Let's hurry back."
Rong Zhi worried that if they said any more, they might figure something out, which would be problematic. She planned to prescribe them a few more doses of medicine, claiming it was a gift from Xia Yunting, which would also curry favor with him.
However, little did they know, as soon as they stepped out, before they could even feel the sun, they encountered Madam Gu.
Madam Gu wore a high-necked garment that day, her face gloomy, looking like a debt collector.
"My lady is unwell. Which one of you will go serve her?"
As she spoke, her gaze was fixed on Rong Zhi and the other three. Perhaps due to past grievances, Madam Gu paid particular "attention" to these individuals.
Xia He, Qiu Ju, and Dong Mei lowered their heads. Finally, Madam Gu's gaze fell upon Rong Zhi.
"Then it's you. Come with me!"
Madam Gu pointed directly at Rong Zhi, dismissing the others.
Dong Mei, Xia He, and Qiu Ju cast sympathetic glances at Rong Zhi. Rong Zhi gave them a reassuring look, signaling that everything was fine, and followed Madam Gu away.
Now that the corpse-controlling incident was over, and Xia Jin had failed to use these girls to cause chaos, Rong Zhi wondered if he would retaliate against them.
However, she surmised that nothing major could happen within the General's manor.
Upon arriving at Xing Jiahui's room, Rong Zhi was startled by Xing Jiahui's appearance. She looked exactly like Xia He and the others – weak and with faint dark circles under her eyes.
Had Xing Jiahui also been subjected to corpse control? Was her birth date the same as those girls?
Thinking this, Rong Zhi realized how bold Xia Jin was. Xing Jiahui was not only the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion but also Xia Yunting's lawful wife. Yet Xia Jin dared to scheme against Xing Jiahui.
Was it possible he intended to use Xing Jiahui to escalate the situation?
As Rong Zhi pondered, she felt a gust of wind pass by. She dodged to the right just as Madam Gu kicked the edge of Xing Jiahui's bed with a bang, waking the sleeping Xing Jiahui.
Xing Jiahui's eyes were still slightly red, and she was extremely displeased at being woken up. She glared angrily at Madam Gu.
A flicker of embarrassment crossed Madam Gu's face, and she quickly turned sternly to Rong Zhi. "You wretched servant! You just arrived and you've woken my lady. Don't you want to live? Kneel down at once."
With that, she kicked out again. This time, Rong Zhi didn't dodge. The blow landed on her knee, causing it to go numb with pain. She knelt on the ground, feigning terror, and apologized to Xing Jiahui. "My lady, spare me! I haven't served you before, and I was flustered. I beg your forgiveness!"
After saying this, she kowtowed several times. Even though Xing Jiahui was angry, she calmed down. She shouted at Madam Gu to "get out," and Madam Gu hastily retreated, as if a wolf were chasing her.
This was strange. Madam Gu was Xing Jiahui's wet nurse from her maiden home and had always been by Xing Jiahui's side, holding a favored position. Why was she now as timid as a quail?
"Fetch me some tea," Rong Zhi heard Xing Jiahui's impatient voice. She replied, "Yes," and stepped aside to pour the tea.
When Rong Zhi touched the teapot, she realized the tea was already cold. The courtyard was unusually deserted today, and no one was around, as if something had happened and the servants had fled.
Although Xia Yunting disliked Xing Jiahui, he never mistreated her in terms of food or clothing. There were more than a dozen maids and servants in her courtyard, yet none were present today.
Had Xing Jiahui gone mad, scaring everyone away? Rong Zhi thought this was likely.
She quickly poured a cup of tea and handed it to Xing Jiahui. To her surprise, Xing Jiahui didn't care if it was hot or not, taking it and drinking it down as if she hadn't had water in a long time.
Because she drank too quickly, Xing Jiahui erupted into a violent coughing fit, her face turning red.
"My lady, be careful," Rong Zhi stepped forward, took the empty cup, and began to pat Xing Jiahui's back.
"I don't need you to!" Xing Jiahui snapped at Rong Zhi. In her haste, Rong Zhi's hand landed on her wrist, and Rong Zhi instinctively felt her pulse.
As soon as she touched it, Rong Zhi noticed that Xing Jiahui's pulse was sluggish, showing signs of poisoning.
She frowned. Her doctor's instinct made her feel more carefully.
"Presumptuous!" Xing Jiahui shoved Rong Zhi away. "What are you? How dare you touch me!"
Xing Jiahui's face had just been flushed red, and now it turned pale. Seeing that Rong Zhi was a new servant, she became even more incensed.
At this critical juncture, Madam Gu was not only absent, but Rong Zhi had also found such a rude and ill-mannered servant. Xing Jiahui had never suffered such humiliation!
"My lady, spare me. I'll bandage your hand for you."
Rong Zhi pretended to be frightened and then ran out to get medicine and bandages. In reality, there was no wound on Xing Jiahui's wrist that needed bandaging. However, Xing Jiahui was not in the mood to argue with Rong Zhi, as her mind was preoccupied with Madam Gu.
Yesterday, she had discovered Madam Gu secretly talking to the steward. It seemed they were plotting something behind her back. Madam Gu was the only servant Xing Jiahui had brought from the Prime Minister's mansion. If Madam Gu was not loyal to her, she would truly have no one to rely on.
Thinking this, Xing Jiahui couldn't help but feel dejected.
She had been married here for so long. Apart from the initial favor Xia Yunting had shown her, she now lived a life worse than that of a servant.
In the blink of an eye, Rong Zhi returned. She placed the medicine and bandages aside and said, "Your servant will apply the medicine for my lady."
"No, no. You may leave. Don't bother me," Xing Jiahui waved her away impatiently.
Rong Zhi patiently said, "My lady, your servant knows a little medicine. Judging by your hand, it seems you've sprained it. If you don't apply medicine properly, you won't be able to lift things in the future."
Hearing this, Xing Jiahui's face stiffened. She hesitated for a moment before slowly extending her hand. "Don't try anything foolish."
Rong Zhi replied that she dared not and began to apply the medicine to Xing Jiahui.
Xing Jiahui's hand had indeed been injured. That night, when she had choked Madam Gu, she had been struck by a stone thrown by Xiao Jianli. However, neither Madam Gu nor Xing Jiahui remembered this.
While applying the medicine, Rong Zhi casually massaged Xing Jiahui's wrist. As she massaged, fatigue gradually appeared on Xing Jiahui's face, and soon after, she fell asleep.
Rong Zhi smiled and began to take her pulse openly.
After a while, Rong Zhi put down Xing Jiahui's wrist with a grave expression and looked at her complexion.
Although Xing Jiahui's face was currently tinged with fatigue, she usually appeared rosy-cheeked and energetic, clearly not like someone who was ill. To think that there was such poison within her body.
It was the Seven-Day Fiend Poison. Although the symptoms were different from those of the patients in Yunshui Village, the records found on Yanzi Mountain had described this pulse when poisoned.
Compared to the poison Xia Yunting and the people of Yunshui Village had ingested, the poison in Xing Jiahui's body was much weaker, almost imperceptible. However, this poison could lie dormant in the body for a long time.
How could Xing Jiahui have been poisoned? Could it also be the work of the Blood Drinking Pavilion?
But why?
Rong Zhi temporarily suppressed the question, wrapped Xing Jiahui's wrist with bandages, and then went to boil hot water.
As she left, Rong Zhi overheard two young maids whispering in a corner. She could faintly hear some of their conversation from her distance.
"It's so scary. Could it be a ghost?"
"Don't say that. It's broad daylight, where are the ghosts? My lady must have been frightened, or we must have misheard."
Rong Zhi needed to fetch water and had to pass by these two maids. She asked them, "What are you doing?"
The two young maids were startled. Upon realizing it was a stranger, they asked, "Where are you from?"
"I was originally sweeping the backyard. Madam Gu asked me to come and take care of my lady."
"You're here to take care of my lady?" one of the girls' eyes widened. "Didn't Madam Gu tell you..." She was cut off as the other covered her mouth.
"Tell me what?" Rong Zhi blinked, feigning ignorance.
The two looked at each other, seeming to hesitate whether to tell Rong Zhi.
Rong Zhi took out two small pieces of silver from her pocket and gave them to them. "If you tell me, these two will be yours."
Upon seeing the silver, the two maids' eyes lit up. They stopped being secretive and took the silver. "Actually, it's nothing. It's just that we overheard that night, my lady was going to kill Madam Gu."