The second concubine was merely taking her anger out on him, and at this moment, knowing it was not appropriate to argue with Song Yuan.
She simply stood up and curtsied slightly, saying, "Besides, I wish for my third daughter to stay by my side for a few more years. It's not that I look down on others. Master, please take your time. Once the second daughter's marriage is settled, then a decision can be made!"
The second concubine always knew how to appease Song Yuan, and only then did Song Yuan nod, picked up his chopsticks first, and said, "Alright, let's all eat."
Song Yuan picked up his wine cup, had a maid pour him a cup of wine, and then raised the cup towards the Old Madam, "Mother, our family's daughters are all of marriageable age. I must trouble you to worry more about this."
The Song family's Old Madam also smiled. However, as her hand reached for the wine cup, she paused—
Everyone saw her expression suddenly change. Before Song Yuan could even ask what was wrong with the Old Madam, she suddenly rolled her eyes back and slumped backward!
"Mother!"
Song Yuan was quick-handed. He dropped his wine cup, preventing the Old Madam from falling to the ground.
Everyone stood up and gathered around the Old Madam. The Old Madam, however, closed her eyes, and a trace of blood slid down the corner of her mouth!
"Boom—"
A clap of thunder sounded from outside. Song Yuan quickly picked up the Old Madam and ran towards the back courtyard, shouting as he ran, "Go call a doctor!"
The First Madam hurriedly sent someone to call for a doctor. The entire Song mansion was in chaos.
Lady Liu was currently pregnant and naturally could not go to the Old Madam's room. She was sent back to the Painting Study by the First Madam.
Looking at the dark clouds pressing down on the horizon, Song Chaoyu felt a bad premonition.
The Old Madam was old, and falling ill and fainting might be common. But the trace of blood from her lips just now did not look like an illness, but rather like... poisoning!
How could the Old Madam suddenly be poisoned?
Song Chaoyu looked at the panicked scene outside, but then saw Tiaohong hurrying over, "Miss, something bad has happened!"
Song Chaoyu stood up nervously.
Tiaohong quickly said, "The Old Madam is fine now. The doctor is treating her. But Miss Fan is not well!"
Fan Jiangyue?!
Song Chaoyu frowned, "What happened?"
Tiaohong took a breath and then said, "They say the Old Madam was poisoned with some kind of Mandara poison. And they found a lot of Mandara flower powder in Miss Fan's medicine chest, so the Master has ordered Miss Fan to be locked in the woodshed! I saw a group of servants heading towards us aggressively. I'm afraid they think Miss Fan has a good relationship with us in the Painting Study, and that's why they're coming to cause trouble for us!"
Grandmother poisoned, this matter is definitely not simple!
Song Chaoyu looked outside and immediately made a decision, "Find two straw hats and veils, let's go see her!"
Saying that, she pulled Tiaohong and pointed to the back door of the Painting Study, "Let's go through the back!"
Tiaohong hurried to prepare, and at this moment, those servants had already arrived outside the Painting Study.
From their words, it seemed they intended to seal off the Painting Study and not allow anyone to enter or leave.
Seeing Song Chaoyu about to run to the back courtyard, Xunlu stepped forward and grabbed Song Chaoyu, "Miss, if you leave now, what will happen to the concubine?"
Song Chaoyu pushed Xunlu's hand away, "Isn't there you? Besides, the concubine is pregnant, no one will dare to do anything to her. You must guard the Painting Study well. If anything happens to the concubine, I will hold you responsible!"
"Boom—"
There was no more time to talk. Even though thunder rumbled above their heads, Song Chaoyu couldn't care less and hurried towards the back courtyard.
—
When Song Chaoyu reached the woodshed, she indeed saw that Fan Jiangyue had been escorted in by Granny Yin and her people.
Fortunately, it was Granny Yin!
Song Chaoyu hurried forward. Granny Yin looked at Song Chaoyu's arrival and was also surprised, "Why are you here, Miss? Didn't the Master order that you and Lady Liu be confined to the Painting Study?"
Song Chaoyu grabbed Granny Yin's hand, "How is Grandmother?"
Granny Yin, who had served the Grandmother for many years, had a dim look in her eyes at this moment, "I'm afraid it's not good. She keeps vomiting blood. The doctor has arrived and says the situation is quite serious."
Fan Jiangyue, seeing Song Chaoyu, also seemed to have found hope, "Fourth Miss, I didn't do it! I wouldn't harm your Old Madam, it would bring me no benefit at all!"
Song Chaoyu also looked at Fan Jiangyue, "I know. Are there any ways to prove it now?"
Fan Jiangyue glanced at Granny Yin, who merely frowned, "Say whatever you need to say, this old servant will pretend not to have heard."
She glanced at Song Chaoyu, "This old servant, like the Old Madam, believes that Fourth Miss is not a wicked person who would poison."
That's good!
Fan Jiangyue stepped forward and grabbed Song Chaoyu. With another clap of thunder overhead, she said hurriedly, "I just found an opportunity to see it. The dregs of the calming medicine I prescribed for the Old Madam do contain Mandara flower silk poison. But that flower silk, although both are from the Western Regions like the Mandara in my medicine chest, they are from different places. This is the evidence! Go find my father, he can help me!"
Song Chaoyu nodded quickly, but was then pulled hard by Fan Jiangyue, who whispered, "If possible, it would be best to find an imperial physician to testify! Medicine is not like other things. Folk doctors might be bribed, but other imperial physicians would surely not dare! Fourth Miss, everything is entrusted to you!"
Song Chaoyu nodded, knowing she had to start racing against time.
So, after leaving the woodshed, she pulled Tiaohong and hurried towards the back door, "Later, you'll say you're someone from the Second Concubine's side. We must get out, otherwise, if Fan Jiangyue is not saved, our Painting Study will be blamed for poisoning the Grandmother."
Tiaohong's eyes immediately became serious. She looked up at the sky, "It's about to rain. Miss... we need to hurry!"
Tiaohong was clever. When she went to the back courtyard gate, she imitated the personal maidservant of Song Yanrou and said they were going out to find a doctor from their hometown.
The servants guarding the back gate had also heard about the Song family's Old Madam "falling ill," so they naturally did not dare to stop them.
When Tiaohong successfully led Song Chaoyu out of the gate, large raindrops began to fall on their straw hats.
On the streets of the capital, people were hurrying to take shelter from the rain.
Tiaohong pulled Song Chaoyu onto the street, but for a moment, she was at a loss, "Miss, the Fan family is easy to find, but what about the imperial physician? Should we ask Imperial Physician Fan to find him?"
Song Chaoyu shook her head, "That might be too late. This person dared to poison Grandmother and frame our Painting Study, so they must have intended to pin the blame on us in the shortest possible time!"
An idea suddenly struck her.