Chapter 16
Li Weiyang made up her mind, then let a trace of hesitation and worry show on her face. She deliberately stammered, “Seventh Concubine... What happened to Seventh Concubine?”
Seeing that she was interested, Huamei hurriedly said, “Third Miss, Seventh Concubine’s illness always gets worse in winter. I’m afraid she won’t make it through the New Year...” As she spoke, she watched Li Weiyang carefully, not missing the slightest change in her expression.
Li Weiyang’s smile slowly faded. Then she seemed to grow a little dejected. “Seventh Concubine is my birth mother, yet all I can do is watch her suffer. Sigh.”
Huamei reminded her, “Third Miss, your life is better now. Shouldn’t you help Seventh Concubine? At the very least, you could go see her.”
Li Weiyang blinked. “But Seventh Concubine is ill. I heard Father gave orders that no one is to visit her, lest they catch her illness.”
Huamei smiled. “Third Miss, why not sneak over to see her at night? This servant can keep watch for you and alert you if anyone comes. That way, no one will find out.”
Li Weiyang scoffed inwardly, but still sounded hesitant. “If Father finds out I disobeyed his orders, he’ll be furious.”
Huamei said, “This servant wouldn’t dare try to persuade you. You should think it over yourself. Seventh Concubine is your birth mother, after all! Even if Master gets angry when he finds out, he won’t do anything to you!”
Was Huamei trying to provoke her father’s anger by having her visit her birth mother? No, there was more to this. Li Weiyang smiled, as if suddenly enlightened. “Huamei, you’re so clever! I’ll think it over. Once I’ve decided on a time, I’ll let you know!”
As she watched Huamei leave, Li Weiyang’s gaze abruptly turned cold. Bai Zhi quietly emerged from behind a nearby curtain. “Third Miss, you absolutely mustn’t listen to that maid!”
Li Weiyang glanced at Bai Zhi and raised an eyebrow. “Why not?”
Bai Zhi hesitated, but in the end she couldn’t bear to watch her mistress fall into a trap. “Miss, please don’t blame this servant for speaking out of turn. You can guard against outsiders day and night, but it’s hard to guard against a traitor in your own household. What Huamei said today is certainly suspicious.”
Bai Zhi was surprisingly perceptive, too! Li Weiyang smiled faintly. “Some people are never satisfied. A snake may try to swallow an elephant, and they can’t stand seeing me live well!” As she spoke, she tossed the brand-new embroidered shoes aside.
Bai Zhi was taken aback, then said, “Third Miss, if you know that, you mustn’t go.”
Li Weiyang gently curled her index finger and tapped it against the tabletop. Her smile grew even brighter. “No. I have to go!”
That very afternoon, Li Weiyang agreed with Huamei that they would visit Seventh Concubine at the Xu hour. But as soon as the sun set—it wasn’t even the You hour yet—Li Weiyang quietly took Bai Zhi with her, and the two slipped out through the rear gate.
“Third Miss, didn’t you arrange to go with Huamei at the Xu hour? It’s still early—”
Li Weiyang smiled, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “If we wait until then, we’ll walk right into their trap!” She had to visit her birth mother, of course. But the time couldn’t be chosen at random. She needed to catch the First Madam off guard while leaving herself some leeway, so the conspirator would think the plan was about to succeed!
They carefully avoided people along the way, and Li Weiyang and Bai Zhi reached the South Courtyard. The place was desolate. Weeds grew tall between the blue bricks at the entrance, and at the far end stood rooms arranged in three successive courtyards. No servants were in sight.
As soon as they reached the doorway, they caught the strong smell of medicine. Li Weiyang had already changed into a maid’s clothes and walked behind Bai Zhi with her head deliberately lowered. Bai Zhi entered the courtyard and saw a little maid coming toward them. The girl’s faded blue cotton jacket and skirt looked shabby. When she saw Bai Zhi, she widened her eyes in surprise. “You’re—”
Bai Zhi smiled and showed her the pot in her hands. “This servant was sent by Third Miss to bring Seventh Concubine some chicken soup.”
The little maid jumped. Someone had just come, so why was someone else bringing things now? She hurriedly said, “Sisters, Nanny Zhao also said she was here on Third Miss’s orders to see Seventh Concubine. She’s inside talking to her now!”
Nanny Zhao? The rough-serving woman from her own courtyard? Li Weiyang’s breath caught, and a strange premonition surged through her. She swept past the other two, lifted the curtain, and hurried inside. There were only two or three camphorwood chests and cabinets in the room, and an old vase sat on the table. The windows and doors were shut tight, and the air was stuffy. But when she looked closely, the scene inside made her heart jolt. Nanny Zhao was holding a bowl of soup and feeding the frail woman in bed. Without a second thought, Li Weiyang rushed over and knocked the bowl from her hands!
The soup splashed all over Nanny Zhao. She flew into a rage and cursed, “Where did this wretched girl come from?”
Li Weiyang gave a cold laugh. “Nanny Zhao, are you so old and blind that you don’t even recognize me?”
When Nanny Zhao saw who stood before her, she was instantly startled. Huamei had said Third Miss wouldn’t arrive for another hour! How had she come already?
“Who told you to bring soup to Seventh Concubine?” Li Weiyang’s voice was unusually stern, nothing like that of a frail thirteen-year-old girl. Nanny Zhao was cowed by her imposing manner and immediately lost her bluster. “I... I...”
“Weiyang? Are you Weiyang?!” The woman in bed froze, then realized who she was and eagerly grabbed Li Weiyang’s hand!
Seventh Concubine had delicate features and was still young, yet she looked withered. There wasn’t a trace of flesh on her cheeks, and the poor-quality jade bangle at her wrist hung there pitifully, as though it might fall off at any moment.
Seeing her birth mother for the first time, Li Weiyang couldn’t stop her eyes from reddening. But she blinked and did not answer Seventh Concubine. Instead, she pointed at the floor. “Nanny Zhao, who gave you the nerve to try to murder Seventh Concubine?!”
Nanny Zhao was about to make excuses when she noticed several dead ants on the floor, clearly killed by the soup. Her expression changed, and she fell silent before turning to run outside.
Li Weiyang said coldly, “You two, grab her!”
Bai Zhi and the little maid exchanged a glance, then immediately seized Nanny Zhao from either side! Nanny Zhao struggled with all her might. Li Weiyang suddenly rushed over, drew her arm back, and delivered a hard slap that cracked through the room.
“That slap is for trying to murder Seventh Concubine!”
Nanny Zhao was so furious she opened her mouth at once. “Third Miss, this old servant was given to you by the First Madam. You can’t hit me...”
Not only would she hit her—she would get rid of her, too! In an instant, Li Weiyang’s thoughts raced. She snatched up the vase and raised it high over Nanny Zhao. Nanny Zhao stared at her in terror. Li Weiyang held the vase aloft, but as she looked into those eyes, she just couldn’t bring herself to bring it down. Reason told her she had to act decisively and put an end to this—but the thought of snuffing out someone’s life with her own hands was truly horrifying!
“Third Miss, if you lay a hand on me, you won’t get away with it!” Nanny Zhao saw her hesitate and immediately shrieked.
But those very words were precisely what made Li Weiyang resolve to act!
Summoning all her strength, she brought the vase crashing down on Nanny Zhao’s head. Blood immediately poured from the wound, and Nanny Zhao’s eyes rolled back as she crumpled to the ground!
The little maid was so frightened that she let go at once. Nanny Zhao lay on the ground like a dead pig, blood pooling everywhere.
“What are you afraid of? She came to murder Seventh Concubine. This is just what she deserves!” Li Weiyang dropped the vase, her face deathly pale, but she had already regained her composure. The other three people in the room stared at her in shock.
Bai Zhi stayed fairly calm. She crouched down and checked Nanny Zhao’s breathing, then said in a trembling voice, “I think... I think she’s stopped breathing!”
Li Weiyang looked coldly at Nanny Zhao. The old servant had been ordered by the First Madam to kill Seventh Concubine. If Li Weiyang had come at the agreed time, her birth mother would already have been dead. And if she had let the old servant go, Nanny Zhao would have told the First Madam everything. Then both mother and daughter would have been doomed! She had done nothing wrong!
“Miss, what do we do now?” A bead of sweat fell from Bai Zhi’s forehead, landing right on her eyelashes. Third Miss had an extraordinary strength of will. Now that Bai Zhi had chosen to follow her, she could never betray her mistress again!
Just as Li Weiyang was about to speak, Seventh Concubine had already understood what had happened. She hurriedly said, “Cui’er, go find a sack. Put her inside, tie some stones to it, and sink it in the lotus pond behind our window. Hurry—do you hear me?”