Chapter 19
Madam Zhang, the wet nurse, dropped to her knees with a thud. “First Madam, I was playing with the Third Young Master in the garden this afternoon. Before long, he disappeared! I’ve searched everywhere. This is the only place left!”
Li Xiaoran’s brows drew together even more tightly. The Third Branch had no heir, only this adopted son. If anything happened to him, how could Madam Zhou go on living? As he thought this, he asked, “Does Third Madam know?”
Madam Zhang’s face turned deathly pale. “No. I was afraid she wouldn’t be able to bear it, so I only told her that the Old Madam had taken the Third Young Master away.”
Li Xiaoran knew how much Madam Zhou treasured the child, so he immediately ordered people to search for him.
Li Changxi’s lips curled. “That’s right. You must search carefully. What if he accidentally fell into the river after dark?”
Li Xiaoran shot her a cold look. “How can you curse your Third Brother like that? Shame on you!”
Li Changxi hurriedly replied, “Yes, Father. I only said the wrong thing because I’m worried about Third Brother!”
Li Xiaoran snorted. The First Madam glanced at the seemingly calm lake and said quietly, “Master, Fifth Miss has a point. Anything can happen. Didn’t the young son of Censor Zuo fall into a pond while playing two years ago and drown? There are so many people here. Let me accompany you to the South Courtyard to rest while we wait for the search results.”
Li Xiaoran hadn’t expected one thing after another to go wrong, and his mood sank further. He only nodded before turning toward the South Courtyard. The First Madam reminded those searching, “Pay particular attention to the lakeside.”
Then she glanced at Li Changxi and gave her a look. Understanding, Li Changxi said, “Mother, don’t worry. I’ll stay here and keep watch. We’ll find Third Brother.”
Satisfied, the First Madam left with her entourage. Li Changxi came to her senses and ordered imperiously, “You there! Hurry and search the reeds over there!”
The female servants hurried over, holding up lanterns and calling the Third Young Master’s name, but after a long while, there wasn’t the slightest sound.
Suddenly, someone cried out, “The Third Young Master’s shoe!” She fished a shoe out of the water and presented it to Li Changxi as if it were a treasure.
Li Changxi nodded. “This is bad. Third Brother must have fallen into the water. Search carefully again!”
She thought that the two nannies had reported throwing the body into the lake somewhere around here, and it would probably surface soon. When Li Changxi ordered them to search thoroughly, the servants really did begin looking carefully.
After waiting for a long time, Li Changxi impatiently walked to the water’s edge and looked around. For some reason, her foot suddenly slipped. She screamed and, before she could grab one of the stones by the lake, toppled into the water.
Li Changxi had grown up in the capital, pampered and sheltered, and couldn’t swim at all. She only knew to struggle desperately toward the surface. Then she felt a cold hand suddenly seize her foot and yank her down. Her mind went blank. She screamed with all her might, only to swallow even more water. In her daze, the deadly weeds in the pond wound around her body. She struggled harder, but the weeds only tightened, nearly choking her.
Amid the rippling water, she glimpsed a pale face, but it vanished in an instant, too indistinct to make out. Then she was dragged under.
“Quick! Quick! Go save Fifth Miss!” Countless female servants shouted from the bank. Guards rushed over from a distance, but not one dared jump in to save her. A young lady’s body was precious; if a man touched her and his status was beneath hers, he would be put to death.
At last, one of the female servants who could swim jumped in. After searching underwater for a long time, she found Li Changxi lying among the weeds. She hurried over and dragged her ashore like a dead pig. Everyone crowded around, but Li Changxi’s eyes had rolled back in her head. They were startled and hurriedly slapped and patted her. It took a long while before she began breathing again.
A female servant cried out. Everyone looked closely and saw two intersecting gashes on Li Changxi’s left cheek, as if made by a sharp stone. They were deep enough to expose bone, and blood was streaming out.
Everyone knew this was serious, but there was no time to worry about anything else. They hurriedly shouted, “Quick! Take Fifth Miss to the South Courtyard!”
They hastily wrapped Li Changxi up and carried her to the South Courtyard. As soon as they entered, they saw Li Xiaoran sitting in the courtyard. The First Madam’s expression was peculiar, and Seventh Concubine, who should have been bedridden, was carefully serving tea beside her.
When Li Xiaoran arrived in the courtyard, he had intended to seize Li Weiyang and give her a scolding. But she wasn’t there. Now he saw Li Changxi being carried in like a drenched duck, and immediately flew into a rage. “What happened?”
The female servants hurriedly replied, “Master, Fifth Miss was standing by the water just fine. We don’t know why, but she suddenly fell in! We were wondering the same thing!”
Li Xiaoran sprang to his feet. The First Madam rushed over in concern, but the moment she saw Li Changxi’s face, she stumbled backward in fright. “Oh, my poor child! How did your face end up like this?”
Li Xiaoran glanced at Li Changxi’s face, and his heart lurched. That injury had ruined her face!
The female servant hurriedly added, “We also found the Third Young Master’s shoe, but he’s nowhere to be seen. I’m afraid he has drowned...”
The First Madam was still reeling from the fact that Seventh Concubine had survived when Li Changxi fell into the water and was disfigured. She suppressed her unease and put on a grief-stricken expression. “Our household has always been so peaceful...”
Nanny Lin chimed in, “Ever since Third Miss came back, bad luck has followed us. Now she’s even cursed the Third Young Master to death! How are we supposed to explain this to Third Madam? He was the Third Branch’s only child!”
Seventh Concubine’s face turned deathly pale. She suddenly realized that the First Madam had set this trap in advance. She, too, should have been on the list of people supposedly cursed to death by Li Weiyang! After this visit to the South Courtyard, Li Weiyang had supposedly brought about the deaths of her birth mother and the Third Branch’s only child. Even if Li Weiyang were innocent, the Master would have to punish her to answer to the Third Branch...
How vicious the First Madam was!
Seventh Concubine hurriedly knelt. “Master, Weiyang is only a child. None of this has anything to do with her. She—”
Nanny Lin shot her a glance. “Seventh Concubine, you’re wrong to say that. Third Miss shouldn’t have defied the Master’s orders and come to the South Courtyard. The Third Young Master disappeared as soon as she arrived, and now Fifth Miss has had an accident. How can you say it has nothing to do with Third Miss?”
“Father, what happened here?” A voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard. Li Weiyang then entered gracefully with Bai Zhi. She wore a pale yellow jacket and skirt, fresh and lovely as a sprig of winter jasmine. Her bright, sparkling eyes looked around in confusion.
Li Xiaoran froze. He had been ready to lash out, but for some reason, his anger wouldn’t come.
The First Madam’s breath caught. She immediately put on the air of a loving mother. “Weiyang, because of you, Third Madam’s beloved son is gone. I’m afraid our household can no longer keep you!”
Li Weiyang widened her eyes, looking innocent. “Mother, what happened to Third Brother? I just saw him playing in the garden!”
The First Madam’s expression changed at once—