Mrs. Liu’s face changed, "Don’t speak nonsense!"
"It’s not nonsense, we heard it ourselves. The Heir’s wife ordered that no maids from Agarwood Pavilion are allowed to leave the courtyard, and no outsiders are allowed to take a step inside," the maid quickly said.
Mrs. Liu was also frightened, "This epidemic is a deadly disease, how could a maid from Agarwood Pavilion have it?"
Moreover, it’s too late to quarantine the maids from Agarwood Pavilion now.
Yesterday, the maids and mothers from Agarwood Pavilion had their als in the main kitchen.
In the main kitchen, from the housekeeper to the maids who stoke the fire, every face turned pale with fear.
The news spread like wildfire throughout the main kitchen.
Everyone in the mansion was in a state of fear.
Even the Old Prince was shocked by the news, "When did an epidemic break out in the Capital City?"
"I haven’t heard of it," said Chief Steward Li.
"Seal the Prince Mansion; without my orders, no one is allowed in or out," the Old Prince ordered.
Chief Steward Li quickly relayed the orders.
Outside the gate, only the Third Master was kneeling.
The Third Madam and the Second Madam had been carried back after fainting from the sun after half an hour.
The Third Master, being a martial artist, could endure, but he wouldn’t last long either, his lips cracked from the heat.
Not far away, the Old Madam and Aunt Ding were still kneeling there.
They couldn’t even wish to faint.
Whenever the Old Madam fainted, a maid would pour a bucket of ice water over her.
It shocked the Old Madam awake.
Without a confession, she couldn’t use fainting as an excuse to escape.
In dealing with ruthless people, pouring ice water was already considered rciful; they should pour knives instead to satiate their resentnt.
Chief Steward Li stepped out of the courtyard. After walking a few steps, he saw Xingxing carrying a food box towards him.
Chief Steward Li frowned slightly, why was the Heir’s wife’s maid coming here?
He took a step forward to greet her. A maid ran over from that direction, panting, "Chief Steward Li, a maid in the embroidery room has fainted, she also has red spots on her face, could it be the epidemic?"
It sounded like symptoms of the epidemic.
Chief Steward Li’s eyes showed concern; he hadn’t expected another maid to catch the epidemic so quickly.
Xingxing looked at the maid.
The maid was scared, hurriedly saying, "I still have things to attend to, so I’ll go busy myself now."
The evident fear of being infected in her eyes hurt Xingxing a little, "I don’t have the epidemic. My lady sent to deliver dicine to the Old Prince and Prince, just in case."
Xingxing handed the food box to Chief Steward Li.
Chief Steward Li saw that there were only two bowls of dicine in the food box, and he asked Xingxing, "What about the Princess Consort?"
"My lady said the Princess Consort is pregnant and has been bedridden for days, rarely contacting outsiders, so the chance of her being infected is low. It’s best not to let her take too much dicine," Xingxing replied.
Chief Steward Li nodded repeatedly, "dicine is three parts poison. It’s better not to take it if you can avoid it. The Heir’s wife has been very considerate."
"My lady is certainly considerate," Xingxing retorted with a proud tilt of her chin.
"My lady also said that if any maid catches the epidemic, send her to Agarwood Pavilion, and she will treat them together."
In the backyard, in front of the bamboo house.
Su Jin was preparing dicine, pouring it into a bowl.
Hongxiu took it to give to Mrs. Wang.
Just as she entered the room, Xingxing’s shouting could be heard, "Miss, Miss!"
"Slow down," Su Jin urged.
Xingxing, holding her knees, panted, "A maid in the embroidery room has fainted too, and the symptoms seem like the epidemic."
"The embroidery room?" Su Jin’s brow furrowed slightly.
"Yes, you’ve seen that maid before. She was the one who ca with the embroidery room manager to deliver the dress to you last ti," Xingxing said.
Su Jin didn’t think much of it, but Mrs. Wang was concerned.
Hongxiu tried to hand her the dicine, but Mrs. Wang refused, saying, "Help out quickly."
Just as Hongxiu was about to persuade her, Mrs. Wang had already risen from the couch.
Mrs. Wang, holding onto Hongxiu’s hand, went out, looking at Su Jin, "Do you recall the issue with the dress the embroidery room was making for you?"
Su Jin’s brow furrowed, "Mrs. Wang suspects this epidemic is related to the Old Madam?"
Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but think so.
The Old Madam was ruthless. She surely wanted to eliminate the Heir’s wife to avenge her grandson, the Heir of Elder Yong Cheng.
Su Jin only felt that to resort to spreading an epidemic for revenge was excessively wicked.
But for soone who even competed with her own sister for power, such a conscience probably disappeared over thirty years ago.
Xingxing suddenly rembered, "You never wore that dress, Miss. I took it out for the maids to wash, and I think it’s the maid who fell ill."
Su Jin’s brow twisted into a knot.
The one who delivered the dress caught the epidemic, and the one who washed it did too. It seed too coincidental.
"I’ll go ask about it," Su Jin said.
She stepped towards the front courtyard, asking as she went, "Where’s the embroidery room maid, did they send her to Agarwood Pavilion?"
"Just sent over to the sa room with the little maid," Xingxing replied.
Before even reaching the courtyard, Su Jin detected a scent of mugwort.
Two older won were burning mugwort outside the room where the two maids stayed.
Perhaps from being choked, coughing could be heard from the room.
Su Jin covered her nose and pushed the door open.
The two maids, perhaps feeling their lives nearing an end, had swollen eyes from crying, looking pale and frightened.
Seeing Su Jin, the two maids got off the bed, knelt down, and pleaded, "Please save us, Heir’s wife."
"Quickly get up," Su Jin said.
Xingxing added, "My lady is kind and will certainly save you. Do get up, she has so questions for you."
The two maids wiped their tears and stood up.
Su Jin looked at the embroidery room maid and asked, "Regarding the dress made for for the Beimo welco banquet, aside from you, who else ca into contact with it?"
The embroidery room maid was a bit puzzled.
They had the epidemic, a contagious disease.
Why was the Heir’s wife interested in that dress and asking them about it?
Couldn’t this matter be asked directly at the embroidery room?
The embroidery maid didn’t speak, and Xingxing, being impatient, couldn’t help but urge, "Hurry and answer; Mrs. Wang suspects the epidemic spread because of the dress."
The embroidery maid’s face turned pale.
The maid from Agarwood Pavilion started crying directly. She knelt on the bed and said, "I’m a terrible sinner, Heir’s wife."
Su Jin looked at her.
The little maid cried and trembled with fear, "Before washing that dress, I secretly wore it... ."
She was just a cleaning maid.
She happened to be sweeping the steps, and Xingxing handed the dress directly to her.
Such a beautiful dress, exquisitely embroidered and lifelike.
She took it to be washed and found she hadn’t brought soap, so she returned to her room to fetch it.
Finding the room empty, she locked the door and sneakily tried on the dress.
It’s said that clothes make the man, just like gold makes the Buddha. She wanted to see how she’d look in such a luxurious dress.
Just as she put it on, she heard footsteps coming and quickly took it off in fright.
If the dress indeed had the epidemic, just wearing it briefly would have infected her, making her wish for her own death.
This was sothing Su Jin wouldn’t have known if the maid didn’t confess.
The embroidery maid trembled.
Her expression was like she knew sothing.
User Comments
0 comments from readers