Did You Drug the Drink?
Third Madam looked very gloomy as she said it. How could she not understand her daughter? The only thing she could do was to please Shao Wanru.
She had suspected her daughter since several days ago. In the last few days, Shao Caihuan had visited Piaoyun Courtyard a lot often. Third Madam was very confused why she became so friendly with Shao Wanru at that time. Now she was more surprised by such a reason, and it also explained why Shao Caihuan kept showing weakness to Shao Wanru.
Thinking that her daughter, as a pampered daughter of her lineal descent, should have such a disgraceful thought and even tried to please her cousin sister for it, Third Madam felt sorry, sad, and also angry.
If nothing had happened to her daughter in the imperial palace at that time, how could her daughter end up being a concubine? Even if she would be a concubine of a prince, Third Madam was not happy for her. Her girl was a daughter of the legal wife, so she should be a legal wife too instead of a concubine who had to ingratiate other women.
"Mother…" Shao Caihuan whispered.
"Do you intend to say nothing so that you can protect that person, and then just see your parents and sister become his scapegoats?" Third Madam became angrier.
"No, no! Mother, I was about to tell you that day when I wanted to come and see you, but I happened to meet Sister Zhao…" Shao Caihuan cried and explained. She didn’t dare to cover it anymore. At first, she didn’t plan to say it out because there was no practical witness to prove it.
She had wanted to tell Third Madam and ask her for help that day when she was ignored by Prince Chen. Unexpectedly, she met a servant girl, who was from Minister Zhao’s Mansion. To be more precise, she was Zhao Xiran’s servant girl. The servant girl told Shao Caihuan that her master wanted to see her outside at night and discuss something important with her. Zhao Xiran also said that she could help Shao Caihuan solve the problem that bothered her most.
Shao Caihuan was dubious about it. Thinking that Zhao Xiran would soon marry into Duke Xing’s Mansion and become her sister-in-law, so she wouldn’t set her up, Shao Caihuan decided to go out and meet her that night with a dubious attitude.
It was Third Madam who was in charge of the mansion, so no one dared to stop Shao Caihuan from going out.
When she met Zhao Xiran, they didn’t talk about anything else. But Zhao Xiran said that she had seen through Shao Caihuan’s thoughts before, and even gave her advice.
She advised Shao Caihuan to stop thinking about Prince Chen, because it was impossible to get a man like Prince Chen by just admiring him. Among all Misses in the capital city, there were so many of them who didn’t mind Prince Chen’s bad health at all. But none of them could catch his eyes.
In other words, it indicated that Prince Chen’s Mansion was clean and Shao Wanru would live a happy life after marrying Prince Chen. Even if one or two more co-consorts lived there, it would be still cleaner and more pleasant than those mansions in which lived a lot of wives and concubines. They looked glamorous, but actually, they suffered a lot and felt depressed.
Shao Caihuan had been interested in Prince Chen. And after hearing Zhao Xiran’s advice, her passion for him became even more.
As a woman, how could she not wish that her beloved just belong to no one but her? She couldn’t change the fact that Shao Wanru would be Princess Chen, but it would be good enough for her if she was the only concubine.
So instead of being persuaded, Shao Caihuan became even more thirsty.
Then Zhao Xiran didn’t ask more about it. Instead, she talked to Shao Caihuan about her marriage. Zhao Xiran had always been very natural without no one else around, even when she was talking about her wedding. Knowing that it was Third Madam who was in charge of Duke Xing’s Mansion, she especially thanked Shao Caihuan.
Moreover, she asked Shao Caihuan not to think of anything evil. If something happened between Prince Chen and her at the wedding, Third Madam would also get in a dilemma.
She also warned Shao Caihuan that Prince Chen was in weak health, so never allow anyone to toast to him. Others may not get drunk, but Prince Chen would definitely do. At that time, everyone would be implicated if something unhappy happened.
These suggestions sounded very reasonable and considerate, and they sounded all for Third
Prince Chen could not bear alcohol! Others could, but he couldn’t!
If Prince Chen was drunk, she could get a chance to serve him. At that time, if something unexpected happened, Prince Chen had to give an explanation to her family and take the responsibility for what he had done to her. After all, she was also a legitimate daughter of Duke Xing’s Mansion.
Moreover, she would be just taking care of Prince Chen. What happened next was beyond her control.
Even Shao Wanru would have to agree…
With such a beautiful dream in her mind, Shao Caihuan returned to Duke Xing’s Mansion. That night, she didn’t sleep well because she thought about it over and over again. The more she thought about it, the more she believed it was practical. If it worked, she would be Prince Chen’s woman, though she would just be a co-consort. Anyway, she had done nothing wrong.
There was nothing wrong with just helping her mother to take care of a guest of high status. It was just an accident.
Therefore, on that day, she secretly asked Third Madam to serve alcohol to that table. She only explained that there was a noble guest but didn’t mention that Prince Chen was also at that table.
If her mother knew that Prince Chen was there, she would be hesitant. Everyone knew Prince Chen’s health condition, and no one dared to serve him with the drink.
After Shao Caihuan’s confession, Third Madam was so angry that her face changed from blue to pale. Although she had always been at a disadvantage since she dealt with Madam Jiang for so many years, she reversed the situation by what had happened three years ago. So it could be seen that she was not a stupid woman. Hearing Shao Caihuan’s words, she instantly realized it was Zhao Xiran’s plot.
She was so angry that she wanted to rush to the wedding room and question Zhao Xiran.
As an unmarried woman, she should dare to plot against the third branch! What did she mean by doing it?
However, apart from Shao Caihuan’s verbal testimony, there was no other evidence to prove it. What’s more, every word Zhao Xiran said was persuading words, and they seemed to make sense in any aspect.
"You… you stupid girl, how can you be so stupid!" Third Madam fingered out to poke Shao Caihuan’s forehead and scolded, "Why did you think that she was kind? If something really happens, and Duke Xing’s Mansion is not to blame, our third branch will have to take responsibility. The second branch won’t cover us, neither will Old Madam!"
Third Madam started to feel aggrieved. Since she married into Duke Xing’s Mansion so many years ago, she had been neglected. And she felt increasingly ashamed in front of Old Madam because she had no sons but two daughters. It had taken her a lot to climb up to such a position and she had just built up the foundation. Now, she was stuck into another dilemma due to what her daughter had done.
"Mother, Mother! What should we do now?" Shao Caihuan also realized that she had made trouble and asked with her body trembling.
"Did you drug the drink?" Third Madam calmed down and asked. It was not the time to blame Zhao Xiran, so she forced herself to calm down.
"No, Mother! I didn’t. I just asked someone to send the drink! I didn’t dare to do anything else!" Shao Caihuan cried. Her original intention was to get Prince Chen drunk and then get close to him with some excuses. She was too timid to drug others even if someone asked her to do so. After all, there were two other princes present.
Third Madam breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily, her daughter was not that stupid. Otherwise, the third branch would not be able to get away from it this time. At least, now they could salvage the situation.
"The two princes won’t fight for no reason. They must have been drugged. Of course, it is the best that you didn’t do it. Zhao Xiran was the one who abetted you. If there was someone else who had known what you would do, it must be Zhao Xiran. But it’s useless for you to point her out now," Third Madam calmly analyzed.
"Then what should we do, Mother?" Shao Caihuan was in a daze after being frightened.
"Go to your Fifth Sister and explain to her," Third Madam took a deep breath and made a decision.
Third Madam was convinced that Old Madam could not help her daughter. Moreover, it was said that she attached great importance to her granddaughter-in-law. So Old Madam would not believe any hostile word about Zhao Xiran, so it would be better to say nothing to her.
At this time, Third Madam wished Zhao Xiran was dead. It was definitely not a good omen that so many bad things happened on the day when she just married into the mansion. She could not get Zhao Xiran involved in Shao Caihuan’s trouble, but she could do something else.
The third branch wasn’t easygoing either.
Third Madam swore in secret that as long as Shao Caihuan’s problem was settled, she would punish Zhao Xiran. Her husband, the eldest legitimate grandson of Old Madam, was not the heir of a duke yet. It was still undecided who would be the Heir of Duke Xing! Now, Zhao Xiran had started to cut in the affairs of the mansion, as if she were the future wife of the Heir of Duke Xing’s Mansion. Didn’t she even realize that she was just a new daughter-in-law? Did she think that she had been equal to Madam of Duke Xing, Madam Jiang?
"No, Mother! I won’t go. I… I don’t know what to say!" Shao Caihuan cried with shame and guilt.
"You don’t know what to say? And you knew how to make trouble? If you are not going to explain to Shao Wanru, now you can expect that the second branch will push all the blame on your father and me. At that time, your father and I will be in jail as the scapegoats, and there will only be you and your younger sister left in the mansion. Let’s see who will treat you as masters."
Third Madam had to give her a heavy slap in the face, with an assumption of serious situations they would face.
Shao Caihuan was scared to tremble, with tears shedding like rain. She couldn’t bear such a consequence. If something happened to her parents, she would end her life to make amends. At that time, her family would be destroyed, and there would be no future.
"I’m going to find Fifth Sister, Mother!" Shao Caihuan had to agree.
"Yes. Go and find your Fifth Sister and tell her the cause and effect of this matter. You have to make Zhao Xiran’s words clear. As for your wishful thinking, you must repent for it and you can’t hide it. You are not allowed to think about Prince Chen anymore. Otherwise, not to mention Prince Chen won’t forgive you, your Fifth Sister won’t let you go!"
Third Madam was smarter than her daughter. The Fifth Girl, who was the last one to enter Duke Xing’s Mansion, in no way was an ordinary girl. If she was merely an ordinary Miss from an aristocratic family, she would have been killed by Madam Jiang before she entered Duke Xing’s Mansion. How could it be as possible as now she lived in the mansion safe and sound?
Not only did she come back to Duke Xing’s Mansion, but also Madam Jiang was expelled. Third Madam did not believe it was just a coincidence. She had been trying to make friends with Shao Wanru before. And she had also sent Infanta Qinghua’s dowries back to her in order to ingratiate Shao Wanru.
"Okay, I’ll go now!" Shao Caihuan had to agree with tears in her eyes.