Chapter 15 Killing Two Eagles with One Arrow
It was not until Su Wanyu's back disappeared into the end of the corridor that she hid the silver in her arms, tears welling up in her eyes.
She has a straightforward personality and her emotions are all written on her face.
The money not only solved her problem of food and clothing, but also brought her comfort during countless sleepless nights.
The quality of life of other concubines in the mansion declined significantly, and even Old Lady Zheng was affected.
The bird's nest and sea cucumber that we used to enjoy every day have gone from being abundant to being reduced in quantity, and now they are just a mixture of sugar water that can barely be called bird's nest.
Old Mrs. Zheng was accustomed to a luxurious life, so it was naturally difficult for her to accept this sudden change.
When she swallowed a mouthful of bird's nest that was almost entirely sugar water, her anger suddenly exploded and she dropped the bowl in her hand heavily to the ground.
"Someone! Go get the eldest young mistress!"
Lianhua ran into the house and reported anxiously: "Madam, the eldest young lady just sent a message saying..."
Old Madam Zheng wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief impatiently and waved to interrupt Lianhua: "Humph, you are proactive and you know to come to my house yourself."
Lianhua lowered her voice and continued to report: "The eldest young lady explained that the family is a little short of money, and asked the old lady to be patient and wait until the master's salary comes, and she will make up for the bird's nest immediately."
Wang originally planned to save money from the expenses of her concubines, but after some calculations, she found that it was a drop in the bucket, so she had to turn her attention to those expensive supplements.
Mrs. Zheng's bird's nest became the primary target, and the cosmetics used daily by Mrs. Zhou and other female relatives were all replaced with those commonly used by ordinary people on the market.
The young ladies and wives in the mansion all grumbled with dissatisfaction.
Old Mrs. Zheng rubbed her fingers on the Buddhist beads, and every time she turned them, she seemed to be slowly suppressing the anger in her heart.
Without Su Wanyu's dowry, the mansion's expenses became stretched, and the originally affluent life became tight.
In the past few days, white hair has been climbing up her temples at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the noble grace that belonged to a noble lady in the past has gradually faded.
After thinking for a while, Mrs. Zheng finally made a decision, "Go, ask Liu'er to come see me immediately."
Lotus, who was standing by, looked up with a hint of doubt and repeated, "The old lady is referring to Aunt Liu?"
Mrs. Zheng nodded slightly, "Yes, let her come immediately."
Lotus quickly knelt down and saluted, responding, "Yes, old lady."
At this moment, it seemed as if fate had already planned the game. Liu'er just stepped into the gate of the mansion, and the voice of Lianhua calling floated to her ears.
She quickly put on her dark cloak, crossed the courtyard, and went straight to Mrs. Zheng's residence.
When she first entered the Zheng Mansion, Liu'er was still a young maid, serving in Old Madam Zheng's room. It was not until later that she was arranged to be with Zheng Chengyan and became his concubine.
The old lady did not summon her very often, and mostly she would teach her through Lotus the details on how to better serve Zheng Chengyan.
Liu'er bowed her head and knelt on the ground: "I wish you good health, old lady."
Old Madam Zheng carefully looked at Liu'er in front of her. Her face was as white as jade and her eyes were bright and energetic. She couldn't help but praise, "You really have a good appearance. No wonder the young master likes you so much."
Liu Er's cheeks flushed with shyness. "My talents are average, and it is all thanks to the old lady's careful teaching that I am where I am today."
Mrs. Zheng had a faint smile on her face, "Come here, child."
Liu'er slowly moved and knelt until she reached Old Madam Zheng's knees.
The old lady stared down, and gently touched her forehead with her fingers, "Do you remember why I sent you to the second room?"
Liu Er nodded gently, "I have never forgotten."
There was a hint of coldness in Mrs. Zheng's laughter: "Just remember, you are already a concubine, no longer a mere maid. With Su Wanyu's personality, how could she tolerate your existence?"
Liu'er's eyelashes trembled slightly, "Second Master currently has four concubines..."
"No matter how many concubines you have, they are still concubines. No woman is willing to share her husband with others. You must plan for your future."
There was a hidden meaning behind Mrs. Zheng's smile, which made people feel an invisible pressure. "I have a miraculous medicine from the Western Regions that can help people achieve happiness. Take it and put it in her food every day when no one is paying attention."
As soon as she finished speaking, she picked up a black wooden box from the table beside her.
In recent years, Zhou has been secretly drugging Su Wanyu, but since Su Wanyu changed her servants, Jiaoyang Courtyard has become airtight.
Old Mrs. Zheng turned her gaze to Liu'er.
If everything goes well and the poisoning is done perfectly, it would be the best strategy.
If unfortunately they were exposed, they would kill Liu'er and push the blame onto Su Wanyu, saying that she was jealous and resentful. This would kill two birds with one stone and was a brilliant strategy.
Although Liu'er was impatient, she was not stupid. She just felt as if the old lady was strangling her throat at this moment.
She took the wooden box with trembling hands, lowered her eyebrows and said: "I will follow the old lady's order."
The old lady narrowed her eyes in satisfaction and winked at Lianhua.
Lianhua understood what he meant and handed her a bag of copper coins: "This is a reward from the old lady. Buy some good dowries and don't let those concubines outshine you. After the matter is done, the old lady will speak for you. It won't be long before you are promoted to a concubine."
The status of a concubine is far higher than that of a maid, so Liu'er naturally wants to make some moves.
She bowed respectfully, put the wooden box in her pocket, and left in a hurry.
On the way back, Liu'er held the packet of poison tightly in her hand, feeling nervous and stumbling, almost tripping over the stones on the road several times.
Not far away, a shadow followed closely. It was Si Qi, the maid beside Su Wanyu.
Siqi is the Su family's confidant, and was trained by her wet nurse Su Wanyu. Although her appearance is not as outstanding as Yunyi, she is physique-strong and agile.
Yunyi is responsible for personal care, while Siqi handles all the complicated matters.
Not long after, Siqi brought back the news: "Miss, a maid found Concubine Liu sneaking out of the old lady's courtyard."
"Are you sure it's Aunt Liu?" Su Wanyu stopped sewing and a meaningful smile appeared on the corner of her lips.
She had already expected that the Zheng family would start from the backyard, so she had deployed spies early on, but she did not expect them to act so quickly.
Si Qi answered with certainty: "It is definitely Madam Liu. She looks nervous, so there must be something wrong."
Su Wanyu put down the handkerchief in her hand and slowly walked to the door. The pear tree in the yard was no longer there. There was only an empty pit of earth, exposed to the sun.
Siqi followed closely behind, asking in confusion: "Miss, what are your plans?"
Su Wanyu raised her eyebrows slightly, with a faint smile on her lips, "This morning you asked me what kind of tree should be planted in this yard. I have decided to plant osmanthus, the evergreen variety is the best."
"Yes, Miss." Siqi was quick-witted and immediately brought the topic back to the topic, "Then, Aunt Liu..."
Su Wanyu waved her hand to brush away the newly turned dirt on the windowsill: "Ignore it for now, you continue to pay attention."