Chapter 16 Poisoning
Siqi hesitated for a moment, and finally bowed and accepted the order: "Yes, Miss."
As Su Wanyu turned around to wipe her hands, she asked again, "When will the Princess return to the capital? Is there any definite news?"
Siqi lowered her voice and said, "It is said that the princess passed Fuyu Mountain yesterday and is expected to arrive in the capital tomorrow."
A smile broke out on Su Wanyu's face.
At present, everyone in the Zheng Mansion is afraid of her, largely because of the protection of the eldest princess.
The Su family came from a merchant family and had no real power in the court. Although they could occasionally interact with the powerful, those were only financial transactions.
Those in high positions of power secretly see them only as coffers to be exploited.
Now, she is the only daughter left in the Su family, and the outside world hopes that their family will fall into poverty and their wealth will be lost.
Only the eldest princess was different. Due to her early friendship with her mother, she particularly admired her mother's embroidery skills.
She wants to pick up her mother's craft again.
This skill could win her the favor of the eldest princess and thus give her a foothold.
She slowly returned to the table and picked up the embroidered handkerchief again. The golden osmanthus pattern appeared on it. The embroidery was almost exactly the same as the one on the sleeves of the Regent's robe in her memory.
She was certain that this was her mother's masterpiece, and there was no other like it in the world.
With the help of Mammy, she collected many of her mother's pattern samples.
After some attempts last night, I was able to reproduce 70% to 80% of the essence of my mother's craftsmanship.
"When the eldest princess settles down in the palace, I will send someone to deliver an invitation and visit the princess's mansion in person in a few days." Su Wanyu's eyes gently swept over every petal on the embroidered handkerchief.
The maid Siqi responded respectfully, and then quietly took action to transplant the osmanthus tree.
The setting sun was as red as blood, dyeing the bluestone-paved courtyard a touch of crimson. Through the carved window lattices, the orange-red afterglow gently sprinkled into the house.
Liu'er held the medicine box tightly and sat quietly beside the bed. After a moment of silence, she finally decided to take out the packet of fine powder from the box.
The drug that Old Lady Zheng gave was a chronic poison that needed to be taken continuously for three months to see effects. There were a total of thirty packets, which meant that starting from tonight, she would have to tamper with Su Wanyu's daily diet.
The inner struggle was up and down, Liu'er grabbed her black hair in pain, and her face was distorted.
Finally, she walked to the table, took out an exquisite little spoon from the wooden box, hid the poison powder under her fingernails, then picked up the glass tea set given by Zheng Chengyan, and walked towards Su Wanyu's residence.
Su Wanyu was not surprised by Liu'er's arrival and ordered Yunyi to prepare tea.
Liu Er bowed gracefully and said, "Second Young Madam, you helped me get out of my home. I am so grateful that I can't express it in words. I came here to thank you."
After saying this, he signaled the maid to bring out the glittering glass tea set.
The colors of the tea cups are so brilliant that just looking at them is enough to make one feel relaxed and happy. Their value is enough to buy several months of sumptuous meals.
Su Wanyu declined politely: "No need, I didn't have any ulterior motive when I helped you."
As soon as Yun Yi placed two cups of tea on the table, Liu Er couldn't wait to come forward, holding a cup in her hand, and respectfully handed it to Su Wanyu: "Second Young Madam, please have some tea."
As a concubine, it is normal for her to pour tea for her wife, but in that instant, the poison powder has quietly blended into the tea.
Liu'er's movements were clean and neat, and her expression showed no sign of abnormality. If she hadn't known about it beforehand, even Su Wanyu would not have been able to notice it.
Su Wanyu lowered her head and stared at the teacup, but was not in a hurry to take it.
Liu'er stood with her back bent, feeling uneasy. Although her cheeks were still rosy, her clothes on her back were soaked with sweat from nervousness.
In the past, she might have attacked Su Wanyu without hesitation, but today, since she stepped into this threshold, what lingered in her mind were Su Wanyu's past words, especially the silver hidden close to her body, which burned her conscience.
The Zheng Mansion is like a dungeon built of bones, and Su Wanyu seems to be the only key to open the door to freedom.
Su Wanyu retracted her gaze, pretending to ignore him, and took the teacup calmly: "If there is nothing else, you can leave first. The Second Young Master may summon you to sleep with him in the evening."
Liu'er lowered her head, her stiff hands suspended in the air, and her eyes occasionally stole glances at the teacup that was about to be raised.
Just as Su Wanyu was about to ask, Liu'er suddenly stepped forward, snatched the teacup, and poured all the tea in it into the flowerpot next to her.
"Oh! Aunt Liu, what are you doing?" Yun Yi was surprised and hurried forward to stop her.
Su Wanyu quickly gave Yunyi a look, and Yunyi immediately understood and quickly closed the doors and windows.
Su Wanyu glanced at the poured tea and asked, "Tell me, what is your intention?"
Liu'er's eyes were red, and she knelt on the ground: "Second Young Madam, this tea is not drinkable!"
"Why not?" Su Wanyu asked.
Liu Er bit her lower lip and cried, "The tea is poisonous..."
Yun Yi was surprised and quickly picked up the teacup on the ground and examined it carefully. The colorless and odorless poison was difficult for others to detect.
"How dare you attack the young lady!" Yun Yi asked angrily.
Liu'er trembled, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed to Su Wanyu: "Second Young Madam, I am helpless. It is the old lady's order, and I have to obey."
Su Wanyu stopped Yun Yi and turned to ask Liu Er, "Since the poison has already been administered, why are you trying to stop it?"
Liu Er looked up at her with tears in her eyes: "Second Young Madam, were all the words you said yesterday sincere?"
"What?" Su Wanyu asked back.
Liu'er's eyes were full of desire: "You said that a woman like me can also not rely on others, live out my own life, be open and calm..."
Su Wanyu did not respond immediately, but was silently asking herself in her heart whether she could still hold on to the yearning for freedom that she had when she first entered the mansion.
After a long time, a firm answer sounded in her heart: Yes, it must be possible.
Fate gave her the opportunity to choose again, and no matter how difficult the road was, she would do her best.
Su Wanyu did not directly answer Liu'er's question, but asked in return: "After being with the Second Young Master for many years, do you have any feelings for him?"
Liu'er's body trembled slightly, and her smile was mixed with bitterness, making her look particularly desolate.
"Second Young Madam, I am just a concubine for his amusement."
"People in the mansion say that I am trying to curry favor with the rich and powerful, but how could they know that if it weren't for this, how could I, a weak woman abandoned by my parents and bullied by my brother and sister-in-law, find a place to survive in this mansion? I only want a simple life and a partner who can understand my heart and spend the rest of my life together."
The old lady said that she wanted to be a concubine, but she knew in her heart that it was all a lie. In the end, even a straw mat to wrap her body would be a luxury.
She had already prepared herself to sink, but because of Su Wanyu's words, her heart was in turmoil again.
She was curious, could a humble and insignificant being like her really break free from her shackles and live out her true self as Su Wanyu said?