Chapter 312: The Banquet (Part 5)

"It was Doctor Li who was called."

Qin Yuan’s words reassured Nanny Zhao.

Feeling a bit calmer, Nanny Zhao resumed crying and clung to Mrs. Xu, wailing, "Madam, the Sixth Lady Gu coughed up blood from the anger you caused her. You said you came to check on her condition, but in truth, you wish her dead."

Qin Yuan: "..."

Mrs. Xu struggled and screamed, flailing her arms furiously, cursing, "You vile servant with your filthy lies! I came here out of goodwill to see my sister-in-law, and she was stirred to coughing up blood by just a few words from you. Now you blame it all on me in front of the Madam. I don’t care about my reputation anymore. I must tear this matter apart with you."

Nanny Zhao couldn’t care less, not letting go of her hold.

"I don’t care about status or hierarchy anymore. I have been painstakingly keeping things from the master these days because I’m afraid the master isn’t well enough to handle any aggravation. But now you dare come and provoke. I might as well speak the truth and clear the air in front of the Madam and the Marquis."

This shift caused Mrs. Xu’s arrogance to diminish significantly, and she cried out, "Don’t accuse the innocent. I came here out of goodwill to see my sister-in-law. How was I to know she would cough up blood? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have said a single word. You servant, how are you taking care of people?"

Hong Ye and Hong Mian were both taken aback by what they saw.

Qin Yuan said, "Let me go and check on my sixth sister-in-law first."

Without trying to mediate the quarrel, she hurried straight to the inner chamber, lifted the curtain, and saw Sixth Lady Gu lying rigidly on the canopy bed, her complexion pale as gold paper.

The table next to the bed was overturned, and fruits and desserts were scattered all over the floor, with the embroidery stool and chairs all toppled over.

Qin Yuan rushed forward, reaching out to check Sixth Lady Gu’s pallid face.

Seeing that Sixth Lady Gu still had some breath, she finally let out a sigh of relief and quickly felt Sixth Lady Gu’s pulse.

By the time Hong Ye and others arrived, Qin Yuan had finished checking the pulse and instructed, "Quick, fetch some moxa sticks."

Hong Mian promptly sought out one of the young maidservants from Sixth Lady Gu’s courtyard to find the moxa sticks.

Qin Yuan took the hairpin from her bun and used it as a needle, poking a few times at Sixth Lady Gu’s chest and beside her ears with force, then said, "Fetch some warm water to wipe down the Sixth Lady’s hands and feet, and light a moxibustion stick an inch long with a ginger slice, placing it at the Sixth Lady’s Tiger Mouth and Taixi points."

Inside, there was a frenzy of activity, while outside, Mrs. Xu and Nanny Zhao were still arguing endlessly.

Qin Yuan frowned, "Tell them to lower their voices. If Sixth Lady Gu wakes up and hears this, won’t it just make her angrier?"

Hong Ye quickly went out to pass on the message, and the noise outside immediately quieted down.

Qin Yuan stayed by the bedside, keeping a close eye on Sixth Lady Gu. Before long, Sixth Lady Gu started to let out faint groans.

"Luckily, my sixth sister-in-law is coming around."

Qin Yuan felt relieved and quickly urged Hong Ye to find Nanny Zhao and get the calming incense pills lit immediately.

Shortly afterward, the incense pills were lit, and Sixth Lady Gu’s breathing slowed, her furrowed brow relaxing.

Hong Ye quietly asked, "Is Sixth Lady Gu alright now? She seems much better than before."

Qin Yuan replied, "How can you say she’s alright? Her condition can’t handle any stress, whether extreme joy, anger, shock, or fear. It’s fortunate I arrived in time this time, but it was just enough to save a life. Where’s Doctor Li?"

Hong Mian quickly said, "Someone has been sent to fetch him. Barring any accidents, he should be here soon."

Qin Yuan gave Hong Mian a look, and Hong Ye said, "I’ll go out front and check."

Qin Yuan nodded.

Hong Ye then rushed out to find Gu Shiliu.

Hong Mian set the embroidery stool upright and softly said, "Madam, why not have a seat and rest a bit?"

Qin Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Never mind, let’s go out. Let them tidy up in here first, so when Doctor Li arrives, it looks presentable."

She couldn’t be much use here, so she might as well see how those two were making a scene outside.

At this time, Nanny Zhao was still gripping Mrs. Xu tightly, saying every phrase, "If anything happens to the master, I’ll only take your life as compensation. Anyway, the Xu family has driven me to despair."

Mrs. Xu, terrified, looked ashen and trembled as she defended herself, "How was I to know my sister-in-law’s condition was this severe? You as a servant never mentioned it, now so loyal after causing trouble. Who knows if you’re just putting on a show?"

Nanny Zhao was about to erupt again.

The other maidservants nearby persuaded, "The Madam is out, Nanny Zhao, please let go. The master will take care of everything."

Upon hearing that Qin Yuan had arrived, Nanny Zhao finally let go, looking expectantly, and asked, "Madam, how is Sixth Lady Gu... is she alright?"

Qin Yuan sighed and said, "Sixth Lady Gu has managed to regain some strength. You know her condition can’t withstand any stress. We need Doctor Li to see her first to know for sure."

Nanny Zhao lowered her voice, sobbing as she rasped, "The master is so pitiful. We were doing well, minding our own business, yet were provoked to the point of coughing up blood by her in-laws. This makes the illness even harder to treat. I ask Madam to seek justice for Sixth Lady Gu."

Qin Yuan turned to instruct the maidservants, "Hurry and help Mrs. Xu change her clothes and freshen up."

Mrs. Xu, having been pulled and dragged, looked very disheveled and lost any semblance of dignity. Trembling, she cried, "Looking like this, I have no face to see anyone. Nanny Zhao has overstepped her bounds. I also ask Madam to give me justice."

Qin Yuan gently reassured her, "Why don’t you freshen up and change your clothes first, Mrs. Xu, and Nanny Zhao can tidy up too? When the Marquis, Mr. Xu, and the Sixth Master arrive, we’ll sort this out. I was focused on looking after Sixth Lady Gu just now and don’t know what exactly happened. I can’t judge rashly. Don’t worry, Mrs. Xu. If Nanny Zhao was wrong, I’ll certainly punish her properly."

There are many hidden issues in this matter that she couldn’t handle alone. Only when everyone was here could it be properly addressed.

After coaxing Mrs. Xu to freshen up and change her clothes, Qin Yuan asked, "Nanny Zhao, what exactly happened?"

Nanny Zhao, with a mournful face, said, "Sixth Lady Gu had been getting better on Doctor Li’s medicine, but after taking the Dean’s medicine, she relapsed. Yet, Sixth Lady Gu thought the Dean was more skillful, so she kept taking it. She’s felt weak these past couple of days and was just quietly recuperating in her courtyard. Who knew Mrs. Xu would come, saying she was visiting to check on Sixth Lady Gu’s condition."

Qin Yuan nodded.

She could guess this much. The most urgent matter was finding out what exactly Mrs. Xu said to Sixth Lady Gu that provoked her into coughing up blood.

Nanny Zhao continued, "Many of the housekeepers pooled money to buy pepper, but the price of pepper has plummeted these days. They didn’t dare seek Sixth Lady Gu and all came looking for me. I invested some money too, so I went to the Xu family, hoping to quickly withdraw from the group, salvaging whatever I could, but the Xu family wouldn’t help. Being pressed so hard, I was helpless."

"But Sixth Lady Gu had invested a hefty sum too. Hearing Mrs. Xu talk about the pepper prices falling outside and not being able to sell it, she criticized for following Sixth Lady Gu’s idea to stock up on pepper. Implied throughout her words was that Sixth Lady Gu should find a way to compensate for their losses, causing Sixth Lady Gu to cough up blood in her anxiety."