Chapter 726 Nothing in the Ancestral Hall?
There were many people on the spot. Not only the people of Duke Xing’s Mansion but also the people from the Palace were gathering here. When it came to her family’s internal affairs, Old Madam didn’t want others to interfere or inquire, even if those were the Empress’s subordinates.
Old Madam nodded knowingly, ordering, “Send her to my yard first. Everyone else, leave!”
She didn’t want others to watch the drama. But she hadn’t been able to think of a way to drive Nanny Xi away. Now She finally found a good excuse.
Before Madam of Duke Xing could breathe a sigh of relief, someone said, “There may be evidence in the ancestral hall where Madam lives.”
Madam of Duke Xing looked up subconsciously and saw a beautiful woman in her thirties. Although she was wearing the clothes of a servant, she looked imposing. She was staring at Madam of Duke Xing without fear.
“Madam is living in the ancestral hall?” Nanny Xi’s expression changed. She looked at the ancestral hall in surprise and then at the plainly dressed Madam of Duke Xing, who was not dressed like the wife of a Duke. She had come in a hurry and had got no time to think about it before. It seemed that Madam of Duke Xing had made a mistake and been locked up in the ancestral hall by Old Madam.
She remembered the rumor that the Empress Dowager had whipped Madam of Duke Xing, and it seemed to be true!
Madam of Duke Xing had annoyed Empress Dowager and been punished. And the people of Duke Xing’s Mansion had locked her up, hoping Empress Dowager would forgive her.
Nanny Xi’s eyes flashed slightly. This matter must be reported to the Empress. The Empress had always shown respect to the Empress Dowager. Now that Madam of Duke Xing had offended the Empress Dowager, there seemed to be a risk in Miss Shao’s matter.
“She does live in the ancestral hall,” Old Madam replied awkwardly. Everyone knew this matter.
“Let’s search it!” Nanny Xi suggested. Since she wanted to befriend Nanny Zheng, she would naturally follow Nany Zheng’s proposal. And she couldn’t just go back without figuring out the truth.
If the young lady of Duke Xing’s Mansion was marrying Prince Zhou in the future, the Empress would have to know her well. And this kind of thing would be difficult to investigate afterward.
“No need… There is nothing in it… The food basket is from the kitchen…” Madam of Duke Xing coughed again, having difficulty talking.
She was anxious. She turned her eyes to her daughter standing next to Nanny Xi and winked at her, implying that they couldn’t let people search the ancestral hall.
Shao Yanru’s met the eyes of her mother, and she understood her meaning immediately. But a wave of anger surged in her heart.
Thinking of her being poisoned and looking at the situation right now, she got quite annoyed. She had been harmed so severely that she was almost infertile now. Even though she was now under the treatment of Doctor Qiu, her health had been damaged. It would be difficult for her to conceive in the future, and even if she got pregnant, the risk of miscarriage would be high.
How could Shao Yanru not hate Madam of Duke Xing? And that was why she hadn’t cared about her mother when she had been locked up.
Shao Hua’an had once come to her and asked her to help Madam of Duke Xing, but Shao Yanru had directly rejected. As a mother, when Madam of Duke Xing had plotted against Shao Wanru, she hadn’t thought about what would happen if her daughter got poisoned. And Shao Yanru had originally been unwilling to deal with Shao Wanru in person at the time.
But her mother had repeatedly persuaded her, saying that things were well in hand and there would be no accident. So, Shao Yanru had agreed in the end.
She hadn’t expected her decision would almost ruin herself.
Shao Wanru was the main culprit, but the poison had been prepared by her mother and Honored Consort Shu. How could she not hate them?
Originally, she had wanted to make use of Madam of Duke Xing’s current state to show her filial piety to Nanny Xi, but now she didn’t want to intervene anymore.
She had known at a glance that this was another scheme. If she rashly intervened now, she might be implicated.
Shao Wanru had Nanny Zheng helping her. Nany Zheng was from the Palace, and she had seen all kinds of people, so these tricks of her mother would not work in front of her.
Shao Yanru was harboring resentment in her heart, and she knew that Nanny Zheng was powerful. After exchanging glances with Madam of Duke Xing, She softly comforted her, “Mother, don’t worry. They will search quickly. I won’t allow them to delay the treatment of your injury. If you’re not feeling well, you can go back to rest first. I will supervise the investigation with Grandmother!”
Madam of Duke Xing’s face stiffened, and she looked at Shao Yanru incredulously. She felt that her daughter had understood her hint. Why hadn’t she helped her? Why had she asked her to go back? What did she mean?
Madam of Duke Xing couldn’t leave now because Nanny Sheng was not able to stop those people alone.
“Old Madam, since my sister said so, let them search. We must find out the truth before the evil backstage manipulator notices!” Shao Wanru chimed in with Shao Yanru, smiling.
Madam of Duke Xing’s face became ugly. She reached out and squeezed the corner of the quilt, breathing quickly. Why? Why did she see hatred in her daughter’s eyes?
Hadn’t Shao Yanru forgiven her? Why was there still such hatred!
“Search the ancestral hall! Let’s see whether there is any abnormal thing in it!” Old Madam orderly coldly. Since everyone else had agreed, Old Madam couldn’t reject it anymore.
The maids began to rummage in the ancestral hall.
Madam of Duke Xing showed the white of her eyes and seemed to be about to faint again.
“Madam…Madam…” Nanny Sheng yelled anxiously.
“Ru’er…Ru’er…” Madam of Duke Xing choked while calling her daughter.
“Mother, are you OK? Let me take you back first, okay?” Shao Yanru hurried forward and took her mother’s hand, her face full of care.
Madam of Duke Xing firmly grasped Yanru’s hand, used the cuffs to block the sight of others, stretched out her finger, and wrote the words “take them away” in Yanru’s palm!
She stared at Yanru eagerly, suggesting that she must take these people away.
Shao Yanru gently shook her head, looking back at Nanny Xi, Old Madam, and Nany Zheng on one side. If she stepped up at this time, she would definitely be implicated. She would not speak for her mother at this time.
Needless to guess, this was another conspiracy of her mother and Honored Consort Shu.
She had never heard of such poison from her mother before, so it should have been obtained from Honored Consort Shu. Thinking of the fact that she had also been poisoned with her drug and suffered so much, Shao Yanru hated Honored Consort Shu to the core.
“Mother, don’t worry. We will find out the truth soon, and no one will dare to harm you in the future!” She gripped her mother’s hand tightly to prevent her from moving, but her expression remained sad and anxious as if she were really worrying about Madam of Duke Xing’s health.
Madam of Duke Xing thought maybe she didn’t take her hint, so she struggled hard to break away from her hand, but Shao Yanru suppressed her movement violently.
“Old Madam, there is nothing!”
“Old Madam, we didn’t find anything either.”
“There is nothing here.” There were few things in the ancestral hall. After searching it for a while, the maids came to report that there was nothing suspicious one by one.
Shao Wanru’s gaze fell on Madam of Duke Xing’s face, and she saw a relieved expression. But the next moment, she began to pretend to be weak again as if the relief Wanru had just seen were an illusion.
Shao Wanru narrowed her watery eyes slightly. There must be evidence, but it was not in the ancestral hall.
If it was not in the ancestral hall, where was it?
“Mother, since nothing was found, let’s go back first… I have something to tell you!” Madam of Duke Xing looked at Old Madam. It looked as if she had a secret to confess, but she was afraid the people here would overhear.
Old Madam kept silent for a while. She looked around and confirmed there was indeed nothing suspicious. She then nodded to Madam of Duke Xing and was about to take her back.
Just then, Nanny Zheng raised her eyes and said calmly, “Wait!”
“Who are you? Where did you come from? How dare you intervene repeatedly when the masters are talking? Take her down and flog her!” Madam of Duke Xing glared at Nanny Zheng.
She remembered that this woman was the one who had suggested searching the ancestral hall, and it was really hateful that she tried to interfere again now.
When she rehabilitated one day, and she would flog this bold old maid to death.
Nanny Zheng didn’t know what she said had made Madam of Duke Xing want to kill her. At this time, her eyes still fixed on Madam of Duke Xing’s face, and she said coldly, “Madam, I am the etiquette instructor of Fifth Miss. I entered Duke Xing’s Mansion together with Fifth Miss. I used to have an official t.i.tle in the palace!”
Official t.i.tles made a great difference between the maids in the palace.
Madam of Duke Xing froze for a moment, and then she looked at Shao Yanru subconsciously. How could Shao Wanru have an etiquette instructor from the palace with an official t.i.tle? Why hadn’t she known this before?
Shao Yanru nodded silently at Madam of Duke Xing, secretly despising her mother. After fighting with Shao Wanru for such a long time, she didn’t even know that she had an etiquette instructor with powerful backing. Shao Yanru had thought her mother was very clear about everything about Shao Wanru.
If Shao Yanru had known this earlier, how could she have taken it lightly last time?
“Old Madam, we haven’t searched the back of the ancestral hall.” Nanny Zheng ignored Madam of Duke Xing and turned to Old Madam.
“What do you think there is?” Old Madam said irritably.
“Maybe something shameful is hidden there!” Nany Zheng pointedly said.
These words reminded Nanny Xi, so she agreed, saying “It is true that we should go search the back of the ancestral hall. This kind of place is the most p.r.o.ne to be used to hide evidence. When I was in the palace before, I have encountered this kind of thing. Finally, the evidence was found in the least noticeable place!”
Madam of Duke Xing’s lungs were about to explode. These idiots were ruining her plans again and again, and now, even Nanny Xi, the henchman of the Empress, had interfered. This really irritated her.
But no matter how angry she was, she could do nothing now. she could only shake Shao Yanru’s hand vigorously, hoping she could find a way.
But Shao Yanru didn’t say a word as if she hadn’t even noticed it.
“Go and search the backyard!” Old Madam ordered.