Chapter 11: Winning over the Fifth Concubine and coaching her
Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
When Ye Jiuge turned up at the Fifth Concubine’s residence, she heard faint sounds of sad, pained cries. “Wu, wu, wu. I blame myself for being incapable of protecting you.”
She peeked in through the gap in the window and saw the Fifth Concubine crouching over a shabby bed and trying to restrain her agonized tears.
Little Ruyi’s face was pallid, and both of her eyes were tightly shut. Her skinny form was covered by a threadbare blanket with lotus motifs. Worry and gloom clouded the atmosphere throughout the residence; it was as if the sky had fallen.
Ye Jiuge was about to push the door open and enter when she heard Zi Shang say, “Eh?”
“What is going on?” Ye Jiuge questioned him, feeling uncertain.
“This sister of yours is quite interesting…” Zi Shang trailed off in the middle of the sentence.
It was obvious that he wanted Ye Jiuge to beg him for the rest. But it had been some time since Ye Jiuge had already gotten to know him well. If it was a serious matter, she did not need to speak at all because he notified her. But if it was an ordinary matter, Zi Shang did not need to inform her about it because she would be able to investigate it herself.
“What is this att.i.tude you are giving me?” Zi Shang was dissatisfied that Ye Jiuge was ignoring him.
Ye Jiuge disregarded him completely, pushed the door open, and entered the house.
“Who?” When the Fifth Concubine heard some movement, she turned around quickly. As soon as she saw Ye Jiuge, her eyes widened in shock. She was not even aware that her handkerchief fell from her hand to the ground.
“Fifth Concubine, I heard that Fourth Sister is feeling unwell. I was pa.s.sing by, coincidentally, so I have come to visit her.” Ye Jiuge came over and sat by the bedside. As she glanced at the dizzy Ye Ruyi, she inquired, “How is Fourth Sister’s condition now? Have you invited the physician over to examine her?”
“I did. He said that she has contracted a common cold and that she will recover after taking some medicine.” The Fifth Concubine’s voice was sore. Panic was in her eyes as she fidgeted.
“Fifth Concubine, why are you so anxious?” Ye Jiuge raised her eyebrow and pretended to ask curiously.
“I-I am worried about Fourth Miss’s illness. I am losing my mind.” The Fifth Concubine closed her eyes. She did not dare meet Ye Jiuge’s gaze.
“It’s not a huge problem. My medical skills have recently improved tremendously, so I can help diagnose Fourth Sister’s illness.” After Ye Jiuge spoke, she reached out to check Ye Ruyi’s pulse.
Ye Ruyi’s wrist was very slender, and her pulse was extremely weak. Not only that, her main qi was insufficient: the symptom of a weak body. This diagnosis was no different than what the previous physicians had found.
However, there was definitely a hidden meaning behind the words Zi Shang had uttered when Ye Jiuge had entered their residence. She guessed that Little Ruyi’s ailment could not be determined merely by checking her pulse.
Ye Jiuge turned her head and instructed, “Fifth Concubine, Fourth Sister must be uncomfortable with all that sweat on her body. You should boil some hot water and clean her.”
“Oh, okay!” Fifth Concubine nodded quickly, then left.
Ye Jiuge retrieved the Purple Lightning Wood from her pocket. She transferred her spiritual energy to it, and it transformed into the Lightning Fire Needle. She thrust the needle between Ye Ruyi’s brows with precision.
The dull-colored Lightning Fire Needle briefly glowed with a dazzling red and green light.
Ye Jiuge’s pupils dilated. She had never thought that this inconspicuous little sister of hers could be blessed with such luck. Su Yufeng must not know about Little Ruyi’s favorable attribute. Otherwise, she would not have allowed her to reach this age.
Tsk, tsk. Ye Jiuge smiled knowingly. At first, she had only wanted to extract False Dream from Fourth Sister and remove the Fifth Concubine and her daughter from this situation. However, she had unexpectedly discovered this shocking information. She could use it to smack Su Yufeng on her face until it was swollen. However, whether she revealed Little Ruyi’s favorable attribute depended on whether the Fifth Concubine was worthy of her trust.
At this time, the Fifth Concubine was also extremely conflicted. Although she did not want to betray Ye Jiuge, she was afraid that the Madame would kill her and her daughter. Whenever she felt sad and afraid, she could not stop herself from crying.
Nevertheless, she knew that she would not be able to escape death, even if she helped the Madame frame Ye Jiuge. If that was the case, she was willing to take her chances.
She had heard that the Eldest Miss had undergone so tremendous a change in personality after returning from the Wanzhang Depths that not even Su Yufeng dared to cause her trouble. Perhaps, the Eldest Miss could save her and her daughter.
After the Fifth Concubine made her decision, she ran into the house without extinguis.h.i.+ng the fire. With a sound, she plopped herself into a kneeling posture in front of Ye Jiuge and sobbed, “Eldest Miss, I beg you, save Fourth Miss, please!”
She came clean about how Su Yufeng had ordered someone to force her daughter to ingest poison as well as threatened her to frame Ye Jiuge.
“Since you have told me about the scheme, aren’t you afraid that the Madame will harm you?” Ye Jiuge raised her eyebrow. She wanted to test the Fifth Concubine’s resolution.
“It is impossible to ask someone as wicked as her to act against her own interests. Since I will die eventually, it is better to take a leap of faith.”
A determined expression flashed across the Fifth Concubine’s delicate face. As a mother, she would not waver from her decision. For the sake of her daughter, even the most docile rabbit could become a fierce beast.
Ye Jiuge smiled with satisfaction. She said, “Fifth Concubine, please do not worry. Fourth Sister has merely ingested the Mind-calming Powder.”
“How is that possible?” The Fifth Concubine would not believe that Su Yufeng would be so benevolent as to deceive her by pretending that the Mind-calming Powder was poison.
Ye Jiuge said, “Do you not trust what I have told you?”
The Fifth Concubine studied Ye Jiuge’s calm expression. She considered how she had suddenly appeared so late at night understanding everything.
Pang, pang, pang. The Fifth Concubine pounded her head against the floor and said repeatedly, “You have my utmost grat.i.tude, Eldest Miss. You have my utmost grat.i.tude, Eldest Miss.”
“Fifth Concubine, you need not be so polite with me.” Ye Jiuge reached out and helped her up. “You will experience good fortune in the future.”
“I do not hope for any good fortune. As long as the Fourth Miss can live a smooth and steady life until her old age, I will be content.” The Fifth Concubine wiped her tears away. It was her fault for being so useless that she had given birth to a child with such a weak body.
“It is not up to you to refuse this good fortune. You must not be aware that, actually, the Fourth Sister…” Ye Jiuge lowered her voice and informed the Fifth Concubine about the favorable attribute she had discovered.
The Fifth Concubine’s eyes widened abruptly. She stared at Ye Jiuge in disbelief, and her voice trembled as she spoke, “Is this true? You-Are you lying to me?”
“Why would I fabricate such a thing?” Ye Jiuge smiled.
“Wu, wu, wu. I should have known that G.o.d would not forsake us. He would not allow other people to walk over my daughter and me for the rest of our lives.” The Fifth Concubine did not know whether to laugh or cry; it was as if her entire person had descended into madness.
Ye Jiuge understood her rollercoaster feelings of deep despair soaring immediately into extreme elation. She waited quietly to the side while the Fifth Concubine vented all her emotions.
After the Fifth Concubine calmed down, she realized that she had forgotten her manners. She said sheepishly, “Please excuse my reaction, Eldest Miss.”
“Don’t worry about it!” Ye Jiuge waved it away. She said, “However, I am afraid that Su Yufeng will not allow Fourth Sister to get away with such a favorable attribute. Fifth Concubine, if you want to ensure Fourth Sister’s safety, you must follow my instructions.”
“Eldest Miss, please instruct me without hesitation. Even if what you ask me to do is extremely challenging, I am not afraid,” said the Fifth Concubine with emotion.
“You should do this tomorrow…” Ye Jiuge lowered her voice and briefed the Fifth Concubine about her plans. In the end, she said, “As long as you do what I told you, I can guarantee that, in the Ye Residence, no one will dare bully you or your daughter.”
“Do not worry, Eldest Miss. I will certainly follow your orders.” Vindictiveness flitted across the Fifth Concubine’s eyes.
In the past, she’d had no way to stand up to Su Yufeng. All she could do to save her skin was put up with the oppression. But, when she became capable, she would certainly wreak vengeance on Su Yufeng as retaliation for all the pain and suffering that her daughter had endured.