Chapter 76 Surging Undercurrents
Su Muge lifted her foot and kicked his wrist, making the stick fall to the ground.
“Since he has stolen your things, report to the officials. I believe the government will look into this. You’d better be prepared to explain clearly where the money was placed, what it looked like, when it was lost and when it was stolen by him, as well as where is the stolen money now. If you can’t tell, don’t blame the official for being rude to you!”
Hearing her words, Old Third Zhang turned surly. “Who are you, little b.i.t.c.h? Get out of here! Or I’ll hit you as well!”
Old Third Zhang raised the stick in his hand and slammed towards Su Muge. Just as the hidden secret guards wanted to stand out, Old Third Zhang had been covering his eyes and rolling on the ground in pain the next moment.
Secret guard A asked, “When did she take the action?”
Secret guard B shook his head. “I didn’t see it!”
Su Muge leisurely clapped her hands and stepped forward to look at the boy who was still lying on the ground.
“Can you get up?”
The boy stared at Su Muge in a daze, wondering how she had beaten down Old Third Zhang in a flash.
The boy gritted his teeth and nodded, and then stood up with Su Muge’s help.
Seeing no more fun to watch, the onlookers all dismissed.
“I’ll take you to the clinic.”
Su Muge helped him go towards the clinic, but the boy was unwilling to move.
“It’s OK. Thank you for saving me, Miss, I’ll repay you whatever I have to do.”
Looking at the boy’s thin body, Su Muge smiled softly. “OK.”
Hearing her reply, the boy was stunned for a while, as if he hadn’t expected Su Muge to agree.
“Just tell me when you’ll repay me?”
This question made the boy stunned again.
Seeing his expression, Su Muge deliberately raised her eyebrows with a perfectly straight face. “Why? Are you just saying?”
The boy’s face turned extremely red. “Of course not!”
Looking at his face, Su Muge ceased teasing him again. “Since you don’t want to go to the clinic, I’ll send you back.”
The boy wanted to refuse, but he was so painful that he had to agree.
“Thank you very much, Miss.”
The two crossed the bustling street and walked into a narrow alley. At the end of the alley was a dilapidated house, the door of which was just a corroded door panel.
As soon as Su Muge helped the boy into the house, she smelled a faint taste of medicine in the room.
Although this boy was thin, he was strong and healthy. So, there must be someone else in the room.
“Brother?” A gentle and soft voice came from inside, and an emaciated figure pushed open the door and came out.
“How did you get up? You are still unwell. Go back and lie down.” The boy said anxiously.
“He is your younger brother? How old is he?”
The boy nodded. “Yes. He’s Cheng Cheng and is eleven years old.”
Su Muge looked towards Cheng Cheng, who had a morbid sallow complexion.
Cheng Cheng sensibly opened the door to let Su Muge in and poured her a cup of water with the only teacup in their house.
“Sister, have some water.”
The room was only equipped with a shabby wooden bed and a worn-out table with most paint peeled off.
The boy stood aside with some restraints. “Miss, it’s too shabby here. You’d better go home now. Rest a.s.sured that I’ll keep my promise.”
Su Muge didn’t hurry away. She saved this boy not entirely out of pity; she did need someone at her command outside.
“I’ll help you cure your brother’s disease, but you’ll be my followers in the future, will you?” A servitude indenture didn’t mean that Su Muge thought them inferior to her; it should be regarded as an employment contract.
“Miss, you mean you can cure my brother’s disease?” The boy Cheng Ran’s eyes were suddenly full of hope.
“Yes.”
Cheng Ran pulled Cheng Cheng to kneel down in front of Su Muge. “As long as you can cure my brother’s disease, Miss, I’m willing to do anything for you.”
“Good.”
After Su Muge took Cheng Cheng’s pulse, she wrote a prescription and left 10 Liang to them before leaving the alley.
It was already sunset when she returned to Su Mansion.
Hardly had Su Muge entered Su Mansion when Xia Hourui’s imperial edict arrived.
Although it was only a dictated instruction, it was enough to make Su Lun feel honored and glorious.
Eunuch Yi asked the people behind him to bring a box up.
“It’s sent by the Emperor to Miss Su.”
a.s.suming that the box was a gift for Su Muge, Su Lun stepped forward smilingly to stuff a purse to Eunuch Yi. “Thank Your Majesty. And thank you for coming over, Eunuch Yi.”
Eunuch Yi accepted the purse calmly and replied with a mild and peaceful att.i.tude, “Miss Su, you’d better stay at home these days. The Emperor may summon you at any time.”
“Yes.” Su Muge replied lightly. Hearing that she had to be on call, she felt it really troublesome.
After Eunuch Yi left, Su Lun asked to carry the box into the main hall.
Since the imperial edict had to be announced in the presence of the whole mansion, An glanced at the box maliciously with a smirk. “My Lord, I wonder what the Emperor has sent to our eldest Miss.”
“The reward of the Emperor must be extraordinary.” Su Lun said with a straight face and immediately asked to open the wooden box.
A maid stepped forward, unlocked the wooden box, and opened it.
“Ah!”
The moment the box was opened, the maid fell to the ground with a terrified face.
“Stop making a fuss!” An rebuked with displeasure and stepped forward for a look out of curiosity.
“Ah!”
The next moment, she let out a sharp scream.
“Madam!” Li Mama hurriedly came up to support her.
Su Muge slightly stretched her neck and looked towards the box.
A pair of hideous b.l.o.o.d.y hands were lying inside; the bright red blood had infiltrated the white cloth in the box and a disgusting b.l.o.o.d.y smell permeated the air. Seeing this, Su Lun couldn’t help putting on a grave look.
“What are you waiting for? Hurry to close it and throw it away!”
Su Muge took a sip of the tea and said calmly, “Father, don’t forget this is from the Emperor. Bury it somewhere.”
The Emperor was warning her not to reveal anything to anyone, including her family. If not, Zhang Yue’s hands wouldn’t have been sent to Su Mansion.
Several servants immediately came in, closed the box and lifted it out.
After returning to Peachblossom Courtyard, Su Muge wrote a prescription and handed it to Yueru.
“Give it to My Lord. He knows what to do.”
Yueru took the list, nodded and left Peachblossom Courtyard.
Su Muge took out the blood samples taken from Xia Hourui and poured them respectively into three porcelain dishes.
After closing the door, she began to be absorbed in studying the poison of Xia Hourui.
…
An returned to her courtyard in a bad mood. As soon as she entered her room, she saw Su Jingwen sitting in the room with a straight face.
Recently, Su Jingwen had been struggling to join the circle of n.o.ble ladies in the capital, for which An had also made great efforts. Su Jingwen had attended Meng Shushu’s birthday party earlier this morning and had just come back.
Previously, Meng Changde, Master of Hanlin Academy, sent Old Lady Meng to their old mansion for recuperation. Soon after the Su family went to the capital, Meng Changde and the eldest Madam Meng also returned to the capital. As the eldest daughter-in-law in the Meng family, the eldest Madam Meng should have stayed to take care of Old Lady Meng; but because the young masters and ladies of Meng had all been at the marriageable age, Old Lady Meng asked Meng Changde to bring them all to the capital and arrange a good engagement for them.
“You’re back. Have you had a good time in Meng Mansion today?”
Su Jingwen snorted and lifted her foot to kick away the wooden stool beside her.
Upon seeing this, An winked at Li Mama who knowingly led the maids to retreat.
An didn’t ask Su Jingwen anything but walked to the couch slowly and sat down.
Seeing An ignoring her, Su Jingwen couldn’t help coming over and sitting down next to her.
“Mother, aren’t you worried about your status of Madam An being taken away?!”
Hearing this, An put on a grave look.
“Why? After getting irritated outside, you’re venting your anger on your mother?!”
Seeing that An was to lose her temper, Su Jingwen softened her tone and dropped her att.i.tude.
“Mother, I’m so anxious for you! You can’t imagine what the people in Meng Mansion have said today. I’m inferior to that little b.i.t.c.h? Yuck! How dare she be compared with me!?”
It turned out that Meng Tiantian had said plenty of good words for Su Muge at the birthday party of Meng Shushu since the Meng family felt indebted to Su Muge. In addition, Su Muge had won the Emperor’s commendation not long ago, so some people would naturally echo.
Their words made Su Jingwen really uncomfortable; she always felt that those people had deliberately compared her with Su Muge.
Su Jingwen retold their words to An exaggeratedly, which made An even angrier.
“The most annoying thing is that even the eldest Master Meng spoke highly of that b.i.t.c.h. What is so good about her? She just got some medical skills!”
Now Su Muge had won the apprentice of Deputy Director Chen in the Palace. If it was known to all, Su Muge would surely oppress them severely!
Seeing An had no intention to speak, Su Jingwen could only continue with her teeth gritted, “Mother, you also know that little b.i.t.c.h is in luck now. Do you think the old b.i.t.c.h is still willing to stay in the corner honestly as before? She has the eldest son of Su with her now!”
Su Jingwen’s words. .h.i.t the Achilles heel of An. Even though Su Lun had been sleeping in her room most of the time over the years, she couldn’t get pregnant again.
It was an indelible pain for her to have no son.
“What the h.e.l.l do you want to say?”
“Mother, if we don’t destroy them, our life will only be tougher in the future. How many times has father been to Peachblossom Courtyard these days? !”
An was a little appetent; however, the incident in Luoyin Temple had made her vigilant. If Zhao and Su Muge had any accidents again, Su Lun might suspect her a second time.
“Mother, are you afraid of being discovered afterwards? I have a good idea to ensure that no one will suspect us.”
An glanced at her. “Tell me.”
Su Jingwen rolled her eyes and whispered in An’s ear.