Chapter 88

Chapter 88: I've Never Seen It When Ling Jiayue saw that Madam Chen had woken up, she said with a smile, “Concubine Chen, you’re awake. We’re trying to find out why Sister Yuwan had her accident. Guess what? It was caused by the scent of this sachet.” Seeing this, Madam Chen was afraid that the truth would be exposed, and she became even more flustered. Speaking without thinking, she said, “Yuwan asked for this sachet out of kindness for your sake. What problem could it possibly have?” “Oh? Yuwan asked for it ‘out of kindness’ for my sake?” Ling Jiayue said with a smile. Seeing that Ling Jiayue seemed to be implying something, Madam Chen grew even more panicked. She immediately threw her arms around Madam Liu’s leg and cried, “Madam, my poor Yuwan! She’ll never be able to stand again! And Miss Ling still suspects Yuwan. How are we supposed to go on?” Seeing Madam Chen clinging only to Madam Liu’s leg and wailing, a trace of mockery flashed through Ling Jiayue’s eyes, but her tone grew even gentler. “Concubine Chen, what are you doing? We’re trying to find out why Sister Yuwan suffered this calamity. Your crying and sobbing is only making the Ling Residence lose face.” After listening to the exchange between Ling Jiayue and Madam Chen, Madam Liu seemed to understand something. After all, she had grown up in a deep household herself. Although the matter was not yet clear, she agreed with Ling Jiayue. Madam Liu immediately scolded Madam Chen, “Why are you crying and sobbing like this? You’re only making the Prime Minister’s Residence lose face. Get up first and wipe away your tears. The most important matter right now is Yuwan. Everything else can wait.” After being thoroughly reprimanded by Madam Liu, Madam Chen stood up with red-rimmed eyes and replied, “Your concubine behaved improperly. I hope Madam will forgive me.” Madam Liu merely snorted before turning to speak gently to the imperial physician. “Imperial Physician, thank you for your trouble this time. The Ling family will remember your kindness. You have our gratitude.” The imperial physician hurriedly waved his hands and said that Madam was being too courteous. Seeing that the matter had more or less been brought to light, Mama Wan prepared to return and report to the Empress. Madam Liu, however, called out, “Mama Wan, please wait.” “Madam Ling, what is it?” “Our family has suffered a misfortune, and such a thing has happened. I hope you can inform the Empress that your concubine wishes to take the children home first. Since something like this has happened in our household, we must return and take care of it,” Madam Liu said apologetically. “Please rest assured, Madam Ling. I will certainly inform the Empress.” Mama Wan bowed, then turned and went back to report to the Empress. Madam Liu instructed the servants to settle Ling Yuwan in the carriage they had taken there. Unable to put her daughter out of her mind, Madam Chen followed her as well. Mama Wan reported Ling Yuwan’s situation to the Empress. Empress Su Wanrong sighed. “Such a fine child, and this happened to her. How pitiful. Forget it. Send them back to the residence first. After something like this, the young masters and young ladies of the Ling family surely have no heart to attend the banquet.” “Yes, Empress.” Having received her orders, Mama Wan left. On the other side, after Madam Liu received the Empress’s permission, she led Ling Jiayue and Ling Jiayue’s group back to the residence. Several carriages carrying the large group from the Ling Residence departed from Mulan Horse Ranch. When Seventh Prince Mu Yuheng saw Ling Jiayue and the others preparing to leave, he gave Feng Yan a meaningful glance. Feng Yan immediately went to arrange for the secret guards to protect Ling Jiayue. Murong Xi had originally intended to arrange secret guards as well when he saw Ling Jiayue leaving. But when he turned around, he saw Chu Chaoci seemingly looking at him. Murong Xi felt a chill run through him and abandoned the thought of attempting to assassinate Ling Jiayue again. Thus, Ling Jiayue, Madam Liu, and the others traveled in several carriages all the way from Mulan Horse Ranch back to the Prime Minister’s Residence. Ling Taian was resting at home when he suddenly heard the steward report that Madam and the young ladies had returned. Calculating the time, he realized that it was not yet time for the peach-blossom banquet to end. Fearing that something had happened, Ling Taian hurried out of the courtyard to receive Ling Jiayue and the others. As soon as Ling Taian entered the main hall, he saw Madam Liu, Ling Jiayue, and the others returning. Before he had a chance to ask what had happened, he saw the servants carrying Ling Yuwan inside on a stretcher. Although Ling Yuwan’s wounds had been bandaged in the carriage on the way home, traces of blood still seeped through. Seeing Ling Yuwan in such a state, Ling Taian exclaimed in shock, “What happened? It’s a perfectly good peach-blossom banquet. Why is Yuwan covered in blood and being carried back?” Madam Liu sighed and told Ling Taian everything that had happened. The more Ling Taian listened, the more deeply he furrowed his brows. When he heard that Ling Yuwan’s accident had been caused by the sachet, he asked, “The sachet? What sachet?” Ling Jiayue untied the sachet from her person and handed it to Ling Taian. “Father, it’s this sachet.” Ling Taian asked doubtfully, “The sachet was on you. How could Yuwan have had an accident because of it?” Hearing this, Ling Jiayue smiled almost imperceptibly. “Yes, Father. I’m also very puzzled. Why did the sachet Sister Yuwan gave me make the horse go berserk as soon as I put it on?” Ling Taian was not a fool. After hearing Ling Jiayue’s words, his suspicions suddenly intensified. Madam Chen grew even more nervous. Ling Taian’s gaze moved back and forth between Ling Yuwan and Madam Chen, as though he wanted to question them about something. At that moment, Ling Yuwan woke up. “It hurts! It hurts so much! Mother, Yuwan hurts so much!” Ling Yuwan cried the moment she opened her eyes. Hearing this, Madam Chen’s heart ached. She hurried forward and took Ling Yuwan’s hand. “Good child, it doesn’t hurt anymore. Be good.” Ling Yuwan opened her eyes and looked around. When she realized that she was no longer at Mulan Horse Ranch but in the main hall of the Ling Residence, she looked up and saw Ling Taian. She began crying even harder. “Father, Yuwan hurts so much.” Ling Yuwan was Ling Taian’s biological daughter, after all. Seeing her in such pain, his heart ached as well, and he comforted her, “Good child, it doesn’t hurt anymore.” But at that moment, Ling Yuwan was both furious and resentful. She was furious because she had clearly intended to scheme against Ling Jiayue, yet had ended up in this state herself. She was resentful because Ling Jiayue was still perfectly fine, smiling and laughing as she looked at her, while she herself was lying on a stretcher. Ling Jiayue asked, “Sister, do you still remember how you fell from the horse?” Hearing this, Ling Yuwan looked up at Ling Jiayue—and saw Danyun at the same time. Without the slightest hesitation, Ling Yuwan said, “It was Danyun! Danyun picked the ferocious horse for me and caused me to fall!” “Is that really what happened?” Ling Taian asked. As soon as she heard this, Danyun knelt down and said, “This servant would never dare. The imperial physician has already reached a conclusion. It was the scent on Miss Yuwan’s body that stimulated the horse. The horse suddenly went berserk, causing Miss Yuwan to fall and be injured.” Ling Yuwan’s imposing manner weakened at once. Stammering, she said, “Sachet? What sachet? I’ve never seen it.”