Chapter 83

Chapter 83 Sui Jin was the maidservant assigned to Wan Linlang by the household. Upon hearing the word "illness," Xie Run couldn't help but think more deeply about it. "You came in the dead of night, saying you had something important to report?" It was Dantao who asked this. Sui Jin knelt on the ground and cut straight to the point: "Concubine Xie, Concubine Wan intends to harm you!" Xie Run merely raised an eyebrow slightly, showing no sign of alarm, and said calmly, "Do you have any evidence for what you're saying?" "Today, when Sui Yin went to fetch Concubine Wan's meal, someone secretly slipped medicinal powder into the sachet she was wearing. Concubine Wan has a keen nose and smelled it out." "She believes someone is trying to frame her at tomorrow's birthday banquet, so she's plotting to find an opportunity during the feast to frame you instead, Concubine Xie!" A hint of surprise flickered in Xie Run's eyes. "She's that confident?" Xie Run's belly was quite large now, and wherever she went, she was surrounded by people. For Concubine Wan to frame her in front of everyone, she would need to plant something on her person. It wasn't as if the people around her were dead! Sui Jin said: "Framing you is simply Concubine Wan's best option. After all, with so many people at the banquet, if worse came to worst, she could just pick anyone to plant it on." Dantao asked urgently, "What does the powder do?" She was more worried that Concubine Wan harbored malicious intentions to harm Xie Run's pregnancy. Sui Jin said, "From what I heard, it can make animals agitated and frenzied." Xiaoshu's gaze sharpened, and she immediately said, "Mistress, the Prince gifted Princess Ruyi a dog a few days ago. Princess Ruyi adores it and carries it with her everywhere." Dantao said nervously, "If the powder gets on you, Mistress, and that dog charges at you without restraint... This isn't just about framing you—this is clearly an attempt on your life!" "You and she have no grudges... Concubine Wan has such a venomous heart!" Xie Run had also been wondering why Concubine Wan would choose to plant the powder on her, but now she understood somewhat. Concubine Wan was currently pregnant, and to secure a future for the child in her belly, if she were to harm someone, she would naturally choose another pregnant woman as her target. The first choice would obviously be Fang Yuan'er. But Fang Yuan'er was currently under House Arrest and wouldn't attend the birthday banquet, so she had set her sights on Xie Run, who had been the most prominent figure lately. This matter was originally someone else's scheme to frame Wan Linlang, and Wan Linlang simply went along with it, planting the powder on Xie Run. If Xie Run came to no harm, she would still be stuck with a black mark against her name and would have to exhaust herself explaining the powder situation. If something did happen to Xie Run, then it would be Xie Run and the real culprit tearing each other apart, with no way to implicate Wan Linlang. Even if it were someone else, the situation would likely be the same. Xie Run smiled. "She really has it all figured out!" If not for Sui Jin's warning, she might well have become Wan Linlang's scapegoat. Xie Run asked, "Do you know who slipped the powder into Sui Yin's sachet?" Sui Jin shook her head. "I don't know. Concubine Wan hasn't been able to figure it out either." Xie Run took a deep breath and looked at Sui Jin. "You risked coming to tell me this in the middle of the night. I don't know how to thank you." Sui Jin suddenly knelt on the ground. "Please save this servant's life, Concubine Xie!" Xie Run frowned. "What do you mean by that?" Sui Jin raised her eyes, her hand gently touching her gaunt, sallow face. "This servant has always been healthy, but a little over half a month ago, I suddenly fell ill, and the illness has been getting worse and worse." A tear suddenly fell from her eye. "If I keep getting sicker, I might not even survive!" Xie Run thought for a moment. "Have you had the household physician look at your illness?" Sui Jin said bitterly, "Concubine Wan, to put on a show of being kind and virtuous, called the physician a few times for me. They all said this servant was just overworked and needed to rest properly." "But I rarely do heavy labor—how could I be overworked? During those days I lay in bed recuperating, I only grew weaker by the day." "She comes from a background as a medical woman—she has plenty of ways to make me disappear without a trace!" "This servant may be greedy and loose-tongued, but I have served her faithfully and diligently, never once thinking of betraying my mistress or harming anyone." Resentment flickered in Sui Jin's eyes. "Yet she wants my life!" "I don't want to die! That's why I came to beg Concubine Xie to save me!" She crawled closer on her knees, weeping piteously. "She's too cruel. I'm truly terrified!" "I dare not ask for much—I only beg Concubine Xie to get me out of Xiuyue Pavilion. Even if it means becoming a rough-work maid, I'd go willingly!" Xie Run had only known of Wan Linlang's cruelty through the plot in her mind. But now that she was actually witnessing her methods being used on someone close to her, she felt a chilling dread. Xie Run helped her up. "Tomorrow is Princess Ruyi's birthday banquet. If what you've said is true, you are my benefactor." "I will personally petition the Princess Consort to find you a good place." A gleam of excitement shone in Sui Jin's eyes as she kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead thudding against the floor. "This servant thanks Concubine Xie! This servant thanks Concubine Xie!" "Concubine Xie's great kindness, this servant would repay in the next life as a beast of burden." Xie Run felt a pang of sympathy and said to Xiaoshu and Dantao, "Help her up." Dantao supported Sui Jin and asked worriedly, "You slipped out in the middle of the night—how will you get back?" Sui Jin forced a bitter smile. "Everyone in Embroidery Moon Pavilion thinks I'm gravely ill and just waiting to be buried. No one would care where I go." "The snow is heavy on the road today, so I can't bring you anything back without drawing attention. I can only urge you to be careful." Xie Run let out a sigh. Sui Jin quickly said, "This servant only wishes to leave Embroidery Moon Pavilion as soon as possible. I dare not harbor any other extravagant hopes." After seeing Sui Jin off, Dantao asked Xie Run, "Mistress, do you think Sui Jin's words can be trusted?" Although what Sui Jin said didn't seem too problematic, what if there was some other possibility? Xie Run leaned back in her chair, idly pondering. "She should be trustworthy." "With time so short now, there's little we can do. We can only stay put and adapt as things come." "Remind the girls in Spring Mountain Courtyard to be extra cautious tomorrow." Xie Run didn't say anything more. Given Wan Linlang's nature, the illness afflicting Sui Jin was most likely caused by her medicine. What Wan Linlang probably never imagined was that this girl, sick unto death, would still find the strength to struggle up and turn the tables against her. Xie Run suddenly said, "Tomorrow, don't wear the outfit we prepared earlier. Change all the jewelry as well!" Dantao and Xiaoshu were quite startled. "Mistress..." Xie Run slowly closed her eyes. "Just in case." "No one can guarantee that someone hasn't tampered with things elsewhere." The two maids immediately nodded in agreement. To be cautious, Xie Run even swapped out the birthday gift she had prepared for Princess Ruyi at the last moment.