Chapter 16
Madam Pei suddenly looked up. "Herbal medicine? What herbal medicine?"
She raised her eyes to signal to Nurse Li beside her. Nurse Li hurried into the room and brought out the brocade box containing the deer antler. Opening it, they found it truly empty.
Madam Pei’s face turned pale. Nurse Li also looked bloodless, angrily scolding the servants inside the room, "Which wretched servant dares to steal from me?"
“It was...” The reporting maid hesitated and glanced at Pei Yun, “I heard it was Zhao Fu from the Second Master’s courtyard.”
Madam Pei’s eyes widened in shock for a moment, then she cautiously asked, “Are you sure there was no mistake?”
“Servant...” The maid was uncertain, “I don’t know Zhao Fu personally; I only heard others in the household mention him...”
Pei Yun asked, “Where is he now?”
“The house guards have tied him up. Sister Shuyan doesn’t know what to do and sent me to ask for your instructions, madam.”
Madam Pei leaned back in her armchair, rubbing the string of Bodhi beads in her hand, frowning deeply. Yet her initial fury had faded. Clearing her throat, she spoke softly, “In my opinion, family scandals should not be spread outside. Besides, His Highness the Crown Prince is still in the residence. It’s better to put this matter aside for now and deal with it after the Crown Prince leaves.”
“Grandmother is right,” Pei Yun said seriously, “But this matter is different. After all, the servant stole the herbal medicine bestowed by His Highness. If we don’t deal with it promptly and give the Crown Prince an explanation, I fear that if His Highness finds out later, he will be angry.”
Pei Wei listened quietly nearby.
Putting aside grandmother’s personal feelings, she also thought it best not to handle it for the time being. But hearing her elder sister speak so, she quickly agreed, “Yes, grandmother, we mustn’t let His Highness think that the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion disregards the gifts he bestows.”
Madam Pei was naturally timid and fearful of trouble, afraid of angering the Crown Prince and bringing punishment. Hearing their words, her expression wavered somewhat.
Pei Yun continued, “Right now, Second Uncle and the others are still with His Highness. Grandmother could take this opportunity to order a severe punishment for that servant. Along with those who did dirty work behind the scenes, even if His Highness finds out, at least there will be an explanation. What do you think, grandmother?”
Madam Pei thought for a long moment, then nodded, “Very well, as you say.”
She then glanced at Nurse Li, who understood immediately and followed the maid downstairs.
About half an hour later, the maid hurriedly returned. She reported that Zhao Fu refused to accept punishment, shouting that it was Second Madam who had instructed him. He claimed she even bribed Nurse Li to give him the herbal medicine. Upon hearing this, Second Madam rushed over and threatened to beat Zhao Fu to death, but Sister Shuyan stopped her.
Sister Shuyan didn’t know how to handle the matter and was bringing people here now.
Not long after the maid finished speaking, a group of seven or eight people entered the main room.
Zhao Fu was forced to kneel on the floor. Sister Shuyan presented a rough wooden box, bowed to everyone, and briefly explained the situation.
Inside the box was a bundle of red silk, within which the deer antler was wrapped.
Perhaps in haste, the red silk had been taken directly from the original box, and one corner bore a distinct plum blossom seal. This was placed there by Pei Yun, who had specially instructed Sheng Xi to stamp it when storing the Crown Prince’s belongings.
Zhao Fu had no grounds to deny it.
Madam Wang’s eyes were red. Pei Qian, freshly dressed and groomed, stood beside her. She rushed forward impatiently and said to Madam Pei, “Mother, don’t listen to his lies. It was all his own wrongdoing; I had nothing to do with it.”
Nurse Li also knelt down with a thud, shouting that she was innocent.
Madam Pei’s expression was extremely unpleasant. The two people she trusted most were now accused of colluding to steal her property and deceive her.
“Madam, the servant is not lying. Without Second Madam’s instructions, I would never dare steal from you. This isn’t the first time. The deer antler and that century-old ginseng you received from the Crown Princess were switched and sold by Second Madam in collaboration with Nurse Li,” Zhao Fu said.
Having torn ties with his mistress, Zhao Fu had nothing to hide. He spilled all of Madam Wang’s misdeeds at once.
Madam Pei’s face darkened. Everyone present, except Pei Yun, looked surprised. They never expected Madam Wang to be a habitual offender.
Madam Wang was so angry her voice trembled, “You wretched servant! Who told you to slander me like this?”
“Mother, your daughter-in-law did not do this. Why would I do such a thing? You know I have always been filial to you,” Pei Qian said.
Madam Pei frowned in silence.
Zhao Fu went on, “Madam, think about it. The herbal medicine was stored by Nurse Li after it was bestowed. If she hadn’t personally handed it to me, how could I have gotten it so easily? And Second Madam, she claimed to prepare the medicine herself and urged you to take it, but in truth, she wanted to prevent you from discovering the deer antler was replaced with an inferior product. It was a ploy to destroy the evidence...”
At this, Madam Pei’s sharp gaze suddenly shot at Madam Wang. “Madam Wang, I have turned a blind eye to your petty thefts before, but I never imagined you would dare steal from me. The Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion feeds and shelters you, yet you are so greedy?”
“Mother, mother...” Madam Wang wanted to argue further, when suddenly a figure stepped forward and knelt beside her. “Grandmother, please calm down. Mother had no choice. It was because of brother’s debts; she was forced into it...”
Pei Qian’s words only confirmed Madam Wang’s theft. Enraged, Madam Wang struck her daughter hard. “Qian’er! You wicked girl, stop talking nonsense!”
Pei Qian flinched but still said, “Grandmother, brother owes hundreds of taels in gambling debts. The creditors threatened that if the debts weren’t paid today, they would come to cause trouble. If that happens, the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion will lose all face and become the laughingstock of the capital. Besides, His Highness is still here. Mother had no money on hand, so she took your herbal medicine to sell in desperation...”
Madam Wang’s mind raced, and she immediately prostrated herself at Madam Pei’s feet.
“Mother,” she cried, “It was because of Brother Chi. Those people tricked him into gambling. He was careless and ended up with huge debts. Your daughter-in-law had no other choice...”
She wept uncontrollably, seemingly truly helpless and full of grievance.
Laughably, Madam Pei’s expression actually softened slightly. “You fool! When trouble arises, why don’t you come to me? Brother Chi is my grandson too. How could I not help him?”
“Mother has been unwell lately. Your daughter-in-law wouldn’t dare trouble you with such matters,” Madam Wang sobbed even harder.
After scolding Madam Wang, Madam Pei sighed deeply and looked at Pei Yun. “Your Second Aunt’s actions were out of necessity, not selfishness. Your Second Brother is simple-minded and was easily deceived. As for the Crown Prince, dealing with Zhao Fu and Nurse Li should suffice as an explanation...”
Nurse Li, kneeling below, suddenly felt weak in the knees. She knew her mistress was ruthless but had not expected such cold-heartedness. To protect Madam Wang, she showed no concern for her own fate.
Pei Yun’s expression remained composed, but inwardly she sneered.
She knew her grandmother was biased, but never imagined it was to such an extreme.
Perhaps because Pei Chian was the grandson she had seen grow up, compared to the elder branch’s grandchildren, she had always favored him, spoiling him beyond reason.
Simple-minded?
What a joke. Since Pei Chian arrived in the capital, he drank and caroused daily, neglecting his duties. Two years after her past life, her grandmother had already passed away, unaware that her “simple and kind” grandson had bullied and forced a respectable young woman to death. Someone had taken advantage of this to stir up trouble, spreading the scandal all over the capital.
If Pei Chian hadn’t suddenly fallen into the water drunk and drowned, it would have caused great trouble for the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion and for her.
“Pfft.”
In such a solemn atmosphere, a laugh sounded abruptly.
The laugher was unabashed and said, “Grandmother is quite the joker. This time the theft was to pay gambling debts. Does that mean the last time and the time before that were the same? Second Brother isn’t simple; he’s just foolish. That’s why he keeps getting tricked. And I suppose those gambling houses are all holding knives to his throat, forcing him to gamble. He had no choice, unwilling but helpless...”
Pei Wei had always been like this. She could never stand her grandmother’s favoritism toward Second Uncle’s family and was now speaking out freely.
Madam Pei’s gaze cut like a knife, clearly showing her displeasure.
Her eldest son was dull but at least filial. How had his children grown up so undisciplined and disrespectful?
She scowled and coldly looked at Pei Yun, demanding a clear answer.
Pei Yun hesitated, her face troubled. “Grandmother, if I were not so heartless, I would let this go. But Second Aunt’s actions were truly excessive. We don’t know how many precious herbs she has stolen from you. I cannot let it go unpunished.”
Seeing Pei Yun unwilling to relent, Madam Wang cried out again, “Your Highness, we are family. If you insist on pursuing this to the end, will you force our family to ruin?”
Her tone was self-righteous, as if Pei Yun was being unreasonable.
Madam Pei’s voice darkened. “Yun’er, enough. Your Second Aunt knows she was wrong. We are family; we must support each other in the future. Besides, I am not holding it against her. What are you making such a fuss for?”
Pei Yun quietly observed the harmonious scene between grandmother and daughter-in-law and curled her lips.
“Very well,” she said calmly, “Since grandmother is so magnanimous, I shall let it go. As for Second Aunt poisoning grandmother, I shall pretend I never knew...”