Chapter Seventeen: Vomiting Blood

  Returned to the mansion, I hurried to He Xiang Yuan to pay respects to Old Madam. Old Madam sat on the couch with a dignified expression. Under Wang Mom's guidance, I entered the inner room and respectfully paid my greetings. Old Madam said calmly, "You've come, sit down."

  "I followed the old lady's standard and completed the ceremony without a hitch, then sat down and said 'Grandmother, have you been feeling well lately? I saw that the peach blossoms in your courtyard are blooming vigorously, it's quite a sight. So I had someone pick some and bring them over."

  "Xue Er has grown up, and Grandmother's body is not as good as it used to be. Unbeknownst to me, spring has already arrived. I see that the flowers you chose are pretty. Yu Er is also a careless girl, you should go visit her when you have time, and I will ask Wang Mama to bring more nourishing food for her. After all, Xue Er is lucky to be favored by the Empress Dowager, so she must pay attention to her words and actions in the future. As the eldest daughter of the family, your mother is also useless, letting several concubines bully her, you should learn to manage the household early, and spend more time learning from your mother."

  "Yes, Xue'er knows that Big Sister should be awake today. She'll go see her in a bit. Don't worry, Old Lady. Granddaughter understands."

  "Alright, you can go now, just wait for your brother to come back."

  "Yes, old madam, granddaughter takes her leave."

  The old lady waved at me, and I respectfully retreated. She ordered the people below to prepare some nourishing products and brought them to the Listening Rain Pavilion. Before reaching the door, a heart-wrenching cry was heard from inside. I hooked my mouth, lowered my head, and put on a sad expression again, walking in.

  Chrysanthemum Qing saw a flash of surprise in my eyes, thinking that the second young lady's temper was getting worse and worse, and this was something she had brought upon herself. So she smiled and said: "The second young lady has arrived, the eldest young lady just took her medicine and is now resting, would you like to go in and sit for a bit?"

  Pang Luo Xue didn't miss the unspoken meaning in Ju Qing's eyes, and Cong Zhi wasn't around. Pang Luo Yu was indeed promoted quickly. I walked through the beaded curtain into the inner chamber, where Pang Luo Yu lay half-reclined on the bed, her black hair scattered across the bed, her pale face making her lips appear even redder, as if blood might drip from them. Her hands were bandaged, and it seemed she was truly crippled, a pain that pierced my heart. Pang Luo Yu, I've repaid you in this life.

  "Sister, are you doing well? Little sister has come to visit you and brought many supplements and gifts."

  Pang Luoyu, who was lying on the bed, opened her eyes and stared at me with red eyes, "Xue'er, why did you harm me? Why did you embroider peonies? You clearly said it was peonies, why did you harm me?" Pang Luoyu asked tearfully. She wasn't a fool either, on that day in Yang's room, Yang had clearly said it was peony. The jade pendant could be discussed later, but the embroidery matter couldn't be ignored, she had to ask clearly who wanted to harm her.

  Xue Er lowered her head and said in a wronged tone: "Mother painted the peony and peony competing to bloom, but I didn't match the colors well, only embroidered the peony flower. But that night, my sister took it away, didn't she see? With my sister's intelligence, she should be able to tell the difference between the two. In the end, it's all because of Cong Zhi's carelessness in putting the wrong brocade box. Otherwise, with my sister's embroidery skills, how could she use my embroidered product? Could it be that my sister deliberately wanted to use her younger sister's as a substitute?"

  Pang Luo Yu's face changed instantly, and she naturally couldn't let Pang Luo Xue know that she was actually jealous of her talent. So, with a forced smile, she said: "Sister, I was just confused and heartbroken earlier, so I spoke nonsense and suspected you. I hope you can forgive me for the sake of our sisterly relationship. From now on, I won't be able to play the zither or do needlework anymore." After saying this, she began to cry uncontrollably.

  I looked at him with a pitiful expression, and my heart suddenly felt amused, yet I showed a sympathetic face: "Sister is very pitiful, it's all Congzhi's fault. Father and mother have already punished him. It's expected that she won't appear in front of sister again, making sister unhappy. Today, I came to cook a bowl of nourishing medicine, this medicine has the effect of activating blood and dissolving stasis, all are top-grade medicinal materials. Xue'er, come feed sister."

  "Little sister's intention has been understood by big sister, so just leave this medicine there for now, I'll drink it later."

  "Sister is saying that she won't forgive me for not coming out to acknowledge the embroidery as mine earlier. Sister's attitude makes me uneasy. While speaking, I couldn't help but shed tears and said, 'Sister doesn't want to forgive Xue Er.' Then I'll go to Father and Mother to apologize."

  Pang Luo Yu saw me making a move to get up and quickly said: I'll drink, how can I not drink? It's just that I have some inconvenience, so I'll trouble sister to feed me.

  This is natural, sister rest assured, younger sister will be careful to serve the medicine for her sister. Pang Luoyu smiled slightly.

  I picked up the medicine bowl and fed Pan Luoyu spoonful by spoonful, watching her wrinkle her brow in distaste at the bitterness of the medicine. My heart felt a thrill of satisfaction, but my face grew even more sympathetic. As soon as she finished drinking the last mouthful of medicine, I immediately ordered someone to prepare honeyed fruit preserves. I instructed Juqing to bring over an embroidered stool and sit down in front of her bed, pretending nonchalance as I said, "Third sister hasn't come to visit older sister recently, has she? Now Fourth Madame is getting more and more favored - yesterday when Father forbade Fourth Madame from leaving the house, he gave the hairpin that older sister had picked out in the warehouse to Fourth Madame to wear for good luck. Older sister still feels guilty about this time being granted the title of County Princess thanks to her own good fortune. Today I came to visit older sister and also to apologize to her on behalf of my sister. I hope older sister won't hold it against Xue'er."

  Although Pang Luo Yu had heard earlier that Pang Luo Xue was conferred as a county princess, she had already vented her anger. Fortunately, Wang Yiniang analyzed it for her and persuaded her to endure, so she tolerated the jealousy that gnawed at her heart. However, hearing about it from others and hearing it with one's own ears are two different things. Especially now, when she heard that Pang Luo Xue became a county princess because of herself, she felt like dying on the spot. Despite her efforts to endure, she gritted her teeth in anger. Her father didn't come to see her but gave his beloved concubine to Fourth Yiniang, that singing girl, and wanted to put her in what position? Moreover, earlier Pang Luo Yu had fed her many nourishing medicines, which made her heart feel like it was being attacked, and her eyes began to twitch. The maid beside her, Ju Qing, was frightened and hurriedly sent someone to call Wang Yiniang and the doctor.

  With a puff, a mouthful of blood spurted out. It seemed that Pang Luoyu's injury was not light. On her face, she had to pretend to be sad and anxious, saying "Sister, sister, what's wrong with you? Don't scare me." Her eyes squeezed out a few tears.

  Wang Yiniang rushed over with the doctor, her face full of anxiety. Wang Yiniang saw that Pang Luoyu had already fainted on the bed. The bloodstains on her chest were evident, and she burst into tears, anxiously waiting for the doctor to diagnose while scolding Juqing "How did you take care of Xiaojie? She was fine when I left, now look at her! You're all useless!"

  Ju Qing was frightened, looked up at me with a glance and knelt on the ground trembling: "The eldest miss was originally fine, but after the second miss came, she talked to the eldest miss for a while and fed her medicine, that's why it became like this."

  The queen mother looked at me and said, "Nonsense! The second young lady has always been close to the elder sister. Are you saying that the second young lady gave the elder sister something she shouldn't drink? Even if the elder sister doesn't punish you, I won't let you off!"

  Pang Luoxue looked at Wang Yiniang with a hypocritical expression, and couldn't help but feel nauseous. She said discontentedly: "Yiniang, this is probably because Xue'er brought something she shouldn't have for sister to drink. Today the doctor is here, and the medicine bowl is still here. Let's have the doctor examine it now, so we won't be affected by those cheap maids' gossip."

  "Doctor, come and take a look"

  The doctor picked up the bowl, smelled it and said that this is a good tonic and nothing bad has been added to it.

  The queen mother frowned, really didn't have one?

  "There is indeed none, I have been a doctor for decades, this small matter will certainly not be mistaken."

  The king's wife couldn't help it, so she smiled and said, "I'm also worried that there's no suspicion of the second lady's intention. Ji Qing, you made a mistake, and you're still provoking the relationship between the eldest and second ladies, speak up."

  Pang Luoxue watched the two servants performing, and said faintly, "Since sister is seriously ill, I won't disturb her rest. Recently, Father has been going to Fourth Aunt and Third Aunt's places a lot, so Wang Aunt can also take care of Sister properly. Also looking forward to Sister recovering soon." Xue'er bid farewell.

  He didn't look at Wang's wife's tangled face anymore and walked out.

  Wang Yiniang lowered her head and slapped a palm at Juqing, hitting him squarely on the cheek, causing fresh blood to spurt from his mouth.

  Not yet out of the Listening Rain Pavilion, I heard Wang's wife's severe scolding. Although I didn't put anything else in the medicine, with the strong tonic and anger attacking my heart, I'm afraid it won't be possible not to vomit blood. Well, sister, you'd better lie down on the bed and rest, which can save me a lot of trouble.