Ji Qingwu was frowning, deep in thought.
Seeing her sister's expression, Ji Qingrong's eyes welled with tears. To think that even her fifth sister, who specialized in treating female infertility, was at a loss.
"Perhaps I'm just fated to be childless."
A somber atmosphere lingered heavily in Ninghua Hall.
At lunchtime, though the table was laden with delicacies served on exquisite porcelain, the two sisters ate without tasting a thing.
A maid in cyan robes entered, walking softly. She carried a bowl of soup, which she placed beside Ji Qingrong, saying, "Madam, this is the black-bone chicken and lily bulb soup the Grand Dowager asked me to bring you. Please, drink it while it's hot."
Ji Qingrong looked listless, but she still roused herself to respond, "Zizhu, you're here. You're a bit late today."
Zizhu was her mother-in-law's head maid. She lowered her head and replied respectfully, "It's all this servant's fault for being delayed. I beg your forgiveness, Madam."
Seeing Ji Qingwu staring intently at her soup bowl, Ji Qingrong explained.
"My mother-in-law has gone to great lengths to help me conceive sooner. I've had these medicinal soups every single day since I joined the mansion. I'd feel odd if I went a day without drinking it."
Zizhu said, "The Grand Dowager is very concerned about Madam's health. Please drink the soup while it's hot."
Ji Qingwu looked at the soup in the bowl, her gaze darkening.
'She'd feel odd if she missed it for even a day?'
'It's hard not to suspect that something has been added to the soup.'
Ji Qingwu blinked and asked with feigned curiosity, "Older Sister, could I have a little of that soup? I'd love to try it."
Hearing this, Zizhu's expression changed. She raised her head nervously. "Madam, this soup…"
Ji Qingrong paid her no mind, simply pushing the porcelain bowl over to her sister.
"Since Mother said this soup can nourish the body and enrich the blood, there's no harm in letting Fifth Sister have some."
The soup was a creamy, golden-white, with a delicate layer of oil on its surface. It was clearly a rich essence, simmered for hours, and its fragrance was tantalizing.
Ji Qingwu picked up her spoon and took a sip. Her tongue was instantly met with the rich, savory flavor of chicken soup, but once she swallowed, a faint, clean bitterness remained.
"How does it taste?"
She narrowed her eyes and praised with a smile, "The soup is excellent. It was simmered to perfection."
Ji Qingrong agreed that the soup was delicious. Besides, her mother-in-law had it prepared and sent over daily; to her, the soup was a symbol of her care and concern.
Then, Ji Qingwu lifted the bowl to take another sip, but with a flick of her wrist, she "accidentally" spilled the soup on the maid beside her.
Zizhu jumped back in alarm but couldn't avoid the splash. A large part of her dress was stained. "What are you doing?!" she snapped, flustered.
Zizhu was the Grand Dowager's most capable maid. The other servants all fawned over her, and even the Second Madam, Feng Shuang, treated her with courtesy.
Though the woman before her was the Fifth Missy of the Ji Family, Zizhu secretly looked down on her.
'This Fifth Missy had been lost as a child and lacked the upbringing of an aristocratic family. Her worldly knowledge probably couldn't even match her own, and on top of that, she was a widow.' The spilled soup brought all of Zizhu's hidden disrespect to the surface.
Zizhu glared, ready to scold her further.
But then she caught Ji Qingrong's piercing gaze.
A single glance was enough to remind her of her place.
Zizhu could only lower her head reluctantly. "This servant misspoke."
After spilling the soup, Ji Qingwu didn't even glance at her, only saying coolly, "My apologies."
After Zizhu left, Ji Qingrong asked, puzzled, "Fifth Sister, why were you picking a fight with a young maid?" Although they hadn't spent much time together, she knew in her heart that her sister was not the type to stir up trouble for no reason.
Ji Qingwu sat up straight and said gravely, "Older Sister, you absolutely must not drink this soup anymore."
Hearing this, Ji Qingrong paused for a moment. As the meaning sank in, she said in horror, "There's something wrong with the soup, isn't there?"
Ji Qingwu nodded and stated her conclusion.
"Burnet root has been added to the soup. The herb can cool the blood and reduce fevers, but long-term use will give you a 'cold and deficient' constitution. For a woman, it's a dangerously potent medicine that scatters your yang energy."
So the soup was medicated. The soup she had been drinking every day since joining the mansion was the problem.
Ji Qingrong's hands, resting on the table, clenched into fists. Her whole body trembled uncontrollably, and her fair face turned deathly pale.
'It was my mother-in-law who didn't want me to have a child!'
All this time, she had blamed her own body for failing her. The ridiculous part was that her mother-in-law, Matriarch Cui, had constantly reprimanded her for her inability to get pregnant.
She had never, ever imagined this would be the reason!
Ji Qingrong was so furious she let out a sharp laugh. Gritting her teeth, she said, "The Grand Dowager has played her hand well. I just don't understand. The Princely Heir is her only legitimate son. How could she bear to use such a method? Does she want to see the Marquis Mansion's line end that badly?!"
Ji Qingwu couldn't figure it out either. As the saying goes, even a vicious tiger won't eat its own cubs.
But the Grand Dowager, in order to prevent her daughter-in-law from conceiving, had secretly drugged her soup. In her eyes, such behavior was simply inconceivable.
Seeing Ji Qingrong trembling with anger, Ji Qingwu placed her hand over her older sister's on the table and squeezed it firmly.
She said gently, "Older Sister, don't panic. Now that we've found the cause, we can find the right treatment."
Ji Qingrong's face was ashen. "Can it still be treated?"
"Of course it can," Ji Qingwu said, her expression firm.
It was a piece of good news, in a way. Ji Qingrong looked at her fifth sister's calm, gentle face, felt the firm, warm pressure on her hand, and her own heart began to settle.
Now that the truth was out and she knew it wasn't her fault, she refused to suffer this injustice in silence.
Ji Qingrong's mind raced, searching for a countermeasure.
Her mother-in-law, Matriarch Cui, held a special position. Not only was she the Marchioness, but she was also a close relative of the Emperor. Within Duke Zhongyong's Mansion, Matriarch Cui was an extremely forceful presence, even before the Marquis and the old matriarch.
Even if she brought this matter before the old matriarch, it wouldn't be of much use.
With Matriarch Cui's power, she could easily find a scapegoat in the kitchens to take the blame, and the matter would be closed.
'What should I do…'
Just then, Ji Qingwu asked, seemingly out of nowhere, "Older Sister, I still haven't met my brother-in-law. What kind of person is he?"
Ji Qingrong froze.
She had considered many people in the mansion who might help, but she hadn't thought of the man who shared her bed, Lu Juan.
Ji Qingrong and Lu Juan had married young. They had their share of spats and stumbles after the wedding, but neither was ruled by their temper. They never went to bed angry.
'In Lu Juan's heart, between me and Matriarch Cui, who is more important?'
She knew the answer immediately.
Because Lu Juan was fiercely protective of his own. Once, she had merely argued a little with her sister-in-law, Lu Yun, and he had worn a dark expression for days. And this was his own mother.
Ji Qingwu pressed on, "Would Brother-in-law handle this matter impartially?"
Watching Ji Qingrong's shoulders slump, Ji Qingwu understood her older sister's situation in the Marquis Mansion.
'Not only is her mother-in-law trying to poison her, but her husband can't be trusted either.'
Before they could work out a concrete plan, Xin'er's voice rang out from outside the door, "Greetings to the Grand Dowager!"
Her mother-in-law, Matriarch Cui, had arrived.
A fierce hatred instantly flared in Ji Qingrong's eyes.