Chapter 17
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As soon as these words were spoken, the room fell into a deathly silence. After a long moment, Madam Pei’s cold voice broke through.
“What do you mean by this?”
Pei Yun calmly sipped her tea. “Grandmother has felt unwell on and off these past six months. It’s not without reason. Would you like to ask Second Aunt what was added to the medicine you’ve been taking?”
Despite the freezing cold, Madame Wang’s back was already drenched in a cold sweat. She forced herself to remain composed, her expression one of disbelief. “Your Highness, whatever I have done, no matter how much you dislike me, you cannot pin such a crime on me.”
Madam Pei fixed her gaze on Pei Yun. After a moment, as if coming to some understanding, she snorted coldly. “Second Aunt is usually fond of small gains, but not so malicious. Yun, could it be that you resent her because she helped Qian enter the Eastern Palace, and so you’ve concocted this scheme to take revenge?”
Pei Yun nearly laughed aloud.
Such truly is her grandmother.
Better to suspect her own legitimate granddaughter of deceit than to doubt Madame Wang of poisoning her.
Leaning back against the chair, she lazily raised her eyes, a faint smile playing on her lips, offering no explanation. Her red lips parted softly, uttering a quiet, “Yes.”
“Today, Second Aunt ordered Zhao Fu to steal the medicinal herbs, and I deliberately taught Shuyan to catch him red-handed. As for those debt collectors coming to press us, those too were arranged by my people. I only wanted Grandmother to see clearly what Second Aunt is doing behind your back.”
Madam Pei had not expected Pei Yun to admit it so easily. Furious, she immediately cursed, “No wonder you insisted so much on handling this matter! You wretched girl, are you so eager to bring chaos to this household? I am your own grandmother, and yet you scheme against me.”
“Own grandmother?” Pei Yun laughed as if hearing a joke. “Have you ever really considered me your granddaughter? You say it’s for my own good, yet you want to send Pei Qian into the Eastern Palace to replace me.”
Pei Yun slowly stood up, meeting Madam Pei’s gaze without fear. “Tell me, which woman could bear to see her own sister snatching her husband?”
As Li Changye approached the main hall, he happened to overhear this. He stopped, no longer advancing.
Pei Siyuan nervously called out, “Your Highness…”
Li Changye glanced within from afar and vaguely caught sight of the slender, graceful figure. She lifted her chin slightly, like a red plum blooming proudly amid the snow.
“It seems Lord Pei still has some family matters to attend to. I will take a brief seat in the Crown Princess’s courtyard.” He said calmly.
With that, he turned and left.
“Yes.” Pei Siyuan forced a smile, bowing as he saw the Crown Prince off, then hurriedly pulled his son into the main hall.
Madame Wang, seeing the arrival, rushed forward as though saved.
“Husband.”
“Mother, Your Highness, what is going on here?” Pei Siyuan was frantic, pacing. “The Crown Prince is still in the mansion. What are you making such a scene for?”
No one replied inside.
Pei Yun stared at Madam Pei. “Grandmother, you’ve felt exhausted and weak these past six months because of that poison. It’s a slow-acting toxin—one that doesn’t kill immediately but accumulates and damages the lungs. Eventually, it will be beyond cure. This poison is difficult to diagnose, but the imperial physicians are skilled; they will know at once.”
Madame Wang’s face turned deathly pale.
Although Madam Pei was partly convinced by Pei Yun’s words, she still thought she was causing trouble. “Wretched girl, what exactly are you trying to do?”
Do what?
She indeed had a purpose.
“If this poison is not cured, I fear it will shorten your life. Fortunately, I know a doctor who can treat it,” Pei Yun smiled bitterly. “But this capital city is hardly a good place for detox and recuperation…”
“You… you…” Madam Pei suddenly understood, trembling slightly. “Ungrateful granddaughter! You want to drive me away! Aren’t you afraid I’ll spread word that the Crown Princess is disrespectful and unfilial to her grandmother?”
“Fine. The Crown Prince is still here in the mansion. Grandmother can say whatever she likes; what have I to fear?” Pei Yun raised an eyebrow, utterly unconcerned. “At worst, I’ll lose my title as Crown Princess. The Pei household can do without me. When you began to torment and mistreat my mother, you should have known that I, her daughter, would never let it go quietly.”
She spoke slowly with a smile, but her eyes grew colder and more piercing.
At the mention of Lady Zhou, Madam Pei’s expression darkened, and she shot a venomous glare in that direction.
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Pei Wei suddenly rushed to stand in front of her mother.
“So it was you, that vile woman, stirring trouble.”
Then she turned to Pei Yun, pointing at her, her face livid with anger. “To treat your own grandmother like this… you wretched girl, I think you’ve lost your mind, lost your mind!”
Seeing Madam Pei lose control, the smile on Pei Yun’s lips deepened.
Yes, she was mad—she should have been mad long ago.
Others might call her disrespectful and unfilial to her elders, or cold and heartless, but in this life, anyone who harms those she cares about will not be spared.
Even if that person is her own blood grandmother!
“Second Uncle.”
Pei Yun’s soft, melodious voice reached Pei Siyuan’s ears, startling him.
“Second Aunt denies it, but I have ironclad evidence. Do you want to handle this yourself, or shall I report it to the authorities?”
Pei Siyuan’s face drained of color, torn between options. After hearing the earlier words, he fully understood that his niece had no scruples left; she might very well go through with reporting them.
If that happened, his political career would be ruined.
“Husband, don’t listen to her nonsense. I really didn’t poison anyone…”
Madame Wang kept babbling in defense.
Pei Chi’an stood quietly in the corner, saying nothing, while Madam Pei, perhaps too overcome, clutched her chest and collapsed back into her chair.
Watching the chaotic scene before her, Pei Yun felt both satisfied and annoyed.
This was about as far as she intended to go.
She had originally only planned to expose Madame Wang’s dirty deeds and let her grandmother handle it herself. Then, when her grandmother’s condition worsened, she would send her away with a famous southern doctor.
That would quietly resolve both problems without further complications.
Yet, she hadn’t expected Madam Pei to defend the second branch with such fervor.
Pei Yun suddenly felt she had been too merciful.
It didn’t matter if her grandmother refused to believe Madame Wang was poisoning her; the more she denied it, the better. She would reveal evidence little by little, so her grandmother would truly understand how much Madame Wang wished her dead.
They say the deeper the trust, the more unforgettable the betrayal.
When her grandmother’s health deteriorated further, even if she didn’t want to leave the capital, she would come begging Pei Yun.
That would be truly interesting…
Pei Yun cast a cold gaze over the chaotic room. Her eyes suddenly met someone’s. That person bit her lip, then abruptly turned and grabbed Madame Wang’s sleeve.
“Mother, just admit it. You can’t escape this. I don’t want Grandmother to suffer, but I really can’t cover for you anymore…”
Pei Yun looked deeply at Pei Qian. No sooner had she spoken than Madame Wang’s sharp slap came down.
The crisp, resounding slap echoed through the room.
Pei Yun did not linger any longer. She stepped outside.
Behind her rang Madam Pei’s furious voice: “Wang Liuniang, you poisonous woman! You truly conspired to harm me…”
Screaming and scuffling erupted, throwing the main hall into chaos. Pei Yun ignored it and headed straight to the servants to ask the whereabouts of the Crown Prince. When she arrived at Qinglin Garden, she found him seated at the desk inside, leafing through the books on her shelf.
She bowed slightly.
“Your Highness.”
Li Changye closed the book and looked up. “It’s getting late. We should depart for the palace.”
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Pei Yun was somewhat surprised. She had expected him to ask questions, since he had arrived outside the main hall of Chengzhong Tang earlier.
Though family scandals should not be spread, since she had chosen to resolve this matter today, she had never intended to hide it from the Crown Prince.
But on second thought, it made sense. The Crown Prince did not care about the Pei family’s tangled affairs, so why bother asking?
She replied, “Yes,” then turned to give instructions.
Unlike upon his arrival, when leaving, apart from Pei Wei, nearly all the Pei family members looked uneasy. Madam Pei and Madame Wang, as Pei Yun had expected, were not present.
Pei Siyuan merely forced a smile and explained that the two were unwell.
The Crown Prince said nothing further.
On the journey back to the palace, fatigue overcame Pei Yun. Leaning wearily against the carriage wall, she driftI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.