Ye Chutang poked her head out, looking at Shuang'er, who was caught hiding under the window, with a smile on her lips.
"Shuang'er, what are you doing hiding here?"
Shuang'er's face changed slightly, and she hurried to explain.
"I'm not hiding, Miss. I saw a rat here and was worried it would disturb you, so I wanted to catch it quietly."
Ye Chutang leaned on the windowsill, her smile innocent and harmless.
"It is indeed a big rat!"
"Shuang'er, I gave you a chance, but since you don't want it, let's forget it."
Shuang'er heard the implication that she was going to be sold to the lowest brothel.
She immediately knelt down, banging her head on the ground.
"Please spare me, Miss! I won't dare again!"
Her trembling voice was filled with deep fear.
Ye Chutang maintained her smile.
She quietly watched as Shuang'er's forehead turned from white to green, then purple, and finally bled profusely.
"If you knew it would end like this, why start at all?"
Shuang'er saw that Ye Chutang was unmoved by her pleas, and fear spread throughout her body, making her tremble.
"Miss, please give me another chance. I promise I won't disappoint you!"
"Opportunities are earned by oneself."
Shuang'er understood Ye Chutang's meaning.
Her heart was filled with struggle.
She feared that after betraying Madam Ye, the ultimate winner would be Madam Ye.
She was even more afraid of being sold to the brothel if she didn't relent.
Ye Chutang looked at Shuang'er weighing the pros and cons, shook her head, and closed the window.
Shuang'er's heart sank with a thud, and she collapsed to the ground.
Inside the boudoir.
Dan'er looked at the closed window and asked, "Miss, are you just going to let Shuang'er kneel outside?"
Would the matter she wanted to discuss still be possible?
Ye Chutang saw Dan'er's eyelids growing heavy, knowing the effect of the softening powder was taking hold.
"Let her kneel."
Dan'er suddenly felt weak, her body continuously falling downward.
She thought she was just sleepy, shook her head vigorously, but felt dizzy and fell to the ground.
Something was wrong.
Her body was definitely not right!
"Miss..."
She managed to say three words before losing her voice.
Her eyelids felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn't open them.
Her consciousness gradually faded, and she passed out.
Ye Chutang shouted, "Dan'er, what's wrong?"
After shouting, she "fainted" toward the window, her head pushing it open a bit.
Shuang'er looked at Ye Chutang with a puzzled expression.
She tentatively called out, "Miss."
After several calls with no response, she placed her index finger under Ye Chutang's nose, feeling a shallow breath, and pushed her again.
"Miss?"
Still no response.
Shuang'er gathered her courage, stood up, and pushed the window open a bit more.
She saw Dan'er also collapsed on the floor.
Realizing something was wrong, she immediately left Ningchu Courtyard to find Madam Ye.
As Shuang'er's footsteps faded into silence, Ye Chutang opened her eyes.
She put away the items she bought in the afternoon and the gifts she received tonight into her space.
Then she jumped out of the window and left the boudoir.
She went to the woodshed where the dowry chests were stored, broke the lock, and took eight boxes of dowry.
Ye Chutang thought for a moment and then put all the valuable items from Ningchu Courtyard into her space.
The already cramped space was packed to the brim.
After tidying up, she picked up the unconscious Dan'er and used the earth escape technique to reach the Mistress's courtyard by the bamboo grove.
She was eager to appreciate the grand gift she had sent to Kong Ru!
At this moment.
Covered in blood, Shuang'er had already arrived at the Glazed Courtyard where Kong Ru resided.
Holding her forehead, she said to the maid at the door, "I am Shuang'er from Ningchu Courtyard and have urgent business with the Madam."
Kong Ru had previously instructed the maid to allow Shuang'er to pass without delay if she came looking.
"Sister Shuang'er, please come in. The Madam is waiting for you."
Shuang'er was not surprised and immediately entered the courtyard.
Kong Ru sat in the main seat of the hall, discussing with Ye Jingchuan the matter of poisoning Ye Chutang.
"Master, you need not worry anymore. Chutang has already been drugged with the knockout potion and muscle relaxant; she should be unconscious by now."
Ye Jingchuan asked skeptically, "Are you sure?"
"Of course, I saw with my own eyes her touching the poisoned dowry list."
"It went too smoothly; could it be a trap?"
Kong Ru replied confidently, "No! Doctor Gao said the muscle relaxant is extremely potent, and even a martial arts expert would fall victim."
Doctor Gao was the mansion's physician, known for his decent medical skills.
Ye Jingchuan looked at his swollen, purple right hand, deep in thought.
Though he didn't know Ye Chutang well, her actions hardly seemed like those of someone who would fall easily into a trap.
"Let's wait for the news."
He hoped it worked; otherwise, given that rebellious girl's nature, she would certainly turn the Minister's Mansion upside down.
Kong Ru nodded, anxiously glancing at the door.
Calculating the time, Shuang'er should have arrived to report.
Just as the thought crossed her mind, the courtyard gate opened, and a disheveled Shuang'er hurried in.
Ignoring her blood-stained face, Kong Ru urgently asked, "Are Ye Chutang and Dan'er both unconscious?"
Dan'er had also touched the dowry list.
Shuang'er nodded breathlessly, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Kong Ru's heart finally settled.
Only then did she show concern for Shuang'er's forehead injury, "What happened to your forehead?"
"I was eavesdropping on the young lady's conversation for Madam and got caught, hence punished. Rest assured, Madam, even if the young lady threatened to sell me, I did not betray you."
"You should quickly see the mansion's physician to treat your wound, lest it leaves a scar."
Shuang'er knelt down, "Madam, my contract of servitude..."
Kong Ru helped Shuang'er up, "Don't worry, I will retrieve your contract shortly."
After speaking, she turned to Ye Jingchuan, "Master... grumble grumble..."
Just as she spoke, her stomach growled.
A wrenching pain struck.
Kong Ru groaned in pain, her body tensing as something threatened to burst forth.
"Master... pfft..."
A foul stench filled the air.
"Pfft pfft... pfft pfft pfft..."
Hidden behind the pear tree, Ye Chutang almost couldn't hold back her laughter at the machine gun-like sounds.
The laxative grown with spiritual spring water surely worked wonders!
Kong Ru's pants were soaked, dripping yellow liquid.
The smell was nauseating.
She was dumbfounded.
"Master... Master... pfft..."
Equally stunned, Ye Jingchuan and Shuang'er snapped back to reality due to her "unstoppable flow."
The former quickly dashed out of the hall.
The latter, with a face flushed in discomfort, said, "Madam, you might have eaten something bad. I'll go fetch the physician for you, ugh..."
Her retching sounds filled Kong Ru's eyes with fury.
How dare this lowly servant show disdain for her!
Just as Kong Ru was about to scold her, she retched again.
Shuang'er couldn't stand it any longer and ran out of the main hall to find the physician.
Ye Jingchuan looked at Kong Ru, covered in yellow bile, with disgust and quickly left the Liuli courtyard.
He would never come to this courtyard again or be close to her!
Ugh!
Just the thought of it made him nauseous!
Ye Jingchuan immediately called for Chen Zhong, "Bring ten guards and follow me to Ningchu courtyard."
The rebellious girl had finally fallen into his hands!
He was going to teach her a lesson!
Chen Zhong caught a whiff of the stench wafting from the Liuli courtyard.
He didn't ask any questions and responded with a straight face, "Yes, Master."
Behind the pear tree, Ye Chutang watched the "grand spectacle," then picked up Dan'er and left, heading to Ye Jingchuan's study.
Although called a study, it was actually a small courtyard.
Inside the courtyard stood a massive three-story pavilion.
The first floor housed Ye Jingchuan's study and resting room, while the second and third floors were filled with countless books.
Ye Chutang emerged from the soil in the corner of the courtyard, using the faint moonlight to push open the pavilion door.
She placed Dan'er in the resting room and proceeded to the study.
The study was a secure area, often containing a secret chamber.
She needed to uncover Ye Jingchuan's secrets!
