The moment Shi Lingyi stepped out of Shou’an Hall, the smile vanished from her face.
She glanced back at the hall’s entrance, her brows drawing together slightly, then turned and strode toward the eastern courtyard.
Madam Liu was sunning herself in the courtyard. When she saw Shi Lingyi enter, she asked lazily, “You went to Shou’an Hall?”
“I did.” Shi Lingyi sat down across from her and picked up the teapot on the table to pour herself a cup.
“Mother, that child is no simpleton.”
Madam Liu opened her eyes and looked at her daughter. “What happened?”
“He’s only seven, yet everything he says and does is airtight.”
Shi Lingyi took a sip of tea and lowered her voice. “I asked about Second Uncle, and he answered every question, but all his answers were empty words. Not one of them was useful.”
Madam Liu’s brows furrowed. “You mean he was putting on an act?”
“Either he was pretending, or he truly knows nothing.” Shi Lingyi set down her teacup, tapping her fingers lightly against the table.
“But I think a seven-year-old child can’t possibly know nothing. He spends every day with Second Uncle. Every word Second Uncle says and everything he does—he sees it all.”
Madam Liu’s expression darkened. “You’re saying that bastard is guarding against you?”
Shi Lingyi did not answer. She merely lifted her teacup and took another sip.
Madam Liu’s hands suddenly clenched around the arms of her chair, her knuckles turning white. “I knew that bastard was no good.”
“Mother, don’t be anxious.” Shi Lingyi’s voice remained calm. “He’s only seven. He can’t turn the world upside down. But we must make preparations early. We can’t let him truly succeed in the imperial examinations.”
“What do you suggest?” Madam Liu looked at her daughter, anticipation filling her eyes.
Shi Lingyi was silent for a moment before slowly saying, “Mother, what do you think? If he suddenly fell ill before the examinations, or if some accident happened to him, wouldn’t he be unable to take them?”
Madam Liu’s eyes lit up, and a sinister smile spread across her lips. “You mean…”
“I didn’t say anything.” Shi Lingyi rose and smoothed her sleeves. “You can think about it yourself, Mother. I’m going to rest.”
With that, she turned and left without looking back.
Madam Liu sat in the courtyard, watching her daughter’s retreating figure. The smile on her face grew wider and wider.
Her daughter was far cleverer than she was.
Shi Huai, of course, had no idea what Shi Lingyi and Madam Liu were plotting, but he could sense that something was increasingly wrong around Shou’an Hall.
First, the little maids who delivered his meals were replaced one after another. Every one of them had shifty eyes and avoided looking at him.
Then someone had tampered with the writing paper he used for calligraphy. It had been placed back where it belonged, but the creases were different.
After that, an indistinct bitterness appeared in the porridge he drank every day.
Shi Huai made no fuss. He simply poured the porridge away in secret and asked Qinghe to have another bowl prepared in the kitchen.
When Qinghe asked him why, he said, “The porridge got cold. It doesn’t taste good.”
Qinghe thought nothing of it and carried the bowl to the kitchen.
Standing by the window, Shi Huai gazed at the old locust tree in the courtyard, thinking to himself that Madam Liu was finally about to make her move.
Shi Yuanping had told him that Madam Liu would never let the matter rest. Sooner or later, she would act.
And Shi Huai’s task was to seize her weakness when she did, then strike a fatal blow.
But Shi Huai knew that he could not defeat Madam Liu on his own.
He needed an ally—someone with influence in the marquis’s residence who would also be willing to help him.
Marquis Shi Yuanzhi was out of the question. That useless father of his could barely manage his own affairs, let alone anyone else’s.
Shi Yuanping had the ability to help him, but Shi Huai did not trust him.
That Second Uncle was too unfathomable, like a bottomless well. One could never know what he would do next.
That left only one person.
Shi Huai turned and walked out of the heated room. He crossed the corridor and arrived at the rear courtyard of Shou’an Hall.
Nanny Zhou was spreading quilts in the courtyard. When she saw Shi Huai approaching, she asked with a smile, “Young Master, what is it?”
“Nanny Zhou, there’s something I need to tell you.”
Shi Huai walked over and looked up at her, his eyes bright.
Nanny Zhou set down the quilt and crouched before him, meeting his gaze. “What is it?”
“Someone put poison in my porridge.” Shi Huai’s voice was so soft that only Nanny Zhou could hear him.
Nanny Zhou’s expression changed instantly. She covered his mouth with one hand and glanced around. Only after making sure no one was nearby did she lower her voice and ask, “What did you say?”
“There was a bitter taste in my porridge. It wasn’t the bitterness of medicinal herbs—it was the bitterness of poison.” Shi Huai’s voice remained soft, but every word was perfectly clear.
“Big Sister Qinghe didn’t notice it, but I did. I used to drink medicine made by Nanny Wang when I lived at the estate. That bitterness was different from this.”
Nanny Zhou’s hand trembled, and her face went as pale as paper. “Are you certain?”
Shi Huai nodded. “I am. And it isn’t just the porridge. Someone tampered with my writing paper, and the little maids delivering my meals have been replaced seven or eight times. Every one of them was acting suspiciously and refused to look at me.”
Nanny Zhou drew a deep breath, stood up, and led Shi Huai into the room. After closing the door, she lowered her voice as far as it would go. “Who do you think is behind this?”
“Who else could it be but Madam?”
Shi Huai tilted his head, looking utterly innocent, but there was not the slightest trace of a smile in his eyes.
Nanny Zhou remained silent for a long time. Her expression shifted from shock to anger, then from anger to helplessness. “The Dowager Lady has only just passed away, and Madam couldn’t wait to make her move.”
“Nanny Zhou, I don’t want to die.”
Shi Huai’s voice was soft and childish, filled with the vulnerability unique to a little boy. “Can you help me?”
Nanny Zhou looked into Shi Huai’s eyes. They were dark and bright, and for a moment she felt dazed.
Almost as if bewitched, she heard herself say, “Young Master, what would you like this old servant to do?”
Shi Huai looked completely innocent, but the words that came from his mouth sent a chill down Nanny Zhou’s back.
“Nanny Zhou, I don’t want to make a complaint, and I don’t want to alert them. I want to ask you to find out exactly how Madam intends to harm me.”
Nanny Zhou’s brows knitted so tightly they seemed capable of trapping a fly. “Find out? How?”
“The little maids who deliver my meals have been changed again and again. There was poison in my porridge, and someone tampered with my writing paper. These are all clues.”
Shi Huai counted them off on his fingers, one by one. “You’ve been in the residence for so many years, Nanny Zhou. You have informants everywhere. It shouldn’t be difficult for you to investigate these matters, should it?”
“Young Master, who taught you all this?” Nanny Zhou’s voice tightened.
Shi Huai tilted his head and gave her an innocent smile. “No one taught me. I just felt that something was wrong and wanted to find out the truth. If you don’t want to help me, that’s fine. I’ll go ask Second Uncle.”
“Don’t!”
Nanny Zhou grabbed Shi Huai’s hand at once, a flash of panic crossing her face.
“Don’t go to Second Master. This old servant will take care of it.”
Shi Huai nodded. He jumped down from the chair, patted the hem of his robe, and looked up at Nanny Zhou. “Don’t worry, Nanny Zhou. I won’t get you involved.”
Nanny Zhou moved quickly. Within three days, she had uncovered most of the truth.
