Chapter 7: Concubine Li’s Recklessness

Watching her daughter, Bai Xinyao, gradually regain some color and her breathing stabilize, a huge weight lifted from Concubine Li’s heart.

She sat by the bed, gently stroking Bai Xinyao’s hair, her eyes filled with relief after surviving a near-death experience.

Bai Xinyao slowly opened her eyes, her voice weak, “Mother, what… what happened to me?”

Concubine Li’s eyes turned red, and she choked back tears, “Yaoyao, you’re finally awake. You were poisoned by Gu, you almost… almost didn’t see your mother again.”

A flicker of fear crossed Bai Xinyao’s eyes.  Remembering the pain before she lost consciousness, she shivered, “Mother, how did I get poisoned by Gu?”

Shouldn’t it have been Bai Linglong who was poisoned?

Concubine Li gritted her teeth, “Who else could it be? It must be that little vixen, Bai Linglong!

She just can’t stand us being happy.”

In Concubine Li’s room, the candlelight flickered, casting her distorted features in shifting light and shadow.

She paced back and forth in the room, continuously cursing, each word squeezed out through gritted teeth, filled with venom.

“That little vixen, Bai Linglong, is simply too much!”

Concubine Li abruptly stopped, kicking over a nearby stool. The “bang” echoed jarringly in the silent room.

She only relies on being the eldest Miss to bully others.”

She became increasingly agitated, her facial muscles trembling.

“Back when I entered the Marquis’ Mansion, I was also glorious, but everything changed after her mother arrived.

Her mother is a vixen who stole the Marquis’s heart, and now she’s bullying us, mother and daughter!”

Remembering the injustices she had suffered over the years, Concubine Li’s eyes reddened, tears welling up.

But she quickly wiped them away angrily, “And the last time Yaoyao was poisoned by Gu, it was definitely her!

How could she be so ruthless? That’s her own younger sister!”

Concubine Li clenched her fists, her nails digging into her flesh.

“Hmph, does she think she can continue to be so smug?

I will never let her have it easy!

Yaoyao has already suffered so much, I must settle this score with her!”

With that, she picked up the teacup on the table and slammed it on the ground, shattering the porcelain.

Concubine Li blamed everything on Bai Linglong.

She didn’t consider that she herself brought the Gu parasite back.

“Bai Linglong, you just wait, I don’t believe I can’t defeat you, you little brat!”

I will make you taste what it’s like to be stepped on, and you’ll learn that messing with me, Concubine Li, has no good ending!”

Meanwhile, Bai Linglong was leisurely sipping tea in her own courtyard, listening to the news brought by her maidservant.

“Miss, I heard that Second Miss’s Gu poison has been cured.”

The maidservant spoke cautiously.

Bai Linglong’s lips curled into a slight smile, revealing a hint of mockery, “So what if it’s cured?

This was just a lesson. She better behave, or next time she won’t be so lucky.”

On the other side, Concubine Li sat by the bed, tightly holding Bai Xinyao’s hand, whispering, “Yaoyao, we can’t just let this go, we have to think of a way to teach Bai Linglong a lesson.”

A flicker of resentment flashed in Bai Xinyao’s eyes, “Mother, I can’t swallow this.

But for now, we can’t act rashly. She’s definitely on guard.”

Concubine Li furrowed her brow, pondering for a moment, “Then what should we do?…..Just let her off the hook?”

Bai Xinyao struggled to sit up, leaning against the headboard, “Of course not, we’ll endure for a while, and when we find an opportunity, we’ll strike her a fatal blow.”

In the Marquis’ Mansion’s garden, Bai Linglong and her personal maidservant were strolling.

The maidservant couldn’t help but ask, “Miss, even though Second Miss’s Gu poison has been cured, she definitely won’t let it go, should we do something else?”

Bai Linglong stopped, looking at the flowers all around, and said coldly, “No need, let them stir things up. But, you keep a close eye on them. If they make any moves, report to me immediately.”

A few days later, a distinguished guest arrived at the Marquis’ Mansion, Concubine Li’s distant cousin, named Zhou Wu.

This man had wandered Jianghu, (a term for the world of martial arts and outlaws) for many years, making acquaintances with all sorts of people, and possessed quite a few skills.

Concubine Li recounted Bai Xinyao’s ordeal to Zhou Wu, and after listening, Zhou Wu’s face darkened, “Unbelievable!

This Bai Linglong is too much. Cousin, don’t worry, I will definitely help you avenge yourselves.”

A glimmer of hope ignited in Bai Xinyao’s eyes, “Cousin, what can you do?”

Zhou Wu stroked his chin, pondering for a moment, “I know a master

in Jianghu who is skilled in using poison, perhaps I can ask him for help.

However, this matter needs careful consideration, we can’t let Bai Linglong notice.”

Concubine Li quickly nodded, “As long as we can teach Bai Linglong a lesson, we’re willing to pay any price.”

However, their conversation was overheard by Bai Linglong’s informant, planted beside Concubine Li.

The informant immediately ran to tell Bai Linglong.

Upon hearing the news, Bai Linglong didn’t panic, but instead, a sneer crossed her lips, “Hmph, they dare to plot against me? Then don’t blame me for being ruthless.”

Bai Linglong immediately gathered her trusted advisors and discussed countermeasures.

A strategist-like figure said, “Miss, since they want to poison us, we can use their plan against them and retaliate.”

Bai Linglong’s eyes lit up, “Oh?

Tell me more.”

The strategist leaned closer to Bai Linglong and whispered a few words. After listening, Bai Linglong broke into a satisfied smile, “Good, let’s do it. I’ll see who loses completely this time.”

A few days later, Zhou Wu, accompanied by the poison master, infiltrated the Marquis’ Mansion.

Under the cover of darkness, they prepared to strike Bai Linglong.

As they stealthily entered Bai Linglong’s room, they found it empty.

Zhou Wu felt a pang of unease and was about to turn around when a group of guards wielding sharp blades suddenly emerged from the room.

The leading guard sneered, “You have a lot of nerve, daring to come to the Marquis’ Mansion to commit murder.”

Zhou Wu and the poison master, realizing the situation was dire, immediately attempted to break through.

However, they soon discovered they were surrounded, unable to escape.

Zhou Wu’s face turned ashen, “Bai Linglong, don’t be too smug, even if we fall today, there will be others who will seek revenge for us in the future.”

Bai Linglong scoffed, “We’ll see about that later. Take them away and lock them up, await my judgment.”

With Zhou Wu and the poison master being taken away, this struggle within the Marquis’ Mansion, triggered by the Gu poison, seemed to come to a temporary end.

But Bai Linglong knew that Concubine Li and Bai Xinyao wouldn’t give up. The peace in the Marquis’ Mansion was merely superficial, hidden currents still flowed.

Greater danger might lie ahead. She had to remain vigilant and face the challenges to come.