Ever since it was discovered that the food had been poisoned, Duke An ordered Wan Zeng to personally investigate the matter.

When Wan Zeng arrived at the small kitchen, he found that all the cooks had been poisoned to death.

“Master, I have checked everything in the kitchen, and there are no issues,” Wan Zeng reported.

Wan Zeng was known for his meticulous work, so Duke An naturally trusted him.

The old madam hurriedly said, “It must have been Madam Chen who instructed those two children to do it.”

Wan Zeng interjected, “Old Madam, the poison in Master’s body has been there for some time, but the young master and young lady from the first household only arrived yesterday.”

The old madam was rendered speechless.

“Then it must have been Madam Chen who instructed the cooks to do it,” she insisted, turning to Duke An. “Master, aside from the first household, who else would want to harm you?”

“Yes, Father,” Wu Cuirou chimed in. “They saw my husband imprisoned and now want to poison you so they can seize the family fortune for themselves.”

Jiang Hui added indignantly, “They have malicious intentions, Grandfather. You must not trust them again.”

“Enough. You all leave now. I want to be alone for a while. Wan Zeng, you stay,” Duke An commanded.

The door closed behind them.

As Jiang Hui stepped out, he said, “Grandmother, Mother, I’m going to read now.”

Wu Cuirou waved him off. “Go ahead.” He was the family’s only hope now.

After he left, Wu Cuirou asked in a hushed voice, “Mother, do you think Father will find out what we did?”

The old madam’s eyes were deep as a still lake, gazing into the distance.

“There’s no rush. As long as the first household stands in the way, we have nothing to fear,” she said calmly.

..

Duke An asked Wan Zeng, “Did you find anything else?”

Wan Zeng took out a small packet of medicine from his sleeve.

“Master, this poison is called Huixiang. The victim shows no unusual symptoms until the poison takes effect, at which point their mouth twitches, and they become paralyzed as if suffering a stroke.”

Duke An’s face darkened. “Jiang Fengyuan, how dare you extend your hand into the Duke’s residence!”

Wan Zeng hesitated, unsure if he should speak.

“Master, in my opinion, this doesn’t seem like the work of the young master from the first household.”

Duke An lifted his head, his sharp gaze piercing through Wan Zeng. “Why do you think that?”

He knew that Wan Zeng had secretly helped the first household over the years.

Could it be that Wan Zeng had also been bought by them?

Wan Zeng remained composed. “The young master has already left the Duke’s residence. If he wanted to do something, he could have done so openly without leaving a trail. But this poison is a slow-acting one.”

If the first household had wanted to poison Duke An, why wouldn’t they have used a fast-acting poison instead of one that takes time to manifest?

Thinking of this, Duke An’s gaze grew colder.

“Then who do you suspect?”

Wan Zeng immediately lowered his head. “I wouldn’t dare say.”

That sentence already revealed a lot.

If it wasn’t an outsider, then it had to be a traitor within the family.

It was clear who stood to benefit the most.

Duke An’s blood boiled with rage, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.

“Master!” Wan Zeng exclaimed.

“I’m fine. Go—send someone to keep an eye on things,” Duke An ordered.

“Yes, Master.”

..

Ever since Jiang Yuanxi overheard that the female lead was making money, the whole family had been unable to sleep well.

If Jiang Ruowei earned money and gave it to the emperor’s illegitimate son, it would be a severe blow to Yufeng.

Jiang Fengyuan could not allow this to happen.

“Miss,” Chun Zhi called out in the courtyard.

Strange, she had just seen her there.

“Third Young Master, have you seen Miss?”

Jiang Yuanfan glanced at the snake pit, then at the blackened medicine in Chun Zhi’s hands.

“Give it to me,” he said.

Standing at the doorway, Jiang Yuanfan coughed deliberately.

“Oh my, Mother gave us roast chicken today, glazed with honey—it’s incredibly sweet and fragrant,” he said loudly. “I was going to share it with Yuanxi, but since she’s not here, I guess I’ll just—”

Before he could finish, a person and a snake emerged from the pit.

Chun Zhi laughed in exasperation. No wonder she couldn’t find her.

“Third Brother, where’s the roast chicken?”

The sight of Jiang Yuanxi standing next to the snake was oddly harmonious.

Jiang Yuanfan crouched down.

“If Yuanxi drinks the medicine, I’ll secretly reward you with one,” he said.

The black snake eagerly slithered forward.

Jiang Yuanfan added, “And I’ll give you a chicken leg too.”

The black snake happily wiggled in place.

Jiang Yuanfan frowned.

What kind of flamboyant creature was this?

It hurt his eyes.

Under Jiang Yuanfan’s watchful gaze, Jiang Yuanxi had no choice but to take a bite of medicine, then a bite of meat.

She swore this was the worst meal she had ever eaten.

..

“Father, Yuanxi has fainted twice, both times after seeing blood. Do you think she has hemophobia?” Jiang Yuancheng speculated.

He had read about such symptoms in books.

That struck a chord.

Jiang Yuansheng thought so too.

Jiang Fengyuan hesitated. “Do you have any proof? Even the imperial doctors couldn’t diagnose it.”

“Should I test it again?” Jiang Yuancheng asked eagerly.

Jiang Fengyuan picked up a stick and smacked him on the backside.

“She’s your biological sister!”

Jiang Yuancheng pouted. “That’s exactly why I want to test it.”

Madam Chen scolded him too. “As her brother, you should protect your sister.”

“Fine, I got it,” Jiang Yuancheng muttered, rubbing his sore backside.

..

Jiang Yuanxi ran in from outside, grimacing.

“So bitter! So, so bitter!”

She chugged a bellyful of water before seeking comfort in Madam Chen’s embrace.

“Mother,” she pouted, as if suffering the greatest injustice.

Madam Chen comforted her. “The doctor said you need to take your medicine to get better. Be good, Yuanxi.”

Jiang Yuanxi murmured in agreement, burying her head deeper into Madam Chen’s arms.

【Mother’s embrace is the best medicine.】

She swore she would never get sick again.

Just then, Chun Zhi hurried in.

“Madam, someone from the Duke’s residence sent word. Jiang Ruowei from the second household has been making large purchases, spending a significant sum.”

The Duke’s residence was struggling financially, so such lavish spending was indeed strange.

Madam Chen gently patted her daughter’s back. “What did she buy?”

Chun Zhi thought for a moment. “Mostly women’s cosmetics and simple hairpins.”

“She bought them from the shops under Madam’s name, and the shopkeepers even gave her a discount.”

Madam Chen smiled slightly. “She knows how to buy, at least.”

Using her connection to Jiang’s family to get a bargain.

“Should I go get the money back?” Chun Tao asked.

Madam Chen shook her head. “No need.”

Either way, she was still making a profit.