Surviving in the General's Mansion - Chapter 110

When Xia Heng saw Doctor Lin leave carrying his little medicine chest, she knew Cang Chuli’s wound was finally being treated.

Only then did she tuck her flowered padded jacket under one arm and stroll back with a relaxed expression, holding her Hu flatbread aloft.

Eating it dry made it too hard to swallow. Once she returned to her room, she would find some water and finish it!

The moment she entered her small courtyard, she saw that Chuqing had changed clothes and was sitting with her back to Xia Heng on a mazha folding stool, doing something she could not make out.

“Chuqing, why are you sitting out here instead of going inside?” Xia Heng asked as she walked in.

Chuqing’s back stiffened. She turned to look at Xia Heng, sympathy in her eyes.

Xia Heng sensed danger immediately and started to back away.

“Stop right there!”

Zhao Siyan emerged from the small kitchen with a dipper in hand. When she saw the clothes Xia Heng was wearing, she gave a cold laugh.

“Well, if it isn’t our Miss Xia.”

*It’s over. She’s even calling me Miss Xia.*

Xia Heng’s legs went weak. She was about to drop to the ground, hug Zhao Siyan’s leg, and howl a few times, but before she could sit down, Zhao Siyan caught her by the arms.

“Nothing you say will work today.” Zhao Siyan smiled without warmth.

“Siyan, I’ll wash it clean! Look!

“My clothes only got a little dirty when I climbed over the wall today!”

Only then did Xia Heng see that Chuqing had been scrubbing the sleeve of her own padded jacket.

Since only a small patch was dirty, it had quickly come clean with a bristle brush, fresh water, and a little soap-pod detergent.

No wonder Chuqing had changed clothes.

Zhao Siyan inspected her work.

“Mm. Put it beside the brazier in the room to dry, then get ready to eat. Watch it carefully, and don’t place it too close or you’ll set it on fire.”

Having received permission, Chuqing carried her padded jacket inside.

Zhao Siyan reached for Xia Heng’s flowered jacket and tugged.

It did not move.

She glared at Xia Heng, who finally released it.

The instant Zhao Siyan saw the stains inside the jacket, before she could even lose her temper, Xia Heng wrapped both arms around her leg.

“I was wrong, Sister! I’ll wash it! I’ll wash it myself!”

Inside the kitchen, Zhao Die was holding a plate of freshly reheated food. She said quietly, “It’s time to eat.”

Zhao Siyan tried to move her leg but could not dislodge the ornament hanging from it. She could only grit out, “Just wait until after dinner!”

Only after hearing those words did Xia Heng let go.

Zhao Siyan took the flowered jacket into Xia Heng’s room as well.

Phew. That had been close.

Zhao Die carried the food toward Xia Heng’s room, with Qiulin behind her holding steamed buns and bowls.

Xia Heng had not realized Qiulin was hiding in the kitchen too. She hurried after them and said, “Well, well, Qiu Third. You hid in the kitchen without making a sound! Couldn’t you have pleaded for me?”

To her surprise, Qiulin stared at her with dead-fish eyes and replied wearily, “I sparred with Zhang Qiang today and accidentally tore my clothes. The two of us already got scolded this afternoon.”

Zhao Die, walking in front, was utterly speechless.

It was as though these people had arranged in advance to cause trouble on the same day. No matter how good her younger sister’s temper was, even she could not endure this.

Two people had torn their clothes fighting in the afternoon, and now there was a wall climber in the evening!

They did not yet know what had happened to the other one, but the fact that she had returned in different clothes guaranteed that the padded jacket she wore out had not escaped unscathed.

These two even had prior offenses.

After hearing Qiulin’s explanation, Xia Heng lowered her brows and eyes meekly.

“Ah! So her anger was already fully stacked. No wonder she refused to listen to a word I said today…”

Once they entered the room, Zhao Die set the dishes down.

“Eat first. We didn’t know when you would return, and tonight’s meal happened to include the green beans you and Chuqing like, so we brought a serving back for you.

“We thought that if you returned full from the banquet, we could reheat them tomorrow for breakfast. But Chuqing came back and said you hadn’t eaten anything tonight. They’ve already been warmed, so hurry and eat.”

Xia Heng and Chuqing sat down quietly and exchanged a look.

Home was still the best!

Zhao Siyan sat on Xia Heng’s bed, picking the stitches from the padded jacket.

Who knew what had gotten onto it? There was dirt and grease alike.

As she ate, Chuqing began telling Zhao Die and Qiulin about the various things they had encountered at the Wang residence that day.

—

The next day, Dongfang Wei asked leisurely, “Minister Chen requested leave and did not attend court today. Did you know?”

“Surely Mo Qing did not frighten him that badly yesterday.”

Cang Chuli took a mandarin from Dongfang Wei’s desk.

“You attended a banquet at the Wang residence, the Wang Family lost a building to fire, and Minister Chen requested leave…”

“His daughter tried to plot against me. I burned the building before I left,” Cang Chuli replied calmly.

“Oh? A woman actually dared scheme against you? Has your reputation as a baleful god stopped working?

“She is the daughter of the Minister of War, and her family circumstances are respectable enough. Did Mingxu not consider turning their scheme to his own advantage?”

Cang Chuli pretended not to hear the sarcasm. He peeled off a segment of mandarin and put it into his mouth.

“I wasn’t the only target yesterday. Someone plotted against Xiao Yaqing as well.”

Dongfang Wei’s expression finally turned serious.

“Someone deliberately spilled food on her and led her away to change clothes. Then they barred the door from outside and sealed the window…”

Cang Chuli deliberately paused, spat out a seed, and slowly chewed another segment.

“What happened after that?” Dongfang Wei finally had to ask when he received no continuation.

Cang Chuli glanced at him, spat out another seed, and only then replied, “When my people brought her out, someone was leading a drunken man inside.”

“It wasn’t the Wang Family?”

“Do Wang Wenshan and Xu Wanxin have the ability to arrange two traps at the same time?

“The servant who led the man there was later found drowned in the family pond. Someone must have silenced her.

“Still, there is no shortage of families in the capital who want to attach themselves to the Xiao Family.”

Dongfang Wei said gravely, “Anyone willing to use such unscrupulous means when Yaqing has only just returned to the capital must have another purpose. Give me a list of everyone who attended yesterday’s banquet.”

Cang Chuli nodded.

After thinking for a moment, Dongfang Wei asked, “The Wang Family’s housewarming banquet was certainly eventful. How did they even dare return?”

“I have never been able to understand how they think.

“But Wang Wenshan was still wearing a round-collared scholar-official’s robe yesterday. It seems he hopes to enter officialdom.”

The two exchanged mocking smiles.

Cang Chuli noticed that Dongfang Wei’s complexion had improved considerably.

“Can you sleep at night now? Did the Imperial Medical Bureau develop a new medicine?”

“Yaqing obtained some medicine for me. She was being very mysterious about it.”

“Oh? How long can you sleep after taking it?”

Cang Chuli knew that none of Dongfang Wei’s previous medicines had helped. Even when he managed to fall asleep, nightmares soon woke him.

“An entire night without dreams.”

Seeing Cang Chuli’s slight surprise, Dongfang Wei continued, “But I cannot take too much. One dose every three or four days. Even so, my body feels much lighter.

“Yaqing said she has invited a miracle doctor who will arrive after some time. He can examine me then.”

At the mention of Xiao Yaqing’s medicine, Cang Chuli immediately recalled the antidote Xia Heng had poured into him at Ruyi Courtyard.

He had never taken medicine like it before. It came as a prepared liquid, acted quickly, and worked remarkably well.

In some ways, it seemed rather similar to Dongfang Wei’s medicine.

But the longer Dongfang Wei spoke, the stranger his tone became.

Was he showing off?