CHAPTER 444: CHAPTER 444 THREAT

Su Jin explained in a soft voice.

Xie Jinxiu had an arrogant demeanor.

It’s really a case of taking an inch and giving a mile.

Su Jin turned the conversation and looked at Xie Jinxiu, "Second Young Lady, have you eaten gunpowder, or did I offend you at some point? I’m here to visit the Old Madam, how did it become in your mouth that I’m here to upset her?"

Saying this, Su Jin looked at the Third Madam, "Second Young Lady is being aggressive towards me, and Third Aunt didn’t stop her, does that mean you agree with her?"

Su Jin clearly understood why Xie Jinxiu targeted her.

But such targeting was something no one could voice out.

Could the Third Madam possibly say it was because she caused the Old Madam a headache?

Just because Princess Nanzhang and the Old Madam plotted against them, they chose not to accept it quietly and resisted instead?

Directing others to steal and losing all face, yet still daring to blame others, that is simply disregarding basic decency.

Of course—

Su Jin had never seen such decency from them.

Su Jin couldn’t be bothered to argue with Xie Jinxiu and directly confronted the Third Madam.

If the mother didn’t discipline her daughter, she, as the elder sister-in-law, would do it for her.

The Third Madam’s face changed slightly, scolding Xie Jinxiu, "Apologize to your elder sister-in-law."

Xie Jinxiu was so angry she gritted her teeth.

Su Jin calmly waited.

Xie Jinxiu wanted to tear Su Jin apart.

"Is this the Second Young Lady’s filial piety, treating your mother’s words as nothing?" Su Jin said blandly.

"You!" Xie Jinxiu was enraged.

Su Jin glanced at Xie Jinxiu, just as she was about to speak, the Old Madam coughed from over there and said, "Enough, all of you, quiet down!"

"I’m tired, please leave."

The Old Madam didn’t want to see Su Jin at all.

Su Jin knew it well.

But this visit, she had to make.

She wouldn’t do something to leave gossip for others.

Su Jin placed the swallow’s nest on the small table by the Old Madam’s bed and said, "Old Madam, have more swallow’s nest to replenish your health."

The Old Madam waved her hand.

Su Jin bowed and took her leave.

Under the watchful eyes full of sharpness and coldness, she left with a gentle smile.

Mrs. Wang stood by the bed, feeling some regret.

She couldn’t bear to see the Old Madam make mistake after mistake, yet didn’t expect things would push the Old Madam to this extent.

She also didn’t expect Aunt Ding would use the Heir’s wife.

Aunt Ding harbored ill intents, and although the Old Madam wasn’t wary of her, she continually targeted the Heir’s wife. Mrs. Wang didn’t know what the Old Madam was thinking.

The Old Madam lay on the bed.

She was waiting.

Waiting for Princess Nanzhang to come forward and settle the matter.

She had fallen ill.

The Old Prince could hardly ignore her frailty and scold her.

Yet after half a day of waiting, Princess Nanzhang hadn’t intervened, and the Old Madam understood Princess Nanzhang’s stance.

After taking the medicine, the Old Madam felt dizzy but couldn’t sleep.

Mrs. Feng walked in.

Hearing footsteps, the Old Madam opened her eyes and asked, "How is the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion?"

"Not good," Mrs. Feng sighed.

"Her eyes are swollen from crying, and those hands are alarming to look at."

Mrs. Feng was the second-class manager of Qihao Hall.

Thinking of the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion, Mrs. Feng felt the Heir’s wife was ruthless.

How could she have poisoned the medicine so heavily?

The Old Madam was angry, her lips turning purple.

Mrs. Wang brought tea to calm the Old Madam.

The Old Madam gritted her back teeth and said, "Bring the Third Master here."

Hongxiu hurriedly went to invite the Third Master.

Soon, the Third Master arrived.

"What does Mother need from me?" the Third Master asked.

Mrs. Wang waved her hand, dismissing the maids.

The Old Madam narrated the incident about the ointment to the Third Master and then said, "Go find the Prince and ask him to get the antidote from the Young Master."

"Mother, you are really muddleheaded!" the Third Master said.

"The hand injury of the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion has nothing to do with you, why involve yourself and get implicated?"

The Old Madam’s face turned slightly green as she said, "Since it was Xuexue who pushed her, causing her hand injury, can I just ignore it?"

"Xuexue didn’t do it intentionally, and my sister-in-law even went to the palace to get the Bihun Ointment for her," the Third Master said.

Overall, the Old Madam had handled this matter incorrectly.

To the Third Master, it seemed like the Old Madam had found a flea to stick on herself, causing unnecessary trouble.

The Old Madam didn’t want to hear these words; she said, "The mistake has been made, should I just ignore others?"

The Third Master was speechless.

"I’ll go talk to my elder brother," the Third Master said.

In the outer courtyard, the study.

The Prince was just about to go out when he saw the Third Master coming over.

"What’s brought the Third Brother here?" the Prince asked.

"There’s something I need to discuss with you," the Third Master replied.

"Let’s talk inside," the Prince said.

After entering, the Third Master directly said, "You’ve heard about the incident where the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion was poisoned by the ointment sent by the Old Madam, right?"

The Prince frowned slightly.

He had heard of it but hadn’t taken it to heart.

"What’s the matter?" the Prince asked.

The Third Master explained, "After my sister-in-law burned her hand, knowing the ointment Chenchen had given to Lady Chi was effective, she had Mrs. Li steal it for her."

"At that time, my sister-in-law was staying at Qihao Hall, and Lv Xiu found out and confronted Mrs. Li."

"Mrs. Li stole another box for the Old Madam."

"As you weren’t in the mansion previously, you might not know how the Heir’s wife defied the Old Madam. If they could get the ointment, the Old Madam wouldn’t be like this. She’s also doing this for the sake of the Prince Mansion."

"The Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s hand injury is related to the Heir’s wife, so the Old Madam sent that ointment to the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion. Who would have thought that the ointment was a trap they set?"

The Third Master bluntly shifted the blame to Princess Nanzhang.

The Prince’s brows knitted.

"We can’t get the antidote; without it, the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s hand may be life-threatening," the Third Master stated heavily.

Just then, Chief Steward Li walked in.

Chief Steward Li handed the account books to the Prince and prepared to leave.

The Prince asked him, "Was the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s hand injury caused by the Heir’s wife?"

Chief Steward Li was a bit stunned.

Accompanying the Prince’s inquiry was the Third Master’s threatening gaze.

Being a smart man, Chief Steward Li clearly understood that the Third Master was coercing the Prince to get the antidote, fearing he might slip up.

"The hand injury of the Eldest Young Lady of the Yongcheng Bo Mansion has nothing to do with the Heir’s wife," Chief Steward Li said.

The Third Master’s face turned green.

No matter how green it got, Chief Steward Li had to tell the truth.

One couldn’t hide the truth forever.

The Young Master and the Heir’s wife were not people to be trifled with.

Should the truth leak out, Chief Steward Li could get himself into trouble.

He dare not become an enemy of the Heir’s wife.

Once Chief Steward Li left, the Prince looked at the Third Master, "If you want the antidote, just ask for it. What’s the point of deceiving me?"

"Mother was indeed wrong, but as her sons, we need to protect her reputation," the Third Master said.

"Do we cover up for her by deceiving everyone and ourselves?" the Prince coldly questioned.

"... ."

"As elders, to do something so disgraceful, you think I have any face left for the Prince Zhenbei Mansion?" l

If word got out that a senior stole a concubine’s ointment, the face of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion would be thoroughly lost.

If the fault is already made, should we hide it and ignore the consequences?

"Don’t say another word!" the Prince interrupted the Third Master.

Mrs. Feng took a glance at the Third Master.

"Let me carry it," she said.

"Su Jinfu," the Third Master called.

"He’s already outside," Mrs. Feng replied.

The door then opened and Su Jinfu walked in.

"You knew from the start, didn’t you?" The Third Master asked.

Su Jinfu knelt on the ground, "It’s all my fault, third uncle."

"When you first entered Prince Zhenbei Mansion, didn’t I tell you what our roles were? Those are things you have to know, and yet you have still gotten us in this pay-off," the Third Master scolded.

"I don’t have any choice," Su Jinfu said bitterly.

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