Quick Transmigration: Why did you provoke him? He's love-struck!

Chapter 154 Canglan Ferry (24)

As Pei Yuanhong got closer, he recognized the maid tied to the tree as the one who usually served Jiang Shi. He vaguely remembered that her name was Mingyu.

"What happened?" Pei Yuanhong asked.

Both Madam Feng and Madam Xu looked worried.

"How could someone be beaten like this?"

Yan Zhen stopped whipping Mingyu and glanced at Yan Jinhe, who was hurriedly entering the bamboo garden accompanied by maids and servants. She gave Pei Ji a wink.

Having received the hint, Pei Ji immediately bowed to Pei Yuanhong and Madam Xu, saying, "It was truly inappropriate to disturb you, Father and Mother, so late at night, but this matter is of great importance, and I dare not make a decision on my own—"

As he spoke, he beckoned for the servant to bring forward the Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream.

Madam Xu said, "Isn't this the Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream that's to be sent to the palace tomorrow?"

"Yes, my son heard a noise at night, got up and saw that girl sneaking into the medicine-making room and touching the Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment."

Mrs. Xu frowned, but she didn't seem particularly surprised.

With over five hundred people in the Duke's mansion, it's inevitable that a few petty thieves will emerge. Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream is so profitable and priceless that stealing just one bottle would allow them to live a life of comfort for most of their lives.

“She was a thieving maid. Give her a good scolding and sell her off,” Xu said, then asked, “Is the Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment alright?”

Don't break it, or it will delay the time to send it to the palace tomorrow, and the nobleman will probably blame you.

“If we had only caught a thieving girl, my son wouldn’t have disturbed my parents’ sleep in the middle of the night. The problem is that this girl didn’t steal the ointment, but poisoned the Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment.”

Upon hearing this, everyone present changed their expressions.

Yan Zhen glanced at Yan Jinhe, noticing a fleeting unease in her eyes, but did not speak rashly.

Pei Yuanhong immediately stepped forward, picked up the Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment, and opened it. There was nothing suspicious on the surface, and it didn't smell strange. He asked, "What kind of poison did she use?"

Pei Ji beckoned, and another servant brought over a piece of oiled paper, which was still covered in white powder.

“My son doesn’t know either. He only saw that the girl put powder into the Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment. To find out what kind of poison she put in, we have to ask a doctor to come and take a look.”

Madam Feng was extremely anxious and hurriedly said, "Isn't Miss Jiang the doctor? Let her recognize him."

Pei Ji said, "She made the beauty cream. The person who poisoned her was obviously targeting her. She has to avoid suspicion. To prevent some people from being dissatisfied, let's ask a doctor to come and take a look."

Pei Yuanhong immediately ordered his steward to fetch Doctor Shen that very night.

Fifteen minutes later, Doctor Shen arrived at the Bamboo Garden. After hearing the whole story, he took the oiled paper, examined it carefully, and then brought it to his nose to smell it. His expression immediately changed.

"This is powder made from dried and ground chicken blood pearl seeds. In small amounts, it can be used in combination with other herbs, but applying it alone can cause skin ulceration, and applying it to the face can even cause disfigurement!"

Pei Yuanhong and Xu were startled, and Feng broke out in a cold sweat.

Ever since she learned that the Imperial Concubine had sent someone to the Duke's mansion to order Jade Snow Lotus Cream, and that Madam Xu was going to personally deliver it to the palace, Madam Feng, who had never been to the palace before, begged Madam Xu to take her to the palace to broaden her horizons.

After two days of persuasion, Xu finally relented, and the two of them were to bring the Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream to the palace the next day.

If the Crown Prince hadn't caught this audacious girl tonight, Madam Feng couldn't imagine what would have happened to her and Madam Xu after they delivered the items to the palace.

The Imperial Concubine used the Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream, which ruined her face and disfigured her. Therefore, the first to be held accountable would be her, Madam Xu, and Jiang Li, who made the medicine.

Those who plot against the imperial concubine will be imprisoned at best and beheaded at worst.

If Madam Feng could think of these things, so could Pei Yuanhong and Madam Xu. Pei Yuanhong's thinking went even further—a maid wouldn't have the audacity to poison someone; there must be someone behind it.

Who on earth is so vicious as to devise such a sinister scheme to harm the Duke of Dingguo's mansion?!

Pei Yuanhong's face was extremely ugly. He said to Pei Ji, "There's something fishy about this. Someone must be targeting the Duke's Mansion. Have you and Jiang managed to get anything out of this girl?"

Pei Ji shook his head: "She absolutely refuses to say anything, insisting that it was A-Li who treated her badly, and that she poisoned the Jade Snow Hibiscus Ointment to harm A-Li."

Pei Yuanhong frowned and glanced at Yan Zhen.

Yan Zhen tossed the blood-stained whip to Pei Ji and took a handkerchief from another maid to wipe her hands: "This is utter nonsense. I never mistreat my servants. Everyone in the Bamboo Garden can testify to this. The mastermind behind the poisoning probably disliked me for a long time and wanted to use the Imperial Concubine to get rid of me and the child in my womb."

After she finished speaking, she glanced meaningfully at Yan Jinhe, who had remained silent.

Upon seeing this, everyone followed her gaze and looked at Yan Jinhe.

Yan Jinhe instantly became the target of everyone's criticism, and the atmosphere in the courtyard suddenly became tense.

Yan Jinhe remained calm, narrowing her eyes and coldly saying, "Miss Jiang, do you doubt me?"

"I'm not doubting you, but you're the one who instigated the maid to do this!" Yan Zhen said firmly, his tone carrying a hint of unreasonable arguing.

"Do you have any evidence?"

"No." Yan Zhen spread his hands. "But if we look at it from the other side, the biggest beneficiary of my conviction, imprisonment, and even death sentence is you. Moreover, you assigned Mingyu to me. I asked others, and before I entered the manor, she was a lowly maid in your courtyard."

It wouldn't be difficult to extract the truth from Mingyu. Yan Zhen has plenty of methods for interrogation and torture, which even professional agents can't withstand, let alone a mere maid.

The problem is that even if we force the truth out of Mingyu now and accuse Yan Jinhe of poisoning, the Jade Snow Hibiscus Cream has not yet been sent to the palace, causing irreparable damage. In order to keep the peace, Pei Yuanhong and Madam Xu will most likely just downplay the matter and let it go.

After all, Yan Jinhe's family was a high-ranking official of the first rank in the imperial court. As long as she didn't cause any major trouble that shook the foundation of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion and her own life, Pei Yuanhong wouldn't easily take action against her, so as not to offend the Yan family.

From the moment Yan Zhen set up this scheme, his goal wasn't to convict Yan Jinhe, but to smear her reputation and make her unable to clear her name.

Yan Jinhe laughed as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world: "If you want to find fault, you can always find a reason! According to your logic, if I have a grudge against you, then no matter what happens in your yard in the future, even if you trip and fall in the yard, you will blame it on me?"

"You dare to do it but not admit it?"

"If you want me to confess, then produce some concrete evidence!"

The two argued back and forth, each sticking to their own version of events. The people in the courtyard followed their words, each with their own agenda.

Yan Zhen stared at Yan Jinhe, speechless with anger for a long time, then suddenly turned around and threw herself into Pei Ji's arms, crying, "Pei Lang, she's bullying me, aren't you going to do anything about it!"

Pei Ji immediately wrapped his arms around her and comforted her, saying, "Don't cry, I will definitely get justice for you."

Watching this scene, Yan Jinhe felt as cold as if she were in the dead of winter. She sneered, "I wonder how the young master plans to give her justice? Will he convict me of a fabricated crime without any evidence, or will he simply hand me over to the authorities to appease her?"

"Shut up!" Pei Ji snapped at her. "Even if you didn't instigate this, you can't escape blame! As the mistress of the household, you have the authority to manage all the servants in the Duke's mansion. It's one thing to fail to discipline them, and another to send such a scheming maid to the Bamboo Garden. If anything happens to A-Li's unborn child, I will hold you accountable first!"

Yan Jinhe: "..."

She clenched her fists, her lips trembling, as if she were about to cough up blood.

He actually sided with Jiang Li to this extent, without even distinguishing right from wrong.