Chapter 142 – Interrogate Her For What Happened Back Then
Chapter 142 Interrogate Her for What Happened Back Then
Yu had lost a lot of weight. Because of her rapid weight loss, she looked a bit older. The wrinkles that had never appeared in the past appeared at the corners of her eyes and her eyebrows. At first glance, she seemed to have aged about ten years.
Leaning weakly against the bed, Yu did not have much strength. Judging from the yellowish paleness on her skin, it didn’t seem that she was faking the illness.
However, this did not surprise Qu Moying. There were so many doctors, it was impossible to bribe every single one of them. Moreover, it was said that the Imperial Doctor was also involved in diagnosing her.
This matter was a big deal as it even reached the imperial court. No matter what, it should not be totally fake. Otherwise, it would be the crime of deceiving the Emperor. Even if Yu dared, Qu Zhizhen would not dare. But who was it that plotted this?
Yu was leaning against a thick cushion behind her. She looked up at Qu Moying, and there was a trace of resentment in her eyes. The gentleness which she used to put up as a disguise in the past was long gone by now.
“How do you do, Madam?” Qu Moying looked at Yu on the bed and asked with a smile.
“Qu Moying, you framed me!” Yu glowered with hatred. Although she was weak, she glared at Qu Moying in resentment.
“Madam, didn’t you send the clothes over? I heard that there are some bad things inside. Since you wanted to harm me, why do you say that I framed you now?” Qu Moying looked at Yu in surprise. “I know. I’m not your daughter, and you’ve never liked me. You even ruined my eyes, but…”
Qu Moying paused for a moment, a trace of ridicule flashing through her eyes. “Madam, you have harmed me many times, right? But no matter how much you hurt me, you will not erase the fact that my mother is my father’s first wife. And you were just a concubine back then, remember?”
“H-How dare you to spout nonsense…” Yu was so angry that her face turned pale and she almost vomited blood. She reached out to grab her chest and coughed loudly.
Witnessing the situation, Hai Lan hurried forward and patted her back.
After Yu calmed down, Hai Lan glared at Qu Moying with a bit of anger, “Fourth Lady, Madam is your senior. Please mind your language and be respectful!”
“Mind her language? Be respectful? If this so-called senior is so cunning and wicked that she wants to kill my lady, why should my lady respect her?” Yu Dong retorted with a disdainful sneer.
“How dare you! You wild maid. How dare you speak to Madam like that?” Hai Lan chided indignantly. She was Yu’s personal housekeeper and had always been trusted by Yu, hence, she was quite respected in the mansion. Not to mention Yu Dong, who had just started working in the mansion, even the servants who had been working in the mansion for years had to treat Hai Lan with full respect and call her “Aunty Hai Lan”.
“How dare I speak to Madam like that? What about you? Aren’t you shouting to my lady too?” Yu Dong rebuked fearlessly, not intimidated by Aunty Hai Lan at all. In fact, when he spoke, he raised his eyebrows with a hint of provocation.
Hai Lan was so angry that her face turned pale, but she couldn’t just ask the maids to drag Yu Dong out and punish Yu Dong as she did before.
Had this happened a few days ago, Hai Lan would have known what to do even without reading Yu’s indication. Any servant who dared to offend Madam would be flogged to death. So what if the incoming person was Fourth Lady? Madam would not be at fault even if she slapped Fourth Lady and brought the matter to Old Lady.
In fact, Madam could even say that it was Fourth Lady who was rude to her. In Madam’s yard, she had the absolute authority, and even Old Lady might not be able to find out something.
But it was not the same now. Now, Madam had lost her power. The matter had become so serious that even Princess Ji had been implicated. It had even caused a ruckus at Crown Princess’ funeral. Following through with the most severe punishment, Madam might have even been charged for a serious crime, let alone her status. Right now, Madam was still the Qu Mansion’s Second Madam just because she was ill at the right time.
At this moment, it was best to not do anything. To display weakness was the best option at the moment. Moreover, she had already secretly sent people to invite Second Master over.
“Qu Moying, I have treated you well. Since you have entered the mansion, I gave you the same thing as I give Yan… Why… Why did you frame me?” Yu gasped and asked as she pulled Hai Lan’s sleeve.
Yu Dong retreated behind Qu Moying. Qu Moying looked up at Yu and fell silent for a long while before quipping, “Everyone has seen what you’ve done to me, Mrs. Yu. I won’t argue with you about this. Even the Emperor knows about this matter. Are you still trying to argue your way out of it? Just stop. I want to ask something else.”
“What is it?” Yu was so angry that she almost fainted. She grabbed the quilt under her hands and forced down the anger in her heart. Just now, Hai Lan had already told Yu that she had sent someone to invite Master over for dinner, so that Yu knew what to do.
“I heard that my mother went to the convent when she was pregnant with me. That was weird. Her due was around the corner, right? What made her go to the convent alone? Why didn’t she wait for delivery in the mansion? Was it your doing? Otherwise, why would a pregnant woman go to the convent suddenly? In fact, it didn’t seem like she was going for prayers but more like a punishment.”
Qu Moying looked at Yu and mouthed word by word.
Her voice was gentle, but her words were sharp like a knife. Her simple statement was enough to tell what happened in the past. What she could not understand was also what she could not figure out.
However, Granny Zhou had already made it clear to her.
A trace of panic flashed through Yu’s eyes. She did not expect that Qu Moying was asking about the past incident.
“Fourth Lady…” Seeing that Yu could not answer, Hai Lan hurriedly answered.
“Shut it! You’re just a servant! You have no place to talk right now!” Qu Moying coldly chided, and a trace of terrifying frigidness flashed across her glare. “Were you also involved in what happened back then? Did my mother die from another reason instead of difficult childbirth?”
“Fourth Lady, what nonsense are you talking about? I-I’m just helping Madam to explain,” the panicked Hai Lan muttered.
“Let your Master say it herself,” Qu Moying said coldly.
Hai Lan could feel the coldness in Qu Moying’s eyes even through the eye veil. The inexplicable aura made her subconsciously take a step back. When she was done retreating, she was ashamed and angry. She was actually forced back by Fourth Lady Qu, whom she had never acknowledged.
Hai Lan became angry and was about to speak, but Yu Dong stepped forward with cold eyes. There seemed to be some killing intent in Yu Dong’s eyes. Hai Lan was so scared that her feet trembled and she did not dare to take a step forward.
Seeing that Qu Moying actually withheld Hai Lan, Yu paled in anger. She was weak and powerless at this moment. Otherwise, she would have slapped Qu Moying right now.
But she could not do it now. She really had no strength.
“What happened back then has nothing to do with me. If you want to investigate, just investigate it yourself,” Yu took a deep breath and spoke more thoroughly.
It had been so long since that year, and she did not want to mention it again.
“I heard that Third Sister and Second Brother were born prematurely back then because you fell. It was difficult labor for you too, and you almost died with the babies,” Qu Moying sneered.
“So what?” Yu snapped harshly.
“It’s nothing. Mrs. Yu, you faced such a health risk back then, but you could still give birth to a son and a daughter and live well. My mother only gave birth to me, but she died. When my mother was exiled to the convent, she was also slandered as ‘framing’ you. In the end, you’re alive but my mother died. Then, I had no mother, so you took care of me, turning my eyes blind!”
Qu Moying looked at Yu with a cold expression and unceremoniously lifted the veil hiding the past.
Obviously, the one who benefited the most from the incident back then was Yu.
After so many years, Yu had also risen to the top of the Qu Mansion, while the daughter of the ex-wife had become a person with eye problem and was detained in the village.
Qu Moying was isolated and left to fend for herself.
“W-What nonsense are you talking about…” Yu was a little flustered.
“I think you’re very clear whether I’m talking nonsense or not. You were the one who benefited the most from these things, weren’t you? You were like this back then, and you are the same now. If they had found out that I lost my courtesy at Crown Princess’ funeral, I would have definitely been the one to be punished. Tell me, do you wish to get rid of me again?”
Qu Moying hissed.
She was still talking about the past incident in the first half of her statement. In the second part, she suddenly changed the subject to the present naturally and logically. She glared coldly at Yu with a cold expression, her words as sharp as knives!
Yu’s body was weak and her head was buzzing. She was a little shocked by Qu Moying’s mention of the past. For a moment, she was anxious and panicked. She pointed at Qu Moying with difficulty and stammered, “Y-You’re talking nonsense… I didn’t… I… It was you…”
“Mrs. Yu, what happened to Mother in the past had something to do with you. I heard that you repeatedly blamed Mother for your fall, so Mother had no choice but to give in and go to the convent. But I heard that premature birth is normal for twins, and you were only a few days ahead of your estimated due date. What did the premature birth have to do with the fall? And now, you did the same thing. Mrs. Yu, why do you repeatedly harm Mother and me? I can’t figure it out. I am just a woman, and I won’t hinder Second Brother. Am I this unbearable to you?”
Qu Moying continued to ask, not allowing Yu to explain too much.
She estimated Qu Zhizhen should have come here from his study by now. Qu Zhizhen had doubts about the matter between Yu and herself. Since there was a chance to hear their private conversation, he would definitely come.
Coming here for dinner was the perfect excuse no matter who used it.
“You… you’re talking nonsense…” This was the only thing Yu said for now.
“Second Madam, you know full well if I’m talking nonsense or not. Tell me, why do you want to harm me? Or perhaps, I’m not your only target. You even want to harm Father, Grandmother, and the entire Qu Mansion!”
Qu Moying fumed aggressively.
Panicked, Hai Lan looked at the door and was about to speak up to help the inarticulate Yu when Yu Dong, who was blocking her, stepped forward again. The malicious look in Yu Dong’s eyes frightened Hai Lan. Her mouth was wide agape, but she didn’t dare to say anything. She just subconsciously took a step back and hit a shelf behind her, making a heavy impact sound.
After rushing to Yu’s inner room, Qu Zhizhen, who was standing at the door of the inner room, heard these words. His face showed a bit of coldness, and his heart skipped a beat. Then, his expression changed drastically.
Yu wanted to harm him?
