After Saving The Disabled Villain, I Was Attacked In Return! - Chapter 68

Yu Luo sensed something was amiss. She sent Zhao Qingzhi ahead to handle matters while she stayed behind to take Jiang Yu’s pulse. Suddenly, she realized Jiang Yu’s symptoms matched exactly the ingredients of the medicinal powder she had just examined.

“Miss Jiang, why did you consume that powder?” Yu Luo asked sternly, her face grave. Though she inwardly already saw Jiang Yu as a down-to-earth young woman, her concern for Jiang Yu’s well-being superseded formalities.

Jiang Yu leaned weakly against Qi An’s chest, withdrawing her hands from where Yu Luo had been taking her pulse. Tears glistened in her eyes, yet beneath them burned an extraordinary resolve. “Some people think we’re easy to push around, constantly scheming with their vile tricks. And some Shen family members are foolish… If this continues…” Even without Qi An’s intervention, the General’s Residence’s fate would likely mirror its original trajectory.

Jiang Yu didn’t voice the rest of her thoughts, but the others likely understood her meaning. They stopped trying to stop her. Yu Luo knew the medicine wouldn’t harm her, so she didn’t need to write a prescription. She supported the weak Jiang Yu and walked out of the Spring Renewal Clinic.

The troublemakers outside were guards from the Dowager Consort’s Residence. Their mistress disliked the General’s Residence, so they must know Jiang Yu. Even though their mistress disliked the General’s Residence, these lowly servants still had their own opinions.

The leading guard bowed with a smile. “Greetings, Miss Jiang. I didn’t realize it was the General’s Residence’s banquet day. Why have you come here?” He noticed Jiang Yu’s pale complexion. “Is something wrong?”

“Insolent! Do you think you have the right to question where the General’s Residence’s Eldest Miss goes?” Qi An, holding Jiang Yu in her arms, turned away to shield her from the guards’ gazes. Her icy voice momentarily stunned the guards.

The guards reluctantly averted their eyes. Both women were among the most beautiful in the city. To avoid suspicion, the guards proceeded to enter the clinic for a search.

“Miss Jiang had just come out, and you’re here to search? Don’t you think I have something forbidden?” Jiang Yu suddenly spoke up, her voice sharp. Her reputation as the “Little Tyrant” still lingered among these guards, despite rumors that she had mellowed. They couldn’t forget the day their master had been humiliated at the Dowager Consort’s Residence.

Moreover, Dowager Consort Zhang had merely ordered them to disrupt their business. Not wanting to provoke further trouble, the guards led their men away. The young gatekeeper’s small figure had bought Jiang Yu enough time. Her gaze toward him grew increasingly appreciative; she sensed that everyone at the Spring Renewal Clinic was extraordinary.

“I’m sorry for troubling you again,” Jiang Yu murmured, watching them depart. Her head was already spinning, but the thought of apologizing persisted, even as her consciousness faded.

Qi An rubbed Jiang Yu’s head with tenderness, then hurried back to the carriage they had arrived in and headed toward the General’s Residence. Yu Luo and Zhao Qingzhi said nothing, but their dissatisfaction with Dowager Consort Zhang was palpable.

“Senior Sister, this can’t go on forever. Doesn’t Dowager Consort Zhang have anyone who can put her in her place?” Zhao Qingzhi’s voice carried a hint of frustration. Dowager Consort Zhang was undoubtedly a winner in the palace power struggles, but instead of enjoying her twilight years in peace, she insisted on stirring up trouble everywhere she went—and the General’s Residence was her favorite target.

“If we just give the General’s Residence a little help, wouldn’t that let someone else deal with that old hag?” Yu Luo, usually calm and unassuming, showed her strategic side in this moment. They had initially wanted nothing to do with these power struggles, but Dowager Consort Zhang had stubbornly dragged everyone into it.

“Qi An’s background is mysterious. Even Master can’t predict her future. But I can tell she has that ruthless streak in her. And aren’t you planning to inquire about the recent imperial examination from Lord Liu? Let’s leak that information to Qi An too.” With that, Yu Luo turned and headed back inside. Zhao Qingzhi nodded and followed. Only after a fleeting shadow passed by the Spring Renewal Clinic’s entrance did Zhao Qingzhi allow herself a small smile.

“I didn’t expect you to be so eager, Miss Chu,” Zhao Qingzhi remarked. She had sensed someone eavesdropping nearby when she arrived at the clinic entrance, so she deliberately concluded their conversation there before leading her Senior Sister inside. Now that Chu Si knew, what would she do?

Spring Renewal Clinic was closed for the day. With the gates shut, nothing outside mattered to them anymore.

Qi An’s urgent tone had spurred the carriage to race down the streets. Fortunately, everyone recognized the General’s Residence crest on the carriage and cleared the way. They arrived at the General’s Residence within fifteen minutes.

“Miss, what happened?” Lu Wu, visibly worried, had been waiting anxiously for their return. She gasped as she saw Jiang Yu, pale-faced, being carried down by Qi An.

Qi An ignored Lu Wu’s question and strode straight to Shaoyue Pavilion, carrying Jiang Yu. Lu Wu’s anxiety intensified at Qi An’s silence. She hurried after them, sending a nearby maid to inform Shen Yun immediately.

The bumpy ride had put Jiang Yu to sleep, but her furrowed brow revealed the pain she was enduring. Qi An watched her, her heart aching. The Imperial Physician and Shen Yun arrived at the General’s Residence together, while the banquet continued as planned.

Shen Yun hurried over, her face etched with worry, and sat beside Jiang Yu’s bed. Just moments before, her daughter had been lively and energetic, now she lay unconscious.

“What happened?!” Shen Yun hadn’t had time to summon the Secret Guard for questioning, so she turned to Qi An, her gaze authoritative and sharp with anger.

Qi An remained upright, not kneeling. “After Miss Jiang took a sip of the Appetizing Sweet Soup, she started feeling unwell. She asked me to walk with her outside the General’s Residence, but she grew worse, so I carried her back.”

Shen Yun glanced skeptically at the unconscious Jiang Yu. The physician, who had been summoned earlier, had just finished taking her pulse. “Madam,” he reported, “Miss Jiang is indeed poisoned. However, the toxin is mild, and she should recover after a day’s rest.”

Just like Yu Luo, the doctor didn’t prescribe any medicine for Jiang Yu. But seeing her daughter’s pained expression made Shen Yun deeply uncomfortable.

“Appetizing Sweet Soup?” Shen Yun gave a subtle nod, and the maid beside her immediately dashed to the General’s Residence kitchen and brought back a bowl of the soup.

After carefully examining the soup, the doctor confirmed it contained the same poison. Indeed… he nodded.

Shen Yun’s expression darkened. But gathering all the kitchen maids at Shaoyue Pavilion now would cause a commotion in the Flower Hall, and Dowager Consort Zhang might stir up trouble again.

Wait… Shen Yun suddenly remembered Dowager Consort Zhang. She was the one who had orchestrated this banquet, yet she had only spoken a few words during the performance.

This didn’t fit Dowager Consort Zhang’s usual modus operandi. Shen Yun wasn’t foolish. Considering her daughter’s mysterious illness, she could almost guess who was behind it all.

Shen Yun reached out and took Jiang Yu’s hand, her eyes filled with tender concern. She dismissed the doctor and maids, leaving only Qi An and Lu Wu behind. Softly, she said, “Ningning, don’t worry. I will make them pay for everything they’ve done to you.”

Qi An stood beside Shen Yun, her hands clenched so tightly that the veins bulged faintly. Her mind raced back through the recent events, and she stole a glance at Jiang Yu lying on the bed. A resolve hardened within her.

“I’ll make them pay too,” Qi An thought, though she didn’t voice it aloud. Instead, she began channeling her energy, trying to recover the physical strength she’d cultivated through martial training.

With a sweep of her brocade robes, Shen Yun turned and left, quickly regaining her composed smile. She quietly instructed her servants to detain the cooks and wait for orders in the courtyard’s punishment hall.

Music filled the air throughout the day. As the sun set, the last guest—Dowager Consort Zhang—finally departed. Under normal circumstances, she would have been the first to leave. But today, she couldn’t believe her eyes. She had clearly administered the poison, yet there was no reaction whatsoever. She had even prepared to step forward and mock the situation at the opportune moment.

Could I have been discovered? The thought sent a shiver down Dowager Consort Zhang’s spine. She quickly glanced around the General’s Residence, but everything seemed normal. Convinced she had simply removed the dish at the last minute, she stood to leave.

Just then, Shen Yun approached to see her off, her face as cold as frost. Shen Lian, who had come to assist, stood by awkwardly, unsure what to do. Dowager Consort Zhang, already anxious about her scheme being exposed, noticed Shen Yun’s displeased expression but dared not confront her. However, as they reached the gate, Shen Yun couldn’t contain herself.

“Dowager Consort,” she said, her voice sharp, “everyone praises the General’s Residence as a rising star among the court’s nobility. Yet my husband and I have never looked down on others for their talents. We have always treated you with the utmost respect. I hope you will restrain your resentment toward us in the future.”

The words struck Dowager Consort Zhang like a warning bell. She stood speechless, unsure how to respond. After Dowager Consort Zhang left, Shen Lian intended to scold her sister for rudeness. But Shen Yun merely waved her hand, ordering all gates of the General’s Residence sealed and guarded, not even allowing a mosquito to escape.

Support After Saving The Disabled Villain, I Was Attacked In Return!