Transmigrated as the Short-Lived White Moonlight, I Ended Up Happily Ever After With the Female Lead - Chapter 49

“My dear sister, every word you say now makes me feel pathetic.” Ji Yan’an turned her head away, not wanting to look at Ji Tong’an at all.

A maid dressed in peach-pink walked into the main hall carrying freshly brewed tea and respectfully offered it to the Old Madam. When Ji Tong’an clearly saw the person, her face went pale with shock.

“Pang zhi!!”

The peach-pink clad maid slightly raised her head, revealing a small, delicate face. It was indeed Pang zhi. Ji Tong’an knew better than anyone that the Old Madam was about to settle old scores.

The situation immediately turned around: Song Yi and Ji Yan’an stood up, while Ji Tong’an and the Third Concubine knelt on the floor. Madam Ji and Ji Yongning had both left, and the Old Madam was now presiding over the situation.

The Old Madam took a light sip of the scalding hot tea. The taste of the tea gradually became sweet in her mouth. She smiled slightly and instructed Pang zhi to speak out everything she knew.

Pang zhi also knelt beside Ji Tong’an. In the enormous main hall, three women knelt there, making the atmosphere as tense as possible. All the maids dared not breathe, holding their breath to hear what Pang zhi would say.

Ji Tong’an was even more nervous. Her fingernails were about to dig into her palms, and her face was deathly pale as she looked at Pang zhi. Pang zhi avoided her gaze, just lowering her head and saying, “It was the Third Miss who instructed this servant. That night, when I accompanied the Third Miss back to her courtyard, we passed by the kitchen. I happened to see the Eldest Miss and Miss Song coming out of the kitchen together. The Third Miss immediately ordered this servant to go inside and retrieve the medicinal powder she kept under her pillow. Then, she said she was hungry and had the cooks start steaming pastries for her, so no one had time to deliver the medicine. The Third Miss took the Third Concubine’s medicine herself and told this servant to add the powder to it…”

Ji Yan’an had heard this lengthy testimony before, but hearing it again still made her angry. That night, Song Yi had cooked porridge for her, and when she left, Ji Tong’an, this little “green tea,” seized the opportunity to harm her.

Ji Tong’an closed her eyes in despair. Sure enough, Pang zhi had betrayed her. She calmed herself, wiped away the tears on her face, and already had a plan in mind: “Pang zhi is no longer considered Tong’an’s maid. Since she was instigated by Song Yi to poison Mother, Tong’an has severed all ties with the two of them. Naturally, nothing said by this person, who colludes with Song Yi, can be believed.”

These words were so high-sounding that Ji Yan’an was momentarily speechless, unable to find a retort. The Old Madam, however, maintained the smile on her face, even finding Ji Yan’an’s anxious look amusing enough to almost laugh out loud.

The Old Madam gently pulled Ji Yan’an in front of her and glanced at her reproachfully: “What’s wrong? You’re so angry you can’t speak? Little Yan’an still has a long way to go…”

Ji Yan’an felt completely secure with the Old Madam’s words. As long as she had the Old Madam on her side, she could win.

So, Ji Yan’an stood quietly, planning to observe and learn from the Old Madam how to deal with the little “green tea” sister.

The Old Madam then picked up her Buddhist prayer beads, incense was lit beside her, and crystalline jade pendants dangled by her ears. The Old Madam appeared noble and stately, her cloudy yet commanding eyes slightly narrowed, staring intently at Ji Tong’an: “Of course, she cannot be believed. Well then, why don’t you, my dear granddaughter, tell us what could have motivated Pang zhi to betray you, her mistress, and do something for a mere Song Yi that is serious enough to lose her head?”

It was Ji Tong’an’s turn to be choked up. Ji Yan’an almost clapped her hands in delight. The Old Madam’s strategy was to never directly refute Ji Tong’an but to cut in from a different angle, not only catching Ji Tong’an off guard but also maintaining her own status and dignity.

She truly is the previous champion of inner-court power struggles, Ji Yan’an repeated in her mind.

Below, Ji Tong’an frantically tried to formulate an excuse in her mind. The Old Madam was in no hurry; this was just the beginning. At most, they could continue until dinner, and perhaps no one would eat.

Ji Yan’an still felt a bit dizzy. She had been too agitated just now, and the dizziness was setting in. Drinking last night was too much.

Song Yi noticed Ji Yan’an standing there with some difficulty, and she quickly put an arm around her waist, with no other intentions, and whispered, “Take a rest.”

Ji Yan’an was thus vaguely held in her embrace, leaning gently against Song Yi’s body, a small figure nestled in her arms.

“Pang zhi once asked this granddaughter for money. Because I needed to save money to buy the best medicine from the imperial physician for my Mother, I didn’t give her any. Who knew she would turn around and collude with Song Yi, all for that paltry sum of money! How vicious human nature can be!” Ji Tong’an finally managed to come up with an explanation, holding a handkerchief. She was so convincing that she almost believed it herself. Even the Third Concubine believed it, throwing herself at Ji Tong’an, crying bitterly and complaining, “It’s all mother’s fault for not giving Tong’an a good background. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have to be suppressed by that low-born commoner now.”

Their noisy wailing exacerbated Ji Yan’an’s headache. Song Yi saw her frowning, let Ji Yan’an lean against her, and moved her hands up to cover Ji Yan’an’s ears. Those harsh and unpleasant words were blocked out. Ji Yan’an finally smiled, continuing to lean comfortably against her.

Ji Yan’an did not close her eyes; she kept watching the Old Madam. No one could disrupt the Old Madam’s composure. Even if Ji Tong’an framed herself as a great filial daughter, and even if she and the Third Concubine embraced each other and cried, it did not at all spoil the Old Madam’s mood for drinking tea. Holding the Buddhist beads, there was no sign of impatience on her face. Instead, she watched Ji Tong’an and the Third Concubine cry to each other with great interest, as if it were more entertaining than a play.

Being watched by the Old Madam for so long, the Third Concubine finally stopped crying, using her handkerchief to wipe away her tears and rouge, trying to maintain her appearance.

“If the Ji Residence needs medicinal materials, the imperial physicians would be eager to deliver them. You saving money just to buy medicine brings shame upon the Ji Residence! Putting everything else aside, for this point alone, I will withhold three months of your allowance!” The Old Madam’s thought process was unique. She found another angle here, not giving anyone time to think. Just when it seemed she had strayed from the topic, the Old Madam said one more sentence that completely rattled Ji Tong’an: “Go search the Third Miss’s room and see if there is a lot of secretly saved money.”

In truth, the Old Madam intended to search for Ji Tong’an’s other medicinal powders, but she deliberately gave these people no time to react, using the money as a red herring. The maids eavesdropping at the door only knew to go back and hide money, but they missed the most crucial physical evidence.

Kneeling on the ground, Ji Tong’an trembled all over, the despair in her eyes intensifying. The clumsy maids didn’t know what the Old Madam was truly looking for, but Ji Tong’an did. Was this her first direct confrontation with the Old Madam, and she was going to end up like this?

Ji Tong’an was unwilling to accept this. Her brain was working rapidly; she was still thinking of ways to make a last-ditch effort.

Before long, a large group of people emerged from Ji Tong’an’s room, almost everyone carrying a small wooden box—as instructed by the Old Madam, whatever was found was to be brought up in a wooden box.

Ji Tong’an watched those people file in, and the image of her room being completely ransacked already formed in her mind. They placed the wooden boxes one by one onto the table in front of the Old Madam. Counting them carefully, there were actually ten!

The Old Madam, seeing that Ji Yan’an was still dizzy, had long since told her to sit down. But now, seeing this spectacular scene, Ji Yan’an couldn’t help but stand up again. Because she stood up too quickly, she almost fainted, luckily Song Yi caught her in time.

“Foolish, if I hadn’t come to support you, you would have fallen down?” Song Yi scolded Ji Yan’an for the first time. Ji Yan’an, far from being angry, happily rubbed against Song Yi’s embrace: “Hehehe, you’re my best friend, I trust you the most, and I’ll only let you support me!”

The Old Madam currently had no time to watch Ji Yan’an and Song Yi, these two “friends,” trusting each other. She placed the Buddhist beads on the table, stood up directly, and, supported by the old nurse, walked to the table where the ten boxes lay.

“Open them for me, one by one,” the Old Madam commanded her servant girl.

The maid used a silver needle to pry open the boxes one by one. Ji Yan’an followed her movements, looking into the boxes. The first box contained a few unremarkable pieces of silver, presumably Ji Tong’an’s monthly allowance from the Ji Residence. However, underneath those silver pieces was a bank draft for three thousand taels! This discovery made the inexperienced Ji Yan’an’s eyes widen.

Three thousand taels was enough for a poor family to live comfortably for a lifetime. Even Ji Yan’an’s precious clothing and jewelry combined were only about one thousand taels. It was truly baffling how Ji Tong’an, a mere concubine’s daughter, acquired three thousand taels, but it was certainly not through any proper channel.

Ji Yan’an was astonished, but the Old Madam showed no surprise at all. A hint of disdain flashed in her eyes as she instructed the maid to open the next box.

The next box contained various sizes of medicinal powder. When tested with a silver needle, the needle turned black.

The Old Madam was not surprised, even yawning: “Take this to the Imperial Physician.”

The Imperial Physician was standing nearby and quickly took the powder handed over by the maid. After careful examination, he confirmed that this was indeed the poison found in the Third Concubine’s medicine.

The Old Madam was not in a hurry to open the remaining boxes. She relayed the information exactly as it was to Ji Tong’an, who remained obstinate: “Pang zhi framed me! She must have wanted to clear Song Yi. This granddaughter had no idea there was poison in this room!”

Hearing this, Pang zhi feared the Old Madam might believe her and cried out: “This servant did not! These were all bought by the Third Miss herself from an outside pharmacy. If the Old Madam doesn’t believe it, you can ask the shop owner!”

The Old Madam was waiting for this exact statement. As if planned, she nodded: “Good. Someone, bring the pharmacy owner.”

Ji Tong’an never expected this to happen. She slumped onto the floor. The Third Concubine also looked over: “Tong’an… it wasn’t you, was it?”

The Third Concubine had been completely kept in the dark by her. She really did poison the Third Concubine, and she was truly willing to sacrifice her.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the old nurse trotted in to report: “Old Madam, the pharmacy owner has arrived.”

A faint light flashed in Song Yi’s eyes. Without waiting for the Old Madam to speak, she ordered the person to be brought in.

“This humble man greets the Old Madam…” The pharmacy owner was accompanied by a strong man, who might or might not have been a shop assistant. However, his attire certainly didn’t look like that of an assistant; he looked like an important figure.

Ji Yan’an watched with cold eyes…