Chapter 113: Fighting Poison with Poison

Xiumei clenched her fists. "I really want to go out there and give her a few punches! Coming here to apologize now—what was she doing before?"

"Meimei, do you know what 'fighting poison with poison' means?" Wei Ruo asked with a crafty smile.

"The young miss uses that when compounding medicine," Xiumei replied. "Because some herbs are highly toxic, another herb with a different toxicity is used to neutralize them."

"Today, I'll show you another way to fight poison with poison." Wei Ruo instructed Xiumei, "Go out and tell them I’m ill. Say my chest hurts and my head aches, especially when I hear noisy sounds. Tell them I must see a doctor, or I might not be able to meet Lady Yuan tomorrow."

Xiumei immediately complied. She opened the door, ignored Wei Qingwan kneeling on the threshold, and went straight to find Nanny Zhang to relay Wei Ruo’s condition.

Nanny Zhang naturally had to seek instructions from Madam Yun first.

Upon hearing that Wei Ruo was ill, Madam Yun was skeptical. "Wasn't she perfectly fine just a moment ago when she was infuriating me? How could she fall ill so suddenly?"

Nanny Zhang could only reply, "This old servant does not know, but I have heard that if a person becomes overwhelmed by anger, they can suffer a sudden illness. I wonder if that is the case with the eldest young miss."

Madam Yun frowned and said, "Then hurry and fetch a doctor to examine her. If she is truly ill, we must not delay."

"Yes!" Nanny Zhang responded and hurried out, returning shortly with a doctor.

Learning that a doctor had been called for Wei Ruo, Wei Qingwan stopped kneeling at her door and went to Madam Yun instead, asking suspiciously, "Mother, is Elder Sister really ill?"

Madam Yun said, "We will know after the doctor examines her."

After a while, the doctor finished checking Wei Ruo’s pulse and went to report to Madam Yun. "Reporting to you, Madam, the eldest young miss is suffering from an accumulation of intense anger and internal stagnation, which has caused liver fire to flare up and disrupted her qi and blood. I will write a prescription. She should take two doses daily for five days. During this time, she must strictly avoid further emotional agitation and needs complete rest. Otherwise, if the condition worsens, it will be troublesome."

Hearing this, Wei Qingwan instinctively felt that Wei Ruo was lying. She said, "Is this truly what she said? My sister has always been in good health, how could she..."

The doctor’s expression turned stern upon hearing this. "Young lady, I have been practicing medicine for many years and have never misdiagnosed a patient. The reputation of my Baoshan Hall in Taizhou Prefecture is impeccable! If you are questioning my professional judgment, then I have nothing more to say! You should find someone else more capable!"

Not expecting the doctor to be so temperamental, Madam Yun quickly intervened. "Doctor, please do not be angry. My daughter was merely surprised; she meant no disrespect to your medical skills."

The doctor replied, "Madam, in any case, the eldest young miss's illness is not feigned. If not treated properly, her health will only decline, and she might not even be able to leave her room."

Hearing this, Madam Yun immediately had Nanny Zhang follow the doctor to fetch the medicine for Wei Ruo. She then had her head maid, Cuiping, summon Wei Qingwan.

"Do not go near your sister again; avoid her for these next few days. She is ill and needs rest. Whatever matters you have, wait until she has recovered."

Madam Yun’s words left Wei Qingwan stunned. Was Wei Qingruo actually ill?

What was to be done now? She couldn't apologize to Wei Qingruo for the time being, and she couldn't use her to plead with Lady Yuan. Her reputation...

Wei Qingwan was unwilling to accept this, but seeing Madam Yun’s expression, she knew there was no room for negotiation.

Wei Ruo was currently very important to the Wei family. Not only did she have to meet Lady Yuan tomorrow, but in a few days, she also had to report to the Seventh Prince and Magistrate Qian regarding the cultivation of the wasteland south of the city. If she were to become bedridden, it would be a major disadvantage for the Wei family.

The full script of apologies and pleas for help that Wei Qingwan had prepared had to be swallowed back and suppressed.

Wei Qingwan had originally thought she would simply be unable to proceed with her plan. However, at this moment, Nanny Zhang came to relay a message from Wei Ruo to Madam Yun: "Madam, the eldest young miss says that whenever she thinks of today’s events, her spirit becomes distressed. She wonders why she is being confined for her 'wrongdoings' while the second young miss, who committed such a grave error today, suffers no punishment at all. She cannot understand it, and the more she thinks about it, the more her head aches."

Wei Qingwan’s expression stiffened, and she became even more convinced: Wei Qingruo was doing this on purpose. All this talk of headaches and heart pain was just a scheme to frame her! She just didn't know how Wei Qingruo had convinced the doctor from Baoshan Hall to lie for her.

Madam Yun frowned and looked at Wei Qingwan. She had been angry with Wanwan earlier, but the commotion Wei Ruo caused had disrupted her thoughts. Now, thinking of the heavy responsibilities resting on her eldest daughter, if something truly went wrong with her health, the Wei family would have no way to answer to anyone.

"Wanwan, you committed several errors at Tianqin Garden today. While we remain in the provincial capital for the next two days, you are not to step a single foot outside your room. Stay inside and copy out your confession!"

"Mother..." Wei Qingwan looked at Madam Yun in disbelief. This was the first time her mother had ever confined her.

Madam Yun did not give Wei Qingwan more time to react, fearing that if she saw her daughter’s tears, she might change her mind. She immediately ordered Nanny Zhang and Cuiping to take Wei Qingwan to her room.

***

Early the next morning, the carriage sent by Lady Yuan to pick up Wei Ruo arrived at the Xie family’s villa on time.

Madam Yun watched with trepidation as Wei Ruo boarded the carriage. When she had asked her earlier, she was told that after taking the medicine and sleeping through the night, her spirits had improved significantly, and her symptoms were much better today.

Confined to her room, Wei Qingwan couldn't leave, but hearing the commotion outside, she knew Wei Ruo was departing.

She just knew Wei Qingruo was faking it! Otherwise, how could she have been in such pain yesterday and yet be able to leave so easily today?

But she had no way to deal with Wei Qingruo. Now that her mother believed Wei Ruo had been truly sickened by anger, saying anything more would only invite her mother’s suspicion.

What made Wei Qingwan even more miserable was that she didn't know what Wei Ruo would say to Lady Yuan during this visit. Lady Yuan’s words yesterday had already cast her into the abyss; she was truly terrified that Wei Ruo might say something that would make it impossible for her to ever recover.

Wei Ruo arrived at the Magistrate’s residence by carriage. Today, Lady Yuan was not at Tianqin Garden but at the Magistrate’s official residence.

The Magistrate’s residence was allocated by the imperial court; it was not as grand or magnificent as Tianqin Garden, but it was still much larger than the Commandant’s residence.

Led by a maid, Wei Ruo walked through the corridors and gardens, entering Lady Yuan’s courtyard.

Inside the room, besides Lady Yuan, the brocade-clad man Wei Ruo had seen before—Magistrate Yuan himself—was also present. It seemed they were waiting specifically for her.

"Miss Wei!" Magistrate Yuan rose, bowed deeply with his hands folded in front of him.

"Magistrate Yuan, this is too great an honor, I cannot accept such a gesture!" Wei Ruo said hastily.

He was the magistrate, and she was a commoner; his bowing and performing such a formal salute was truly excessive.