Chapter 44 – The Most Wretched one is You
The Most Wretched one is You
The servants immediately ran out. Feng Jin Yuan had already received the change of clothes fetched by the servants. Holding the clothes while in Han shi’s arms, he headed behind the screen. Feng Yu Heng supported the matriarch and said: “Grandmother, please take a seat.” Then gave an order to a servant: “Clean the floor up a bit.”
When Feng Jin Yuan came out, the study had been restored to a certain degree. Even Jin Zhen had properly put on her clothes, as she looked at the ground.
But nobody had noticed that Wang Chuan, who had been by Feng Yu Heng’s side, had left Pine courtyard at some point in time. Only Qing Yu was left behind to attend.
Not long later, the two servants who had gone to the guest courtyard returned with a pot for decocting herbal medicine, but doctor Xu and the servant who delivered the medicine were nowhere to be found.
Feng Jin Yuan frowned: “I said to bring the person. Where is the person?”
One of the servants spoke; “Master, doctor Xu and his servant are no longer in the manor. This servant only found a medical pot that had been knocked to the ground. We also brought a granny who was washing clothes in the courtyard.”
The matriarch spoke heavily with a cold face: “Bring her in.”
The granny was brought in to the room by the servants. Seeing so many masters in the room, she knelt down in fear.
Feng Chen Yu up until now had always maintained the appearance of a Buddha, even now was no exception. She softly spoke: “Do not fear, granny. We only called you here to ask some questions.”
The matriarch continued: “Where are doctor Xu and his servant, who lived at the guest courtyard?”
The granny was so afraid that she did not dare raise her head. She responded while trembling: “This old servant is only responsible for washing clothes. Normally, there is very little communication with doctor Xu. About half an hour ago, this old servant saw doctor Xu quickly leave the courtyard. This old servant was talkative and asked. Doctor Xu said that he was going to see a patient, and that was the end of the conversation.”
The court physician was, in the end, a guest. Leaving and entering the manor was quite lax. Hearing the granny say this, the matriarch knew that further questioning would lead nowhere and waved her hand, allowing her to retire.
Feng Yu Heng took the initiative and walked before a male servant. Receiving the medical pot, she inspected it carefully then gave it a sniff. Only then did she speak to everyone: “This is the pot used to prepare that medicine.”
Chen shi feigned anger: “That wretched old man!” After speaking, she did not forget to glare at Jin Zhen.
Feng Yu Heng continued: “Father can bring another doctor in to take a look.”
Feng Jin Yuan waved his hand: “Father believes in you.”
What did it matter if he didn’t believe? These so-called ugly family scandals could not be made public. It was best if one fewer person knew about it. He had already lost enough face today.
Feng Chen Yu looked around at everyone and spoke not without regret: “That doctor Xu must have escaped knowing his guilt. If that is the case, then mother has indeed been wronged. But we can not find the real criminal. Mother really has been wronged!” As she spoke, her eyes reddened slightly.
At this moment, Wang Chuan’s voice transmitted in from outside- “Eldest young miss has been overanxious. This servant has brought back both the doctor and his maidservant, inviting the masters to carefully investigate.”
Finished speaking, she threw a man and a woman in to the room with a thump. As for Wang Chuan, who threw them in, it was as though she were only carrying around two cakes and showed no signs of fatigue or tiredness.
When doctor Xu and his maidservant appeared in the room, Feng Chen Yu knew that bad things were bound to happen.
At this moment, she realized that she miscalculated. She knew that there were secret guards in Feng manor, and she knew that there was no way for Feng Jin Yuan to have dispatched any to chase down doctor Xu. Chen shi merely needed to act weak in regards to Jin Zhen, and this matter would have been swept under the rug.
But she had never expected that Feng Yu Heng’s servants would know martial arts.
She, Feng Chen Yu, had always been accomplished in artistic and scholarly matters, but her only weak point was that she had never learned martial arts. Feng family only thought of having her reach the pinnacle of society in becoming the Empress. Setting this as her goal, martial arts was not something she would ever learn.
Sure enough, under the matriarch’s threatening interrogation, the doctor happily admitted to everything- “It’s all the head madam’s request! She wanted to harm the Feng family’s second young master, so she had me prepare that medicine and send it over. I beg the matriarch for her benevolent judgement!”
At present, Chen shi was at a loss, and the maidservant had truly been wronged. She had merely acted in accordance with doctor Xu’s directions. She even had no idea as to why she had to run away from the Feng family.
After ascertaining the truth, Feng Jin Yuan was endlessly furious. Although Feng Zi Rui was a child that he was already prepared to give up on three years ago, but the present was different from the past. That was because of their relation to the Yao family. He had no choice but to give up on them, but Feng Yu Heng now had the support of Prince Yu’s contingent, and there were some new revelations about the Yao family. He was not so cruel as to give up on that child now. What’s more, up to this date, the Feng manor only had two sons!
Seeing that Feng Jin Yuan’s mood had changed, Jin Zhen, who was hiding in a corner gritted her teeth and said- “Master! What doctor Xu said is correct. This was all planned by the head madam!”
Feng Jin Yuan saw Jin Zhen speak, and the earlier feeling of wanting to carry on now caused him to feel a little conflicted.
Jin Zhen was Chen shi’s servant. The things that Chen shi did, although it could be said that he did not care, but it did not mean that he did not know. How many of those bad deeds had passed through Jin Zhen’s hands. This girl’s hands were definitely not clean. But if he lumped in Jin Zhen and dealt with them together, he felt a little reluctant.
Feng Jin Yuan now completely hoped that Jin Zhen could act intelligently. It would be best for her to confess all her crimes, this way he could protect her.
As for Jin Zhen, she really lived up to expectations. When she opened her mouth again, not only did she come clean, but she also became a meritorious person- “After this servant knew that the head madam wanted to have the second young master consume that medicine, this servant desperately rushed to Willow courtyard to retrieve that medicine! Second young miss! This servant begs the second young miss to act as a witness. This servant had knelt and begged the second young miss to return the medicine to this servant!”
Feng Yu Heng closed her eyes and pondered a while before nodding: “That’s right. At that time, Jin Zhen girl knelt and begged me.” The turning towards Feng Jin Yuan: “But this daughter did not know that this medicine was meant for Zi Rui to consume and really assumed it had been sent to the wrong place. So I let Jin Zhen girl bring it to father.”
Jin Zhen continued: “This servant did not dare expose the head madam’s plot and could only bear with it and deliver the medicine to Pine courtyard with Wang Chuan girl. This servant thought that the head madam might be feeling a temporarily confused and that she might feel regretful after the matter had concluded. That is why this servant did not expose this before the master. As for that medicine… after master drank that type of medicine, if you didn’t immediately… didn’t immediately do… then perhaps your life would be at risk, so I…”
“I’ve troubled you.” Seeing Jin Zhen become like this as she spoke, Feng Jin Yuan spoke. This could be considered as protecting her life.
Chen shi, however, was furious to the point of her lips turning blue. If it weren’t for Chen Yu desperately holding her back, then perhaps she might rush over and rip Jin Zhen apart.
“Slut!” She was so angry that she could not stand. And because she was too fat, Chen Yu absolutely could not hold her up. As her legs buckled, mother and daughter fell to the ground. “I will kill that slut! And you!” She wildly pointed towards Feng Yu Heng: “Wretched! The most wretched one here is you! I will kill you! I will kill you!”
Feng Yu Heng pretended to be scared and quickly retreated, her gaze carrying a prayer: “Mother, mother why are you like this? A-Heng did not do anything wrong! A-Heng is not competing for anything. A-Heng is not the daughter of the first wife. All of the nice things in the manor have been given to eldest sister. Mother, why do you still want to force us in to a dead end?”
“Because you living is an eyesore to me!” Chen shi was like an insane beast, yelling wildly: “Feng Yu Heng! Feng Zi Rui! Yao Qian Rou! You should all go die!”
Feng Chen Yu felt her head was about to explode. She now truly began to feel a little annoyed with Chen shi. Thinking back of the hard work she put in towards being kind and compassionate, yet how many times had it been ruined by her mother’s own hand. Her mother only ever thought of her own happiness and never gave her any consideration before acting or speaking. Now father had become so infuriated, yet mother continued her ways. Was this not ruining the mother and daughter, along with the elder brother who was still studying?
“If mother continues speaking like this, then Chen Yu will also helpless.” She slowly released Chen shi and stood up once more, walking over to Feng Jin Yuan’s side, “Elder’s matters, Chen Yu will not ask too much. Just hope that father can take an old friendship in to consideration and give mother a way out. Chen Yu will not ask for anything else.”
Feng Jin Yuan nodded. Looking at his most beloved daughter with a pitiful gaze, the hatred his heart held for Chen shi grew again.
“You treacherous woman. You are selfish, treat concubine’s daughters poorly, poison concubine’s son, and you don’t even make considerations for your own daughter. For what purpose would I want you to be the head wife of this family?”
“Husband!” Chen shi became muddled. She did not care for the accusations of crime, but she truly cared for the mention of not making considerations for her daughter. “How could it be that I don’t want what’s best for Chen Yu!”
“Is this considered as doing what’s best for her?” Feng Jin Yuan angrily grabbed a tea cup and violently threw it at Chen shi’s head.
Chen shi did not dodge in time and the cup struck her forehead. Blood immediately spilled out.
“Chen shi.” Feng Jin Yuan’s eyes did not carry the slightest shred of emotion, “My Feng family’s position of head wife most certainly does not suit you! You can rest easy. It does not matter what happens, Chen Yu will be my, Feng Jin Yuan’s daughter to the first wife. From now on, no matter who assumes the role of head wife, Chen Yu will become that person’s own daughter.”
“Husband!” Chen shi completely lost it, “You want someone else to raise Chen Yu? No! Absolutely not!”
“Why not? Having a mother like you is what’s truly shameful for Chen Yu!”
“But I will not harm my daughter!” Chen shi pointed to Feng Yu Heng and spoke: “If husband is saying that I plotted to murder them, then I admit it! But husband, you understand. In the future, no matter who is head wife, Chen Yu’s outlook will be the same as theirs! No woman in the world can tolerate another person’s child climbing above their own! Chen Yu will sooner or later die at the hands of the newly appointed head wife, you’d better believe it!”
These words were screamed mournfully, as though an evil spirit had crawled out of hell and began wailing.
Feng Chen Yu saw this Chen shi and thought about what she said then felt her heart soften up a little.
Mother was right! Although father currently promised that she would always maintain the position of daughter of the first wife, what was the worth of the promises made by this father of hers? Look at Yao shi and look at Feng Yu Heng and Feng Zi Rui, the way they lived today would be the way she lived tomorrow.
Thinking about it, Feng Chen Yu faced Feng Jin Yuan and quickly knelt. Tears dripped down one by one, “Father, please reconsider! Mother is right. Even if Chen Yu is the daughter of the first wife, so what? In the future, who knows how the newly anointed head wife would bully Chen Yu. Chen Yu is fourteen this year and can not remain in the manor for many more years. Could father please feel sorry for your daughter just this once. Allow me to steadily live until I marry out.”
She specifically used the words “marry out” to remind Feng Jin Yuan of her future.
And this type of reminder was very useful. Feng Jin Yuan could do without Chen shi, but he definitely could not mess around with Chen Yu’s life.
He turned his gaze towards the matriarch and saw her nodding slightly. He knew that the mother’s thoughts were the same.
Feng family had no foundation in the capital. He was the first generation and absolutely could not withstand any problems. Thus for the sake of maintaining stability and the Feng family’s future, he would tolerate Chen shi for a few more years.