Being a reborn legitimate daughter is not easy

Chapter 29 029 Reclaiming Control of the Marquis's Residence

Chapter 29 029 Reclaiming Control of the Marquis's Residence

Marquis Anshi never imagined that the one who poisoned Gongsun Yuan would be the very maid he had personally delivered to Lanxin Courtyard! His expression shifted rapidly, before finally settling on Gongsun Yuan, whose sharp gaze had dispelled her weariness.

"Injustice? Why is it that as soon as I stop using the orchid calming incense that you've been handling, I no longer feel as tired and weak as before, and I sleep better than before? Can you honestly say that there's really nothing wrong with that orchid calming incense?"

Gongsun Yuan, as the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, has never been one to be easily bullied. She simply avoids getting involved in the power struggles within the household due to her poor health and somewhat arrogant nature. But now that these people dare to extend their reach into her Lanxin Courtyard and into the lives of her two children, she will not, and cannot, continue to be on friendly terms with them!

"The incense was sent from the West Courtyard. This servant...this servant knows nothing!" Chunxiao did not deny whether there was a problem with the incense, but she suddenly said this.

The West Courtyard was the collective name for the courtyards where the concubines of the Marquis's mansion lived. Among the concubines, Concubine Song was the most domineering. Gongsun Yuan remembered that after she fell ill, the old lady handed over the management of the Marquis's mansion to Concubine Song from her.

Gongsun Yuan abruptly changed the subject, coldly looking at Aunt Song: "Aunt Song, you just said that the food, clothing, and daily necessities in Lanxin Courtyard are all strictly vetted, and anyone with problems is absolutely not allowed to enter. But now there's a problem with the incense I use in my room. Do you have anything to say about that?"

That girl Chunxiao, even on her deathbed, she still tries to drag others down with her! Aunt Song was so angry she wanted to bite her. Feeling everyone in the room looking at her, she could only force a smile and say, "From what I'm saying, sister, are you implying that I deliberately harmed you?"

"I'm just giving you a chance to explain," Gongsun Yuan said calmly. "After all, this isn't the first time you've entered my Lanxin Courtyard without my permission."

Aunt Song's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Gongsun Yuan intended to get to the bottom of everything today? Clenching her fists secretly, she said, "For the past three years that my sister has been bedridden, I have been managing the daily affairs of the manor. Sister, ask yourself, have I ever shortchanged Lanxin Courtyard on anything, or even once deprived or made things difficult for her? Since I took over, the Marquis's manor has been peaceful and quiet. Nothing has ever been stolen, and nothing major has ever happened. I believe I have a clear conscience. This matter must be that maid deliberately slandering me. I beg the Marquis and my sister to see the truth!"

Marquis Anshi nodded secretly upon hearing these words. Indeed, the Marquis's residence had been very peaceful in both the front hall and the back courtyard for the past three years. In his eyes, Consort Song had managed the residence quite well.

"Nothing serious has happened?" Gongsun Yuan countered. "Ran'er injured her face in the backyard half a month ago, and the wound hasn't healed yet. So, in Aunt Song's eyes, the eldest young lady's affairs aren't considered a big deal?"

"That...that was because Miss Bijun from Third Uncle's family didn't take good care of her cat. It was just an accident..." Aunt Song said through gritted teeth, not expecting Gongsun Yuan to bring up this matter.

“But I heard from Lingyi that there were a lot of pebbles in the garden at that time, and it even caused Aunt Meng to have a miscarriage. There should be servants sweeping the floor in the mansion every day, so how come no one was cleaning it that day?”

Upon hearing this, Marquis Anshi's expression changed. He looked at Consort Song suspiciously, wondering to himself if Consort Song was really responsible for his daughter's disfigurement and Consort Meng's fall.

Aunt Song was speechless after being asked these two questions, and finally had to admit defeat: "It was my sister's inadequate supervision..."

“Since my sister is unable to handle it, let’s return the task of managing the daily affairs of the Marquis’s residence to Lanxin Courtyard starting tomorrow,” Gongsun Yuan said.

Marquis Anshi snapped out of his daze and tried to stop Gongsun Yuan: "Lanzhi, you're not fully recovered yet, why rush into taking charge? Let's wait a few more days..."

“If I can’t, then there’s Ran’er, isn’t there? She’ll be the matriarch of the Ouyang family when she marries into it. It’s better to let her learn how to manage household affairs in advance so she can get started later.”

"Mother is absolutely right, Ran'er will definitely study hard." Ye Pianran responded to Gongsun Yuan in a cooperative manner.

"My lord, how is it?" Gongsun Yuan looked intently at Marquis Anshi.

Marquis Anshi's expression remained impassive, but he was carefully calculating in his mind. The Gongsun family now wielded immense power. If they were to discover that Gongsun Yuan had been poisoned in the Marquis's residence, and that this maid was someone he had bestowed upon her, they would undoubtedly not let the matter rest! It would be better to comply with her wishes and temporarily appease her and the Prime Minister's residence. He could then hand over the reins of power to Xu Pingyue when he was finally able to bring her back to the mansion as a secondary wife.

After feigning a moment's hesitation, Marquis Anshi said, "In that case, I'll do as you say."

Having finally gained complete control of the situation, Gongsun Yuan felt a sense of relief, and her strength dissipated. She coughed lightly twice, covering her mouth, and continued speaking to Chunxiao:

"Chunxiao, I'll give you one more chance. Who instructed you to poison me? If you confess, I'll spare your life today. Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to take you to the underworld."

Chunxiao's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated, then she saw a sharp glint flash in Ye Yanxun's sleeve. Having no other choice, Chunxiao suddenly bowed and kowtowed three times to Gongsun Yuan, choking back tears, "My lady has taken great care of me these past six years. I have no way to repay this kindness, and I can only atone with my death!"

After saying this, she trembled, a trickle of black blood spilled from the corner of her mouth, and she fell backward. Doctor Xu rushed forward to examine her and said regretfully, "She bit through the poison sac in her teeth and committed suicide by poisoning herself."

Chunxiao's sudden death startled everyone, and when Doctor Xu told them that she had a poison sac hidden in her mouth, a hint of fear appeared in their eyes.

Only organized assassins would hide poison in their teeth, committing suicide by poison upon mission failure. Could it be... that Chunxiao is actually an assassin infiltrating the Marquis's mansion?

"My lord, you personally brought Chunxiao to Lanxin Courtyard. Have you really found out her background?" As she asked this question, Gongsun Yuan felt a pang of pain in her heart.

She had always refused to believe that Chunxiao would truly harm her, because when she first married into the Marquis's household, she and Marquis Anshi had shared a time of deep and unwavering love. Even though their feelings had faded, she still cherished those past affections and couldn't bear to be so cruel. But who knew it would come to this...

Marquis Anshi naturally knew Chunxiao's background; she had once been a maidservant serving Xu Pingyue. However, he could not reveal the truth and could only vaguely say, "I bought her from a slave trader back then. I only know that her parents were dead and she had no relatives."

Having been husband and wife for so many years, how could Gongsun Yuan not know that he was hiding something? Deeply disappointed, she chuckled and said, "Is that so? Fortunately, the person she wanted to kill was me, not the Marquis, otherwise the Marquis would probably be in grave danger as well."

"Cough, alright, you've just been detoxified, but your body still needs recuperation. It's getting late, so you should take your medicine and rest." An Shihou said somewhat awkwardly, his gaze sweeping over Ye Pianran's veiled face. He paused, then added:

"Ran'er, you should rest early too. The Mid-Autumn Festival banquet is in a few days. You need to recover from your injury as soon as possible."

Ye Pianran lowered her head and replied, "Yes."

Now that things have come to this, Ye Yanxun dared not stay any longer. He gripped Gongsun Yuan's hand tightly and choked out, "Mother, you must take good care of yourself. I will come to see you again tomorrow."

Gongsun Yuan gently patted Ye Yanxun's hand, her expression softening slightly: "Mother is alright, go ahead."

As he stood up, Ye Yanxun paused and said to Ye Pianran, "Ran'er, I'm entrusting my mother and Kangdi to you."

Ye Pianran felt incredibly sarcastic inside, but showed no sign of it on her face: "I'm here, so please don't worry, brother."

These people came in a big way and left in a hurry, especially Aunt Song, whose back view was quite disheveled.

Back in her courtyard, Aunt Song began smashing things all over the house, cursing viciously as she did so:

"You bitch! What makes you think you're so great? One day I'll drag you down from that position and make you suffer a terrible death!"

Hearing the noise, Ye Wenjin came out from the inner room and was startled by the shards of ceramic scattered on the floor. She asked, "Mother, what happened?"

Finally finding nothing left to smash, Aunt Song stopped, panting, and with red eyes, grabbed Ye Wenjin's shoulder: "Jin'er, from now on, I can no longer make decisions about matters in the manor!"

Ye Wenjin asked in confusion, "Mother, what's wrong...?"

Aunt Song gritted her teeth and said hatefully, "I thought I could take this opportunity to get rid of Gongsun Yuan and her daughter today, but Ye Pianran somehow managed to cure Gongsun Yuan of the poison and even took back the power to manage the Marquis's mansion! Judging from their behavior, they will definitely not let us have an easy time in the future!"

Ye Wenjin was shocked: "What should we do! I'll be of marriageable age in two years. If even Mother loses her power, won't I completely lose my chance to rise to prominence?"

"Don't worry, Mother will think of a way!" Aunt Song said through gritted teeth, her face full of resentment.