Chapter 154 - The Poisoned Soup
Chapter 154 – The Poisoned Soup
The Duke's mansion
Tian Tian looked back and forth, after ensuring that there was no one coming closer. She pulled the small bottle of poison out of her sleeve, pulled up the lid and moved it to one of the bowls of soup. Turning the bottle over, she poured all the powdered content of the bottle into the plates and stored the soup gently to mix the poison with the soup.
Once there was no lump showing and everything was properly mixed. She continued forward, the eldest young Mistress Lu Yiling had arrived at some point and was seated opposite Zhu Fengyin. Madam Lu looked up when a shadow came over at the door. A smile broke on her face when she saw the maid come in with the soup, she glanced at her daughter.
"Ling'er, we did not know you would be coming over soon. Your second sister-in-law made a pot of Herbal Tanxilli and egg sweet soup and brought it over".
Lu Yiling slapped her palms together in glee, "really, aiyoo I like that soup! I should have come earlier, ahhh I can not miss a treat like this. Second sister-in-law is already spoiling our nephew even before he is born. Herbal Tanxilli is especially Good for pregnant women". She glanced at the young made holding the tray of soup, "how many bowls are there?"
"Eh, I there are only three bowls. Aunt He is coming with the last one" Tian Tian replied. She was a little taken aback by Lu Yiling's question. Her heartbeat increases as she got closer to the tray, she was sweating profusely on her back. She bit the inside of her cheek as her hand tightened on the stray.
"Just three bowls… Not fair" she held on to the hand of the chair and acting all cute, batted her eyes at her mother and then Su Liya. "I also want to taste the soup, can I share it with someone. Mother please"
They all looked at Lu Yiling with eyes wide, they all had questions on their faces especially with her making various sad faces. Lu Yilling persisted even turning her attention to Su Liya when it seemed like her mother won't budge. Su Liya felt a little pressure, she didn't know how to handle this side of Lu Yiling. It was her first time experiencing this, she glanced from Madam Lu to Zhu Fengyin.
Looking for a way out but both women did not give her response. Su Liya glanced at the bowl and nodded, she turned to madam Lu. "Mother if sister-in-law doesn't mind, she can share a bowl with me" she stretched out her hand gesturing for Tian Tian to come over with the tray of soup.
Tian Tian's mood lifted when she saw that and she hurried over. However, she was cut short by Lu Yiling after taking only a few steps.
"Second sister-in-law is so kind, don't worry. I will take that" she stood and picked up a bowl.
Tian Tian's breathing stopped and her heartbeat increased as Lu Yiling took the poisoned now of soup. "No_ don't!" Before she could stop Lu Yiling from taking that bowl, Lu Yiling already picked up the spoon and sculpted a spoon fill. Colour left her face as that happened, she had been glad that she had successfully carried out her task but she now had more pressing issues.
She looked around worried, why did this young mistress take the wrong bowl. She wasn't sure if the poison was harmful to only pregnant women. Young Master Zhu hadn't informed her of anything else, her world was completely turned upside down. Tian Tian already planned to hand the unpoisoned bowl to Su Liya, while the poisoned one went to Zhu Fengyin.
She did count on Lu Yiling coming up and taking the wrong bowl, which ruined her plan. She was already prepared to watch a good show that would hopefully end with Su Liya getting abandoned or better yet dead. Tian Tian rushed forward to stoop Lu Yiling from drinking the soup, she stretched out her hand.
"Young Miss please hold on! That is the wrong bowl", She called out.
Lu Yiling dropped the spoon, lips curved up. She glanced at the treacherous maid, "wrong bowl? Isn't it the same soup in both bowls" she looked into the other bowl on the tray and then the bowl in her hands. "They're the same size so it can not be that you made first sister-in-law's bigger. What is wrong? Did you put something extra in here" she pointed at the bowl In her hands and moved closer to Tian Tian.
"Don't tell me that you don't want to drink this owl because of the poison you poured in!"
Tian Tian's hands shook and the tray fell off her hand. The other bowl of soup was turned over and the content poured out on the cold ground. Aunt He who good by the door with the remaining bowl gasped. She glanced at the heavy duty maid at the side and shouted "hold that wench!"
Tian Tian took a step back attempting to run but the maids had already for saw it. Rong Rong took out a Dagger, held Tian Tian close to her and placed the dagger at her neck. "Don't you dare!" She said bringing the knife to her neck and drawing blood.
The two Heavy Duty mama rushed over, stood on either side of her and grabbed her arms tightly. Rong Rong took the knife away from her neck and put it back in her sleeve as she returned to her position behind Su Liya.
Lu Yiling passed the poisoned bowl of soup to her maid and turned to her mother. "On my way here, Mother. I caught this treacherous maid put something into the bowl of soup and then stir it. I didn't want to alert her so I quickened my step to arrive her before she did"
Madam Lu slapped her hand on the arm of the chair and sat forward. "You! Who ordered you to do this?"
Tears fell down her face, she shook her head "No one, it is a lie. I… I didn't put anything into the soup?"
"Oh, why don't you drink the soup" Lu Yiling nodded at her maid, who brought the bowl of soup over and handed it to her. Lu Yiling said to the heavy Duty Mamas, "Hold her down!"
The two huge matrons pushed Tian Tian down to her knees, pulled her head back and forced her mouth open. Tian Tian began to struggle heavily as Lu Yiling brought the bowl closer to her lips.
"Mmmm mmm nga," she said in a muffled tone.
"Don't want to drink the soup, didn't you say it wasn't poisoned. Since you only added some health supplements in there, surely you don't mind drinking this down" she made a drop fall into Tian Tian's open mouth and stepped back. The heavy duty maid let her go and Tian Tian bent to spit out the drop of soup.
"Take your time, there is still a whole bowl full left, "Lu Yiling said.
"no no no please let me go. Don't… Not anymore!"
Lu Yiling nodded "Only if you say the truth, did you poison the soul?"
"Yes!"
At this point Su Liya had gotten over her shock and said to Rong Rong, "search her and find out where she hid the poison, it must still be on her"
Tian Tian pulled back when she heard that, she glanced at Su Liya who placed a hand on Zhu Fengyin's shoulder.
"Yes," Rong Rong went forward and silently searched through Tian Tian's clothes. The heavy-duty Maid held her hand and kept her in place. Finally, she found the small bottle in Tian Tian's right sleeve and took it out. "Here it is" she handed the bottle to Madam Lu's lady's maid.
Madam Ly held up the bottle in the light and instructed without looking away from the bottle. "Send for Physicians Gu".
"Yes," a maid said and ran out of the room.
"Keep both this and the soup, physician Gu will check the content," Madam Lu said handing the bottle to Aunt He.
Zhu Fengyin glanced at the weeping maid and felt sick, 'how could I be so ignorant! Making the same mistakes even in this life. I nearly killed another of my children" she thought bringing her hand to rest on her lower stomach.
Zhu Fengyin balled up her fist and shouted "Send for steward Lu!"
Everyone turned to look at her with concern. Madam Lu's expression softened as she tried to calm her down. "Fengyin, don't worry about this. Mother will handle this".
"I should not let you do this alone, not when I am partly to blame. I failed to properly manage my servants, I apologise" she bowed at Madam Lu.
Su Liya frowned, "You are not at fault, there is no need to apologise. Tian Tian made this decision herself, there is nothing you could have done to prevent it. I understand why you want to call steward Lu but if I might make a suggestion".
"Yes, continue" Madam Lu replied.
Su Liya glanced at Tian Tian, "sent her away and put guards on her. There is no need to question her, you might not get the right answer from her. Instead, she might claim it was someone else, like say me. That is going to be believable since I do have much to benefit from if something happens to the child. Brother-in-law can question her when he gets back and get the right answer. Meanwhile, let her be taken away".
Tian Tian bit her lip when she heard Su Liya suggest that, She might claim that the entire poisoning was arranged by Su Liya. She nearly laughed out, since that was along the lines of the response. She was prepared to make it, she glanced at Su Liya and smiled.
Madam Lu.. Nodded and called in two guards to send the Maid to the prison.