Chapter 501 - 502: Joke
Chapter 501: Chapter 502: Joke
"Did you eat too much?" Rong Ruiyuan looked at the rolls of fat on her face. Her previously delicate features were completely lost, and her cheeks were so swollen they almost squished her eyes shut.
Facing such a face and rotund body, Rong Ruiyuan entirely lost his appetite for her, even feeling a trace of disgust.
"No, I haven’t. I’ve even only been drinking water these past few days," she protested. "Your Highness, someone must have drugged me. You have to seek justice for me!
"The person who poisoned me has a malicious heart. You’ve been eating and sleeping here with me lately—what if they had harmed you?"
Gu Antong knew that if she didn’t offer enough leverage, she would quickly become a discarded pawn. Even without an Imperial Physician taking her pulse, she knew she had fallen into a trap. Otherwise, how could a perfectly healthy person gain so much weight overnight? She wanted Rong Ruiyuan to vent her anger for her—preferably by dragging out the mastermind behind the scenes and fetching the antidote for her.
Sure enough, Rong Ruiyuan’s expression changed the moment he heard her words. He felt it was highly possible, considering how much time he had been spending in Gu Antong’s courtyard lately. It would be one thing if the women in the backyard were scheming against each other, but what if his brothers were the ones making a move? If he ended up looking like Gu Shufei, he would probably be too ashamed to ever show his face in the royal court again. With that thought, he became convinced that the attack was actually aimed at him. He immediately summoned his trusted aides and ordered them to investigate at once.
Gu Antong looked at Rong Ruiyuan with a worried face, but forgetting to control her expression, her round face twisted slightly. "Your Highness, I think you should still find an Imperial Physician to check your pulse first. Nothing can be allowed to happen to you."
Rong Ruiyuan felt this made sense. Thinking of the Gu Family, he offered a few words of comfort. "Don’t worry. If someone really targeted you, I will definitely root them out and find the antidote for you."
After saying that, he hurriedly left with his men. Only then did Gu Antong drop her facade. She collapsed onto the couch like a puddle of mud; maintaining the act for so long had nearly exhausted her to death. She was certain that someone had played a dirty trick on her, and it was probably those women from the main courtyard. The Third Prince had merely stayed in her room for a few extra days. Was there really a need to be so vicious?
Cai Hua hid quietly in the corner. Right now, she somewhat envied Cai Li for being able to leave. Even being resold to another household was better than staying here. Gu Antong was completely volatile nowadays. Sometimes, the way she glared at the servants felt like flying daggers. Everything she consumed had to be taste-tested by them first. They were terrified of ending up like Gu Antong—becoming a fat person who gained weight just from drinking water.
"Cai Hua, where the hell are you?" With no outsiders present, Gu Antong didn’t bother hiding her true colors anymore. "Hurry to the sewing room and see how my clothes are coming along!"
"My lady, we just picked up your clothes from the sewing room yesterday, and we only retook your measurements today. I’m afraid they won’t be ready until tomorrow or the day after."
Cai Hua wore a bitter expression. Previously, she had thought that by serving the concubine, she would eventually secure a bright future. But looking at it now, leaving this courtyard alive would be a blessing in itself. Her mistress’s current state was clearly the result of backyard scheming. As a maid who knew too much, she probably had no way out. In the future, this courtyard would inevitably become deserted. Once the Third Prince forgot about them, it would be the time when both master and servant lost their lives.
"Then go hurry them up! You can’t just let me go naked, can you?" Gu Antong said impatiently. Thinking of her current weight, she added with a cold face, "Remember to tell them to make the measurements a bit larger if possible. If I have no clothes to wear, it’s the Third Prince Mansion that loses face! Let them weigh the consequences."
Cai Hua complied and fled as if escaping, running straight to the sewing room.
The elderly servant at the sewing room rubbed her aching head upon seeing her again. "What’s the matter? Didn’t you just take the measurements?"
"Nanny, please try to figure something out," Cai Hua said, biting the bullet even though it was hard to voice. "My master looks a bit chubbier again. Please speed up the progress on your end, and it would be best if you could make the measurements a little bigger."
"You make it sound so simple, but we have to make these stitch by stitch!
"I think the concubine shouldn’t be looking for our sewing room at a time like this; she should be looking for the Imperial Hospital.
"Could she have contracted some strange illness? She needs to get it treated early."
"His Highness already invited an Imperial Physician to take a look, but they couldn’t find a single clue. However, His Highness has already ordered a thorough investigation and promised to find the antidote for my master as soon as possible."
Hearing that the Third Prince was paying such close attention, the old nanny’s attitude softened slightly. "Let’s hope His Highness catches the culprit behind this soon, otherwise, everyone in the mansion will be on edge.
"But please ask her ladyship to be considerate of our difficulties. After all, clothes need to be sewn; it’s not like we can just rip a piece of fabric and have it take shape. I hope Miss Cai Hua can put in a few good words for us. We will definitely prioritize finishing the concubine’s clothes."
If it was just poison and the Third Prince was willing to investigate, the mastermind would soon surface. Besides, with so many brilliant doctors in the Imperial Hospital, as long as they took action, it was only a matter of time before the concubine recovered. She was so favored before, and now that the Third Prince’s attitude was clear, she probably wouldn’t lose favor after recovering. It was better not to offend her. Although they all worked for the Princess Consort, the Princess Consort probably wouldn’t stoop to bickering with Gu Antong at a time like this. She was likely just thinking about how to enjoy the spectacle Gu Shufei was making of herself.
Having already guessed the outcome, Cai Hua returned to report with a bitter face. Sure enough, Gu Antong threw another fit of temper. She viciously pinched Cai Hua a few times in places where others wouldn’t see before finally letting her step down. Cai Hua was on the verge of tears, but she held them back until she reached a corner, where she finally clutched her painful bruises. If she had known better, she wouldn’t have been so diligent back then, or she would have advised more. Cai Li was so foolish and straightforward; she could have at least helped shield her from some of this disaster. Now, for the sake of the Third Prince Mansion’s reputation, the Princess Consort no longer allowed anyone to casually enter or leave the estate. Even if Cai Hua wanted to go back and deliver a message to ask Eldest Young Madam Gu for help, it was impossible.
"Cai Hua," two servant girls sneaked up next to her at this moment. "What are you doing?"
"Nothing. I’m just feeling sad for my master. I don’t know which bastard would actually use such an underhanded trick like poison."
The two girls in front of her were from the two side consorts’ courtyards. Coming over at a time like this, they definitely had ill intentions.
"Your master is really pitiful, then. We heard she’s gaining weight every day now. Did she eat too much good food?"
"I heard she was exiled before and suffered a lot. Now that she’s living a good life, is she unable to control her mouth?
"Cai Hua, you’re a senior maid by the concubine’s side, after all! Why didn’t you try to advise her a bit?
"If she keeps getting fatter, she’ll probably lose favor."
Cai Hua naturally saw the schadenfreude in their eyes. "Don’t forget your identities," she said with a cold face. "Our lady is just sick right now. The Third Prince has already promised to seek medical help and medicine for her. That vicious-hearted person better watch out; the Third Prince will drag them out into the open sooner or later."