“What kind of poison?” several people in the room asked simultaneously.
“It should be Gelsemium elegans.
“Once this poison enters the human body, it causes the intestines to adhere together, leading to relentless abdominal pain until the victim dies in agony…
“If Miss Dongkui hadn’t received timely treatment, she would have…”
Lin Zhijing stepped forward to examine the pastries, then frowned and said, “It is indeed Gelsemium elegans.”
Everyone in the room paled—this poison was truly vicious!
Their eyes instinctively fell on Sheng Mingzhu and Qiuju.
By now, everyone in the room believed that Qiuju and Dongkui were related by blood to Sheng Mingzhu.
Xiazhi had acknowledged their identities, and Sheng Mingzhu had not denied it throughout.
Moreover, upon closer inspection, Qiuju’s facial features bore a fifty percent resemblance to Sheng Mingzhu’s.
“Sixth Miss, I know you despise my sister and me for being servants and feel we bring shame upon you…
“But my sister and I were sold off by our grandparents and father—I had no say in the matter…
“Even if you find us displeasing, you could have sent us far away. You shouldn’t have resorted to poison…
“Regardless, my sister and I share the same mother as you, and the same blood flows in our veins…”
Qiuju looked at Sheng Mingzhu, tearfully accusing her.
Sheng Mingzhu was already trembling with rage, unable to speak.
To slander her right to her face?
How dare Qiuju?
Sheng Mingzhu felt she hadn’t experienced such humiliation and injustice in a long time!
It made it nearly impossible for her to maintain her usual fragile facade. She stared fixedly at Qiuju, her eyes seeming to spit fire.
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
Neither Sheng Yong nor Sheng Minmin spoke, while Duanmu Rui watched the drama unfold with wide eyes.
Originally, this should be considered a family matter of the Sheng household, and Duanmu Rui ought to leave. But as soon as Sheng Minmin entered the room, she said to Duanmu Rui, “Why doesn’t the County Princess stay as a witness?” Moreover, seeing that Lin Zhijing, an outsider, was also present, Duanmu Rui decided to stay.
Her attendant, Yuanyuan, discreetly tugged her sleeve twice, but Duanmu Rui pretended not to notice…
Going home would be so boring. The Sheng family’s drama looked utterly fascinating—she had no intention of leaving!
Besides, she was worried Xiao Qi might suffer. If the Sheng brothers tried to bully Xiao Qi, she could still step in to help…
“What nonsense are you spouting?
“How could my junior sister possibly harm you?”
Lin Zhijing was the first to step forward, angrily rebuking Qiuju and speaking up for Sheng Mingzhu. He was absolutely certain that Sheng Mingzhu would never poison anyone.
In his heart, if his junior sister didn’t want to see someone, she would surely tell him.
He would then help her resolve the issue—why would she need to take matters into her own hands?
“That’s right! Mingzhu would never harm anyone!
“Many people had access to those pastries—any of them could have poisoned them.
“Moreover, even if Mingzhu truly wanted to harm someone, why would she poison pastries she herself sent? Who would be that foolish?”
Sheng Mingjian’s tone was harsh, though it was unclear whether his anger was directed at Qiuju, whether he was annoyed that Lin Zhijing had beaten him to defending Sheng Mingzhu, or perhaps both.
“Hah—” Huang Yaning let out a cold laugh.
“That’s not necessarily true. What if she did the opposite?
“If everyone assumes the person who sent the pastries wouldn’t harm anyone, she could use that very point to exonerate herself!”
“Seventh Sister, everything requires evidence. Right now, the evidence Qiuju provides only proves the pastries were poisoned, not that Sixth Sister poisoned them—”
Sheng Mingyi frowned as he spoke, then turned to look at Qiuju.
“Qiuju, think carefully—have you and your sister offended anyone recently…”
“Third Brother, are you suggesting a servant in the estate poisoned Qiuju and her sister?”
Huang Yaning’s face was full of mockery.
“Gelsemium elegans sounds like an expensive poison. Which servant has so much silver to burn on buying it? If someone truly wanted to kill, rat poison would work just as well!”
In just a short while, Lin Zhijing, Sheng Mingjian, and Sheng Mingyi had all spoken up for Sheng Mingzhu, while Huang Yaning had bluntly rebutted both Sheng brothers.
The atmosphere in the room grew even more tense and confrontational.
Among the three legitimate Sheng brothers, only Sheng Mingbo had yet to speak.
Sheng Mingbo was usually impulsive and rash, but now he appeared dazed.
He had arrived earliest. As Dongkui was his personal maid and usually quite likable, he had gone to see her first.
Dongkui, thinking she was dying, had clutched his hand tightly while vomiting blood. The look in her eyes had terrified him—as if she wanted to drag him down to hell with her…
So Sheng Mingbo was somewhat shaken, lost in his own thoughts, and didn’t jump to defend Sheng Mingzhu as impulsively as he usually would.
“Third Young Master—”
Qiuju called out pitifully, her eyes red, looking both wronged and wretched.
“My sister and I never hold grudges against anyone. We may have quarreled with others once or twice, but such things happen often in the estate. No one would kill over a few words—
“If people killed over arguments, then the servants in this estate… probably wouldn’t be alive…”
This made sense. How many days went by without maids, nannies, and old women quarreling?
If a few arguments led to murder, with everyone killing each other, the estate would have been empty long ago.
“If it wasn’t a servant, then someone is deliberately framing Mingzhu!”
Sheng Mingjian stated resolutely, then looked at Qiuju and said.
“I don’t know who filled your head with the idea that Mingzhu would harm you out of concern for her reputation, but it’s utterly absurd!
“Xiazhi shares the same status as you and has been by Mingzhu’s side for years. Mingzhu treats her with both respect and affection—
“Since Mingzhu wouldn’t harm her, she certainly wouldn’t harm you either!
“Father, Mother, someone must have deliberately poisoned the pastries to frame Mingzhu—
“I beg Father and Mother to investigate the truth and clear Mingzhu’s name!”
Sheng Mingzhu finally regained her composure and expression, kneeling once more as she spoke.
“Father, Mother, I had nothing to do with the poisoning. I beg Father and Mother to vindicate me!”
“I believe you. Please rise—”
Sheng Yong forced a smile.
With everyone outside gossiping about the Sheng household, this was already giving Sheng Yong a headache. He never expected another near-fatal incident at home.
He felt his wife couldn’t manage the household properly, and that his three legitimate sons were too foolish, only favoring Sixth Daughter without even pretending to be fair—
This led to constant internal strife between the two daughters. Each child was talented individually, but their hearts were not united, causing endless trouble and making them a laughingstock!
Sheng Yong had long been suppressing his anger. If there weren’t outsiders present, he would have already lashed out at Sheng Minmin!
“Madam, how is the investigation proceeding?”
As soon as he finished speaking, Qingying hurried in, holding what seemed to be a piece of paper, her face pale with fright.
“Master, Madam, a maid named Xiaoye from Furong Court has poisoned herself—
“She…” Qingying paused here.
Sheng Minmin sternly urged, “Speak quickly! What happened?”
“She said… Sixth Miss gave her a packet of laxative powder and ordered her to administer it to Dongkui. She didn’t dare disobey Sixth Miss’s command. Today, when she delivered pastries to Fifth Young Master’s courtyard, she secretly mixed the powder into the pastries Dongkui had been eyeing…
“Later, she saw Dongkui indeed take those pastries. She just never expected… it wasn’t laxative powder, but poison…
“Guilt-ridden, she left a suicide note and took the remaining poison to end her life…
“This is what Xiaoye wrote before she died—”
Qingying respectfully presented the suicide note.
