https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-56-The-Lu-Family-Gets-Their-Comeuppance/12582454/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-58-The-Grand-Commandant-Joins-the-Spectacle/12582456/
Chapter 57: Public Humiliation
Chapter 57: Public Humiliation
The Old Madam and Second Madam fell ill around the hour of Chou (1 am to 3 am).
Even though it was the latter half of the night, there were still quite a few guests, especially male guests, keeping vigil in the funeral tent.
Lu Xingzhou was among them.
When Wu Mama paled and found him, saying that the Old Madam and Second Madam were suddenly suffering from unbearable abdominal pain, he didn't hesitate and immediately called Hu Yuanpan, who was also keeping vigil in the same tent.
Normally, Lu Xingzhou wouldn't have been able to request this esteemed physician's help, but today was a fortunate coincidence.
He had come to assist the Liu family and Yong'en Marquis, and Hu Yuanpan, for the sake of the Yong'en Marquis, followed Lu Xingzhou to the courtyard where the women and children were resting.
Madam Liu and Lu's mother also put down their urgent matters and hurried over.
While the current dynasty emphasized the separation of men and women, it wasn't as strict as the previous dynasty, especially in the case of medical emergencies.
Madam Liu arranged for several maids and matrons to stand guard in the courtyard and corridor. If there were any female relatives who came out, they would be informed of the situation, and those who were concerned could stay in their rooms to avoid any embarrassment.
The Old Madam and Second Madam were writhing in pain on the bed, wailing incessantly.
Based on his years of medical experience, Hu Yuanpan judged that the two had most likely eaten something that disagreed with them.
He first asked about their dinner.
Holding her stomach, the Second Madam replied, "We didn't eat much... just the food from the mansion..."
The Old Madam had a separate kitchen, so it was unlikely that she ate the same food as the Second Madam. However, the Old Madam often shared her food with Wu Mama, and since Wu Mama was fine, it indicated that the food wasn't the problem.
Lu's mother asked, "Younger sister, did you and Mother eat anything else after that?"
Fighting through the pain, the Second Madam thought for a moment and replied, "Osmanthus cake... the osmanthus cake on the table!"
As soon as these words left her mouth, Madam Liu's expression changed.
Could it be that they ate something from the mansion that upset their stomachs?
The plate of osmanthus cakes had already been devoured, leaving only a few crumbs.
Lu's mother picked up the plate and brought it to Hu Yuanpan. "Sir Hu."
Hu Yuanpan didn't respond immediately to Lu's mother. His expression was strange as he examined the plate, then felt the Old Madam's pulse, and finally went to feel the Second Madam's pulse.
"Father! Mother!"
"Big Brother! Big Sister-in-law!"
Lu Lingxiao and Second Master Lu had also arrived.
Lu Xingzhou asked his son, "Where have you been? It took you so long to get here."
Lu Lingxiao opened his mouth but didn't dare say that he had gone to look for Meng Qianqian after finishing his tasks, unfortunately to no avail.
"Lingxiao, come here and hold the lamp for Hu Yuanpan." Lu's mother called her son over.
"Yes, Mother."
Lu Lingxiao picked up the oil lamp from the table and came to the bedside. "Sir Hu, how are my grandmother and Second Aunt?"
Hu Yuanpan withdrew his hand and said, "Please ask Madam Liu to send a maid to call Left Minister."
Left Minister was also a physician at the Imperial Hospital, and his medical skills were comparable to Hu Yuanpan's.
Madam Liu immediately sent a maid to do so.
Lu Lingxiao asked, "Sir Hu, are my grandmother and Second Aunt's conditions serious?"
"This..."
Hu Yuanpan hesitated, "Let's wait for Left Minister to arrive before we discuss it further."
Left Minister arrived quickly. As he felt the Old Madam's pulse, he asked, "What kind of illness is it that even you can't diagnose..."
He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening as he realized something.
This pulse...
Hu Yuanpan exchanged a glance with him, a silent communication that needed no words.
Lu Xingzhou cupped his hands together and said, "Honored physicians, please tell us the truth about my mother's condition."
Left Minister spoke frankly, "To be honest, the Old Madam... is showing signs of pregnancy."
These words were like a thunderbolt out of the blue, stunning everyone into silence.
Did he just say pregnancy?
The Old Madam was pregnant?
She was a woman in her sixties!
Had the world turned upside down? Second Master Lu stood there dumbfounded, looking from his stepmother to his wife and back again. He stuttered, "Then... my wife..."
Left Minister nodded, "She also shows signs of pregnancy."
Second Master Lu stumbled and nearly fell to his knees.
He hadn't paid his taxes for several months, so how could his wife be pregnant?
The Second Madam refuted, "Second Uncle! I didn't!"
Whether she did or not was hard to say, but the Old Madam was in her sixties and had long since entered menopause. Even if she had found a wild man, she wouldn't be able to conceive.
However, logic was one thing, and the potential scandal was another. To be diagnosed with a pregnancy pulse in front of the younger generation and outsiders was a shameful humiliation!
Left Minister stroked his beard thoughtfully and said, "Ladies, don't panic just yet. The pregnancy pulse is just a symptom, and it doesn't necessarily mean that you're truly pregnant. Perhaps you inadvertently consumed some medication that caused an abnormal pulse."
Hu Yuanpan took the plate from Lu's Mother and brought it to his nose to sniff. Frowning, he handed it to Left Minister.
Left Minister took the plate and examined it before looking at the oil lamp in Lu Lingxiao's hand. "If you please."
Lu Lingxiao brought the oil lamp closer.
There were only a few crumbs left on the plate, but upon closer inspection, there seemed to be a few scattered dark brown spots of powder mixed in with the black sesame seeds, making it very difficult to distinguish.
"Is there something wrong with the osmanthus cake?" Lu Lingxiao asked, furrowing his brows.
Madam Liu was displeased. "General Lu, we've made hundreds, if not thousands, of plates of osmanthus cakes in the Liu household. Why is it that no one else has eaten them and had any problems?"
Lu Lingxiao wanted to say something but stopped.
"The dosage is too small, and the scent has dissipated," Left Minister explained. "It's difficult to determine whether it's medication at the moment."
Lu's Mother, maintaining her composure, asked, "Wu Mama, you were in the room earlier. Where did this plate of osmanthus cakes come from, and whose hands has it passed through?"
"I... I..." Wu Mama couldn't answer.
"You must have dozed off, to not even realize that someone had tampered with the food!" Madam Liu scoffed.
"If someone was poisoned in your Liu household, are you going to blame us for it?" Wu Mama retorted.
"You—" Madam Liu was furious.
Lu Xingzhou didn't stop Wu Mama because he, too, needed answers. Although Wu Mama seemed impolite and rash, she was voicing what he wanted to say.
Such a humiliating scandal must have been the work of someone seeking to harm them; otherwise, the Lu family's reputation would be ruined.
As the two sides argued, voices could be heard from the doorway.
"Hmm? What are you doing here? Are you looking for the toilet?"
"No."
"Are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be alright?"
"You ate the osmanthus cake and didn't have any stomach problems?"
Lu Linglong had just woken up and noticed that the osmanthus cake on the table was gone. She assumed that Meng Qianqian had returned and eaten it, and she was so happy that she didn't even feel sleepy anymore. She went off to look for Meng Qianqian, eager to see her embarrassment.
"What are you talking about, Linglong?" Lu Lingxiao asked coldly as he walked out.
Lu Xingzhou wanted to stop him, but it was too late. Lu Lingxiao grabbed Lu Linglong's wrist and glared at her with anger in his eyes. "What did you put in the osmanthus cake?"
Lu Linglong frowned. "Big Brother... you're hurting me..."
Lu Lingxiao's voice turned cold. "Speak! Or I'll kick you out of the house today!"
Lu Linglong was scared. Her voice was choked with sobs and hurt as she said, "It's just a little laxative. It won't kill anyone. Let go of me now!"
"Where did you get the laxative from?"
"Wu Mama's!"
Wu Mama subconsciously pulled out the bottle from her sleeve and uncorked it to take a look. Her face paled as she saw its contents.
Madam Liu laughed sarcastically. "One is your Lu family's wet nurse, and the other is your Lu family's young lady. How can this have anything to do with our Liu family?"
Anyone could blame the Liu family for poor management, but with the Lu family harming themselves behind closed doors, the Liu family couldn't be blamed for this!
At this moment, the Old Madam and the Second Madam's abdominal pain had subsided, but their complexions started to look strange.
Realizing something was amiss, Lu Xingzhou quickly moved to retrieve the bottle, but he was too slow.
Meng Qianqian snatched the bottle and handed it to Left Minister and Hu Yuanpan. "Gentlemen, please take a look and tell us what kind of medicine is inside."
The Old Madam's face turned ashen. "Don't look at it!"
(End of Chapter)
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