Embroidered Phoenix Chronicle

Ruihong accompanied the doctor to take his wife's pulse. The doctor stroked his beard and thought for a moment, "It's nothing serious. She's probably just upset, and the baby is a little restless. Whether she takes medicine or not is fine. Just relax, think less, and rest quietly."

Before Ruihong and Fengxian could answer, Xiangmei, who was serving nearby, hurriedly said, "Sir, my young mistress has always had difficulty conceiving. It's better to be careful than to make a big mistake. Please give her two doses of medicine to stabilize the pregnancy!"

Fengxian made a face and said, "I don't want to eat it, it's so bitter, even the teacher said I don't need to eat it."

“Young Madam,” Xiangmei wisely advised, “once you safely give birth to the young master, you’ll be given all the sweet and delicious food you want to eat.”

Ruihong ruffled her hair and teased her, "Why are you like Fuhui, afraid to take your medicine?" Fengxian pouted and slapped Ruihong's hand away.

The doctor laughed and said, "Then give me three doses of medicine to prevent miscarriage. It's not like your family can't afford it!" As he spoke, he picked up his pen and wrote out a prescription.

Ruihong returned with the medicine and instructed Xiangmei to quickly brew it. Xiangmei carried the medicine to the backyard. Fengxian was supposed to be one of the two maids, but Yumei often found excuses to stay with Madam Xu, so she was completely unreliable. Fengxian had tried to set rules for her, but Madam Xu was always in her way, so the rules couldn't be established. She could only let Yumei receive a maid's salary while being treated as a cousin of the Xu family.

Xiangmei disliked the clumsy, simple-minded man; she preferred the refined and elegant young master. She molded herself to fit his ideal, but he chose to ignore her, his eyes only fixed on his wife, leaving Xiangmei in despair. She clung to her hopeless love, being attentive and careful just to catch a glimpse of her lover. Fengxian filled her with jealousy and hatred; the way Fengxian secretly bullied the young master drove her mad, and the young master's apparent acceptance only fueled her rage. But she couldn't show it, or she wouldn't even be able to remain a bystander. Her outward appearance and inner turmoil were tearing her apart. She had to devise a plan: if Fengxian couldn't bear children, the young master would inevitably take a concubine, and she hoped to be the first choice, so she became even more obsequious. The young mistress was actually quite easy to deal with; she could be fed foods unsuitable for pregnant women, and when she felt unwell, the doctor could prescribe some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy—after all, she was the one who brewed the medicine, making it easy to tamper with it. As long as there are no children, taking a concubine is inevitable; otherwise, are they going to let someone else's child take over the family fortune? Since getting through to the eldest son is impossible, getting through to the eldest daughter-in-law is just as effective. She's trying hard to gain Fengxian's approval and dependence, because taking a concubine can be arranged by the mistress—such a concubine is easier to control and might even become the mistress's right-hand woman. She feels she's close to success. Yesterday, Fengxian asked Ruihong to take her as a concubine; although it was a joke, it might not be entirely untrue! She carefully prepared the medicine.

Fengxian and Liu Ye'er sat facing each other at the kang table. Xiangmei both loathed and hated Liu Ye'er, not only because Liu Ye'er had taken over Fengxian's meals, reducing her opportunities to smuggle food, but also because the young master often teased her, even buying her melon seeds to crack and preserved plums to eat. She had served him diligently for so many years, and the young master had never bought her any snacks. She suspected that the young master might be trying to get her to… she was sure Liu Ye'er coveted the Liu family's wealth. If Liu Ye'er competed with her, then…

Xiangmei presented the medicine bowl on a white porcelain tea tray. On the tray was a small light green leaf-shaped dish with a few hawthorn candy balls in it. "Young mistress, the medicine is ready. Drink it while it's hot."

Liu Lian picked up the bowl and smelled it, nodded to Feng Xian, climbed to the south window and called for Cuicui—Cuicui no longer needed to learn etiquette and was busy making clothes for the master and servant for the New Year. As soon as she heard Liu Ye'er calling, she hurriedly ran over and invited Zhao Ma and Li Ma over. After saying this, she sat down again.

Fengxian wasn't in a hurry to drink the medicine; she first had Xiangmei sit on a small stool. The thief was timid, and Xiangmei's heart was racing, but she forced herself to remain calm. "Young mistress, the medicine is still being brewed in the back! If I don't go over, the fire might go out."

Fengxian smiled kindly and said, "It's alright, please sit down. Xiangmei, the New Year is coming soon, have you made your new clothes yet? Cuicui started making them today, we can't lose to her, Cuicui may be young, but she's quite good at needlework."

Xiangmei breathed a sigh of relief. Every year, the Liu family would give a new set of clothes for the New Year to those who were respected, which was a matter of dignity. "Young mistress, I'm covered in dust and dirt all day long, what good clothes can I possibly wear? You don't need to make any!"

“Every courtyard has them. If we don’t make them for you, are we going to make them for Yumei? What color do you want?” As she spoke, Cuicui invited two mothers over.

The two bowed respectfully. "What are your orders, young mistress?"

Fengxian didn't speak, but Liulian spoke up, "Mothers, the smell of this medicine doesn't seem right. Let's send someone to fetch the doctor from yesterday! Cuicui, you go with Mother to seal the medicine pot! Sister Xiangmei, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you for now. Mother, could you keep her somewhere for the time being?"

Xiangmei pounced on Liulian like a mad tiger, but Cuicui, quick-witted as ever, wouldn't let her succeed. She tripped Xiangmei, sending her crashing to the ground. Cuicui knelt down on one knee and twisted Xiangmei's arm. The two old women, though a few years old, were surprisingly agile, seizing Xiangmei like eagles catching chicks and taking her to an empty room in the backyard to keep watch. Liulian tore off a piece of white paper, wrote a single word on it, and stuck it on the medicine pot. She then locked the door of the small room and sealed it. Turning around to look at the furious Xiangmei, she sneered and returned to the main courtyard.

Cui Cui went out to call for help, and soon two strong women arrived and tied Xiang Mei up. The two women then went to report to the old lady.

The old lady had been worried that Liu Ye'er had caught Xu Shi in a compromising situation, but she hadn't expected it to be Xiang Mei. Now there was nothing to worry about. She breathed a sigh of relief and ordered someone to go to the doctor to fetch Master Liu and the eldest young master back. She then went to Fengxian's courtyard herself.

Each courtyard has its own eyes and ears, and with such a commotion in the front courtyard, how could it be kept secret? Knowing that the old lady had gone over, Madam Xu and Liang'er also came over one after another.

Fengxian sat upright, not uttering a word. Liu Ye'er spoke tactfully, "I smell something wrong with the medicine, and I'd like to ask a doctor to take a look." The others weren't stupid; they knew that the medicine was most likely problematic.

Fengxian was filled with mixed emotions. This medicine smelled similar to the ones he'd taken before. Liu Ye'er had only sniffed it once before immediately deducing something was wrong, and had even sealed the pot, looking completely confident. Xiangmei used to always throw the dregs out of the street corner after decocting medicine, calling it "dispelling illness." Why hadn't he ever had a moment's suspicion? His poor child was being ruined by his own foolishness!