Forced to be a concubine? I turned around and married the scumbag's father.

Gu Hua looked up, her eyes welling up with tears as she gazed at her mother.

Madam Wang instructed, "Granny Zhou, tell the kitchen to prepare several more good dishes. Also, arrange for the three Miss Zhous to dine together."

Granny Zhou agreed and went to the kitchen to give the instructions herself.

Madam Wang held Gu Hua's hand: "Good child, sit down and talk."

"Someone, please bring seats for the three young ladies."

The maidservants hurriedly brought out embroidered stools for Zhou Zhilan and the other two to sit down.

This was the first time Wang had ever been so gentle with her, and Gu Hua longed to throw herself into her mother's arms and cry her heart out.

Afraid of frightening her mother, she forced herself to hold back her tears.

Madam Wang spoke to her kindly, asking mostly about Gu Wanru's condition: whether she was doing well in her daily life, whether she was in a good mood, and whether her husband treated her well...

Gu Hua felt bad.

How heartbroken would a mother be if she knew what the daughter she raised had done?

She said the nice things, such as that her eldest sister was pregnant and was eating and sleeping well, and that Jin Kui and Yin Zhi were taking very good care of her.

It is said that the eldest son-in-law often comes to dine with the eldest sister and often stays overnight. The people in the Duke's mansion all respect the eldest sister.

Hearing this, Wang was very pleased and felt even more that Gu Hua was a well-behaved and sensible child.

"When Ru'er was in the manor, she loved to play with you the most. She also specifically asked you to accompany her when she was studying."

I used to wonder why Ru'er liked you so much, since you weren't very talkative. I never imagined you were such a good person. Please don't blame me for not caring enough about you before.”

Gu Hua's nose tingled, and she choked up, saying, "How could a daughter blame her mother? A mother always loves her children."

Her words meant something.

But Wang couldn't understand.

"Of course, you are all my children, and of course I love you."

Gu Hua lowered her eyes slightly.

Gu Wanru didn't like to hang out with her.

Instead, she preferred to be with her own mother, Aunt Pei, and the two wicked mother and daughter would conspire together to bully her.

Gu Hua steadied herself.

Raising her eyes, she said sincerely, "Mother, Shen Li is the last disciple of Master Sun, who was once a royal physician. Her medical skills are extremely high. I noticed that you don't look well. May I ask her to take a look at you?"

When Gu Hua brought up the matter again, Wang Shi's mood improved, and she couldn't bear to refuse her illegitimate daughter's request.

He nodded and said, "Then I'll have to trouble you."

Gu Hua looked at Shen Li.

Shen Li took out a pulse pillow from the cloth bag, and Wang Shi placed her hand on the pulse pillow.

Shen Li carefully examined Gu Hua's pulse, her brows furrowing more and more, which alarmed Gu Hua.

"Please use the other hand, madam."

Wang switched hands, and Shen Li took her pulse for a moment, then knew what was going on: "All done."

Madam Wang put her hand away, thinking that the young girl could at most draw a similar conclusion to the doctor: excessive dampness and pent-up emotions were causing her to feel lethargic.

He laughed and said, "I was just being lazy and didn't sleep well last night, so I look a little pale today. It's just a minor ailment, nothing to worry about."

"The lady has been poisoned."

As Shen Li put away the pulse pillow, she spoke softly and calmly.

The sound could only be heard by the few people sitting around; the maids standing by the door waiting for instructions could not hear it.

One sentence startled several people, leaving them gaping in astonishment, yet none dared to utter a sound.

"Poisoned?" Wang asked in a low voice, her tone changing with fright.

Gu Hua's heart pounded.

It must have been Aunt Pei and her accomplices who did it!

No wonder... In her past life, her mother was always in good health, but before she died, she heard that her mother was seriously ill and bedridden...

Before Wang could ask any more questions, Gu Hua quickly pressed her hand down and glanced at the maid beside her.

Madam Wang immediately understood: "You may all leave. Do not let anyone in without my permission."

After the maid left and closed the door, the atmosphere in the room immediately became heavy.

Shen Li raised an eyebrow: "I love studying poisons. Poisoning is the most common thing for me, and my diagnosis is never wrong."

Gu Hua grasped her mother's hand and asked Shen Li in a trembling voice, "Can you untie it?"

"Of course, it's not some rare or unusual poison. A few acupuncture needles and two doses of medicine will clear it up."

Wang was still a little incredulous: "Are you sure it's poison? I'm just tired."

Shen Li lowered her head, took out a cloth bag from her cloth pocket, kicked the stool she was sitting on to Wang Shi's feet, and sat down directly.

Opening the cloth bag revealed neatly arranged silver needles of varying lengths.

Shen Li pulled out a needle, rummaged through her cloth bag and found a small medicine bottle, poured some onto the needle tip, and gestured for Wang Shi to give it to her hand.

Wang believed her for no reason and obediently reached out her hand.

Shen Li held a two-inch-long needle, pressed it against her tiger's mouth, and said seriously, "If I insert the needle and pull it out, and the needle tip is black, it will prove that the lady has been poisoned."

Ms. Wang's palms were sweating with nervousness.

Gu Hua applied a little force: "Mother, don't be afraid. Miss Shen's acupuncture skills are excellent, it won't hurt at all."

Wang nodded.

She wasn't afraid of the pain, but rather of being truly poisoned, which made her a little anxious.

The girls held their breath, their eyes wide, watching as the silver needle pierced deep into their wrists from between their thumbs and forefingers until it was completely embedded.

As they watched the silver needle being pulled out, they all turned their gaze to the tip of the needle and gasped in unison.

“It’s dark!”

Both Wang Shi and Gu Hua turned pale.

The needle tip is a transitional black.

Wang had no choice but to believe it; there was no reason why the silver needles would turn black for no reason.

Shen Li held the needle tip under her nose and smelled it carefully, then observed the depth of its color.

"Fortunately, the poisoning was recent. The person who poisoned you was afraid of being exposed, so the poison was mild. They probably wanted you to be slowly poisoned to death without you knowing."

Wang gasped.

Zhou Mama's voice came from outside the door: "Madam, someone from the guest courtyard said it has been cleaned up."

Wang was already ice-cold: "Granny Zhou, come in alone."

When Granny Zhou pushed open the door, she was taken aback by the expressions on the faces of the people in the room.

Guessing what had happened, he quickly closed the door, strode over, and saw Shen Li carefully wrapping a silver needle in cloth.

"What's wrong? What's wrong with Madam's health?" Her voice was filled with anxiety.

Zhou Mama was Wang's dowry maid and had been her grandmother's head maid for many years. Wang trusted her the most and relied on her as if she were her mother.

Wang grabbed her, her voice trembling with grievance and on the verge of tears: "Granny, someone has poisoned me."

"what!"

Granny Zhou was horrified: "Someone actually dared to poison me!"

With tears welling in her eyes, Wang said, "Our courtyard is probably not clean."

Granny Zhou naturally understood.

She was a head maidservant from the Langya Wang clan.

Her eyes hardened: "Don't worry, Madam, I will investigate thoroughly and find the poisoner!"

Shen Li handed over a bottle of medicine: "Madam, please take this medicine first to protect your heart and lungs for now. I will investigate the poison carefully when I get back. But Madam must be careful with what she eats and uses, and must not come into contact with any more poison."

Granny Zhou was moved to tears and accepted the gift with both hands: "Okay, young lady, thank you so much."

Gu Hua suddenly said, "I wonder when my third brother finishes school? I remember that he often seems listless."

Gu Hua's words made Wang Shi and Zhou Mama freeze.

They could poison Lady Wang, or they could poison the legitimate son.

"Granny Zhou, hurry and bring Rui-ge'er back!" Madam Wang's lips turned white with fright.

Granny Zhou nodded: "Yes, yes, I'll go myself."

Gu Hua secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

She brought Shen Li back, but she never expected to discover that she had been poisoned.

His younger brother, Gu Ruiwen, the eldest son of the Marquis's family, has always been in poor health.

The father was determined to grant the title of Marquis's heir, but he was always dissatisfied with Gu Ruiwen's health. He even got angry with Wang Shi over this, saying that Wang Shi didn't know how to raise a son.

But, ironically...

Aunt Pei's son, Gu Jinwen, the second young master of the Gu family, also occasionally suffers from poor health.

Gu Hua naturally knew that it was Consort Pei who would occasionally drug Gu Jinwen in order to maintain her favor, causing Gu Jinwen to have headaches and fevers, or even fall into a coma for a day or two.

For a period of time, the relationship between the father and mother suddenly improved, and the father stayed at the mother's place for several days in a row. Aunt Pei was so angry that she broke one of her own son's wrists and called the father away from the mother's bed.

Gu Hua felt very sorry for her little brother who had watched her grow up, and often stayed with him and comforted him when he cried uncontrollably.

The two sometimes felt like they depended on each other for survival.

Aunt Pei deserves to die, but the child is innocent; Jinwen is a well-behaved and sensible child.

Due to being drugged without cause for many years, Gu Jinwen's health is very weak.

Gu Hua originally wanted Shen Li to check Gu Jinwen's health and see if she could secretly improve her younger brother's condition.

After unexpectedly discovering that Wang had been poisoned, she suddenly realized that her own brother might also have been poisoned.

Only if the third younger brother dies can Aunt Pei's biological son, Gu Jinwen, possibly become the heir of the Marquis's mansion.

Aunt Pei was willing to use any means necessary to rise in rank.

After waiting for half an hour, Granny Zhou returned with Gu Ruiwen.