Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 135 - 20: Rumors and Gossip

As for the First Madam and the Second Madam, their actions were merely to disgust the Old Madam and the Heir’s wife.

Behind it, the real source of the rumors was still lurking in the dark.

No one present looked pleased. The Old Madam was concerned because this matter involved Susu’s reputation, while the Heir’s wife was upset because it implicated the Princely Heir. Lady Yue and the Third Miss genuinely felt guilty that such a blunder occurred under their management, given the trust placed in them by the Old Madam and the Heir’s wife.

Only Nanny Qian, who had come from the palace, found such secretive tactics beneath notice there.

"According to Nanny Qin, only three to five people knew about Miss Susu’s condition of cold in the palace, and they absolutely wouldn’t disclose it to others. Moreover, she only drank medicinal decoctions in Yangzhou, switching to pills when they arrived in the Capital, so no decoction was brewed there, right?"

Nanny Qin and Susu both nodded.

The people present were no fools and quickly understood, the Old Madam’s face darkened further, as Nanny Qian’s implication was that the rumors likely originated from either the masters or servants coming from Yangzhou.

Nanny Qian further inquired, "Who brewed the medicinal decoctions that Miss Susu took in Yangzhou, and where were they prepared?"

"Because the Old Madam worried about the idle chatter of people in the garden, she ordered me to personally brew the medicine. The Household Doctor prescribed the medicine, and I prepared it in the pharmacy, taking it back while fetching medicine for the Old Madam."

Afraid that her old age might cause forgetfulness, Nanny Qin carefully thought back, saying, "Besides Doctor Zhao, there was only a small medicine boy in the pharmacy, no one else. Even the medicine residues, I asked the small medicine boy to secretly bury them."

Upon hearing this, Nanny Qian appreciated the Old Madam’s care for Susu, but said, "But the issue likely arose from these medicine residues!"

"If it was the small medicine boy, then he couldn’t have been very old. How clever can a child be? You asked him to secretly bury it, so the residues were probably buried under a tree or flower’s root, and it wouldn’t be surprising if someone happened upon them."

Nanny Qian already suspected the medicine residues. Hearing this only confirmed her suspicions, but she chose not to elaborate further, leaving the masters to ponder it themselves.

After the Heir’s wife, Lady Yue, and the Third Miss left, only Susu and Nanny Qin remained in the room.

The Old Madam finally spoke, "Susu, do you want to settle this quietly because you know something?"

While the master and servants in Sui’an Hall discussed further, the three who left had mysterious expressions...

Outside Sui’an Hall, the Heir’s wife, Lady Yue, and the Third Miss each bid farewell and returned to their own courtyards.

Starting with Lady Yue, who, after all, had a footing in the household, she wasn’t sure about the root of the rumors, but she had a general idea of who had fanned the flames, none other than the First Madam and Second Madam.

However, it wasn’t appropriate to bring this up with the Old Madam in Sui’an Hall, for fear of appearing to sow discord.

The First Madam and Second Madam’s tactics weren’t sophisticated; with the Old Madam’s methods, any investigation would reveal their traces.

The Heir’s wife turned her head, and the complex emotions on her face faded. This matter wasn’t really related to her; although it involved the Princely Heir, it seemed designed to drive a wedge between her and Susu. But what relationship did she have with Susu anyway?

Back at Qingfeng Pavilion, after dismissing everyone except her trusted maid and Nanny Qian, Zhao Lanxi said, "Nanny, I can’t believe that with your experience, you didn’t have any inkling when this happened. Surely you have some role in hiding it from the Third Sister!"

Nanny Qian didn’t defend herself, implicitly acknowledging it. Seeing the Heir’s wife looking complex, she understood that Zhao Lanxi also realized why she had done it.

"Miss, since Miss Susu has left the servitude and has a fiancé, she should have left the household to prepare to marry! Although the Old Madam treats her like family, she is still just a servant! It’s a bit awkward this way."

No matter how well the Princely Heir concealed it, how could an old hand from the palace not notice his words and actions?

The Princely Heir was noble and upright, having nothing improper with Susu, but with Susu not leaving the household, how could the young ladies not feel uneasy?

Zhao Lanzhi was silent for a while before indicating to retreat for rest.

The scene shifted to the Third Miss. Walking back, she seemed to be pondering something. When she arrived at her room, her expression darkened significantly.

After some thought, she called her trusted maid and whispered a few words. The maid Wanwan nodded and left the room.

The Third Miss dazed for a moment, sighing, "Just hope she doesn’t flirt with disaster!"