novelaction Chapter 116 Midnight
Chapter 116 Midnight
Chapter 116
This morning, thanks to Luo Shuiyao's massage, the Marquis' wife was able to rest well. After dinner that evening, Nanny Sang soaked her feet and massaged them using the techniques Luo Shuiyao had taught her. Perhaps because she was too tired last night, or because her headache had taken too much of her mind, the Marquis' wife fell asleep early again that night.
In her sleep, she suddenly heard a burst of urgent knocking at the door, and woke up instantly. After asking Sang Ma to open the door, she had someone help her put on her clothes. At this moment, she was being helped out by a maid.
Nanny Sang ran into the courtyard and was about to push open the door, but she saw the marquis's wife had already come out.
She looked the Marquis' wife up and down with a worried look. Seeing that she was only wearing a thin outer garment, she scolded the maid who was supporting her, "Why didn't you bring her a cloak? It's still very chilly on this early spring night. What if she catches a cold and gets a headache?"
Upon hearing this, the maid quickly responded, "Yes, Ma'am, I'll get it right away." After that, she hurried into the room.
The Marquis's wife glanced at Nanny Sang and saw her serious expression, so she asked, "What's wrong? Who's knocking on the door? What's the matter?"
Seeing the Marquis's anxious expression, Nanny Sang stepped forward, held her hand, and said as they walked, "Miss Lu's maid came over and said that she had a sudden illness last night. Her whole body is red and swollen, and no one knows the cause."
Upon hearing this, the Marquis' wife was startled and quickly stopped and ordered, "Send someone to invite Doctor Hua over immediately."
"I've already asked the concierge to invite him, and also sent someone to notify the Marquis. I think the Marquis should get back to me soon."
At this point, Nanny Sang paused, thinking of the recent quarrels between the Marquis and his wife. In the past, when his wife had a headache, the Marquis would have been extremely worried, but now, out of anger, he only sent servants and doctors to check on her, and never even came to see his wife.
She hesitated and said, "Why don't we go to Qiuliyuan first to see what's going on?"
When the Marquis's wife heard the word "Marquis", she felt extremely bitter. She saw that the Marquis had never paid any attention to Concubine Mei, leaving her in the backyard without any care, and she began to think about kicking Concubine Mei out of the house.
When she first discovered that the concubine was having an affair with someone else, she was extremely furious, but then she thought, isn't this a good opportunity?
Later, when the wild man came to her house, she facilitated his visit and covered for him every time. This time, she plotted against the two of them, intending to have the Marquis find out and expel them from the house, but she never expected that she would end up killing Concubine Mei, which infuriated the Marquis.
She was in a daze last night, thinking a lot in a half-asleep and half-awake state. Maybe... she really did something wrong, but the Marquis didn't even listen to an explanation, which made her feel really uncomfortable.
The master and servant, along with a group of maids and old women, hurried towards Qiuliyuan.
...............
Marquis Zhongyong lay in bed, his brow furrowed, his heart aching with anguish. Recent events kept replaying in his mind: his wife's schemes, Aunt Mei's accident; each one weighed heavily on his mind. He tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep, his restlessness only growing stronger.
The loyal and brave marquis lay there for a long while, but he couldn't sleep at all. He suddenly sat up and shouted to the outside: "Zhang Dequan!" His voice was particularly loud in the silent night.
In the outer chamber, Steward Zhang was sound asleep when he suddenly heard the Marquis's call. He woke up with a start. He turned over and straightened his messy clothes, then lowered his voice and replied, "Marquis, I'm here."
The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery frowned and ordered, "Go to the Madam's courtyard now and ask how she is doing. Is she feeling better today? Has her headache returned?"
Manager Zhang responded and was about to leave when he was stopped by the Marquis.
"Wait, if the lady is asleep, remember not to disturb her."
Manager Zhang muttered to himself: Since he can't let it go, he will just go and take a look himself. He is obviously worried, but he still wants to sleep in a separate room. I don't know what he is trying to do. It's just a torture for his old bones.
But he replied respectfully, "Yes, I will go now."
The Loyal and Brave Marquis had no idea what he was thinking. He waved his hands impatiently, signaling him to go away, and lay back on the bed, his annoyance not having diminished in the slightest.
Manager Zhang walked out of the yard and had not taken a few steps when he ran into the little maid sent by Minghuatang.
When the little maid saw him, she quickly bowed and said, "This servant greets Manager Zhang."
Steward Zhang's heart tightened, thinking the Marquis' wife was ill, and he quickly stopped her, "Alright, stop being so polite. What on earth are you doing here so late at night?"
Seeing that she was being stopped from bowing, the little maid stopped insisting and quickly stood up and asked nervously, "Where is the Marquis? Madam Sang asked me to come and invite the Marquis."
Steward Zhang's heart skipped a beat. He turned abruptly and rushed into the courtyard, shouting as he ran, "My Lord! My Lord! Come out quickly! My wife is in trouble."
The little maid was left alone outside, staring in amazement at the usually calm Manager Zhang rushing into the yard like a monkey.
After a long while, the little maid finally uttered the last few words: "Miss Lu is unwell."
The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery lay on his narrow bed, his eyes wide open, staring at the ceiling, completely devoid of any desire to sleep. He scratched his head irritably when he suddenly heard the terrified cry of Zhang the Steward from outside—"My Madam is in trouble!"
The loyal and brave Marquis jumped up suddenly as if he had been struck by lightning. He didn't even bother to put on his clothes, shoes or socks. He rushed out of the room like a madman.
There was a loud "bang" and the door was kicked open by him. It shattered into pieces in an instant, wood chips flew everywhere and stirred up dust all over the sky.
Manager Zhang narrowly avoided the wooden board flying towards him, but was choked by the dust that was raised and started coughing violently.
The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery didn't care about that at the moment. He rushed forward, grabbed the collar of Zhang's clothes, and roared, "What's going on? What happened to the madam?"
Unexpectedly, he waited for a long while without receiving a reply from Manager Zhang. When the dust that disturbed his vision slowly cleared, he looked closely and found that Manager Zhang had been pulled high up by his collar, with the collar pressed tightly against his throat, causing Manager Zhang's face to flush red and unable to utter a single sound.
His gaze slowly shifted downwards, and he saw Manager Zhang slapping his hands desperately with both hands. A rare sense of unease welled up in the heart of the Loyal and Brave Marquis, and he let go of his hands with a wooden expression.
Zhang Guanshi fell to the ground like a heavy bag, followed by a violent coughing fit that lasted for a long time. Seeing that he was fine, the loyal and brave marquis breathed a sigh of relief, but at this moment he didn't bother to wait for him to recover.
He was extremely anxious and just wanted to find the person who reported it and ask for clarification. Looking around, he saw the little maid standing huddled at the door, her neck clenched, as if she was terrified by the scene before her.