"Smack!" Gu Qing raised his hand suddenly, and slapped Xia Zhu's face fiercely.

Suddenly, the eldest lady and Mama Zhou were stunned, and looked at her in surprise, Gu Qingwan has always been kind to her subordinates, how could she ever be so harsh?

"What a big boldness, this rock molasse is a warm food, how can it be said that it is in conflict with the medicinal properties! I don't know how to pretend to understand, I'm either lazy or have other intentions! ”

Xia Zhu was taken aback, she didn't expect this usually talkative eldest lady to suddenly become so ruthless, she covered her face and said aggrievedly: "Yes, yes, the eldest lady is angry, and the slave will go." ”

"Smack!" However, Gu Qingwan slapped her backhand again, slapped her on the other cheek, and said, "Why, Miss Ben asked you to get a plate of food, you still have no opinion, who will show this black face?" What are you? ”

Xia Zhu was so frightened this time that he fell to his knees, and he didn't dare to cover his face, and hurriedly said, "The slave doesn't dare, the slave doesn't dare, the eldest lady." ”

"Don't go yet!" Gu Qingwan said sharply.

"Yes, yes, yes." Where did Xia Zhu dare to slack off, he got up from the ground and went straight to Chenyue Garden, his face was red from being beaten.

"It's just a candied fruit, I don't eat it, you can't be angry about it, you are careful to be angry." Liu said with relief.

"Madam, I think the eldest lady is playing well, this Xia Zhu, the slave and maid look at her awkwardly, a second-class maid, but with a posture, it's time to find an opportunity to punish her." Mama Zhou on the side felt very happy, her own wife was weak, and she saw that the maids around her were lazy and contemptuous, she wanted to punish her, but she couldn't do it.

"It's not just because she doesn't know how to measure that I taught her a lesson." Gu Qingwan said.

"What do you mean by Wan'er?" Liu Shi was puzzled and asked.

At this time, Xia Zhu came back panting, holding a plate of rock sugar candied fruit in both hands, he didn't dare to slack off at all, knelt on the ground, and said respectfully: "Madam, eldest lady, the candied fruit is here." As he spoke, his eyes stole a glance at the bowl of medicine.

"Put it down, you go and inform the kitchen now, I'm going to eat at the eldest lady's side, it's too late, only you ask!" Gu Qingwan immediately commanded again.

"Yes!" After the two slaps just now, where did Xia Zhu dare to snub Gu Qingwan for half a minute, she hurriedly turned around, but before leaving, she couldn't help but glance at the medicine.

As soon as she left, Gu Qingwan said in a deep voice, "Mother, there is something wrong with this medicine, so you can't drink it." ”

"Questions?" Liu Shi gasped, and his hand couldn't help but clench the handkerchief, "This is the medicine prescribed for me by Dr. Lu, he is Master Hou's personal military doctor, he shouldn't harm me." Wan'er, are you making a mistake? ”

Gu Qingwan thought for a moment and asked, "Mama Zhou, when did this Xia Zhu come to Luoxing Yuan?" ”

Mama Zhou pinched her fingers and calculated, and said, "I remember, it was the eldest lady who came over a few days after this illness, and before that, Qinglian was originally serving in front of her, but that day Qinglian somehow broke Madame's sandalwood, and after the second lady knew, she thought that Qinglian's hands and feet were not good, so she changed someone, and the slave was busy taking care of Madame, and she didn't pay much attention to it." ”

After listening to this, Gu Qingwan had a bottom in her heart, she said, "I only had doubts in my heart, my mother's income was not a serious illness, but it has been delayed for more than half a month, and her spirit is becoming more and more depressed. Just now I found out that Xia Zhu, a cheap maid, has been staring at this bowl of medicine, as if she was afraid that her mother would not drink it, and now when I heard Mama Zhou say this, I concluded that there must be something wrong with this medicine. ”

As she spoke, she took the medicine and took a sip.

Liu Shi was shocked and said, "There is a problem with this medicine, you still drink it?" ”

Mama Zhou was also anxious, "Miss, what are you doing here?" ”

Gu Qingwan was silent, took the medicine in her mouth, tasted it carefully, then walked to the desk, took the pen and ink, and wrote something seriously on the rice paper, after a while, she handed the paper on which the prescription was written to Mama Zhou, and asked, "Mama Zhou, look, is this the prescription prescribed by Dr. Lu to her mother?" ”

Mama Zhou took the medicine list and carefully browsed it, her brows gradually furrowed, she shook her head and said, "No, the prescription given by Dr. Lu does not have this flavor of honeysuckle." ”

"That's right, the problem is in this honeysuckle."

"What's wrong with honeysuckle?" Liu asked puzzled.

Gu Qingwan showed the prescription in front of Liu and Mama Zhou, and said, "There is no problem with this honeysuckle alone, but you see, the prescription prescribed by Dr. Lu has a taste of goat weed, and the two flavors of honeysuckle and epimedium are naturally compatible, and a decoction will have an adverse effect on the body, and over time, not only can it not cure the disease, but it will also hurt the root of the body, which is also the reason why the mother's wind and cold have not improved for a long time." ”

Mama Zhou said, "I understand! Madam, this is someone secretly doing tricks and tricks, secretly letting the honeysuckle in, and trying to harm you! This Xia Zhu is one of the murderers! ”

"Xia Zhu is just a subordinate, someone must have instructed her to dare to act so boldly." Gu Qingwan said.

When Liu Shi heard this, he was shocked into a cold sweat, his face became more and more pale, and he said, "There are people in this mansion who want to harm me so much. ”

"Madam, take that Xia Zhu over and interrogate him to know who is the mastermind!" Mama Zhou said angrily.

However, Gu Qingwan stopped, "No, don't worry, now that she is arrested and interrogated, she will definitely not admit it, and we have no evidence, but we are startled." It's better to pretend that she doesn't know anything first, and when the stolen goods are obtained, she can't deny it if she wants to! ”

"So how can you get the stolen goods? Is there a way for the eldest lady? Mama Zhou was pleasantly surprised to find that this eldest lady was really different from before, she was always confused and led by the nose before, but now she is thoughtful, brave and strategic, which is really gratifying.

Gu Qingwan pondered for a moment, stood up, poured the bowl of medicine on the ground, and shouted to the minions outside, "Go and call Xia Zhu over." ”

"Yes." The slave outside answered, and after a while, Xia Zhu trotted in again, running back and forth three times, she was out of breath, sweat ran down her cheeks, and she didn't care to wipe it, and asked, "Madam, eldest lady." ”

"Why, are you tired from running two or three times like this?" Gu Qingwan squinted at her and asked coldly.

"No, no slaves, no slaves, no tired, no tired." Xia Zhu hurriedly said.

"The eldest lady's medicine was accidentally spilled just now, you can go and fry another bowl." Gu Qingwan nodded her chin and said.

Xia Zhu glanced at the ground, and sure enough, she saw that the bowl was falling to the ground, and Ziyu was cleaning up the residue on the ground, she hurriedly bent down to pick up the bowl and said, "Yes, the slave will go." ”

Xia Zhu took the bowl and ran back to the private small kitchen in the courtyard of the eldest lady. In the Hou Mansion, the ladies and ladies all provide meals from the back kitchen, and only the old lady and the eldest lady have a private kitchen.

Entering the kitchen, Xia Zhu put the medicine bowl on the stove, then picked up the medicine cup and put it on the stove, then took off the Chinese medicine bag hanging on the wall, washed it with water, and finally put it into the cup where the water had boiled, covered the lid, and began to simmer slowly.

When the scent of the herb slowly filled the room, she stood up, walked to the kitchen door, looked around quietly, and then quickly returned to the stove, lifted the lid, took a small bag from her cuff, and threw a handful of honeysuckle into it.

At this time, suddenly, the door opened suddenly, Xia Zhu was startled, and all the honeysuckle in her hand was scattered on the ground, she turned around sharply and looked in front of her in horror-

Mama Zhou rushed forward with a brisk step, grabbed her wrist with one hand, slapped her hard, and said angrily, ", the eldest lady guessed right, sure enough, you are making trouble!" ”

As soon as the words fell, Gu Qingwan and the eldest lady Liu walked in at the same time, and the eldest lady's face was extremely ugly.

When Xia Zhu saw it, he was so frightened that his legs bent and knelt on the ground, "Madam, eldest lady, slave, slave doesn't know what she did wrong?"

"Hmph......" Gu Qingwan glanced at her and said sharply, "Arrest Xia Zhu for me and take it to Madame's room." ”

Mama Zhou made a look, and several people dragged Xia Zhu up from the ground and pulled her into the house, Mama Zhou kicked in the crook of her foot, and she knelt down on both knees.

The eldest lady and Gu Qingwan sat in front of her, Gu Qingwan held a cup of tea and drank it quietly with an expressionless face, the eldest lady trembled with anger, and said: "You cheap, you are so bold, you dare to use these subordinate methods in front of me, and honestly tell all the dirty things you have done!" ”

Xia Zhu's face was like ashes, and he cried, "The eldest lady spares her life, the eldest lady spares her life, I, I made a mistake in the prescription, I will be careful next time......"

"......" Gu Qingwan put down the teacup and glanced at Mama Zhou.

Mama Zhou understood, grabbed Xia Zhu's hair, and reprimanded, "Everyone has stolen goods, and the cheap maid still dares to quibble!" With that, she asked Zilan and Ziyu to hold Xia Zhu's shoulder, shoved a rag ball into her mouth hard, and then took a needle and stabbed her body violently-

"Ah......h

"In front of the eldest lady and the eldest lady, you still use these subordinate methods, do you say it, do you say it?" Mama Zhou took the needle and pierced it on Xia Zhu's body one by one, Xia Zhu's face turned pale, and she almost fainted, looking at Gu Qingwan with pleading eyes, she understood that Gu Qingwan was the person who played a decisive role in this room, but Gu Qingwan ignored her, lowered her eyes, and drank tea unhurriedly.

"Let's stop." When the eldest lady saw that she looked like she was about to die, she said.

Mama Zhou stopped at this time, and pulled out the rags from her mouth, Xia Zhu collapsed on the ground like mud, and her lips lost their blood.

"Say, Who ordered you?" Mama Zhou twisted her and asked.

"I, I...... I really didn't, yes, I was mistaken......" she said with half-squinted eyes, limply.

Seeing her like this, the eldest lady was a little shaken, looked at Gu Qingwan and said, "Wan'er, it's all like this, it seems that she really doesn't know." ”

However, Gu Qingwan said, "Mother, this cheap hoof skin porcelain is real, it's useless to tie it like this, then let's get on the guy, Mama Zhou." ”