Doctor Fang exerted all his effort to save Lord Pei’s injured leg.
The broken bones were set properly, but whether they would heal entirely on their own was another matter.
Throughout the process, Lord Pei was constantly drifting in and out of consciousness due to the pain.
At his age, how could he endure such torment?
In no time, he seemed to have lost half his life.
He lay there frail as ever, making Princess Consort Ying feel terribly heartbroken.
Mrs. Pei covered her handkerchief tightly, fearing her sobbing might alarm her husband.
The mother and daughter cried until their eyes were as swollen as peaches, yet they could do nothing to alleviate Lord Pei’s agony!
"Alright, for this broken bone to heal properly, it will take at least half a year. Considering Lord Pei’s age, the likelihood of it healing completely is slim; on rainy days, he will suffer."
Upon hearing this, Princess Consort Ying found herself at a loss, unsure if preserving this leg was truly a blessing or a curse for her father.
Mrs. Pei was equally undecided.
Misfortunes never come singly.
The skies over the Pei household were already overcast, and the Ling household was in even more disarray.
Ling Yan lay weakly on the bed, his face ashen, lips darkened.
Clearly, he had been poisoned.
Old Master Ling, with a face red from anxiety, immediately spoke up.
"Doctor, please, take a good look at my son. This poison..."
He hadn’t finished speaking when the doctor they’d summoned interrupted. Thɪs chapter is updated by N()velFire.net
"Old Master Ling, I’m afraid my abilities are insufficient. This poison is truly fierce, I’m afraid Master Ling Yan is beyond saving..."
His words were tantamount to a death sentence for the entire Ling household.
They found it utterly impossible to accept this dreadful news.
But upon turning to the bed and seeing Ling Yan’s darkened lips, they knew the doctor wasn’t exaggerating.
Mrs. Ling burst into tears.
The remaining members of the Ling Family were also overcome with grief.
Initially, the Ling Family was not particularly influential at court.
It had been difficult enough to produce a promising child; Princess Consort Ying was also flourishing in the palace.
The whole family seemed poised for a bright future.
But now, he lay on his deathbed.
How could they bear it?
With a loud bang, a fist slammed onto the table beside the bed, sending a tea cup crashing to the floor.
At this point, no one cared about a broken tea cup.
Old Master Ling, with gritted teeth, shouted outside!
"Where is the poisoner? I want his life in exchange!"
Soon, the family brought the poisoner before them.
His mouth was stuffed with a rag, yet he showed no sign of regret in his eyes.
He twisted and turned, seemingly wanting to curse and yell.
Old Master Ling kicked him in the chest, wishing he could kill him on the spot.
He used all his strength.
The pain caused the man to spit out the rag from his mouth.
He then spoke with malice in his eyes.
"Serves you right! Everyone in the Ling Family talks about benevolence and morality, but privately, they treat us as if we’re not even human. Hmph, today I use my life to take Ling Yan, the most promising of the Ling Family, with me. It’s worth it!"
Saying that, he burst into laughter!
"Where’s the antidote!"
"Pah, I dared to use this poison, do you think I’d leave your family an antidote? What kind of dream are you having!"
There was a hint of madness in his eyes; before anyone could react further, he bit his tongue and committed suicide.
When he died, his eyes were wide open.
Old Master Ling clenched his fists, kicked his corpse several times.
"Chop him and feed him to the dogs!"
After dealing with this, he suddenly heard his own wife wail loudly in mourning.
Old Master Ling’s heart tightened, and he immediately rushed inside.
Sure enough, Ling Yan struggled to cough out a mouthful of black blood while lying on the bed, then his tightly closed eyes suddenly opened, bloodshot.
Before he could finish speaking, he died.
The Ling Family mourned as if their hearts were being torn apart; Old Master Ling fell to the ground, alternating between crying and laughing, making people almost think he’d been driven mad by grief!
"Go find his family, I want them as tomb mates! Tomb mates!"
Mr. Pei was in a fit of rage now, so he spoke without regard for anything else.
Old Master Ling’s position at court was lower than his son’s, merely holding a rank for a leisurely life, but they could still be considered as an official family.
Therefore, he didn’t have much power over life and death.
Even if these people were found, if they were of good standing, they couldn’t be killed so easily.
But the steward didn’t dare speak out of turn at this time.
He had to respond to the matter for now, dealing with it later as the situation unfolded.
Seeing that the house had no head of affairs, the steward had to shoulder the responsibility.
First, he arranged for some of the family members to inform relatives and friends of the bereavement, then gave orders for the staff to set up the mourning hall.
While Ling Yan was alive, he still had a circle of close friends, so they needed to be informed as well.
After dealing with these matters, when the steward returned to the room.
The sound of wailing had not ceased.
He couldn’t help but sigh.
The young master was a bit straightforward, and his nature a bit stubborn, but never was he like what the poisoner had accused, treating them with inhuman disdain!
Clearly, this person had been bribed to act that way.
But the Ling Family never made enemies, so who could it be?
Who dared resort to such cruel methods?
For a moment, confusion overwhelmed the steward’s heart.
When news of Ling Yan’s sudden death reached the Pei household, Princess Consort Ying and her mother found it utterly unbelievable.
How could it be that just after her father’s leg was crushed, the Ling Family encountered a treacherous servant who killed his master?
Especially targeting the most promising cousin of the Ling Family.
Mrs. Pei held the mourning letter in her hand, utterly stunned.
Recalling her life, first losing her parents in her youth, then losing her son in middle age.
After finally enduring until her daughter made a name for herself and had a grandson to rely on.
The family suddenly faced upheaval.
Her husband’s leg was broken, her nephew dead!
It seemed King Yan was set on claiming the lives of her family!
For a moment, she was horrified.
Princess Consort Ying’s thoughts were similar to Mrs. Pei’s, but she was more certain that so many coincidences pieced together couldn’t merely be coincidental. Someone must have orchestrated this intentionally.
"Mother, have we offended anyone lately?"
Princess Consort Ying was somewhat aware of the matter involving Third Young Master Liu’s imprisonment.
But she didn’t know Princess Consort Yi had used this to threaten the Ling and Pei families.
Her mother’s reminder finally brought Mrs. Pei to her senses!
Emotional, she replied.
"It’s the Liu Family! It must be the Liu Family! They were unhappy Yan’er knew about Third Young Master Liu’s escape, so they acted with such malice! It must be them!"
"Escape? Liu Family? What do you mean?"
Princess Consort Ying, upon hearing this, found her suspicions growing once more.
After hearing her mother explain slowly, she didn’t even need to ask or investigate further—she could almost certainly guess what was happening.
"So Princess Consort Yi and the Liu Family are declaring war on us, aren’t they?"