Li Man'er frowned, "What do you mean 'didn't notice'? Weren't they supposed to wash and change clothes during the preparation for burial? Who did this?"
"It was this old servant, but Madam had nail polish on her fingers, so it was hard to tell if her nails were black."
"Nail polish? Mother liked to wear it?"
"Madam rarely wore such things, but during that period, her health was very poor. She particularly wished to appear more pleasant to others, so she made an effort to adorn herself, making nail polish indispensable." Seeing Li Man'er's focus, Granny Wu continued, "The Ning family did investigate the matter back then, but truly found nothing. Otherwise, given Master's and Eldest Young Master's temperaments, how could they have let it go so easily."
Hearing this, Li Man'er couldn't help but nod.
"Alright, I understand. You may go now, I wish to rest."
"This old servant will help you make the bed." Granny Wu was nimble, quickly making the bed for Li Man'er. She added, "Young lady, rest quickly and don't overthink things."
Li Man'er simply replied, "I know."
Granny Wu removed the lampshade and blew out the lamp.
As night fell, the entire Imperial City grew quiet.
Li Man'er, however, was wide awake, still thinking about Madam Ning's case.
Madam Ning's symptoms strongly resembled poisoning by Gu. Gu poison is different from ordinary poisons; it has significant distinctions. Standard poisons, once ingested, can claim a life directly, causing the victim to feel their blood vessels bursting and struggling to breathe before death. Gu poison, however, is different, especially as she knew of a few such Gu poisons. It slowly devours the host's body, wearing them down.
These few Gu poisons can temporarily improve the host's physical condition and create an illusion of enhanced beauty, a final burst of life's radiance. Once the host emerges from this illusion, they are immediately drained, experiencing the most despairing pain in the world, then gradually losing hope, ultimately dying with regret.
Beauty, good skin, rapid recovery, and a bizarre death – these four key conditions are all related to a type of Gu worm called the "Shì Yán Gu" (噬颜蛊), the Face-Devouring Gu.
It was only a pity that she didn't know the exact color of Madam Ning's nails at the time. If her nails had indeed been black, then it would undoubtedly have been Gu poison.
How complex! She was increasingly finding the lives of women in the inner quarters to be difficult.
Not only did they have to manage the entire household, but they also had to be supportive wives. They had to watch their husbands carouse and stay out, yet the women within the inner quarters could do nothing. They had to deal with difficult mothers-in-law and guard against jealous rivals. As soon as they forbade their husbands from taking concubines, they were labeled as jealous, and thus stood to lose everything.
Why?
Li Man'er lay on the bed in a daze, staring blankly at the canopy.
She had no desire to sleep, her mind filled with Ning Ruying's affairs.
If Ning Ruying was murdered, who was the perpetrator?
Madam Guo had not yet married into the household. Li Shu's two concubines were old servants of the manor and had served Li Shu for many years; it was unlikely to be them.
Then who could it have been?
Never mind, perhaps she was too gloomy, always thinking the worst. It was not yet certain that Madam Ning was murdered, so thinking more was useless. This matter would require slow investigation.
The most important thing now was to reclaim the shop. Li Man'er already had a plan in mind, only waiting for the right moment.
The next day, a fragrant invitation lay quietly in her cosmetic box. Princess Wuyou was hosting a poetry gathering and had also invited her.
Li Man'er was a little surprised. The original owner had no acquaintance with Princess Wuyou, so why would Princess Wuyou send her a personal invitation? Moreover, the invitation wasn't delivered through the proper channels; someone had delivered it in the middle of the night, and she hadn't detected it at all.
The other party must be a master.
Li Man'er felt a headache coming on. It seemed she needed to hurry and recover her strength, otherwise, in this strange and unpredictable world, who knew what might happen!
Princess Wuyou's poetry gathering was in three days. This might be an excellent opportunity to execute her plan.
"Lüyi, go and inquire later whether the manor has received an invitation from Princess Wuyou."
"Young lady, what kind of invitation is it?"
"Princess Wuyou is hosting a poetry gathering in three days."
Ziyi said, "I think hosting a poetry gathering is the pretense; the real purpose is to find a match for the Princess Consort's brother."
Princess Wuyou, originally a commoner, became an adopted daughter of the Empress Dowager due to a prophecy from Master Du'e, soaring to become a phoenix. The following June, Princess Wuyou married the newly appointed Zhuangyuan, the top scholar in the imperial examinations. The couple were deeply devoted, and after nearly ten years of marriage, they remained as loving as ever.
A Zhuangyuan marrying a princess would naturally affect his official career. Positions of real power would not be within his reach; perhaps this was the price of marrying royalty.
Fortunately, the Prince Consort was naturally indifferent to fame and fortune. Even as a minor civil official, he performed his duties diligently, without any complaint or resentment.
The Zhuangyuan had a younger brother, twenty years old. Although he had not yet passed the imperial examinations, he was said to be handsome and upright, well-known in the capital.
"Regardless of the reason, just go and inquire."
"Yes, young lady." Lüyi replied, "Your servant will go now."
When Li Man'er was having breakfast, Lüyi returned.
"Young lady, your servant has inquired. An invitation was sent to the gate this morning, but your servant couldn't find out which manor it was from. However, when your servant returned just now, she heard people in Songhe Hall say that the Old Madam seemed to be feeling unwell."
Li Man'er swallowed the last steamed bun, rinsed her mouth with fragrant tea, and then stood up, saying, "Grandmother's health is important, I must go and see her quickly."
Those who didn't know would think how deep the affection was between this grandmother and granddaughter, but Li Man'er knew that between her and Madam Cui, there was no affection to speak of, only mutual utilization.
When Li Man'er arrived, Madam Cui was resting.
Granny Wang said with some distress, "She was fine when she first woke up, but she suddenly developed a headache. She didn't even have time to eat breakfast and just drank a bowl of calming tea. She's just fallen asleep, so you should go back, Eldest Young Lady."
Li Man'er naturally didn't refuse.
When facing Granny Wang, she felt a sense of disgust. This woman appeared kind and had a benevolent face, but Li Man'er knew what kind of person she was behind the scenes. The original owner was well aware of this.
Li Man'er inherited the original owner's memories and naturally knew Granny Wang's true nature.
She would be polite, of course. No matter what, as long as Granny Wang didn't provoke her, everything would be fine.
Li Man'er returned to Qingping Pavilion, changed into comfortable indoor clothes, and pondered Princess Wuyou's invitation.
The green invitation, adorned with scattered red plum blossoms, was very unusual. This invitation was clearly not meant for ordinary guests. Yet, neither she nor the original owner had any dealings with Princess Wuyou; why would the Princess show her special favor?