Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 1398 - 573: The Death of Brother Xin (Part 2)
The Death of Brother Xin (Part 2)
Lian Yueyao stared at the old nanny and asked, "How did Brother Xin die?" During the New Year, Tingzheng had brought Brother Xin over. The lively and lovely child was very much liked by Yueyao. There had been no news of the child being sick recently, and now, all of a sudden, he was gone. How could Yueyao not be enraged?
Yueyao’s gaze was too sharp. The old nanny was so frightened she immediately knelt on the ground: "I heard that after the young master took the medicine, his complexion changed. By the time the doctor arrived, the young master was already beyond help."
An Zhichen quickly held Yueyao and said, "Go and see what really happened." If it were any ordinary matter, he wouldn’t let Yueyao get involved, but Brother Xin was the only offspring of the Lian family’s second branch. Now that the child was gone and Tingzheng was not around, it was Yueyao’s responsibility as the elder sister to take charge.
Yueyao exhaled deeply and said to Xiang Wei beside her, "Let’s go and see."
Xiang Wei thought for a moment and said, "Madam, let’s have Gu You, Gu Lan, and Madam Li accompany us." The people Xiang Wei suggested were all skilled in Kung Fu.
Yueyao glanced at Xiang Wei and said, "Alright."
An hour later, Yueyao had brought over a dozen maids and old nannies to Lian Mansion. Ah Si, upon receiving the news, came to personally welcome Yueyao inside.
The old nanny sent to deliver the message to An Mansion was dispatched by Ah Si. The situation was too grave, and Ah Si was also extremely anxious. As a steward, he couldn’t handle it himself and had to seek Yueyao’s assistance.
Yueyao said with a cold face, "Where is Madam Lin?" Although Lin Qinghan had been stripped of her steward duties, Brother Xin was still under her care.
Ah Si whispered, "Great Aunt, the child is in Lady Yue’s dwelling in Qing Courtyard!" Seeing Yueyao’s face turning more severe, Ah Si hurriedly explained, "A few days ago, Old Master brought Brother Xin to Lady Yue for care."
Yueyao frowned slightly but didn’t say more and hurriedly proceeded towards Qing Courtyard. Before stepping into the courtyard, a chorus of sobbing could be heard.
Entering the house, Yueyao saw Lin Qinghan crying to the point of being unable to breathe, while Lady Lin was comforting her on the side. Lady Lin had rushed over as soon as she received the news.
Lady Yue, on the other hand, was holding Brother Xin’s corpse, looking utterly blank and lifeless as if drained of spirit.
This was the first time Yueyao met Lady Yue; she had to admit Lady Yue was indeed a beauty, with an enchanting appearance. However, Yueyao’s attention at this moment wasn’t on Lady Yue, but on Brother Xin in her arms.
Looking at Brother Xin, Yueyao was trembling all over. The child was only a little over three years old, and now he was gone. Unable to resist, Yueyao reached out her hand to touch the child.
Xiang Wei held Yueyao’s hand from reaching out. The child was already gone, and touching him would deepen Yueyao’s memory of it. Yet, Yueyao stubbornly stretched out her hand, gently placing it on Brother Xin’s forehead, which felt as cold as ice.
It was also at this moment that Yueyao painfully acknowledged that Brother Xin was truly gone. Her eyes welled up with tears that she couldn’t hold back.
Xiang Wei, accustomed to witnessing life and death, although feeling some discomfort in her heart, remained very composed: "Madam, Brother Xin has always been healthy, and now he’s suddenly gone. This matter must be thoroughly investigated."
Yueyao looked towards Lin Qinghan and asked, "How did the child die?"
Lin Qinghan was crying so hard she couldn’t catch her breath, how could she possibly reply? Lady Lin, irritated, said, "Can’t you see how much pain Qinghan is in right now?"
Yueyao swept a cold glance at Lady Lin, said nothing further to her, and turned her gaze to Lady Yue: "How did the child die?"
Lady Yue was being nudged by the maids next to her, only realizing then that Yueyao was asking her. She still seemed dazed and bewildered. However, Xiao Chun at her side remained relatively calm and clearly answered, "Great Aunt, the doctor said Brother Xin died from eating incompatible foods."
Yueyao’s eyes turned sharply intense.
Tears streamed down Xiao Chun’s face, yet she still knelt before Yueyao and pleaded, "Great Aunt, please seek justice for Brother Xin! He died such an unjust death."
Lady Lin detected the underlying implication and reprimanded, "Impertinent." This maid was implying in front of Yueyao that Yueyao’s daughter was the real culprit.
Yueyao coldly surveyed Madam Lin, who was on the verge of fainting from crying, and Lady Yue, who was lost in grief. Yueyao’s keen observation made her certain that both women were genuinely sorrowful, not merely pretending. However, since the child was gone, she was definitely going to investigate: "Let the Chief Steward come in."
Ah Si was very deferential upon seeing Yueyao, a deference that appeared particularly vexing in Lady Lin’s eyes. Lady Lin had often heard her daughter complain that the Chief Steward of Lian Mansion disregarded her, but now seeing Ah Si’s attitude, Lady Lin couldn’t help but suspect that Lian Mansion had actually always been under Lian Yueyao’s control, and that her daughter had always been just a puppet. No wonder her daughter’s temperament became more and more skewed; living under such a scheming woman, how could she not change?
If Yueyao knew what Lady Lin was thinking, she would probably say, "Like mother, like daughter."
Ah Si recounted everything in detail to Yueyao. In short, Brother Xin had caught a cold and was on medication these past two days, but today, he consumed something at breakfast that conflicted with one of the medicines. The child was too young to endure it, and the doctor did not arrive in time, so Brother Xin could not be saved.
Yueyao instructed Ah Si, "Detain all the kitchen staff and the maids and nannies who cared for Brother Xin, and interrogate them one by one."
Having raised children herself, Yueyao naturally knew how fragile children could be, especially when ill, requiring extra care, or else a small oversight could lead to a mishap. However, instances like Brother Xin’s were very rare, as doctors would usually specifically warn against consuming certain things when prescribing medicine, to prevent accidents.
Xiang Wei excelled at investigating this sort of matter. Yueyao said to Ah Si, "Have Xiang Wei take charge of this investigation, you’ll assist."
Ah Si respectfully agreed.
Lady Lin, however, wore a face like frost: "Lady An, what do you mean by this?" The implication was clear that someone harmed Brother Xin, and who would be the most likely culprit? Naturally, it would be her daughter. It couldn’t possibly be Lady Yue, the birth mother, could it?
Yueyao replied coldly, "Lady Lin, this is the Lian family, not the Lin family. If you find it uncomfortable to stay here, then please leave." At this point, neither Lin Qinghan nor the Lin family required her to show any more courtesy. Reaching this juncture, Yueyao didn’t mind tearing away the last facade.
Lady Lin was extremely vexed. Nevertheless, Lin Qinghan regained a semblance of rationality: "Although Brother Xin isn’t my biological child, I’ve raised him with my own hands, as if he were my own." With those words, tears streamed down, and she could speak no more.
Yueyao, however, ignored Lin Qinghan’s tears and directly ordered the two to investigate.
With the Chief Steward’s assistance, Xiang Wei’s interrogation proceeded quite smoothly. Due to the large number of people, the questioning concluded by evening.
When Xiang Wei entered the room, she found Yueyao reviewing the testimonies of the maids and nannies. Xiang Wei sighed and said, "Madam, according to the interrogation results, Brother Xin indeed died from an accident."
An accident doesn’t happen without cause. Since recovering her health, Lady Yue resumed overseeing household affairs, but her body was weakened from the poisoning, rendering her unable to bear more children. Upon learning this, Lady Yue wanted to regain custody of Brother Xin. Meanwhile, Lin Qinghan had raised Brother Xin for so many years, developing affection, and besides, Brother Xin was Tingzheng’s only offspring. No matter how foolish she was, she would never let Brother Xin go to Lady Yue.
Recently, the two women openly and covertly vied for household authority and custody of Brother Xin. Clearly, Lady Yue was more scheming, but Lin Qinghan had Lady Lin and Mu Qinglian as her backup. The two women’s contest was fairly evenly matched. However, in their struggle, the subordinates suffered; some were dismissed, others were sold, leaving the manor in disarray.
A few days ago, Lady Yue discovered a fault with Brother Xin’s wet nurse. Happening to coincide with Tingzheng being at home, Lady Yue took the complaint to him.
Lady Yue had long been dissatisfied with Brother Xin’s wet nurse because she was aligned with the Lin faction. Seeing as Brother Xin was getting older, having someone like her around would certainly prevent him from acknowledging her as his birth mother. Thus, Lady Yue seized this opportunity to dispose of the wet nurse and requested Tingzheng to have Brother Xin returned to her care.
Tingzheng was inexperienced with domestic affairs; seeing that the wet nurse did act inappropriately, and feeling guilty towards Lady Yue because of the poisoning incident, coupled with being utterly disappointed in Lin Qinghan, he ultimately agreed to let Lady Yue raise the child. As for the wet nurse, he allowed Lady Yue to deal with her as she saw fit.
This matter led to a particularly fierce argument between Lin Qinghan and Tingzheng. Tingzheng was so angry that he returned to the military camp early the next morning.
Obsessed with reclaiming Brother Xin, Lady Yue, having the child back, was eager to erase any trace of the Lin influence. Therefore, she dismissed the maids attending to Brother Xin and replaced them with her people. The child, being so young, struggled to adapt to the unfamiliar faces and new environment, catching a cold in no time.
Seeing the child fall ill, Lady Yue felt deeply saddened and cared for him with utmost attentiveness. Consequently, she’d been by his side around the clock for two days without proper rest, which left her extremely fatigued. However, the people she had replaced were novices and not adept at caring for children, resulting in Brother Xin eating something contradictory to his medication this morning. Had the doctor arrived in time, Brother Xin could have been saved. Unfortunately, the doctor arrived nearly an hour later. It wasn’t deliberate delay; the doctor’s residence was simply too far from the Lian family.
The previous doctor for Brother Xin was located nearby, taking roughly a half-hour for a round trip, slightly over a quarter-hour if hastened. However, Lady Yue refused anyone Lin Qinghan had used, opting for a different doctor when she assumed household management. Although this new doctor’s medical skills were adequate, he resided a half-hour’s journey away from the Lian family, making a round trip an hour. By the time the doctor arrived, Brother Xin was barely hanging on, and he was powerless to intervene.
