Qi Tianming looked at Madam Qin with a dim, unreadable expression. He stood with his back to the light, so Madam Qin could not make out his features. She vaguely sensed something was amiss, though she couldn't pinpoint what. At this moment, however, she couldn't afford to ponder it; her priority was to protect herself.
"In a fit of rage, you disregarded a life? In a fit of rage, you wanted to cut open the womb to retrieve the child? Failing that, you threw down your tools and quit?" Qi Tianming spoke slowly, word by word.
Each syllable struck Madam Qin, filling her with dread. Yet, she maintained a defiant front. "How can my lord misunderstand me so? For many years of marriage, I have managed the household with utmost care. Even if I have no merit in your eyes, surely I have labor to show for it..."
Madam Qin appeared utterly heartbroken and on the verge of collapse.
"Precisely because of this, I turned a blind eye to your past actions. Even when you moved against Ruyan this time, I did not intend to pursue the matter, thinking that mother and child were safe. However, you should never have involved my mother. A stroke, if treated promptly, would not be so severe. Yet, that physician, acting on your instructions, simply stood by and did nothing. What difference is there between that and intentional murder?" Qi Tianming said with hatred.
Madam Qin's expression shifted. "Mother had a stroke?"
Qi Zhenzhen watched from the side. Madam Qin's surprise seemed genuine, as if she truly hadn't known about her grandmother's stroke. Of course, it was also possible that Madam Qin's acting skills were superb.
"By putting on such an act, are you trying to shift blame, one thing onto another, until you are completely cleared?" Qi Tianming sneered. "Yes, this is your usual tactic. No matter what happens, you are always the one who benefits, and never the one who suffers."
Madam Qin felt deeply wronged. She had just given birth, and to appear more convincing, she lay weakly on the bed, having had no hand in any affairs. She was still resentful that the old woman had shown so little regard for her childbirth, not even making a perfunctory visit. So, her mother-in-law had a stroke?
Madam Qin looked at Princess Qin County with a probing gaze.
"When you were giving birth, you were on the brink of death. As your mother, I did not want you to worry, so I assigned the physician brought from our household," Princess Qin County said unhurriedly. "As people age, strokes are common. There is nothing to make a fuss about. Although that physician's skills were mediocre, he did, at least, save the Old Madam's life, didn't he?"
Princess Qin County carried herself as if she had done Madam Qin a great favor and expected immediate gratitude.
Qi Tianming laughed in his anger. "My esteemed mother-in-law, I am truly impressed by your skill in twisting the truth."
What was the truth? The truth was that after the physician arrived, he administered no medicine and performed no acupuncture, deliberately delaying his mother's condition.
Princess Qin County raised an eyebrow. "My lord, one must eat responsibly, and speak with caution. This consort understands your concern for the Old Madam's health, but you cannot indiscriminately place blame upon this consort's head! This consort speaks the truth; what proof do you have that I am twisting the facts? You say the physician did nothing, but I say those serving the Old Madam were inattentive and caused delays."
With that, she shifted the responsibility to Granny Fang.
"Yes, my lord, Granny Fang is old, perhaps there was some oversight," Madam Qin quickly agreed. Regardless, she could not allow this matter to create a rift between her husband and her mother, lest her life as both a wife and a daughter caught between them become difficult. "My lord has been here for a while, but you haven't seen our son yet. Wet nurse, quickly, bring the young master out for my lord to see."