"A heart ailment requires a heart cure; I am powerless." When she was young, Xiao Man loved to pester Madam Xiao. Later, even after Madam Xiao showed her aversion, she remained unchanged and respected her grandmother. This continued until the real Xiao Man was harmed to death by Madam Xiao!
"Old Madam is very regretful. Now that the General is no longer here, and the Young General is far away at the border, my lady, please go and see Old Madam. This servant begs you. She is old and her time is short. All she desires is to be surrounded by her children and grandchildren. But now, only a few people are left in the mansion, and the third and fourth young ladies are also absent. Old Madam has no one to talk to. Please, my lady, go and see Old Madam, for the sake of blood relation."
Xiao Man rubbed her temples, feeling somewhat annoyed. Finally, she put down the official documents in her hands, rose, and walked out.
Granny Xu knelt on the ground, watching Xiao Man walk past her, feeling a bit dejected. Xiao Man reached the door and saw Granny Xu not following. Her brow furrowed even deeper: "Why are you not following?"
"Yes, thank you, my lady." Granny Xu quickly got up and followed. Her lady was, after all, soft-hearted.
"Yingxue, go and call Brother Ye. Please ask him to accompany me to the Upper Courtyard."
"Yes, miss."
In the Upper Courtyard, He Qingyi had already summoned a doctor when Old Madam first fell ill. The doctor merely said that Old Madam was suffering from a heart ailment due to repressed emotions and prescribed medicine. After taking it for several days, not only did she not get better, but she became even more frail and weak.
"Old Madam, the doctor said you have a heart ailment due to repressed emotions. You must relax."
Madam Xiao leaned against the bolster, her gaze fixed absently on the outside, her thoughts drifting somewhere. Only when Xiao Man entered did Madam Xiao shift her eyes, and her gaze fell on Xiao Man.
However, upon meeting Xiao Man's cold gaze, her body involuntarily flinched: "I... I am fine, I just caught a chill."
"Brother Ye, Iām counting on you."
Ye Qing's face was full of impatience. He only came to the General's mansion for Xiao Man, but he could not refuse Xiao Man's request. Thus, he patiently took Old Madam's pulse.
Madam Xiao, like a child who had made a mistake, cautiously observed Xiao Man's expression, her lips trembling, wanting to say something but not daring to. She had been strong her entire life. Now, in her old age, the elder burying the younger, and the General's mansion falling apart. Currently, she greatly feared this eldest granddaughter, something that had never happened before.
"Excessive worry, leading to a heart ailment," Ye Qing said to Xiao Man. "Prescribe two doses of medicine. If the knot in your heart is not untied, it will only be a temporary fix."
"It must be because of the General's matter..." He Qingyi sighed. Who could have imagined Xiao Zhen's tragic death? Even though she had no affection for Xiao Zhen, she still felt sad in her heart, let alone the Old Madam who doted on her son.
"If you want to die, just find a rope and hang yourself," Xiao Man said coldly. "In this mansion, there is no one left for you to stir up trouble with."
Madam Xiao's eyes reddened. She stared at Xiao Man without speaking. In the past, no matter how she scolded Xiao Man, Xiao Man would call her grandmother with a smile. Since when did Xiao Man despise her grandmother to such an extreme extent?
"You... you still hate me?"
"I do not hate you," Xiao Man's clear voice carried no emotion. "Hatred is born from love. Without love, where would hatred come from?"
Madam Xiao looked astonished, as if she could not believe it. After a long while, she slowly said, "You truly resent me. Yes, I have done so many wrong things. It is only right for you to resent me."
"You all get out," Xiao Man said coldly.
He Qingyi immediately called the servants attending in the room out, allowing Xiao Man and Madam Xiao to have some private time.
"I told you, I do not resent you, nor do I hate you," Xiao Man said unhurriedly. "Because the real Xiao Man died long ago, in March last year. The poison you put in her tea was too potent, it took her life."
Madam Xiao's eyes widened in shock: "You... you are lying!"
"Whether it is a lie or not, Old Madam knows best," Xiao Man said slowly. "You wanted to marry off Xiao Man quickly, but you did not find her a good match. That scholar Liang had a low character. Even if you wanted to find her a husband, you should have chosen carefully, finding someone with integrity. But you did not. Instead, you used such despicable means against her. Did you ever consider that she was your own granddaughter? How could you be so heartless as to poison her, ruin her reputation, and take her life?"
"I did not..."
"However, I must congratulate you. You have finally achieved your wish and made her disappear from this world completely," Xiao Man said calmly. "Speaking of which, I should thank you. If you had not poisoned her to death, there would be no me today."
Madam Xiao's lips trembled: "I... I did not..."
"Old Madam, do you know why Father insisted on protecting me?"
Madam Xiao shook her head. She didn't understand. She had asked Xiao Zhen before, but Xiao Zhen never told her. Coupled with Yan Shi's instigation, she grew to resent Xiao Man even more.
"Because, in this vast General's mansion, I am his only biological daughter."
Madam Xiao seemed to freeze: "Impossible! Luo'er, Luo'er is your father's biological son, right!"
Xiao Man slowly shook her head: "Brother is an adopted son whom Father took in at the border. Not many people know this, but some do."
Madam Xiao became completely disoriented: "Then the young ladies in the mansion, your sisters, what is their story?"
"This, I'm afraid, only Father knows the truth," Xiao Man said faintly. "After all, after I was born, Father drank the medicine that made him infertile. He said that he was content with having me as his only child in this life."
"No, impossible!" Madam Xiao said excitedly, "You are lying to me, you are lying to me!"
"I am not lying to you. If you do not believe me, you can go and ask Old Imperial Physician He," Xiao Man said coldly. "Father has already cut off all future heirs, and you, you have severed the Xiao family's only bloodline! If you wish to die, I will not stop you. Once you die, the Xiao family will be considered completely annihilated."
"Xiao Man, you are lying to me, you are lying to me, right?"
"If thinking this way makes you feel more comfortable, then think so," Xiao Man said coldly. "If you don't wish to live, you don't need to take medicine or eat anything. At your current state, you will get your wish within seven days at most."
"You are saying this out of hatred for me," Madam Xiao glared at Xiao Man's retreating back. "I will not believe you!"
Since Xiao Man's visit to the Upper Courtyard, Madam Xiao seemed to have changed entirely. She ate properly, cooperated with the doctor's treatment, and took her medicine obediently. In less than two days, she was even able to get out of bed and walk.
Granny Xu saw this and rejoiced in her heart. As expected, her lady had a way!