Chapter 138: Punishment of a Servant

Lingzhi was not shut in the firewood room as was customary of a person who committed a crime. Rather, Concubine Yuan had put her in one of the rooms in Lady Fang’s courtyard.

"Did you deliver all of the tea and food?" Concubine Yuan asked after she returned.

The servants hesitated slightly.

"Concubine, this servant girl, you’re treating her like this?" one older maidservant couldn’t help but ask. "She angered Young Lady. Young Lady said she would sell her."

Concubine Yuan smiled.

"But she is someone our young master likes. This is the first time he’s taken such a liking to something since he got older. How could we sell her?"

Indeed.

The servants exchanged glances.

"But she invoked Young Lady’s wrath," said Concubine Su. "I know that she has Young Master’s… favor, but it was all Young Lady’s work."

Concubine Su couldn’t say certain words because of her uprightness.

But everyone understood what she meant.

Fang Chengyu was a cripple. Now that he could sleep with a servant girl, it was obviously an effect of the medicine.

Jun Zhenzhen could marry Fang Chengyu because she proclaimed that she could cure Fang Chengyu’s illness. It hasn’t been determined whether he had been cured or not, but now that he could do such a thing, her claims were not totally baseless.

Even if in the end, he could not be cured, and could only leave behind an heir for the Fang Family, it was enough for Lady and Old Lady to view her as a descended deity.

But...

Concubine Yuan frowned.

Wasn’t this Old Lady and Lady’s hard work? Could it be Jun Zhenzhen really did it by herself?

When she was about to speak, Liu’er angrily stormed in.

"Where’s that whore?" she shouted.

The servants jumped out of the way in fright. Concubine Yuan took a step forward.

"Miss Liu’er, what are Old Lady and Young Lady’s instructions?" she asked. She added emphasis to "Old Lady’ to remind this servant girl that just waving Young Lady’s banner was not enough.

Liu’er did not care about her overt or covert meanings.

"Cut the crap, and show me the way," she said straightforwardly.

Concubine Yuan had been in this family for many years, and now this servant girl was showing her no face. Concubine Su tugged on her in warning.

A wooden club cannot be fought with force. Concubine Yuan smiled and submitted.

"I was afraid that she might commit suicide in fear of punishment, so I kept her here so I could watch her," she said. "Miss Liu’er, come with me."

When Lingzhi saw Liu’er come in, she scrambled to her feet, inadvertently moving behind the table to hide.

Liu’er did not hit her. Rather, she took a bowl of medicine from one of the servants and put it on the table.

"Drink it," she said forcefully.

Lingzhi was so shocked she did not dare step forward.

"Miss Liu’er, what is this?" asked Concubine Yuan, looking at the murky black liquid.

"This is Young Lady taking pity on her hard work. A tonic," she said with a smirk.

That was strange.

Although Concubine Yuan had no experience with being bullied by head maids, she had heard quite a bit.

LIngzhi knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"Young Lady, spare me, spare me," she cried, tears falling like raindrops on a pear blossom.

Liu’er burned with rage when she saw her like this.

"What life is there to spare? Didn't you say not to blame Young Master, that everything was your fault? Since it was your fault, you can’t die so quickly. You need to atone for your Young Master!" she shouted. She couldn’t help but twist her fingers in Lingzhi’s hair. "Take the medicine."

Lingzhi immediately began to sob and shriek.

The maid servants and servant girls looked at each other at a loss, but they did not dare step forward.

"Miss Liu’er, please say it clearly," Concubine Yuan said authoritatively, but she did not step forward to help.

Concubine Su was looking at the bowl of medicine on the table. She stepped forward and gave it a whiff and drank a mouthful. Surprise showed on her face.

Concubine Yuan shot her an inquisitive glance.

"It’s an abortion medicine," Concubine Su said quietly.

Concubine Yuan was stunned.

"This was just, just a… a single sexual encounter… what’s there to abort…" She chuckled. "Really, kids making trouble."

When one of the maid servants heard this, her face gained seriousness.

"Concubine, you can’t say that for sure. Sometimes just once is enough to conceive. Our family doesn’t, but other families give concubines pregancy preventing medicine because of that."

When Lingzhi heard what they were saying, she immediately began to struggle more violently. She was several years older than Liu’er, so she pushed her to the side and tried to run away.

"Young Master, save me…" she sobbed.

Liu’er angrily launched herself at her.

The room descended into another round of chaos.

Concubine Yuan regarded the medicine on the table seriously.

If it really was like that, if Lingzhi really was bearing a child, then the Fang Family would provide for her.

"Hurry up and tell Lady," Concubine Yuan said to the servant.

One maid servant ran out. The other servants pulled apart Liu’er and Lingzhi under Concubine Yuan’s direction with exhortations, but no one gave the medicine to Lingzhi.

Abortion medicine.

This was a rare item in the Fang household. It could even be said that it was never seen before.

Because there was no use for it.

Concubine Yuan looked at the bowl of medicine.

Young Lady did seem to know a lot. Abortion medicine was not used to cure or save lives. Could it be that this was passed down in the Jun Family?

Moreover, Son-in-law had concubines, but the Jun Family was weak in heirs. Could it be that the wife dared prepare this for the other concubines, to the point that Miss Jun was influenced?

At this, she couldn’t help but look at Concubine Su.

"Big Sister, how did you know this was abortion medicine?" she asked, a hint of teasing in her voice. "Could it be Lady made you drink it that year?"

Concubine Su stiffened.

"Don’t talk rubbish," she said. "I have seen many prescriptions and drugs over these years. That’s how I know."

Because Fang Chengyu was sick since he was young, medicine was present in all three meals of the day. When the young misses were young, Old Lady had been preoccupied with the business, so they were the only two by Lady’s side. She had helped lady manage the household affairs, while the honest and slow Concubine Su had helped wait on Chengyu.

She had concocted medicine not just a few times.

But a long illness doesn’t turn you into a doctor. Concubine Yuan knew not to ask any questions and saw the marks Liu’er had left on Lingzhi.

"Miss Liu’er, be careful of hurting your fingernails." She stepped forward to stop Liu’er.

When Lady Fang, in Fang Chengyu’s room heard the servant speak, she felt shocked and incredulous.

"Where is the need for…" she blurted out, but stopped halfway.

Jun Zhenzhen's prescriptions were obviously genuine.

She personally saw her son stand up and the blood on the sheet. Although it was not determined whether he was really cured or not, Lady Fang already had complete confidence in Jun Zhenzhen’s talent.

There were impossible things that could become possible. For example, if someone yesterday had told her that her son could have s*x, she wouldn’t have believed them. But now, it really happened.

Lady Fang glanced at Fang Chengyu in the inner room.

"What are you saying? Jun Zhenzhen wants to do what?"

Hearing the disturbance outside, Fang Chengyu raised himself to a sitting position and shouted out, "You aren’t allowed to touch Lingzhi."

With her son like this, Lady Fang was helpless. She didn’t know that her son could be this pigheaded, but it was understandable. A man would care a lot about his first.

"Okay, okay," she placated. "You just lie down. You aren’t allowed to cause trouble. I will see to it."

Fang Chengyu did not say anything else. Lady Fang called for Maidong and Baishao and reminded them to watch over Young Master. Then she left with a servant.

On the other side, Old Lady Fang was also leaving Jun Zhenzhen’s study.

"Mother." Lady Fang looked at her anxiously. "Zhenzhen made someone give Lingzhi…"

Old Lady Fang waved a hand at her.

"I know. We will talk about it when we get out," she said quietly.

Lady Fang swallowed down what she wanted to say and supported Old Lady Fang as they walked out.

The courtyard returned to silence. Fang Chengyu slowly laid back down on the bed, the angry and stubborn and humiliated expression swept away.

His face was now as calm as it had ever been. It’s just that there was a mysterious glint in his eyes, completely at ends with his previous actions and expressions.