Madam Wei staggered backward, panic flashing in her eyes, before seizing a jade vase and hurling it with all her strength at the Fifth Old Master as he charged toward her.
This time she did not hold back—the vase was fine, but the poor Fifth Old Master’s head nearly shattered.
The blow landed squarely; blood streamed from his forehead, his breath shallow, more leaving than entering.
The gathered relatives were all a bunch of cowards.
So at the sight of blood, shrieks rang out.
The people of the Third Branch scattered faster than anyone, terrified their trouser hems might be splattered and reek of blood.
The Fifth Old Madam, stunned for a moment, rushed forward, desperately trying to press down on the wound at her husband’s temple. But it was useless.
Though Shang Yuding and Shang Yu’an, the Fifth Old Master’s sons, often quarreled with him, both rushed forward now with anguished cries.
“Father!”
Their wailing was heartrending.
The physician who had been treating Erlang was hastily summoned by Shang Wulang, who snarled viciously,
“Look at my grandfather at once! If you cannot save him, I’ll kill you myself!”
No one could tell how much of that threat was bluster, and how much was born of fear—fear that if his grandfather, the Fifth Old Master, died, the Fifth Branch would lose all standing in the Duke’s Mansion.
Madam Wei, who had struck the blow, clearly had not foreseen such an outcome.
Had not this whole matter been pushed onto the East Garden couple?
How had it circled round and round, only to end up in her hands?
If the Fifth Old Master truly died at her doing… what would become of her? Of her children?
Panic seized her. The jade vase slipped from her trembling fingers and crashed to the floor.
Her gaze darted to her husband Shang Yukuan.
His face was ashen, eyes wide with terror. Curled in a corner with his head in his hands, he offered no support—only silent disappointment.
“It wasn’t me, it wasn’t me!” Madam Wei cried frantically. “It was he—he wanted to kill me, that’s why I did it. Third Uncle, Third Aunt, you saw it, didn’t you?”
She turned, hoping to drag the Third Branch into testifying for her. But only moments ago, they had been gnashing their teeth in hatred for her. How could they step forward now?
Erlang’s wife, quick-witted, curled her lips in a wry smile.
“No, no—we saw nothing.”
Madam Wei nearly fainted from despair. At that very moment, however, she noticed Du Jingyi had already collapsed theatrically.
“Young Madam! Young Madam—what’s wrong? Why have you fainted?”
She had entered the courtyard feigning weakness precisely in anticipation of such a moment.
Yingtao and Lizhu cried out loudly, one after the other, and hurried to support her as though escorting her away in alarm.
Madam Wei was desperate. She knew Du Jingyi was pretending, yet she could not expose her now. Instead, she turned frantically to Mama Jiao.
“Hurry, take the Young Madam to rest in the rear courtyard! Summon the physician to see her at once—there must be good news!”
“Yes, Madam.”
Everyone was scheming in their own hearts.
Seeing that she could not win the Third Branch to her side, Madam Wei knew she had to hold tightly to Du Jingyi. With her testimony—that Madam Wei had not struck first—the charge might be softened. How could she allow her to leave now?
Mama Jiao understood her mistress’s intent. She moved to block Du Jingyi and her maids, but was startled by a shrill cry from a young servant girl.
“Ah—!”
All eyes turned toward her in confusion.
Mama Jiao, about to explode in fury, followed the girl’s pointing finger—and froze.
Shang Wulang, who moments before had seemed fine, now looked ghastly.
The exposed skin on his face and neck flared red and swollen, as though devoured by venomous insects.
Blisters erupted one after another at a speed visible to the eye.
His once-handsome features now warped grotesquely, swollen like a hornet’s nest.
Gasps swept through the hall.
“Wu Lang… what’s wrong with Wu Lang?”
Madam Ni, who had been sitting at her daughter-in-law’s side, preoccupied with her pregnancy, now rushed forward. Seeing her only son’s condition, she nearly fainted herself.
Wu Lang’s young wife also widened her eyes, let out a garbled cry, rolled her eyes back, and collapsed from her chair.
In an instant, two members of the Fifth Branch had fainted, and one was struck with a terrifying illness.
Panic surged like a tide—everyone longed to flee.
Taking advantage of the chaos, Yingtao and Lizhu swiftly helped Du Jingyi out.
She, of course, had not truly fainted. With her aim accomplished, she departed under the cover of her maids.
Once outside Yunjin Courtyard, she whispered to Yingtao beneath the cover of her cloak,
“Send word to Mr. Liu—have him write to the general. Tell him to remain calm, and return only after a few hours.”
“Yes, Young Madam.”
Thus Du Jingyi was escorted back to the East Garden, still feigning unconsciousness. Anxiety followed her there, for the physicians remained in Yunjin Courtyard, and no one could be spared to examine her.
Compared with the panic in Xitang Courtyard, Yunjin Courtyard had descended into utter chaos.
Madam Wei, who had presided over the Duke’s household for so many years, had never imagined she would be brought to such a state by the turmoil of the Fifth Branch.
She longed to follow Du Jingyi’s example and feign collapse.
But this was Yunjin Courtyard.
If the Fifth Old Master—or anyone else from the Fifth Branch—died here, she would be held accountable no matter what .
So she dug her nails into her palms, forcing herself to remain calm. Taking deep breaths, she composed her face and spoke with forced steadiness:
“Quickly, send the Fifth Elder and Wulang’s wife back to their quarters for treatment. As for Wulang, summon Doctor Zhou of Miaochun Hall at once. His condition is strange—we must not be careless.”
Shang Yu’an, a man of stature within the Fifth Branch, now faced calamity—his father gravely injured, his son stricken with disease, and even the fate of his upcoming grandson is unknown seeing the state of his daughter-in-law . He had no energy for argument.
Fuming, he stamped his feet and followed the servants out to see them carried back for treatment. Saving their lives was now all that mattered.
Yet before leaving, he spat a final venomous curse at Madam Wei:
“Well done, Sister-in-law! Three members of our Fifth Branch struck down in one day—your hand is truly ruthless. If you had no wish to help, you might have said so earlier. Why come here only to snatch our lives? Do you not fear Heaven’s retribution?”
His words struck like knives to her . Madam Wei nearly slid from her seat, yet she clung tightly to the armrest, forcing a smile to mask her panic.
“Fourth Brother really know how to jests. I have done nothing wrong—why should I fear ghosts knocking at my door?”
Neither side would yield, but the Fifth Old Master had already slipped into unconsciousness. Without urgent treatment, he would not survive.
Thus, they could only hurry him away.Leaving to settle this score afterwords
The Fifth Branch all departed in chaos, leaving only the Third Branch behind.
In such circumstances, who dared mention king Min’s household again? Preserving their own lives was paramount.
So, ignoring Mama Jiao’s obstruction, they tore a path open and fled.