Proofread by Peter Gong
If there’s one thing that gets around fast, it must be the grapevine.
Madam Ma was not ill, but poisoned. And Ma Tian’en hired two masters who were good at poisoning from Datongbang to check who had poisoned Madam Ma.
Within two hours, it was widely spread in Ma Family.
Even Concubine Zhao, who always stayed at home, also heard it from a servant girl.
But she was very calm, and told the servant girl not to spread it. Be mindful of a disaster emanating from a careless talk.
For Concubine Zhao’s caution, the servant girls thought otherwise.
But compared with Concubine Zhao, Dingsi, the gardener, was not calm.
Last year, Concubine Zhao gave him ten taels of silver and required him to act in a play in garden with her, and the purpose was to let the Madam Ma take the flowers away.
Concubine Zhao gave him the pot of flower and he didn’t find anything wrong. Although he didn’t understand her intention, because of his avarice and coveting for Concubine Zhao, he agreed.
Madam Ma was fooled. She took hibiscus mutabilis and put it in the worshiping hall. Later, sometimes, Madam Ma felt uncomfortable. He suspected that the flower had something wrong. He also asked Concubine Zhao, but she told him not to worry so much. He couldn’t feel assured from bottom of the heart. Now, someone said Madam Ma was poisoned, and he suddenly thought of that pot of flower. He had thought that when the flower withered, Madam Ma would throw it. He didn’t think that Madam Ma seemed to forget it, and that pot of flower still lay there even though it withered. One day, he saw it when he served fruits for Madam Ma. He also asked Madam if it was thrown away, but Madam Ma said he should leave it alone and it would blossom next year. He was also afraid of being suspected if he talked too much, so he didn’t make a further inquiry.
He wanted to make sure from Concubine Zhao, but there were many people around who were temporarily hired by Ma Tian’en. Someone checked people’s rooms, and someone watched over at the yard. They would approach and overhear when someone was chatting. It was better to steal the flower from the worshiping hall at night, emptied the pot and threw away the flower, so no one would know it. Madam Ma was so ill that she couldn’t remember that pot of flower.
When it was dark and everyone fell asleep, he got up and went up to the worshiping hall which was not far away from the garden. Dingsi stood up, heading for the worshiping hall alone.
The candle from the worshiping hall flickered faintly. Ma Tian’en asked the servant to light the candle of the worshiping hall to bless the safety and health of Ma Family. The door to the worshiping hall usually was locked, but there was a small window which was not, so he could get in through the window. Dingsi had noticed it in the daytime.
Dingsi sneaked under the window, he pushed it and found it was unlocked. He looked left and right and climbed into the worshiping hall. The hibiscus mutabilis was placed at the corner of the worshiping hall. Several buds had sprung. Although he didn’t find anything wrong, it was safe to throw it. Dingsi ran to the garden with the flower. He thought no one would suspect if the earth was poured at the garden.
Dingsi hurriedly came to a tree and found a shovel. He shoveled the earth out from the pot. At this moment, he heard someone asking: “is it difficult?”
“It is OK.” Dingsi answered casually. Looking up, he found Ma Tian’en was looking at him with a smile. He fell to the ground with a cry of terror.
“Master, why are you here. I…I can’t fall asleep so I come to…”
“To appreciate the moon or flower?” The smile on Ma Tian’en faded away. She stood up and the servants around him caught Dingsi. The two masters who were good at poisoning began to study the plot. The two took the earth and someone lighted the candle for the convenience of checking. They studied and smelled, and then communicated for a while.
“Master, we have discovered. The earth has problem. The flower is not poisonous, but the earth is poisoned. We failed to find which the poison is at present. It seems that it is powder made of poisonous mushroom plus mandala. We will make sure tomorrow. But it can be sure that the poison can make people anxious, even generate illusions. Actually, this powder can be smelled, but in the worshiping hall, the incense of sandalwood hid its smell. We neglected it during the last checking.” One of the people replied .
Although she had mentally prepared in advance, Ma Tian’en still felt surprised. How much hatred did he have that he could think of this deliberate way.
“Come on, bring Dingsi to my room. I will make an inquiry myself.” Obviously, its aim was Madam Ma, because only she could stay long in the worshiping hall. Upon this, it might be related to the private things of Ma Family, so it couldn’t be heard by others.
Although April approached, it was still cold. At midnight, once cold wind blew, it was even colder. At this time, except for night the watchman, no one would hang out. Ma Tian’en didn’t want to bother others. She just blocked Dingsi’s mouth and took him to her room.
“Do you want to be thrown into the river or beat to death, choose one.” Ma Tian’en took the tea served by Ashun and poured it on Dingsi’s face.
Because he was too nervous, Dingsi felt his face warmed when the hot tea poured towards him. Then he felt a chill. Ashun unlocked his mouth, and Dingsi knelt down with a flop, nodding repeatedly.
“I am wronged. I dare not to murder Madam Ma. Concubine Zhao cheated me. I am tricked by her.”
“Concubine Zhao!” Actually, Wu Zhong had reminded her about Concubine Zhao, but Ma Tian’en was not willing to believe. In her mind’s eye, Concubine Zhao was kind and gentle. She showed much care to her. She said nothing even though she was wronged. So she didn’t want to disbelieve.
It was what Wu Zhong had expected. Concubine Zhao seemed to distance herself from worldly affairs, but she always made Madam Ma angry. If she did this, it suited her rigorous and meticulous mind.
“Concubine Zhao manipulates me.” Dingsi was afraid they didn’t believe him, so he spoke out what he knew.
“Last autumn, shortly after the old master got injured, she turned to me with the pot of cottonrose hibiscus and asked me to act in a play with her. At first, I was afraid there was a problem. But I checked, and it was a normal cottonrose hibiscus. I thought she was kind, so I agreed. I didn’t think the flower had poison in it.
“You shirked all responsibility. You must have taken her taels. Otherwise, you won’t be so nice. If you didn’t think it has poison, why did you steal the flower in the worshiping hall. You had evil motives, but still found excuses, and I think you should be taught a lesson.” Then Ashun and others beat him. Dingsi couldn’t bear after a while.
“I accepted her taels, but I didn’t find anything wrong. I heard that Madam Ma was poisoned, so I remember that pot of flower. Please forgive me. Concubine Zhao did this, it was not my business.”
“Yanzi, ask Concubine Zhao to come by. By the way, don’t bother others.” Ma Tian’en thought that it was more acceptable to ask Yanzi to do this.
Yanzi answered. Ma Tian’en felt much troubled. On the one hand, she found out the murderer; on the other hand, she was not willing to believe it. Moreover, she was a little worried. Why did the secluded Madam Zhao poison her mother. If it was discovered, it was definitely the capital crime. Did mother do something wicked to her?
Not for a while, Concubine Zhao was taken here. The moment the door was pushed open, a gust of cold wind blew in. Concubine Zhao walked ahead calmly with Yanzi following behind. After stepping in, she closed the door.
When Concubine Zhao came in, Dingsi pointed at her, shouting: ” it is her who gave me the flower. She poisoned.”
Concubine glanced at him and said peacefully: ” it’s late, what did you bring me up here for anyway?”
Ma Tian’en looked at Concubine Zhao who looked at her with calmness and peace.