The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

Chapter 157 The Ungrateful Person

"Please write a prescription for me. Curculigo, cinnamon, licorice, atractylodes, deer antler, actinolite, and seahorse." Chen Xi listed them one by one.

Xie Tianyi put down his pen, and before the ink had dried, he raised his head, with confusion in his eyes, and looked at Chen Xi beside him.

The prescription lay quietly on the table, with the names of several medicinal ingredients listed prominently. Although they were uncommon, Xie Tianyi's limited knowledge of pharmacology was enough to identify that these were materials used for aphrodisiac effects.

"Go get the medicine. Take it once in the morning and once in the evening. Keep taking it for a month and see how it works." Chen Xi's voice was gentle. She took the thin prescription from Xie Tianyi, gently flattened it, and then handed it to Guo Ping, who was standing aside with an embarrassed look on his face.

"Thank you, Tianyi family." Guo Ping took the prescription with both hands. The blush on his face revealed his shyness. He bowed hurriedly, lowered his head, and hurriedly left the room.

"I remember Guo Ping's wife was already... Why did he prescribe this kind of medicine?" Xie Tianyi's voice was full of confusion. Obviously, he had also heard about the misfortune of Guo Ping's wife, and originally thought that Guo Ping did this to save something.

"Yes, he jumped, but luckily he was rescued in time. They have been married for more than ten years and have never had children. I just wanted to help them."

Chen Xi's answer was concise and plain, as if he was talking about something very ordinary.

Xie Tianyi suddenly realized and was about to speak, but stopped abruptly.

"So, the question is..."

Chen Xi nodded gently without saying anything, but his deep eyes seemed to have explained everything.

The next morning, the sun shone through the sparse clouds and onto the bluestone road leading to Fang Yuanwai's mansion. Chen Xi walked in the morning light and headed for the mansion as usual.

As soon as I stepped into the mansion, an unusually tense atmosphere hit me. Servants were rushing back and forth, with different expressions on their faces.

"Mr. Fang, Mrs. Fang."

Chen Xi walked into the inner room, gently placed the heavy medicine box on the ground, then walked to Madam Fang and skillfully took her pulse.

Her eyes inadvertently passed over Mr. Fang, and there was a subtle concern in her eyes. "You don't look well. Do you want me to check your pulse?"

Fang Yuanwai waved his hand, his brows thick with worry, "No need, I didn't catch a cold, I just feel a little irritated."

Chen Xi smiled faintly, "Could it be that according to my previous suggestion, the person who was secretly doing evil was really discovered?"

Mr. Fang nodded silently, feeling shocked and doubtful. He could not imagine that there was a hidden danger in his own house that could be detrimental to his wife.

"Could it be Qingtao, Madam Fang's personal maid, who did it?" Chen Xi's words were light, but they stirred ripples in Fang Yuanwai's heart.

Mr. Fang widened his eyes, his expression seemed to be silently questioning: Where did you get this from?

Chen Xi sipped his tea leisurely and said slowly, "Last time when I came to visit with my master, I vaguely felt that something was wrong, but if I said it directly, I was afraid that you two would find it difficult to accept it, so I chose another way."

"She has been with the Madam since she was a child. I never expected that she would be such an ungrateful person." Mr. Fang slammed the table with his palm, his anger and heartache intertwined and difficult to calm down.

Chen Xi seemed unusually calm, "This matter may not be as simple as it seems. Qingtao has been with Madam for many years, and she did this for no reason. There may be someone behind the scenes. Why not call her over and ask her clearly."

Fang Yuanwai pondered for a moment and felt that Chen Xi's words made sense, so he ordered his servants to bring Qingtao over.

"Sir, Madam, it's all my fault. I am willing to accept the punishment. Please decide for me, Madam." Qingtao knelt on the ground, her voice full of regret and pleading.

Chen Xi looked down at her with a hint of sarcasm in his smile, "It's too boring to admit it so quickly. Why don't you tell me, do you have any accomplices?"

"I have no accomplices. I did everything by myself. It has nothing to do with others." Qingtao's body trembled slightly. She lowered her head even lower, not daring to look anyone in the eye.

Fang Yuanwai was so angry that his finger almost poked Qingtao's forehead, "Why did you attack Madam? Madam treats you well, how can you be so cruel!"

Mrs. Fang's position in his heart is irreplaceable. At this moment, he is almost losing control and wants to teach this traitor a lesson personally.

Chen Xi spoke at this moment, with a calm voice that showed a thorough understanding of everything, "Qingtao, do you think it's worth it to cover up for someone behind your back? In fact, you have no intention of harming the lady, right?"

Qing Tao burst into tears, unable to speak, "I... I do have selfish thoughts. I have a crush on the master and I'm jealous of the lady. The lady is unable to have children, and as personal maids, Xiao Lu and I should have helped the lady share her worries, but the master only has the lady in his heart, and I... I feel jealous..."

Mrs. Fang felt heartbroken when she heard this. "I didn't realize your feelings at all. We have been friends for more than ten years, and you..."

Chen Xi, however, seemed unconcerned. His smile remained the same, but with a hint of sarcasm in it. "I think the one who really has feelings for Mr. Fang is probably not you, right?"

"You can deceive them with these words, but I won't believe them. Just tell me the truth. Do you think that if you sacrifice yourself, that person will guarantee the safety of your family?" Chen Xi's words were sharp and hit the nail on the head.

Qing Tao's body was shaking violently, and she could hardly hold herself back. She looked up at Chen Xi, her eyes filled with fear: "You, how could you possibly...know all this..."

"Oh? It seems there is such a person." Mr. Fang pressed on, his eyes sharp.

"Tell me quickly, who is it? Who dares to harm my wife?" Mr. Fang's voice was no longer as gentle and courteous as usual. His anxiety and urgency made him ignore all etiquette.

Qingtao's lips slightly opened, as if there were thousands of words stuck in her throat, but in the end, she just lowered her head deeply and chose to remain silent.

"Tell me, confessing may give your family a glimmer of hope. You should understand that once you lose your usefulness, will that person still let you live?" Chen Xi's words were like a cold wind, piercing Qing Tao's heart.

Qing Tao's tears fell like pearls from a broken string. Finally, her emotional defenses completely collapsed: "It was... it was my cousin, it was her, she ordered me to..."

Recalling the beginning, the cousin came uninvited and stood in front of her with an irresistible attitude. Although Qingtao was extremely reluctant, facing the cousin using her only brother as a threat, her heart was instantly filled with fear and helplessness.

Her parents died early, and her younger brother became her only concern in this world. How could she ignore his life or death?

In desperation, she was forced to agree to her cousin's request.

At first, the cousin's request was limited to asking her to pay attention to the daily life of the master and the mistress. However, as time went on, those requests gradually became insidious and vicious, until they directly attacked the mistress.