Chapter 8: Drugging Heir Pei at the Temple

"I fear I do not have long to live, so I thought I would come out to walk and see the world while I still can. When I grew tired, I found a pavilion to rest in, and quite by accident, I ended up near the West Garden." A shadow of melancholy touched Shen Shuyi’s brow. "Whenever I think of how young I am, how much I have yet to do, and that I haven't even been married, I feel a sense of bitterness. As for the men—well, any handsome man would do, though I dare not provoke my cousins at the Marquis’s residence..."

Xia Nianchu did not think much of Shen Shuyi’s words.

Shen Shuyi was already on death’s door, yet she was still thinking of wreaking havoc among men. She claimed she wouldn't dare seduce her cousins—those dragons among men—yet here she was, prowling near the Fourth Cousin’s courtyard.

True, if Shen Shuyi were truly dying, could she not use this love-struck woman to get to the Heir?

Hadn't Shen Shuyi just said she was bitter about never having been married?

"Cousin, if you help me with a small favor, I will help you find a fiancé in return. What do you think?" Xia Nianchu asked, testing her.

Shen Shuyi looked at Xia Nianchu with suspicion. "Are you truly willing to help me, Cousin?"

Seeing the desperate look in Shen Shuyi’s eyes, Xia Nianchu sneered inwardly, though her face remained impassive. "Of course! As long as you help me win the Heir, I will see to your marriage as well. My aunt has a wide social circle; it will not be difficult to find a talented young man suitable for you."

Shen Shuyi was secretly delighted, but fearing that she had agreed too quickly and might raise Xia Nianchu’s suspicions, she feigned hesitation. "This—this won't do. I cannot help you, Cousin."

"What you need to do is simple. Just drug the Heir, and I will be able to spend a night of passion with him. Once I successfully become the Heir’s wife, I will never forget your kindness." Thinking she had enticed her, Xia Nianchu pressed her advantage.

Once the deed was done, she would simply claim it was Shen Shuyi who had drugged him. If she were found in the Heir’s embrace, she could claim she was merely trying to help him find relief from the poison.

If the Heir ruined her virtue, he would be forced to take responsibility.

Furthermore, with Shen Shuyi as her scapegoat, she could not lose.

"If I must drug the Heir, why would I not simply spend the night with him myself? If the Heir ruins my virtue, wouldn't the position of Heir’s wife be mine? Why should I help you?" Shen Shuyi asked coldly.

Xia Nianchu had anticipated this. "Cousin, you are but an orphan living under the Marquis’s roof. Even if the Old Madam dotes on you, given your background, even if the Heir were to ruin your virtue, there is no way you could ever become the Heir’s wife."

Seeing Shen Shuyi’s expression shift, Xia Nianchu assumed she had struck a nerve.

Xia Nianchu stepped forward and took Shen Shuyi’s hand. "It is not that I look down on you, but your background is indeed lacking; the position of Heir’s wife will never fall to you. But if I succeed, I will personally find you a good match. I will not let you suffer."

Shen Shuyi looked dazed for a long moment before she asked, "How do I know you won't kick away the ladder once you've climbed it?"

Xia Nianchu laughed. "I swear it here: I will find you an outstanding husband."

She only promised a husband with good looks—she said nothing of his character, his family status, whether he had a house full of concubines, or if he harbored any peculiar fetishes. With Shen Shuyi’s beauty, attracting a man who was led by his desires would be effortless.

Shen Shuyi hesitated for a long time before gritting her teeth. "The Heir already loathes me, so I don't care if he hates me a little more. Very well, I will help you. You must remember the oath you made today; do not deceive me! When the matter comes to light, I will stand forward and confess that I was the one who drugged him. But you must be the one to administer the dose. Because the Heir finds me utterly repulsive, I have no opportunity to get close to him. I need only stand forward and admit I was the one who drugged him."

Xia Nianchu had not expected that she would have to do the drugging herself.

But on reflection, the裴 cousins truly did not care for Shen Shuyi.

However, doing it herself carried risks; she feared the Heir might discover it was her.

"Cousin, perhaps you could try to drug him..."

"It is not that I am unwilling, but the Heir finds me so abhorrent that I truly cannot manage it. If you have any doubts, perhaps you should find someone else to cooperate with." Shen Shuyi turned as if to leave.

Xia Nianchu panicked. "Fine, I will do it, but you must be the one to purchase the drug."

Shen Shuyi’s eyes flickered. The female lead was indeed cautious. By having her buy the drug, even if she refused to come forward later, the evidence would point directly to her.

However, she had her own counter-plan.

"Very well. Once I have bought the drug, I will send it to you. Tell me, where and when do you think is the best time to act?" Shen Shuyi handed the initiative back to Xia Nianchu.

Xia Nianchu had already decided. "The day after tomorrow is the Qiqiao Festival. The cousins will take us to the temple to pray during the day, and we will tour the lanterns at night. When do you think is best?"

"The temple will do," Shen Shuyi said, picking a time at random.

Xia Nianchu was hesitant. "Are you sure? A temple is a place of quiet cultivation for the pious; would that be appropriate? And there will be so many people..."

Shen Shuyi thought to herself that the female lead knew it was inappropriate, yet she still insisted on committing her sordid deeds. It was precisely because it was daytime that the scheme would be so easily exposed.

She only wanted to steal a kiss from the Heir; she had no intention of actually sleeping with him.

"It is precisely because it is a temple that we can take him by surprise. Let it be. I will go buy the medicine and deliver it to you." Not wishing to linger, Shen Shuyi left after finalizing the details.

Watching her leave, Xia Nianchu’s maid, Lvliu, whispered, "Can the cousin be trusted?"

Xia Nianchu replied coldly, "She cannot. But even if she denies it when the matter comes to light, it will be she who bought the poison. The evidence will be conclusive, and it will have nothing to do with me."

Lvliu thought her mistress was brilliant. With Shen Shuyi as a scapegoat, her mistress was certain to become the Heir’s wife.

On the sixth day of the seventh lunar month, Xia Nianchu waited all day for Shen Shuyi to deliver the medicine. By evening, she had received nothing, and she paced in a frenzy.

The worst part was that Shen Shuyi had stayed in He Shou Hall that night, making it impossible for her to reach her.

It wasn't until the seventh, as they were departing for Dajue Temple, that Xia Nianchu finally saw Shen Shuyi. Shen Shuyi walked up to her as if nothing had happened and quietly slipped her a small paper packet.

Xia Nianchu breathed a sigh of relief; the plan was still afoot.

The party was led by Old Madam Pei and the Marchioness. The Pei family’s young women—the second daughter, Pei Xuexuan; the third, Pei Yuxuan; and the fourth, Pei Yuexuan—were all present.

The eligible sons of the Pei family were also in attendance.

As soon as Shen Shuyi saw those tall, long-legged, and impossibly handsome male leads, she scrambled into the carriage occupied by the Old Madam. She felt that every second she delayed in escaping them was a grave disrespect to her own life.