"Then what should we do?" Mrs. Tao suddenly lost her mind. She had only lived in the inner house all her life and had never seen this scene before, so she was even more at a loss.
"Mother, don't worry, let's go back to the mansion first to see how those shops are doing, and then go to the Prime Minister's mansion tomorrow."
Tao Fangfei made up her mind to go to the second bedroom of Xiao's family again, to discuss with Princess Chaoren, and she couldn't just go there rashly, wandering around like a headless chicken, maybe she would be sent back after a few words.
Mrs. Tao nodded, and the two returned to the mansion together. The shopkeepers had been waiting, and when they saw Tao Fangfei returning to the mansion, they immediately went forward to greet her.
It was already evening when the shopkeeper was sent away, Tao Fangfei gritted her teeth, "Get ready and go to Xiao's other courtyard."
Xiangfu Linglong Pavilion
Listening to Qingyu's report, Miss Xiao couldn't help picking her lips, "The empress dowager and Princess Chaoren's black-and-white singing is really good. Tao Fangfei will definitely be moved. Hey, if grandma knows that she has helped the children for so many years The relative, who turned out to be a white-eyed wolf, must be very sad."
"Miss, what if Mrs. Tao really has a wrong mind and harms the Xiangfu?"
Concubine Xiao lowered her eyebrows and thought for a while, "Instead of waiting to be assassinated, it is better to take the initiative to attack. The water in the capital city is too deep. Sooner or later, the Tao family will be used against the Prime Minister's mansion. It is absolutely impossible to keep it!"
Concubine Xiao whispered in Qing Yu's ear for a while, and Qing Yu nodded, "Yes, I'll do it now, servant girl."
The Prime Minister's Mansion finally came to peace, no matter if it is the Queen Mother or the Second Household, they are not allowed to disturb, since it is the Second Household's idea, let the Second Household suffer the consequences!
early the next morning
When Tao Zihao woke up, his whole body was extremely itchy, his arms were covered with red rashes, and he could only keep stretching out his hands to scratch them.
"Ah! Master, your face!" The maid who was serving Tao Zihao's grooming couldn't help shouting, and the basin in her hand fell to the ground, splashing water all over the floor.
Tao Zihao looked down the bronze mirror, his arms were covered with dense red rashes all over his face, it looked very scary, Tao Zihao was so frightened that he almost passed out, and he didn't recover for a long time.
"What... what's going on here, go get a doctor!" Tao Zihao shouted, his face pale with fright.
After a while, a little maid immediately went to Tao Fangfei, "It's not good, ma'am, the young master is covered with dense rashes..."
Tao Fangfei's heart sank, she quickly lifted the quilt and went to the ground, "What's wrong with Zihao, hurry up, go and have a look."
Tao Fangfei was dumbfounded as soon as she entered the door. Tao Zihao smashed everything in the room, making a mess all over the place, with disheveled hair, and tightly clutching a little maid.
"This is not a disease, what nonsense are you talking about, poor maidservant, you say this is not a disease!"
"Husband... Ma'am, please forgive me, master, this is an epidemic!" The little maid screamed in fright.
Tao Fangfei was so angry that she almost fainted, she hurriedly took two steps forward, "Zihao, let her go, mother will go and ask the imperial physician to show you."
Seeing Tao Fangfei, Tao Zihao's mood became more stable. He let go of his hands, stood up and walked towards Tao Fangfei. Tao Fangfei was startled when she saw the rash on Tao Zihao's face and neck, and couldn't help but Live back and back.
"Zihao, you were fine yesterday, why did you become like this after sleeping?"
Tao Fangfei hurriedly ordered the servant girl to find the doctor, but she didn't dare to go forward, she just persuaded, "Zihao, don't worry, the doctor will be here in a while, everything will be fine."
Tao Zihao was very irritable, and started beating and scolding the maid, and the whole yard was filled with screams.
"What's going on here?" Mrs. Tao rushed over after hearing the news, and she was startled when she saw Tao Zihao's appearance, her mind was buzzing, and she fainted.
"Mother!" Tao Fangfei said immediately, "Hurry up, take the old lady back to the yard."
At this time, the servant girl hurried over, "Ma'am, there are no more doctors left in the city. For some reason, there are many people in the city who have the same symptoms as the young master. Those people have been arrested."
"Mother, save me!" Tao Zihao panicked, "I don't want to be taken away, I want to stay in the mansion, and no one who is taken away can come out alive
of. "
Tao Fangfei was about to collapse, "Zihao, listen to your mother and stay in the house obediently. Don't go anywhere, let alone go out, otherwise mother will not be able to save you."
Tao Zihao was frightened, and nodded repeatedly. Tao Fangfei turned her head and told the servant girl, "Close the gate, and no one is allowed to go out. The servants in the young master's yard are not allowed to leave. Take the clothes that the young master wears and the clothes used in the house." Yes, burn them all, anyone who dares to leave will be executed immediately!"
"yes."
The maid who was serving Tao Zihao next to him knelt down and begged for mercy, but Tao Fangfei didn't even look at it, and went directly to Mrs. Tao.
"What kind of evil is this? It's just that Zihao contracted the disease!"
Mrs. Tao wished she could replace Tao Zihao by herself. It was just such a single child who was infected with the disease. God would not let the Tao family off.
"Mother, Zihao will be fine." An idea suddenly popped into Tao Fangfei's mind. She was hesitant before, but now she is extremely firm.
"No, I can't watch what happens to Zihao. I'm going to find your aunt. Zihao can't delay any longer."
Said Mrs. Tao was about to go to the field, but was stopped by Tao Fangfei, "Mother, no one can help us. If my aunt finds out that Zihao is infected with the epidemic, she will never take care of it. We can only figure out a way by ourselves."
Tao Fangfei suddenly calmed down at this time, "My cousin cares so much about my aunt. If my aunt or cousin, or even Xiao Jiu is infected with the epidemic, how can my cousin refuse to save her? There must be a way."
Mrs. Tao held Tao Fangfei's arm tightly, and said in disbelief, "You are crazy, that is your real aunt!"
"Mother, we have no choice right now. Don't forget that there is still the queen mother waiting in the palace. There are still two days left. We can't afford it. If Zihao is found to be infected with the disease, he will be taken away." .”
Tao Fangfei went all out, and she even regretted that she should have attacked the Xiangfu long ago, and she would not have waited until today's situation.
Mrs. Tao was startled, but then settled down, "I will do as you say!"
The two discussed briefly for a while, and then went directly to the prime minister's mansion. Before leaving, Tao Fangfei asked the maid to make some pastries with Tao Zihao's used water and take them with her.
"Miss, someone from the Tao family is here."
Concubine Xiao hummed lightly, got up and followed Mrs. Xiao.
After a while, Mrs. Tao appeared with Tao Fangfei. There was no abnormal emotion between the two of them, only the fluctuations in their eyes.
Mrs. Xiao raised her eyelids, and asked first, "It's not very peaceful outside the mansion these days, why do you have to come here in person?"
Mrs. Tao smiled, and found a stool at random to sit down, "I was so bored in the mansion, so I came here to have a look, Xiao Jiu is here too."
"Grandmother, aunt." Miss Xiao called out politely.
Tao Fangfei smiled, "I haven't seen you for a few days, Xiao Jiu seems to have changed again, and she's quite handsome."
Concubine Xiao smiled and said nothing, just watched what Tao Fangfei had to say, the atmosphere in the room was quite harmonious, Mrs. Tao accompanied Mrs. Xiao to reminisce about the old days, and Mrs. Xiao also smiled.
"In the past, you were always punished by your father for being naughty, and your mother protected you, so that you became more and more courageous, and everything was up to you, and you got married in a blink of an eye. When you were young, you were miserable, but now you are considered If you are in the early stages, if you have any difficulties, just mention it to the eldest sister, and the elder sister will never refuse to help if she can."
Mrs. Xiao smiled and patted Mrs. Tao's hand. Mrs. Tao's heart skipped a beat. She always felt that Mrs. Xiao had noticed something, but when she looked carefully, she couldn't see any clues.
"Elder Sister, the Tao family has been able to have today with the help of the Xiangfu for so many years. The Tao family is already very satisfied."
Mrs. Tao smiled and changed the topic, "Sister, after thinking about it, I always feel that it is a pity that my nephew resigned from office. I have buried my talents in vain. Now that the city is full of diseases, even if it is for the people, my nephew should be an official." It's right to return to work, once the epidemic is out of control, the prime minister's mansion will also suffer, the Xiao family is a century-old scholarly family, and there has never been a descendant of such a promising nephew, it would be a pity if the family is idle."
Mrs. Tao paused, then glanced at Mrs. Xiao, "Sister, don't blame me for being a talkative younger sister. All these years, the eldest wife has been suppressing the second wife. If the second wife is not in Beijing, that's all. The eldest family is in depression, and it will be a matter of time before the second family re-enters the genealogy, and in the future, Aunt Du will come over in a show of force, does it really matter to the elder sister?"
Mrs. Xiao smiled when she heard the words, "Hey, what's the use of fighting? I've seen it all my life. As long as my children and grandchildren are healthy and safe, once the disease is infected, no one knows whether there is a chance to save it. Life, I am just such a son, how can I be willing to let him take risks, even if he is full of talents, he is still an ordinary person after all, besides, I don’t believe that without him, Dong Ming doesn’t even have a good official.”
Old Mrs. Tao was silenced by Mrs. Xiao, she smiled smugly, and if she wanted to say anything else, wouldn't it be the same as asking the Prime Minister to die.
Mrs. Xiao and Queen Mother Lian have the same mentality.
Mrs. Tao cleared her throat and put aside the subject, "Sister, I remember that your favorite food is jade lotus root cake and plum blossom crisp. I don’t know what’s missing, why don’t you help me taste it?”
Talking about the servant girl bringing the cakes to the table, Mrs. Tao looked at Concubine Xiao again, "Xiao Jiu has never tasted my aunt's handiwork. If you don't mind, just try it. This cake is your grandmother's favorite."
Concubine Xiao smiled when she heard the words, "Xiao Jiu is really blessed with the craftsmanship of my aunt and grandmother."
Mrs. Xiao closed her eyes slightly, unable to express her emotions, she quickly opened her eyes and looked at Mrs. Tao meaningfully.
"Xiao Jiu, your aunt and grandmother seldom cook, and it's rare to make some pastries. There are so many, Xiao Jiu and I can't eat them. Fang Fei should sit down and have a taste."
Ever since taking out the pastries, Tao Fangfei walked away, and she didn't dare to get close at all. Suddenly, when Mrs. Xiao mentioned this, her face turned pale.
"Auntie, my mother has nothing to do these days and has made a lot of cakes. My mother specially made them for my aunt. How dare Fang Fei eat them."
"This child never likes to eat these pastries. No one eats them in the house. As time goes by, I don't bother to make them anymore. Sister, eat them while they are hot."
Mrs. Tao rounded up her words with a smile, and let the servant girl put the plate in front of Mrs. Xiao, "Sister, let me see if my craftsmanship has improved?"
Although Mrs. Xiao had a smile on her face, it didn't reach her eyes. Seeing Mrs. Tao's insistence, she reached out to grab the pastry on the plate.
Mrs. Tao still had a smile on her face, showing no sign of remorse, let alone intending to stop.
At this moment, a little maid fell directly beside Mrs. Tao with a sprained foot. She was still holding a teapot in her hand, and happened to overturn the pastry on the table, and it fell to the ground and broke into several petals.
"Slave servant deserves to die. Slave servant didn't do it on purpose. I beg the old lady to forgive me."
This sudden change made Old Madam Tao stunned.
"What does the frizz look like, come on, someone, drag it out for me, and punish fifty big boards!"
Mrs. Xiao pointed at the little maid angrily, but she was looking at Mrs. Tao from the corner of her eyes. Seeing that she looked a little annoyed, the coldness in her eyes was even worse.
Tao Fangfei stomped her feet angrily, wishing she could tear up the little servant girl, "Auntie, this is my mother's wish, I got up early to do it on purpose, I didn't expect to be hurt by this servant girl."
The little maid kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, trembling, and was dragged down by two nuns.
"I'm afraid I won't have such good luck today, but it's okay, we all live in Kyoto, it will be convenient to meet in the future, and there are still opportunities."
Mrs. Xiao comforted Mrs. Tao, and Mrs. Tao's complexion tightened, and she smiled embarrassingly, "It's true, the future will be long, don't worry."
Mrs. Tao chatted with Mrs. Xiao for a few more words, and then found an excuse to leave the prime minister's mansion.
Mrs. Xiao looked at the broken pieces on the ground and sneered. She was just a younger sister who had been taking care of her for so many years, but in the end she was stabbed in the back.
Mrs. Xiao hadn't experienced this feeling for many years, and she couldn't stop feeling sour. She had given Mrs. Tao a chance. As long as Mrs. Tao spoke clearly, Mrs. Xiao would definitely not refuse to save her.
It's a pity that Mrs. Tao still decided to take a gamble. She didn't feel any guilt, but she was persistent and disappointed.
At that moment, Mrs. Xiao had completely given up on the Tao family.
"Grandmother, my aunt has been visiting the second room a lot in the past two days, and it's probably taken advantage of by someone."
Concubine Xiao pursed her lips, seeing that Mrs. Xiao was so sad, she couldn't help but open her mouth to defend the Tao family.
"Good boy, grandma understands your painstaking efforts. Grandma has always understood some things, but she still cares about family affection." Mrs. Xiao patted Concubine Xiao's hand and smiled gratifiedly, "Grandma is fine, just treat it like this." Nian raised a white-eyed wolf, grandmother, Xiao Jiu, Rong Yue, and your father."
It's not just once or twice that the Tao family is snobbish. The Prime Minister's mansion has nothing to do with it, so they go to curry favor with the Second Household, and even conspire with the Second Household to assassinate the Prime Minister's House. This is absolutely unacceptable to Mrs. Xiao.
If it was someone else, Mrs. Xiao might not be angry at all, but it was Mrs. Tao. Mrs. Tao knew that the second room was a thorn in Mrs. Xiao's heart, so she could betray her own sister for her own selfishness.
Such a person, what else does Mrs. Xiao expect.
On the contrary, Mrs. Tao felt that something was wrong when she left the gate of the Prime Minister's mansion. Tao Fangfei was so anxious that she said, "It's all because of this damn girl who ruined our good deed."
Mrs. Tao didn't make a sound, she just took a deep look at Tao Fangfei. Mrs. Tao had been thinking deeply along the way, and she didn't find any clues after thinking for a long time.
As soon as the two of them stepped into the gate, a young man hurried over from the other side, "Old madam, madam is overjoyed, the young master did not contract the disease, but just ate something wrong, the doctor came to see the prescription just now, The rash on the young master's body has all disappeared."
Tao Fangfei's eyes lit up when she heard it, "Really, take me to have a look."
Mrs. Tao's heart sank, she finally knew something was wrong, the little maid who knocked over the pastry must have done it on purpose, how could the maid beside Mrs. Xiao be so reckless.
The only explanation is that every move of the Tao family is under the watchful eyes of Mrs. Xiao, and Mrs. Xiao knows all about it today.
Thinking back carefully on Mrs. Xiao's words, Mrs. Tao's face became more and more gloomy. Those words were intended to test her!
Mrs. Tao followed her steps forward, seeing that Tao Zihao had indeed returned to his usual fairness, he could not see the shadow of the morning, his eyes were clear, and Mrs. Tao's heart sank even more.
"Mum, that's great, Zihao is fine, thank God, Pizza Blessing."
Tao Fangfei was so excited that she was about to cry, she pulled Tao Zihao up and down to look him up and down, and seeing that he was completely fine, she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Tao Fangfei looked back, but saw that Mrs. Tao's body was on the verge of falling, and her face was surprisingly embarrassing.