Duanmu Xinmiao scolded Honored Consort Deng first. Deng Zongqi was good-natured, but he was unwilling to argue with a woman, Duanmu Xinmiao. He was the lineal nephew of Honored Consort Deng and was taken good care of by his aunt. He naturally spoke for Honored Consort Deng, even knowing that Honored Consort Deng definitely threatened Duanmu Xinmiao

Two of them argued violently and shouted out regardless of whatever they said.

Trying several times to stop them, Wei Changying was always neglected. Then she stopped talking and sat back in the room, watching them with cold eyes.

Duanmu Xinmiao inherited her master's medical skills, temper, and talking talent and said unkindly, "Honored Consort Deng has her difficulties? How big her difficulties were! At that time, she knew exactly her son's death had nothing to do with the grandfather of my master. It was Madam Qian, the abolished Empress, who was responsible for his death! But Honored Consort Deng didn't dare to offend Madam Qian, so she blamed the grandfather of my master instead. This was why my master was now alone. Then how to say my master's difficulties? Did my master deserve it?"

Deng Zongqi answered, "You may not feel the affection between a mother and her son, for you are not a mother now. I didn't get married yet, but I had been bringing up Wanwan since she was young and understood the sadness of losing families. The reason why my aunt blamed the grandfather of your master was that she was so inconsolable for her son's death. Moreover, did the grandfather of your master really have nothing to do with the Sixth Prince's death?"

Duanmu Xinmiao said with disdain, "Inconsolable? If Honored Consort Deng had been inconsolable at that time, she must have noticed my eldest brother-in-law who was the son of Madam Qian was not old enough! She should have killed my eldest brother-in-law to revenge for her son. She was fond of high positions and great wealth, so she didn’t dare to do this. Who should be blamed? Both of you and your aunt are shameless!"

She increased her voice, interrupted Deng Zongqi's intention to speak, and said loudly, "As for the relation between the grandfather of my master and the Sixth Prince's death, the Liu Family worried that it might be disadvantageous for the Eldest Prince if Madam Qian was pregnant. When she was sent to the palace, the Liu Family asked Madam Qian to drink the sterilizing agent slinkingly. Madam Qian was fortunate to meet the grandfather of my master in the palace and gave birth to the Fourth Prince smoothly with his excellent medical skills. The grandfather of my master was the head of the Imperial Hospital at that time, so it was his duty to treat His Majesty’s concubines. Honored Consort Deng must have asked the grandfather of my master for treatment. Wasn’t it a shame for you to say this?"

Despite his good temper, Deng Zongqi was angry since she kept insulting him and said coldly, "How did Madam Qian get the apostichopus japonicus? Apostichopus japonicus, which was produced in northern tribes to save people's lives, was really precious in notable families in northern tribes. How did Madam Qian know to use it as a poison without Ji Ying's guidance? My aunt blamed Ji Ying... Was it wrong?"

He lowered his voice and said literally, "I was curious about one thing. It was well-known that Ji Ying was Madam Qian's close imperial doctor at that time. The reason why Ji Ying colluded with Shu Consort Huo to murder the Sixth Prince was that Madam Qian wanted to make minor sacrifices to safeguard major interests. Miracle Doctor Ji hated the Deng Family so much. Why didn't he hate the Qian Family? Why did he accept you to be his disciple in turn? Miss Duanmu's family name was not Qian, but didn't you learn medical skills for your sister and nephew, who were the lineal daughter-in-law and grandson of Madam Qian respectively?"

Deng Zongqi said cynically, "Just as you said, your master now is alone... If Madam Qian hadn't framed my aunt, the Ji Family would not have got the result like this! Madam Qian was the chief culprit! Your master could take you as his disciple, but my aunt did nothing to Duke Cai and Dowager Duchess Cai. You still took advantage of Wanwan to poison me. You are absolutely the sister of the lineal daughter-in-law who was chosen by Madam Qian!"

Hearing his words, Duanmu Xinmiao said coldly, "So, I could fight back until your aunt did something to my elder sister and nephew? Did you think I was stupid?"

Deng Zongqi said coldly, "Miss Duanmu is so decisive that I cannot compete with you!"

Duanmu Xinmiao said cynically, "Would you dare to hurt me if you were decisive as well? As one of the hundreds of sons in notable families, you could rely on Honored Consort Deng. But as far as the public was concerned, ten more you were less important than me, the unique disciple of my master. You can ask Sister Wei who she will choose if only one of us could be alive?"

Deng Zongqi caught a cold glimpse of Wei Changying who sat back. Wei Changying sent her tea bowl to Zhu Shi and said tonelessly, "Xinmiao, I am so moved that you think of me!"

Duanmu Xinmiao compressed her lips and said, "Sister Wei, I was so sorry to neglect you just now. I know you came here not for worrying about Deng Zongqi, but because here is Mingpei Hall. Be at ease. I know what to do. Was Deng Zongqi still alive after arguing with me so long? I need to keep him alive to warn Honored Consort Deng, so I would not allow him to die here."

Wei Changying stood up with her sleeve being thrown and said tonelessly, "How did you know I didn't worry about young master Deng?"

Wei Changying's words surprised Duanmu Xinmiao. Deng Zongqi rose his head to look at Wei Changying with his expression changed and shut his mouth, unspeaking. Wei Changying said, "Without mentioning how my husband could explain to His Majesty and the Deng Family if young master Deng came across an accident in Western Liang, in terms of private relationship, I couldn't forget young master Deng saved my life in Little Bamboo Hill."

Deng Zongqi said lightly, "It was also our responsibility about the Little Bamboo Hill accident. If we hadn't gone up the hill suddenly, you... Madam, you would not have sat in the bamboo pavilion in the back of the house to avoid us and then would not have seen the green bamboo snake, either."

Wei Changying said seriously, "You didn't know that my little brother asked someone to build the bamboo pavilion temporarily which was used to study for him. Concentrating on studying, my little brother only learned a set of Five-animal Boxing and his martial arts were not as good as those of normal people. Sharing the same color of the green bamboo snake and the bamboo pavilion, if I and my maidservant hadn't noticed it, neither my brother nor his servants might have noticed it. If I hadn't stayed in the bamboo pavilion to avoid you and young master Gu or you hadn’t saved me, my brother would definitely have gone to study there and would have been hurt by the green bamboo snake. The consequence would have been unthinkable. So I thank you so much!"

Deng Zongqi said slowly, "It's a little thing."

Wei Changying said politely, "Maybe it's a little thing for you, but my mother had been thanking you so much."

Duanmu Xinmiao was distracted and said to Wei Changying, "You thanked Deng Zongqi to save you, but my master and I helped the Wei Family a lot as well. Without mentioning Jiang Zheng, when you gave birth to Shen Shuguang, I kept staying out of the delivery room in stead of my master. Although I didn't deliver any assistance, it represented our kindness. I didn't want to emphasize what we had done, but you could not forget it or show partiality to Deng Zongqi if you want to thank him."

"Both of you are kind to me, so I couldn't stand to see you kill each other and hurried up here leaving everything behind." Wei Changying had been thinking about how to settle their debate earlier and said instantly, "In fact, you have no grudge. Why did you argue like this?"

Duanmu Xinmiao said with anger, "Sister Wei, you are wrong. Did we have no grudge? Honored Consort Deng told me indirectly to be her enemy agent in Western Liang. It mattered actually to the Shen Family. What would I do if I became her enemy agent? I had to report your husband's performance to them. You didn't help me contradict Deng Zongqi, but said like this."

Wei Changying waved her hands to calm Duanmu Xinmiao down and said, "Whatever you should say or not, you had said already. I didn't want to repeat it. As for the grudge, it was meaningless for you to argue who was right, for whatever you knew was heard from others and both of you were partial to your families. The reason why Xinmiao poisoned young master Deng was that Xinmiao worried about Dowager Duchess Cai and Duke Cai, right?"

Duanmu Xinmiao bit her lips and said nothing.

Wei Changying looked at Deng Zongqi and said, "Young master Deng, you were poisoned by Xinmiao just now, but you didn't blame her, for you cared more about Wanwan. I was sorry for neglecting you these days so that you were poisoned in the ancestral hall of we Shen Family. I beg for your forgiveness." Then she bent her body lightly to show her respect.

Hearing the ancestral hall of we Shen Family, Deng Zongqi couldn't help but be sentimental. He repressed his sigh and said lightly, "You needn't do like this!" He supported Wei Changying with his hand unconsciously.

Wei Changying persisted showing her respect and turned to Duanmu Xinmiao, "This is why I said Xinmiao was confused!"

Duanmu Xinmiao was not convinced and said, "How was I confused? You could not always help Deng Zongqi!"

Wei Changying said calmly, "Maybe you argued a lot and didn't hear what I said. Let me repeat that Honored Consort Deng alone could not do anything to Dowager Duchess Cai and Duke Cai! The reason why Xinmiao poisoned young master Deng was to warn Honored Consort Deng not to hurt Dowager Duchess Cai and Duke Cai. But did you really think your sister and nephew could be hurt by Honored Consort Deng? Your nephew is the lineal family of His Majesty. The current Empress was so virtuous that she must take good care of His Majesty’s lineal family instead of allowing Honored Consort Deng to do anything to him."

Duanmu Xinmiao frowned and said, "You mean Honored Consort Deng was just frightening me?"

"I didn't meet Honored Consort Deng, so I could not evaluate her. But you could ask young master Deng why Honored Consort Deng said to you like that." Wei Changying made eye contact with Deng Zongqi when Duanmu Xinmiao was thinking about her words.

Thinking for a while, Deng Zongqi seemed to figure out something and nodded lightly.

At the same time, Duanmu Xinmiao asked, "Deng Zongqi, in your opinion, why did your aunt threaten me with my sister and nephew?"

Deng Zongqi said lightly, "My aunt was not that kind of person."

"You mean I was lying?" Hearing Deng Zongqi's words, Duanmu Xinmiao was so angry. She worried about her sister and nephew so much and hated Honored Consort Deng and her family, so she tended to think bad things first.

Wei Changying added, "Honored Consort Deng was so smart that she must have her reason to do like this." Hearing Wei Changying's words, Duanmu Xinmiao didn't lose her temper and said while throwing her sleeve, "What was her reason?"