Chapter 41: Beaten to death while pregnant.

Madam Pei's eyes lit up, and she instantly became interested: "Oh? What three things? Also, you told me so readily, didn't she tell you not to tell anyone else?"

Granny Deng smiled and said, "Madam, the young lady is clever. She knew you would be curious, so she instructed me not to make things difficult for you if you asked. She said she would just tell you."

Madam Pei laughed heartily: "She really doesn't treat me like an outsider anymore. Should I be a gentleman and not ask any further, or should I be a meddlesome old woman who insists on getting to the bottom of things?"

Granny Deng: "Old Madam, you're not a gentleman, why are you meddling in these things? Let me tell you!"

Knowing that Madam Pei was very curious, Granny Deng ignored her nodding and began to chatter on: "The first thing the young lady did was to have this old servant find a few people."

Madam Pei: "Who?"

Granny Deng: "They were the general's two concubines. One was surnamed Zheng, and the other was surnamed Lou."

Although Madam Pei has not been in the mansion in recent years.

But in fact, she had heard about many things that happened in the General's Mansion.

After all, they had nothing to do all day at Qingsong Temple, so they just passed the time by doing these things in Jinling City.

Therefore, when the topic of these two came up, Old Madam Pei could immediately respond: "Aunt Zheng, Aunt Lou? I remember, weren't they both sent to some estate?"

Granny Deng: "Madam, you remember correctly. But Concubine Zheng disappeared on her way to the estate back then, and her fate is unknown. Concubine Lou is easy to find, though. She has a daughter who is also at the estate now."

Although Madam Pei wouldn't interfere, she was extremely curious.

Curious about what Li Qingluo is up to?

Why are you asking about her father's aunt?

"Anything else? What are the other two things?"

Granny Deng: "The second thing is about the Prince Yun's residence. The young lady said that a fat woman surnamed Liu has been frequently going in and out there recently. She is the wife of a butcher."

"She instructed the old servant to send someone to get close to this Lady Liu, preferably to the point where they could become acquainted with her and be ready to make a move at any time."

Upon hearing this surname, Madam Pei instantly realized something.

"Could it be the Liu family?"

Granny Deng: "I haven't found out yet, but I'll know in a couple of days."

"But Madam, how do you think the young lady knows about the Prince Yun's residence? She knows who she's been going in and out of these past two days. She's a stranger in Jinling City, and no one but us has helped her find out about these things. So how did she find out?"

Madam Pei glared at Granny Deng and scolded her, "You're still too stupid! You really think she was just running for her life during the past few days she's been missing? I bet she must have made her way to that house. She only took this matter to heart because she saw this woman surnamed Liu."

Remembering something, Granny Deng excitedly clapped her hands together: "Oh dear, the people I sent back said that the house has been secretly looking for a runaway slave these past two days! But they haven't been making a big fuss about it! Could this be related to our young lady?"

When Madam Pei heard about this, she was also surprised: "She wouldn't be so bold, would she? Perhaps it's just a coincidence."

"But if the people surnamed Liu have all found that house, and the person kept there is indeed Li Qingzhu, wouldn't that mean that she and the Liu family have already been in contact for some time?"

Granny Deng nodded and looked at Old Madam Pei.

Madam Pei's face turned cold: "If that's really the case, then my stupid son, my foolish daughter-in-law, and my crazy grandson have truly misplaced their affections and have been completely fooled by this little bitch."

"Granny Zhang!"

Granny Zhang had been listening the whole time, and now she lifted the curtain to listen to what was being said.

Madam Pei: "Go and investigate who Li Qingzhu associated with before she set herself on fire, and what kind of relationships she had with them. In particular, when did she start associating with the man surnamed Liu? Also, what exactly is her relationship with the Prince Yun's mansion!"

Granny Zhang hesitated for a moment: "Madam, all the maids who served Zhu'er in the mansion perished in that fire. If all her close associates are dead, it will be difficult to investigate these matters."

Madam Pei: "Don't these maids have any family? As long as one of them is alive, we must find a way to get them to talk!"

Granny Zhang: "Yes."

After giving the instructions on this matter, Madam Pei quickly asked about the third thing.

Without hesitation, Granny Deng continued, "Reporting to the Old Madam, this third matter concerns the Eldest Young Master."

"The young lady asked this old servant to investigate a maid named Meixue who used to serve the eldest young master."

Madam Pei: "Why investigate a maid? What's so special about her?"

Granny Deng: "This old servant has discovered that Mei Xue died two years ago..."

Madam Pei: "Dead? Died a violent death?"

Granny Deng nodded repeatedly, "Madam, Mei Xue was beaten to death. They say she was pregnant when she died..."

Madam Pei stared in astonishment, her mouth agape.

She had never heard of this matter at Qingsong Temple.

It is clear that the mansion kept this matter completely hidden at the time!

Two lives were tragically lost in this very house.

Madam Pei felt a mixture of sadness and anger.

"Did you find anything?"

Granny Deng: "When I first asked people about Mei Xue's matter in private, they all kept their mouths tightly shut and no one dared to say a word."

"But money makes the world go round. The young lady gave this old servant twenty taels of silver and told me to do the legwork. I used it, and lo and behold! How could there be any secrets?"

"Regarding Mei Xue's death, the most prevalent theory is that she was... personally killed by the eldest young master..."

Madam Pei flew into a rage: "You scoundrel! Is this Mei Xue his concubine or not?"

Granny Deng: "They say she's just a bed warmer, she doesn't even have a name yet!"

How pitiful.

Madam Pei's chest heaved with anger: "How could he be so cruel?! Is the child Mei Xue is carrying not his own?!"