Chapter 252 The Death of Ma

"Hmm." Lin Shiyuan nodded. "I guess so."

He didn't say much.

Overall, however, this major case should be handled more severely than the previous one.

In other words, if Lin Shiyuan's actions could satisfy the emperor, he would become a tool of the emperor's wielder.

But at the same time, he will be in far more danger than ever before.

Lin Shiyuan paused for a moment, then gently called her name: "Qingling".

"Hmm?" Yao Qingling looked at him, only to see that the man's face was gloomy and his eyes were like a thick, unyielding black ink.

Qingling's heart pounded heavily for a couple of seconds: "Is something bad happening?"

Lin Shiyuan raised his hand and touched her face, shaking his head: "It's nothing. But I probably won't be able to come see you and Zhao'er for a while."

"Why?" He only appears at night now, how can he hide anymore?

Lin Shiyuan said, "The deeper I investigate, the greater the obstacles will become. Those people might be following me..."

It should be said that someone was already following him. However, his skills were superior to theirs, allowing him to shake off those experts.

However, it's impossible to guard against everything, and Lin Shiyuan doesn't want to involve Yao Qingling.

Yao Qingling frowned, somewhat disappointed, wondering how long it would be before she could see him again.

However, compared to safety, it's okay to be patient for a while.

She is not just a woman who loves.

Qingling nodded: "I understand."

But the thought of not being able to see him, even before he left, already makes me miss him.

Yao Qingling nestled in the man's arms, savoring these last moments.

She looked up and kissed the man's lips.

The man stiffened slightly, then tightened his grip on her waist, deepening the kiss.

I don't know how long we'll be apart, so I hope this kiss will last forever.

At the doorway, Nie Yun could hear fragmented conversations inside, and her heart sank.

Lin Shiyuan did not tell the truth.

Those madmen are not just stalking and obstructing the investigation.

They'll just take action and kill him!

When Lin Shiyuan came out of Yao Qingling's room, Nie Yun suddenly appeared in front of him like a ghost.

She whispered, "Is someone trying to assassinate you?"

He added, "I'm coming back to be your bodyguard."

Lin Shiyuan's eyes darkened: "Your duty is to follow Yao Qingling and protect her safety."

Nie Yun pressed down on the corners of her lips.

He was the master, and she was the subordinate; she could only obey orders.

...

The next day, while Yao Qingling was still asleep, Lou Yue hurriedly woke her up.

Yao Qingling rubbed her eyes sleepily: "What happened?"

Lou Yue said, "News has come from Wang Village that Lady Hou and Miss Qingqi are dead!"

Qingling paused for a moment, but didn't show too much shock.

Sooner or later, this day would come.

Lou Yue had said earlier that they couldn't let Ma Shi off so easily; if they gave her a chance, she would definitely make a comeback.

Yao Qingling was in no hurry to make a move.

They said that Madam Ma and Yao Qingqi had both suffered from hysteria and were sent to the estate to recuperate. But in reality, Madam Ma had found something wrong with the Marquis of Zhongyong and forced him to spare their lives.

Mr. Ma's thinking is too simplistic.

Now that Concubine Zhao has taken her place, she is even less willing than Yao Qingling to let Madam Ma live, and to give her the opportunity to return to the Marquis's mansion.

Only if this Lady Marquis disappears forever can she remain the mistress of this mansion forever.

Marquis Zhongyong also did not want his wife to use his weaknesses to threaten him.

Therefore, Ma was going to die sooner or later.

There's no need to dirty her hands.

Yao Qingling sat up: "How did he die?"

Lou Yue said, "The people from Zhuangzi came to report that he had caught a cold and had been struggling for several days, but he did not survive."

Qingling nodded: "That's a dignified way to die."

At least after she died, she was still the legitimate wife and daughter of the Marquis of Zhongyong, and could be buried in the Yao family's ancestral tomb.

Instead of two criminals who attempted murder being beheaded and their bodies thrown into a mass grave.

Lou Yue helped Qing Ling get up, still muttering to herself, "Who knows how she died? Given the Lady Hou's personality, if she caught a cold, wouldn't she have sent a message to the Hou residence to ask someone to treat her?"

"If it's because she was old and her body couldn't withstand the illness, then Miss Qingqi was so young and usually in good health. How could she have died too?"

"If a mother and daughter died on the same day, that's called being haunted by ghosts..."

Yao Qingling listened to her rambling, but treated it as idle chatter. No one would bother to investigate how Madam Ma and Yao Qingqi actually died.

Whether it died of disease or poisoning is no longer important.

Lou Yue added, "When our cousin from the Marquis's mansion heard the news, she only shed a couple of tears, but she still clung to the old lady's side, saying that the old lady couldn't be separated from her and refused to go to the estate."

"This young lady is really materialistic. The Lady of the Marquis used to pamper her so much and never let her suffer a bit. Instead of thinking about how to bring the Lady of the Marquis back, she's always thinking about how to seduce men."

Yao Qingling chuckled: "She only cares about herself. Anyone who is useless to her, no matter who they are, is just a used object. However..."

She looked at her reflection in the mirror.

However, Ma Peizhen knew quite a lot because she followed Ma Shi.

What will she do to save her life?

She dared not go to the estate, probably because she feared that Madam Ma's death would remind her of her own future.

Ma Peizhen tried to seduce Zhan Xingzhuo to become his concubine, but Zhan Xingzhuo hasn't been to the Marquis's residence lately, so her plan is going to fail.

The old lady no longer concern herself with the affairs of the Marquis's mansion. Her presence by the old lady's side could only ensure that she wouldn't be sent back to her hometown, but it couldn't save her life...

After Yao Qingling finished dressing, a nanny came from the main courtyard to inform her that there was a funeral in the Marquis's mansion and that she could not wear red items anymore, not even the lanterns in the courtyard. She was told to change everything.

She also gave a basket of funeral supplies.

Although Yao Qingling is not Ma's daughter, she is still a relative, and some rules cannot be avoided.

After the old woman left, Yao Qingling gave instructions to tidy up the items in Mulan Courtyard, and to cover any red items with white cloth.

In the evening, the bodies of Madam Ma and Yao Qingqi were transported from the estate to the Marquis's residence.

The Marquis's residence was filled with the sound of weeping.

Ma's son, daughter-in-law, daughter, and son-in-law wept bitterly.

The eldest son, Yao Qingxu, now works in the Buddhist Registry. He has invited a group of monks to chant sutras and perform rituals.

He also wanted to hold a grand funeral to show his filial piety.

When Yao Wu, Yao Qingxu's uncle, took up his post outside Beijing, Yao Qingxu sent out a funeral notice and sent a message asking them to return.

Yao Qingling secretly observed Yao Qingxu's behavior.

Even the Marquis of Zhongyong did not allow his third brother to return for the funeral, yet he bypassed his father and called his uncle back instead?

While the family kept vigil that night, Yao Qingling dozed off from exhaustion.

He barely opened his eyes and saw that Ma Peizhen was not there.

Yao Qingxu sneaked out.

Qingling glanced at the others; his wife, Madam Lu, was holding their child, leaning against the wall, fast asleep.

Yao Qingling tiptoed after her.

It was pitch black at night, and nothing could be seen clearly. Yao Qingling lost track of Yao Qingxu as soon as she reached the garden.

Fortunately, it snowed, and there were shoe prints on the ground.

Yao Qingling followed the shoe prints until she reached the vicinity of the artificial hill.

Then they heard the sounds of men and women flirting coming from inside.

Those voices were Ma Peizhen and Yao Qingxu!

Yao Qingling gave a cold laugh, speechless.

So that's what Ma Peizhen was planning. How could she even think of that?

However, Yao Qingxu was the eldest son of the Marquis's family, and his words carried weight. According to their plan, Yao Qingxu was the heir apparent and would inherit the entire Marquis's estate in the future.

Having been in the capital for so long without being able to marry, Ma Peizhen decided to try her luck within the Marquis's household.

Even if you can't be the Crown Prince's wife, being his concubine will still make you a person of high status.

Moreover, now that she has become Yao Qingxu's woman, the Marquis of Zhongyong cannot touch her.