Chapter 266 If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear.

The man nodded heavily, then turned his large hand over and enveloped her small hand in his palm: "But I won't let you get hurt."

He seemed to have made a decision: "The case is about to end, but the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion will definitely not be the last one to be closed."

The lowly Marquis of Zhongyong is not up to such a great responsibility.

As the two were discussing how to proceed, Xia Chan knocked on the door.

"Miss, someone from the main courtyard has come to invite you over."

Yao Qingling and Lin Shiyuan exchanged glances. Yao Qingling said, "With so many guards outside, he must be scared. I'll go see him and hear what he has to say."

Lin Shiyuan nodded.

Yao Qingling, wearing a cloak, was about to go out when she turned back to Lin Shiyuan: "Have you eaten? Should we ask Lou Yue to make some more food?"

Lin Shiyuan drank his water, smiling faintly as he looked at her: "Do you have any snacks you made?"

Yao Qingling pursed his lips; he really did like sweets.

He glanced at the food box on top of the cabinet: "There's some in there."

Lin Shiyuan got up to get it, and Yao Qingling also turned around at that moment and went to the main courtyard.

On a snowy night, the ground was covered with a thick layer of snow, like a huge piece of grease, making it hard to bear stepping on it.

Yao Qingling walked slowly, and Granny Sun in the main courtyard wanted to urge her but dared not.

At this critical juncture, the Marquis's mansion was in chaos, and the Marquis of Zhongyong pinned his hopes on Yao Qingling, hoping she could come up with a solution.

It took Yao Qingling almost half an hour to reach the main courtyard.

The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery was seen clenching his fists and tapping his forehead repeatedly, clearly agitated.

When he saw Qingling arrive, before she could brush the snowflakes off her collar, he jumped up from his chair and rushed toward her, his eyes wide open and bloodshot.

He grabbed Qingling's shoulders, his voice trembling with emotion: "There are guards outside, do you know that?!"

Qingling's shoulder was sore from his grip.

He Yin said that the poison from the pill had entered his lungs and internal organs, and she did not expect him to still have so much strength, which shows how scared he was at this moment.

Qingling looked indifferently at the cowardly man in front of her who had stolen and usurped her father's honor.

Compared to General Mingwei, what heroic qualities does he possess?

"Uncle, you haven't seen a massive army besieging a city, cannons bombarding the city walls incessantly, spears and swords piercing people's bodies, and people riding on horseback cleaving people in half with a single stroke. You've never seen such a horrific scene, have you?"

"You haven't heard it either, the screams that kept ringing in your ears in the dead of night, the thuds of heavy weapons hitting the city gates, the muffled thuds that made your heart pound, were more terrifying than thunder in your ears."

"I personally witnessed an elderly man who, upon hearing that sound, was so terrified that his liver and gallbladder ruptured, and he died instantly..."

Marquis Zhongyong stared blankly at her. Just hearing her simple description, the image of hell on earth flashed through his mind, and his legs trembled.

"Why are you telling me all this?" He pointed towards the door, his eyes practically popping out of their sockets, and shouted hysterically, "Our manor is surrounded! And you still have the mind to talk about this!"

Qingling's expression remained indifferent. She said, "I just want to tell Uncle that this is just a small matter, nothing to be afraid of."

Marquis Zhongyong seemed unable to comprehend her calmness, staring blankly at her: "What? There's nothing to be afraid of?"

In all his years as an official, he had never encountered anything like this.

A large number of guards surrounded the Marquis's residence at night. Isn't that a big deal?

Zhao Qie couldn't hold back any longer. She ran to Yao Qingling and asked, "Do you have a solution?"

Otherwise, why isn't she nervous at all?

The Marquis of Loyalty and Valor's eyes lit up instantly.

Qingling held a handkerchief and wiped the melted snow from her collar. She said calmly, "If you have a clear conscience, you have nothing to fear."

Feeling guilty, Zhao's concubine turned around and exchanged a glance with the Marquis of Zhongyong.

She stammered, "I haven't done anything wrong to the Marquis. But you, Qingling, not long ago, Lord Lin brought people to search your Mulan Courtyard. Hui Bafang and several other shops and estates were all sealed off. They still haven't left."

"If you ask me, isn't it because of you, Qingling, that we've been dragged into this?"

Qingling sat down, staring at Aunt Zhao with a half-smile: "Maybe so. They didn't find any evidence in my courtyard or my shop, so they expanded the search."

"However, the Golden Feather Silk is actually Cicada Cloud Silk, that much is certain. I think my innocence will be cleared soon. I'm just worried..."

She dragged out her words, keeping the Marquis of Zhongyong on the edge of his seat.

What are you worried about?

Qingling said, "I'm worried that my uncle might find something here; it's hard to say."

Marquis Zhongyong paused, his eyes blinked violently, and he vehemently denied it: "What could I possibly find here?"

“My shop was shut down, but I wasn’t worried at all. So what are you afraid of, Uncle?”

"I'm not afraid, I'm worried that Lin Shiyuan will frame me indiscriminately in order to gain merit!"

"Uncle is joking. Our Marquis's Mansion is only of a small status. Compared to those aristocratic families, we are just the lowest in the capital. If Lin Shiyuan wants to investigate and gain merit, he can go to the Duke's Mansion, the Prince's Mansion, the Minister's Mansion... none of them are more powerful than our Marquis's Mansion."

Marquis Zhongyong was speechless and felt even more uneasy.

He was worried that one of the princes or dukes who had accepted his gifts had betrayed him.

Yao Qingling stopped talking and started counting the rabbit fur on her sleeves out of boredom.

It's so dense, my eyes are getting tired of looking at it.

The Marquis of Zhongyong invited her over, not to see her sitting there playing.

"Yao Qingling, stop trying to brush us off. If we get caught, no one will escape punishment!"

Qing Ling calmly lifted her eyelids and quietly looked at the Marquis Zhongyong: "Uncle, I would like to ask, what was the cause of the Marquis's death?"

"..." The Marquis of Zhongyong's throat bobbed, but he couldn't say anything.

Zhao's concubine's eyes darted around, her throat tightened, and her voice became strange: "She caught a cold and couldn't hold on, so she died. Didn't you already know that?"

Qingling looked at her with a mocking expression, her gaze falling on the gold and jade necklace around her neck.

Previously, Concubine Zhao did not have such precious jewelry.

Concubine Zhao noticed her gaze and awkwardly touched the necklace on her chest.

Yao Qingling said, "Aunt Zhao, Ma Peizhen is still locked in the woodshed. I think we should call her out now and ask her where the money for the sudden extravagance of the Marquis's mansion came from?"

Marquis Zhongyong seemed to have his throat suddenly grabbed, and he made hoarse, rapid breathing sounds.

Whether it was Yao Qingling's hint that provoked him or not, Marquis Zhongyong clutched his chest and could barely stand. Concubine Zhao quickly helped him sit back in his chair and then quickly poured out a pill and put it into his mouth.

Yao Qingling coldly watched as the Marquis of Zhongyong swallowed the pill that looked like a tonic but was actually poison.

If it weren't for her having He Yin take care of his health and keep him alive, he would be lying in bed half-dead right now.

Zhao Qie looked at Qing Ling and said, "Why are you bringing up Ma Peizhen at this time? The Marquis is already angry with the Marquis's wife, and you still bring them up."

"Speaking of which, isn't the reason why the Marquis and his wife have fallen out and become like this today precisely because of you?"

Seeing that Concubine Zhao was starting to make a scene, Qingling interrupted her: "Concubine Zhao, did you invite me here to discuss solutions or to bring up things that have already been settled?"

"I'm not in a hurry. It's so late, I should be resting." With that, she gave a graceful yawn.

Marquis Zhongyong stared coldly at Yao Qingling. Since she had mentioned Ma Peizhen, she must have guessed what was going on.

He doesn't trust Yao Qingling.

What ideas could she possibly come up with?

At this point, she would only try to save herself.

However, her surname was Yao, and he was the head of the Yao family. Her life, everything she had, was given to her by the Marquis's mansion.

After catching his breath, Marquis Zhongyong said in a deep voice, "Qingling, go and tell them that everything was done by you and has nothing to do with the Marquis's mansion. You were the one who wanted to make money and used rare treasures to win over the powerful and influential."

"Don't worry, as long as you take responsibility and get the Marquis's mansion out of danger, your uncle will make arrangements for you afterwards so that you can land safely."