Chapter 36 [VIP]

The drawer wobbled and made a creaking sound.

"Master Supervisor, look!"

Boom!

The drawer finally gave way, and the broken piece of wood flew out, causing the heavy display shelf to crash down, seemingly shaking the ground.

Sheng Jiang was stunned. He touched his cheek, which had been cut by the shards of porcelain, and a drop of blood appeared on his fingertip.

This amulet is incredibly effective!

Meow~

The tabby cat jumped down from the display shelf and rubbed against Chen Xu's calf. It was affectionate, but there was no trace of the excitement and exhilaration it had shown earlier. With its tail held high, it walked away without a backward glance.

The cat is so happy! Meow~

Sheng Jiang swallowed hard and said tremblingly, "Miss Gu said that the Qilin cat can distinguish good and bad fortune, and especially likes ominous signs. So, it must have sensed that you would face a great calamity just now, which is why it was so happy... right?" It should be said that it was excited; he could clearly see a kind of eager excitement in its two golden cat eyes.

Shen Xu: "Shut up."

Sheng Jiang felt he must be crazy to say something like that.

He immediately lowered his head and bowed his head obsequiously.

Shen Xu flicked his sleeve, letting the Buddhist beads dangle between his fingers, and started to walk away. But as he passed him, he suddenly stopped and asked, "The Jing'an Marquis's residence was quite lively a few days ago?"

His lips curved slightly, and his eyes and brows were beautiful.

Sheng Jiang respectfully replied, "Yes."

All the unusual events in the capital could not escape the eyes of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. They would all come to Sheng Jiang's attention, and Sheng Jiang would pick out the most important or noteworthy ones from them.

The inner quarters of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion are lively and private, but they are actually worthless. He only mentioned them once or twice in his report. Several days have passed. Why is the master suddenly interested?

But he answered all of Shen Xu's questions.

This Jing'an Marquis's mansion, tsk tsk, it's really something. These were originally some low-class matters, but now the whole capital is watching a grand show.

"Go to the Jingzhao Prefecture and urge them on."

ah?

The implication of urging him is... Sheng Jiang isn't stupid; if he were, he wouldn't be in his current position. Although he's not the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, just because he's by Shen Xu's side, even the commander has to avoid his sharp edge.

"yes!"

Sheng Jiang understood what he meant.

Several guards stood respectfully to the side, ready to go and help up the display shelf as soon as he left.

"Don't move yet." Sheng Jiang dismissed the guards and then sent someone to summon Wu Shang.

Wu Shang was a eunuch in his forties, with a thin, beardless face and sharp eyes.

Sheng Jiang told him what had happened and then showed him the collapsed antique shelf.

He was still terrified. He was so lucky; otherwise, if that antique shelf had fallen on him, the Grand Eunuch would have at least suffered a head injury, or worse, unimaginably, he might have lost his life.

Wu Shang did not approach.

The display shelf is so heavy, it's impossible for it to fall over on its own for no reason.

Wu Shang: "The Eastern Depot has craftsmen."

Sheng Jiang didn't ask any more questions. After handing over the matter, he said it was up to the Eastern Depot to investigate.

He was a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so he couldn't easily inquire about how the Eastern Depot was investigating. Instead, he took some time to personally visit the Prefectural Governor's Office. Sheng Jiang's appearance startled the Prefect, as the Embroidered Uniform Guard was not to be trifled with, especially since Sheng Jiang was backed by that very person.

His first thought was whether he had done something wrong.

But then I thought, since only Sheng Jiang came, he probably wasn't here to arrest me, right?

After Sheng Jiang explained the situation, the Prefect of the Capital was relieved.

So it was about the Jing'an Marquis's residence!

As long as it's not me who's unlucky, it doesn't matter who's unlucky.

The Prefect of Jingzhao dared not delay and immediately ordered his men to bring Lady Jing'an back to court, holding a trial that very night.

Lady Jing'an denied it, not afraid at all. She thought that, like last time, they would just ask a few questions and then respectfully send her back. She didn't expect that the Jingzhao Prefecture would actually take this seriously this time!

When the instruments of torture were brought out, Lady Jing'an trembled with fear. She cried out in a trembling voice, "I am the Lady Jing'an! Who dares to torture me!"

Snap!

The Prefect of the Capital struck the gavel.

Like a thunderclap exploding in her ears, Lady Jing'an trembled and gripped Granny Qiu's hand tightly.

In fact, for the Prefect of the Capital, it would have been enough for those few servants to confess. It wasn't some heinous crime, and there was no need to keep harping on a mere lady without any evidence. But now things are different.

The Prefect of the Capital changed his usual conciliatory attitude and, in front of the Lady of the Earl of Jing'an, used severe torture on Granny Ping and the others in the courtroom. After being beaten with boards and canes, he personally interrogated them, relentlessly pressing them for answers. Granny Ping finally couldn't hold on any longer and accidentally let slip some words.

One slip of the tongue and her last line of defense collapsed. Granny Ping collapsed to the ground, her face ashen, and blurted out everything.

"It was the Lady of the House who ordered us to take the Fifth Miss to the river."

"Madam Bo ordered me to drown the Fifth Miss!"

In a panic, Lady Jing'an was taken to the prison of the Jingzhao Prefecture. She shouted that she wanted to see her husband and her son, but no one paid any attention to her.

From the Jingzhao Prefecture to the Dali Temple, the case was settled in just three days.

Lady Jing'an attempted to drown her granddaughter, but failed. The Dali Temple, in accordance with the law, sentenced her to twenty strokes of the cane and a fine of one hundred taels of silver.

The case files and memorials were handed to Shen Xu from the Directorate of Ceremonial on the same day.

After glancing at it, Shen Xu picked up his pen and added a sentence: "The Jing'an Marquis's mansion is poorly maintained; its hereditary title should be revoked, but its rank should be retained."

Sheng Jiang silently mourned for the Jing'an Marquis's family in his heart.

Although there is only a four-character difference between a Marquis's Mansion and a Marquis's Mansion with hereditary succession, they are worlds apart! Without hereditary succession, it means that when the Marquis of Jing'an dies, Qin Su will only be able to inherit a viscount's title, and Qin Su's son will no longer have the status of a nobleman and will become an ordinary citizen.

Oh, right, Master Qingping seems to have said that he was destined to have no children. Sigh, how pitiful.

But this is just as good as it seems, saving them from worrying all day about who would inherit their title, or having a child whose father they wouldn't even know. Now the problem is solved once and for all; their master is truly kind!

Oh, right!

Sheng Jiang suddenly had a thought. He remembered that when Miss Gu came to his door, she seemed to have said something like, "Your virtue is not worthy of your position. You might as well not have this title." Yes, that's what she said. He had even mentioned it to his master without thinking.

Hmm.

Sheng Jiang cleared his mind, not wanting to think about anything he shouldn't be thinking about.

In fact, the atrocity of drowning female infants was quite common in previous dynasties, but it was only among the common people, mostly because they couldn't afford to raise them and had to leave food for male babies. After Emperor Taizu ascended the throne, the court issued strict orders many times to prohibit the drowning of female infants, exempted families who had given birth to female infants from corvée labor and reduced taxes, and ordered local governments to open charitable halls to take in abandoned female infants.

After so many years of strict investigation and prevention by the imperial court, the number of cases of female infanticide among the common people has finally decreased. Now, even nobles are doing this!

Is it because they can't afford to raise her? She's a legitimate granddaughter! The legitimate daughters of noble families are very prestigious, and even if they marry into another family in the future, they can become the matriarch of a clan.

The Jing'an Marquis's mansion actually wanted to drown her because of a mysterious illegitimate son.

The emperor finished reading the memorial in disbelief, threw it on his desk, and sneered repeatedly.

He had heard about all the ridiculous things that had happened at the Jing'an Marquis's residence these past few days, but he never expected that there would be even more outrageous things!

The Jing'an Marquis's Mansion had been in decline for many years, but the emperor insisted on promoting Qin Su, all for the sake of his status as the son-in-law of the Gu family. The emperor even had arrangements for him to take over the Qianji Camp from Gu Yican in the future.

His unilateral divorce from Lady Gu caught the emperor completely off guard. He was already quite displeased and planned to have the Empress summon Lady Gu to persuade her to cancel the divorce. Unexpectedly, Lady Jing'an nearly drowned Lady Gu's own daughter.

How can I persuade him like this?!

The emperor felt frustrated that his entire plan had been disrupted.

He picked up the memorial with a heavy heart, and as he read on, he saw that the Dali Temple had sentenced him to twenty strokes of the cane, which made him even more unhappy.

But then, his face brightened, revealing a smile. Looking at the familiar handwriting at the end, he laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, Ah Xu understands my heart best!"

"That's exactly how it should be!"

"Let's do as Ah Xu says."

Otherwise, wouldn't he, the dignified ruler of a nation, have to swallow this insult whole?

The emperor, with his vermilion brush, wrote a large "Approved" and issued the decree directly.

The imperial edict was for the Earl of Jing'an. Qin Su was still on duty when he heard about it and was completely stunned.

The phrase "帷薄不修" (wéi bó bù xiū) implies promiscuity within the inner chambers, as clearly stated in the imperial edict. The stripping of the hereditary title was due to the rampant promiscuity within the Jing'an Marquis's household.

He covered his face with his hands, overwhelmed with shame and indignation. It was as if he had been struck on the head by a heavy hammer, his mind going blank. He rushed out of the palace and immediately returned to his residence.

From afar, he could see the Ministry of Works men dismantling the door.

The hereditary earl's mansion is characterized by a vermilion gate with three bays and a black plaque with gold lacquer.

The signboard was smashed and hadn't even been replaced yet; in just a few days, even the door is gone.

That's all!

Qin Su stood in front of the door, his eyes glazed over, motionless, as if he had lost his soul.

His future, his ideals, his aspirations, everything...

All gone!

His father had always been indifferent to everything, his younger brother Qin Luo was neither good at literature nor martial arts, and his mother spent her days plotting to torment his father's concubines... All the burdens of the Jing'an Marquis's mansion fell on his shoulders. He had tried so hard for so long, but in the end, it was all ruined.

Boom! The last door was torn off and smashed on the ground, sending dust flying everywhere.

Qin Su closed his eyes, his heart filled with despair.

"Young Master!"

A cry piercing through Qin Su's ears suddenly rang out. Qin Su turned her head stiffly, and Granny Qiu pulled back the carriage curtain, crying as she said, "Madam, Madam, she's been knocked unconscious. It's good that you're here."

Twenty strokes of the cane!

After being beaten, the lady fainted on the spot.

After the beating, the Dali Temple didn't care and just left the person there. She had no choice but to lead the old women in the mansion to carry the lady onto the carriage.

She was beaten so badly that her back was covered in blood and gore; she couldn't even bear to look at it.

Seeing Qin Su, I finally felt like my pillar of support had returned.

Qin Su subconsciously took two steps forward, then abruptly stopped, his eyes filled with resentment.

If it weren't for his mother, how could their Earl's family have ended up like this? How could he have become the laughingstock of the entire capital? In the past few days, he hasn't even dared to walk in front of people. Originally, he could still grit his teeth and persevere because of the prestige of the hereditary Earl's family.

Now, he's finished!

Once the imperial decree was issued, he would never escape the label of "unruly behavior" for the rest of his life.

Thinking of Sun Yaoniang, that child, that father… he felt so nauseous he almost vomited, and the lingering smell of blood in his chest seemed to intensify.

"Su'er...is it Su'er?"

Lady Jing'an opened her eyes with difficulty, trying to pull the carriage curtain.

She was delicate and pampered, so the blows were real and painful, making her wish she were dead.

However, Su'er never appeared.

Luo'er didn't come either.

Neither of her two sons made any arrangements for her, leaving her alone and helpless in the courtroom, utterly humiliated.

"Su'er!"

Seeing Qin Su turn his face away coldly, Granny Qiu knew something was wrong and quickly said, "This servant was mistaken, it's not the young master. Madam, let's go into the mansion first and wait for the doctor to arrive."

She was about to ask if she should report to the Fifth Young Master, but then she thought that the Fifth Young Master hadn't returned to the mansion for almost half a month and had been staying at that so-called Fairy's incense pavilion all day.

Thinking about it, I'd better forget it. The Fifth Young Master coming back wouldn't be of any use; he'd only be in the way.

She hurriedly urged the carriage to enter the mansion.

"Isn't that Su'er?" Lady Jing'an thought to herself as the carriage started moving again. The wind lifted the curtain slightly, and she could clearly see Qin Su standing there motionless, but he didn't look at her at all.

At that moment, her heart broke.

She was doing it all for his own good!

That's how it's always done in her family... It must be that wretched maid Sun Yaoniang's fault for seducing the Earl and not saying anything!

Thump!

There was a lot of dismantled door frame wood piled up in front of the mansion gate. When the carriage went in, it was tripped and jolted. The Lady of Zhen'an, who was lying in the carriage, had her face contorted and cried out in pain.

"ah!"

"It hurts so much—"

Lady Jing'an screamed, her eyes momentarily glazed over.

"Grandma, it hurts so much."

A soft, sweet voice seemed to ring in my ears.

"Grandmother, Aman is scared, please don't prick her anymore."

"Grandma, Aman hurts, Aman hurts so much..."

Granny Ping grabbed her hands, Granny Qiu held down her feet, and the long blood-drawing needle pierced Aman's chest. She cried out in pain, screaming hysterically.

It's so noisy.

She told her not to speak, or she would be released.

"Grandmother, Aman will be good..."

After that, Ah Man never spoke again.

Master Qingping said that Su'er was destined to have no offspring, and that Aman was Su'er's only blood relative in this life.

For a moment, I couldn't tell if it was regret or guilt; an indescribable emotion welled up in my heart.

“I’m going to the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion to beg the Gu family to bring Aman back…”

Lady Jing'an shouted and screamed desperately.

The carriage jolted again, this time even harder, throwing her off her chair and tumbling into the carriage.

Her vision went black, and she collapsed.

"Madam! Madam!"

Granny Qiu was startled. She carefully touched the woman's weak breath and cried out, "Help! Something terrible has happened to the Madam!"

"Help! Someone come quick!"

Qin Su heard it too. He was silent for a moment, but ultimately did not go over.

My mother has always been like this, crying and making a scene, and all she got was a few lashes. How serious could that be?! Could it be as painful as Aman's?

With a cold face, he mounted his horse and rode away, heading straight for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

He wanted to see A-Liao; he was about to break down. He longed for A-Liao to be by his side. It didn't matter if he didn't have a son; he had A-Man, and that was enough. The three of them would go to the northern frontier, far from the capital, so they could be together forever.

Bang bang bang!

He pounded on the door of the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.

"Aman! I want to see my daughter."

He only has this one daughter in his life; she is his destiny.

The gatekeeper first reported to the main courtyard, and soon someone relayed the message to Gu Zhizhuo.

Gu Zhizhu smiled faintly and said sarcastically, "Now you're pretending to be affectionate and want to play the loving father. Give me a break."

"Go on."

Gu Zhizhuo has been preoccupied with Xie Yingchen's pills these past few days.

She asked her junior brother to get her a small alchemy furnace, and she was still getting used to the heat, so she didn't pay much attention to the affairs of the Marquis of Jing'an's mansion. However, Qiongfang would go out every day, and the Qin family's chaotic state had long become a laughing stock among the people of the capital. Qiongfang didn't need to ask any questions to bring back a lot of gossip.

“The three of them, including Granny Ping, were sentenced to one hundred strokes of the cane. After the beating, they were sent back to the Marquis of Jing’an’s residence.” Qiongfang said, then added, “If they weren’t sent back, they might still have a chance to live. But if they are sent back, their lives are probably in danger.”

Lady Jing'an will definitely vent her anger and beat them to death.

However, Qiongfang showed no sympathy whatsoever.

Even if it was their master's order, they did indeed take action. Moreover, if it weren't a trusted confidant, why would Lady Jing'an entrust such a matter to her? Since they were trusted confidants, they must have known about Lady Jing'an's plans long ago. They didn't even whisper a word to the eldest young lady in secret.

"By the way, young lady, I also heard that when Lady Jing'an was imprisoned in Dali Temple, the Earl took Sun Yaoniang as a concubine."

ah?

Gu Zhizhuo slowly raised her head, her beautiful big eyes blinking repeatedly.

"It's true, he even invited quite a few people to his concubine-taking banquet."

Gu Zhizhuo: "..."

Well, the Jing'an Marquis's mansion really does always manage to give her a sense of being completely overwhelmed and having her perceptions challenged.

So why didn't you take Sun Yaoniang as your concubine back then?

In fact, she originally thought that this lawsuit would take at least ten days to half a month to be resolved.

Without a doubt, someone has made a move.

"Miss, the Grand Madam requests your presence."

Chunxin was outside reporting this.

So Gu Zhizhu put down the medicinal herbs in her hand, wiped her hands with a clean white silk cloth, put on a veil and went out.

The Ji family also lived in Ronghetang.

Gu Zhizhuo hadn't left the house for five days, nor had he seen her for five days. She looked extremely haggard, sitting there without saying a word, lacking her usual deliberate gentleness and consideration.

Gu Zhizhuo's incense was only enough for two days, and it could evoke the most unbearable memories. Before using the incense, she deliberately mentioned her "twin sister" to Madam Ji. If Madam Ji was truly guilty, she would be plagued by nightmares.

It seems we need to thoroughly investigate the matter of the Ji family's twins.

"grandmother."

"Mother."

Gu Zhizhu greeted him with proper manners and sat down in his seat.

Bai Chang's wife stood behind Ji Shi. When she met Ji Shi's gaze, Bai Chang's wife raised her chin, looking arrogant.

Gu Zhizhuo smiled and asked, "Mother doesn't look well. Have you not been sleeping well lately?"

These words struck Ji Shi like a knife to the heart.

She had nightmares for two days in a row. In the following days, whenever she closed her eyes, her older sister would appear in front of her, and she was too afraid to even sleep.

"fine."

Ji Shi gave an impatient, perfunctory reply, then continued with what Gu Zhizhuo had said before entering, adding, "...Mother, please let me take Yan Ge'er back."

Madam Gu shook her head: "Yan'er has already moved to the front courtyard, there's no reason for him to move back. Yuan Chu, I know you only have one son, but no matter how much I miss him, I can't keep a boy in the inner quarters forever. Not to mention our household, any family with proper etiquette would move their five- or six-year-old boys. Yuan Chu..."

“Mother, my wife didn’t say she wouldn’t move.” Ji said anxiously, “Yan’er’s fever hasn’t gone away, and his injuries are very painful. I’m really scared. He’s never been away from me since he was little. Now he’s sick and can only lie here all alone. Mother, Yan’er is not even six years old yet. What if he dies… If Second Brother is gone, our household will only have three male members, including Yan’er.”

"How can you bear to do this?"

Upon hearing this, the old lady panicked and hurriedly asked, "Hasn't the doctor gone to see him?"

"I've seen it!" Ji Shi felt indescribably agitated. "The medicine has been prescribed again and again, and after taking it for several days, it's been completely useless."

"Mother."

Ji looked at Madam Gu pleadingly: "Let Yan'er come back and stay for a few days. Once he has recovered, I will send him back to the front courtyard, okay?"

If Yan'er hadn't been so seriously ill, she wouldn't have lowered herself like that.

This... Madam Gu was somewhat troubled.

Gu Yan did indeed make a big mistake, almost harming Aman. Bai'er had warned her not to be soft-hearted, as the child had been spoiled in the inner quarters and needed to be corrected. He needed to suffer a bit.

She subconsciously looked at Gu Zhizhuo; it was Gu Zhizhuo's idea to have Gu Yan stay in the front yard.

"Mother," Gu Zhizhuo brushed a stray hair from her cheek and spoke slowly, "Is the medicine Yan-ge'er is taking made with the right ingredients?"

"Of course," Ji said, her anger simmering. "They were all made from the medicinal herbs that were readily available in the manor."

Like most wealthy and powerful families, the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion also had a storeroom specifically for storing commonly used and rare medicinal herbs. All of these herbs were carefully selected and of far superior quality to those freshly picked from outside.

The doctor prescribed the medicine, and we can get all of it directly from the small storeroom.

Gu Zhizhuo repeated, "Are the medicinal herbs correct?"

What's the meaning! ?

Ji's first thought was that she was being played, and her face darkened.

"Granny Wan," Gu Zhizhuo instructed herself, "go and fetch one dose of Gu Yan's medicine."

Granny Wan glanced at Madam Ji, and seeing that she didn't say anything, she quickly went back to get it herself.

Bai Chang's eyes darted around, her heart pounding. She couldn't help but speak, "Madam..."

"What?" Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow. "Bai Chang's family, who gave you permission to interrupt? Why are you so tense? Is there something wrong with the medicinal herbs?"

"It's been five days. You haven't upset your mother, have you?"

She spoke slowly, just as she had five days ago.

Bai Chang's wife shuddered. Over the past five days, she had watched as the fourth young master was injured or ill, and the eldest young lady's predictions had all come true. She was somewhat afraid that the eldest young lady's words had come true. She kept telling herself that the eldest young lady didn't have the ability to beat her and was just trying to scare her and gain some verbal advantage.

After thinking it over, she decided to follow the lady closely and try to get close to her, going wherever the lady went, so that no little hussy would come to complain about her when she wasn't around.

The fifth day is almost over...

Will anything go wrong?

Bai Changjia's heart was pounding like a drum, and he kept glancing towards the door.

She only received some commission; those merchants wouldn't be so bold as to give substandard medicinal herbs to the Duke's mansion, would they?

It must be that the young woman is exaggerating.

Granny Wan came and went in a hurry, and when she returned, she brought back a package of medicinal herbs.

This was obtained from the small storeroom after the doctor prescribed the medicine yesterday.

Bai Changjia's hands were clasped together, his fingertips turning white.

Granny Wan presented it to Madam Ji, who said, "If the eldest young lady wants to see it, then give it to her."

She wanted to see what tricks Gu Zhizhuo could come up with!

So, the medicinal herbs were placed on the coffee table next to Gu Zhizhuo.

Gu Zhizhuo casually fiddled with the herbs with his fingers for a few moments, then picked up a piece of Bupleurum chinense. Granny Wan glanced at it instinctively, her pupils shrinking sharply—this Bupleurum chinense…

Granny Wan took it with trembling hands.

The Bupleurum chinense was of extremely poor quality, with not only wormholes but also black spots and white hairs.

Gu Zhizhuo then took out a small piece of ephedra.

Granny Wan quickly took it. She squeezed the ephedra in her hand; it was soft, and some water seeped out when she squeezed it—it was all rotten!

She exclaimed in surprise, "Madam! These medicinal herbs..."

Madam Ji also realized something was wrong. She rushed over and rummaged through the pile of medicinal herbs with her slender, fair hands. The more she turned them over, the more frightened she became. These herbs were either moldy or infested with insects, and they were mixed in with the other herbs. If she hadn't looked at them carefully one by one, she wouldn't have noticed them at all.

Gu Zhizhuo sneered, "It would be a miracle if you drank this medicine and got better."

"These can be bought in a whole cartload for just a few copper coins! Sigh, we don't know how long our household has been eating this garbage. No wonder your health has always been poor, Madam."

Madam Gu asked Granny Zhu to bring some over to show her as well. Thinking about Gu Zhizhuo's words, she was filled with rage.

She slammed her hand on the coffee table, yelling, "Who's in charge of purchasing?!"

Granny Wan blurted out, "It's...it's from Bai Chang's family!"

Bai Changjia's legs trembled violently, and he knelt on the ground.

"Slave, slave..."

She crawled out from behind Ji Shi on her knees and knelt before the Grand Madam, drenched in cold sweat.

Ji's lips were tightly pressed together, her face was as dark as ink, and a thick anger lingered between her brows and eyes, as if it was about to engulf her.

Gu Zhizhuo raised his hand, spread his fingers, and said with a smile:

"It's the fifth day now."

A note from the author: