Shen Qing sat up abruptly, immediately got out of bed and went to open the door: "What happened?"
Chunju looked terrified and pointed towards the stairs, saying, "Xiazhu...Xiazhu..."
"What's wrong with Xia Zhu?"
"Xia Zhu is dead!" Chun Ju cried. "Blood was flowing from all seven orifices! How terrible!"
"What?"
Shen Qing pushed Chunju aside and ran up to the third floor.
Several maids stood at the door of Xia Zhu's room, and the wet nurse's cries could be heard coming from inside.
When Shen Qing came over, everyone automatically made way for her.
She swallowed hard and went inside.
Xia Zhu lay on the bed, blood seeping from her eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
His lips were pale, and his skin had an eerie gray hue.
Her eyes were wide open, she died with her eyes open in disbelief.
The wet nurse lay by the bed, wailing.
A doctor carrying a medical kit stood to the side.
Shen Qing walked in with a pale face and asked, "What's wrong with Xia Zhu?"
Upon hearing this, the wet nurse immediately stood up and lunged at her, raising her hand to slap her face, but the slap did not fall as He Fei grabbed her wrist.
With a forceful thrust, He Fei flung the wet nurse against the wall. She stood up and lunged at Shen Qing again, pointing her finger at Shen Qing's nose and cursing, "You vicious woman!"
He Fei blocked him again.
The wet nurse plopped down on the ground and wailed, "My daughter, a virgin, followed Lord Qi and became pregnant with his child. Lord Qi was going to take her and her child to his post in a couple of days. The day was fast approaching, and this wicked woman, in order to prevent my daughter from going to the post with Lord Qi, killed my daughter and Lord Qi's unborn child! You wicked woman!"
Shen Qing pressed his temples, walked up to the doctor, and asked, "Doctor, is the person really not going to make it?"
The doctor sighed and shook his head: "She's been dead for several hours, and the mortis has even appeared. It's definitely not going to work."
Shen Qing glanced at Xia Zhu's body and asked, "What was the cause of death?"
The doctor stroked his goatee and said, "Based on my more than fifty years of medical experience, the deceased died of poisoning."
Poisoning?
Suddenly, a corpse that looked almost exactly like hers floated past Shen Qing's eyes.
Cheng Zhiwu.
Cheng Zhiwu also died with blood flowing from all seven orifices.
Could it be that Mr. Cai again?
Why did he poison Xia Zhu, who had no connection with Cheng Zhiwen?
A chill ran from the soles of Shen Qing's feet to her brain. She raised her hand to rub her arm and looked at the butler: "Let's report it to the authorities!"
He glanced coldly at the wet nurse who was still sitting on the ground wailing, and then instructed the steward: "Take good care of the funeral arrangements. Give the wet nurse the house in the countryside and the money that was originally intended for Xia Zhu."
"Yes, madam."
Shen Qing turned to go downstairs, but the wet nurse rushed up again and was blocked by He Fei.
She hurriedly returned to her room, instructing Chunju to pack the children's clothes, take the twins, and stay at a hotel.
Someone has died in this house, and she dares not live there any longer.
After packing their luggage, He Fei carried it while Shen Qing and Chunju each carried one child, and they went downstairs to the second floor.
Just as he was about to leave his house, he bumped into Qi Zhenheng, who happened to be returning home.
Seeing that Shen Qing looked like he was about to leave with his family, he was startled and asked, "Where are you going?"
Shen Qing didn't know how to tell him about Xia Zhu's death, so she remained silent.
Behind him, the steward brought the doctor downstairs. Upon seeing Qi Zhenheng, he quickly stepped forward to report, "Sir, something terrible has happened! Miss Xia Zhu is dead!"
Qi Zhenheng's eyes widened: "What? Dead? How did he die?"
The butler said, "The doctor said it was poisoning. The way he died was so pitiful, blood was flowing from all seven orifices..."
Qi Zhenheng gritted his teeth and looked at Shen Qing.
Seeing his angry expression, Shen Qing assumed that he suspected her of harming Xia Zhu and his child.
My emotions are complicated.
There was anger, fear, and resentment.
I'm angry that he wronged me.
I'm afraid I'll get arrested for this. What will happen to my twins?
She felt wronged that he, as her husband, didn't believe her.
“With me here, everything will be fine. Don’t worry, and don’t take the children away from our home,” Qi Zhenheng said.
Shen Qing was surprised.
In that instant, she seemed to see again the older brother who had always taken care of her.
Memories flooded back, and the trust and gratitude I had shown to Qi Zhenheng in the past resurfaced in my mind.
Her hardened heart softened, and she smiled at Qi Zhenheng: "Okay, I won't leave. You go up and check on Xia Zhu first, and handle things properly so as not to affect the children."
Qi Zhenheng nodded and took his daughter from her arms: "Let's go home."
...
Qi Zhenheng escorted Shen Qing and the children back to their room and was about to head to the third floor.
Shen Qing stayed in the room for a while, but feeling uneasy, she followed him up to the third floor.
Qi Zhenheng stood calmly by the bed, looking down at Xia Zhu's body. After observing for a moment, he sent the butler to fetch a pair of gloves, put them on, and personally examined Xia Zhu's body.
The wet nurse cried out from the side, "Sir, you must seek justice for Xia Zhu! Xia Zhu is pregnant with your son! You must avenge them, mother and child!"
Qi Zhenheng ignored him, and after examining Xia Zhu's body, he looked at the butler with a solemn expression: "Have you reported it to the authorities?"
The butler hurriedly replied, "Reported! Reported!"
The wet nurse pointed at Shen Qing and cried, "Yes! Report to the authorities and arrest her! Arrest this wicked woman!"
Qi Zhenheng frowned and looked sternly at the wet nurse.
This was the first time he had opened his eyes to see his wet nurse.
"Who are you calling a poisonous woman?"
His voice wasn't loud, but his tone was authoritative enough.
The wet nurse shrank back and whispered, "It was Madam! She was afraid that you would take Xia Zhu to the camp, so she poisoned Xia Zhu to death!"
Qi Zhenheng squinted: "I was the one who always prevented Xia Zhu from going to the garrison. My wife begged me many times to get me to agree to let Xia Zhu go to the garrison, and I reluctantly agreed!"
The wet nurse immediately said, "I don't believe it! Xia Zhu came back last night and told me—Madam said she wouldn't let her go to the garrison, and was going to send her to the countryside! She doesn't even want your son anymore! She wants Xia Zhu to give birth and raise him herself!"
Qi Zhenheng looked at Shen Qing and said with an ambiguous expression, "This is my idea. Madam is just doing what I say."
The wet nurse was horrified, staring wide-eyed and shouting, "This is impossible! Xia Zhu is carrying your son! Even if you don't want Xia Zhu, you can't abandon your son..."
Qi Zhenheng sneered: "It depends on who gave birth to the son. I'll cherish the son born to the woman I love. I'm better off without the son born to the woman I don't love!"
The wet nurse collapsed to the ground, stunned for a moment, then began to pound the ground, crying out that Xia Zhu was dead and she could no longer live, and that she would die with her.
Qi Zhenheng then instructed the steward to take her downstairs, give her some money, and send her away from the mansion that day.
Soon, soldiers arrived and took Xia Zhu's body away. Qi Zhenheng went with them to cooperate with the investigation and didn't return home until dark.
Shen Qing was coaxing his two children to sleep in the room when he opened the door and came in, coldly saying, "Come to the study when you have time."
Shen Qing knew it was related to the case, so she quickly put on her bathrobe and went over.
The door opened, and Qi Zhenheng stood by the window with his back to the door.
Shen Qing walked up behind him and calmly asked, "What's the story behind the case?"
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