Chapter 29 Murder to Silence
The eyes hidden behind the hood looked at her coldly, their expression extremely solemn and gloomy.
"Qiu Zhaolan, do you really think you can control the Chen family all by yourself? You dare to question my decisions now?!"
"It seems you don't want the Chen family anymore now that Chen Youhui is gone. After all, he's not your biological son, and you don't even put yourself in his shoes to consider his feelings."
He spoke slowly and deliberately, constantly warning her of the perilous situation she was in, and finally bluntly threatening her to disobey him.
Qiu Zhaolan was shocked and grabbed his arm uncontrollably. "Cousin, it's not like that! Zhaolan was confused for a moment and was talking nonsense. Please don't hold a grudge against a woman like Zhaolan!"
Without the Chen family mansion and the title of wife of the Vice Minister of Works, what will become of her wealth and status? How will she continue to enjoy the flattery and praise from those ladies and young women?
She didn't want to become one of those humiliated people trampled underfoot; she wanted to be superior. With her son and the Qiu family's support, she was certain she could become more noble than anyone else.
All the humiliation inflicted upon her came at a cruel price, just like Chen Youhui and He Wan did.
So what if she's the Vice Minister of Works! She's backed by the Qiu family, a poor clan!
That was the maternal family of the Empress and the Crown Prince.
Would those ladies and young women dare to gossip in front of her?
"It's all Zhaolan's fault! Zhaolan immediately gave the order to carry it out. Just now, Steward Lin came to report that the young lady is in the manor. It's the perfect time to make our move!"
"Yeah?"
She nodded firmly.
"In that case, let's finish this quickly."
The voice drifted in the wind, fading away as the figure disappeared.
A sinister killing intent flashed in Qiu Zhaolan's eyes, and she coldly called out, "Yan Qiao!"
The head maid standing outside the door quickly entered and bowed, saying, "Madam, this servant is here."
She raised her hand, and Yan Qiao stepped forward silently.
After a brief whispered conversation, Yan Qiao looked up at her and nodded in acceptance.
"Remember, be thorough and leave no trace."
"Don't worry, Madam, I will do my best."
After an hour of work, the mourning hall was finally set up; three people were definitely faster than one.
At this time, many women and young masters and ladies gathered, dressed in mourning clothes and wearing white flowers, kneeling and wailing in front of the coffin.
Let's all express our feelings.
Although Chen Youhui is dead, they were the master's concubines, and some of them even had children.
Everything belonging to the Chen family should be theirs.
Tao Tao pressed her palms together against her forehead and bowed in devout and respectful worship.
Yu Shan and Yu He, who were beside him, followed suit and did it in a very professional manner.
Butler Lin also had a mournful face, wiping away tears from the corners of his eyes with his sleeve, his eyes full of regret and pity.
He had been living in the Chen family mansion for almost twenty years, and the master treated the servants quite well.
He finally rose to the position of Vice Minister of Works, but after only a few years, he ended up like this. Lust is a double-edged sword; it's truly lamentable.
"Steward Lin, we'll head back now. I'll come back tomorrow with the Taoist priest to discuss the burial date with you."
Just as Steward Lin was about to speak, a maidservant suddenly came over.
He recognized her as Yan Qiao, the head maidservant of the First Madam. Ever since Wang Mama died, she had been serving as Wang Mama's attendant.
Yan Qiao smiled warmly and respectfully: "Young lady, please don't be in a hurry. Our Madam invites you for a chat."
Narrative?
Tao Tao looked at her in confusion. When did she and the First Madam become old acquaintances?
Seeing her puzzled expression, Yan Qiao added, "Don't worry, young lady, it's about the master's burial arrangements."
Is she dissatisfied with the current burial arrangements, or does she feel that the funeral hall is not dignified enough?
Do you want to make it even bigger?
Some families do indeed have such requests: the deceased did not enjoy the glory during their lifetime, so that they must have a grand and magnificent funeral after death. This would make them look good and earn them a reputation for filial piety.
To put it bluntly, it's all for show.
Modern people have this kind of thinking, and I'm afraid the ancients would have been even more so, especially since this person was a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Works during his lifetime.
For the sake of face and status, they will only pay more attention to it.
That's understandable.
She smiled knowingly, cupped her hands in greeting, and said, "I understand what your wife means. Let's go and discuss where changes are needed."
Yan Qiao showed a hint of surprise on her face, then smiled and nodded. The moment she turned around, her eyes flashed, hiding a hint of murderous intent.
"Yu Shan and Yu He, you two go back first."
It's already very late, the work is done, and they've had a long day, so it's only right that they go home first.
She's at least a former employee; now that she's a boss, she's unlikely to turn into a ruthless exploiter like Zhou Bapi.
Yu Shan hesitated. Although she was the boss, he was still a little worried about a young woman going back at night because it was dangerous.
"Boss, why don't I stay and keep you company, and let Yu He go back first?"
Yan Qiao chuckled, "Young man, are you afraid we'll do anything to this young lady?"
Yu Shan quickly waved his hand: "No, no, I just think..."
Tao Tao reached out and patted his shoulder. "It's okay, Yu Shan. Your workday is over. You've had a long day. Go back and rest."
"I'll be fine going back by myself later."
"Okay then."
Tao Tao was, after all, the boss, and since the boss had spoken, Yu Shan had no reason to object.
"Take the carriage back with you."
"OK."
After the Yu brothers, Yu Shan and Yu He, left, she followed behind Yan Qiao.
The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, leaving only a few stars twinkling faintly.
The rainy night was unusually cooler than usual, even chilly, which inexplicably made her shiver.
As I walked along the secluded path, the cries behind me grew more and more distant.
There were hardly any servants to be seen.
Tao Tao hadn't thought much of it at first, but after walking for a while, she wondered if the First Madam lived in such a remote place, or if the Chen family mansion was so big that each courtyard was so far apart.
She inevitably had some doubts.
It wasn't until the person in front of her led her into an abandoned courtyard overgrown with weeds that she seemed to belatedly realize something was wrong.
"Sister, the First Madam can't possibly be living here, can she?"
Tao Tao warily watched the people who had stopped in front of her. Yan Qiao remained silent in response to her question. Suddenly, she turned around, grabbed a dagger, and lunged at Tao Tao, stabbing her fiercely.
The speed of the attack was so fast that anyone caught off guard would surely die on the spot.
Her gentle smile instantly turned sinister, her eyes filled with vicious murderous intent.
Tao Tao was on guard and quickly dodged to the side as she moved. Yan Qiao suddenly looked surprised, not expecting that she would be on guard.
After dodging the attack, she didn't hesitate for a moment and turned to run outside.
After escaping the courtyard, she looked around at the unfamiliar surroundings, which seemed to have been abandoned for a long time. Moreover, the Chen mansion was so big that she had no idea where to go.
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