Su Jinli's hands were trembling slightly, her eyes fixed on the diary that exuded an old smell, her voice trembling with excitement and grief: "So Mrs. Jiang wanted to protect my mother..." At this moment, Nianli was innocently holding a charcoal pencil and drawing a crooked phoenix on the back cover of the diary. The childish brushstrokes formed a sharp contrast with the tense and heavy atmosphere at the moment.
Jiang Yan's expression was solemn. His slender finger gently touched a page in the diary. He said slowly, "Look here. Mother wrote that the old lady of the Wang family wanted to use 'Qianjiyin' to poison your mother. She secretly replaced the dregs." Su Jinli followed his finger and saw the yellowed page. Although the handwriting was slightly blurred by the erosion of time, she could still make out the thrilling past written by her mother. Every word seemed to carry the tension and fear of those years, telling the story of the Wang family's heinous plot.
Just as Su Jinli was stunned by this discovery, a scrap of cloth slipped quietly from the diary. Reflexively, she picked it up and, upon closer inspection, saw it stained with dark red blood. The color stung her eyes like frozen flames. She instantly recognized it as the scrap of her mother's embroidered handkerchief, the delicate embroidery that once adorned her sleeve, carrying her beautiful hopes for life. Yet, at this moment, the bloodstained scrap of cloth, like a sharp blade, ruthlessly ripped away the mystery that had for years shrouded the truth behind her mother's death.
Su Jinli's mind suddenly flashed back to Liu's hypocritical face and her words about her mother "falling into the lake." It turned out that her mother hadn't died of illness that year, but had been pushed into the freezing cold waters by the Wang family in retaliation. The water must have been as black as ink and as cold as ice. How desperate and helpless must her mother must have felt in her final moments. The thought of this struck Su Jinli's heart like a hammer, the pain so intense it almost stifled her breath.
"Father!" Just then, Young Marquis Su stormed in, carrying a wooden sword. His face was filled with anxiety and anger as he shouted, "I heard the Wang family telling stories outside the city, saying that our Prime Minister's Mansion..." However, when his eyes fell on the blood-stained rags on the diary, his voice abruptly stopped, as if an invisible force had strangled his throat. His eyes widened, filled with shock and anger, and he unconsciously clenched the wooden sword in his hand, his knuckles turning white from the strain.
Jiang Yan pushed up his glasses, the lenses gleaming coldly in the refracted light, a light that betrayed an immense chill and determination. His voice was deep and icy, as if emanating from the netherworld of Hell: "Back then, in an effort to save your mother, your mother was falsely accused of theft by the Wang family. She suffered endless humiliation and torture, and ultimately died of depression." Jiang Yan recalled his mother's final breath, her faint, yet repetitive muttering of "Twin Lotuses." At the time, he had assumed she was mumbling the name of a medicine while unconscious. Now, he suddenly realized: the "Twin Lotuses" weren't actually a medicine, but a keepsake from an old friend, a symbol of the deep bond between his mother and Su Jinli's mother. This bond, maliciously sabotaged by the Wang family, ultimately ended in tragedy, a pain that lingered in Jiang Yan's heart forever.
Su Jinli listened to Jiang Yan's story, grief and indignation surging like a raging tide. She recalled her mother's tenderness and kindness, and Mrs. Jiang's lifelong protection of her mother. All of this beauty had been shattered by the Wang family's hideous plot. Their actions were truly appalling. Their vicious scheme had not only taken her mother's life, but also led to Mrs. Jiang's unjust death, bringing devastating disaster to both families.
"These beasts!" Young Marquis Su was so angry that he was shaking all over. He suddenly plunged the wooden sword into the ground, "I must make the Wang family pay for their blood debt with blood!" Young Marquis Su had been practicing martial arts since he was a child. He had a generous and upright character. When he heard about the Wang family's evil deeds, the anger in his heart burned like a piece of dry wood that had been ignited.
Jiang Yan looked at Young Marquis Su, a flicker of approval in his eyes. He knew that despite his youth, Young Marquis Su possessed an indomitable spirit. "Young Marquis, we must not act rashly. The Wang family is powerful and cunning. We must plan carefully and gather sufficient evidence to bring them down once and for all and bring justice to our two mothers." Jiang Yan's voice was steady and resolute. He understood that facing an enemy like the Wang family, impulsive action would only make matters worse. Only calm response and careful planning could lead to a decisive victory.
Su Jinli took a deep breath, trying to calm her anger. She knew Jiang Yan was right. What they needed at this moment was reason and composure. "Jiang Yan is right, Young Marquis. We can't let the Wang family get away with it so easily. We must make them pay a heavy price for their actions." Su Jinli's eyes revealed a firm determination. She had made up her mind, no matter the cost, to uncover the true face of the Wang family and give justice to her mother and Madam Jiang.
In the days that followed, Jiang Yan, Su Jinli, and Young Marquis Su began a secret investigation. They knew the Wang family's cautious approach would make finding conclusive evidence difficult. Undeterred, they sought out those who had interacted with their mother and Madam Jiang, attempting to piece together the full story from their vague memories.
Jiang Yan leveraged his connections in the business world to inquire about the Wang family's business dealings, attempting to uncover evidence of their illegal activities. He crisscrossed teahouses and taverns, chatting with all sorts of people, never missing a single clue. Every night, he meticulously pored over the information he had gathered in his study, his gaze so focused that he seemed oblivious to the passage of time.
Su Jinli, leveraging her status as a daughter of the Prime Minister's family, mingled with the capital's prominent families. She skillfully gathered rumors about the Wang family from the gossip of the noble ladies. She listened intently at every gathering, not missing a single detail. Upon returning home, she compiled this information and analyzed it with Jiang Yan, attempting to uncover any clues to the Wang family's evildoing.
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