Chapter 78 The Neighbor is a Ruthless Man Who Killed His Mother and Father
Madam Min smiled helplessly, "I'm going on a long trip and I'm planning to bring extra medicinal herbs just in case. How did it become so widely known?"
"You're going on a long trip?" Madam Zheng asked in surprise. "Why didn't you mention it earlier? Where are you planning to go?"
Madam Min smiled, having nothing to hide, and said in detail, "I'm planning to go back to my parents' home. As you know, I lost contact with my family years ago. Now that I'm getting old, I've suddenly started to miss the old days."
“Perfect timing. Now that I don’t have to worry about the Marquis’s affairs anymore, and I have the time, and I’m still able to get around, I thought I’d go back and take a look.”
"Sigh, they are my family who gave me life and raised me. Even if there were great grudges, decades have passed. I think we can all sit down and talk calmly."
Madam Zheng patted Min Qiao's hand and said earnestly, "You're right, you should go back and visit. You've given enough to the Xuanping Marquis's family in your life, it's time to think more about yourself and your family."
“Who says otherwise?” Madam Min nodded in agreement.
Just as the two were talking, a maid came in to report: "Madam, people from the Enping Earl's Mansion next door have arrived, saying they want to see you."
"You want to see me?" Madam Min looked surprised.
"That's what the person said," the maid confirmed.
Madam Min Qiao turned to look at Madam Zheng, "Why are people from the Earl of Enping's residence suddenly coming to visit me?"
Madam Zheng shrugged, "How would I know?"
After saying that, as if she suddenly remembered something, she leaned close to Min Qiao's ear and whispered, "This Earl of Enping is no good person. You should not have too much contact with him."
Madam Min Qiao immediately became interested and waved to dismiss the maid, saying, "Go and tell them that I have distinguished guests here right now, and ask them to come another day."
"Yes," the maid replied and left.
After looking around, Madam Min Qiao also sent Wei Jia out, leaving only Granny Fang to serve her in the room.
"What's the situation with that Earl of Enping? I remember the Earl of Enping's residence was in Enping County, right? The Earls of Enping throughout history have always lived in their ancestral home in Enping County. Why is this generation's Earl of Enping suddenly in the capital?"
Madam Min Qiao looked at Madam Zheng with a gossipy expression, and unconsciously grabbed Madam Zheng's arm. "Also, why did you say that the Earl of Enping is not a good person? The current Earl of Enping is only about eighteen or nineteen years old, right? How can a child not be a good person?"
Madam Zheng disdainfully brushed Min Qiao's hand away, and said in a pretentious manner, "You don't know this, do you? It's only because I have a good relationship with the Empress Dowager that I know the exact inside story of the Enping Earl's Mansion."
"Alright, stop being so mysterious and just tell me," Madam Min urged.
"If you want to hear gossip, why don't you have your maid serve me some good tea?" Madam Zheng continued to act coy.
"That cup of tea next to you is already the best tea in my Songhe Hall! My Aqi doesn't even need me to ask anymore; every time you come, he immediately brings you the best tea! What more could you want?"
Madam Min rolled her eyes and said irritably, "Fine, say what you want, I don't care to hear it anyway. I'll have someone go next door and ask. If that doesn't work, I'll ask the Earl of Enping myself when I run into him!"
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you, but don't be so rash as to send someone to inquire. Be careful not to get yourself into trouble."
Madam Zheng patted her chest in alarm, and when Madam Min glared at her again, she hurriedly told her what she had heard from the palace about the Earl of Enping.
Like other hereditary nobles, the Earl of Enping was enfeoffed for his merits after following the founding emperor in conquering the country.
However, unlike most nobles who chose to settle in the capital, the Earl of Enping's ancestors chose to stay away from the center of power from the very beginning, and established the Earl's Mansion in their hometown of Enping County.
Over several generations, the Earl of Enping had essentially become a powerless nobleman with only the title of earl.
This is nothing unusual; the longer you survive, the better.
Unfortunately, the Earl of Enping from the previous generation, who is now the grandfather of the Earl of Enping, Yan Wei, was a lovelorn man.
He only married one woman in his entire life: the grandmother of the Earl of Enping Yanjin. He didn't even have a concubine in his harem.
However, the meticulous grandmother was not a healthy woman; she only gave birth to one daughter for Old Man Enping in her entire life.
Now, the Earl of Enping's mansion has no successor.
Originally, the meticulous grandmother suggested adopting a child from a collateral branch into the Earl's family, but the meticulous grandfather refused, citing the fear that his daughter would be mistreated.
So, after discussing it, the couple decided to find a son-in-law, Yang Yuhui, for their daughter.
Then, they used an iron certificate passed down from the ancestors of the Enping Earl's family to exchange for the son-in-law's qualification to inherit the Earl's family.
Unfortunately, you can only know a person's face, not their heart.
The old couple, Old Enping and his wife, painstakingly provoked their daughter's son-in-law, but shortly after their deaths, he secretly murdered their daughter and married the woman he had always loved.
At that time, Yan Jin was only six years old.
What followed was the predictable drama.
The heartless Yang Yuhui and his new wife initially managed to keep Yan Jin in good condition for the sake of appearances.
But once their son was born, Yan Jin became a thorn in their side.
The second wife wanted her son to inherit the title. The ambitious Yang Yuhui also wanted to completely change the surname of the Enping Earl's Mansion to Yang.
Thus began a contest between father and son, stepmother and stepson.
Finally, at the beginning of last year, Yang Yuhui and his wife took action against Yan Jin, who had already turned eighteen.
While Yan Jin was at a temple outside the city to pay respects to his deceased mother, they sent assassins to kill him and forced him to fall off a cliff.
Although no body was seen, the assassin sent said that Yan Jin was certain to die.
Six months passed quietly, and just when Yang Yuhui and his wife thought everything had settled down, Yan Jin returned!
Yan Jin returned in the middle of the night, accompanied by a group of well-disciplined mountain bandits.
That night, the entire Enping Earl's Mansion, from Yang Yuhui and his wife to their three sons and two daughters, and all the maids, old women, servants, and stewards who were loyal to Yang Yuhui and his wife, were all wiped out by him!
That night, the sounds of killing, crying, pleas for mercy, and cursing echoed throughout the entire Enping County.
That night, the Enping Marquis's mansion was stained with blood.
That night, the entire Enping County was in a state of panic, and no one dared to go out to see what was happening.
The next day, Yan Jin went to the government office to report that bandits had broken into the Enping Earl's residence in the middle of the night, killing and looting his father, stepmother, and his five younger siblings. He requested that the government send troops to suppress the bandits.
The officials in the government office were terrified when they saw the seven or eight bandits following him.
Yan Jin pointed to the people around him and said that these people were guards left to him by his grandfather, not bandits, and told them not to be afraid.
From then on, the bandits transformed into a group of guards for the Earl of Enping's mansion.
If you were to ask, how did Yan Jin lead a group of bandits into the city in the middle of the night when the city gates were closed?
Oh, then you'll have to ask the garrison commanders of Enping County. After all, which of the garrison commanders who have guarded Enping County throughout history has had absolutely no dealings or connections with the Earl of Enping's household?
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