Chapter 117 Deeper Inside Story
Both Steward Li and Madam Min were taken aback by these words.
Steward Li was the first to react, bowing respectfully to Madam Min Qiao, saying, "Nephew greets Aunt."
“Jing Yao!?” Madam Min Qiao stared wide-eyed in astonishment.
She doesn't look like her second brother and sister-in-law at all, and their ages don't match up either!
If she remembered correctly, Jingyao was born a few years after she got married. According to the timeline, Jingyao should only be about thirty years old now.
But the manager in front of him, Mr. Li, clearly looked like a middle-aged man in his forties.
Qiao Qingping smiled helplessly, "He's wearing a human skin mask."
“I didn’t originally plan to let you know about this. But you seem to care a lot about that little girl beside you, and you might not trust what others say. Since it concerns your personal safety, I’d better let Jingyao tell you herself.”
As he spoke, he looked at Steward Li and said, "Take off your mask and let your aunt see what you really look like."
Manager Li hesitated for a moment, but still firmly shook his head: "Uncle, let's drop this matter. It's safest for my aunt not to have seen my real face."
"There's no need to worry. What if my aunt recognizes me on a crucial occasion and is so surprised that it gives people away?"
"Both of my aunts have been good to me."
Qiao Qingping frowned slightly, her tone tinged with displeasure, "She's your own aunt..."
Madam Min Qiao quickly interrupted, "Brother, Jing Yao is right. For the child's safety, it's better that I don't know what the child really looks like."
Qiao Qingping sighed helplessly.
He knew that Jing Yao was right, but he also knew that Jing Yao harbored resentment towards him, her aunt.
The Qiao family declined because of Min Ji, and he and his brother Jing Yuan were forced to hide their true identities for life because of Min Ji's scheming. Even their father died indirectly because of Min Ji's machinations.
While Min Ji caused them to suffer and endure hardship, Min Qiaoshi enjoyed the glory and status that Min Ji brought her over the years, living the life of a respected matriarch of a marquis's household.
Although Madam Min was kept in the dark, did she truly harbor no resentment whatsoever?
Madam Min Qiao had also noticed something amiss, so she didn't blame Jing Yao. Instead, she smiled and came to his rescue.
"Brother, let's get back to the main topic."
Qiao Qingping nodded, "Yes, let's get back to the little girl next to you."
"Jing Yao, are you aware of what's going on with that little girl by your aunt's side?"
Qiao Jingyao didn't hide anything and said seriously, "I know. I'm the one who arranged for that person to be by my aunt's side."
Both Min Qiaoshi and Qiao Qingping were taken aback.
"You arranged for them to go?" Qiao Qingping frowned slightly, his tone becoming stern. "What are you trying to do?"
Before Qiao Jingyao could answer, Madam Min Qiao spoke up first: "Jingyao, are you worried that I might be in danger?"
Qiao Jingyao shook his head, his eyes deep, and said, "I'm just following orders. Someone wants to plant someone by my aunt's side. Rather than sending a scheming, cold-blooded girl, it's better to send Sanya. At least, Sanya is the most skilled among this group of assassins, and she still retains some of her true nature."
"Who wanted to plant an assassin near your aunt? What was their purpose?" Qiao Qingping was instantly enraged and questioned sharply, "Why didn't you mention this to me?"
A bitter smile appeared on Qiao Jingyao's lips. "If I tell my uncle, will he still let me place that person next to my aunt?"
"If I go against the orders of those above, will I have any chance of survival?"
"Besides, even if I don't do it, someone else will."
"If it were someone else, who knows what kind of person they would be if they were placed next to my aunt!"
Qiao Qingping was still furious: "Then you shouldn't have kept it from me!"
Seeing Qiao Qingping's harsh words to Qiao Jingyao, Madam Min suddenly felt a sense of suffocation.
"Big brother, that's enough!"
With a stern face, Madam Min Qiao loudly stopped Qiao Qingping from criticizing Qiao Jingyao.
"Jing Yao did nothing wrong! You shouldn't be so harsh on him!"
Qiao Qingping was taken aback, then looked embarrassed. "I was just too worried about you. You're an old woman who can't even kill a chicken, and there's a killer lurking around you who could take your life at any moment. Just thinking about it makes my heart pound."
Madam Min softened her tone, "I know my elder brother is worried about me. But it's not Jingyao's fault. My elder brother shouldn't have treated Jingyao like that."
Qiao Qingping sighed and said with self-reproach, "You're right. Jingyao is already in a difficult situation, and her primary task should indeed be to protect herself."
Madam Min Qiao nodded, not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer, and returned to the main point: "Jing Yao, do you know who ordered the placement of people around me?"
Qiao Jingyao said in a deep voice, "The Sun family."
Madam Min Qiao was taken aback, then frowned and asked, "Which Sun family?"
"Minister of Works, Sun Shiming."
Upon hearing this answer, Madam Min was both shocked and astonished. "How could it be him? I have no grudge against him!"
At this point, Madam Min suddenly froze.
Minister of Works...
Initially, Min Yuexi and Wu Shi were arguing about breaking off their engagement with Lu Ming because the Minister of Works had mentioned his grandson to Min Rong several times, saying that he wanted to form a marriage alliance with the Marquis of Xuanping's family.
As expected, the Marquis of Xuanping's family broke off the engagement, but the Sun family flatly rejected the marriage.
Afterwards, Madam He brought her daughter into the family, and He Rui changed her surname to become the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion. Then, the Sun family came to propose marriage and arranged for Min Yue Rui to become their granddaughter-in-law.
After many twists and turns, the Sun family remained entangled with the Marquis of Xuanping's mansion.
Just then, Madam Min Qiao suddenly thought of something, "Could it be that the Minister of Works is the new patron the Jiangnan people have found in the court?"
Qiao Jingyao nodded: "Yes."
"But that doesn't make sense! I have no connection with Jiangnan! When Ajiu came to my side, I hadn't even thought about going back to Jiangnan yet!"
Min Qiao asked in confusion, "Why did he start planting people around me so early?"
Qiao Jingyao looked at Min Qiaoshi with a complicated expression and said in an ambiguous tone, "Because he was once a close friend of Lu Shanglin."
Madam Min Qiao was taken aback, and subconsciously repeated, "Lu Shanglin? Lu, Shang, Lin..."
Min Qiao's pupils suddenly dilated. "You mean the former Grand Secretary Lu? Lu Ming's grandfather?"
She had always addressed him as Grand Secretary Lu, and almost forgot that his real name was Lu Shanglin!
"So, everything the Sun family did was to avenge Grand Secretary Lu?"
"So, was it also intentional that you induced the Min family to break off the engagement with the Lu family?"
"And, was Min Yuerui's marriage also planned?"
"No! I'm afraid both the He mother and daughter are involved!"
"..."
The more Min Qiaoshi thought about it, the more alarmed she became, and the more frightened she felt.
If the Minister of Works was an old friend of the Lu family, and the He family mother and daughter were also related to the Lu family, then there is no reason why Lu Ming, as the grandson of Grand Secretary Lu, would have goodwill towards the Min family.
Therefore, she didn't die unjustly in her previous life!
She desperately protected Marquis Xuanping, but everyone around her had already been coerced by the Lu family!
He Shi influenced Min Rong, Lu Ming influenced Min Yuexi, Min Yuexi in turn influenced Wu Shi, and then there was Min Hui, who already hated her to the core...
When everyone wants her dead, what reason does she have to live?
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com