Chapter 280 The Corner Tower Changes its Steward
"I've finished talking, and I should be going now. I'll take this old woman with me. I suppose you're worried that I might have tampered with her beforehand. So, I'll take her back with me."
"Find someone yourselves to verify the authenticity of this medicine. See if it's exactly the same as the Crown Princess's condition."
"Take care, Madam Qiao." Old Man Wu didn't try to stop Madam Min Qiao and personally escorted her to the door.
However, Granny Lin kept staring longingly at the cup of poison on the coffee table, and even when the person was at the door, she still turned back for one last, reluctant look.
After seeing off Madam Min, Old Madam Wu hurriedly asked Old Man Wu with a look of fear, "Do we really have to do as Madam Min says? Can we go and beg the Crown Prince to let us go? Or you can go and see the Emperor and ask for an imperial decree to release us from the capital."
Old Wu shook his head. "We'll talk about that later. Let's first confirm whether the poison that Madam Min brought is as she said."
"Then, who should be the one to test the medicine?" Old Mrs. Wu hesitated.
Old Wu thought for a moment and said, "That girl next to my third son's wife is too talkative and doesn't seem like she'll stay put. Let her try the medicine."
Grandma Wu choked; that girl was a gift she had given to her third son's wife. "This... isn't this inappropriate? Can we get someone else?"
Old Man Wu glanced at Old Woman Wu and said, "Then let's replace her with Granny Liu, who's always by your side. She's also a gossipmonger."
Grandma Wu choked again and quickly waved her hand, saying, "No, no, no, the girl next to the third son's wife is more suitable."
"I'll call them right away." He said, and hurriedly ran to fetch them.
What a joke! Granny Liu was her dowry maid, she's been with her for decades, she can't be used as a guinea pig.
On the other side, as soon as Madam Min and her entourage left the Wu family, Granny Lin burst into tears.
Madam Min Qiao turned around curiously and saw Granny Lin kneel down before her with a thud. "Grandma, what should we do now that I'm not dead?"
"The promised three hundred taels of silver are gone! Shouldn't I return the previous two hundred taels to you as well?"
"Waaaaah... What will happen to my son and grandson without money?"
As she spoke, Granny Lin kowtowed to Madam Min, "Madam, please let me die. I don't want the remaining three hundred taels of silver, I only beg you not to take back the previous two hundred taels of silver."
"We'll talk about it when we get back."
After Madam Min Qiao spoke, Ah Shuang stopped Granny Lin from speaking again.
Upon returning to the Qiao residence in Nancheng, Madam Min immediately summoned Wei Jia and pointed at Granny Lin, saying, "Send her back."
Wei Jia frowned and glanced at Granny Lin with hostility. "Madam, this person cannot be kept alive. She knows too much."
Min Qiaoshi also hesitated.
Just then, Granny Lin hurriedly declared, "Madam, I'm not afraid to die, I'm willing to die!"
As long as they don't take back the two hundred taels of silver they gave her son before, that's fine.
Seeing this, Madam Min Qiao hesitated for a moment, but still nodded.
She hadn't thought this through; there was no need to bring a dying person to the Wu family's house in the first place.
She only sought out Granny Lin because she didn't want to harm a perfectly healthy person by having them test the medicine.
However, once she arrived at the Wu family's residence, she realized that the Wu family would not use Granny Lin as a test subject for medicine.
But Granny Lin already knew about the drug trial and her deal with the Wu family, so she couldn't stay any longer.
“I’m leaving this to you.” Madam Min Qiao looked at Wei Jia. “Take her to meet her son and grandson, and then give them the remaining three hundred taels of silver.”
"Yes." Wei Jia accepted the order.
"Thank you, Madam! Thank you, Madam!..."
Grandma Lin was extremely grateful and thanked her profusely, which made Min Qiao feel a pang of sadness.
After having Granny Lin taken away, Madam Min Qiao then told Wei Jia what had happened at the Wu family's house.
“The Wu family doesn’t seem trustworthy,” Min Qiao said with some concern.
Wei Jia nodded in agreement: "The Wu family is indeed untrustworthy. Therefore, we must be prepared to prevent them from going back on their word."
Madam Min looked at Wei Jia, "Do you have a solution?"
Wei Jia thought for a moment before saying, "Does Madam still remember what happened at the estate before?"
"You mean the child's poisoning and the incident at the hot spring resort?"
“Yes.” Wei Jia nodded and said, “It has been confirmed that the Wu family was behind the hot spring resort incident. Someone died at the time. It was only because our compensation was generous enough that the matter was not blown out of proportion.”
"However, I have already gathered witnesses and physical evidence to prove that the Wu family was behind this."
"Also, regarding the child's poisoning, although it cannot be confirmed, it is definitely related to the Wu family."
"In the end, as long as Chen San and the others come forward and identify the Wu family's manager, the blame can be firmly placed on the Wu family."
"In addition, there is the fact that the third wife of the Wu family came to demand the return of the hot spring resort, which can be testified by Madam Zheng."
"It would be incredibly easy to prove that Wu Jiaqiang committed the two heinous crimes of extortion and disregard for human life."
"It's good to have leverage over the Wu family." Madam Min felt a little relieved, then turned her attention to the hot spring resort. "Wasn't it supposed to open in early winter? It's almost the New Year, why is there still no news from them?"
Speaking of this, Wei Jia also felt helpless, "Sigh, according to my original plan, the hot spring resort should indeed be completed before winter."
"However, the Huajiaolou side intervened and took over the construction and decoration of the manor's internal buildings."
"That's why it's been delayed and hasn't been completed yet."
Min Qiaoshi narrowed her eyes slightly, "It seems that Huajiaolou has big ambitions."
Wei Jia nodded and lowered her voice, saying, "I had someone check it out. Not only was there a basement built inside the estate, but there were also hidden rooms and eavesdropping devices in the rooms."
Madam Min gasped, "Could the Painted Corner Tower also be riddled with secret rooms and eavesdropping devices?"
She needs to think carefully about whether she said anything outrageous when she went to the corner tower to listen to operas before.
Just then, there was a knock at the door, followed by Ah Shuang's report: "Madam, the gatekeeper reports that the Third Madam requests an audience."
Madam Min glanced at Wei Jia, who understood and opened the door, instructing, "Madam, please invite Third Madam in."
***
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Palace, in the Imperial Study, Emperor Xiaozhao looked coldly at Eunuch Wan, the chief of secret agents, kneeling on the ground. "How do you handle things? Why did it take so long to report this?"
Eunuch Wan said with a look of fear, "This old servant only wanted to share His Majesty's burdens, thinking that I would resolve the matter and then report to His Majesty. I never expected..."
Before Eunuch Wan could finish speaking, Emperor Xiaozhao coldly said to Liu Xin, the chief eunuch beside him, "Kill him."
"Your Majesty, please give this old servant another chance to atone for my sins..."
Grandpa Wan looked at Liu Xin approaching him in horror, but before he could finish speaking, Liu Xin slit his throat.
"Wan Tai's responsibilities are handed over to Wu Yuan."
Emperor Xiaozhao instructed, "Have him send someone to Xixi as soon as possible. I do not want the incident involving the second son of the Yuan family to happen again."
"Yes." Liu Xin quickly responded, went out and called someone in to clean up Eunuch Wan's body, then changed his clothes, quietly left the palace, and headed straight for the Painted Corner Tower.
If Wan Tai hadn't been so arrogant, the Second Young Master Yuan wouldn't have died in vain.
I just hope that Steward Wu is a smart man and won't disappoint His Majesty.
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