Unfortunately, ever since the failed attempt to bribe Hanzhu five years ago, Xie Yu's inner circle has consisted entirely of people personally selected by Old Madam Xie, Xie Anfeng, and Xie Yu himself. It's like an ironclad fortress, and there has been no more opportunity to strike.
Therefore, Xie Yu cannot handle it; first, he should get Xie Xiangxiang's dowry from Xie Zhaozhao.
Just as she was pondering this, she saw her trusted head maid, Duo'er, return. Once inside the room, Duo'er whispered, "Madam, word has come from the palace that Grand Secretary Gu and the eldest young lady are indeed dead. Their bodies are lying in the Imperial City Guard's morgue, where they are being watched over."
Mrs. Xu breathed a huge sigh of relief.
If the palace confirms that Gu Shaoyu is dead, then he is truly dead.
"Duo'er, go out again..."
And so on, and so forth.
At 1:00 PM, Xie Tingting, accompanied by her maids Cailan and Caiwei, dressed in elegant clothes, went to Wutong Garden and threw herself into the arms of Old Madam Xie, bursting into tears.
"Grandmother, how could my eldest sister..."
Madam Xie stroked her hair and said, "Don't cry, your eldest sister. She wouldn't want you to be sad either."
"Has the thief been caught?"
"His Majesty is pursuing them with all his might," said Madam Xie. "Don't cry, go back to your courtyard and wait patiently. In a little while, you will be entering the Crown Prince's residence."
Xie Tingting cried and said, "Grandmother, please accept my condolences. I will definitely learn from the Imperial Concubine and my elder sister, take it as my responsibility to bring honor to the Xie family, and always think of the Xie family in everything I do."
Xie Tingting wiped away her tears and was about to go back when she suddenly heard a commotion outside. Old Madam Xie's face darkened, and she said, "Go and see who's making a scene outside."
Ying'er went out immediately and returned shortly afterward.
"Madam, Miss Xie Xiangxiang has returned. She kowtowed three times at the entrance of the Xie residence, crying and saying that she would learn from her elder sister and wholeheartedly think of the Xie family. She asked Grandmother to take care of her grief. She said she was going to ask a monk to perform a ritual for the eldest young lady."
Upon hearing Ying'er's report, Old Madam Xie's expression darkened. She said, "Is she still outside the door?"
"It just so happened that Duo'er, who served the First Madam, was out on business and ran into her, so she coaxed her to go back."
When Xie Tingting heard about her sister's actions, she frowned. Her sister was probably trying to use this opportunity to make peace with her grandmother and father, but little did she know that what she was doing was extremely foolish.
If you want to express your respect and sorrow for your elder sister and seek forgiveness, you can pray and perform rituals at a temple. The Xie family has plenty of informants; there is no need to come to the Xie family's gate to show your loyalty.
Everyone knows that you're not stupid. They'll think you're causing trouble at the Xie residence because of your elder sister's death. You'll only earn their hatred.
My older sister's brain damage is a major flaw.
The Earl's Mansion.
Ci'en Temple.
A chorus of sobs filled the air; the old lady had been weeping ever since she received the news of Gu Shaoyu's murder that morning.
Despite her favoritism, he was still her youngest son and the pillar of the family. The Marquis's mansion had just been downgraded, and now if they lost their capable son, how could the Earl's mansion maintain its standing in the capital?
She could even fully imagine that the Earl's mansion would soon find itself unable to continue.
The Earl's Mansion has fallen into ruin just like that. She has no face to meet the ancestors of the Gu family!
After crying, she was exhausted. Madam Tu had already invited the doctor from Yuqing Hall to come and prescribe medicine. She comforted her, telling her to think positively, that although Grand Secretary Gu was gone, his other children and grandchildren were still alive.
When Gu Shaoyu and Xie Zhaozhao "passed away," the old lady was both terrified and saddened, but while Tu and Lu were grieving, they were also scheming.
With Grand Secretary Gu gone, who will own Qingpu Courtyard?
Most importantly, who will receive Xie Zhaozhao's enormous dowry?
The silver was used to buy grain and offer it to the imperial court, but what about her gold and silver jewelry, all kinds of jade artifacts, and countless money-making shops and land deeds?
The old lady had just received news of her son's death and certainly didn't have the energy to think about his property. Besides, with her son and daughter-in-law dead, the property would naturally be handed over to the family.
Gu Boyu wouldn't even think about the property. His third brother and sister-in-law were gone, and the house and property would definitely be confiscated. As the Earl, it would definitely be inherited in his name.
At dusk, Madam Tu hurriedly went to Gu Chengyan's Qinyaxuan. The lights were on, but no one was there.
Peony and Bailing were making shoes for Gu Chengyan in the courtyard when they saw Madam Tu coming over. They hurriedly stood up and said, "Madam!"
"Where is the eldest young master?"
"In the mulberry garden." Both of them were very nervous. Aunt Yue was too powerful. Ever since he was sent to the mulberry garden, the young master had not spent a single day in Qinya Pavilion.
Enraged, Madam Tu took Granny Wan and went to the mulberry garden without saying a word.
Sangyuan is located to the west of Fanghua Garden, in a somewhat remote area. Tu Shi stumbled into the garden, only to find Gu Chengyan and Guan Yingying sharing the news of Gu Shaoyu and Xie Zhaozhao's deaths on the bed.
"You have absolutely no shame!" Madam Tu roared. "What kind of situation is this in the courtyard? You're in your aunt's courtyard all day long, what kind of behavior is this?"
After listening to Madam Tu vent her frustrations, Gu Chengyan asked, "Mother, are you here to discuss how to get Third Aunt's dowry first?"
Tu was deeply embarrassed and angered by his words, and retorted angrily, "If you had any self-respect, I wouldn't have even thought of stealing from a dead person. How many days can I live? How much can I eat? Even without any scheming, I can still live out my days peacefully. What about you?"
She burst into tears, pointing at him and cursing, "I went to great lengths to find you a wife, and you're always here with this slut. If you don't want to listen, then leave the manor. Gu Zheng has inherited the title, and he calls me 'Mother.' It's better than you making me live in fear every day!"
Gu Chengyan's buttocks were bruised and bleeding. The skin wounds had already scabbed over, but the internal wounds were not fully healed and were still very painful.
Hearing his mother's distress, he hurriedly said, "Mother, please calm down. I didn't mean to upset you. Just now, I was discussing with Qianyue that if Third Aunt's dowry goes to the Earl's Mansion, Father will surely squander it, and Gu Zheng will inherit it."
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