Su Yujiao's face was deathly pale, her eyes were slightly red, her fists were clenched, and her nails dug deep into her palms, as if she was trying her best to endure.
The maids were so frightened that they fell silent and knelt on the ground, begging for mercy.
Su Yujiao walked to Chunmei's side, trying her best to calm herself down: "Come with me."
"Young Madam, I was just talking nonsense, please forgive me, Young Madam." Chunmei was so frightened that she kept kowtowing.
"When did the general go to the ghost temple?"
Chunmei stammered, "Young Madam, I was just talking nonsense."
"Xiao Tao, take her indenture and sell her to a brothel."
Huayao was the lowest-class brothel on Hualiu Street, with a dirty and chaotic environment. Most of its customers were peddlers, laborers, and other low-class men.
"No, no, please spare my life, young mistress."
"This servant...this servant heard it from Xiao Liu half a year ago."
"Six months ago?"
"Yes, that's... that's after you were disciplined by the family... after you were disciplined by the family."
Chunmei originally wanted to say whipping, but fearing that it would anger Su Yujiao, she hesitated and changed her wording.
Su Yujiao's face turned even uglier. Indeed, his attitude had changed drastically after she whipped him in public.
She originally thought he would readily agree to a divorce, but to her surprise, he not only refused to divorce her, but also humbled himself and treated her well.
She couldn't understand why he wouldn't agree to a divorce.
I originally thought he was just too possessive, but now it seems there might be another reason.
"Do you know the location of the Ghost Temple?"
After hesitating for a long time, Chunmei finally nodded: "When I was a child, I went up the mountain with my mother to burn incense. We got lost on a rainy day and went there by chance."
"This servant...this servant cannot guarantee that we can find it."
"Take me there."
Su Yujiao and her two companions walked through layers of dense forest, where birds sang and the air was filled with the scent of earth and decaying leaves.
The deeper you go, the quieter it becomes, giving you a sense of eeriness and antiquity.
The three wandered around in the forest for a long time before finally spotting a dilapidated temple.
A towering ancient tree stands in front of the temple, adorned with red silk ribbons and wooden plaques, while a wisp of smoke rises slowly from a corner of the temple.
When Su Yujiao arrived at the temple gate, she discovered that the stone lions at the entrance were unusually strange. They were actually two-headed lions with blue faces and fangs, looking fierce.
Su Yujiao frowned. This temple was so strange. Was it a god or a ghost that was enshrined here?
"Let's go in and take a look."
Chunmei hesitated and dared not go in, because she had heard that this place was very eerie!
However, looking at the eerie two-headed stone lion and the gloomy dense forest behind her, she dared not stand alone at the temple gate.
“Miss, there are words on these red silks and wooden plaques.”
Su Yujiao glanced at a few at random; some were asking for marriage, some for peace, some for wealth, and some for good fortune.
These red silks and wooden plaques all had a strong, pungent smell of blood.
Su Yujiao leaned closer to smell it, then suddenly let go and took a few steps back.
These red silks were actually dyed with blood. How many people's blood were needed to make this tree full of red silks?
"Miss, what's wrong?"
Su Yujiao, suppressing the nausea, waved her hand with a pale face.
"fine."
“These red strips of cloth and wooden signs are all stained with blood.”
Xiao Tao stared wide-eyed in terror, and Chun Mei was even more frightened.
“Young mistress, let’s go back. I heard from the village shaman that people who come to the ghost temple to make wishes are offering their own blood to an evil god.”
"So...it was all true."
Su Yujiao insisted on going in to take a look. If Lu Ziqian and Chen Yunniang dared to go in, what was there for her not to dare to do?
"You two wait outside, I'll go in by myself."
"Miss, I'll accompany you."
Chunmei went inside too; she didn't dare to be outside alone.
There was no one in the temple, but smoke was billowing from the chimney. This ghost temple was indeed eerie.
The three arrived at the largest main temple, where a strange statue was enshrined. It had two heads and six eyes, and its face was as ferocious and terrifying as the stone lions outside.
In front of the statue were rows of black ceramic jars, with slips of paper attached to them, which appeared to be names.
“Miss, this is Chen Yunniang.” Xiao Tao pointed to one of the jars.
Su Yujiao stood in front of the jar, staring at the three words "Chen Yunniang," her face ashen.
Lu Ziqian wanted to use her life to save Chen Yunniang?
Although Chunmei was scared, her gossipy nature overcame everything at this moment. Could it be... could it be that she had really guessed right?
Su Yujiao's hands trembled as she tried to open the jar, and Xiao Tao's voice choked with fear: "Miss, let's... let's go back."
"You can't touch the things in the temple."
She was genuinely afraid that the birth chart inside might contain a life-sustaining divination result, and how heartbroken the young lady would be if she saw it.
The general is tearing the young lady's heart out!
Su Yujiao hesitated for a second, but finally opened the jar and saw what was inside.
Inside is a cross, with straw dolls tied to both sides, and each doll has its birth date and time written on it.
Below the cross is a compass with the words "life" and "death" written on it.
The character for "life" is attached to the feet of the doll representing Chen Yunniang, while the character for "death" is attached to the feet of the doll representing Su Yujiao.
Once Su Yujiao saw everything clearly, she was so frightened that she dropped what she was holding, covered her ears, and screamed in despair.
Although she didn't believe in ghosts and spirits, what she saw proved that Lu Ziqian wanted to kill her.
"Miss, this...this must be a misunderstanding."
"This must be Chen Yunniang's trick, General... General absolutely has no intention of harming you."
Xiao Tao tried to persuade her, but she didn't even believe her own words.
Chunmei stood aside, unsure how to offer advice. She only felt sorry for the young mistress, just like the new bride next door, who had met the wrong person.
After her breakdown, Su Yujiao gradually calmed down: "Take the jar and come with me."
The three returned to the general's mansion and went directly to find Zhou.
What is this?
Su Yujiao looked at Zhou Shi, wanting to speak but tears welled up before she could utter a word. Xiao Tao then recounted the whole story.
Zhou was shocked and hurriedly threw away the strange doll in her hand.
"That's impossible. Seventh Brother would never do such a thing."
Absolutely not!
Mrs. Zhou was absolutely certain of this; she knew her son well.
“A conspiracy, this…this must be Chen Yunniang’s conspiracy.”
"Jiaojiao, don't let that cunning woman sway you."
"If you fall into her trap, she will be satisfied."
Su Yujiao's eyes were blurred with tears, and tears welled up in her eyes: "Mother, first he abandoned me to those mountain bandits, and now he's conspiring with women outside to kill me."
How can you expect me to trust him?
"If Mother truly cares for me, then let me go."
“I really can’t live in this house anymore. My older brother is waiting for me to rescue him, and my parents are waiting for me to take care of them in their old age.”
"I cannot die, especially not from my husband's schemes."
Seeing Su Yujiao's heartbroken state, Zhou was completely disoriented.
No one could accept something like this!
"Where's the seventh brother? Quickly call him here!" Zhou shouted anxiously towards the door.
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