Chapter 54 Cause of Death. I am not my mother, I will not let you have any good...
The arrival of the first snow marks the beginning of winter.
This first snowfall was exceptionally graceful. It fell all day long, but only formed a thin layer. It clearly couldn't even cover any dirt on the ground, but it could conceal the assassin's mastermind.
Not only the patrol camp, but countless people were secretly investigating, but they couldn't find any clues. Even though Emperor An wanted to give Pei Ji an explanation, he had no way to do it.
But the more difficult it was, the more Emperor An wanted to get to the bottom of it. He just didn't believe that there was anyone who could do such a thing without any mistakes in his Revelation!
Otherwise, if it was Pei Ji and others today, wouldn't it be his turn someday?
When the matter was still unclear, rumors were already rife in the capital.
In the final analysis, the masterminds behind the scenes are the princes, the most likely one is the Fourth Prince. Even the Third Prince who is still under house arrest is not immune and has been dragged into the rumors.
However, no matter who it happened to, such a disaster would be avoided as much as possible. Therefore, the princes and officials in the court were very quiet during this period, and even the concubines did not dare to compete for favor for fear of causing trouble.
Even when everything was in complete silence, the He family in the Marquis of Jing'an Mansion became bustling with activity.
Previously, He Ruman and Duke Zhou's family were just about to get engaged, and no one knew when it was finalized. When they heard about it again, it was already known that the two families were going to become relatives and get married.
The voices of discussion had been getting louder and louder before, but getting married at this time inexplicably suppressed the oppressive atmosphere. Everyone was staring at their movements, just waiting to watch the fun.
After all, the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion is a small mansion. In addition, the Duke of Zhou's Mansion was once glorious. Naturally, many people want to establish a relationship with it. In addition, as the New Year is approaching, there are quite a few people visiting.
Although He Zhiliao was reluctant to go, he had to go for both moral and logical reasons. After all, he was a child of the He family. Although he married out, the relationship was still close. Since his nominal younger brother was getting married, he had to go and give gifts and congratulations.
Otherwise, if rumors spread that he ignored his parents' family because he married into a wealthy family, it would probably also implicate the Pei family. Therefore, it would be better to be more careful about what was done in public.
Pei Ji was somewhat unhappy with his compromise. "You are already my family, why do you still care about the Jing'an Marquis Mansion? Those so-called false names are just for outsiders to see. No one in the family cares about them."
He Zhiliao just shook his head. How could he say that?
"My second brother has been busy lately. It would be bad if rumors spread and influenced his integrity in Your Majesty's eyes. I'm just going there once, so it won't be a problem."
"Giving them face like this will probably make the Jing'an Marquis' Mansion so proud." Pei Ji chuckled. It was rare to give the He family face like this.
He Zhiliao also pursed his lips and smiled. After all, he couldn't not give the face.
The New Year was almost approaching, and the Pei family had already started purchasing the goods needed for the New Year, which made their wedding seem even more anxious. Just two days after they received the news, the wedding date arrived in the blink of an eye.
He Ruman's wedding day was December 20th.
The entire capital city was cold, but the atmosphere was exceptionally warm and hot.
At daybreak, one could hear the cheerful sounds of music and firecrackers, and many people came out to watch the fun and celebrate.
Because it was a morning meeting and evening ceremony, Duke Zhou's Mansion needed to go to the Jing'an Marquis Mansion at an auspicious time to welcome He Ruman to their residence and hold the wedding in the evening.
It was He Yao who carried He Ruman on his back from the He family. After all, he was the eldest son of the family and would be able to inherit the Jing'an Marquis Mansion in the future. They would have asked He Zhiliao to carry him, but there was no rule to do so, nor did they have the ability to do so.
When welcoming the bride, the betrothal gifts need to be taken back. You can see that the betrothal gifts and dowry are paving the long road behind Duke Zhou’s mansion, which looks particularly spectacular from a distance.
Although He Zhiliao was not the protagonist today, he still had to show up, so he got up at the same time as Pei Ji and started packing early.
"Zheng Jun, the housekeeper has already prepared the gifts. We can just take them over when the time comes." Xixin said, "I took a quick look and they are all ordinary gifts."
He Zhiliao nodded. They were just ordinary relatives, so naturally they should give ordinary gifts. Even the gift money was of the most ordinary standard. The Jing'an Marquis He family was not worthy of his care.
Pei Ji wanted to go to court as usual. Logically speaking, it was the in-laws' business, and as a son-in-law, he should go and take a look. Besides, he was always worried about going to the He family, but he was rejected by He Zhile.
After all, comparing the two, it is naturally more important to gain face in the eyes of His Majesty.
"I have to go to court. If you have any problems, please ask the servants to find me. Don't let them bully you. I will try to come back as soon as possible." Pei Ji reminded him softly, fearing that he would come back to the He family with a sad face again.
No matter what he said, the little cicada just nodded, obviously taking it all to heart.
Pei Ji was somewhat satisfied, and after repeatedly instructing his servants, he got up and headed towards the palace.
He Zhiliao got up early today and had nothing else to do after he had packed up. He was considered a member of his mother's family, so he didn't need to go to Duke Zhou's mansion in the evening. He only needed to show up at the He family of Marquis Jing'an at noon.
It was still early, so he made up for the calligraphy practice he had missed in the past few days. He had indeed been a little slack during the time when Pei Ji was injured.
Chun Jian helped him arrange the papers and said with a smile, "Young Master is practicing your uncle's calligraphy and it's getting better and better."
He Zhiliao raised his lips. It was indeed getting better. Fortunately, he had practiced calligraphy before, otherwise he would not have been able to achieve such a level in just a few months.
He was especially grateful to his past self. Even though he had never been treated well by the He family, he always tried his best to learn more. Fortunately, Zhuang Hongxiu gave birth to stupid idiots who always needed his help.
When you calm down and do things, time always passes quickly.
While He Zhiliao was still immersed in the interesting storybook, Chun Jian came to remind him that it was almost time to go to He's house.
Everyone in the Pei family knew that he had to go today, and Qin Yurong even specifically warned him before he left, telling him not to stand out, but also not to swallow his anger, and to just give gifts and show up before returning.
He Zhiliao also knew all of this, so he agreed to them one by one and hurried over.
Jing'an Marquis Mansion.
The whole house was filled with red. Zhuang Hongxiu and He Ruxi were receiving guests at the door. He Ruxi was only thirteen years old and had not yet reached the age of marriage, but her speech and behavior were mature and steady.
Most of the people coming and going were women, and when they saw her like this, they all looked at her with complicated expressions.
Some people felt that she was sensible, but in comparison, her status was too low; or some felt that their own social status was not good enough and they did not dare to approach her easily.
"Azhi is back." Zhuang Hongxiu spotted him with her sharp eyes and happily went forward to greet him, but then she suddenly made a strange gesture and bowed to him, "Greetings, Pei Zhengjun."
This gesture instantly stunned the spectators around.
"What's going on? Why do elders have to bow to younger ones? Although this Pei Mansion is indeed a noble family..."
"Speaking of which, I've heard that the wife of the Marquis's mansion is virtuous and has raised the entire family. I haven't heard anything wrong with her. Those rumors before were just children's play."
"Whose family are you from? The child's mischief is nothing but the mistress's incompetence! If she can't even treat her legitimate son and biological son equally, then this mistress is definitely unworthy of her job and is nowhere near as gentle and kind as the previous one!"
"Have you forgotten all the rumors about how the He family treated their daughter-in-law? This despicable tactic is obviously meant to intimidate him!"
There was a lot of discussion among the ladies, and many of them knew what was going on. They looked at Zhuang Hongxiu with increasingly unfriendly eyes.
I have never seen such a fool before. It is really disgusting that he would do such a stupid thing on the day of his own child's wedding.
Anyone with discerning eyes can understand her thoughts.
He Zhiliao also understood that the rumors around him naturally reached his ears. He looked at Zhuang Hongxiu expressionlessly, but firmly responded to her greeting.
Yanhua smiled and said, "You are too polite, Madam. Our Zhengjun is here to give gifts and congratulate the Third Young Master on his marriage. How about going in first?"
Yanhua and Xixin were not maids from the He family, so they were naturally not afraid of Zhuang Hongxiu, nor did they need to listen to her gossip. Conversely, Zhuang Hongxiu did not dare to treat them like this.
Hearing her say this, Zhuang Hongxiu could no longer hold back and quickly turned sideways to welcome him in.
Given the status of the He family, Marquis of Jing'an, naturally no high-ranking officials would come here to congratulate them. Therefore, as soon as He Zhi entered the courtyard, he attracted the attention of the guests.
"Pei Zhengjun is here."
"I never had the chance to greet Zhengjun before, but today is a coincidence."
"Pei Zhengjun, how is your health lately? Has Lord Pei's injury healed? When we heard about the assassin earlier, we were all very worried."
Before He Zhiliao saw He Hongan and He Yao inside, he was surrounded by a group of ladies. He looked around and didn't recognize anyone.
But it doesn’t matter. Don’t hit someone who smiles at you.
He smiled at everyone to indicate that everything was fine, then turned to look at He Hongan and his son who had been staring at him.
The guests also followed his gaze and immediately began to praise He Hongan for being so lucky to have such a promising child.
He Hongan couldn't keep the smile on his face.
I could only force a smile and say, "Please take a seat first. Don't be polite."
He Zhiliao naturally sat in the main seat of his mother's family. Although he didn't really want to be part of the He family, it was a symbol of his status, so he naturally sat there.
The banquet started soon. He Zhiliao took a quick look and found that in order to appear more decent, the banquet was not cheap. At least it was better than what he had at his wedding.
He was extremely grateful that the Pei family didn't care about these things, otherwise he would be unable to take a single step in the Pei family.
Although the banquet for many people is exquisite, there are still many people after all. In the past, He Zhiliao didn't care about these things, as long as he had a stutter. After staying in the Pei family for a long time, he gradually learned to be slow and leisurely.
Chun Jian was serving dishes beside him, while Yanhua and Xixin were guarding beside him, like bodyguards on both sides, with the intention of slapping anyone who came to cause trouble.
It was precisely because of his presence that the main table was unusually peaceful. Even those members of the He family who disliked him dared only smile at him and would never dare to say anything nonsense.
He Zhiliao enjoyed the meal quite well and was ready to leave as soon as he finished. Nothing good would happen if he stayed any longer.
"Azhi, don't be in a hurry to leave. There are some things in the mansion that you need to take with you. I forgot to give them to you before." Zhuang Hongxiu stood up to stop him. Although she was smiling, she did not have much kindness in her eyes.
He Zhiliao keenly realized what she was going to give him, and after a moment of silence, he decided to follow her.
He Ruxi followed Zhuang Hongxiu, and He Zhiliao naturally brought his own people with him, so there was no need to be afraid of her at all.
As the road ahead became more and more familiar, He Zhiliao became more certain about where she was taking him.
Jing'an Marquis Mansion Ancestral Hall.
Looking at the familiar gate, He Zhiliao's expression became more and more solemn, and even Chunjian's expression was not good.
The reason why He Zhiliao was able to persevere in the past years was that he stayed here, guarding his mother's tablet, spending night after night in loneliness and misery.
Zhuang Hongxiu acted as if she hadn't noticed his expression and smiled, "The servants and unmarried girls should wait outside the ancestral hall of our Jing'an Marquis's Mansion."
This was not the rule of the Marquis of Jing'an's Mansion, and He Zhiliao should not have followed it, but he had a hunch that this crazy woman had a lot more to say to him.
So he asked Harumi and the other two to wait outside.
Candles were always lit in the ancestral hall. When He Zhiliao stepped in, he found that their shadows were deformed and distorted by the candlelight, like evil spirits with bared fangs and claws.
He was silent for a moment, and without looking specifically, his eyes fell on the tablet he had been thinking about day and night.
The position of his late wife He Liu.
The tablet without even a name imprisoned the woman here for her entire life.
Zhuang Hongxiu naturally knew which one he was looking at, and she took the tablet down without hesitation and handed it to He Zhiliao with one hand.
The crimson nails contrasted sharply with the dark tablet, as if even the mother's life was being desecrated.
"You didn't really think I would destroy the tablet you've been so obsessed with, did you?" Zhuang Hongxiu scratched the words on the tablet with her fingernail, not without pride. "Deceased Wife... As long as you take this tablet away, I'll be the one to engrave these two words on it from now on."
My mother didn’t care about whether she had a deceased wife or not. But even if Zhuang Hongxiu was very proud, the tablet on her after her death would only read “second wife”.
He Zhiliao snatched the tablet from her hand with force, and his look when he lowered his eyes was full of attachment and dependence. He had already forgotten his mother's voice and smile when he was young, but that thick letter made him understand his mother better.
Seeing that he didn't even seem to be angry, Zhuang Hongxiu's face, which should have been proud, gradually showed anger. What she hated the most was this face, this face that was always calm and unchanged towards her!
I used to look at Liu Qingxuan, but now I look at He Zhilao.
As expected of her bloodline, he clearly hadn't raised her for a few years, yet he had inherited all of her looks.
"Come to think of it, I've known your mother for a long time. She's quite good-tempered. She clearly knew I was being raised away from home, yet she managed to pretend not to know. She's too stubborn and too concerned with her reputation, which is why she lost to me." Zhuang Hongxiu said with some pride, "Even though she's stunningly beautiful and talented, she doesn't know how to capture a man's heart, so she lost to me!"
Liu Qingxuan's appearance and talent were truly rare, and no one knew why she was willing to marry a mere sixth-rank official at that time, and the Liu family actually agreed.
She originally thought that marrying down would make He Hongan treat her well, but that was only the case in the first few years.
A woman who marries down will only make it difficult for a man to see herself clearly. It is obvious that she relies on the Liu family to get a salary and a promotion, but He Hongan just thinks that he is seen by the emperor and gradually becomes proud.
Men are lowly.
His wife was already a rare beauty and talent, and they treated each other with respect, but he was not satisfied and wanted to find someone more charming and interesting outside. That's how he found Zhuang Hongxiu.
The Zhuang family was originally a small family, and most of their children were raised to be unscrupulous. Therefore, Zhuang Hongxiu was raised outside by He Hongan for many years. Instead of being angry, the Zhuang family was proud that their child was so capable.
"Your mother has known about my existence for a long time, but she accepted it calmly, even pretending not to know. At that time, your father didn't dare to confess to her, so I went to find her. You have no idea how cold and contemptuous she was.
"I'll always remember how calm she was. The look in her eyes when she looked at me didn't change at all. She could clearly see that I was carrying a belly like her, but she didn't even show any anger. I thought, maybe she didn't love your father at all.
"I told He Hongan my guess, and he actually believed it to some extent. He even became colder towards her and more enthusiastic towards me. Later, your mother gave birth prematurely."
When Zhuang Hongxiu recalled the past, there was a look of melancholy on her face.
"If only your mother could die two years earlier, you would become my child, calling me mother day and night, but not getting my love, hahaha..." She laughed crazily.
The laughter attracted Chun Jian and the others who were guarding outside, and they immediately started banging on the door of the ancestral hall. Chun Jian was so anxious that he kept shouting, "Zheng Jun, are you okay? If you don't come out in a moment, we will break down the door!"
Isn’t it the He family’s ancestral hall?
If anyone dares to let anything happen to his young master, he will break into the palace!
Chun Jian felt a little relieved when he found out that He Zhiliao was silent.
He Zhiliao looked at Zhuang Hongxiu quietly, wondering why she was so crazy today.
"You must be confused, right?
"If you're wondering how your mother died, you should ask me. Even though your mother is indifferent to me, it doesn't mean I will treat her the same way.
"A person like her stands in my way. I will certainly not let her go easily. As long as she is around, I will never be able to openly become the wife of the Marquis of Jing'an, and my child will become a bastard. I will not allow this."
As soon as she finished speaking, He Zhiliao immediately pounced on her like a madman, his slender hands raised high and then dropped heavily, landing on Zhuang Hongxiu's face, head... and anywhere he could touch.
Zhuang Hongxiu was not paying attention for a moment and was actually knocked down by him. When she fell, even the positions were messed up and scattered all over the ground. She was also beaten so hard that she started cursing and howling.
Several people outside the ancestral hall who heard the noise rushed in and saw He Zhile holding Zhuang Hongxiu and beating her violently.
Those who don't know the situation would probably think he has lost his mind.
"He Zhiliao, what are you doing! Let my mother go! She is the Marquis' wife, how dare you treat her like this!" He Ruxi screamed in shock, but did not dare to move forward at all.
He Zhiliao raised his eyes and looked at her, and his slap landed heavily on Zhuang Hongxiu's arm that was covering her face. His clear eyes were filled with cruelty and madness, which made people wonder if he had a dagger in his hand, he would probably stab her without hesitation.
"Zhengjun, please calm down!" Yanhua and Xixin hurried forward to help, while Chunjian stopped He Ruxi from going forward.
While Yanhua and Xixin pulled Zhuang Hongxiu away, they also secretly kicked her twice, wishing they could kick her to death.
He Zhiliao still stared at her expressionlessly, all his emotions hidden in his eyes, as if there was a ferocious beast that could tear her apart at any moment.
Zhuang Hongxiu burst into tears, "No matter how dissatisfied you are with me, you shouldn't attack me in front of the ancestors of the Marquisate. Your mother is here, and you don't know how to restrain yourself!"
He Zhiliao stared at her with an indifferent gaze, and even dared to mention his mother?
He raised his lips and smiled, his lips moving slowly and heavily. Even though Zhuang Hongxiu and He Ruxi couldn't read lip language, they could understand the shape of his lips at this moment.
[You killed my mother, and the murderer is still alive. Naturally, I am not the one who should restrain myself.]
"She, she killed the madam?" Chun Jian was shocked and stared at Zhuang Hongxiu in a trance. Was the madam actually murdered?
Zhuang Hongxiu burst into tears again. "Why do you have to spit bloody words at me? Where's the evidence? You even messed up our ancestral hall like this. Just because you're so powerful now, do you have to treat my family like this?"
【Slap.】
He Zhiliao said to Xixin.
Yanhua immediately twisted both of Zhuang Hongxiu's arms behind her, and in her horrified expression, Xixin's powerful slaps fell on her face with gusts of strong wind.
After the slap, blood instantly flowed from the corner of Zhuang Hongxiu's mouth, and her cheeks swelled up visibly.
She choked, coughed up blood, and spat out several teeth in her cavity.
Zhuang Hongxiu finally realized how to be afraid, but now their relationship was completely broken. Even if she begged for mercy, He Zhiliao would not let her go. It would be better for her to fight on. Anyway, he couldn't beat her to death here!
He Zhiliao would not beat her to death, but he would destroy her heart.
Yanhua glanced at his lips and immediately sent a message, "You already knew that Duke Zhou's Mansion wasn't a place you could easily trust, yet you still insisted on marrying He Ruman there. It was simply to create a way out for He Yao and He Ruxi. If He Ruman knew you knew all along, do you think he would resent you?"
"I found such a good in-law family for him, the Duke of Zhou's Mansion. How could he hate me? I am his biological mother, so naturally I have to make plans for him!" Zhuang Hongxiu said with a smile.
But in fact, He Ruman is her useless chess piece.
"Really? Then I will tell him all this and see if he will thank you." Yanhua relayed his words, but she also felt frightened.
She is clearly the mother, yet she can actually do such a thing as pushing her own child into the fire pit.
Zhuang Hongxiu was obviously getting anxious, but she forced herself not to show any fear. She clenched her back teeth tightly and stared at He Zhiliao, as if she wanted to kill him too.
I am not my mother.
You won't have a good life.
He Zhiliao closed his eyes and suppressed the emotions that were emerging. He squatted down and picked up the tablet that had fallen on the ground. He held it in his arms and carefully wiped the dust off, but he was too lazy to look at them again.
Birds of a feather flock together, and they are in cahoots with each other.
I feel sick if I look at it for any longer.
He Zhiliao raised his foot and left. Yanhua and Xixin suddenly threw Zhuang Hongxiu to the ground, leaving the mother and daughter hugging each other.
Listening to He Ruxi's voice calling her "mother", He Zhiliao felt a sore nose and tears welled up in her eyes when the cold wind blew.
He also had a mother, he had that too.
"The wind is too cold and you are too emotional. Let's go back home as soon as possible and drink some medicine to calm your nerves, otherwise it will get hot at night." Chunjian reminded softly.
The young master's health was not good, and only when he came to the Pei family could he get supplements and medicinal food.
He Zhiliao walked out of the He family slowly, looking at the plaque of Jing'an Marquis Mansion with cold eyes. The hatred in his eyes gradually surged, burning his reason and making his whole body tremble.
What a shitty family, they should be burned to ashes!
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The author has something to say: Little Cicada: What a shitty family...
Harumi: Pah! Pah! Pah! Kill them! [Please]
Come hold the claws~[cat claw][cat claw][cat claw]
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