Chapter 163 Murdering His Wife
However, in the first month of the year, Du Qingmei learned from Cuiyue that Guo Qian's promotion to a fifth-rank official was due to the influence of the Prime Minister. She was so worried that she could not eat or feel comfortable.
How did Guo Qian climb up to the position of Prime Minister?
Is it true as Xiaoba said, that Xianyu and the Prime Minister are at loggerheads and incompatible?
Did Guo Qian hold a grudge against Xianyu because of what happened at the New Year's Eve family dinner, and was planning to conspire with the Prime Minister to harm Xianyu?
If so, how should she choose?
The honor of being a noble lady and the disappointed looks of her sisters flashed through her mind alternately. Du Qingmei couldn't help but comfort herself, thinking that perhaps she was just overthinking it.
The Prime Minister will not use insidious means to harm Xianyu.
Guo Qian never bore any grudge against Shang Xianyu, and would never help the tyrant to do evil.
In this way, Du Qingmei felt a little relieved.
She gently stroked her still flat belly, a hint of tenderness in her eyes.
At this point, this child is all she has.
Whether it is a boy or a girl, it is connected to her by blood and is her closest relative.
This is her confidence and her reliance. She wants it to be born safely and grow up healthily.
Thinking of He Ruxuan's frequent small movements since she became pregnant, Du Qingmei's eyes flashed coldly: "Keep an eye on the west wing. Report any movements to me."
She was pregnant, but not brainless.
A mere He Ruxuan couldn't possibly cause any waves.
But one must always be on guard against others. Before giving birth safely, she must be extremely alert and not give anyone a chance to take advantage of her.
Cuizhen had served Du Qingmei for many years and promised solemnly, "Madam, don't worry, I will keep an eye on her 24/7!"
Du Qingmei hesitated for a moment, her voice so low that it could hardly be heard: "Cui Yue, you should also pay more attention to the east side room."
Cuiyue scratched her head: "Madam, are you talking about...Young Master?"
Guo Qian originally lived with Du Qingmei in the east wing, but when she became pregnant, she moved to the study in the east ear room.
Du Qingmei fiddled with the jade bracelet on her wrist and uttered "hmm" after a long while.
Hopefully she was just overthinking it.
It would be best if Guo Qian had no ill intentions, but if he did...
Du Qingmei's eyes flickered, and she forced herself not to think any further.
"I understand. From now on, I will pay attention to the east side room." Cui Yue responded crisply, "But if I do this, I won't be able to always look after you, Madam."
Du Qingmei said absentmindedly, "It's okay," and asked Cuizhen to bring the needle and thread basket so that she could continue sewing clothes.
......
Two months passed in a flash.
Du Qingmei is five months pregnant and her pregnancy is gradually showing.
During this period, He Ruxuan acted like a demon several times and was punished by Du Qingmei openly and secretly. Recently, he has been much more well-behaved, as if he had accepted his fate.
As for Guo Qian, he was on duty at 1 a.m. every day and off duty at 7 p.m. every day. Occasionally, he would go out drinking with his colleagues and would not come back drunk until late at night. Everything was calm, without any conspiracy or trickery.
This made Du Qingmei feel relieved.
As long as Guo Qian was an honest official and didn't try to harm anyone, she wouldn't be in this dilemma.
Until one day in late March.
In the evening, Du Qingmei ate a bowl of wonton soup with chicken. Just as she was about to put down her spoon, Cuiyue hurried into the room and whispered in her ear, "Madam, a middle-aged man with a mustache came to visit. I looked at him coldly and thought he was not a good person, so I hurried back to report to you."
"bite--"
The spoon slid into the bottom of the bowl with a crisp sound.
The chicken soup splashed on her sleeves, but Du Qingmei had no time to care. She stood up with the help of the table edge and paced back and forth in the room.
Her heart was beating inexplicably fast, and a strong sense of unease swept through her body, as if a disaster was about to happen.
Is that person Guo Qian’s colleague?
Or someone else?
Why did that person come to my house in the evening for no reason?
Du Qingmei patted her chest, suppressed her palpitations, and asked, "Where is he now? Is he gone?"
Cui Yue shook her head: "Young Master took him to the study."
Cuizhen was puzzled: "This is the first time a guest has come to visit us since we came to Xiajing."
The Guo family had no relatives in Xiajing. Only occasionally would women from the neighborhood come to visit and chat with the three women of the Guo family.
Du Qingmei had cut off all contact with the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion. In the past three months, except for the neighbors who became more enthusiastic after learning that Guo Qian had become an official, the Guo residence was deserted.
Du Qingmei's breathing became heavy, and she felt as if a huge rock was weighing on her stomach. After a while of churning, she vomited all her dinner.
Cuizhen and Cuiyue were busy serving tea, candied fruits and emptying spittoons for quite a while before they finally stopped.
Du Qingmei leaned against the headboard, feeling weak all over. Cuiyue held a handkerchief and wiped the cold sweat off her face. "Madam, would you like to lie down and rest for a while?"
Before Du Qingmei could respond, Cuiyue blamed herself again, "It's all my fault. I shouldn't have mentioned that person, causing you to suffer such a great crime."
Oh, that man!
Du Qingmei sat up straight, startling Cuiyue so much that she cried out and quickly supported her: "Madam, please be careful!"
Du Qingmei stood up with Cuiyue's help: "I feel a little depressed and want to go out for a walk."
Cuizhen saw the gorgeous and warm sunset outside the house, and thought it would be good to go out for some fresh air so as to avoid being stuck in the house all day and getting depressed.
The lady has been uneasy lately, and she has seen it all. She is anxious but helpless.
No matter what the reason is, I hope the lady can come to terms with it soon. It will be good for both herself and the baby in her womb.
"Madam, you are pregnant, so please be careful. Cuiyue, take good care of Madam. I will go to the kitchen to get some food. You might be craving it when you come back."
Du Qingmei thought about it and agreed.
As the master and servant walked out of the east wing, Old Lady Guo happened to come out of the main room. Seeing her leaving, she casually asked, "Where are you going?"
Cuiyue answered for Du Qingmei, "Madam just ate a bowl of chicken wonton soup and vomited it all. She feels very uncomfortable and wants to go out for some fresh air."
Old Lady Guo glanced at Du Qingmei's bulging belly, waved her hand, and said in a somewhat dismissive manner: "Go ahead."
It would be best if she was pregnant with a son, otherwise it would be of no use.
Not only can she not give birth to an offspring for the Guo family, but she has also fallen out with her natal family. This will not help the third son's career at all. It would be better to divorce her and marry someone else.
The third son married into the Cheng'en Mansion, which was equivalent to marrying the legitimate son of the Empress in the palace, the future Emperor, and his future was bound to be limitless.
If he were to marry again, he would have to marry a legitimate daughter of an official of the fifth rank or above.
Mrs. Guo thought to herself, glanced at the closed door of the east wing, gave an ambiguous smile, and turned to go to the west wing.
After all, He Ruxuan, the niece, gave birth to the eldest son for the Guo family. In view of her contribution to childbearing, she can be made a concubine in the future.
With the concubine He Ruxuan to restrain her, the young lady from the official family she married back to her husband would not have to shit and piss on the head of her, the legitimate mother-in-law, and she could be her old lady comfortably.
......
Du Qingmei didn't know what Guo Laonian was thinking. She went out the door, turned left, and went around to the back of the house through the narrow path beside the house.
There is a window in Guo Qian's study, and he is used to opening the window for ventilation in all seasons except winter.
With Cuiyue's support, Du Qingmei walked to the window on the moss, leaned against the gray brick wall, stroked her belly, and stared at the ivy hanging on the wall not far away.
The two people in the study were talking in very low voices, and their voices were not very clear.
The hoarse male voice clearly came from the man with the mustache: "Send this letter...to the study...to the spy..."
Guo Qian replied: "I'm afraid not... breaking up... bribing..."
The study fell into silence, and the man with a mustache seemed to be pondering.
After a while, a hoarse male voice said, "Okay."
Guo Qian smiled, clearly relieved: "Don't worry, I will definitely do it beautifully."
The man with the mustache also smiled and said, "I naturally trust Lord Guo. Lord Guo said that after the matter is completed, he will try to transfer Lord Guo to the Ministry of Works, at least to a fifth-rank doctor."
Transferred to the Ministry of Industry...
Du Qingmei's heart kept sinking, as if falling into an endless abyss.
Xianyu is the head of the Ministry of Works. As long as she is in office, she will never allow Guo Qian to work in the Ministry of Works.
Unless she...
Du Qingmei's breathing trembled slightly, and her stomach began to churn again.
She quickly covered her mouth, suppressed the feeling of nausea, and quickly left with Cuiyue's support.
Little did she know that after she left, the man with a mustache suddenly walked to the window, pushed open the half-closed window, and looked out.
Guo Qian was puzzled: "What's wrong?"
The mustache-faced man glanced at the wild cat licking its fur on the moss, shook his head, turned around, and said with a bow, "Nothing much. Zhang has to go back and report to the master, so I'll take my leave now."
Guo Qian personally saw him off. After the man with a mustache drove away in his carriage, he returned to the study and put the envelope on the desk into the drawer.
Recalling the humiliation at the family dinner on New Year's Eve, and the scene of Du Qingtang wearing a purple official robe and surrounded by people, Guo Qian sneered, his heart filled with the joy of revenge.
"Let's see how long you can be so proud!"
......
Du Qingmei returned to the east wing and vomited violently into the spittoon.
Cuizhen was extremely anxious. "Madam, you only vomited for half a month after you were diagnosed with pregnancy. Why is you vomiting so much today?"
Cuiyue held the candied fruit in her hand: "Because..."
"Water..." Du Qingmei called out in a hoarse voice, her voice weak.
Cuizhen quickly handed over the teacup.
Du Qingmei rinsed her mouth with her hand and lay down on the bed with a pale face: "I'm tired and want to rest for a while."
Cuiyue took off her shoes, placed them in front of the bed, covered her with a quilt, and left with Cuizhen.
"Crack—"
The door was closed, the oil paper blocked out the light, and the room instantly became dark.
Du Qingmei lay on her side, her right hand covering her stomach, sobbing softly, tears streaming down her face.
She never imagined in her life that the man beside her would actually team up with outsiders to harm her own sister.
Admittedly, Du Qingmei did blame Du Qingtang at the beginning.
Blame her for not giving herself face, blame her for being cold-hearted.
But as time passed, Du Qingmei gradually calmed down, the resentment faded away, and regret prevailed.
Xianyu is right, she is just too selfish.
In order to become an official's wife and to obtain an imperial decree, she did not hesitate to use her unborn child as a bargaining chip, and asked Xianyu to help Guo Qian get an official position at the family dinner on New Year's Eve.
Xianyu is walking on thin ice in the court, and as her sister, she should not put Xianyu in danger for her own selfish reasons.
But things were already done and could not be undone. No matter how much she regretted it, she could only swallow the bitter fruit alone.
She comforted herself and brainwashed herself over and over again.
Even if she broke off the relationship with the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion, at least Guo Qian was now a fifth-rank official. With time, he would be able to petition for an imperial decree for her, making her a proper imperial consort.
Just like that, three months passed in a flash.
Just now, she finally verified that her guess was not an illusion——
Xianyu and the Prime Minister are indeed at loggerheads and cannot get along.
Guo Qian climbed up the big tree of the Prime Minister by offering jade as a token of his loyalty.
Guo Qian did hold a grudge against Xianyu because of the incident at the New Year's Eve family dinner, and he colluded with the Prime Minister to harm Xianyu.
How should she choose between her husband and her sister?
Du Qingmei's tears flowed like a spring, wetting her hair and soaking her pillowcase.
Just at this moment, her belly moved.
Du Qingmei's suppressed crying stopped abruptly. She forced herself to swallow the sob that was about to overflow from her throat. She stroked her belly and said softly, "Don't be afraid, dear. It's all my fault. I scared you."
The baby in her belly moved again, as if responding to her apology.
In just a moment, Du Qingmei made a decision.
The man beside her was just a stepping stone for her to climb up and become a lady of noble birth.
Xianyu and she are blood-related sisters.
Even though there were deep conflicts between them, even though they had completely broken up and became strangers from then on, Du Qingmei could not bear to watch Du Qingtang being harmed by others, losing the official position and title she had earned over six years, and even... her life.
......
Three more days passed like this.
During these three days, Du Qingmei asked Cuiyue to pay attention to Guo Qian's every move.
As usual, Guo Qian went on duty at the hour of Mao and finished his duty at the hour of You. After returning, he first came to the east wing, talked to her for a while, and then went to the east ear room to rest.
However, Du Qingmei did not let down her guard.
She wanted to go into the study, find the letter, and give it to Du Qingtang.
But Guo's father, Guo's mother and He Ruxuan were always at home, so she had no idea where to start.
Fortunately, God granted his wish. Finally, on the fourth day, the mother of Guo Qian's colleague in the Ministry of Public Administration celebrated her 60th birthday. Except for Du Qingmei, all the other members of the Guo family attended the birthday party.
Du Qingmei knew that her chance had come.
She stepped on a stool, entered the study through the back window, and began to rummage through the drawers.
On the other side, Mrs. Guo was complaining to Guo Qian about Du Qingmei's faults, nagging loudly: "She is only five months pregnant and not about to give birth. She hides in the house all day long and never goes out..."
Old Man Guo was impatient to hear this and pushed the old woman to shut her up. "A few days ago, you said that the third son's wife went out in the evening. Can you please stop lying with your eyes open? Don't forget, she is pregnant with the Guo family's child. Even if she cuts off contact with the Wen'an Marquis' Mansion, she is still the daughter-in-law of the Guo family!"
Old Lady Guo was embarrassed when her husband exposed her secret plan in front of her son and niece. She stiffened her neck and yelled, "What's wrong? She can't even eat something as delicious as chicken soup wontons. It only takes half an incense stick to walk around. If there weren't guests here, I really want to scold her!"
Guo Qian paused as he straightened his robe and asked, "What guest?"
"That distinguished guest with the mustache," Old Lady Guo muttered. "He stepped on moss all over the sole of his shoe, and he even had that maid Cuizhen secretly sweep the moss from the yard. They thought no one knew, but I saw it all clearly from inside the house. They were sneaking around like that. If she wasn't pregnant, I would have suspected she was trying to steal a man."
moss?
Guo Qian thought of the narrow path behind Guo's house. Because it was rarely visited and there was a lot of rain recently, it was covered with a thick layer of moss.
He also thought of how Zhang, the staff member of Cheng'en Mansion, had opened the window to look before leaving, with a look of vigilance on his face.
Combined with what Guo's mother said, Guo Qian's heart skipped a beat and an ominous premonition came to his mind.
“Stop the car! Stop the car!”
Mrs. Guo was stunned by Guo Qian's shout: "Why did you stop the car? Aren't we going to attend the birthday party for Master Fan's mother?"
Guo Qian didn't bother to explain and told the driver to turn the car around and go home.
If it is really as he guessed, something big is going to happen!
He Ruxuan didn't miss the fleeting fierce look in Guo Qian's eyes. With a turn of his eyes, he took Guo Lao Niang's arm affectionately and said, "Aunt, my cousin must have his reasons for doing this. Let's just go back."
Old Lady Guo glanced at He Ruxuan and asked, hands in her pockets, "What about Master Fan?"
Guo Qian ignored her, his mind full of the consequences of Du Qingmei discovering his conspiracy with Cao Yuan.
What will Du Qingmei choose?
Stand on his side?
Or expose his conspiracy to Du Qingtang?
You will know the details when you return to Guo’s house.
"Bang!"
Guo Qian pushed open the gate with force and went straight to the second courtyard.
As soon as he walked through the hanging flower gate, he saw Cuizhen standing outside the east ear room.
At the same time, Cuizhen also saw him and her face changed slightly.
Guo Qian looked at her guilty expression and laughed out of anger.
Good job Du Qingmei!
What a treacherous bitch!
Cuizhen never expected that the Guo family who had agreed to attend the birthday party would actually make a surprise appearance. Thinking of the lady in the study, she opened her mouth to shout and issue a warning.
But Guo Qian raised his hand, and Langhao pounced on Cuizhen at lightning speed, covering her mouth tightly before she could make a sound.
Despair flashed across Cuizhen's eyes, and her face became increasingly gloomy.
Guo Qian stepped forward and kicked open the study door.
There was a loud "bang" and Du Qingmei was startled in the study. She looked up and saw Guo Qian standing at the door with a grim face.
In the yard behind Guo Qian were Guo's father and mother, who also had gloomy faces, and He Ruxuan, who looked gloating.
Guo Qian walked into the study and approached: "Madam, what are you doing?"
Du Qingmei panicked for a moment, then looked at Guo Qian's handsome face and calmed down for no reason: "Didn't you see everything I was doing?"
Guo Qian's face was so gloomy that it looked like water could drip from it. He stopped three steps away from Du Qingmei and asked, "So you're going to report me to Du Qingtang?"
Du Qingmei tightened her fingertips and said calmly, "If you want to harm my sister, I will naturally not help you."
Hearing this, Guo Qian burst out laughing. "Aiding the tyrant? Du Qingmei, haven't you done enough abetting the tyrant in the past?"
"You broke up with your sisters because of me."
Guo Qian's malicious words were like a knife, stabbing into Du Qingmei's heart, making her face turn pale in an instant.
"Du Qingmei, since you are pregnant with my child, I can give you another chance."
Guo Qian said in a condescending tone, "As long as you do as I say and put the letter in your hand into Du Qingtang's study, I will pretend that nothing happened today."
"You are still my first wife. I will apply for a title of nobility for you after I take up my post at the Ministry of Works. In the future, everything under my name will belong to the child in your belly."
A bribed maid is not as good as a biological sister, so Du Qingtang can lower his guard more easily. He will first coax Du Qingmei and then find a chance to deal with her after the matter is done.
Outside the study, He Ruxuan, who had been excitedly watching Du Qingmei's jokes, suddenly changed his expression and screamed, "Cousin!"
She disregarded propriety and shame and got involved with Guo Qian, not for him as a person, but for his status as a juren, for the family property in his hands, and for Du Qingmei's share of the family property.
She risked her life to give birth to Guo Qian's child, and even tolerated Guo Wangfei calling Du Qingmei mother, but it was not to prepare a wedding dress for the illegitimate child born by Du Qingmei.
Du Qingmei suddenly laughed: "What about Guo Wangfei? What about that bastard?"
Guo Qian's eyes changed, and he said firmly: "You know."
"Know what?" Du Qingmei said sarcastically, "Do you know that you and He Ruxuan were having an affair? Or do you know that Guo Wangfei was your illegitimate child?"
He Ruxuan's face changed drastically. Du Qingmei actually knew who Guo Wangfei's biological father was?!
Had she been pretending not to know?
Thinking about the past, He Ruxuan shuddered.
Old Man Guo and Old Woman Guo were equally guilty and huddled together whispering to each other.
"This bastard has us fooled around like crazy! If she hadn't asked, I would have thought she was being kept in the dark!"
"She won't tell the Du family about this, right?"
"Given the Du family's Ninth Sister's temper, if she knew Fei Ge'er's life story, she would definitely not let it go."
Old Man Guo couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.
In the study, Guo Qian stared at Du Qingmei: "So you are determined to go against me?"
Du Qingmei didn't answer but asked: "If I say I agree to your request, will you believe it? If I do it, will you let me go?"
Don't believe it.
Nor will I let her go.
Both sides know the answer well.
They are all typical egoists who value personal interests above all else. How could they tolerate potential threats around them?
Guo Qian's expression, which had been deliberately gentle in order to paralyze Du Qingmei, darkened again. His gaze shifted downwards, landing on Du Qingmei's bulging belly. "Then don't blame me for disregarding our past relationship as husband and wife."
As soon as he finished speaking, he raised his foot and kicked Du Qingmei in the stomach.
Rather than keeping a wife who has developed unfaithful thoughts as an eyesore and making you have to be on guard against her every day, it is better to take this opportunity to get rid of her.
The child she gave birth to must not be a good thing, and if it died, it died.
As long as he can get rid of Du Qingtang, the biggest worry for Cao Yuan, his official career will surely be bright, and he may even be able to enter the cabinet.
By then, you will hold great power, have a beautiful wife and concubines, and have many children. Wouldn't that be wonderful?
Du Qingmei could never have imagined that Guo Qian would be so cruel that he wanted to kill his child with his own hands.
She subconsciously protected her stomach and tried to dodge, but her body was heavy and she only had time to slightly turn sideways before Guo Qian's foot landed.
"ah!"
It was obvious that Guo Qian's kick was intended to kill Du Qingmei and not only her, the force was so strong that Du Qingmei was kicked away on the spot.
In just a moment, it felt as if a big hand was stirring and pulling in her stomach, and the severe pain made Du Qingmei scream out uncontrollably.
"lady!"
The driver grabbed Cuiyue, who was in charge of picking up the guests, from behind Guo's house and took her to the second courtyard.
Looking through the gaps in the crowd, all she saw was the glaring red. Cui Yue's face turned pale and she screamed in shock.
Du Qingmei felt that something very important was leaving her. She held her belly with one hand and reached for the hem of her skirt with the other.
The fingertips touched a warm and wet area.
It's blood.
It's her child.
Du Qingmei's pupils shrank suddenly, and her lips trembled: "Child...my child...Guo Qian, it's your child, how could you..."
Guo Qian scoffed, looking coldly at the blood-stained light blue skirt, which looked like a gorgeous flower blooming on a lush meadow: "Why can't I?"
"If Du Qingtang knew what I was planning, she would definitely not let me go."
"I don't want to die, so you have to die."
Guo Qian said the cruelest words in a gentle tone, then turned and walked out: "Cuizhen Cuiyue, send Madam back to the east wing."
Langhao and the coachman let go of Cuizhen and Cuiyue, and two maids rushed into the study: "Madam!"
The study was filled with a strong smell of blood. Cuizhen was angry and scared, crying and begging: "Master, the lady has lost a lot of blood. Please see that she has given birth to your children and asked for a doctor..."
Guo Qian didn't even turn his head. His unhurried tone made the three people in the study feel as if they were plunged into an icy cave: "Today, a thief broke into the Guo residence. He failed to steal and was caught by my wife Du. He simply killed her to silence her, resulting in the death of my wife Du."
......
Guo Qian ordered Langhao and the two maids who served Guo's father and mother to guard the courtyard gate and the back window of the study, which was the only way to escape from Guo's house. The four of them set out again and went to Fan's house for a banquet.
After they left, Cuizhen and Cuiyue worked together to carry Du Qingmei back to the east wing.
Du Qingmei lay on the bed, her abdomen felt like it was being cut by a knife, and her whole body was shivering with cold, as if she was in a deep icy pond.
She felt her life force draining away with her blood.
Is she going to die?
She is so cold.
It hurts too.
Her child.
Accompanying her five-month and eight-day-old child.
When a person is dying, he or she usually reviews his or her life in a revolving lantern-like manner.
The same is true for Du Qingmei.
She recalled that when she was young, the nine sisters depended on each other and had a deep bond.
They did embroidery together, carved wood carvings together, and fished together to sell in the county.
They set up stalls together and opened Du Ji Snacks together. Listening to the crisp sound of copper coins falling into the coin box, the corners of their mouths always couldn't help but rise.
Every New Year’s Eve, the five sisters share their money, and that is the moment they look forward to the most.
With money in my arms and my sisters sitting beside me, I feel that this life is enough.
When did their relationship begin to change?
It was she who refused to divorce again and again.
Her self-degradation and poor judgment of people led to a breakup between the sisters.
Regret washed over her like a tide, and Du Qingmei burst into tears.
She regretted it.
As early as the 16th year of the Qingyuan period, Xianyu was exiled to Runing Prefecture and Guo Qian's attitude towards her took a sharp turn for the worse. She should have listened to the advice of her sisters at home and divorced Guo Qian.
But she refused to listen. Her mind was full of the honors of being the wife of a juren, the wife of a jinshi, and the wife of an imperial edict. She insisted on being with Guo Qian, this rotten man, and insisted on staying in this rotten pit of the Guo family, and was unwilling to leave.
To this end, she was willing to recognize the thief as her son, live under the same roof with He Ruxuan, and even turn against her close sister.
But what did she get in the end?
Not to mention being a lady of imperial decree, she didn't even get the status of a Jinshi's wife.
No, she still got it.
She received a ruthless kick from Guo Qian.
Then lie here, bleeding and waiting to die.
Du Qingmei moved her lips: "Cui..."
Cuizhen immediately rushed forward: "Madam! Madam, I'm here!"
Du Qingmei took a deep breath: "Sleeves...sleeves."
Cuizhen was stunned, but Cuiyue pushed her and said, "Look at what's in the lady's sleeve!"
"Huh? Oh, good! Good!"
Cuizhen lifted Du Qingmei's bloodstained sleeve and found an envelope folded into the size of a palm in the secret pocket.
A voice told Cuizhen that this was what the lady wanted.
Cuizhen handed the envelope to Du Qingmei: "Madam, you want this, right?"
Perhaps due to excessive blood loss, Du Qingmei's vision was a little blurry.
She blinked hard, barely able to see what Cuizhen was holding: "It's... a gift... jade..."
Cuizhen was dumbfounded again: "Madam, what did you say?"
Cuiyue translated for Du Qingmei: "Madam asked you to deliver this letter to Wen Anbo."
Du Qingmei nodded, her breath barely taciturn: "Hurry up."
From the very beginning, she was fully prepared.
In order to prevent Guo Qian from discovering the clues, she tried to replace the past with the present.
The real letter used to frame Xianyu was in her hands, and the one Guo Qian took away was a fake.
But despite all her calculations, she still underestimated Guo Qian's cruelty.
Originally, she wanted to personally deliver the letter to the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion to apologize to her sisters, but unfortunately she no longer had the chance.
Cuizhen wanted to deliver a letter for her wife, but the problem was: "The young master sent someone to guard the door, and the only window leading to the outside was also blocked..."
Cuiyue patted her and said, "You forgot, there is a dog hole on the west side."
-
So Cuizhen crawled out of the dog hole and went to Wen'anbo's house to ask for help.
Perhaps it was God's blessing, as soon as she ran to the gate of Wen'an Earl's Mansion, she saw the purple figure.
Cuizhen rushed forward desperately, hugged Du Qingtang's thighs and cried, but still did not forget to hand over the envelope: "Sir, this is what the lady asked me to give you."
"This servant begs you, please go and save my wife! The young master won't allow us to find a doctor, and he even sent people to guard the doors and windows. If we delay any longer, my wife will die!"
Yesterday evening, after finishing his shift, Meng Fang came to report that Guo Qian tried to bribe the servants in the mansion.
At Du Qingtang's instruction, the servants serving in the main courtyard took advantage of the situation and accepted the two hundred taels of silver note given by Guo Qian.
If nothing unexpected happens, a big drama will soon take place in the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion.
But unexpectedly, before the big show started, Du Qingmei got into trouble first.
Du Qingtang frowned and clenched the envelope. The strong smell of blood made her almost nauseous.
But she didn't care too much, so she called Du Yi and Du Er and took a carriage straight to Guo's house.
According to Cuizhen, Du Qingmei was most likely going to have a miscarriage.
From the time Guo Qian took action to the time Cuizhen asked for help, it took at least an incense stick of time. Du Qingmei didn't know how much blood she had lost, and she had to stop the bleeding quickly.
Du Qingju was at the Female Medical Bureau and was afraid that she would not be able to make it in time, so Du Qingtang asked a doctor from the clinic.
The carriage stopped at the gate of Guo's house, and Du Qingtang appeared. His wolf-hair eyes changed slightly, and he came forward with a smile: "I didn't know that Master Du was here. I'm sorry for not coming to greet you. But the young master and his wife have gone to visit Master Fan..."
Du Qingtang raised his chin: "Open the door."
Du Yi stepped forward in response.
Langhao swallowed his saliva and thought to himself, "Master Du..."
Du Qingtang slapped him in the face, making Langhao's head buzz. "I'm not in a good mood right now. Don't mess with me, okay?"
"Bang!"
Du Yi kicked open the gate and Du Qingtang walked in with big strides.
Cuizhen followed closely behind, and when she passed by Langhao, she snorted at him in a very pretentious manner.
Langhao's eyes were bloodshot, it turned out that this bitch had run out to call for help!
He wanted to inform Guo Qian, but before he could take a step, Du Er punched him in the face and he fainted on the spot.
Du Qingtang walked into the east wing, and the strong smell of rust hit him in the face.
When Cuiyue saw her, she burst into tears of joy: "Madam, Lord Du is here! We are saved!"
Du Qingmei's eyelashes trembled, but she was too weak to open her eyes.
Du Qingtang walked to the bedside and stared at Du Qingmei, who was lying in a pool of blood, her face as pale as paper. "Look at you, for a vague identity, you have made yourself so miserable."
Du Qingmei closed her eyes and a sob escaped from her throat.
I was wrong.
Xianyu, I was wrong.
Du Qingtang turned sideways and waved to the doctor who was standing at the door. "My sister unfortunately had a miscarriage. Please stop the bleeding as soon as possible."
The doctor didn't expect that his patient was actually a woman who had a miscarriage, but neither the patient herself nor Wen Anbo minded. This was a matter of life and death, and he would not be shy at such a critical moment and delay the treatment.
Du Qingtang left the east wing, leaving Cuizhen and Cuiyue inside to help.
......
Du Qingtang sat in the yard, opened the envelope and checked the contents.
As expected, it was a letter she wrote to Emperor Qi.
Once this letter is found in the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion, she, Du Qingtang, will be accused of treason and collaborating with the enemy.
The crimes of treason and deceiving the emperor are not on the same level. For the crime of deceiving the emperor, only the main offender will be sentenced to death, but for treason, the entire family will be punished.
By then, not only her, but everyone in the Du family will not escape death.
It can be seen that in the first month of the year, Wang Zhongliang died by hitting his head against a pillar. The old man Cao Yuan was really desperate and even resorted to such a sinister method as framing her for treason with a letter.
Fortunately, Du Qingtang had been on guard and ordered Meng Fang to manage the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion like an iron barrel. From the steward to the maids and servants, all were under Meng Fang's control.
Trying to bribe the servants of the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion to frame her would be as difficult as climbing to the sky.
"Crack—"
The door opened, Cuizhen came out with a basin of blood, and quickly came back with a basin of clean water.
Du Qingtang glanced at him and looked away expressionlessly.
Cao Yuan will eventually be liquidated, and Guo Qian relied on Cao Yuan to get a job in the Ministry of Public Security, and boarded the Cao party's broken ship, and was destined to be liquidated together.
In ancient times, blood ties were inseparable.
Du Qingmei is Guo Qian's legal wife and also Du Qingtang's elder sister. When that day really comes, even with the favor of Emperor Qingyuan, the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion will be more or less affected.
Because of this, Du Qingtang arranged for Cuiyue to become Du Qingmei's maid and guide her to discover the deal between Guo Qian and Cao Yuan.
This is the last chance Du Qingtang gives Du Qingmei.
If Du Qingmei chose her, she would do everything she could to let Du Qingmei divorce and return home.
If Du Qingmei still refuses to repent, she can only send someone back to Taoyuan Village to remove Du Qingmei's name from the family tree.
Then it was announced to the world that Du Qingmei had been expelled from the clan and would no longer be a daughter of the Du family from now on.
Fortunately, Du Qingmei made the right decision.
As for the baby in her belly, it would be a mistake to give birth to it. If it's gone, it's gone.
Du Qingtang put the letter back into the envelope intact and sat alone in the yard, waiting for the doctor to finish the rescue.
During this period, Cuizhen and Cuiyue went in and out, and several basins of blood were sent out.
Over time, Du Qingtang's nostrils were filled with the smell of blood, which choked her and caused pain in her head.
About half an hour later, the doctor came out from the east wing.
"I have already stopped your sister's bleeding. Fortunately, she is in good health. This miscarriage didn't cause her too much harm. She just needs to rest for a while and she will recover."
Du Qingtang's expression eased slightly: "Du Yi, send the doctor out."
Du Yi handed over the consultation fee, and the doctor took it. Thinking of the shocking scene on the bed, he couldn't help but remind her, "Your sister has lost too much blood this time. You should take some blood-tonifying and Qi-replenishing medicine."
Du Qingtang nodded: "I've made note of it. Thank you for your reminder."
The doctor bowed and left with the medicine box.
Du Qingtang put the envelope he had been holding in his hand for a long time into the secret pocket of his wide sleeve and walked into the east wing.
Du Qingmei had fallen asleep, her face pale, her brows furrowed in a frown, and she was mumbling something in her sleep.
Du Qingtang stood by the bed, observing her quietly for a moment, then softly instructed, "Bring her cloak, pack up her things, and send them to the carriage outside."
Cuizhen and Cuiyue did as they were told and quickly packed Du Qingmei's luggage, which Du Yi and Du Er moved onto the carriage.
Du Qingtang wrapped Du Qingmei tightly with two cloaks, not even exposing her face, picked her up sideways, and walked out with big strides.
The carriage was large enough that even with a few boxes in the corner, it was still quite spacious.
Du Qingtang laid Du Qingmei flat on the car seat, sat down opposite her, left Du Er to guard Guo's house, and went straight to Wen'anbo's mansion.
Meng Fang had already sent someone to clean Du Qingmei's residence carefully. Du Qingtang put her on the bed, covered her with a quilt, told the maid to watch over Du Qingmei, and then returned the same way.
"Master, you are..."
Seeing that Du Qingtang was about to go out, Meng Fang couldn't help but say something.
The fifth young lady has suffered such a disaster and is still unconscious. Where will the master go at this time?
"Going to the door and beating the dog."
......
However, Guo Qian kicked Du Qingmei so hard that she had a miscarriage, and then he took his parents and cousin to attend a banquet at Lord Fan's house.
The birthday banquet was enjoyed by all the guests and ended near the time of Shen.
On the way back to Guo's house, Guo's father recalled the scene in the study and felt a little scared: "Third brother, have you made up your mind..."
Guo Qian said calmly, his hands in his pockets, "Once the arrow is shot, there is no turning back. Either she dies or I die."
Mrs. Guo understood the reasoning, but she felt bad when she thought of the blood under Du Qingmei's body: "But she is pregnant with the Guo family's child after all."
Old Man Guo added, "Although your wife has severed ties with the Wen'an Marquis's Mansion, even if the bones are broken, the tendons are still connected. If the ninth son of the Du family finds out, it will be troublesome."
Guo Qian didn't take it seriously: "Du Qingtang is like a grasshopper in autumn, he won't be able to jump for much longer."
Seeing Guo Qian's solemn promise, Guo's father and mother finally put their minds at ease.
He Ruxuan was massaging Old Lady Guo's legs, unable to conceal his ecstasy.
After Du Qingmei died, she became Mrs. Guo.
In another two or three years, Guo Qian will be able to ask for a title for her, and she will be a lady of imperial decree!
The four people in the group each had their own agenda, but they got along quite well.
The carriage stopped at the door of Guo's house, and Guo Qian was the first to get off.
Langhao came forward and said, "Sir."
Guo Qian stretched lazily. He had just drunk quite a bit of wine, and now he felt relaxed. He just wanted to cover himself with the quilt and have a good sleep. "Is there any movement in there?"
Langhao shook his head and pushed open the door. "Don't worry, sir. Cuizhen and Cuiyue made a fuss at first, but now they are staying inside quietly."
Guo Qian walked in first, followed closely by Guo's father, and finally Guo's mother, who was supported by He Ruxuan.
The four of them entered the second courtyard and headed straight for the main house, but stopped abruptly outside the threshold.
Guo Qian pushed Old Man Guo into the main room and turned around and ran out.
However, he had just taken two steps when he was caught by Du Er and thrown into the main room.
Guo Qian rolled twice and lay in front of a pair of boots inlaid with coral.
The boots are spotless, symbolizing the status of a second-rank official in the current dynasty.
The cold gaze above his head seemed to be substantial, like looking at a dead person, turning into a sharp icicle that pierced Guo Qian completely.
Guo Qian subconsciously looked up and saw the young woman in a purple official robe looking down at him condescendingly.
The fragmented sunlight fell into her eyes, flickering, like two clusters of ghost fires floating on the road leading to the Palace of Yama, cold and terrifying.
Guo Qian clenched his fists, breathing rapidly, and his body shook uncontrollably three times. He shouted fiercely but weakly, "Du Qingtang, are you trying to murder an official appointed by the imperial court?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a breeze brushed past his ears.
Guo Qian reflexively put his hands on his head, but saw a blood-stained envelope floating down beside him.
"Tell me what this is."
Guo Qian's pupils contracted, and he reached out his hand without thinking, trying to destroy the evidence, but just before his fingertips touched the envelope, a pair of coral-inlaid boots stepped on the back of his hand.
Du Qingtang slowly grinded him, admiring his painful expression: "You bastard, do you want to die?"
Guo Qian could not hear anything, his mind was filled with two words -
It’s over!
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