It was not until ten days after Concubine Qin's death that the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang showed up. Naturally, Bai Shi did not receive her, but asked Mama Chang to accompany her to see the courtyard where Concubine Qin had lived.
After entering the mansion, the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang was about to go to Jiaxi Hall, but was stopped by Madam Chang. Madam Chang took Madam Dongchang's hand and said, "Madam, you are going in the wrong direction. I am here to show you the way."
The maidservant beside the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang spoke up: "How dare you touch my wife with your dirty hands! Let go!"
Mother Chang smiled slightly and said nonchalantly, "Bah! I do things openly and honestly, unlike someone who has a black heart. Let me tell you, those harmful things are still locked up. After we see Concubine Qin's residence, we still have a lot of things to discuss!"
Upon hearing this, the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang stopped struggling and whispered, "Let me go first. We can talk slowly if we have anything to say."
With a sneer, Chang Mama shook off the hand of the Marquis of Dongchang, sending her stumbling. The old woman supported the Marquis of Dongchang, lowered her head, and glared at her fiercely.
After a tour of Concubine Qin's residence, Madam Chang led the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang to a waterside pavilion. She then produced the servants' testimony and said, "Concubine Qin died on her own; it has nothing to do with the Marquis's residence. If you don't believe me, you can go and ask the prefect of Jingzhao. I heard he summoned you several times, but you didn't go."
No servant had ever dared to speak to the Marquis of Dongchang like this. Clutching her handkerchief, she looked at the testimony before her. It wasn't just one copy; there were servants', guards', and even a certificate of inspection from the prefect of Jingzhao. It seemed hopeless to seek compensation through the Qin concubine case. The excitement on the Marquis of Dongchang's face vanished.
The old woman at the side spoke up: "What if someone pretends to be a ghost and scares people to death?"
Mother Chang straightened her back and said, "Really? Why don't you try it and see if you can scare people to death."
Afterwards, the four imprisoned people were brought in by two servants and two midwives. Seeing them, the midwife panicked for a moment, then lowered her head. Mother Chang smiled and said, "If we send these people to the government, they'll get justice, right?"
When the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang heard this, she quickly looked up and said, "No, you can't!"
Madam Chang looked at the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang and asked, "Oh? Why is that? Madam, if you have anything to say, please speak directly."
The wife of the Marquis of Dongchang, clutching her handkerchief with both hands, replied, "After all, this is a matter of the harem. If it gets out, people will say that the Marquis is a bad housekeeper. And, it will make people laugh at her."
Glancing at the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang, Madam Chang's smile deepened. She said, "Madam, although this is a matter of the inner chambers, it involves the life of a second-rank imperial consort, so it's no small matter. As the mistress of the house, no one can do it without missing a single detail. Let anyone who wants to make fun of her laugh. This person, as long as he lives a good life, why bother caring about others?"
Hiss… The handkerchief was ripped open, and the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang said awkwardly, "Perhaps the servants acted on their own, or perhaps they misheard the order. Since I've been faced with this today, I'll come and help."
Seeing Madam Chang nod, the wife of the Marquis of Dongchang cleared her throat and said, "I have two dowry shops in Beijing. One is a silk shop on East Street, and the other is a grocery store. I would like to use these two shops in exchange for these four people. Is that okay?"
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