General Xie was already waiting outside the mansion gate. He looked at his two daughters and their attire, and then earnestly instructed them, "Although this is not your first time in the palace, it has indeed been a long time since you have been here. You must not forget the rules and etiquette, understand?"
"My daughter knows."
"Father, don't worry."
After Xie Lingqin finished speaking, she looked at General Xie's hesitant expression and asked, "Father, is there anything else you want to say to me?"
Upon hearing this, General Xie's expression became somewhat complicated. He looked at Xie Lingqin with his sharp eyes for a long while, then his eyes softened with tenderness. "Lingqin, you are the legitimate daughter of my General's Mansion. Now, you have the favor of Elder Dong and the support of Prince Yi, which is an unparalleled honor. However, you must not take this favor for granted. The palace is not like the manor, and there is also..." General Xie's voice suddenly lowered, "...We are all in this together, and we are all in this together. The General's Mansion is your sanctuary. In everything you do, you must put the General's Mansion first."
That's a lot...
A chill ran through Xie Lingqin. The General's Mansion was her refuge? She wanted to ask why the General's Mansion hadn't shielded her from the gossip and death when she was divorced by the Prince Xian and kidnapped and tortured by Xie Lingyu.
However, Xie Lingqin didn't say anything. She looked at General Xie with an expression that made it unclear whether she truly understood or not. "Father's instructions are correct. Your daughter understands."
"Alright, let's get in the car." General Xie didn't really want to say anything; a gloomy look shrouded his eyes.
Now he knew that his daughter was completely different from before, as if she were shrouded in a thin mist. She was obedient yet sharp, making it impossible for anyone to see clearly or guess what she was thinking.
Xie Lingyu was not far away and naturally heard what General Xie said to Xie Lingqin. She also saw the wary look on General Xie's face when he looked at Xie Lingqin. She stepped forward gracefully and gave a slight bow with a smile. "Father, don't worry. I will be careful with my words when I go to the palace. If I have time, I will definitely help my sister."
This is such a thoughtful cotton-padded coat!
General Xie's expression finally softened, "Alright, take care on your journey."
"Yes." Xie Lingyu gave a slight bow and boarded the carriage with her maid.
Only after the carriage had gone far away did General Xie wave his hand, signaling everyone to enter the mansion.
"General, someone from the Prefect's Office just came. They said that Madam Xiao has no further connection with your household. However, she was your second concubine before. Now that she's dead, could you provide a list of people she offended?"
The speaker is Xie Yushu.
General Xie glanced at him, a hint of gloom in his sharp eyes. "That day, didn't he say that someone wrote a letter secretly informing him that this matter was related to Xie Lingqin? So, how's the investigation going?"
"Reporting to the General, I heard from the people around the Prefect of the Capital that although the letter was very detailed, it ultimately lacked concrete evidence, so..." Xie Yushu said, glancing sideways at General Xie.
At this moment, though he appeared calm, he was inwardly alarmed.
Why did he actually feel that General Xie desperately wanted Xie Lingqin to be the one to kill?
"Then, does the Prefect of the Capital have anything to say about the investigation into the incident where the body of the woman named Miaoqiao appeared at the gate of the mansion that day?"
Xie Lingshu shook his head again, "I heard that the Prefect of the Capital is also extremely troubled by this matter."
General Xie rubbed his forehead, a look of inexplicable anxiety on his handsome face. He strode into the mansion and headed towards the study.
...
Two carriages traveled one after the other along the long street.
Xie Lingyu's carriage was behind. He lifted the curtain and looked at the carriage in front with a hateful expression.
"As expected of a legitimate daughter, she is still a legitimate child. When she goes out, the carriage always overtakes me and travels in front of her."
As Xie Lingyu spoke, she grew increasingly angry and slammed the curtains down heavily.
“Miss, you don’t need to worry. It’s a good thing that you’re going to the palace today, but for the eldest young lady, it’s hard to say whether it’s a good thing or a bad thing. After all, how much is the second concubine’s death related to her?”
The maidservant hurriedly tried to dissuade him.
Upon hearing this, Xie Lingyu's heart clenched. She knew better than anyone how her mother had died, and it had nothing to do with Xie Lingqin. But why would someone write a letter to secretly inform on Xie Lingqin? She was very puzzled at the time.
However, what does it matter? If we can pin the blame on Xie Lingqin and put her to death, then it's not impossible.
However...
That man is truly insatiable. She has given him many pieces of jewelry over the years, but he still hasn't raised much money. He keeps asking her for more, so much so that last night, she picked out the unused pieces of jewelry she took from the treasury and gave them to him.
Fortunately, Aunt Wan has been needing to be cared for these past few days, so I haven't been involved much, otherwise...
However, he soon stopped bothering her.
No one in this world will ever know her secret again.
Inside the carriage, Xie Lingqin was looking at the book in her hands.
It was the scroll containing the techniques of acupuncture that Master Dong had given me.
Although it is late autumn, the weather has been quite nice these days, making it a good time to read and relax.
Zihe stood to the side and brewed tea for Xie Lingqin.
“Miss, the Second Miss is so cruel. She didn’t cry when the Second Concubine died. Instead, she looked relaxed. I’m wondering if the Second Concubine’s death is related to her.”
Xie Lingqin's eyes did not move, but she smiled slightly. "Anything is possible."
"Hey, have you heard? The fourth daughter of the Minister's family was supposed to be betrothed to the son of the Shi family, but who would have thought that she would suddenly die last night?"
"Oh dear, this is not a good omen. The engagement has just started, and she's already said to be a jinx to her husbands. She won't be able to marry anyone in the future..."
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