Chapter 338 Old Madam Zhou is gone
The whole world fell silent instantly.
Only the phrase "gone" remained, echoing repeatedly in his ears.
Meng Shilan followed them out and happened to hear this.
Zhou Congxian's back stiffened, and his body swayed uncontrollably.
a long time.
He slowly turned around.
There were no tears in those deep eyes, only a bottomless, unyielding sorrow.
"Shi Lan".
He spoke, his voice terribly hoarse.
"Let's go back."
A few simple words, yet they carry immense weight.
Yesterday's warm and festive room is now filled with overwhelming cold.
Without time to explain to Meng Yushan and the others, Zhou Congxian and Meng Shilan changed into plain clothes and boarded the carriage that sped toward the Duke of Ying's mansion.
They remained silent the entire way.
The air inside the carriage was so oppressive it was almost suffocating.
British Duchy.
The once grand mansions and high walls are now adorned with white banners.
All the red lanterns inside the mansion were taken down and replaced with pale white funeral lanterns.
The wind blew, and the white banners fluttered and wailed, as if weeping for the owner of this mansion.
Suppressed sobs came from all directions.
As soon as Zhou Congxian and Meng Shilan stepped into the mansion, they were enveloped by a heavy atmosphere of grief.
The mourning hall was set up in the main hall.
The coffin of Old Madam Zhou was placed in the center, surrounded by kneeling descendants of the Zhou family.
Zhao was kneeling at the front, crying so hard she was almost fainting. She was supported by others to keep from falling.
Zhou Congxian walked straight to the altar without glancing to the side and knelt down heavily.
Thump, thump, thump.
Without saying a word, he kowtowed three times to the coffin.
When my forehead touched the cold ground, the chill seemed to instantly seep into my limbs and bones.
Meng Shilan followed closely behind and knelt beside him.
Just then, a sharp wail suddenly rang out from the side.
"Madam! My dear madam!"
Supported by others, Gao's mother rushed out from the inner room.
Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were red and swollen, and she looked as if her soul had been ripped out, leaving only an empty shell of a weeping woman.
When her gaze fell upon Meng Shilan kneeling beside Zhou Congxian, her sorrowful eyes instantly transformed into a venomous resentment.
"you!"
She stretched out her trembling hand and pointed directly at Meng Shilan.
"You jinx! How dare you show your face here!"
"It's you! You're the one who ruined the old lady! You're the one who cursed her to death!"
She screamed, broke free from those supporting her, and lunged at Meng Shilan like a madwoman.
"Get out! Get out of the Duke of England's mansion!"
You are not welcome here!
Guo Fan reacted quickly and immediately stepped forward to stop her.
But Gao's mother remained relentless, hurling the most vicious curses at her.
The weeping in the mourning hall paused for a moment.
All eyes were focused on this place.
Zhou Congxian's face was so gloomy it could drip water.
He was about to reprimand her when Meng Shilan stood up first.
She didn't look at Zhou Congxian, but coldly met Gao's mother's resentful eyes.
There was no fear or hesitation on her face.
That plain face was covered with a layer of frost.
"Mother Gao".
Her voice wasn't loud, but it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.
The voice was clear, calm, and carried an undeniable authority.
"The whole family is grieving the passing of our grandmother."
"What time is it now? Are you not satisfied until the Duke of England's mansion becomes the laughingstock of the entire capital?"
In short, it was like a bucket of ice water being poured over my head.
Gao's mother's cursing came to an abrupt halt.
She stared blankly at Meng Shilan, as if she were seeing this woman for the first time.
Meng Shilan stood there, her posture upright, her eyes cold and sharp, exuding the air and majesty of a young lady from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion.
Madam Gao felt a tremor in her heart as she looked at her, but when she thought of the cold old lady on the bed, grief and resentment instantly took over.
"laughing stock?"
She laughed shrilly, and her tears flowed even more fiercely.
"The old lady's body is barely cold, and you, the culprit, are standing here. This is the biggest joke!"
She pointed at Zhou Congxian, then at Meng Shilan, her voice filled with sorrow.
"Even while the old lady was ill, all she could think about was Miss Song!"
"It was you! It was you who were heartless to send Miss Song away. No matter how much the old lady begged or pleaded, you made all sorts of excuses and refused to let her come back to see the old lady!"
"The old lady was literally driven to her death by your actions! All she wanted was to see Miss Song, and you wouldn't even grant her that small wish!"
Her words were like a knife, stabbing deeply into Zhou Congxian's heart.
His lips were pressed into a stiff line, and his hands, hanging at his sides, were clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
Looking at the nearly deranged Gao's mother, Meng Shilan's eyes flashed with pity, but more so with a cold resolve.
There were some things I wanted to leave behind completely with the passing of the old lady.
But now, I have no choice but to say it.
"Missing her?"
Meng Shilan gave a cold laugh, a laugh filled with mockery and chill.
“Mother Gao, that Miss Song that your grandmother has been thinking about so much, she brought this upon herself and deserves to die.”
Mrs. Gao was stunned. "You... what nonsense are you talking about!"
"Am I talking nonsense?"
Meng Shilan stepped forward, her gaze piercing, each word sharp as a knife.
"Song Jiyun, you have committed treason and collusion with the enemy, secretly conspiring with the vassal king with treacherous intentions. You are already guilty of a capital offense!"
These words shocked everyone in the room.
Zhao suddenly raised her head and looked at Meng Shilan in disbelief.
Mrs. Gao was struck dumb, shaking her head repeatedly.
"No! Impossible! Miss Song is such a good person, how could she..."
"Why wouldn't she?"
Meng Shilan interrupted her without hesitation, her voice suddenly rising in pitch, carrying the force of thunder.
"Not only that, she even went to great lengths to stay in the Zhou family openly under the guise of caring for her grandmother..."
She paused, each word seeming to be squeezed out from between her teeth.
"Poison Madam Zhou, who loves her day and night!"
"What?!"
This time, it was Zhao who exclaimed in surprise.
Gao's mother's pupils suddenly shrank to the size of pinpoints.
She seemed to have heard something unbelievable; all color drained from her face, her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a single word.
"No...it's impossible..."
Her voice was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind.
"Madam...Madam dotes on Miss Song so much...How...How could she...How dare she..."
"How could she poison the old lady?!"
Meng Shilan looked at her coldly, her eyes devoid of any warmth.
"If that weren't the case, why do you think Grandmother's illness has lingered for so long, and why is it incurable by any medicine?"
"We were all concerned about Grandma's health and afraid she wouldn't be able to handle the shock, so we didn't say anything!"
"We want her to pass away peacefully!"
So that's how it is...
The Miss Song whom the old lady cherished and protected was actually the executioner who murdered her.
Mrs. Gao's legs went weak, and she collapsed onto the cold ground with a "thud".
She looked up, staring blankly in the direction of the coffin, tears silently streaming down her face.
Something deep inside me seemed to collapse completely in that instant.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
