After this fashion show, the reputation of the Winding Pavilion gradually gained popularity within high society circles.
That was exactly what Xin He wanted. The main customers of the Winding Pavilion were the noble ladies and women of the upper class, so building a prestigious image was crucial. The more affluent and classy the family, the more weight they placed on reputation. If the Winding Pavilion reached the stage where wearing its clothes was considered respectable, it could be said it had established itself.
However, this time, not a single person from the Sun Family attended the grand opening fashion show of the Winding Pavilion.
Madam Chen had always been tactful. Actually, she did send an invitation to the Sun Family. After all, the Sun Family was one of the top wealthiest families in Lian’an Town. However, no one from the Sun Family attended, primarily because they were still dealing with Grandpa Sun’s funeral and the dispute over inheritance.
The absence of the Sun Family was a relief. Madam Chen merely sent the invitation for the sake of appearance, not really expecting anyone to show up.
Given that the Sun family was currently in the middle of an intense internal power struggle over the significant family inheritance, they all became obsessed with greed, practically forgetting about their previous grievances with the Flower Full Tower.
The only one who probably still remembered those grievances was the now deceased Grandpa Sun, as he was the only one who genuinely worried about the future of the Sun Family.
As for the others, they didn’t really care. Their focus was merely on the inheritance. The more they could get for themselves, the better. Why would they bother with anything else?
Especially at a time like this.
As a result, things had been going smoothly for Xin He recently – so much so that she had almost forgotten about the matters regarding the Sun Family.
However, one day, Shulan came in with a strange expression on her face. It seemed like she was keeping something to herself but was hesitant to speak her mind.
Shulan was far too naive. She couldn’t keep secrets, especially not in front of Xin He. It was too difficult for her to suppress anything she wanted to say.
Xin He was initially looking at the Winding Pavilion’s recent income. She glanced at Shulan and couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw her struggling: "What’s going on?"
Shulan was caught off guard, "Madam already knew before I told her?"
But thinking about it, considering Madam’s wisdom and perception, her level of cultivation was incomparable to Shulan’s. Therefore, she spoke truthfully, "There has been some trouble at the Sun Family."
Xin He appeared indifferent: "Hmm."
Not being dismissed, Shulan continued: "I just heard that things are not going well for the Sun Family."
It’d be more surprising if things at their home were peaceful."
Shulan pursed her lips, continuing, "It seems they’ve discovered the cause of Grandpa Sun’s death. He didn’t die of natural causes, it was murder."
Xin He’s hand, flipping through the ledger, paused for a moment. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She had found this matter peculiar for a while and felt it was related to Sun Yaowen. However, she thought it would inevitably be covered up and would never surface. Who would have thought that after all these days, someone from the Sun Family had managed to uncover the truth?
"What kind of murder?" Xin He asked.
"Suddenly, a little maid from the Sun Family came forward and accused Ji Xiulan, claiming that Grandpa Sun died from the slow-acting poison that she had been feeding him daily. Ji Xiulan denied all charges, but then Grandma Sun ordered a search of Ji Xiulan’s courtyard. Surprisingly, they dug up buried medicine residue underneath a loquat tree in her yard."
Xin He’s eyes flickered with a strange light. She understood why Ji Xiulan would help Sun Yaowen pull this off, but hearing what Shulan was saying, she felt that something was not quite right.
"Did the Sun Family only look into Ji Xiulan’s role and then end the investigation? Ji Xiulan’s only ally in the Sun Family was Grandpa Sun. If she were planning to murder him, wouldn’t that be insane?" Xin He’s words made it clear that she wanted to know whether Sun Yaowen had been implicated or not.
Shulan, however, shook her head solemnly: "No, the Sun Family naturally didn’t stop at Ji Xiulan. They continued investigating, and found out that the eldest son was the one who planned the murder."
Xin He’s heart skipped a beat. A cold laugh came out of her, "That’s what I thought was strange. I didn’t expect it..."
Yi Ling now was quite capable!
"As for the details, this servant doesn’t really know, but Ji Xiulan has been arrested, and I heard that the Sun Family plans to kill her outright with a beating. As for the eldest son, it seems he might be expelled from the house without a penny of the family inheritance." As Shulan said this, she couldn’t help but click her tongue, "The fight over the inheritance in the Sun Family is indeed filled with much bloodshed."
Xin He spoke with a serious look in her eyes, "This time, Sun Yaowen has profited from the misfortune of others. Now that even the eldest son has been dealt with, if things continue this way, I fear that Sun Yaowen will indeed come out on top in this inheritance dispute."
Xin He thought so for a reason.
Before, she never took Sun Yaowen seriously. She simply thought of him as an illegitimate son who would not inherit much family property. He was also under many restrictions within the Sun Family, so she did not feel threatened by him. However, now, if he were to inherit most of the family property, with Yi Ling by his side, he might be difficult to deal with in the future.
Especially considering that Yi Ling now considered her a mortal enemy. Once the Sun Family’s disturbance passed, even if the Sun Family forgot the truth about the closing down of Yihong Courtyard, Yi Ling probably wouldn’t, and her first concern would be to cause trouble for Xin He.
Although Xin He was not exactly afraid of her, she certainly wouldn’t be able to avoid troublesome situations.
At that thought, Xin He’s face slightly tensed up.
She hadn’t expected that Sun Yaowen and Yi Ling could turn the tables, even under such unfavorable conditions at the Sun Family. It clearly demonstrated Yi Ling’s cunning and strategies.
If this incident was truly orchestrated by Yi Ling, it would mean that she had killed three birds with one stone. She not only used Ji Xiulan to kill Grandpa Sun, but also framed the eldest son for it. In the process, she got rid of Ji Xiulan as well, thus eliminating a potential adversary. After all, Yi Ling must have discovered the affair between Ji Xiulan and Sun Yaowen.
This woman was truly ruthless!
Shulan noticed Xin He’s unpleasant expression, "What is Madam thinking about?"
Xin He spoke solemnly, "Nothing much, just marveling at how heartless that girl Yi Ling is."
Shulan snorted disdainfully, "What can’t she do?"
"Let’s put those matters aside for now and go to the Winding Pavilion." Xin He closed the ledger, instantly losing interest in it. With her current obligations, she didn’t have time to bother about such trivial matters."
"Yes."
Xin He did find news about the Sun Family disturbing, but at the end of the day, it was someone else’s problem. She didn’t have the leisure to meddle, so she chose to let it rest. Busy with the affairs of the Winding Pavilion until twilight, she completely forgot about the Sun family’s issues.
But just as she arrived at the entrance of her residence, a figure suddenly emerged from the darkness.
Xin He instinctively went to strike, but then, she recognized the individual.
Xin He was startled. Was it Ji Xiulan?
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