Gu Zhiyan quickly squatted down a little bit more. The pony happily circled around the two of them, accidentally attracting Gu Zhiyan's attention.

Shen Wan: “…”

Shen Wan blinked stupidly, and only then noticed that her daughter did not run away in front of the strange martial arts master.

So, just like my niece said, my daughter is half recovered?

Shen Wan's eyes were wet again, and she kept her eyes open, trying hard to hold back the tears.

At this time, a concierge hurried over from the Shen residence next door and reported to Shen Zhi: "Madam, the eldest young master is here."

The person who came to visit was Chu Yunyi.

Shen Wan raised her eyebrows, thinking: Why is Chu Yunyi here? ! "This kid comes here all the time." Shen Zhi smiled and curled her lips, and sighed to Shen Qianchen, "Brother Yi is a good kid."

Before, when she was in Duke Mu's Mansion, Chu Yunyi came once every three days. Now that she and Chu Lingxiao have divorced, Chu Yunyi still comes once every three days.

After a while, the old woman came with Chu Yunyi.

Chu Yunyi did not come empty-handed, he was holding two plates of pastries and candied fruits.

He didn't expect Shen Qianchen, Shen Wan and Gu Zhiyan were also there. He showed a restrained smile on his face, bowed to everyone, and said politely: "I brought some peach blossom cakes and peach blossom preserves from Baiweiju. Mu Ge'er likes to eat them. My second sister and cousin should like them too."

The cousin Chu Yunyi was referring to was Gu Zhiyan.

"Brother Yi, you are so thoughtful." Shen Zhi's smile deepened, "Sister Chen, I remember you also like the peach blossom cake from Baiweiju."

"This peach blossom cake goes best with Longjing tea." Shen Qianchen said with a smile, "Mom, didn't I just give you a can of Mingqian Longjing tea?"

"Then I am really blessed." Chu Yunyi added in a joking manner, still looking polite, which made Shen Qianchen feel uncomfortable no matter how he looked at him.

Shen Zhi ordered Dongmei to fetch Longjing tea, and then jokingly said to Shen Qianchen: "Brother Yi is so awkward. He has been struggling with what to call me recently."

There was a hint of teasing in her tone.

Chu Yunyi: “…”

Shen Qianchen was stunned for a moment, only then realizing that Chu Yunyi had avoided addressing Shen Zhi in his few words just now.

She found it funny and couldn't help laughing.

This kid is still so weird, always worrying about trivial things.

Chu Yunyi felt a little embarrassed by Shen Qianchen's teasing gaze, but he pretended to be nonchalant and shouted, "Mother."

Even though he tried to remain calm, he couldn't hide the uneasiness in his voice.

"That's right." Shen Zhi smiled slightly.

Shen Zhi and Chu Lingxiao have already divorced. Logically, Shen Zhi doesn't need to care about Chu Yunyi anymore. However, to her, Chu Yunyi was someone she had watched grow up, and he was the brother of Shen Qianchen and Shen Yunmu, no different from her own child.

"Brother Yi, how have you been these days?" Shen Zhi casually chatted with Chu Yunyi, "Whether you are studying or practicing martial arts, don't rush, take your time, you are so young!"

Chu Yunyi said respectfully: "Brother Yunzhan also told me the same thing, don't worry, I'm fine."

Shen Qianchen looked at Chu Yunyi with interest, and the interest in his eyes became stronger.

She rarely saw this boy looking so serious. Usually, when he was outside, he always acted like "I am your grandpa" and was very arrogant.

At this time, Shen Yunmu had just finished practicing a set of boxing. When he saw Chu Yunyi coming, he ran over happily and shouted, "Brother, you're here!"

"Eh? This is Baiweiju's snack, isn't it peach blossom cake? It's my favorite, big brother, you are so nice!"

"Brother, let me tell you, my archery skills have improved in the past few days. Now I can hit the bull's eye with five out of ten arrows. Look at that target!"

This result was actually achieved by Shen Yunmu yesterday. He deliberately left the target for today because he knew Chu Yunyi would come today and he wanted to show it to him.

Faced with Shen Yunmu, who chattered non-stop like a sparrow, Chu Yunyi's seemingly stern appearance finally showed a crack and could no longer be maintained.

"Don't be arrogant when you win, and don't be discouraged when you lose. There's nothing to be proud of about your small progress!" Chu Yunyi scolded his brother impatiently, as if he "disdained to play with a little brat", but his body was honest and he still followed Shen Yunmu to see the target.

"Why can't we be proud of our progress?" Shen Yunmu raised his chin as a matter of course.

He finally got the chance to show off, and excitedly dragged Chu Yunyi to the archery area, saying: "Brother, don't you believe it? If you don't believe it, I can shoot for you to see. I have really improved a lot!"

The little brat was determined to let Chu Yunyi see his abilities, and he was full of fighting spirit.

Master Cao saw this and asked Gu Zhiyan, "Miss Gu, do you want to take a rest?"

Gu Zhiyan still maintained the horse stance, glanced at Shen Yunmu, then shook her head firmly, meaning that she had to practice well and concentrate.

Gu Zhiyan's eyes sparkled.

My sister said, "When you learn Kung Fu, you can defeat bad guys by yourself when you meet them."

That's right, as long as she learned kung fu, she wouldn't be afraid of being bullied. She didn't want to be locked up and bullied anymore.

Shen Wan looked at her daughter's resolute look, and her heart was moved. She spoke to Shen Qianchen with more confidence. Her Qi Niang would definitely get better!

Dongmei quickly brewed the Longjing tea, and Shen Zhi invited Shen Wan and Shen Qianchen to drink tea and eat snacks, while watching the three little ones struggling in the martial arts training ground, just like watching a show.

The atmosphere is harmonious and joyful.

The most excited person today was probably Shen Yunmu. He always loved the hustle and bustle and enthusiastically pestered Chu Yunyi to shoot arrows with him.

Shen Qianchen had no intention of joining in the fun. He leisurely drank half a cup of tea and ate a piece of sweet and delicious peach blossom cake. Then he saw Nanny Wang coming over quickly, panting, with a strange look on her face.

"Madam, the Chu family pulled up a white cloth today." Nanny Wang reported in an unnatural tone.

Like a sudden thunderclap, everyone looked at Nanny Wang in shock.

Someone from the Chu family died?!

Who is it? ! "..." Shen Zhi's hand slipped and the teacup in her hand almost fell. She and Shen Wan beside her looked at each other in bewilderment.

Both sisters could not hide their astonishment.

There was silence all around.

"I hit it!" Shen Yunmu's excited shout came from the front, breaking the silence around him, "Brother, look, I hit the bull's eye! I told you, my archery skills have become more accurate!"

Shen Qianchen looked at Shen Yunmu's lively back, raised his eyebrows, and asked casually: "Is Chu Lingyu dead?"

Nanny Wang was stunned for a moment, then shook her head: "I don't know either. I heard it from the peddler who just delivered fruits and vegetables." She hurried over to report the matter, and also wanted to ask Shen Zhi whether she should send someone to the Marquis' Mansion to find out what was going on.

Nanny Wang didn't know the inside story, but Shen Qianchen knew that Chu Lingyu was beaten by Chu Lingxiao a few days ago.

However, she did not tell Shen Zhi, and after that, she no longer cared about the Chu family's affairs until now.

"Chu Lingyu was pushed by Chu Lingxiao and suffered a head injury as a result." Shen Qianchen briefly explained it in one sentence.

She heard from Amber that Chu Lingyu's head injury was very serious. The Marquis' Mansion had invited several famous doctors in the capital, but they all said that Chu Lingyu might not recover. That's why Shen Qianchen guessed that Chu Lingyu might be dead.

Shen Zhi pursed her lips, lowered her eyes and thought, frowning slightly. This time, if Chu Lingyu was just injured, no matter how serious the injury was, it would be a family affair of the Chu family, and it would most likely be resolved by turning a big thing into a small one and a small thing into nothing.

But now that Chu Lingyu is dead, things have become complicated.

Shen Wan raised her eyebrows and asked Shen Zhi bluntly, "Sister, what do you think?"

Although no one in the Chu family has inherited the title for the time being, the title of marquis is still retained, and it is considered a marquisate. Now that someone has died in the mansion, the government will not come on its own unless the Chu family reports it to the government themselves.

If the Madam and Chu Lingxiao were strong enough, Chu Lingyu's death could have been caused by an accident or a serious illness. This kind of thing was not uncommon among royal families and noble families.

But if the Madam Dowager and Chu Lingxiao fail to appease the Second House, and the Second House refuses to give in and insists on filing a complaint with the Jingzhao Prefecture, then Chu Lingxiao will be guilty of murder!

Shen Wan did not try to hide the gloating on her face. Chu Lingxiao deserved it, it was retribution!

"It looks like he's going in again." Shen Zhi curled the corners of her lips coldly, her voice calm.

Shen Qianchen remained silent and drank a sip of hot tea.

Even Shen Qianchen couldn't understand how Chu Lingxiao could be so troublesome. He didn't even need to do anything himself. He just got out of the Sky Prison, but just a few days later, he was charged with murder again and was about to be thrown into jail again.

Chu Lingxiao, who was in the Yongding Marquis Mansion, also couldn't figure it out.

The mourning hall has been decorated, and the surroundings are all white, with white silk, white lanterns, white curtains, white banners, etc. hung. A huge and heavy black coffin is placed in the middle of the mourning hall.

Chu Lingxiao, dressed in a frosty white robe, stood in front of the coffin. His face was sallow and his expression was complicated, with feelings of heaviness, embarrassment, regret, annoyance, etc.

He didn't expect things to turn out like this! Although he was angry that his second brother Chu Lingyu was selfish and disrespectful to him as the eldest brother, it was normal for brothers to have some conflicts, and he didn't really want Chu Lingyu to die.

That day, he beat Chu Lingyu to teach him a lesson, but he didn't expect Chu Lingyu's head to hit the chair.

It was just an accident.

After that day, Chu Lingxiao went around looking for medical treatment and medicine for Chu Lingyu, using all the money from the public treasury. Not only that, he also took out two hundred-year-old ginsengs from the warehouse, and even agreed to let the lady sell two farms to raise money to buy Chu Lingyu a life-extending Ganoderma lucidum.

He did everything he could, and believed that he had done nothing to let Chu Lingyu down, but Chu Lingyu himself could not hold on.

Chu Lingyu put his hands behind his back, looking solemn.

The mourning hall was silent and filled with a solemn atmosphere. The servants around did not dare to say a word.

At this time, the steward walked over quickly, looking reserved and not daring to look directly at Chu Lingxiao.

"Master," the chief steward bowed politely and asked cautiously, "Should we send funeral notices to all the prefectures?"

Both funerals and weddings are big events. Funerals can be simple, but no matter how simple they are, the body will be kept for several days and relatives and friends will be invited to pay their respects.

This is courtesy.

Originally, the chief steward should have gone to ask the dowager for instructions, but everyone in the mansion knew that the dowager had fainted from crying because of excessive grief over the death of the second master, so he could only come to ask the eldest master for instructions.

"No need." Chu Lingxiao turned around suddenly, and his voice rose slightly by three points.

In the courtyard outside, the spring breeze was blowing, and pieces of white paper money were fluttering in the air like white butterflies fluttering their wings.

Chu Lingxiao felt upset when he looked at the flying white paper money.

Chu Lingyu died in the early morning. At that time, the people from the second room were making a big fuss and making unreasonable demands, saying that they wanted him to kill someone.

Thinking of the resentful looks in the eyes of Liu and Chu Qianling, mother and daughter, Chu Lingxiao felt a wave of panic in his heart, as if countless sparrows were flying around his heart, disturbing him.

Although the second wife's quilt was temporarily locked up by him, if someone came to pay their respects and found that the second wife's quilt was not in the mourning hall, they would inevitably become suspicious. What's worse, if the second wife's quilt escaped and ran to the mourning hall and said something nonsense, then he would be finished.

He had been imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison twice. The first time, he lost his title and was exiled to Youzhou. The second time, he divorced Shen Zhi and lost his legitimate son.

Until now, he has not recovered from the beatings he received in the prison, and his limp has become even worse.

He didn't want to go to jail again.

There is no such thing as a third time. He couldn't imagine what he would lose if he went to jail again.

The chief steward still looked as if he was about to say something but hesitated. He wanted to ask how long "wait a little longer" meant, but he didn't ask in the end. He just said hesitantly, "Then I will tell the doorman to close the door and refuse visitors."

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Chu Lingxiao said in a high-sounding manner: "Big Steward, the Marquis' Mansion is in a time of trouble, so this funeral should be kept simple. I need to think about it carefully."

The chief steward nodded in agreement and was extremely respectful.

Chu Lingxiao pushed Chu Lingyu down in Rongfu Hall, causing him to be seriously injured. Many people witnessed it with their own eyes. The lady-in-waiting and Chu Lingxiao issued a gag order, and the incident is still widely circulated in the Marquis' Mansion.

Of course the chief steward also knew about it.

However, this is the master's business, they are just servants, and the steward will not say anything.

"Yes, Master." The chief steward took the order and retreated, and the other servants also quietly left the mourning hall.

Chu Lingxiao was the only one left in the mourning hall.

As time passed, Chu Lingxiao became more and more anxious. He paced back and forth in the mourning hall in annoyance, wondering how he should solve this problem.

But no matter how hard he racked his brains, he couldn't think of any solution.

"Lingxiao." A familiar and gentle female voice came into Chu Lingxiao's ears, accompanied by the fragrance of ginseng tea.

Chu Lingxiao was stunned. Aunt Jiang's beautiful and delicate face caught his eyes. Her face was full of concern and tenderness.

Aunt Jiang was wearing a plain moon-white jacket with a white jade hairpin in the shape of a plum blossom inserted diagonally in her hair. The small white jade earrings in the shape of a plum blossom shone brightly on her earlobes, making her look gentle and elegant.

Just looking at her, Chu Lingxiao's heart softened and he called out, "Shan'er."

Aunt Jiang held a tray with a blue and white porcelain soup bowl on it and said softly, "Lingxiao, have some ginseng tea."

Chu Lingxiao had no appetite.

Aunt Jiang comforted him gently: "Ling Xiao, don't put too much pressure on yourself. This is not your fault."

She pursed her lips and lowered her voice: "It's the Second Master's fault. If he hadn't pressed you everywhere, made things difficult all the time, and pressed you step by step, you wouldn't have accidentally hurt him."

"Ling Xiao, you have done your best to get medical treatment for the Second Master. You have done everything you should do."

“Everyone can see this.”

"It is Second Master's destiny to suffer this disaster."

Every word Aunt Jiang said touched Chu Lingxiao's heart, making him feel particularly appropriate.

It was his Shan'er who understood him, cared about him, and understood his heart.

"Shan'er, you still understand me." Chu Lingxiao's heart was moved and he looked at Aunt Jiang affectionately with his eyes flashing.

He also felt that he was implicated by Chu Lingyu.

"Lingxiao, drink this cup of ginseng tea." Aunt Jiang personally handed the teacup to Chu Lingxiao, "You've worked hard these days, drink some ginseng tea to nourish your body, don't overwork yourself."

Chu Lingxiao drank the ginseng tea slowly. The warm ginseng tea rolled down his throat into his stomach, and the heat spread rapidly in his body.

Aunt Jiang tilted her head and looked at Chu Lingxiao. The line of her jaw was gentle and graceful, her expression was gentle, her long eyelashes trembled slightly, and her pupils reflected light of varying depths.

Chu Lingxiao quickly finished the cup of ginseng tea in his hand and felt a lot more comfortable all over.

Aunt Jiang took the empty soup bowl and handed it to the maid beside her, then she took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the corners of Chu Lingxiao's mouth.

"Shan'er, you are so nice to me!" Chu Lingxiao grabbed Aunt Jiang's wrist holding the handkerchief and held her hand between his own.

Chu Lingxiao's mood calmed down a lot.

No matter what happened to him, Shan'er was always by his side, never leaving him.

His mother blamed him for the second child's incident, Shen Zhi divorced him, Chu Yunmu was disrespectful and even disowned him as his biological father. After he left with his mother, he never returned to the Chu family again...

Only Shan'er understands him.

Chu Lingxiao glanced at the coffin next to him, frowned again, sighed, and said, "Now the second room is making a lot of noise and we have to report it to the police."

Aunt Jiang held Chu Lingxiao's hand with hers and said in a soft and soothing tone, "Lingxiao, the left and right rooms are all women and children, they can't do anything."

"The Second Madam is not alone. She has children."

"After a while, the Second Madam will calm down and realize that her daughter's future marriage and her son's future are all in your hands, so they will naturally obey you."

Aunt Jiang said what he wanted, looking at Chu Lingxiao's expression.

Chu Lingxiao's brows gradually relaxed, and he felt that what Aunt Jiang said made sense.

After all, Chu Lingyu is dead, just a dead man, but Chu Lingyu and Liu's children are still alive. Liu has to consider the future of the living.

At this time, a strong wind blew towards the hall, and even a lot of paper money outside was blown in.

One of the pieces of paper money just floated into Aunt Jiang's hair.

Chu Lingxiao reached out and picked up the small piece of paper money in her hair, then bent down and hugged her slender waist tightly.

Aunt Jiang also raised her arms and wrapped them around him, stroking his back gently with one hand, her eyes cold and stern.

She was clear in her mind: for her own sake and for Yi Ge'er's sake, Chu Lingxiao must be safe. Otherwise, if Chu Lingxiao was convicted, they would use Yi Ge'er again to protect Chu Lingxiao.

Chu Lingxiao's heart was much more settled under the tender caress of the woman. He let her go, took a half step back, put one hand on her slender shoulder, and made a promise solemnly: "Shan'er, I have made up my mind. After my second brother's funeral is over, I will make you my wife. Without Shen Zhi, there will be no obstacles between us!"

"I'm sorry, Shan'er. You've waited for me for so many years! Don't worry, I will make you the legitimate Madam Chu, and then Brother Yi will be our legitimate son!"

Chu Lingxiao gazed deeply at Aunt Jiang with passion surging, and his words came from the heart.

The woman in front of him was his most beloved woman. She had always been by his side, sharing the joys and sorrows. The feelings between them were the purest. After so many years of waiting, he could finally make her his legitimate wife, and Chu Yunyi was his most outstanding son, and would be the most suitable candidate to inherit the title of Marquis of Yongding in the future.

"Lingxiao..." Aunt Jiang raised her head and met Chu Lingxiao's eyes. There was a hint of light in her dark eyes, as if he was the only one in her eyes.

However, only she herself knew that her heart was not disturbed at all.

"Ling Xiao," she pinched a white handkerchief and bit her lower lip with her pearly teeth, "It's a troubled time at home. Brother Yi and his second uncle are... Oh!"

She sighed softly, which was enough to make people think a lot.

Chu Lingxiao naturally thought of Chu Lingyu's intention to use Chu Yunyi to please Kang Hongda, and his expression changed slightly.

Yes, Chu Yunyi might still have some grudge against Chu Lingyu, and he has a straightforward temper. If he says in the mourning hall that Chu Lingyu deserves it, or if he makes a fuss, the scene might not be good.

The most important thing now is to handle Chu Lingyu's funeral in a low-key manner and get over this matter as soon as possible.

Chu Lingxiao originally wanted to have someone notify Chu Yunyi, but now he changed his mind and took the initiative to suggest, "Shan'er, I think we should let Brother Yi stay outside for a few more days. He is still young, and he can't help with his second uncle's funeral anyway."

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, Aunt Jiang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and responded softly, "Ling Xiao, you're right. I'll listen to you. I'll send someone to tell Brother Yi not to come back these days."

"I know you're very busy these days, so I won't bother you."

Aunt Jiang bowed gracefully and left, with the head maid following closely behind her, holding an empty soup bowl.

Chu Lingxiao stared blankly at Aunt Jiang's leaving back. Her slender figure was still as charming as it was back then. His Shan'er had never changed!

The spring breeze is blowing, and the fragrance is floating in the air.

When Aunt Jiang walked out of the mourning hall, the expression on her face changed. The smile disappeared from the corners of her mouth, and her lips were tightly pursed. Her graceful eyes were cold and resolute, forming a sharp contrast with her weak appearance.

Her brother Yi is like the sun in the sky, and he cannot have any flaws. She will not let him get involved in this mess.

Aunt Jiang stopped and looked back towards the mourning hall. The moment her eyes met Chu Lingxiao's, she smiled gently.

Then she turned back again and continued walking forward, this time without stopping.

The maidservant asked in a low voice: "Aunt, are you really not going to let the young master come back?"

The maid really didn't understand. Wasn't Aunt Jiang afraid that the Second Aunt would have bad intentions towards the Young Master?! She put herself in the Second Aunt's shoes and thought that if she were the Second Aunt, she would not be able to bear this anger.

Aunt Jiang glanced at the maid next to her and said softly, "I have my own plans."

Aunt Jiang was not completely free of worries. Shen Qianchen must have hated her, but she had some sisterly love for Chu Yunyi. At least as long as there was no conflict of interest, she would not harm Chu Yunyi for the time being.

The Chu family is in too much chaos now. In comparison, Aunt Jiang thinks it would be better for Chu Yunyi to stay in Prince Chen's Mansion temporarily.

When I have cleared all obstacles for him, he will come back in glory and inherit the title legitimately, and no one will be able to find any fault with him.

Her brother Yi should be a handsome young man! Aunt Jiang walked with a firm step, and her eyes were shining with a firm and iron-like light.

For her brother Yi, she would even risk her life!

(End of this chapter)