Chapter 37 [VIP]
Gu Zhizhuo's eyebrows curved, and his pupils were bright and sparkling like stars.
Her voice was slow and leisurely, seemingly carrying a hint of laughter, but to Bai Changjia, it sounded like the low murmur of a vengeful ghost.
"You will have to kill her within five days."
"Within five days..."
These words echoed in Bai Changjia's heart, over and over again.
How could she have known that these unscrupulous merchants would sell her such garbage? Sure enough, merchants are the most cunning!
Bai Changjia knelt on the ground, a large patch of cold sweat seeping from his forehead to his neck.
This time, she was truly scared.
Madam Gu was furious.
What kind of junk is this? It's not even as good as third-grade medicinal herbs. It's trash that would be scrapped if it were placed in a pharmacy!
She retorted angrily, "So this is what you meant by the Bai Chang family being a good family?!"
These days, when Ji Shi is paying her respects to her husband morning and evening, she always tells herself that Bai Chang's wife is honest and upright, and has never made a mistake in managing the purchasing for so many years. She says that Zhuo'er is too violent and would shout for violence over trivial matters.
She heard this several times and thought of calling Zhuo'er over. She planned to have a good talk with Zhuo'er after Ji Shi left, and tell her not to be so stern all the time.
And then what happened?
"You still consider such a treacherous and wicked servant a treasure?!"
You're sick and need to take medicine, but eating these rotten tree roots won't just prevent you from getting better, it might even kill you!
What a wicked servant!
When Madam Gu was still young, her mother told her that "water that is too clear has no fish," meaning that a steward shouldn't be too strict; there should be some room for maneuver. She had always deeply agreed with this. She could tolerate Bai Chang's family occasionally embezzling, but that didn't mean she could tolerate indulging in such corrupt practices!
This is infuriating! Absolutely infuriating!
Madam Gu's anger surged, and she pointed at Ji Shi, shouting angrily, "Zhuo'er said she wanted to punish her, but you insisted on protecting her, and this is the kind of wretch you've produced?!"
"And what are you saying? Yan-ge'er's illness has never gotten better. How could it get better?! Your hypocritical act is just an attempt to blame Bai-er for using family discipline, and you're even trying to scare me with the threat of premature death. Both Can-can and Ran-ran have been beaten with bamboo sticks by their grandfathers, and they're still alive and kicking right afterward!"
"It's fortunate that Yan-ge'er is your own son, otherwise, you would think that I'm just using some kind of self-inflicted injury as a ruse!"
Madam Gu slammed her hand on the coffee table, making a loud thud. Madam Ji gripped her handkerchief tightly, remaining silent.
Gu Zhizhuo lowered his eyes silently.
Children from military families are indeed not raised to be overly pampered.
Not to mention her brothers, even she was once chased around the training ground by her grandfather with a bamboo stick for stealing her grandfather's treasured curved knife to play with and hiding it in the slop bucket.
Finally, the grandfather couldn't stand it anymore, but he couldn't bear to hit her, so he dragged the eldest brother over and beat him up.
The boys in the manor were all raised roughly by their grandfathers, fathers, and uncles, who would pick them up and throw them around.
Ji was speechless.
She had personally promoted her and treated her as a confidante, and this was how Bai Chang's family repaid her! They were utterly insatiable, never satisfied!
Bai Changjia cautiously raised his head.
Ji's face was as stormy as a tempest, as if she were about to order someone to drag her away and beat her to death at any moment.
Bai Changjia's heart pounded wildly. Five days, it really was five days...
Ji's lips were taut.
The thought of her son's persistent high fever, turning a lively child into a sickly one, made Ji want to tear Bai Chang's wife apart.
However, Bai is her person, and she must protect her.
This was a confrontation between her and Gu Zhizhuo. Having been married into the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion for so many years, she had secured her position as the Duchess and firmly held the inner courtyard of the mansion in her hands. There was absolutely no way she would give it up.
She composed herself and said, "Mother, the Bai family..."
Bai Changjia's arms, which were lying on the ground, were trembling uncontrollably, and she could barely support her weight.
A soft laugh escaped Gu Zhizhuo's lips, amplifying infinitely in Bai Changjia's mind. She felt as if she were in complete darkness, desperately trying to grasp at a sliver of light.
"This servant...this servant knows her mistake! Madam, please spare my life!"
She kowtowed forcefully, and blood immediately streamed down her forehead.
"I have been loyal to you the most. Do you still remember, six years ago..."
After pausing for a few breaths, Bai Chang's wife said with tears in her eyes, "...I will follow you. I have made mistakes, but please forgive me this time for my loyalty."
"Otherwise, this servant..."
"I'll die with my eyes open in disbelief."
She cried so hard that tears and snot streamed down her face.
Ji's pupils contracted sharply, and the words she wanted to plead for her were stuck in her throat. Her red lips were half-open, and she placed them on her knees, her hands tightly gripping her skirt.
She...she's threatening me!
What? Does this mean that if he can't save her life, she'll tell everyone and make him pay?!
Bai Chang's wife knelt there, half-raising her plump white face, staring at Ji Shi.
Ji sneered repeatedly.
She tried so hard to protect her, only to have her stabbed in the back. All these years, she'd raised a heartless wretch!
The anger in Ji's eyes was impossible to suppress. She picked up the teacup and threw it out fiercely.
Caught off guard, Bai Chang's wife felt a sharp pain on her head, and the teacup rolled off her head, shattering on the ground.
She felt dizzy and half-raised her head. Blood slid down her fair, plump face, leaving streaks of red and white.
"Madam!" Bai Chang's eyes widened. She crawled over on her knees, her face covered in blood, and grabbed her skirt. "Madam, please, please think it over... I am loyal to you."
"This servant..."
Two bloody handprints were clearly visible on Ji's plain-colored dress. Without even glancing at them, she said, word by word, "I know your loyalty."
She gently wiped the blood from Bai Changjia's face with a clean handkerchief.
Ji's fingertips trembled slightly, a mixture of reluctance and difficulty. Finally, she sighed and said, "Mother, Bai Chang's wife has been with her for so many years. Even if she hasn't done anything meritorious, she has certainly worked hard. It is unforgivable that she has committed such a serious mistake, but our Gu family is a family that has accumulated good deeds. It is not good to take someone's life so easily."
The wife thought, "I'll give him thirty lashes and take away his job as a warning to others."
Madam Gu nodded with a stern face.
Even if they were servants, the Gu family had never killed anyone before. She was old and couldn't bear to see people being harmed or killed.
Thirty strokes should be about right.
"As you wish."
Ji bowed slightly and glanced at Gu Zhizhuo, who was leisurely sipping her tea, seemingly uninterested in how she would handle the situation.
Ji's eyes were deep and somber.
She turned to the Bai family and softened her voice, asking, "Bai Chang's family, are you convinced?"
Bai Changjia suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if she had been given a second chance at life. Her neck and back were already soaked with cold sweat, and her undergarments clung tightly to her skin, damp and sticky.
"Clothes!"
Bai Chang's wife quickly replied, "This servant knows her mistake!"
Thirty strokes of the cane.
She had been in charge of purchasing for so many years, and when she disciplined the maids and old women under her command, she had also used a board.
Thirty strokes of the cane will at most tear the skin and flesh, but won't break the bones. It will heal in ten days to half a month.
She exclaimed, "This servant is completely convinced!"
Bai Changjia's tense back relaxed, and he released his grip on Ji Shi's skirt.
Sigh, I was also frightened by the young lady.
Madam is right. The eldest daughter is always acting strangely and mysterious; no wonder the Third Prince dislikes her, and she's almost at risk of losing her position as the Third Prince's consort. From now on, we'll still have to rely on our cousin.
"Guards," Madam Ji said gently, "take Bai Chang's wife away."
Ji smiled gently at her, her expression softening. Bai Chang's wife felt reassured; it seemed that even the thirty strokes of the cane wouldn't be delivered properly. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with her sleeve and sincerely kowtowed to Ji.
"This servant accepts the punishment."
Bai Chang's family obediently followed the rough-and-ready old woman.
Ji Shi slowly rubbed the little finger of her right hand, and Granny Wan, understanding the implication, followed her out.
Granny Wan sighed inwardly: Bai Chang's family is courting death.
Once unfaithful, always untrustworthy! She dared to threaten the madam, saying that if she were allowed to live, there would be a second and a third time…
How could a lady be coerced?!
A hundred strokes of the cane won't kill a person.
Thirty strokes of the cane can beat a person to death!
Even when Bai Chang's wife was in the torture chamber, lying face down on the wooden bench, she still looked resolute. However, when the first blow came down, she knew she was finished.
This is definitely not the bamboo cane used to beat servants in the mansion!
"husband……"
Bai Chang's wife was about to speak when a wad of coarse cloth was stuffed into her mouth. She saw Granny Wan's condescending, indifferent, and utterly unsympathetic eyes.
Granny Wan slowly opened her lips and said calmly, "Go well."
Snap!
Another slap.
The blow nearly broke her spine, and pain and fear overwhelmed her in an instant.
Snap!
Granny Wan watched silently from the side. After the beating, she personally checked the body and returned to Ronghe Hall. She lowered her eyelids to Madam Ji and then reported to the Grand Madam: "Grand Madam, Bai Chang's wife suffered a heart attack and passed away."
The old lady was startled: "Heart palpitations?"
Granny Wan wiped away her tears and said respectfully, her voice choked with emotion, "After just five strokes of the cane, Bai Chang's heart palpitations flared up. I quickly had someone administer medicine, but it was no use."
"The person is gone."
The old lady was silent for a while, then sighed and said, "Alas, the medicine in our mansion was also purchased by her herself. The medicine was useless and ended up harming her. This is what you call reaping what you sow, retribution. Well then, let her be properly buried."
Gu Zhizhuo lowered her eyes, her long eyelashes casting a faint reflection on her fair face.
Bai Changjia deserved to die.
In her previous life, when her face first started to fester, there was actually medicine that could save her. Even if it couldn't be fully restored, it wouldn't have festered to the point of being worse than a vengeful ghost. However, the medicine prescribed by the doctor was completely useless. She was delirious with fever and her face was in unbearable pain.
The excruciating pain, like being skinned alive and having your bones ripped out, is something she could never forget, even if she were to be reborn.
The root of the problem lies with these medicinal herbs.
After her rebirth, she paid attention to the fact that her third uncle and the others were recuperating at the hot spring resort, and all the medicine that Aman took was prepared by her personally. She even kept the commonly used honey pills in the Grand Madam's Ronghe Hall.
In the past few days, it seems that only Gu Yan has eaten these rotten tree roots.
Gu Zhizhuo finished his tea, dabbed his lips with a handkerchief, and sighed, "Ah, Mother, if only you had agreed to sell me off that day. People wouldn't have died."
She smiled enigmatically: "If I had known this would happen, would Mother have still protected her back then?"
Ji's beautiful eyes were bloodshot, and she couldn't hide her fierceness.
Gu Zhizhuo's words were like a knife stabbing into her chest, one cut after another.
"However, it's all fate."
Gu Zhizhuo raised a finger to his lips and said softly, "As the saying goes, fate cannot be defied. It is destiny that you must bear this debt."
Ji looked at her suddenly.
She was determined to protect the Bai Chang family, but even if she could do it all over again, the moment the Bai Chang family dared to threaten her, it was destined that the Bai Chang family would die.
This is the only path she can take!
Is this what they call fate? A chill ran down her spine. Her son's recent injuries and illness—was this her retribution? She was the one who killed her elder sister…
No!
She broke down, and said sternly, "You're always putting on airs, do you even have the demeanor of a legitimate daughter of the Duke's mansion? Which girl in the whole capital is like you! You have no respect for your elders and no sense of shame."
"Mother," Gu Zhizhuo said innocently, "I was just expressing some feelings, I was just saying it casually, please don't be angry."
This time, the old lady directly sided with Gu Zhizhuo, saying coldly, "Yuan Chu, Zhuo'er is not wrong. Don't give her attitude all the time, it's frightening her."
"Frighten her? Who could frighten her!" Ji was furious, her right hand gripping her sleeve tightly.
Madam Gu continued, "I used to think you were gentle and obedient, managing the household perfectly. But now it seems you're nothing special! If it weren't for Zhuo'er's quick thinking, our whole family would have been wiped out by those rotten tree roots, and you probably wouldn't even know it."
"If you can't manage it, then don't manage it at all!"
"In a few years, even Can Can's wife will be joining the family. What, do you still want to compete with your daughter-in-law for who will be in charge of the household?"
On this point, Madam Gu always felt she had done an excellent job. In the past, she had obediently listened to her mother-in-law, but later, as soon as Wang entered the household, she immediately handed over the management of the household to Wang. In other families in the capital, mothers-in-law would make their daughters-in-law set rules, manage this and that, and stuff people into their rooms, but she had never interfered! Her son was away in the northern frontier for many years, and her daughter-in-law was left alone in the capital, which was already pitiful enough.
She never mistreated the Ji family.
Ji suddenly stood up, causing the armchair to make a dull thud.
Ji Shi hadn't slept well for several days. Her irritability and exhaustion almost drove her to the brink of collapse. The Grand Madam's accusatory words made her head buzz.
The old lady was startled: "What? I only said a few words to you, and you're already giving me the cold shoulder. Now I can't even say anything to you?"
Gu Zhizhuo nodded in agreement: "Mother has always loved her daughter and treated her like her own. Even if Mother is unhappy, I must tell the truth. If Mother wants to hit or punish me, I will accept it."
"How could a stepmother treat you like her own child?" Madam Gu said angrily. "If your mother were still alive, she would never have bothered with you over such a trivial matter. You were good at pretending before, but now you don't want to pretend anymore!"
Ji Shi clenched her hands tightly in her sleeves: "Mother, your daughter-in-law is feeling unwell and will take her leave now."
She curtsied through gritted teeth, then abruptly turned and walked away without looking back.
"Look at her, look at her!"
Madam Gu was so angry that she slammed her hand on the tea table, and the lids of the teacups clattered loudly.
Gu Zhizhuo came over and sat on her footstool, coaxing her, "Grandmother, don't be angry. Bai Chang's wife has been with Mother for so many years. If she were gone, Mother would probably be heartbroken, which is why she spoke without thinking."
"Oh, but I can't take it out on you!"
Granny Zhu had a complicated expression on her face.
She was a little confused about the eldest daughter's behavior. In just a few days, the Grand Madam had become so affectionate towards her.
Could it be because Miss Ji Biao is not here?
Gu Zhizhuo said sweetly, "Grandmother, I have some good news to tell you, I'm so happy."
Oh? Tell me quickly.
Madam Gu was in high spirits. Although she was almost sixty years old, the curiosity and clarity in her eyes were still like that of a young girl.
"The Dali Temple has decided on Aman's case. Lady Jing'an was flogged and is hiding in her mansion crying."
"real?"
Gu Zhizhuo whispered to her about the "funny" things that happened to the Jing'an Marquis's family, and then urged, "Grandmother, why don't you go and visit them?"
"Hmph, what's there to visit..." The old lady was about to say this when a thought struck her: No, I should go!
They used to be in-laws, and for A-Liao's sake, she had put up with that Mr. Sun countless times.
It's great to kick someone when they're down; she loves kicking someone when they're down!
She said impatiently, "Granny Zhu, prepare the carriage."
Granny Zhu then asked, "Madam, shall we prepare gifts?"
"What's the point of preparing gifts... You'll be no match for her!"
"You should prepare some," Gu Zhizhuo said obediently. "The Lady of Jing'an was punished, which is pitiful. Didn't she say last time that they couldn't even get any medicine out of their household? We have plenty of medicinal herbs in our storeroom. You can take some with you as a token of your appreciation."
"Yes, yes, bring that one! That one is better!"
The old lady was delighted and happily pulled Gu Zhizhuo along to personally open the storeroom.
The warehouse tokens were in the hands of the head of the household, Ji Shi, but since the Dowager Madam had given way, Li Mao's wife really didn't dare not open them.
The medicinal herbs were all stored in room number three of the Bingzi building. Pushing open the door of the storeroom, a foul musty smell hit the door, making the old lady cough several times.
The Jiang family was wealthy, and the matriarch had lived her whole life surrounded by gold and jade; she had never seen a warehouse piled with so much garbage.
Her anger, which had just subsided, flared up again: "Zhuo'er, go and tidy up the storeroom in the manor properly. I want to see whether the storeroom in our Duke's manor is a storeroom or a garbage dump!"
"yes."
Gu Zhizhuo shrugged and said, "Give me the ledgers and the keys."
Li Mao's wife stammered, then gave the maid a wink, signaling her to quickly report to the madam.
Gu Zhizhuo smiled slightly.
"Grandmother," she pursed her lips, as if about to cry, "she won't give me the account books, the keys!"
Granny Zhu: "..."
Qingmei was full of admiration. How amazing! Back in the Eastern Depot, everyone said that the Chief Eunuch was good at manipulating people's hearts and could do anything he wanted. Now it seems that this Miss Gu is no less capable. Look at how she has so easily pushed the Grand Madam to the forefront.
Moreover, the Dowager Lady was clearly quite pleased.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid." Madam Gu grabbed her and said sternly, "What, do my words no longer carry weight? Then tell me, whose opinion do you listen to? I'll go and beg them myself and see if it works."
"Please forgive me, Madam, I had no such intention."
Li Mao's wife quickly told her maid to bring out the keys and the booklet; the bunch of keys was quite heavy.
There are two keys to the inner courtyard storeroom. One is kept by the Grand Madam, and the other is this one.
Gu Zhizhuo didn't even glance at it, gesturing for Qiongfang to take it, while he happily took the arm of the Grand Madam to choose a "gift".
Gu Zhizhuo picked out a large bag of various medicinal herbs, specifically choosing the moldy and insect-infested ones, and had a maid carry them. The Grand Madam and Granny Zhu left satisfied.
They're kicking someone when they're down!
Gu Zhizhuo curtsied, watched her leave, and then turned back to look at the head maid with a smile.
"Young lady."
Li Maojia smiled awkwardly, glancing at the keys and booklet in Qiongfang's hand, hesitating to speak.
Gu Zhizhuo raised an eyebrow and asked, "Are you waiting for Madam?"
"No, no," Li Mao's wife quickly waved her hand and said with a smile, "Miss, which room would you like to start with?"
"Did you know that Bai Chang's family is dead?"
ah? !
Li Maojia's face suddenly turned pale.
She was also at Duanfutang that day!
"Li Mao's family, would you like me to do a fortune telling for you too?"
Li Mao's wife shivered, licked her dry lips, and said with an awkward smile, "Young lady, you...you must be joking."
"Fine."
Gu Zhizhu smiled faintly, lifted his foot and walked away, turning his head to Qiongfang and saying, "Go and get some brass padlocks. Lock up every single one of the warehouses here."
Lock?
Qiongfang didn't understand, but obediently agreed.
Gu Zhizhu shook the key in his hand and chuckled, "I don't trust this lock."
The head maid bowed her head and respectfully saw her off.
As soon as she left, the head maidservant hurriedly sent one of her maids to say, "Go and see if Bai Chang's family is really gone."
Her heart was pounding like a drum.
Bai Chang's family member was the lady's confidant, her right-hand man, and she handled all the affairs of the household on her behalf.
Madam probably wouldn't...
Surely they wouldn't be that cruel!
She paced back and forth for a while, and soon the little maid rushed back, saying in a panic, "Granny, Bai Chang's wife is dead."
"Really dead?!"
"yes!"
Li Maojia's burly body swayed, and he almost lost his balance.
The masters in the manor have good tempers and never take their anger out on servants. Over the years, they have rarely even used corporal punishment, let alone beaten a servant to death. How could this be?
"Tell me quickly, what exactly happened?" Her voice was trembling.
The maid recounted what she had learned, adding, "It was Granny Wan who witnessed the execution. Granny Wan said the person died from palpitations, but I secretly went to the torture chamber and saw... the flesh was mangled and bloody; it was clearly, clearly, that the person was beaten to death."
Li Maojia gasped.
In other words, it was the lady who secretly beat the person to death without the lady's knowledge!
Bai Chang's wife is the lady's confidante.
The young lady was absolutely right!
Five days later, the lady of the house truly took the life of Bai Changjia herself, not a day more, not a day less.
She was completely devastated.
The young maid couldn't help but ask, "Granny, do you think the eldest young lady really can predict the future?"
"Be careful what you say," Li Mao's wife quickly interrupted.
Whether this was calculated or not is hard to say.
However, the young woman made everything she said come true; that's skill, that's cunning.
Li Mao's wife seemed to see the old Duchess Wang in her eyes.
"Li Mao's family."
Li Mao's wife was startled and looked in the direction of the voice. Qiongfang, who was beside the eldest daughter, was saying happily, "The young lady said that at Shenshi (3-5 PM), she is going to meet with the stewards at Duanfu Hall."
"Whether you go or not is up to you."
After Qiongfang finished speaking, she left.
Li Maojia felt a chill run down his spine.
The lady was unwilling to relinquish her authority, but the eldest daughter clearly had no patience to wait any longer.
If the lady wouldn't give it to her, the eldest daughter would take it herself.
As dusk fell, the sunset glowed like burning flames, but Li Maojia still felt a chill all over his body, as if he were in an ice cellar.
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