Chapter 174 Could Shen Qingnian have escaped again?
After Hongyun and the others left, Lin Shi supported herself and came to Xie Songyi, bending down to look at his pale face.
Then, with a smile on her face, Lin reached out and touched his face, recalling the day of their first night together.
She did the same, touching his face while he was fast asleep, her heart filled with sweetness that made her face flush uncontrollably.
But when he opened his eyes, he violently shook off her hand, his face full of anger, and then resolutely left, clutching his clothes.
There was no joy, no concern, only her weeping alone under the quilt for a long time...
Thinking of this, Lin's tears fell once again.
She withdrew her hand, staggered to her feet, and nearly fell to the ground.
Seeing this, Aunt Su reached out her hands to help her up.
"I don't need your fake kindness!"
Madam Lin raised her hand, refusing Aunt Su's kind offer.
“I met him first!” Lin said again, her voice trembling.
Seeing the sorrow in Madam Lin's eyes, Aunt Su lowered her head.
She stood between the couple!
That snowy night, when she learned that the man she had been spending every day with already had a wife, she thought about it for a long time in the house.
Unwilling to steal another woman's husband, she cruelly drove Xie Songyi away.
After Xie Songyi learned of her feelings, he didn't say anything, but simply stood outside her house all night.
When she had a high fever, Xie Songyi murmured her name and held her hand tightly.
Later, Xie Songyi personally escorted her to the ferry. Looking across the river, Aunt Su held back her tears and waved goodbye to him.
Xie Songyi suddenly plunged into the river, and just as she was in a panic, he reappeared in front of her, completely soaked.
"Wanyun, don't leave me alone!"
Later, Xie Songyi recounted his past with the Lin family.
Aunt Su was then shocked to realize that even someone as remarkable as her could have such helpless and pitiful moments.
Thinking of this, she looked up at Madam Lin again, her eyes no longer filled with guilt.
"Second Madam, when it comes to matters of the heart, there's never a first-come, first-served rule!"
"I know you resent me, but I have no regrets."
Aunt Su paused for a moment, then asked, "I wonder if the Second Madam has ever felt any remorse?"
Regret?
Lin was taken aback by these words.
Did she ever feel remorse?
She won over the man and had a daughter with him.
She would have been content to stay by his side, but she was too greedy and ended up ruining him.
At this moment, Lin felt a bitter taste in her throat, a feeling she couldn't quite describe.
Perhaps it was the regret she was referring to.
She was about to walk out the door when Xie Yanzhi looked at the horrifying wound on her arm and said to Yuan Qing, "Yuan Qing, go and find a doctor for the Second Madam."
Upon hearing this, Madam Lin turned and curtsied to Xie Yanzhi, saying calmly, "No need." After saying that, she returned to her room.
Once inside, Lin sat down in front of the dressing table in a daze.
Looking at herself in the mirror, she realized that the person in the mirror was no longer as charming as she used to be.
Yi Lang was no longer as spirited and unrestrained as he used to be.
Thinking this, Madam Lin gently picked up the white plum blossom hairpin from her dressing case and examined it carefully for a while.
Xie Songyi's smiling face reappeared in my mind.
Lin wiped away her tears, put the hairpin in her hair, and looked at herself in the bronze mirror.
Suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her chest, and then spat a mouthful of blood onto the bronze mirror.
But Lin showed no sign of panic; this reaction was exactly what she had expected.
The day before yesterday, Honghui told her that this Gu was extremely insidious.
To remove this curse, the person who planted the mother worm will suffer a backlash and will not survive.
Lin was stunned for a moment, but then she looked at Hong Sui.
Honghui saw her resolve and asked her through tears, "Was it worth it?"
With tears in her eyes, Lin smiled and said, "It's all my own fault."
If there is an afterlife, she does not wish to meet Yi Lang again.
Thinking of this, Lin tried to take out a handkerchief to wipe the blood from the corner of her mouth.
She feared that if Yilang woke up and saw her like this, he would be even more disgusted and unwilling to help their daughter.
Before the handkerchief could even touch her lips, it fell from Lin's hand and fluttered to the ground.
When Xie Yanzhi was about to return to Guanlan Residence, Xie Songyi suddenly developed a high fever and vomited black blood.
Xie Yanzhi was so busy that Yuan Qing invited Doctor Zhou. All night long, the maids and servants of the second household carried copper basins in and out, busy until dawn.
Xie Yanzhi didn't leave the second wife's courtyard until the morning when Xie Songyi's fever subsided.
He walked to the gate of Yuheng Residence, looked at the sky, and saw that there were still some stars. He then withdrew his foot.
It was still early, and I was carrying a bit of morning chill. Afraid of disturbing that delicate person, I went straight to the study in Guanlan Residence.
Seeing that Xie Yanzhi's eyes were bloodshot, Yuan Qing stepped forward and said, "Master, you haven't slept all night, why don't you rest for a while?"
Xie Yanzhi nodded slightly and fell asleep fully clothed on the couch in the study.
As dawn broke, Lu Yuanzhang awoke from his sleep and looked with satisfaction at the woman lying beside him with her back to him.
He was still somewhat reluctant to leave, reminiscing about last night.
Unexpectedly, Shen Qingnian, who usually appears to be a chaste and virtuous woman, is quite unforgettable when it comes to serving people in bed.
He reached out and stroked the shoulder that was half exposed outside the brocade quilt; it was fair and smooth, and he became somewhat restless again.
He simply ripped off the blanket, flipped the person over, and pinned them beneath him.
Upon seeing the man's face, Lu Yuanzhang was so frightened that he immediately jumped out of bed!
"Who are you!" Lu Yuanzhang pointed at the woman on the bed, his face full of anger.
"I am Green Willow from Fragrant Blossom Courtyard." The woman on the bed smiled charmingly and pulled the quilt over herself again.
Upon hearing this, Lu Yuanzhang felt a surge of anger! That vile woman Xie Min actually found him a prostitute!
"Get out!" Lu Yuanzhang grabbed his clothes and stormed into Xie Min's room.
Upon reaching the door, Lu Yuanzhang kicked it open, startling the maid Qiu Tong beside him: "Young Master."
Xie Min, dressed in her inner garment, was sitting in front of her dressing table, combing her beautiful hair with a green sandalwood comb.
She had visited that side courtyard last night and heard Lu Yuanzhang's satisfied voice coming from inside the house, which made Xie Min leave contentedly.
Therefore, she already knew that the person in the box was not Shen Qingnian at all.
She wasn't surprised to see Lu Yuanzhang storm in.
But she still looked flustered, hurriedly put down the comb, and tried to walk towards Lu Yuanzhang.
Lu Yuanzhang had already reached her first, grabbed her by the neck, and lifted her off the soft stool.
"You bitch!"
Seeing Lu Yuanzhang's furious face, Xie Min was secretly delighted, but on the surface she feigned a submissive attitude and asked, "Second Master! What's wrong?"
Lu Yuanzhang slapped Xie Min across the face: "I asked you to arrange Shen Qingnian for me! And what you did, you brought me a filthy prostitute!"
Lu Yuanzhang didn't hold back at all, and the slap caused blood to seep from the corner of Xie Min's mouth.
Xie Min frowned, her eyes filled with terror, and said, "It's not that I don't know that the Second Master wants Shen Qingnian, but I've searched the entire mansion and haven't found her!"
"Since the auspicious time has arrived and we cannot delay, we have resorted to this desperate measure, sending someone to Xiangyi Courtyard to invite the top courtesan to serve the Second Master."
"Besides, the madam told me that Miss Green Willow is a virgin. I think she's better than that withered flower, Shen Qingnian!"
Enraged, Lu Yuanzhang gripped Xie Min's neck even tighter.
You can't even handle something this simple!
Upon seeing this, Qiu Tong hurriedly knelt at Lu Yuanzhang's feet, tears welling in her eyes, and said, "Young Master! Please let go of Miss! She's pregnant!"
Lu Yuanzhang then released his hand with displeasure.
Xie Min, now free, sat on the ground and coughed. She knew that Lu Yuanzhang wouldn't dare to really hurt her, out of consideration for the child.
This time, she made the right bet.
Lu Yuanzhang had harmed her and her father so badly; how could she let him have his way?
Not only that, she also wanted to give him a big gift.
She then feigned grievance and said, "I am truly useless. I couldn't find Shen Qingnian, and I was also worried that my health made it inconvenient to serve you, so..." She added, "Could it be that Luwu didn't serve me well enough?"
Lu Yuanzhang recalled the pleasure of last night; the woman had served him quite well! However, Xie Min was truly too foolish!
They were scammed without even realizing it.
"Fool! That Green Willow girl is clearly not a male prostitute!"
The fact that he cried for water four times last night shows the extent of his charm and seductive manner; he must have had hundreds or even thousands of clients!
When did Lu Yuanzhang stoop so low as to seek out such filthy things to relieve his pain?
He pointed at Xie Min's nose and said, "You'd better have a good womb and give me a son, or you and your bastard will die!"
After saying this, Lu Yuanzhang left with his hands behind his back.
He also ordered someone to deal with that woman named Lüwu! Otherwise, the entire capital would know tomorrow that Lu Yuanzhang had been intimate with a courtesan on his wedding day. At that point, impeachments would be inevitable!
Qiu Tong quickly went over to support Xie Min, her eyes filled with heartache: "Miss."
“This son-in-law is too fierce and doesn’t care about the little master in your belly.”
Xie Min wiped her mouth, spat on the ground, her eyes filled with disgust and loathing.
He thought to himself, "He doesn't deserve it!"
She touched her belly again, then sat back down on the soft stool as if nothing had happened: "Qiu Tong, come and do my hair."
Qiu Tong walked over and picked up a comb to comb Xie Min's hair again. She was also a little curious: "Miss, what about Aunt Qing?"
She clearly saw her mistress instruct two unfamiliar maids to go find Aunt Qing yesterday, so why didn't she see her?
Xie Min smiled. She had indeed sent people to kidnap Shen Qingnian, but she would not let Lu Yuanzhang have his way.
Of course, she wouldn't let Shen Qingnian off easily.
Xie Min looked at herself in the mirror and said slowly, "She has her own place to go."
Just as Lu Yuanzhang ordered his men to deal with the woman in the side courtyard, the guard who had been knocked unconscious the night before knelt before him, his face filled with fear, and said, "Second Master! Concubine Hongyun is missing!"
"What's going on!" Lu Yuanzhang's anger rose again. Everything had gone wrong since the beginning of the morning, which really annoyed him.
"Last night I was attacked, and when I woke up I found that someone had rescued Consort Hongyun!"
The guard kept his head down, not daring to look up at Lu Yuanzhang.
Lu Yuanzhang thought for a moment, realizing he had forgotten about Hongyun.
He bought her because he thought she was quite pretty.
Who knew that the vile woman was raising strange Gu worms on her body, and she wouldn't let him get close, so he had no choice but to lock her up first.
Back then, he was still the prestigious Second Master Lu in the capital.
Through their methods, they nearly managed to drive the Xie family, one of the most prestigious families in China for centuries, out of the capital, thus securing a place for their Guangde Marquis's mansion.
But then, out of nowhere, Master Xie appeared. He was brave, handsome, and extremely talented. In just a few months, he restored the dying Xie family to the Emperor's favor.
Since then, whenever the two have been compared by others, he has always been the one who loses.
Later, he and the old Marquis plotted how to get rid of Xie Songyi without anyone noticing.
So he tricked Hongyun, saying that if she would use a curse on Xie Songyi to make him wish he were dead, he would let her go.
However, after the deed was done, he imprisoned Hongyun and sent people to hunt down the girl named Hongsui, but unfortunately the girl escaped in the end.
Later, as Hongyun grew increasingly emaciated, he became more and more convinced that the Gu poison was malevolent, so he stopped going into Hongyun's courtyard.
He had considered killing Hongyun, but if Hongyun died, Xie Songyi and Lin would also die, which would inevitably alert others.
So all these years he has kept Hongyun alive, and seeing her gradually weaken, he only allowed one guard to watch over her in her courtyard, leaving her to fend for herself.
But now, she's been rescued!
A bad thought flashed through Lu Yuanzhang's mind: someone had probably already discovered Xie Songyi's secret illness.
Who could it be?
After pacing back and forth a few times with his hands behind his back, Lu Yuanzhang concluded that there was only one person in the entire capital who knew how to investigate Hong Yun's whereabouts.
That person is Xie Yanzhi!
Lu Yuanzhang frowned; it seemed trouble was about to come his way.
However, since he has married Xie Min, Xie Yanzhi will likely have to think twice before making a move against him.
Anyway, Hongyun is a dying person, so capturing her won't help, since Xie Songyi won't survive either.
Thinking this, Lu Yuanzhang waved his hand and said, "Go down."
The guard was taken aback. Did the Second Master mean he would no longer investigate Concubine Hongyun's matter? That meant the Second Master wouldn't hold him accountable for his dereliction of duty.
He felt a surge of relief and quickly replied, "Yes." Then he withdrew.
Yu Zhu was pacing back and forth outside Guanlan Residence, looking extremely flustered.
After hesitating for a moment, she went straight in and knocked on the door of Xie Yanzhi's study: "Young Master! Young Master!"
Upon hearing the noise, Yuan Qing quickly came over to stop it.
Grandpa didn't sleep a wink last night, and he didn't want Grandpa to be disturbed.
"What's wrong with you?" Yuan Qing asked, looking at Yu Zhu knocking on the door.
Yu Zhu said with a wronged expression, "Brother Yuan Qing, my aunt and Sister Hong Yu didn't come home all night, so I came to find the young master!"
Upon hearing this, Yuan Qing's pupils widened: "What did you say! Why didn't you report this sooner!"
Yu Zhu was startled by Yuan Qing's appearance and whispered, "Yesterday, when Aunt and Sister Hongyu arrived at Aunt Su's courtyard, I assumed that Aunt and Sister Hongyu had been there the whole time."
“But when I went to the second branch’s courtyard this morning, there was no sign of my aunt or Sister Hongyu. That’s when I got anxious and rushed back to find the eldest young master.”
As they were talking, the study door was opened: "Who did you say is missing?" Xie Yanzhi stood at the door with a frown.
Looking at Xie Yanzhi's cold face, Yuzhu lowered her head and said, "It's Aunt and Sister Hongyu!"
Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Xie Yanzhi's eyes.
Did Shen Qingnian run away again?
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