Chapter 175 The Second Madam is Gone
In the courtyard of the second house.
A maid dressed in a blue cloth skirt carried a copper basin and tiptoed to Lin's door, gently knocking on it.
But there was no response from inside the house for a long time.
The maid felt a little strange. Usually at this time, the second madam would have already gotten up to wash and dress. Why was there no movement in the room today?
She called out again, but there was still no answer from inside the house. She bit her lower lip, holding the copper basin in one hand, and pushed the door open a crack with the other.
Lin was seen lying face down in front of the dressing table. Upon closer inspection, the bloodstains on the bronze mirror had already dried.
The maidservant called out in a trembling voice, "Second Madam?"
Lin remained unmoved.
After placing the basin on the table, she carefully walked to Lin's side, trembling as she reached out to touch Lin's nose, only to find that Lin was already lifeless.
"Ah—!" The maid screamed, took two steps back and fell backward, knocking the copper basin on the table to the ground.
She scrambled out, repeatedly shouting, "The Second Madam is gone! The Second Madam is gone!"
In no time, news of Lin's passing spread throughout the Jingnan Marquis's residence.
Aunt Su was sitting on the edge of the bed, reaching out to touch Xie Songyi's warm forehead.
Hearing the commotion outside, Aunt Su opened the door and asked the old woman at the door, "What's going on? Why is it so noisy?"
The old woman lowered her head and said, "I heard that the second mistress has passed away."
The handkerchief in her hand fell to the ground with a "thud," and she froze by the door.
She must have felt lonely when she left.
Her only daughter got married yesterday, and her husband is now lying unconscious in bed.
She hated herself her whole life, fought her whole life, but in the end, she still ended up in a bleak state.
Aunt Su's eyes reddened; Lin's death had saddened her somewhat.
She gazed at Xie Songyi's sleeping face, hoping he would wake up soon.
Meanwhile, at Guanlan Residence, Xie Yanzhi stood by his desk with a cold face, his hand on the edge of the table, and asked, "Have you searched the entire mansion, from top to bottom?"
Yuan Qing heard the coldness in Xie Yanzhi's voice and knew that he was angry.
He immediately knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said, "Your subordinate will send someone to find it right away."
Yu Zhu is only reporting this now; he hasn't had time to send anyone to look for him yet.
Yuan Qing didn't hear a reply. He looked up and saw that Xie Yanzhi's face was ashen.
He immediately withdrew and hurriedly led his guards to search for him.
Before long, Hongyu was brought back by Yuan Qing.
Xie Yanzhi looked at Hongyu, whose hair was disheveled and whose skirt was covered with grass clippings. She looked very disheveled, and it was clear that she had put up a fierce resistance.
It seems that Shen Qingnian did not run away on her own initiative.
Upon seeing Xie Yanzhi, Hongyu immediately knelt on the ground and cried, "Young Master, please save my aunt!"
As she spoke, tears streamed down her face like beads from a broken string.
Xie Yan gripped the armrest of the chair tightly, his knuckles turning white as he said, "Speak! What exactly happened! Where is Aunt Qing?"
Hongyu choked up, her voice broken: "Yesterday, I was in the Second Master's room with my aunt."
"Suddenly, two maids came and said that the old lady wanted to severely punish Sister Ling'er, so my aunt took me and planned to go to the old lady to plead for her."
"Unexpectedly, when my aunt and I reached a corner, someone covered our mouths and noses with a handkerchief laced with sleeping pills."
As Hongyu spoke, she lowered her head even further.
Xie Yanzhi immediately asked, "Did you see who drugged you?"
Hongyu nodded quickly: "Before I fainted, I vaguely saw one of the two maids pick up my aunt and put her into a wooden box."
"Later, when I woke up, I found myself tied up and left in a secluded courtyard. Then, Brother Yuanqing brought his men to find me."
"The box?" Thank you, Yan Zhi, slammed his hand on the table!
Someone took her out of the mansion in a box!
Who has the audacity to come and go freely in the Jingnan Marquis's residence and even dare to make a move on the wedding day?
He rubbed his temples, and a figure suddenly flashed through his mind.
Xie Min!
Just then, a servant rushed in, his face pale: "Young Master! Something terrible has happened! The Second Madam... the Second Madam is gone!"
"What?" Yuan Qing looked up abruptly, his face full of disbelief.
The second wife's wound on her arm was only a little deeper last night; it shouldn't have cost her her life.
As he was wondering, he heard Xie Yanzhi ask, "What's going on?"
"Doctor Zhou just examined her and said that the Second Madam's internal condition had long been compromised, and the injuries she sustained last night were the reason she didn't make it..."
Such an injury?
Xie Yanzhi's pupils suddenly contracted. It seemed that Lin Shi could not survive because the mother insect had left her body.
It seems that Lin truly has deep feelings for her second uncle.
Unfortunately, he used the wrong methods, which harmed his second uncle and himself.
He composed himself and instructed Yuan Qing, "Prepare the horses and head to the Marquis of Guangde's residence."
At this moment, Xie Min was having breakfast at the table in the Guangde Marquis's residence.
She gently stirred the bird's nest porridge with a silver spoon and asked the maid beside her, "Where is Qiutong? I told the gatekeeper to prepare the carriage, why hasn't she returned yet?"
The maid shook her head, about to speak, when Qiu Tong lifted the curtain and came in, her eyes somewhat evasive, saying, "Miss, the eldest young master has arrived."
"Xie Yanzhi? What's he doing here?" Xie Min paused, her hand holding the silver spoon faltering, a hint of panic flashing in her eyes.
He must have discovered Shen Qingnian's disappearance and suspected her.
However, she thought again that she was now the second wife of the Marquis of Guangde's mansion, no longer the third young lady of the Marquis of Jingnan's mansion who could be manipulated by him.
She didn't believe Xie Yanzhi would dare to do anything to her in the Guangde Marquis's residence!
She had barely finished speaking when Xie Yanzhi lifted the curtain and entered: "Why can't I come?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Min put down the silver spoon, picked up a handkerchief to wipe the corner of her mouth, and asked in a languid tone, "May I ask what brings you here today, young master?"
Xie Yanzhi stood opposite her, his gaze fixed on her, his face frighteningly dark: "Where did you take Shen Qingnian?"
Upon hearing Xie Yanzhi's words, Xie Min clenched her handkerchief tightly, trying her best to remain calm.
She leaned back in her chair, her eyes filled with disdain: "What do you mean by that, young master?"
"Your own concubine is missing, what are you doing here looking for me?"
"I'll ask you one more time, where is she?"
Xie Yanzhi took a step forward, his aura making Xie Min feel a little breathless.
"You took her away in a dowry chest, mixed her up in the wedding procession, and smuggled her out of the Jingnan Marquis's residence. Do you think I can't find out?" Xie Yanzhi looked down at Xie Min with disdain.
"I've had the entire manor searched high and low, but we haven't found a trace of her. Besides you, who else could have smuggled her out of the manor on her wedding day using a dowry chest!"
Xie Min's heart tightened, but her face remained tough. She sneered, "Just because it was packed in a box, does that mean I did it? Young Master, you really know how to convict."
She was certain that Xie Yanzhi was only speculating and had no concrete evidence.
The two maids who knew kung fu were found for her by Li Huiyan, and they had already left the capital. Even if Xie Yanzhi wanted to investigate, he wouldn't be able to find any clues.
Seeing this, Xie Yanzhi pointed at Qiu Tong and said, "Why don't we hear what your personal maid has to say?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Min turned her head in a panic and looked at Qiu Tong.
With tears blurring her vision, Qiu Tong quickly knelt on the ground and said, "Third Miss, I'm so sorry!"
The eldest young master had just entered the manor when he threatened her family's lives, demanding that she tell him the whole story.
"You betrayed me? You vile woman!" Xie Min cursed at Qiu Tong.
Seeing Xie Min's reaction, Xie Yanzhi already knew the answer in his heart.
It seems that the girl wasn't lying; Shen Qingnian really was captured by the maid Li Huiyan found.
He knew that ordinary maids couldn't easily lift Shen Qingnian; those two maids had some martial arts skills.
He suddenly realized that Shen Qingnian's situation was not optimistic, so he turned around and prepared to leave: "Yuan Qing, go to General Li's mansion."
As Xie Yanzhi reached the door, he paused, his voice icy cold, devoid of any warmth, "I forgot to tell you, your mother passed away last night."
"What!" Xie Min stood up abruptly, as if struck by lightning.
She stared at Xie Yanzhi in disbelief, tears welling up instantly. "My mother is gone? How could she just be gone?"
She stood up from the soft stool, ignoring Qiu Tong's attempts to stop her, rushed forward, grabbed Xie Yanzhi's sleeve, and demanded, "Was it you? Was it you who drove my mother to her death?!"
"Just for Shen Qingnian?"
Xie Yanzhi shook off Xie Min's hand: "Stop talking nonsense!" After saying that, Xie Yanzhi lifted his foot and strode out.
He hadn't seen Shen Qingnian for a day and a night, and he didn't know what had happened to her. All he wanted was to find her as soon as possible.
After Xie Yanzhi left, Xie Min suddenly stood up and swept the teapot and teacups off the table to the ground.
He shouted through gritted teeth, "I did it! Why did you harm my mother?!"
As she spoke, Xie Min's tears flowed again.
She was the one who harmed her mother. If she hadn't insisted on dealing with Shen Qingnian, her mother wouldn't have been forced to her death by Xie Yanzhi.
She cannot forgive herself, and she will never forgive Xie Yanzhi!
Seeing Xie Min like this, Qiu Tong choked up and said, "Miss, let's go back to the Jingnan Marquis's residence. You still need to see the Second Madam off on her final journey."
Xie Min glared at her and cursed, "You traitor! Even a dog would be more loyal than you!"
Qiu Tong knelt on the ground, feeling wronged and guilty, tears streaming down her face, and said, "Young Master threatened my family's lives, this servant..."
She knew she had betrayed her mistress and that she could no longer stay by her side.
Qiu Tong knelt on the ground and kowtowed to Xie Min, saying, "Miss, this servant will accompany you back to the manor to see Madam. From now on, whatever punishment or beating you may receive, this servant will obey your orders."
Xie Min then reached out her hand, gesturing for her to come and help her. She would deal with this wretched maid after she had taken care of her mother's funeral arrangements.
Seeing this, Qiu Tong quickly got up to help her. When she saw Xie Min's pale face and tears streaming down her face, Qiu Tong felt a pang of sadness.
The second wife had always been kind to her, and would always reward her during festivals. Now that she had suddenly passed away, she was also saddened.
Supported by Qiu Tong, Xie Min walked shakily out of the house, and memories of the past flashed through her mind.
The dignified and gentle mother gently pecked her little face.
I covered her with a blanket late at night and sat under the lamp to sew her new clothes...
Large tears streamed down her face, and her heart ached as if it were being squeezed.
Xie Min could no longer hold on and tripped and fell when she stepped over the threshold.
Startled, Qiu Tong quickly cried out, "Miss, what's wrong?"
Seeing Xie Min like that, Qiu Tong also burst into tears.
Xie Min, distraught, leaned on the threshold to get up and, step by step, laboriously made her way to the carriage.
She still couldn't believe her mother was gone; just yesterday she had cried as she saw her off at her wedding.
She also told her mother about her revenge plan. Seeing that she couldn't stop her, her mother could only tearfully tell her to be careful in everything she did.
How could she bear to leave her when she was so worried about her?
When Xie Min arrived at the gate of the Marquis of Jingnan's mansion, she found that the large red lanterns and the double happiness characters outside the gate were gone, replaced by a scene of white mourning.
As soon as she got out of the carriage, a maidservant put a white flower on her head and dressed her in mourning clothes.
Supported by Qiu Tong, she walked through door after door until she finally arrived at Lin's mourning hall.
White mourning curtains hung above the door, and white cloth was wrapped around the pillars on both sides. The maids and servants standing on both sides were dressed in plain clothes and wore white flowers.
Xie Min's vision blurred again. She staggered to the coffin and saw Lin lying inside.
She wore her favorite white hairpin, her face serene, as if she hadn't died, but had simply fallen asleep from exhaustion.
Xie Min knelt beside the coffin, sobbing uncontrollably, and cried out to Lin Shi, "Mother! Get up and look at me!"
The cries were heart-wrenching, and the maids and servants present all had tears in their eyes.
At this moment, the old lady walked in, leaning on her cane. She was dressed in plain clothes, her hair was wrapped in a white cloth, and her face was full of fatigue.
She was so angry that she trembled when she learned yesterday that Xie Songyi's illness was caused by Lin.
He thought he would punish Lin severely after she recovered from her illness, but unexpectedly, she passed away.
The old lady picked up the incense sticks beside her, lit them, glanced at Lin's memorial tablet, and then inserted the incense sticks into the incense burner in front of her.
She glanced at Xie Min, who was crying her heart out, her eyes filled with pity.
This child is so pitiful! He just got married yesterday, and today he lost his mother.
Let her have a good cry; it might be better for her.
She didn't say anything in the end, but just sighed and turned around to be helped back to Wenxin Hall by Sun Momo.
Xie Min eventually fainted from crying.
Qiu Tong and another maid hurriedly carried the person back to the second house's courtyard.
When Aunt Su heard that Xie Min had fainted, she thought that Xie Min was, after all, the Second Master's child and had lost her mother, so she went to the room to see Xie Min.
She sat down in front of Xie Min's bed with a bowl of sugar water, and had Qiu Tong support Xie Min from behind while she fed Xie Min spoonful by spoonful.
Seeing some sugar water dripping from the corner of her mouth, she took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped her mouth.
Xie Min suddenly started coughing, as if she had choked on water.
When she groggily opened her eyes, she found that it seemed to be her mother feeding her sugar water.
Tears welled up in her eyes again, and she hugged the person in front of her tightly, saying with a wronged expression, "Mother!"
"I knew you weren't dead; they were all lying to me."
Feeling the warmth of her "mother's" body, Xie Min snuggled against her and said, "Mother can't bear to leave Min'er."
Qiu Tong, who was standing to the side, watched Xie Min hug Aunt Su with such reluctance, but did not say anything to remind her.
She couldn't bear to wake the young lady and force her to face that cruel reality.
When Aunt Su saw that Xie Min mistook her for Lin Shi, she handed the bowl in her hand to Qiu Tong behind her.
He gently stroked Xie Min's hair and patted her back, hoping that this would make Xie Min feel better.
Feeling comforted by her "mother," Xie Min suddenly raised her head, regretting that she hadn't looked at her mother properly before.
Now that she has regained what she lost, she just wants to look at it a little longer...
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