"If there is a next time, I will not let it go easily." The stern tone left no room for joking.
Mu Yazhi knelt on the ground, her body trembling uncontrollably.
Mu Chenshuang looked at Lu Wei, "Since an assassin appeared in the Marquis's mansion, it means that there are serious flaws in your management, Aunt Lu. You'd better understand that you are only temporarily in charge of the Marquis's mansion. Don't think that you have been promoted to the position of official wife, and don't put your position too high."
Now that I'm back in the Marquis's residence, it's time for a change of leadership. So you'd better think carefully about how to give this princess a satisfactory answer, instead of trying to frame me here. Making a scene and taking it to the palace won't do you any good.
Her words were clear: she was declaring war on Lu Wei and wanted to reclaim the power of the Marquis's mansion.
Even though Lu Wei wanted to maintain her image, a sinister glint appeared in her eyes when faced with Mu Chenshuang's blatant provocation.
Mu Chenshuang lowered her eyes and looked at Lord Zhou, saying, "I'll trouble Lord Zhou to assist in the investigation of the assassin. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."
Lord Zhou bowed respectfully and said, "Yes."
Mu Chenshuang left the Marquis's residence by carriage, went out of the city, and went to the dilapidated temple in the suburbs that was closest to the mass grave.
As soon as you step inside, a cold wind howls in through the broken windows, accompanied by creaking sounds, creating an eerie and unsettling atmosphere.
Linglong hugged herself tightly and followed Mu Chenshuang cautiously.
Mu Chenshuang stopped and said, "Come out!"
Then a figure dressed in prison clothes appeared shakily behind the Buddha statue. It was none other than Chunxiao.
Her lips were now purple from the cold, and her whole body was trembling violently.
When Chunxiao saw Mu Chenshuang arrive, hope appeared in her eyes. She had thought she would freeze to death here, but she never expected that Mu Chenshuang would actually come. She felt even more guilty and apologetic.
She walked forward with trembling steps and knelt directly in front of Mu Chenshuang.
"Princess."
Mu Chenshuang glanced at Linglong beside her and said, "Give it to her!"
Linglong handed the bundle in her hand to Chunxiao, saying, "Go and change your clothes first."
Chunxiao saw the thick cotton coat in her hand and clenched her fingers tighter.
"Thank you, Princess."
Chunxiao changed into her cotton-padded clothes, walked up to Mu Chenshuang, and lowered her head. "Thank you for saving my life, Princess."
According to Zhang Mama's confession, Chunxiao has no chance of survival in prison, and even if she is lucky enough to be released, Lu Wei will not let her go.
Mu Chenshuang gave her a fake death pill, pretending that she had committed suicide by poisoning herself in prison. Prisoners who commit suicide are thrown directly into a mass grave in the suburbs.
That's why Chunxiao was lucky enough to survive.
"Since I have promised to protect you, I will naturally ensure your safety. However, I want to know everything about Lu Wei."
Chunxiao nodded respectfully and said, "Princess, please ask. I will tell you everything I know. However, my knowledge is limited and I may not know what you want to know. I hope you can understand."
"I know."
She was just a maidservant, so she probably didn't know much.
"Whom does Lu Wei usually entertain at his residence?"
Judging from the current situation, Lu Wei's connections have already extended to the inner palace. She can even easily invite Princess Jinhua to her residence. With such wolfish ambitions, she doesn't believe that Lu Wei isn't plotting something.
"This servant knows that a lady named Consort Ling visited the Marquis's residence a month ago, as well as Madam Song from the Duke's residence, Madam Li from the Censor's residence, and Madam Chang from the Minister's residence. These are all the people this servant knows."
Hearing this, Mu Chenshuang felt incredulous. These were all wives of high-ranking officials in the court. It was truly remarkable that Lu Wei was able to win over so many of them.
"Since you need to contact these ladies, it must cost a lot of money. Do you know what gifts Lu Wei has given them?"
Chunxiao pondered for a moment and then said, "This servant only saw Madam give Princess Jinhua a glass cup made of amethyst jade."
This is a rare treasure, worth a fortune.
It was half a year's salary and income from the Marquis's estate. How could Lu Wei possibly spend half a year's salary on just glass lamps, not to mention the money he had to bribe the other ladies? This was no small sum.
It seems that Lu Wei used all of the original owner's money to bribe others.
"Oh, right, there's one more thing." Chunxiao thought of something and continued, "Two months ago, I heard Zhang Mama say that she was going to prepare something very valuable to take to Lingyun Temple. However, when I saw Madam return, Zhang Mama brought the item back untouched. After Madam returned, she threw a tantrum and said some ungrateful things."
Mu Chenshuang narrowed her eyes slightly and murmured to herself, "Lingyun Temple."
Imperial Noble Consort Cang Xixue is at Lingyun Temple.
The Imperial Noble Consort has been practicing vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist scriptures in Lingyun for three years now, and she did not even appear for the Emperor's birthday recently.
As for the reason why this imperial concubine, who had come from afar for a political marriage, suddenly went to Lingyun Temple to worship Buddha, she had no idea.
Her son, the Second Prince, spent most of his time in his residence and rarely left. He was not seen at the Emperor's birthday banquet that day. All that was said about him was that the Second Prince was an extremely handsome man who had perfectly inherited his mother's beauty.
Lu Wei brought gifts to Lingyun Temple, probably intending to bribe this Imperial Noble Consort.
However, the Imperial Noble Consort has no power in the harem. Moreover, she was married from afar and has no background or support in Tianzhao Kingdom. In addition, the Qi Kingdom's strength has been declining in recent years, so no one will take her seriously. The only person she can rely on in Tianzhao Kingdom is the Second Prince.
So why did Lu Wei go to see her?
There must be some reason for this.
But she actually dared to call the Imperial Noble Consort ungrateful. No matter how powerful her connections are, she shouldn't have the audacity to say such things. This Lu Wei probably has some hidden secrets.
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