"Because, thirty years ago, I was the one who gave you the root-cutting powder. Master, don't you remember? The qi-tonifying soup I cooked back then tasted quite good."
Madam, those few days of nourishing soup were delivered to the master's study by your maid.
After that, I had to cook some every now and then.
"I bought it from a wandering swordsman. It cost me ten taels of silver. Oh, that ten taels of silver was my monthly allowance for two months after I entered the Gu family." Aunt Tang said, looking very distressed.
"Tang Qiumei, why did you do this?" Upon hearing this, Madam Ma angrily stepped forward and slapped Aunt Tang across the face.
Aunt Tang's cheek immediately turned red. She raised her hand and gently touched it, still smiling, and looked at Gu Tongfan with a smile, saying, "Why did you do this? You can ask your son, Lord Gu, if you want to know."
Back then, I, Tang Qiumei, had been married for six months and was newly pregnant. Although life was poor, it was warm and loving with my husband and in-laws. It was only because your husband saw me once on the street that he fell in love with me. Your good son, how filial he is!
Using his power, he framed my husband for accepting government salt, imprisoned him, and threatened me with the lives of him and his family.
I am just an ordinary, weak woman. How could I possibly stand up to your son? I begged him to wait until I gave birth to my husband's child before coming to the Gu residence, but he refused.
The men he sent forced me to drink a bowl of medicine, and that's how my child died.
Then, I received the letter of divorce and was taken to the Gu residence.
I thought that this would make him keep his promise and release my husband, but instead I learned that my husband had died in prison.
Unable to bear the shock, the parents-in-law fell ill one after another and died with resentment in their hearts.
Minister Gu, Lord Gu, you tell me, how can I, Tang Qiumei, easily let go of such deep-seated hatred?
I don't know if it's because you, Lord Gu, are too carefree or too confident that you used such methods to send me into your mansion. Why didn't you keep a close watch on me all along?
At first, I was thinking of finding an opportunity to kill you, sir.
But then I changed my mind. I felt that was too easy on you. What about my unborn child, my husband who died unjustly, my parents-in-law who died with resentment, and my whole life? How could you just take away all of that with one of your lives?
My lord, aren't you a filial son? Since you are so devoted to your father, then I shall properly fulfill your filial duty to your father.
First, I made the master drink the root-cutting powder, and then I helped your father have sex with each of your wives and concubines.
The master's wives and concubines, being women themselves, knew of my plight but showed no sympathy whatsoever, and even mocked me. Therefore, I felt no guilt whatsoever towards them.
"Lord Gu, you've let me enjoy the finest food and clothing of the Shanggu Mansion. Isn't this a generous gift I, Tang Qiumei, am giving in return? Hahaha!" Tang Qiumei laughed loudly at the end, and then tears streamed down her face.
"Crazy woman, she deserves to die." Gu Tongfan was dumbfounded when he heard these words. He never expected that the root of everything was this woman.
Gu Tongfan regained his senses, his face contorted with rage as he reached out and grabbed Tang Qiumei by the neck, his teeth clenched as he tightened his grip. He had considered so many possibilities today, but he hadn't expected this.
Tang Qiumei offered no resistance or struggle. Tears welled in her eyes, a smile played on her lips, and she stopped breathing shortly afterward.
Gu Tongfan watched as the woman in his arms lay motionless and lifeless before releasing her. Tang Qiumei lay on the ground, her eyes bulging, but a smile on her face, which looked very eerie.
“Fan’er, you heard it too. It’s not entirely your father’s fault.” Madam Ma, having recovered her senses, shook her son’s arm and wept.
"Not entirely the father's fault? Does the mother mean to blame me, her son?" Gu Tongfan asked with a bitter smile.
At that time, he had only been promoted to a few ranks of officialdom. His father, who had never gambled or frequented brothels, had unusually mentioned that he had taken a fancy to a young woman, so of course he had to satisfy his father.
Originally, I thought it would be something that could be settled with a little money, but who would have thought that the family was so stubborn and ungrateful, even turning around and accusing him of bullying others.
How could he, young and hot-blooded, tolerate this? If he couldn't even handle a few ordinary people, what was the point of being an official?
When Tang Qiumei first entered the mansion, he ordered people to keep a close watch on her, to guard against any revenge she might take. The servant in charge of watching her said that she cried a few times when she first entered the mansion and when she learned of the deaths of her husband and in-laws, but she returned to normal afterward.
After that, she started to pay attention to her appearance and began to coax her father for favors, such as rouge, powder, jewelry, and money.
It was precisely because of this that Gu Tongfan felt that Tang Qiumei had begun to settle down and enjoy wealth and luxury, so of course he no longer needed to keep an eye on her.
Looking back now, it must have been that treacherous woman who did it on purpose; she had been preparing for revenge since then!
As it turns out, she succeeded!
The women on the ground who were still conscious, as well as the wives and concubines who woke up one after another, had already understood from their conversation that the master was making trouble for them today because he had found out about their past scandals.
The five women were deathly pale; those who had been hit by the wooden stick had even forgotten the pain they felt.
The women wanted to tell the master that they were innocent, but none of them had the courage to speak up.
Because, initially, it was indeed a miscarriage of justice. The first time she slept with the old master, she was caught off guard and drank the sweet soup made by Aunt Tang. Who would have thought that it contained a drug that could enhance sexual pleasure?
And she was still conscious when she was in the act. Afterwards, she felt ashamed and guilty, and even thought about committing suicide. However, Tang Qiumei advised her that it would be pointless to die, because her husband was a filial son. Even if he found out, he would only blame her and might even implicate her family.
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