"To be honest, I ran into Uncle Tan on the street earlier and learned that my father's death was suspicious. I've been searching for the real cause of his death ever since, and now I've finally made some progress..."
Tan Shan asked urgently, "Didn't the General die from a relapse of his old illness?"
Ye Qingxue shook her head: "There is someone persecuting me, so I asked you all to come back, hoping that you can join forces with me to find the culprit behind this and let her receive the punishment she deserves."
Tan Shan was shocked: "How did the murderer kill the general? When the general died, the emperor was furious and ordered a thorough investigation into the cause of death, but even the imperial physicians risked their lives and still couldn't find anything."
This is also why Tan Shan felt that the general's death was suspicious, but he was unable to continue the investigation, especially since they were all later forced to leave the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion.
Ye Qingxue said, "Let me ask you, why did you leave the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence in the past?"
The expressions on Tan, Qin, and Liu's faces changed instantly.
They were clearly unwilling to recall, and Tan Shan stammered, "What does this have to do with the death of the General?"
Ye Qingxue said, "You were all loyal to my father. That person probably sent you away from the Marquis of Zhongyong's mansion to completely bury the truth about my father's death."
Tan Shan frowned: "But it was Madam Zhou who asked us to leave! She is the General's wife!"
"How did she get you to leave?" Ye Qingxue asked.
No one spoke; silence hung between them as the morning light streamed in through the window, illuminating their weathered faces.
Their eyes burned with years of suppressed anger, as if they were about to unleash all the humiliation they had endured over the past nine years.
The man named Qin Zhisheng clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white, and his voice was low and trembling:
"Nine years ago, Madam Zhou didn't show up; it was an old woman surnamed Cheng who came by her side. That old woman... she stood on the high steps, looking down at us as if we were a group of ants!"
His voice gradually rose, filled with endless resentment: "That old woman relayed Madam Zhou's message, saying that the General has passed away and can no longer lead us to the battlefield. The Marquis's mansion, having lost the General, cannot afford to support idle people. Even a dog should play its role."
Tan Shan picked up the conversation, his eyes filled with tears: "She told us to take the money and leave!"
His voice choked with emotion, and he could barely continue: "Young Miss, do you know? The old women threw all that silver on the ground! They made us bend down and pick it up like beggars!"
Tan Shan slammed his fist on the table, his voice booming: "We followed the General through thick and thin, shedding blood and sweat, only to be met with such humiliation in the end!"
Tan Shan's tears finally welled up and he said in a hoarse voice, "Miss, we're not after those few taels of silver, we're just... we're just not willing to accept this!"
"We fought the General our whole lives, and this is how we ended up! Madam Zhou, how dare she treat us like this? How dare she!"
"We wanted to ask Madam Zhou for an explanation, but we were turned away by the other guards in the mansion, who even falsely accused us of harassing the women of the inner quarters..."
As Ye Qingxue listened to their accusations, a fierce anger ignited in her eyes. She clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her palms.
She could imagine the scene. For a dignified man who had been to the battlefield, simply throwing silver on the ground and making him pick it up would easily crush his dignity, not to mention falsely accusing them of trying to bully the women of the inner quarters!
They left without taking anything and never wanted to come back.
This move is simple yet ruthless.
However, there is no old woman surnamed Cheng by Madam Zhou's side now. This may not be Madam Zhou's intention, but rather Madam Min's "masterpiece".
Madam Zhou said that after her father passed away, she fell ill and entrusted all affairs to Madam Min.
Tan Shan and his men had been fighting alongside their father for many years and were unfamiliar with the women in the inner quarters of the Marquis's mansion. They were deceived, believing that it was Madam Zhou who had driven them away.
Ironically, Madam Zhou was extremely protective of the old lady and trusted Madam Min implicitly, completely unaware of the terrible things she had done for Madam Min.
To this day, Madam Zhou still doesn't believe that Madam Min and Ye Yabing did anything heinous to her.
Ye Qingxue took a deep breath, her voice gentle yet firm: "I, Ye Qingxue, have remembered your humiliation. I will avenge you all your dignity!"
Tan Shan suddenly asked, "Was it really Madam Zhou who killed the General? They were husband and wife, how could they..."
"No, it was Madam Min who drove you away. Madam Zhou even thought you had taken enough money to go back to your hometown to retire, and she didn't know the truth."
Ye Qingxue said, "My father once brought back a woman from the battlefield, whose surname was Liu."
Tan Shan said, "I remember, Miss Liu, she later went to live with your father."
Ye Qingxue nodded: "But after my father died, she was driven insane. She knows the truth about his murder. So I hope you can go see Aunt Liu and talk to her about my father's past to wake her up. I need her as a hostage to testify against the murderer!"
Tan Shan was horrified. How could such a beautiful and innocent girl have been driven mad? This is impossible!
“Let’s go now!” Tan Shan said, and Qin Zhisheng and Liu Pan also hurriedly got up.
Looking at them, Ye Qingxue felt a warm current welling up in her heart.
The hatred in her heart had long since transformed into a sharp sword, waiting only for the right moment to strike Madam Min's heart!
She called Xiang Si Zi, and together with Tan Shan and the others, went to Aunt Liu's room.
The three of them were stunned and heartbroken when they saw Aunt Liu's current state.
Tan Shan stepped forward quietly, his eyes reddening, and said softly, "Miss Liu, I am Tan Shan. Do you remember me?"
Aunt Liu huddled in the corner, terrified, and didn't respond.
Tan Shan wiped away his tears, and when he spoke again, his voice was gentle but hoarse. He began to recount the scene when Ye Xiaobai first met Aunt Liu.
But at that moment, a muffled thud suddenly came from next door, making Ye Qingxue's heart tremble and Aunt Liu scream.
"Uncle Tan, you stay here and watch over her. I'm going to check on her." Before Ye Qingxue finished speaking, she had already disappeared through the door.
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