Chapter 59 One mountain is always higher than another.
The magpie had traversed the secret passage from Qinghui Garden to Sheng Huai'an's study countless times, always to deliver messages to Liu Rumei, but last night it was for itself.
She couldn't remember how she felt when she walked through this secret passage before, but she knew she would remember this fear and despair vividly.
Sheng Huai'an wanted her dead.
Her chance of survival rested entirely on Liu Rumei's shoulders.
Under the magnolia tree in Qinghui Garden, Liu Pinliang's remains are buried... If Liu Rumei doesn't want this matter to be exposed, she must protect her no matter how much she hates her.
Thinking of this, the magpie felt a little more at ease.
But what she didn't expect was that when she and Sheng Huai'an came out of the secret passage, the first thing they saw was Liu Rumei.
“Magpie.” Liu Rumei sighed, her eyes filled with complex emotions. “You… never mind. A letter just arrived from home saying that your father accidentally broke his leg and that you need to take some money back for medical expenses.”
The magpie's calculations vanished instantly, and she cried out as if plunged into an ice cave, "Grandma, this servant..."
"Alright, I know everything." Liu Rumei gently interrupted her, taking a money pouch from her sleeve. "We've been mistress and servant for a time. As long as I'm alive, I won't let your family suffer..."
"Sister-in-law, you're just too kind-hearted!" Sheng Huai'an said angrily, his voice low. "Do you know what she did behind your back?"
“I’ve heard about it, but I just…” Liu Rumei glanced sadly at Xique, then said to Sheng Huai’an, “Why don’t you take her as your concubine? I…”
"Absolutely not!" Sheng Huai'an said coldly and with disgust. "How could I possibly look down on a shameless maid who climbed into my bed? How could I let her become the mother of my child? Sister-in-law, don't try to persuade me anymore, I will not agree!"
Last night was a nightmare!
He wasn't averse to women, but he disliked being fooled, manipulated, or used as a ladder to climb higher!
Liu Rumei sighed.
The magpie's face turned deathly pale, as if its soul had been ripped out; it stood there blankly.
She tried to threaten Liu Rumei with Liu Pinliang's remains, but Liu Rumei threatened her with the lives of her family members!
Liu Rumei said that asking Sheng Huai'an to take her as a concubine was a test, a way to show her gentleness and kindness, but Sheng Huai'an's reaction really made her feel utterly hopeless!
“I originally intended to kill her outright, but she is your maid, so I brought her to see you and inform you,” Sheng Huai’an said.
Liu Rumei spoke softly, "Then..."
"No, no!" Magpie suddenly knelt down, hugging Liu Rumei's leg and crying bitterly, "Madam, please keep me!"
"I don't mean to betray you, I just want to help you!"
"Madam suspects that you and Second Master have an affair. A few days ago, she called me in for questioning, but I didn't dare say a word! I was afraid you would worry if you knew, so I didn't dare tell you about this! But Madam definitely doesn't believe it, so she sent Yushu to seduce Second Master to see how he would react!"
"Second Master drove Yushu away. I was worried that Madam would overthink things. I just wanted to share your burdens, so I acted rashly in a moment of panic."
"I know I was wrong now. I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay with you in Qinghui Garden! Madam, please don't abandon me, please!"
Liu Rumei sneered inwardly, but on the surface, she covered her mouth in shock, looking so helpless she was almost speechless: "What did you say? Madam, she..."
“In that case, you are even more likely to die,” Sheng Huai’an suddenly said in a deep voice.
The magpie, incredulous, pleaded, "Second Master, last night I was..."
"Stop talking!" Sheng Huai'an shouted angrily.
In front of Liu Rumei, he casually grabbed a pillow from the soft couch, pressed Xique to the ground, and forcefully covered her mouth and nose.
The magpie's eyes were filled with terror as she struggled desperately. Gradually, her struggles became smaller and smaller, until finally her body twitched twice and then she stopped moving completely.
Sheng Huai'an, panting heavily, lifted his eyelids to look at Liu Rumei: "Any good places?"
Liu Rumei looked terrified.
As she wiped away the tears from her eyes, she said in a trembling voice, "In the backyard, there's a dry well. I don't think... I don't think anyone would know about it."
“Okay.” Sheng Huai’an was about to lift the magpie’s carcass when he suddenly asked warily, “Where is your wet nurse in the yard?”
Liu Rumei said, "He should be taking Hao'er for a nap and won't wake up easily."
“That’s not right either.” Sheng Huai’an frowned. “No, the magpie’s body can’t be left in your yard, otherwise it will arouse more suspicion. I’ll take the body to my study and say to others that I killed it, and dispose of it openly and honestly.”
Liu Rumei nodded weakly, suppressing her sobs as she said, "...Okay."
She escorted Sheng Huai'an to the entrance of the secret passage.
Before entering the secret passage, Sheng Huai'an hesitated and said to her, "I will find an opportunity to take a concubine in the next couple of days. Sister-in-law, don't overthink it. My heart is always with you."
"Mmm..." Liu Rumei responded again, tears welling up in her eyes.
It seemed like helplessness, yet it was also extremely gentle and reasonable.
Sheng Huai'an gave her a deep look before closing the door to the secret passage.
Back in his study, Sheng Huai'an threw the magpie's carcass to Fu'an, the gatekeeper, and told him to throw it into the mass grave outside the city.
He sat down at his desk again, completely exhausted and drenched in sweat.
He was, after all, just a scholar, often engrossed in his studies. Carrying a heavy, lifeless corpse through such a long secret passage was no easy feat.
Thinking of this, his expression grew even more somber, and he felt a growing aversion to the dead magpie.
idiot!
You treacherous, lowly servant!
After cursing in his heart, Sheng Huai'an quickly thought of another question: that slut Magpie must have drugged him last night, but where did she get the drug from?
...
"The magpie is dead?" Ye Mingzhu looked at Yanzhi in surprise, her voice rising unconsciously.
In its previous life, the magpie lived a perfectly good life.
After Liu Rumei changed her name and married Sheng Huai'an, Xique married Fu'an, who was by Sheng Huai'an's side, and became a prominent housekeeper in the Duke of Wei's mansion, enjoying great prestige.
The story goes that Magpie was moved by the lifelong love between Liu Rumei and Sheng Huai'an. Originally, she wanted to be Sheng Huai'an's concubine, but later she only wanted to be his wife.
In this lifetime, the magpie actually died?
After Ye Mingzhu heard the whole story from Yan Zhi, she felt that the magpie's death was not unexpected...
Neither Liu Rumei nor Sheng Huai'an liked things getting out of control, and they would never allow a servant who "acted on their own initiative" to be around them. What they wanted was an obedient and sensible servant.
but……
Ye Mingzhu then asked Yanzhi, "You said the magpie has a backup plan, most likely it's also set a trap for Liu Rumei?"
Yanzhi replied, "Yes."
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