In the Deer and Crane Hall, inside the Buddhist hall, the matriarch of the elder lit several incense sticks and inserted them into the bronze incense burner.
White smoke rose, and the aroma filled the air.
The aroma is different from ordinary incense; it has a sweet, strange scent.
The matriarch, with her white hair and wrinkled skin, looked at the slowly burning incense, took a deep breath, and her deep gaze seemed to see through the Buddha statue, looking into a deeper place.
Granny Wu bowed and stood aside, asking, "Aren't you afraid that Young Master Lin will misbehave when you entrust the front yard to him?"
"It's just a pawn, what trouble could it possibly cause?" The old lady said in a deep voice with her eyes closed. "Since Ziyu said that Song Lin's identity is questionable, once the storm has passed, the mother and son in the main courtyard will have a good time."
"If it weren't for Ziyu's stubbornness back then, a merchant's daughter would never have been worthy of entering the Song family. If Madam Gu had truly done something immoral, the General's Mansion would not have tolerated her and that bastard son!"
"The old lady is wise." Granny Wu nodded.
Just as she was about to speak, a voice came from outside the door: "Madam, Zhou Shi... Zhou Shi has returned!"
The matriarch frowned, her face darkening, and looked at Granny Wu: "Didn't you say that Madam Zhou had already died outside?"
Seeing that Granny Wu hesitated and remained silent, she immediately understood. As she hurried out, she scolded sharply, "Foolish! You're really getting senile! You dare to hide such a thing from me!"
Granny Wu sighed and called out to the servant, "Didn't you say to tie the person up as soon as you got any news? Why did you report it to the Old Madam instead?"
"Granny, we can't tie her up!"
The servant said with a bitter face.
“The Zhou family was brought back by the Ministry of Justice. There were officials and many people watching. How could we possibly take action against them in front of everyone?”
Granny Wu's heart tightened.
How did the Ministry of Justice get involved?
She hurriedly followed the matriarch to the gate of the mansion.
Zhou was surrounded by several constables, her clothes were dirty, and she looked dazed.
The matriarch stared intently at her, not missing a single expression.
On her way here, she thought it over carefully and she was sure that Zhou must have seen something, otherwise why would she be so guilty that she dared not return to the mansion and had been hiding outside for so long?
Just then, the official said, "On the day the people from Donglai entered the capital, the streets were in chaos. Madam Zhou accidentally mixed in with the refugees and was arrested as a criminal and imprisoned in the women's prison. Today, when our lord was checking the roster, he found out her identity and hurriedly ordered his subordinates to send her back."
"Madam Zhou... seems to have suffered some kind of shock; she can't speak clearly. Please have a doctor examine her as soon as possible."
After the official finished speaking, he left with his men.
Madam Yuan was not entirely convinced. She glanced at the seemingly insane Zhou and instructed Granny Wu, "Send someone to inquire whether she came back from the Ministry of Justice prison, and also invite a reliable doctor."
Wu Mama understood and immediately obeyed the order and left.
Before long, he hurriedly returned, accompanied by an elderly man carrying a medicine box.
The old man's surname was Li. The old lady often invited him to her home. They had been friends for decades, and he would not lie to her.
"Madam, we've already asked. Zhou was indeed brought out of the Ministry of Justice prison. She made a huge scene, and many people saw it," Wu Mama whispered.
The matriarch nodded and looked at Zhou, who was cowering on the bed, looking like a madwoman.
“My daughter-in-law is so unlucky. She’s been missing for days and looks like she’s gone mad. Doctor, please take a look... is she really crazy?”
Doctor Li nodded and reached out to take Zhou's pulse.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com