Some Movement!
Although it wasn’t the first time, Xie Zhifeng still complained as soon as he saw Old Madam Zhang, “Mother, tell me, what is this all about?! The biological uncles of the honorable Marquis were kicked out, but now they have to enter the Residence through the back door. This huge Marquis Residence is controlled by a little girl. It’s a laughingstock!”
Old Madam Zhang snorted lightly, “It’s all your fault when you think about it. If it weren’t for you giving her a handle that the maid caught onto, would we be in this situation? The Marquis Residence is under the Emperor’s personal command. Do you dare to insult the Emperor?”
“But we can’t keep going like this.” Xie Zhifeng stubbornly said, “The mourning period for filial piety has already passed. We should marry her off.”
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Zhang became angry and recounted what had happened with Princess Royal during the day, “Right now, Wang Deshui is useless, and she has gained favor from Princess Royal. Princess Royal even specially sent her personal maid to do her makeup and gave her a set of ruby jewelry. Now, her tail will be even more up in the sky!”
“It doesn’t matter how high her tail is! We still have the final say in this marriage!”
Xie Zhifeng coldly snorted, “Since she doesn’t know how to appreciate kindness, we don’t need to think of anything else. Just find someone to marry her off. The Minister of Rites recently just killed his newly wedded wife. There happens to be a vacancy!”
“You have a simple mind, Second Brother!” Xie Zhikang frowned, “That maid is not obedient. If we arrange a bad marriage for her, she will definitely cause trouble. Now that she has gained favor from Princess Royal, if she starts causing trouble, we will be in the wrong. If we want to find someone, we need to find someone who appears bright and beautiful but is actually...”
He smirked twice, and Old Madam Zhang and Xie Zhifeng immediately understood.
Old Madam Zhang furrowed her brows, “Such people might be hard to find, right? Moreover, that little vixen’s fate is there for all to see. Which high-ranking official would dare to marry her?”
Xie Zhikang smiled, “Mother, rest assured. Even a peony will die beautifully under the moon. There are plenty of people! But as you know, people of that caliber have prominent backgrounds, and for me and Second Brother to befriend them, we will undoubtedly need to spend quite a bit of money...”
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Zhang immediately understood and furrowed her brows. She went into the room and brought out a wooden box, saying, “This is the money that was just sent. Spend it wisely. That dead eldest brother of yours only left me a single bequest.”
Xie Zhikang took the wooden box and smiled, saying, “Mother, rest assured, Second Brother and I will handle this matter.”
As Xie Zhikang and Xie Zhifeng entered the residence, Xie Wan received a letter.
At that time, she was having a meal with Xie Lin. Upon hearing the news, she simply nodded and rewarded the messenger with some money before dismissing them.
Rushi, who was present, huffed and said, “The three of them must be plotting something together again. They are definitely scheming against Miss.”
Xie Wan didn’t think much of it and said, “Let them be. With their limited vision and ability, the only thing they can scheme against is my marriage. Today, Princess Royal sent me jewelry. Even if they scheme, they will have to find someone with a suitable status. Considering their current situation, they will need to put in some effort to climb up to those people.”
Xie Lin, upon hearing this, nervously grasped the spoon in his hand and looked at Xie Wan with hopeful eyes, saying, “Will Sister leave Lin’er too?”
Seeing his expression, Xie Wan immediately felt distressed. She reached out and rubbed his small head, speaking softly, “Lin’er, rest assured. Sister will never leave you.”
Hearing this, Xie Lin finally felt relieved and scooped a spoonful of food into his mouth, obediently eating.
He knew that he was the most important person in Sister’s heart, and no one could take Sister away from him!
After finishing their meal and resting for a while, Xie Lin went to study, while Xie Wan stayed in the room, reading a book to pass the time. Ruhua and Rushi gathered together, holding a book and reading.
A little maid timidly stuck her head inside the room, looking hesitant as if she had something to say.
Ruhua was the first to notice her and furrowed her brows, “What is it?”
The maid glanced at Xie Wan, seeing that she didn’t show any signs of anger, and then timidly spoke, “Sister Rushi, there’s a person named Tian Er’gou from outside the residence looking for you.”
Tian Er’gou?
Rushi immediately stood up and walked towards the door, saying, “Where is he?”
Watching them leave, Ruhua immediately turned her gaze to Xie Wan and said, “If Tian Er’gou is looking for Rushi, there must be some news from Aunt Qian!”
Xie Wan nodded and put down the book in her hand, her voice cold, “It’s been over a year. She can still endure.”
Aunt Qian was the wife of the carriage driver who fell off the cliff back then. The deaths of her parents were too suspicious, and no matter how they investigated, the only answer was that the horses went mad. Besides her parents, the only ones who died in the cliff incident were the carriage driver and her mother’s two personal maids. The maid had been with her mother since childhood, bought from a slave trader without parents. In other words, the only ones involved were the Xie brothers, Xie Zhifeng and Xie Zhikang, and Aunt Qian’s family.
Xie Zhikang and Xie Zhifeng were obviously not the real culprits behind the murders of her parents. After all, their wealth and prosperity were given by her parents, and the entire Marquis Residence relied on their father alone. If they weren’t complete fools, they should know that it was better for their father to be alive than dead. Besides, they didn’t have the capability for such acts.
If anyone truly knew the inside story, it would be Aunt Qian. So, after Xie Wan returned to the residence, the first thing she did was find the carriage driver’s relatives and had Rushi keep an eye on them. Over a year had passed, and finally, there was a response.
Not long after, Rushi came back and whispered, “Tian Er’gou said Aunt Qian’s family is packing their belongings. He inquired and said that since Uncle Qian’s death, his mother developed hysteria. After discussing it as a family, they decided to leave the capital, this sorrowful place.”
Hearing this, Xie Wan immediately furrowed her brows. “The whole family is leaving the capital?”
Rushi nodded, “Miss, are they planning to run away?!”
“How could that be?” Ruhua became anxious, “If she leaves, it will be even harder to find out the truth.”
The only clue Xie Wan had in her hands now was Aunt Qian. If Aunt Qian left, all her leads would be cut off. After contemplating for a moment, Xie Wan coldly said, “Rushi, go directly to Aunt Qian’s house, reveal your identity, and ask her where exactly they are going, whom they are seeking refuge with, when they will leave, and how they will leave.”
“Yes!”
After receiving the orders, Rushi hesitated and asked, “But if we do that, won’t she know that we have been keeping an eye on her all this time?”
“I’m afraid that she doesn’t know!” Xie Wan sneered, “Since she wants to run, it means that waiting for her to fall into our trap won’t work. We will confront her openly, let her know that the events of the past are not so easily forgotten!”
“Yes!”
Rushi immediately went to carry out the orders.
Xie Wan turned to Ruhua and said, “Change into ordinary clothes and go near Aunt Qian’s house. Inquire about their distant relatives and their whereabouts. Bring some small silver and copper coins with you, and make sure to gather all the information.”
Ruhua acknowledged, “Yes!”