Chapter 173 – The Box Left By Earl Ling’An
Chapter 173 The Box Left by Earl Ling’an
Xiao went here to look for Ji Youran, and she didn’t expect that the Crown Prince was also here. Seeing the Crown Prince’s cold gaze sweeping over, Xiao hurriedly lowered her head. “Greetings, Your Highness.”
After Pei Luo’an glanced at her, he took Ji Youran and strode out.
Xiao raised her head and wanted to tell Ji Youran about Concubine Xiang. However, she saw Ji Youran turn around and shake her head silently. Xiao quickly shut her mouth and watched the Crown Prince leave with her daughter. She was at a loss for what to do.
The Crown Prince and Ji Hanyue had gotten engaged early, and he used to visit her often. He was respectful towards the Ji Family’s elders. Every time he came, he would send gifts. And when he met someone, he would smile and greet them. He had never been so cold as he was now. That glance just now made Xiao’s hands and feet turn cold.
She originally wanted to ask for help from her daughter, but now all she felt was helplessness.
After standing for a while, she stomped her feet and turned to discuss things with Ji Yong’an. Concubine Xiang should be found as soon as possible. In a while, she would send someone to pick up Concubine Xiang. Earl Ling’an’s coffin was still placed in the mourning hall, and this was the best reason to get Concubine Xiang back. Xiao did not believe that Qu Moying would dare to protect Concubine Xiang by not letting her go back, which would be wrongdoing on this occasion.
“Someone come.” Xiao stopped in her tracks. This matter could not be delayed any longer.
“Madam.” One of the old maids behind her hurriedly stepped forward.
“Go to Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion and ask to meet Mr. Vice Minister. Say that we would like Concubine Xiang to go back to our mansion and that we are waiting for her to guard the coffin,” Xiao said coldly.
Xiao had always been someone who had a clear mind. Just now, she lost her composure because of the Crown Prince’s attitude when he pulled Ji Youran away. Now, after she calmed down, she immediately snapped back to her senses. This matter might have hit a snag when Qu Moying showed up, but Vice Minister Qu should not be such a person who was oblivious of the severity of the situation. He would definitely be able to stop his daughter from acting inappropriately.
“Yes, Madam. I’ll go immediately.” The old maid left and went to Vice Minister Qu’s Mansion.
Xiao stood there for a while, composed herself, and then went to find Ji Yong’an.
This matter had to be discussed in detail. No matter what, she would not agree to let that concubine-born son inherit the title of Earl Ling’an. She had a hunch that if she let go this time, this title would not have anything to do with her own son ever again.
Her son was a wife-born son, who was the noble son that everyone in the entire mansion had raised with all their hearts. On what grounds could a lowly concubine-born son hold onto the title?
However, she was wrong about Qu Moying. Qu Moying bringing Concubine Xiang back to Qu Mansion was indeed something that did not make sense. It was because Old Lady Ji got so annoyed with Qu Moying and only wanted Qu Moying to leave that she allowed Qu Moying to take Concubine Xiang away. Moreover, Concubine Xiang was useless to Old Lady Ji.
When Old Lady Ji returned to her senses, she would definitely realize her decision was extremely inappropriate.
Moreover, even if Old Lady Ji did not want to see Concubine Xiang, Xiao would not let Concubine Xiang go and would definitely ask for Concubine Xiang back. Thus, Qu Moying had no good reason to keep Concubine Xiang, but she had already thought of a countermeasure…
Qu Mansion’s carriage left Earl Ling’an’s Mansion and did not return to Qu Mansion. Instead, it went to the governor’s office.
Qu Moying sat in the carriage. Opposite her were Granny Zhou and Concubine Xiang.
Granny Zhou had followed her into Earl Ling’an’s Mansion. She had been in Earl Ling’an’s Mansion for so many years, so she was naturally familiar with everything about Earl Ling’an’s Mansion. She had secretly entered Earl Ling’an’s old residence and secretly placed the letter that Qu Moying wrote in the spot designated by Qu Moying.
Today was the day of Earl Ling’an’s burial. This was Earl Ling’an’s old residence and since there was nothing here, naturally, no one would guard it. The people were busy in the front yard. Those who needed to leave had left. Granny Zhou entered the door smoothly and found the spot that Qu Moying had mentioned. She put down the letter and took away most of the other letters before quietly leaving.
After that, she hid in the carriage and waited for Qu Moying to return.
“My lady, these are all the letters in Earl Ling’an’s drawer, but there was another thing inside. I took it with me as well.” Granny Zhou took out a stack of letters. At the top of the letters was a heavy box with a lock.
Qu Moying took the box from Granny Zhou’s hand, and her hand sank a little. The box was actually very heavy. It was as if this box was solid. Qu Moying was caught off guard and almost couldn’t hold it steadily.
After holding it firmly, she carefully examined it. Finally, she concluded that she had never seen this box before. At first glance, it looked very simple, without a trace of patterns. But when she held it in her hand, she saw cloud patterns on each corner. On the other side, there was a tiger head. It was vague and hard to notice. The clouds and the tiger head were fused together as if indicating something.
Did her father possess such an item in his last life? Qu Moying didn’t know. She had never seen it before.
In fact, Qu Moying had never seen the secret drawer that his father used to hide things before. It was not until the night before Ji Hanyue was going to marry into Eastern Palace that her father called her over and showed her the drawer that contained things. At that time, she was sure that there was no such box inside.
Her father looked very serious at that time. He seemed to know something and wanted to say something. However, she did not pay much attention to it at that time, so she didn’t notice her father’s abnormality. Her father sighed when he saw her attitude. After that, he didn’t say anything and asked her to go back.
It was said that on that night, the light in her father’s study was lit until very late. At that time, she thought that her father was reluctant to part with her, but unexpectedly, it was the last time she saw her father.
Qu Moying narrowed her eyes forcefully and turned all the pain into deep hatred. It slowly flowed from her hurt heart to her four limbs and then slowly flowed backward again.
“Yu Dong, put them all away!” Qu Moying ordered.
This box needed a key to open. She did not have the key. She was sure that if she forcefully opened it, it would shatter the thing inside.
Yu Dong silently took it and put it into his arms.
“Granny Zhou, didn’t you see any key?” Although she knew that there was unlikely to be a key, Qu Moying still asked.
“I can be sure that there was no key. The letters I left there were the oldest ones, and I felt them one by one. There was definitely no key.” Granny Zhou shook her head and answered with certainty.
Qu Moying nodded. Since her father had placed the item here, there must be a deeper meaning. It could be said that her father had only told Ji Hanyue about this because he hoped that if something happened, he could tell Ji Hanyue something with a deeper meaning through these things. However, he was also afraid that others would know about it.
If this spot was found out, there would only be a simple box there, and no one would be able to find out anything even if they wanted to know something.
However, what her father did not expect was that not only did he die, but even Ji Hanyue, the Crown Princess, died in Eastern Palace’s Linyuan Pavilion, and her younger sister, Ji Yanyue, was also murdered on that very same night.
That night, it seemed that Eastern Palace was very lively. The Crown Prince’s wedding was a prosperous celebration. Red banners were hung everywhere in the capital, with everyone wishing the Crown Prince a blessed wedding. Who would have thought that the blood of three people from Ji Family’s first branch would make up the sea of red as well?
A trace of hatred flashed through Qu Moying’s eyes, and a trace of blood seeped into them. The corners of her lips curled up into a blood-thirsty smile.
“Concubine Xiang, it’s up to you now.” Raising her eyes to look at Concubine Xiang, Qu Moying said slowly as she suppressed the rage in her heart.
“Fourth Lady Qu, did something really happen to Third Lady?” Concubine Xiang could not help but ask. She was not Granny Zhou; she had always been serving by Yue’s side.
“Concubine Xiang, what are you still suspicious of at such a time? Do you really think that Cousin Yanyue would really elope with someone?” Qu Moying asked coldly.
“Impossible. Third Lady wouldn’t…” Concubine Xiang shook her head, her eyes turning red.
“Although it is said that Cousin Yanyue died of a sudden illness on the day before Cousin Hanyue married into Crown Prince’s Mansion, the truth is that rumors had it among aristocratic families that she eloped with someone. But in fact, Cousin Yanyue might have been murdered,” Qu Moying said.
There were some things that she could not tell Concubine Xiang, but there were some other things that could be said.
For example, she could not directly investigate the cause of Ji Hanyue’s death right now, but she could investigate the cause of Ji Yanyue’s death. Did she really die of a sudden illness or did she really elope with someone?
If she had eloped with someone, who was it that she eloped with, when did she contact him, and where had she gone? With such a thing happening, it was impossible for Earl Ling’an’s Mansion to not investigate at all, and it was impossible for them to not investigate clearly. But if she had died, why would there be rumors of her eloping with someone? Were they trying to cover up something?
These things had to be done by someone, and the most suitable person now was Concubine Xiang.
On the one hand, Concubine Xiang could openly and straightforwardly expose this matter by bringing out this shocking matter from a trivial matter. Step by step, she would take revenge for Qu Moying’s past life.
On the other hand, it was also to protect Concubine Xiang. Xiao and Ji Youran would definitely not let Concubine Xiang go. As long as Concubine Xiang remained in the Ji Family, her ending would only be death. No matter what the excuse was, Xiao and Ji Youran would definitely not let Concubine Xiang live.
Previously, Qu Moying had not expected that Concubine Xiang would have such great destructive power, and that was why she had been careful in her plans. But now, it was different. If something really happened to Concubine Xiang, who could do anything to Xiao, the Second Madam Ji of Earl Ling’an’s Mansion? No matter what, Concubine Xiang was only a concubine. Moreover, her father was already gone anyway, and Xiao was the biological mother of the Crown Prince’s Princess Ji.
With just these two points, as long as Xiao insisted on killing Concubine Xiang, this matter would be left unsettled.
Concubine Xiang did not know that even Ji Hanyue and her father had died in their hands. Concubine Xiang still had some expectations for these people. She did not think that those people would really make a move.
Qu Moying was not Concubine Xiang. What Qu Moying saw was the most real and cruelest side of the situation.
Concubine Xiang’s unrealistic delusions had to be broken down.
“They… they really… murdered Third Lady?” Concubine Xiang’s lips trembled, and her face turned pale. “How could they dare? First Lady and Earl Ling’an will definitely… not let them go.”
“But now, Cousin Hanyue and Uncle were both dead.” Qu Moying looked at Concubine Xiang with red-rimmed eyes, and she stayed so calm that it was terrifying.
“But… but how could they dare!” Concubine Xiang was shocked and could only repeat these words.
“Concubine Xiang, Uncle and Cousin Hanyue are gone. Now that something has happened to Cousin Yanyue, no one will help her take revenge, except us.” Qu Moying said without mercy again. Her gaze stopped on Concubine Xiang’s face, mercilessly tearing apart the last trace of hope in Concubine Xiang’s heart.
