Chapter 191

Chapter 191: The Truth Soon, Lixiang's mother was brought in. When she saw her daughter's corpse, her face was trembling. Upon learning that the masters suspected Lixiang of having an affair with someone, she kowtowed forcefully. "Impossible, absolutely impossible. Lixiang is not that kind of person. Besides, didn't the Eldest Young Madam say that Zheng the farm overseer had some money? Why wouldn't I have encouraged my daughter to marry him?" "Yes, Zheng Side wanted to take a wife, and Lixiang needed money." Cui Lingrong looked at the coroner. "Go examine Lixiang's body. Conduct a full inspection." Lixiang's mother hesitated. "Eldest Young Madam, Lixiang is already dead. It wouldn't be right for her body to be touched by a man, would it?" Her daughter had been an unmarried maiden, serving others in life. Now, the thought of the coroner touching her was something Lixiang's mother could not accept for the time being. "Then do you want Lixiang to die without anyone knowing the truth?" Cui Lingrong asked. "Lixiang is already dead. As her mother, do you want to watch her be slandered? She is now dead bearing the reputation of having been involved with a man—is that better than having the coroner examine her body?" Cui Lingrong broke through Lixiang's mother's defenses one sentence at a time. She looked at Lixiang's mother, letting her make the decision herself. County Princess Rongjia, however, was not so easygoing. She directly ordered the coroner to examine the body. "If we're investigating, then investigate thoroughly. No one is getting away with muddling through today's matter!" Old Madame Song was tired. She let Song Shulan make the decision. Song Shulan was also weary at heart, but since things had come to this point, and with the Rong Prince Mansion's coroner present, if he didn't show some decisiveness, wouldn't he be laughed at? Just then, Zhuqing suddenly clutched her stomach, claiming pain. "Marquis, this concubine may have been frightened. My stomach hurts." Hearing this, Song Shulan hurriedly told Zhuqing to go back and rest, for the child in Zhuqing's belly was his last one. Old Madame Song also said, "Don't stay here. Go back quickly. This matter has nothing to do with you. Don't overthink things when you return. The marquis's household will investigate Lixiang and Zheng Side's matter thoroughly." Zhuqing hummed in acknowledgment. Seeing that the Eldest Young Madam had sent Caiyue to escort her, she quickly said there was no need to trouble her. "It's just a few steps away." Caiyue, however, said, "This is no mere few steps, ma'am. You're pregnant. If anything were to happen to you, how would this servant answer to my mistress?" Zhuqing didn't want anyone following her. She only wanted to return by herself, so she could find a chance to see her aunt. Seeing Caiyue's firm attitude, Zhuqing had no choice but to look at County Princess Rongjia. Chen De's Wife quickly had people escort her as well. When Zhuqing and the others returned to the courtyard, she dismissed Caiyue. "Alright, Miss Caiyue, there are servants here to attend to her. You should go back first, lest the Eldest Young Madam has no one to call upon." Caiyue knew what Zhuqing was thinking. She acknowledged the words and withdrew, but she did not go far. Instead, she secretly kept watch on Zhuqing's courtyard. On the other side, after the coroner examined Lixiang's body, he brought back his findings. "Reporting to the Eldest Young Madam and County Princess, Lixiang appears to have died by hanging, but based on my many years of experience, she was likely strangled to death and then hung up afterward." Hearing this, Lixiang's mother collapsed onto the ground on the spot. "I said my daughter wouldn't do such a thing! She was a good girl—how did it come to this?" County Princess Rongjia shot her a glare and told the coroner to continue. "However, the killer's strength should not have been great. There are some fine fragments under Lixiang's fingernails—likely from scratching the other person's arm or similar. Also, there are obvious abrasion marks on the heels of Lixiang's shoes. She was likely dragged for quite a while before being hung up." The coroner had examined very carefully—this was work the Princess Consort had sent him to do. Zheng Side was dead, and Lixiang had also been murdered. Everyone present felt a chill run down their spines. Two people dead in an instant—who could be so ruthless? Cui Lingrong seized on the key point and asked, "Not much strength—that means it was a woman?" "Reporting to the Eldest Young Madam, it very likely was a woman," the coroner said. "Lixiang lived with Zhuqing. The coroner said Lixiang struggled for quite a while before dying, which means it had to be someone nearby who had the opportunity." Cui Lingrong had someone summon Concubine Zhang. The concubines of the eldest branch all lived in the same row of courtyards. Now that Huadie and the others had left, only Concubine Zhang remained. Before long, Concubine Zhang was brought over. Cui Lingrong didn't say what the matter was, and Concubine Zhang wisely didn't ask either. She only answered that over the past two nights, she had heard the sound of something shattering. "Aside from that, this concubine heard nothing else," Concubine Zhang said. "Very well, you may withdraw," Cui Lingrong said. After Concubine Zhang left, the others had no leads. As for who in the marquis's household bore a grudge against Lixiang and Zheng Side, no one had heard of anything for the time being. County Princess Rongjia was even more tangled in confusion. Song Shulan was too weary at heart to want to manage things, yet he had no choice but to sit there. Only Cui Lingrong and Nanny Qiu knew some things in advance. They were simply waiting for Nanny Zheng to be brought in, then step by step, they would steer the matter toward Zhuqing. After noon, Nanny Zheng was finally brought in. At this time, Nanny Zheng still did not know her brother was dead, nor did she know about Lixiang's matter. The people sent had received Cui Lingrong's instructions, hinting to Nanny Zheng that there was a chance she could return to the marquis's household. In the room, only Cui Lingrong and Nanny Qiu remained. Everyone else was in the inner chamber, holding their breath as they waited for Nanny Zheng's reply. County Princess Rongjia had initially objected—why should she be relegated to the inner chamber? What if Cui Lingrong resorted to some trick? Wouldn't she be at a disadvantage? But Cui Lingrong had silenced her with a single sentence: "Because I am the mistress who manages this household. It is my duty to get to the bottom of this matter. If I fail to uncover the truth, it means I am incompetent. So I must ask the County Princess to wait inside." Those words left County Princess Rongjia with no room for rebuttal, and she was forced to go inside and wait. Now, Cui Lingrong invited Nanny Zheng to sit down and speak. Nanny Zheng was somewhat pleased. After exchanging a few polite words, she finally sat down. "Eldest Young Madam, regarding what happened before, this servant knows she was wrong. These past days, I have been reflecting constantly. Indeed, it was my fault—I should not have been greedy." "It's good that you recognize your mistake. What's past is past." These words were Cui Lingrong's hint that she would not pursue the matter further. "What we should discuss now is the future. I hear you've been doing fairly well at the estate?" "Not at all! No matter what, it can't compare to serving in the Marquis's household. There, one has dignity and comfort." Nanny Zheng's heart raced—she felt there was a real chance she could return. "That's true. These past days, your younger brother has done quite well. The fruits and vegetables he delivers are good, and I've taken note of it all. But there's one matter I must clarify: every time he comes, he slips a bribe to the gatekeeper. Do you know why?" Nanny Zheng could guess, but she shook her head. "You truly don't know?" Cui Lingrong's smile faded. "Only today did I learn that it's because your brother has a sweetheart in the Marquis's household—a woman named Lixiang, is that right?" "Ah, who is Lixiang?" Nanny Zheng hastily denied it. "This servant has never heard my brother mention anyone named Lixiang. It's true that he wants to marry, so I always help him vet potential matches. There is absolutely no one named Lixiang." Cui Lingrong nodded. "Very well. Then it seems some people were mistaken. But it is a fact that Zheng Side has a sweetheart. I don't interfere with servants' marriages. If two people truly care for each other, they need only report it to their master. There's no need for sneaking around and being seen—it reflects poorly on the Marquis's household. If it brings shame upon the household, I will have to take action." Nanny Zheng's mind was already racing, weighing whether to sell out Zhuqing. "Judging by your expression, you know something. But if you're unwilling to speak, so be it—you are siblings after all. Go on back, then. As for your brother, take him with you. Our Marquis's household has no use for useless people." Cui Lingrong rose to leave. Nanny Zheng quickly knelt down. She wanted to return to the Marquis's household—desperately. The days at the estate had passed like years. Though having her brother there meant others didn't treat her too harshly, it was nowhere near as dignified as serving in the Marquis's household. Once you've known a life of ordering others around, how could you go back to rough labor and being the subject of pointing fingers? "Eldest Young Madam, this servant does know something, but I dare not say it. This matter truly has nothing to do with my brother and me—it's all... it's that person's greed." "Who?" Cui Lingrong turned around, eyes lowered. Her glass-like eyes shifted thoughtfully, then she smiled. "Why are you so nervous? I manage the Marquis's household. Just tell me everything—there is no person or matter I cannot handle. As long as it's not your fault, I absolutely will not implicate you. On the contrary, I will remember your contribution." Nanny Zheng pressed her lips together, taking deep breaths. At this point, she knew the Eldest Young Madam had likely already uncovered some things. If she kept hiding the truth, not only would she never return to the Marquis's household, but she might also be dragged down by that wretched girl Zhuqing. "Very well, this servant will tell you the truth!"