Zhong Li looked up to see a woman in a plain satin dress holding her shoulder with one hand and pointing at her.
Zhong Li, knowing she had just bumped into someone, quickly retracted her scroll and said, "Madam, I apologize. I wasn't paying attention just now..."
"Weren't paying attention? Are you new here?" The Second Madam, Mrs. Tao, narrowed her eyes at the woman opposite her.
Zhong Li shook her head and was about to announce her identity when Mrs. Tao scoffed, "I have an impression of all the maids in the manor. Don't try to trick me. And didn't I tell Steward Xu? No pretty ones! We can't be like the Third Household, charming the master with their looks."
Zhong Li frowned, looking at Mrs. Tao with confusion. She couldn't understand a word the woman was saying.
"Sister, I don't think this girl opposite us is from the manor. Steward Xu mentioned that the Dali Temple..." A delicate woman, dressed as luxuriously as the Second Madam Mrs. Tao, stood beside her. She squinted at Zhong Li for a moment, then bit her lip, intending to voice her guess.
"You blind woman, can you see anything? Whether she's from the manor or not, don't I know better than you?" Mrs. Tao responded unkindly, cutting her off with a cold reprimand.
Seeing this, the Fourth Madam, Mrs. Lei, bit her lip and retreated a few steps, daring not to speak.
Zhong Li, too lazy to deal with the unreasonable mistress of the marquis's mansion, bypassed Mrs. Tao and prepared to leave.
"Hey! Wait!" Mrs. Tao grabbed Zhong Li's arm and was about to continue her tirade when a voice intervened at the opportune moment.
"Second Madam, Fourth Madam."
Mrs. Tao and Mrs. Lei both turned their heads towards the source of the voice.
Xu Qiu stood at the end of the corridor, cupping his hands and smiling at the two women.
Mrs. Tao, knowing her actions were coarse, quickly withdrew her hand, rolled her eyes, as if the incident had never happened.
Upon seeing Xu Qiu, Mrs. Lei's cheeks flushed, and she said, "Steward Xu, aren't you arranging the funeral for the First Madam? Why are you here?"
Xu Qiu's gaze fell on Zhong Li. After acknowledging her with a nod, he said to Mrs. Tao and Mrs. Lei, "Second Madam, Fourth Madam, you probably don't recognize this official, do you?"
"Official?" Mrs. Tao frowned.
Hearing this address, Mrs. Lei reacted quickly, "Earlier, I heard the servants say that a female official from the Dali Temple was investigating cases. Now, hearing Steward Xu address her like this, could this female official be..."
Zhong Li turned back and gave Mrs. Lei a polite, faint smile. "I am Zhong Li, the Superintendent of the Dali Temple. I greet the Fourth Madam of the Marquis's mansion... and the Second Madam."
As she spoke, she turned to look at Mrs. Tao and addressed her.
Mrs. Tao, realizing her earlier outburst had been witnessed by an outsider, blushed and awkwardly twitched her lips, unsure of how to react.
Seeing her embarrassment, Mrs. Lei quietly stepped back a few paces, lowered her head, and trembled slightly.
Zhong Li observed the reactions of the two women. Although Mrs. Lei concealed it well, her gloating demeanor was quite apparent.
Steward Xu walked over to Zhong Li and cupped his hands, asking, "Superintendent Zhong, were you looking for me?"
Zhong Li nodded.
Seeing this, Xu Qiu glanced at Mrs. Tao and Mrs. Lei, made a cupped-hand gesture, and led Zhong Li towards the back garden.
"Superintendent Zhong, I apologize for the spectacle just now," Xu Qiu said as they walked.
Zhong Li shook her head. She had investigated many cases involving noble families, and backyards were often filled with more women than men. When there were more women, disputes and calculations arose. This was nothing.
"I heard that Madam Tao married Marquis Anping very early?" Since it was a rare opportunity to inquire about the affairs of the inner court, she wouldn't let it pass.
"Yes, at that time, the Marquis was not in his current position. He was just a minor official. Madam Tao's maternal family was powerful, and she was also aligned with Empress Shen. The Marquis's promotion was partly due to the support of Madam Tao's family. Therefore, in certain aspects, the Marquis usually turns a blind eye," Xu Qiu explained.
Zhong Li nodded, then suddenly thought of something and asked casually, "If something were to happen to the First Madam, would the next mistress of Marquis Anping's mansion naturally fall into Madam Tao's hands?"
"This... I don't know. All matters are decided by the Marquis," Xu Qiu quickly waved his hands.
"Oh!" Zhong Li murmured and raised her eyebrows, watching the koi swimming in the water pavilion, lost in thought.
Xu Qiu cleared his throat and asked, "Superintendent Zhong, do you have anything else you wish to ask me?"
Zhong Li turned her head to look at Xu Qiu's handsome face, half-hidden by his mask. "Begonias. I found a begonia flower painted on a rock wall on the rockery where the First Madam died. Steward Xu, do you know what it means?"
"This..." Hearing this, Xu Qiu didn't know how to answer.
"What is it, Steward Xu? Is there something you cannot say?" Zhong Li asked.
Xu Qiu's tone shifted, and his gaze drifted towards the back courtyard. "Superintendent Zhong, you have met the First Madam, the Second Madam, and the Fourth Madam. Do you know why the Third Madam has not appeared?"
Through Xu Qiu's gaze, Zhong Li already had a general guess.
"The Third Madam is related to the begonia flowers?" she asked, surprised.
"The Third Madam's name was Changsun Tang. When she was alive, the entire courtyard was filled with begonia flowers, which the Marquis had specially planted for her," Xu Qiu said.
"Alive? What happened to the Third Madam?" Zhong Li pressed.
Xu Qiu shook his head. "I have been the steward at Marquis Anping's mansion for five years. By the time I arrived, the Third Madam was already gone. I only heard from the servants that the Third Madam loved begonia flowers the most. Although the Third Madam came from humble beginnings, she had a gentle disposition and was very kind. Of all the wives Marquis Anping married, the Third Madam was the most beloved.
As for how she passed away, I only heard that she was ill, plagued by a serious sickness. The Marquis found a hundred physicians to treat the Third Madam, spending a considerable sum of money, but to no avail."
"But what does the First Madam's death have to do with the Third Madam?" Zhong Li asked, feeling somewhat lost.
Xu Qiu shrugged and smiled. "I don't know about that. Perhaps the begonia flower was painted by the eldest son. It's just a coincidence."
"Eldest son?" Zhong Li frowned. She had heard that Marquis Anping and Madam Nian, the First Madam, had a son named Chang Yanzhi. However, the young marquis was willful and refused to stay in Jincheng, having traveled extensively for many years. She truly knew nothing else.
"Those are all rumors from the servants. I have only been in the manor for five years, and the eldest son left eight years ago. Having not seen him personally, I certainly cannot speak carelessly to Superintendent Zhong," Xu Qiu shook his head, appearing unwilling to elaborate on Chang Yanzhi's matters.
"However..."
He paused and continued, "Upon the First Madam's death, the eldest son will return for the funeral. At that time, Superintendent Zhong can ask him if you have any questions."
With that, Xu Qiu glanced at a maidservant standing outside the water pavilion and bowed apologetically to Zhong Li. "Superintendent Zhong, I have other matters to attend to, so I must take my leave. It is getting late, and I will have the staff at the Marquis's mansion prepare a carriage to send you and Miss Hua back."