"He poisoned himself to death," Zhong Li rushed to the man's side, looking at the twitching, vomiting man on the ground. She grabbed his arm and stated her conclusion.
"Miss Zhong, is there any way to neutralize the poison?" Lin Jin stepped forward and asked urgently.
Zhong Li shook her head.
Lin Jin looked at the black shadow on the ground, which had no breath left. He angrily punched the wall. As Lu Wuxie slowly walked over, Lin Jin knelt on one knee and said, "Young Master!"
Lu Wuxie's gaze swept over the black figure on the ground, then at Sixi, who lay at the entrance of the ancestral hall with blood blooming on her chest. He said, "Go back and receive your punishment."
"Yes!" Lin Jin lowered his head, not daring to say more.
Zhong Li walked to Sixi's side and checked her breathing. After confirming she was dead, she rubbed her collar and took out a bloody piece of Xuan paper and a bottle of medicine.
Zhong Li first examined the medicine. As she had expected, it was cantharidin poison. As for the Xuan paper...
"How is it?" Lu Wuxie walked to Zhong Li's side and asked.
Zhong Li handed the paper to Lu Wuxie and said, "It's a bill, a receipt for Sixi buying Cha Te grass. Take a look at the signature on it."
Lu Wuxie followed Zhong Li's gaze downwards. "Miao Fenghua?"
Two days later.
Xie Mansion.
Zhong Li hung the last white ribbon on the eaves of the house and jumped down from the ladder.
Madam Liang sat in her grand chair, watching the busy people in the courtyard. Only when she saw Zhong Li walking gracefully towards her did she sit up with the help of Xiang Jie.
"Temple Master Zhong, may I call you Li'er like Cang'er does?" Madam Liang looked at Zhong Li with an appreciative gaze.
Zhong Li smiled, "Grandmother can call me whatever she likes."
"Good!" Madam Liang's gloomy mood improved slightly with her smile. "I never expected it to be a thief from within the household."
Zhong Li nodded. Although Sixi was dead and could not be interrogated, the existing evidence made it not difficult to deduce the mastermind behind it all.
Sixi bought Cha Te grass from Miao Fenghua and used it to control the people in the Xie Mansion, from Xie Xu to Xiang Jie, Madam Liang's maid, and then to Madam Fang and Xiang'er. Xie Xu suffered the most severe persecution; he was almost driven to mental breakdown by the torment, and his body had also developed hidden ailments due to his nightly indulgences.
Perhaps Xie Xu knew his time was limited, or perhaps he knew Sixi intended to kill him, so he set up this scheme, drawing Lu Wuxie in, in an attempt to save the remaining members of the Xie family, including... Xie Xiaoyun, who was trapped in the woodshed.
Qi Shuishui was either a discarded pawn found by Zhen Shi from outside, or she coincidentally looked like Xie Xiaoyun, but she became Xie Xu's lifeline. The reason he went to Baiyan Tower every day was, on one hand, to reminisce about the unforgettable times with the person he loved, but more importantly, to provide hints for Lu Wuxie's investigation.
As for Sixi's motives, Zhong Li glanced back at the man slowly approaching in plain white mourning clothes. Perhaps Lu Wuxie knew better than she did.
"Grandmother," Lu Wuxie took Madam Liang from Xiang Jie's hands and said.
Madam Liang nodded and patted Lu Wuxie's arm.
"Grandmother, after Grandfather's funeral, will you and Cang'er return to Jincheng?" Lu Wuxie looked at Madam Liang, his eyes full of attachment and tenderness.
Madam Liang shook her head, looking at the afterglow of the setting sun, lost in thought. After a long while, she said, "There is a nunnery near Jinzhou."
"Grandmother!"
"Cang'er!" Before Lu Wuxie could say anything, Madam Liang interrupted him, "Grandmother has already made up her mind."
"Grandmother, my mother died early, and I haven't been able to fulfill my filial duties to you. Now..."
"Cang'er," Madam Liang sighed and patted Lu Wuxie's hand. "I have been stubborn my whole life. Now that he is dead, I have come to my senses. Your mother died before you came of age, and you are my only concern. I know what you are going to do, and I cannot be a burden to you."
"Grandmother," Lu Wuxie frowned, still wanting to persist.
Madam Liang shook her head and glanced at Xiang Jie behind her. "Xiang Jie has decided to leave with me. It will be easier for you to rest assured with her taking care of me. Now, I have one request."
"Grandmother, please speak," Lu Wuxie said.
"Xiang Jie has a youngest brother at home. In two years, he will come of age. Grandmother hopes you can look after him a little."
"Alright, Cang'er will definitely do it," Lu Wuxie promised. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Xiang Jie heard this and knelt before Lu Wuxie. "Young Master, Xiang Jie has made many mistakes before. Now that you are willing to help Xiang Jie without holding grudges, Xiang Jie will definitely take good care of the Eldest Madam in this life."
"By the way," Madam Liang moved her gaze from Xiang Jie to Lu Wuxie. "Zhen Shi gave birth to two sons back then. One is the current Princess Consort Xie Yunxi, and the other is the second son, Xie Yunkun. He was naturally unruly and went to Yingzhou by sea in his early years. It is unknown when he will return.
If he returns to see the Xie Mansion like this, and his mother was taken away by your own hands, you must be careful then."
"Cang'er knows about this, Grandmother, please rest assured," Lu Wuxie nodded.
"Mmm," Madam Liang nodded and quickly walked into the ancestral hall. As the door slowly closed, the courtyard fell silent again.
Zhong Li stood behind Lu Wuxie, accompanying him until they both left at the second watch of the night.
"What are your plans for the Xie Mansion?" In the carriage returning to the Jinzhou Inn, Zhong Li looked at the man opposite her. Although he had returned to his usual carefree demeanor, she knew he must be sad and suppressed in his heart.
"After Grandmother leaves, I plan to seal up the Xie Mansion. From now on, there will be no more Xie family in Jinzhou," Lu Wuxie closed his eyes and spoke his decision with difficulty.
Zhong Li lowered her eyes and remained silent. In her opinion, Lu Wuxie's decision was the best. Xie Xu's reputation in Jinzhou was completely ruined. By doing this, he was also preserving the last shred of dignity for the Xie family.
"By the way, how did you fare in questioning Miao Fenghua?" Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie shook his head, his brows furrowed unusually, a look of helplessness on his face. "She knows nothing. She only said that Sixi was one of her clients, and she only sold Cha Te grass to her."
Lu Wuxie's words were as Zhong Li expected. Sixi was very clever; why would she leave important clues on herself?
"Do you have any speculation about Sixi's actions, Young Master?" Zhong Li asked.
Lu Wuxie first shook his head, then nodded. "With her death, her superiors might send new people to deal with me and the Prince Xian's Mansion. As for her clients..."
...Divider...
"Sixi is dead?"
In Prince Xian's Mansion in Jincheng, Xie Yunxi exclaimed in disbelief, holding the letter in her hand.
Standing beside her at this moment was not Xing'er, but the newly replaced servant, Zi Chu.
Zi Chu nodded. "Replying to the Princess Consort, Sixi was almost captured by Lu Wuxie. Fortunately, we had our own people hidden among Lu Wuxie's hidden guards, but..."
"But what?" Xie Yunxi angrily slammed the table.
"But our people were also discovered. It is estimated that when Lu Wuxie returns, he will definitely start a thorough investigation of all the hidden guards around him. By then, we will not be able to keep anyone by his side." Zi Chu said.
"Bastard!" Xie Yunxi was so angry that she almost gritted her teeth. "Sixi is dead, what about the Cha Te grass? What if the Prince loses control?"
"Princess Consort, it's not the time to worry about this. If the Young Master really finds out anything, we will be in danger ourselves. Therefore..." Zi Chu leaned close to Xie Yunxi's ear and whispered.