The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 152

Chapter 152 Intentional Probing
Upon hearing the news, Zhou Shumei hurried back to the Rain Hearing Pavilion and saw Xiao Xiwei dressed in plain clothes, with only a white silk flower on her head and a rattle drum in her hand teasing her son, Xiao Xirui.

“Why is Princess here?” As Zhou Shumei spoke, she took Xiao Xirui from Bi Yun’s embrace without moving.

Xiao Xiwei smiled lightly and pointed at Xiao Xirui’s pouty little face. “I see that mother has been busy with grandmother’s funeral these past few days, and my body is too heavy to help her. I think it’s better to take care of Rui’er.”

“Thank you, Princess. Rui’er has a nurse to take care of her. Princess Ru’s body is heavy today, so don’t be tired.” Zhou Shumei hurriedly said.

Xiao Xi pursed her lips slightly, her clear eyes staring at Zhou Shumei without answering.

Zhou Shumei’s heart was originally a little weak. In addition, Xiao Xiwei had experienced Xiao Xiwei’s methods before, so her eyelids couldn’t help but jump.

“Auntie should be here in the next few days, right?” Xiao Xiwei suddenly lowered her eyes, raised her hand to support Zi Yan’s hand and sat down on the red sandalwood chair beside her.

When Old Lady Jun was seriously ill, Marquis Mansion had already sent people to Ping City to deliver the letter. Counting the time, it should be here in the next few days.

“Yes. Brother and the others have received a letter and are traveling overnight. They will arrive at the Marquis Mansion by tomorrow evening at the latest.” Zhou Shumei hurriedly answered and handed Xiao Xirui to the nurse behind her, not forgetting to give her a look.

“That’s good.” Xiao Xiwei nodded and reached out to pick up the teacup on the table, pretending not to see Zhou Shumei’s expression.

“Madam, at this hour, it’s time for the young master to drink milk.” The nurse reported Xiao Xirui to Zhou Shumei and blessed her.

“Then hurry up and go.” Zhou Shumei hurriedly replied.

The nurse quickly retreated with Xiao Xirui in her arms. As soon as Xiao Xirui left, Zhou Shumei heaved a sigh of relief. She walked to Xiao Xiwei and sat down. She sighed and said, “As soon as the Matriarch left, the mansion was in a mess. I have no time to care about the princess. Please forgive me for taking care of the princess.”

“They are all family members. Why do you say you should wait?” Xiao Xiwei put down the teacup in her hand, and a trace of tiredness flashed in her eyes. “Seeing my mother running the funeral and being too busy to touch the ground, I can’t help my mother. It’s already very unfortunate that I have to trouble my mother to worry about me. If my mother says this, I really don’t know what to say.”

Xiao Xiwei’s words made Zhou Shumei’s heart incomparably comfortable. She had done so many things to be seen by others, so it was up to her or Xiao Xiwei.

“What did the princess say? This was originally a matter of my status.”

“I just feel that my mother has to take care of the funeral and Rui’er, so I can’t help but feel a little overwhelmed …” Xiao Xiwei said this, and Feng Hua suddenly changed his mind. “If only Third Concubine was still here, mother wouldn’t have another helper.”

Hearing Xiao Xiwei mention third concubine mother, Zhou Shumei’s eyelids twitched. “Why did the princess suddenly mention her?”

If he remembered correctly, it was Xiao Xiwei’s intention to divorce Third Concubine from the manor.

“Third Concubine’s temperament is a little straightforward, but she’s not a bad person. Back then, she was completely implicated by her younger brother and her father was angry. Now that I think about it, Third Concubine herself did not do anything wrong.” Xiao Xi looked at Zhou Shumei and said indifferently.

The smile on Zhou Shumei’s face stiffened. “Why did the princess say that?”

“I’m just sorry for Third Concubine. If she had seen the situation clearly and recognized her younger brother, how could she have fallen into this situation? Mother, did you say that?” Xiao Xiwei looked at Zhou Shumei and smiled.

“Wang, the princess is right.” Zhou Shumei pursed her lips and smiled. She subconsciously picked up the teacup on the table and took a sip of tea, trying to cover up the sudden panic in her heart.

Why did Xiao Xiwei suddenly mention Qian Xiao? Could it be that she knew something?

Just as Zhou Shumei was secretly guessing, Xiao Xiwei helped Zi Yan walk and stood up. “Mother still has a lot of things to do, right? Then I won’t win you over.” After saying that, she smiled at Zhou Shumei, held Zi Yan’s hand and led Bi Yun out of the Rain Hearing Pavilion.

Xiao Xiwei walked away. Zhou Shumei slowly stood up with the edge of the table propped up. Her voice trembled slightly as she said, “Yanhong, didn’t you say that she discovered something?”

“Madam, Princess, she only mentioned it casually. You must not be in a mess.” Zhou Shumei stepped forward to support her hand and whispered.

“Really? But I think she knows something.” Zhou Shumei looked in the direction where Xiao Xiwei had left, and her voice was filled with uncontrollable fear.

She had experienced Xiao Xiwei’s thoughts and methods, and the Madam Li mother and daughter had fallen into her hands at that time.

“Madam, if the princess really knows about that, why would she not mention it? You must not scare yourself.” Yanhong hurriedly said.

“No! Yanhong, you don’t know her.” Zhou Shumei unconsciously clenched her hands.

Back then, she could clearly defeat Madam Li in one move, but every time she reached a critical juncture, she would always let Madam Li breathe a sigh of relief. In the end, Madam Li would personally bet that her son had died miserably and her daughter had been sent to the Water Moon Temple. She would rather die than be abandoned and tortured.

At the thought of this, Zhou Shumei’s heart trembled. She reached out and grabbed Yanhong’s hand forcefully. She stared at her eyes in horror and said, “No, I can’t do that again.”

“Madam, what did you say? You mustn’t back down at this time! You forget that you still have something to hold in Young Master Qian’s hands.” Yanhong hurriedly said.

Zhou Shumei’s expression changed. She raised her hand and pushed Yanhong away, “Stop talking.”

“Madam, we have no way to retreat now. Otherwise, once that matter is exposed, you and this servant will definitely not be able to escape death. Both sides will die. It’s better to fight for the young master’s future.” At this point, Yanhong took two steps towards Zhou Shumei and reached out to grab her hand. “Madam, did you say that?” She continued.

Zhou Shumei slowly raised her head to look at Yanhong. After a long time, she finally lowered her eyes powerlessly.

Yanhong was right. She had no way out of this.

Zhou Shumei was about to figure it out, but Zi Yan and Bi Yun could not understand what Xiao Xiwei had just said and done in the Rain Pavilion.

“Princess, why did you say that to Mrs. Zhou just now? Aren’t you afraid of alarming her?” Bi Yun said.

Xiao Xi slightly lowered her eyes, and her white jade-like hand stroked her bulging lower abdomen without saying a word.

Perhaps it was because she was pregnant, or perhaps it was because she saw Xiao Xirui, who was so tender and cute, that she suddenly felt a trace of softness in her heart.

“Princess, you don’t want to let Mrs. Zhou off, do you?” Zi Yan probed Xiao Xiwei and said.

Xiao Xiwei raised his head and sighed softly, “It’s up to her.”

If Zhou Shumei retracted her horse from the precipice, she would still give her a way out for Rui’er, but if she wanted to attack her grandfather because of her haste, then don’t blame her for being ruthless.

“Princess, don’t forget what you promised before Matriarch died.” Bi Yun hurriedly reminded Xiao Xiwei when she heard that she wanted to let Zhou Shumei live.

“I have my own opinion on this matter.” Xiao Xiwei glanced at Bi Yun and said indifferently.

Bi Yun did not understand what Xiao Xi meant by Wei Yu’s words, but Zi Yan could. She looked at Xiao Xi and curled her lips. She said with a trace of mockery, “Princess, you have good intentions, but I’m afraid Mrs. Zhou might not appreciate it.”

Xiao Xi’s eyes narrowed. “Let people continue to stare at them.”

“Yes.” Zi Yan nodded in agreement.

After the master and servant finished speaking, Xiao Xiwei went to the Tranquil Garden.

The quiet garden was unreasonably quiet. The girls were guarding outside the courtyard. Seeing Xiao Xiwei coming, Sang Ruo hurriedly welcomed him. “Princess, you’re here.”

“Why are you all standing guard outside, grandfather?” Xiao Xiwei said.

“Elder Marquis is alone in the room, and I won’t let the servants serve in the room.” Sang Ruo said.

Xiao Xiwei sighed.

Grandfather was only a soldier back then, but he was favored by his grandmother as a husband and wife. Although the latter couple were separated from each other, Grandfather had never taken a concubine in Wu City. This time, his grandmother had left. Although his grandfather didn’t show anything on his face, he was still sad in the end.

After entering the old lady’s room, Xiao Xiwei saw Xiao Qi sitting on the couch with a wooden hairpin in his hand. When he heard the noise, he raised his head and saw that Xiao Xiwei was the one who entered, he couldn’t help but laugh, “You’re here.”

Xiao Xi nodded slightly and walked to Xiao Qi’s side to sit down.

Xiao Qi looked down at the wooden hairpin in his hand. “When I married your grandmother back then, I didn’t have anything. I couldn’t even bring out the betrothal gift, so I had to personally cut this wooden hairpin for her …” Xiao Qi chuckled softly. “Look at how stupid my hands are. They can’t even cut a hairpin. I originally thought that she would dislike it, but I didn’t expect that she would keep it for so many years …” At this point, Xiao Qi couldn’t help but shed tears silently down his cheeks.

Hearing Xiao Qi’s words, Xiao Xiwei felt as if a heavy stone had been stuffed into her heart, causing her to feel unspeakably uncomfortable.

“Grandfather …”

“I made you laugh.” Xiao Qi raised his hand to wipe away the tears on his face and looked at Xiao Xiwei with a smile.

“Grandfather, actually, I envy grandmother very much.” Xiao Xiwei gently placed his hand on Xiao Qi’s and said softly.

“Envy, what do you envy about her for? In her entire life, I didn’t give her anything. I didn’t even accompany her to take care of her …”

“Yes, grandfather didn’t seem to give anything to grandmother, but you gave her wholehearted love. This is what every woman wants the most.” At this point, Xiao Xiwei shook Xiao Qi’s fingertips. “Grandfather, grandmother told me before she left that she was very satisfied with marrying you …”

Actually, Old Lady Jun Lin did not say these words when she left, but Xiao Xiwei knew that Grandmother really thought so in her heart. After she agreed to her request, she left without any worries. From the beginning until the end, a faint smile hung on her lips.

Xiao Qi looked at Xiao Xiwei. After a long time, he suddenly hugged her hand and cried like a child.

Xiao Xiwei’s tears could not help but fall again when she heard the suppressed and suppressed crying in her ears.

When she came out of the quiet garden, it was already dark. She originally wanted to go to the mourning hall to guard the spirit for the matriarch, but she didn’t want to. As soon as she came out, Zi Yan hurriedly greeted her. “Princess, that side has succeeded.”

“You mean the north …”

Zi Yan nodded her head forcefully. Then, she looked around alertly. Then, she lowered her voice and said, “Princess, news will reach the capital in less than three days.”

The gloomy mood was relieved by the news brought by the purple smoke.

“One more thing.” Zi Yan suddenly looked up at Xiao Xiwei. “The Duke of Lu, Lu Haiyang, escaped.”

Xiao Xiwei’s eyes suddenly sank.

Lu Haiyang actually managed to escape. With Lu Haiyang’s mind, he could definitely tell that Xizhi planned this robbery and murder. Then, wouldn’t it be impossible to hide the fact that Xizhi wasn’t in Su Yang?