The Phoenix is Back - Chapter 55

Chapter 055 He That Does Evil Shall Find Evil
Luo Yuxuan.

Third Concubine sat on the couch, carrying a bowl of red bean and coix rice porridge. Cuizhu saw that her appetite was not very good, so she hurriedly picked up a chopsticks of wild duck meat and put it on a plate in front of Third Concubine. She smiled and said, “Auntie, have a taste. This is a wild duck that was just delivered by Zhuangzi yesterday. It’s usually very ugly tasty.”

Third Concubine slightly knitted her brows. She put down the bowl in her hand and said with a sickly expression, “Cuizhu, I don’t have any appetite.”

“Auntie, are you thinking about what Second Miss said?” Cui Zhu probed.

Third Concubine’s eyes twitched. “Cui Zhu, do you think … that incident back then was not ordered by Second Concubine? The more I think about it now, the more suspicious I feel about that incident back then.”

She had brought the green bamboo from Yangzhou. Although its appearance was ordinary, it was safer than others. Therefore, she trusted her very much.

Cui Zhu frowned and hesitated for a moment. In the end, he lowered his voice and said, “Actually, this servant also feels that something strange happened back then.”

Back then, concubine mother was paying respects to Old Lady Jun to return to the Rain Pavilion. Originally, she was accompanying concubine mother with another girl called Xi’er. On the way, she met someone sent by Madam to ask her to collect the monthly money for concubine mother. Only then did she leave concubine mother in Xi’er’s care. Later, she found out that Xi’er had also been called away by a steward mother not long ago. There was no one beside concubine mother. When they happened to meet concubine mother’s sister, they thought that she was a girl in the manor. The two of them started to argue. They did not expect that both of them would fall into the water. Concubine mother’s child is gone, and Second Concubine mother’s sister is also very ill. Master was naturally going to blame Second Concubine mother in his rage. Who would have thought that the doctor would diagnose that Second Concubine mother was pregnant? Master listened and only fined Third Concubine mother three months to expose this matter. Second Concubine mother’s sister was already ill, so she was exempted from punishment. It was precisely because of this that concubine mother had always thought that concubine mother was in the way. However, after hearing Second Miss’s words yesterday, she felt that there were some places in the middle that did not seem to make sense.

“You think so too!” Third Concubine raised his eyebrows.

Cui Zhu nodded. “When something happened to concubine mother, Xi’er and I weren’t around, Besides, when I got the money, the steward kept talking to him, “It was clearly because I deliberately stalled for time to return to Auntie … That’s why I always thought that Auntie had deliberately used that steward to stop me after Auntie’s accident. But now that I think about it … At that time, Auntie’s position in the manor was indeed delicate. If it was really as Second Miss said, she should not be able to make those stewards move.”

“So … there’s someone else behind this!” Third Concubine gritted her teeth, and a gloomy coldness burst out from her eyes.

Cui Zhu pursed her lips and looked at Third Concubine in a low voice. “Who does Concubine think it is?”

Third Concubine coldly snorted, his eyes even colder. “Who else in this mansion could make those stewards move besides her?” What a sinister Madam Li, what a one-kill-two-eagle! I’m fighting against the Xiang Clan’s kiwi and bamboo clam, and she’s benefiting from it! Back then, I was really blind. I thought she was a good match! Unexpectedly, this woman’s heart was ruthless! The more Third Concubine said, the more she felt as if someone had gouged out her chest, causing her to twitch in pain. “How dare you set such a trap to harm my child!”

“You can’t blame Concubine entirely. If Second Miss hadn’t exposed her true colors, who would have thought that Madam would be so vicious and heartless?” Said Cui Zhu.

Third Concubine’s eyes were cold. She swept her right hand and the bowl of red bean and coix rice porridge on the table fell to the ground. “Mrs. Li, I will return to you the pain you have inflicted on me a hundred times and a thousand times.” With that, she looked down at the red bean and coix rice porridge on the floor and smiled coldly, “Cuizhu, I’m sure Madam hasn’t eaten breakfast yet. Go, pack up this porridge and let’s go to the Western Garden!”

Cui Zhu raised her eyes to look at Third Concubine Niang, and immediately understood her thoughts. She hurriedly blessed herself and replied, “Yes.”

Shuying Pavilion.

The old woman of the inner court and the steward of the outer court were standing in the room, reporting the matter to Xiao Xiwei.

As Xiao Xiwei listened, he casually flipped through the ledger and occasionally answered carelessly. Although she didn’t say anything, the women and stewards in the manor didn’t dare to be underestimated. At first, Xiao Xiwei took care of the manor, These women and stewards did not take her seriously because she was young, but they gradually discovered that the Second Miss’s thoughts were inconsistent with her age. Even if she did something, she could tell with a single glance that no one in the manor dared to underestimate her.

“Second young miss, there is one more thing … This servant doesn’t know whether to say it or not?” The steward in charge of the big kitchen, Granny Wang, raised her eyes and quietly looked at Xiao Xiwei.

Xiao Xiwei raised her eyes slightly and said, “What is it?”

Granny Wang looked at Xiao Xiwei and probed, “Today, Da’er ran into Third Concubine when she went to the West Garden to deliver breakfast to Madam …”

“Oh?” Xiao Xiwei unconsciously raised her eyebrows, and a faint smile appeared on her lips.

Looks like she didn’t say those words in vain tomorrow.

Looking at Xiao Xiwei’s expression, Granny Wang didn’t know if she should continue speaking, but … if she didn’t, what would happen in the future if she blamed the big kitchen? After thinking for a while, Granny Wang finally gritted her teeth and said, “Second young miss, third concubine mother was … she was having the servant hold her down and force her to feed the porridge … Daya glanced at her and said … that third concubine mother’s porridge seemed to be mixed with something?”

Xiao Xiwei glanced at Granny Wang indifferently and did not answer.

Granny Wang swallowed her saliva.

Nanny Zhu, who was beside Madam, committed suicide. Madam was chased to the western courtyard again. Nanny Cui, who was beside Second Miss, was also beaten 30 times and chased to the villa in the countryside. Master and Matriarch rewarded Second Miss a lot of things at the same time. Although they did not know what Madam had done to provoke Old Master and Old Lady Jun, they could vaguely guess that it was definitely related to Second Miss. Therefore, when Granny Wang looked at Xiao Xiwei’s indifferent gaze, she felt even more uneasy in her heart.

“What do you want to say to me?” Xiao Xiwei put down the ledger in his hand and looked at Granny Wang indifferently.

“This servant … This servant is afraid, what if, what if Madam …” Granny Wang lowered her head and cold sweat oozed out of her back.

“Alright, all of you go down. As for Third Concubine … I’ll go and see for myself later. Don’t worry, as long as you guys do your part, you won’t be blamed for it.” Xiao Xiwei said indifferently.

Granny Wang and the stewards repeatedly said yes, but in the end, they all retreated.

“Young miss, why did Third Concubine suddenly run to the west courtyard to grind the madam?” Bi Yun said impatiently as soon as the housekeepers left.

Bi Yun had always disliked Madam Li and Xiao Xile. She always felt that these two mothers and daughters would always change their ways of taking things from Miss. Every time she said Miss, she would scold her for being troublesome. After a long time, she felt depressed when she saw these two mothers and daughters. Fortunately, the young miss finally saw the faces of the two mothers and daughters clearly. Wasn’t this? When she saw Third Concubine grinding Madam Li like this, her heart inexplicably felt a sense of relief.

Xiao Xi smiled and said, “Who knows, maybe she offended Third Concubine in the past!”

“That’s right, Madam’s heart is not enough to kill many people! In the past, the scenery was fine, but now, Master and Matriarch are tired of her. Those people who were harmed by her should hurry up and grind her! Really obey that sentence, the wicked have their own retribution!” Bi Yun said angrily. Finally, she changed the topic. “However, Miss, what did you say was added to Third Concubine’s porridge? Could it be … poison?”

Xiao Xiwei picked up the teacup on the table and lowered his head to take a sip of tea. “Isn’t the poison …”

Although Madam Li was disliked, her status as the main family was still there. In addition, she had Xiao Xile, her daughter, and Xiao Ximing, her son. If Third Concubine poisoned her on the spot, how could Xiao Xile and Xiao Ximing let her go?

“Then, what’s in the porridge?” Bi Yun said.

Xiao Xiwei raised his eyebrows, put down his teacup, and smiled faintly, “Then I’ll have to ask Third Concubine.”

Bi Yun curled her lips and said, “I just don’t know what will happen if Third Miss finds out about this.”

Xiao Xile?

The corner of Xiao Xiwei’s lips curled up.

Every time Xiao Xile went to the Tranquil Garden to pay her respects to the old lady, she would be blocked back, and she would be extremely worried all day long. She knew that her grandmother and father hated Madam Li so much that she naturally did not dare to offend her grandmother and father at this time. She did not even dare to mention Madam Li’s name, so she went to see Madam Li.

Thinking of this, the smile on Xiao Xile’s lips deepened a little.

She didn’t know what it was like for Madam Li to know that she was being ground and bullied to such an extent, but her daughter, who loved her so much, knew that she was indifferent.

“Zi Yan, send some grapes to Third Concubine Mother from the queen mother. By the way … I want to remind her not to go too far.” Xiao Xi looked up at Zi Yan and said.

“Yes.” Zi Yan replied to Xiao Xi’s blessing.

“Also … tell those ladies guarding Hua Jin Garden that they can relax a little in the next few days. Don’t make a fuss about what they should do.” Xiao Xiwei looked at Zi Yan with a meaningful glint in his eyes.

Zi Yan was stunned.

Young miss, do you want people from the madam’s side to inform Third Young Miss?

“Yes.” Zi Yan lowered her head and replied, then turned around and left the Sparse Shadow Pavilion.

Seeing Zi Yan leave, Xiao Xiwei lowered his eyes and picked up the teacup on the table. He took a sip of tea.

The tea fragrance in her mouth was rich, but it could not compare to the happiness in her heart.

Madam Li, did you ever think that today would come when you used all sorts of schemes to cover the sky and scenery in the Marquis Manor? Zi Yan was right in all aspects, the villains would be punished! Even if the heavens don’t seek your retribution, then I will definitely let this evil retribution come true! Otherwise, there would be no justice in this world!

All of this is your own doing, you can’t blame anyone else!