CHAPTER 517: CHAPTER 517: STATE OF MIND

Within the secluded courtyard.

Lady Yongcheng appeared haggard and anxious.

The maid urged her, "Madam, please rest first. The Young Master is blessed with great fortune and will be fine."

Just as she finished speaking, a servant ran in from outside.

He collided with the maid who was serving tea.

The tea cup in the maid’s hand crashed to the ground.

The sound reverberated, shattering the cup into pieces.

The maid fell to the ground, her hand reaching for the broken pieces.

"Ah...!"

The scream drew everyone’s attention.

The young maid’s hand was bright red with blood.

The servant ignored her and quickly approached, saying, "Madam, the Young Master, he, he..."

The servant’s face was ashen.

Lady Yongcheng’s heart sank to the bottom of the pot, "Feng’er, Feng’er he..."

The servant dared not report.

The maid urged, "Speak up, are you trying to worry Madam to death?"

It wasn’t that he didn’t want to say.

It was that he dared not say.

He feared Madam couldn’t withstand such a blow.

But paper cannot contain fire forever.

The servant stammered, "The Young Master, he... was killed by someone."

Lady Yongcheng staggered, and the maid quickly supported her to prevent her from falling.

Her face was as pale as paper, her body trembling.

Tears blurred her vision.

Her heart felt as if it were being cut by a knife.

Unable to bear this heavy blow.

Lady Yongcheng fainted.

The room descended into chaos.

They helped Lady Yongcheng onto the bed, and the maid asked the servant, "Who would dare have the audacity to kill the Young Master?!"

The servant shook his head.

He didn’t know what to say.

Clearly, it was the Young Master who had the audacity to kidnap the Princess Consort Zhenbei.

With the Young Master killed, other than being slain by the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and the Princess Consort, what other possibility was there?

The doctor came to give Lady Yongcheng acupuncture.

By the time she awoke, the body of the Yongcheng Bo Heir had already been brought back.

The weather was hot, the body had been left outside overnight, and already emitted a foul odor.

Lady Yongcheng threw herself upon the body and wept bitterly.

The scene was truly heartbreaking for those who saw it and tearful for those who heard it.

Uncle Yongcheng rushed over, and although he already knew of the Yongcheng Bo Heir’s death, seeing it in person was still unbearable.

Lady Yongcheng was Duke Chong’s half-sister, and Uncle Yongcheng had climbed to his position thanks to Duke Chong’s Mansion.

In the Uncle’s Mansion, Lady Yongcheng was authoritative.

Uncle Yongcheng didn’t even have a concubine, not even a chambermaid.

He only had one son and one daughter, and now his son was dead, leaving him without an heir.

Uncle Yongcheng’s steps were unsteady as he walked over, and Lady Yongcheng cried as she threw herself at his feet, "My lord, Feng’er died so tragically, you must avenge him!"

The enmity of killing one’s child cannot go unavenged.

But he needed to know where the enemy was, right?

The disappearance of the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and the Princess Consort was already well-known across the Capital.

The Yongcheng Bo Heir was killed because he kidnapped the Princess Consort Zhenbei.

His body was found, but what about the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and the Princess Consort?

Xie Jingchen’s soft sword, which he carried, was seen by Uncle Yongcheng, but he didn’t recognize it.

Xie Jingchen seldom engaged in combat in front of others, and even less often drew his sword, so outsiders naturally never saw it.

Knowing the Yongcheng Bo Heir was found at the cliff’s edge, he sent a servant to check below the cliff.

Over an hour later, the servant returned.

Bringing back what they found below the cliff.

A dagger broken in two, a golden hairpin, and some torn clothing.

When the dagger was brought up, Uncle Yongcheng stood up in shock.

He recognized this dagger!

It was a gift from the late Emperor to the Old Prince.

Sharp enough to split hairs and cut iron like mud, an exceptionally good dagger.

"Where were these things found?!" Uncle Yongcheng asked urgently.

"At the bottom of the cliff," the servant quickly replied.

"And the Heir of Prince Zhenbei and the Princess Consort?!" Lady Yongcheng’s voice was hoarse, her eyes filled with hatred.

"Didn’t see them, the bottom of the cliff was foul-smelling, bones and gnawed flesh were everywhere."

They dare not guess if the flesh was from the Young Master’s horse or...

But since the servants said so, Uncle Yongcheng and Lady Yongcheng believed that Xie Jingchen and Su Jin were both gone without a trace.

Initially worried about how to avenge their son, now with the enemies having fallen off the cliff, not only could they not seek revenge, they also had to conceal it.

If Prince Zhenbei and Marquis Dongxiang found out their son and daughter were kidnapped and died from falling off a cliff because of the Yongcheng Bo Heir, they would surely retaliate against Uncle Yongcheng’s Mansion regardless of the consequences.

Such anger was something Uncle Yongcheng’s Mansion could not withstand.

So—

All the maids and servants who knew of the Yongcheng Bo Heir’s kidnapping of Su Jin had to die.

Lady Yongcheng fainted several times.

The Yongcheng Bo Heir’s body was placed in a coffin, and Uncle Yongcheng personally brought it back to the mansion.

They claimed externally that the Yongcheng Bo Heir had been poisoned and killed at the other courtyard.

Prince Zhenbei Mansion.

Peony Garden.

Princess Nanzhang lounged lazily on the Imperial Concubine’s Couch.

Mrs. Zhao was pouring her tea.

A maid hurriedly entered, announcing, "Commandery Princess, the Yongcheng Bo Heir is dead."

Princess Nanzhang was taken aback.

"Who died?!" She couldn’t believe it, instinctively thinking she misheard.

"The Yongcheng Bo Heir died," the maid replied.

Mrs. Zhao looked at Princess Nanzhang, a hint of worry flashing in her eyes.

But there wasn’t the slightest trace of panic on Princess Nanzhang’s face.

She waved her hand.

The maids in the room withdrew.

A smile blossomed on Princess Nanzhang’s face, "That’s truly good news."

"Commandery Princess?" Mrs. Zhao was puzzled.

The Yongcheng Bo Heir was one of their own.

With him dead, how could the Commandery Princess be happy?

But after thinking it over, Mrs. Zhao understood.

She looked at Princess Nanzhang, "Should we send someone to report to the Old Madam?"

Princess Nanzhang reclined on the small couch and said, "The Uncle’s Mansion is all under the Old Madam’s control, how could she not know about such a big thing?"

JingAn Temple.

The Old Madam kneeled before the Bodhisattva, earnestly reciting scriptures.

Since last night, she had been feeling uneasy.

Reciting scriptures could bring her some peace.

Mrs. Wang stood by her side, Hongxiu approached and said, "Mrs. Wang, a servant from the Uncle’s Mansion is looking for the Old Madam."

Mrs. Wang waved her hand, and Hongxiu withdrew.

Mrs. Wang looked at the Old Madam, "Old Madam, a servant from the Uncle’s Mansion requests to see you."

The Old Madam felt a pang of anxiety in her heart.

She raised her hand, and Mrs. Wang helped her up.

Kneeling for a long time, the Old Madam felt somewhat weak.

Mrs. Wang supported her as they walked, talking as they went:

"You know, life is so unpredictable; just the other day, we saw the Yongcheng Bo Heir on the street, and now he’s gone."

"Indeed, poor Uncle Yongcheng only had one son, and now with his death, he has no heir."

"After toiling to earn a title and family estate, he now has no successor."

The Old Madam staggered, and Mrs. Wang nearly couldn’t hold her.

She was held.

But the Buddha beads in the Old Madam’s hand fell heavily to the ground.

Mrs. Wang knew how much the Old Madam loved the Yongcheng Bo Heir and was about to console her when the Old Madam stepped forward.

The Old Madam walked swiftly, kicking the string of Buddha beads into the corner piece by piece.

After exiting the room, the Uncle’s Mansion servant quickly approached to report the death to the Old Madam.

The blood drained rapidly from the Old Madam’s face.

Her vision darkened, and she fainted.