CHAPTER 736: CHAPTER 736: LU FAMILY HEAD

Mrs. Xia Lian wasn’t the one who loved him most?

Didn’t she treat him like the heavens above?

She’d been his loyal dog for so many years, and on the night of the third day of the twelfth lunar month, she even said she’d rather die than leave him.

"Hehe, what a cheap wench... Blech!" In fury, Xia Gu spat out a mouthful of black blood, his eyes rolled back, and after convulsing, he finally breathed his last.

Xia Gu was one to save face; just yesterday, his reputation was utterly destroyed. Abhorred by all the scholars and noble family offspring, he had already fainted from anger twice. Upon waking and learning that Lady Xia really intended to divorce him, his male dignity utterly shattered. He couldn’t carry on; his tragic death was borne of sheer rage.

Upon learning of Xia Gu’s death, Lady Xia gasped for air, then followed him in death.

Chun’er said that right before Lady Xia took her last breath, she cried out, "Husband, let’s be married again in our next life."

Gu Jinli couldn’t help but twitch at the corner of his mouth upon hearing this. Mrs. Xia, you were truly servile, to be tormented by Xia Gu this life was not enough; you even reserved another life for his continued harm.

I’m convinced, this truly was "true love"!

Gu Jinli, Gu Jin’an, and Luo Wu, upon seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Xia Gu had both died, did not stay longer, called on Qin San Lang, took Zezi and Feng Lian with them, and rode back in two horse carriages.

When the Xia brothers learned of the Xia couple’s death, they didn’t feel any sorrow, just numbly conducting funeral rites for them.

A funeral hall was set up in the Xia Residence, yet nobody came to pay their respects. Everyone avoided Xia Gu out of fear, with only Squad Leader Cheng asking as a formality how they died.

Xia Er replied, "Upon learning that his wife wanted a divorce, Xia Gu, enraged, poisoned her and committed suicide, joining her in death."

Squad Leader Cheng: "..."

That Xia Gu was truly despicable, dragging Lady Xia down with him even after his own downfall.

When Squad Leader Cheng heard that Xia Gu had poisoned Lady Xia to death, he immediately ordered the forensic doctor to perform an autopsy. The forensic doctor reported, "Both indeed died from the same poison. As to what type of poison, please forgive my limited medical skills—I cannot determine it."

There’s no need for an investigation, as Chun’er’s testimony confirmed that Lady Xia was indeed poisoned by Xia Gu.

"The Old Master rushed in like a madman, questioning why his wife wanted a divorce. Seeing her ignoring him, he directly stuffed the poison bag into her mouth and fatally poisoned her! After killing his wife, he then took poison to end his own life."

The Xia brothers decided not to report to the authorities: "Once dead, all is gone. They spent their lives as resentful partners, this death might be their release."

As the foster sons of Mr. and Mrs. Xia Gu, with the murderer Xia Gu being the one who poisoned Lady Xia and now himself dead, and the family not pursuing the case, just wanting to live a quiet life, naturally, Squad Leader Cheng wouldn’t stir trouble.

But he still recorded statements from Chun’er, the Xia brothers, and the two maids serving Lady Xia, had their fingerprints on the records, then took these statements along with the forensic doctor to see the Magistrate of Jinling.

The Magistrate of Jinling took the Xia Family matter very seriously—after all, Xia Gu was a well-known madman. Learning that the Xia couple’s death was due to Xia Gu poisoning Lady Xia and then committing suicide, he truly was shocked, widening his eyes: "This Xia Gu was really a lunatic."

The Magistrate’s steward chuckled beside him, "Madmen indeed—all their actions are of insanity. It is normal for one to be so angry as to poison their own wife in a fit of rage."

They all knew how much Xia Gu valued face. Such a man could not allow Lady Xia to divorce him; naturally, he had to kill her to vent his anger.

And within half a day, the entire Jinling knew that Xia Gu poisoned Lady Xia and himself. Every scholar, madman, children of noble families, including the common people of Jinling, were cursing Xia Gu.

"This old beast is truly despicable, with a heart so vicious. If he wanted to die, then so be it, but he even poisoned Lady Xia."

"Lady Xia is pitiable too, married to such a brute and met with an ill-fated end."

Some people, seeing the pitiable state of Lady Xia’s death, suggested, "Why don’t we go and pay tribute to Lady Xia."

Upon this suggestion, most of Jinling’s households were stirred and flocked to the outskirts to offer incense to Lady Xia.

Seeing that although Xia Er and Xia San were not blood-related to Lady Xia, and even after suffering from Xia Gu’s abuse, they still managed a grand funeral for him, many people admired them and contributed numerous condolence gifts. Scholars and madmen also wrote many poems to curse Xia Gu and praise Xia Er and Xia San for their virtue in repaying evil with goodness.

Xia Er and Xia San paid no mind to these, only saying to those who came to offer incense, "Our family’s memorial hall will only be set up for three days; today is the last day. Tomorrow, we will escort the spirit to a neighboring country for burial and will never return. This house and all the Xia family’s properties will be entrusted to others for sale. From now on, this place will no longer be the Xia Residence."

You don’t need to come and throw manure anymore.

Upon hearing this, the crowd said: "It’s better that you leave."

This place is a land of sorrow, and many people mock Xia Er and Xia San for their uncertain parentage. Staying in Jinling, they would only be pointed at, unable to live a normal life.

The next morning, the vast Xia Residence was emptied of its people. After that, no one in Jinling saw Xia Er and Xia San again. It was said that after burying the Xia couple, they reverted to their mother’s surname and lived in seclusion.

Chun’er and Xia Lin were arranged by Temple Master Hu to settle in a medicine garden, where they could live well. Whether they wished to plant medicinal herbs or not, they could rely on Chun’er’s accumulated wealth to live a rich life, but Master Hu would not let them go free.

They knew too much and needed to be kept and watched.

Chun’er knew that if they did not agree to Temple Master Hu’s arrangement to live in the medicine garden, they would end up like Housekeeper Xia and mysteriously die, so they immediately agreed.

Nanny Xia and Xu Shou’en both died, and Xu Yu was released, but he was unaware of the Lu Family’s affairs and continued to live off his family’s estate after returning home.

In the neighboring country, Xia Da met a miserable fate. He had colluded with Xia Gu, using the Lu Family’s silver to secure private assets and had done a lot to undermine the Lu Family. The Lu Family was outraged, and his entire family perished.

As for the Miss Xia who married Marquis Yu, she was eliminated by Marquis Yu due to illness.

Marquis Yu was, after all, a titleholder. When the spy returned and reported Xia Gu’s misdeeds, he almost spat blood in anger and, fearing for his reputation, eliminated Miss Xia.

When Xia Gu’s scandal reached Yanjing, Marquis Yu sent a divorce paper to the deceased Miss Xia, cutting her off and ordering her coffin to be sent to the Xia Family.

The two sons born by Miss Xia were also adopted out to a collateral branch by him, unwilling to have any relation to the Xia Family – a cold-hearted act that shocked people.

...

After Jiangnan, there is an ocean, and above the ocean lies an island with buildings, farmlands, and estates, resembling a small town.

In the center of the island, there is an immense residence made up of three compound houses with seven courtyards, truly vast beyond measure.

Inside the spacious room, Old Master Lu Er sat in a large chair covered with animal hide, a fur blanket over him, reading a letter by the firelight: "Ha, indeed a chip off the old block, just like the second one, unforgiving when he has the upper hand."