lcionline Chapter 122 Visiting the Marquis's Residence
Chapter 122 Visiting the Marquis's Residence
"They've probably curried favor with some powerful figure!" Ma said sarcastically.
“Who would host a banquet for guests in the middle of the night?” You Hongxin was very puzzled. “If my aunt really had curried favor with some powerful family, she would have made it public long ago, given her personality. But she was dressed so elegantly, yet she left the Marquis’s mansion in a small sedan chair, without even using a carriage.”
Mrs. Ma frowned.
According to his daughter, Wen's behavior was indeed abnormal.
However, when she thought of Wen's character, she couldn't help but feel contempt. "Who cares what she's doing in the middle of the night? Anyway, they've already ruined the reputation of the Marquis's mansion. How much worse can it get?"
You Hongxin sighed, "Although my uncle and aunt are immoral, the Marquis's mansion is still my grandfather's life's work. It's heartbreaking to see it ruined like this. I'm not afraid of anything else, but I'm afraid that even the 'Marquis of Yufeng' plaque will be lost. How painful it would be for my grandfather to know this in the afterlife!"
Mrs. Ma sat up.
She could ignore whatever the eldest son's family did to deserve their fate, but her son was about to take the imperial examination. If You Jianbin and Madam Ma really did something that affected the reputation of the Marquis's mansion, then her family's Hongze would also be implicated.
As her daughter said, instead of staying at home to prepare for You Qingrou's homecoming banquet the next day, Madam Wen went out in the middle of the night. Perhaps she really was doing something shady...
"Xin'er, let's not sleep tonight. Come on, let's go outside and keep watch." She said as she got out of bed to get her outer garment.
"Ah."
Under the cover of night, the mother and daughter stealthily made their way to the main courtyard.
Now the Marquis's mansion has fallen into disrepair, with few servants left, and the courtyard and surrounding area are deserted, especially late at night.
They were squatting behind a rockery, and it was almost 1:00 AM when Wen returned from outside.
However, upon returning to the main courtyard, she did not immediately go back to her bedroom, but instead went around the main house to the backyard.
“Mother, my aunt is even more like a thief than we are. What do you think she’s up to?” You Hongxin asked in a low voice.
“Let’s go take a look.” Ma’s curiosity was also fully aroused.
The mother and daughter crept into the backyard in the dark and hid behind a pile of clutter.
Not long after, Wen came out of a woodshed.
There was another person following behind.
Under the moonlight, the person wore a white mask, looking like a faceless ghost, which frightened the mother and daughter so much that they covered their mouths in terror.
Most importantly, as soon as the masked man left the woodshed, he flew towards the top of the wall and disappeared in an instant.
Wen looked in the direction he had disappeared and chuckled.
She didn't stay in the backyard for long and left quickly.
After she left, Madam Ma and her daughter You Hongxin didn't dare to come out immediately. They squatted behind the clutter to calm themselves down and only came out after a long time. Then they tiptoed into the woodshed to see what was inside.
But after searching around, the mother and daughter found nothing in the woodshed except for half a room full of firewood.
Left with no other choice, the mother and daughter had to sneak back to their small courtyard.
As soon as the door closed, You Hongxin let out a long breath and gasped, "Mother, Auntie was having an affair with a man in the middle of the night. Should we tell Uncle?"
Mrs. Ma clutched her chest, panting. Hearing her daughter's words, she couldn't help but glare at her, "How could a secret rendezvous happen so quickly?"
You Hongxin was puzzled. "If it wasn't a secret rendezvous, then what is this masked man doing at the Marquis's residence? Also, this man looks quite formidable. How does Aunt know someone like him?"
Ma was also puzzled and could only shake her head. "Forget it, we won't figure it out by guessing. It's almost dawn, so get some sleep. If your cousin goes back to her parents' home after dawn, we'll have to go help her."
"Oh."
……
Two groups of people from the Prince Cheng's Mansion and the General's Mansion searched Shili Slope all night, but apart from a secret mark belonging to Ninth Aunt, they left no useful clues.
After daybreak, the group returned to Prince Cheng's residence.
When Shu returned to her bedroom to wash her face, she was about to call Chunliu when she saw a dart stuck in the bedpost.
Her eyes narrowed, and she quickly stepped forward to pull the dart off and remove the paper strip attached to it.
Upon unfolding the note, her face instantly turned ashen, and she turned and ran towards the hall—
Before the three members of the Ye family had even left, their expressions all changed after reading the note.
"Ten thousand taels of silver? And he specifically asked Xin'er to deliver it?" Ye Shijun was the first to curse. "He must have a death wish to kidnap someone from the Prince Cheng's mansion and demand ransom! If I catch him, I'll kill him with my own hands!"
I felt calmer after breathing too much at night.
On the surface, Ninth Aunt was just a maidservant of her and Prince Cheng. If it were a regular kidnapping and extortion, who would kidnap a servant to demand such a high ransom from their master?
This obviously doesn't make sense.
Unless, of course, the other party knows that Aunt Jiu is very important to them as a couple.
In other words, the other party understands them!
Not only did they understand the relationship between the couple and Aunt Jiu, but they were also very certain that the couple could come up with such a high ransom!
Was it the Wei family, the You family, or the Fan family—that grandfather and grandson?
"Wenyan, Wenmo!" She looked at the two brothers and coldly ordered, "Go and investigate the movements of the Wei family, the You family, and my great-aunt and her two grandchildren these past two days!"
These three families not only knew her situation well, but they also coveted her dowry. Besides them, she really couldn't think of anyone else who would kidnap a maid and demand ransom from their master!
Wen Yan and Wen Mo accepted the order and withdrew.
Upon hearing Ye Shishu's words, Ye Gengxin and his two sons were both shocked and furious.
Those three families actually dared to attack the people of Prince Cheng's Mansion?!
Half an hour later, Wen Yan and Wen Mo returned one after the other.
Wen Yan reported, "Those who were monitoring the Wei family and the three members of the Fan family said that there was nothing unusual about them in the past two days."
Wenmo reported, "The people monitoring the Yufeng Marquis's residence said that the Marquis's wife, Madam Wen, went to the Prime Minister's residence last night and did not return until 1:00 AM."
Everyone's face fell.
Ye Shishu asked in a cold voice, "What is she doing at the Prime Minister's residence so late at night?"
"Your Highness, we only know that she went to the Prime Minister's residence; we can't find out anything else," Wenmo replied.
"Keep a close eye on the Marquis's residence!"
"Yes!"
Ye Shijun suddenly said, "By the way, today seems to be the day You Qingrou and Wei Yonghuai return to their parents' home. Should we take this opportunity to visit the Marquis's residence?"
Upon hearing this, Ye Shishu finally remembered the matter.
She looked at Yuchi Ling.
Yu Chi Ling nodded.
So, after everyone had packed up, Ye Gengxin took his three children to visit the Marquis's residence.
They said they were also You Qingrou's family, so it was only right that they visit the Marquis's son-in-law when You Qingrou returned home.
However, You Jianbin and the Wen family never expected them to come.
Upon seeing the family appear, the couple's faces turned ashen, as ugly as could be.
"Uncle, Aunt, what's wrong? Aren't you happy to see us? We heard that my cousin is coming back to her parents' home today, so we came here especially for her and her husband."