Before the coffin, Ye Zhen sat on the Pu Tuan, feeding paper money into the brazier sheet by sheet.
She murmured, “Though the deceased should be respected, I don’t wish to kneel before you. You know the reason well. Everyone says I married above my station, but back at the manor, though I had no parents to care for me, at least no one bullied me, and I never went hungry or cold.”
Marquis Zhongyong, who had just reached the doorway, frowned, thinking Ye Zhen’s words were an exaggeration.
His Zhongyong Hou Estate was vast and prosperous. Even if his wife was neglectful, she wouldn’t have let his daughter-in-law starve or freeze.
Perhaps Ye Zhen had noticed his arrival and was deliberately saying this to undermine his wife.
But then he heard Ye Zhen continue, “When I learned you died, I felt quite pleased. I never understood before—why did you marry me yet always avoid consummating the marriage? Why did Chi Heng constantly provoke me in front of you? Now it occurs to me that our marriage was merely a sham to cover your disgrace. You two had already been carrying on together. But how innocent I was, to have my life ruined by you. Now that you’ve met your retribution, I naturally should rejoice.”
Marquis Zhongyong halted his steps.
What did Ye Zhen mean by this?
“Miss, be careful—walls have ears.”
Wan Xing worriedly glanced around. Seeing the guards were some distance outside the door, she dared to whisper, “Though the Marquise is confined to the manor, she managed the household for decades. The estate is full of her loyal followers. If these words reach her, she won’t let you off easily. This servant observes that the Marquis is also rather muddled. His son is dead, yet the Marquise rushed over without even a glance at him, only scheming to make you the scapegoat. Even a maid like me can see something’s amiss here, yet the Marquis still protects his wife at every turn. You mustn’t speak like that again. If you’re truly upset, then… then…”
She thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “I have it! This servant will treat you to a chicken leg. Eating something delicious will ease your sorrow.”
Ye Zhen forced a smile. “Then I’ll treat you to Ba Bao Ya.”
“This servant thanks the miss, but… may I also have Hong Shao Zhou Zi?”
Ye Zhen’s voice was indulgent. “Of course, whatever you wish. Open wide… Ah… Is it delicious?”
“Delicious! Fatty yet not greasy, melting in the mouth. Miss, you should try some too.”
“Mmm, indeed excellent. It would be even better with Wan Xing’s homemade fruit wine.”
“Hehe, this servant is your warm little padded jacket, after all. Of course I prepared some for you. Let me fill your cup…”
The faint murmurs reached Marquis Zhongyong’s ears, his face turning livid.
No matter how worthless Xie Yunzhou had been, he was now dead.
These two audacious women actually dared to feast on meat and wine before his son’s coffin!
He leaped onto the roof with a light step, determined to see what lavish spread these wretches had brought and what other outrageous things they would say.
And those guards at the door—were they dead? Letting them carry on like this!
But when he lifted a roof tile, there was no wine or meat below—only two girls pantomiming to empty air.
Marquis Zhongyong was momentarily bewildered.
Then he saw Wan Xing, who had been pretending to pour wine, suddenly drop her hands and embrace Ye Zhen, sobbing.
“It’s all this servant’s fault for being useless, only able to cheer you up like this. And it’s the Marquise’s fault for being so wicked. She dresses in silks and satins, feasts on delicacies every meal, yet demands you observe vegetarianism and wear mourning for the Second Young Master. She’s always punishing you—making you copy scriptures on an empty stomach, kneel on ice in winter, or carry scalding tea in summer. Three years married into the Marquis Estate, and you’re still wearing clothes we made ourselves at the manor. This servant’s heart aches to see it.”
She glared fiercely at the coffin. “The worst one is this one. No matter how I think about it, I believe he was the one who drugged you that night when you fell unconscious.”
“He must have been afraid you’d discover his secret once you returned to the Marquis Estate, so he plotted to take your life.”
“Fortunately, young mistress, you were destined to survive. Because of stomach discomfort, you vomited the medicinal soup and woke up early, then stumbled into the mountains and escaped disaster.”
“But now he’s dead. The Marquise failed in her scheme against you and surely won’t accept defeat. Who knows how she’ll torment you next…”
“Enough now. Who was it just reminding me not to speak carelessly?”
Ye Zhen pinched Wan Xing’s lips into a cute shape, comforting her instead. “With the Marquis in the estate from now on, our situation will improve…”
Marquis Zhongyong left deep in thought.
Ye Zhen secretly gave Wan Xing a thumbs-up.
With her considerable internal strength, she had detected the Marquis’s presence the moment he appeared.
Wan Xing whispered, “Will the Marquis help us?”
Ye Zhen smiled. “In the end, people must rely on themselves.”
What she had just told Wan Xing was indeed the Marquise’s doing.
But their lives weren’t quite as miserable as all that – they had martial skills and could easily leave the estate without the Marquise’s knowledge.
As for those physical punishments, she treated them as mental cultivation and training.
Putting on this performance wasn’t about seeking Marquis Zhongyong’s pity.
What she wanted was to slowly tear away the Marquise’s mask, to make the Marquis suspicious of his wife so he would gradually dig deeper.
Ye Zhen knew some secrets.
As long as the Marquis kept digging, the couple would inevitably turn against each other.
When the Marquise completely lost Marquis Zhongyong’s support, that would be Ye Zhen’s time to kill her.
After Marquis Zhongyong left, he summoned two servants who had come from the Marquis Estate for questioning.
After intimidating them with his authority and asking about Ye Zhen’s daily life, the two didn’t dare conceal anything.
The Marquis’s face darkened as if about to drip water.
The words exchanged between Ye Zhen and her maid in the mourning hall were actually true.
His wife, using Ye Zhen’s widow status as pretext, had forbidden her from eating meat or wearing new clothes for three years.
Yet he remembered clearly that after Xie Yunzhou’s first weekly memorial three years ago, he had ordered the estate to end vegetarian observance.
As a military commander, he well understood that long-term vegetarianism was detrimental to physical health.
His wife had indeed followed the order to lift dietary restrictions in the estate – except for Ye Zhen.
Her harsh treatment of her daughter-in-law contradicted her previous praises of Ye Zhen…
Could it be that all those previous compliments were false? Was his wife really, as Ye Zhen claimed, only marrying into the Ye family to cover up Xie Yunzhou’s preferences?
After a long silence, he ordered, “Keep one matron to attend the Madame. All other servants return to the capital tomorrow.”
“Since this is spiritual cultivation for recovery, meals should be light. Pickled vegetables and radishes are most nourishing for the stomach.”
Perhaps only by experiencing it herself could she truly reflect.
She should also understand that Marquis Zhongyong, who commanded troops, wasn’t someone she could easily deceive.
As for whether the mother and son had engaged in marriage fraud, Marquis Zhongyong didn’t question the Marquise further.
He was almost certain Ye Zhen’s words were true, meaning his wife had been lying earlier.
Any further questioning would only yield more lies.
He even began to think that Xie Yunzhou’s feigned death three years ago must have had his wife’s assistance, otherwise he couldn’t have remained completely unaware.
He was deeply disappointed in the Marquise, and in Xie Yunzhou as well.
“My son Yunzhou died three years ago. Although this person somewhat resembles him in appearance, he is not Xie Yunzhou. Take him out and dispose of him.”
His aide was shocked but didn’t dare simply bury him, already planning to find a good plot on the estate for the second young master.
Then came the command from Marquis Zhongyong, “Deliver the Qu Ba Gao (Scar Removal Cream) bestowed by His Majesty last time to Shaofuren. Inform her that the recent incidents at the estate need not be mentioned again.”
He would no longer investigate the true cause of Yun Zhou’s death.
In Marquis Zhongyong’s heart, his son’s feigned death three years ago was akin to desertion on the battlefield.
A deserter wasn’t worth wasting time on.
Moreover, when his son had chosen to fake his death three years prior, he had already abandoned his father. The Marquis had grieved for three years, while they watched his suffering without uttering a word.
Remembering how Ye Zhen and her maid had relied on fantasies to satisfy their cravings, he added,
“Everyone has endured hardships during this journey. The mountains are abundant with game this season. Hunt more and prepare a feast tonight to reward the troops. Send extra portions to Shaofuren as well.”
This was his compensation to Ye Zhen.
But nothing more.
His aide hesitated, “Should we attempt to counter those rumors?”
“Pay them no mind.”
Any efforts would only appear as attempts to cover up the truth in the ears of those determined to believe otherwise, inadvertently fueling the gossip. It was better to steadfastly deny everything. In time, when others found the matter uninteresting, it would naturally fade away.
Upon receiving the scar removal cream, Ye Zhen knew Marquis Zhongyong believed her. She had taken another step closer to revenge.
Elated, Ye Zhen expressed her gratitude with genuine sincerity and personally escorted the messenger to the gate.
But upon returning, she found Xie Tingzhou lounging lazily in her room.
Xie Tingzhou came straight to the point, “You killed the County Magistrate.”