Seeing Madam Jiang’s fury, Nanny Li quickly dragged Concubine Liu out.

Concubine Liu continued wailing incessantly, but Nanny Li directly stuffed a handkerchief from her hand down her throat.

Liu Chengxiang was also brought over. As soon as Madam Jiang saw him, she gave a cold shout, frightening Liu Chengxiang so much that he dropped to his knees with a thud.

A servant woman repeated Madam Jiang’s words to him. Liu Chengxiang kowtowed repeatedly. “Madam, rest assured. This humble one will certainly watch over Liu Zhu carefully and absolutely won’t let her speak a single word about the marquis manor outside.”

Madam Jiang glared at him furiously, waving her hand in extreme disgust to have people take him away.

As soon as Liu Chengxiang left Jiangxiang Courtyard, his expression turned gloomy. He stood outside the hanging flower gate quietly waiting for Liu Zhu.

The Chengyang Marquis Manor, entirely in white, emanated a sinister air. Usually, the various courtyards were noisy and lively, but now they were silent. Even servants walking would subconsciously lighten their steps, afraid of disturbing something.

When Concubine Liu was brought out, both her cheeks had been slapped into bruised, swollen messes. Seeing Liu Chengxiang, she couldn’t help but cry with a gaping mouth.

Fresh red bloodstains filled the gaps between her teeth—clearly Nanny Li had struck ruthlessly today.

“Elder Brother…”

Liu Zhu broke free from Nanny Li and threw herself violently at Liu Chengxiang.

“Please plead with Madam on my behalf. I cannot leave the marquis manor…”

If she left the marquis manor, how could she continue to eat well, drink well, and live the life of a concubine? Moreover, her parents had long since passed away. Her only relative left was Liu Chengxiang’s family. She was still counting on Liu Liansheng to support her in old age.

Now that even Jiang Yan was gone, if she also left the marquis manor, how could she survive?

“Elder Brother, I truly cannot leave the marquis manor.”

Liu Chengxiang’s eyelids twitched. Gritting his teeth, he forcefully dragged Liu Zhu back to his servant quarters.

Liu Zhu cried the entire way. By the time they reached the courtyard where Liu Chengxiang lived, she was crying even harder. The surrounding servants came out to watch the excitement. After asking and learning that Concubine Liu had been driven out of the manor by Madam, they all pulled their heads back in.

“You watch her first. I’ll be right back.”

Liu Chengxiang pushed Liu Zhu into the room. Liu Zhu’s sister-in-law stood at the door with swollen eyelids, staring at her without saying a word.

“Sister-in-law…”

“Ptui!”

Liu family’s daughter-in-law spat directly in Liu Zhu’s face. “You wretched creature deserve this day. Yan’er…”

Her tone choked with emotion, tears instantly falling in a stream from her eyes. “Such a good child as Yan’er would die young—it’s all because you, this harbinger of misfortune, cursed him. The one who should die is you!”

“From childhood, I told you—told you not to mistreat him day after day. For glory, wealth, and honor, you didn’t even want your own son. You deserve this—deserve to be driven out of the manor in your old age.”

Liu family’s daughter-in-law gritted her teeth, cursing Liu Zhu over and over.

Jiang Yan wasn’t her child and had an additional layer of master status. Normally, she rarely saw him, but she knew that child Yan’er was good—soft-hearted inside.

Every time Yan’er saw her, he would call her “Maternal Aunt,” and privately he had sent her many things.

She had merely secretly sent him medicine and food a few times in Liu Chengxiang’s name when Jiang Yan was beaten severely. This child had always kept it in his heart.

Even a while ago when Qing Zhai left the manor, he had sent her some banknotes. Qing Zhai’s exact words were that she couldn’t leave even one fen of the master’s belongings to Concubine Liu.

These past few days, her heartache over Jiang Yan had hurt every part of her body. Her eyelids were so swollen from crying she could barely open them.

And what about Liu Zhu?

Did she look at all like someone whose son had passed? Not only were her cheeks rosy and plump, she had even applied powder on her face!

“It’s precisely because your heart and liver are blackened that Yan’er left early. Heaven knows not to let such a good child as Yan’er support you in old age. When you’re old, you’ll only deserve to become a beggar woman begging for food on the streets, without meals during the day or shelter at night.”

“It was you who cursed Yan’er to death. It was you.”

“You deserve to live a life like a rat crossing the street, beaten by everyone!”

“You’re spouting nonsense.”

Liu Zhu suddenly stood up, speaking incoherently. “Haven’t I been good enough to that little beast? Did I shortchange him food or clothing? That he could be the dignified Second Master Yan before others—wasn’t it all because I constantly fawned like a dog to everyone in the manor from top to bottom?”

“And what qualification do you have to speak to me? Over these years, didn’t most of the silver I collected go into your household? Fine! Now that my son is gone, you dare straighten your back and speak loudly to me. How come I never saw you ordering me around in the past?”

“Don’t forget—Elder Brother and Liansheng promised to support me in old age. I’ve given you quite a bit of silver over these years!”

How had she been bad to that little beast? If it weren’t for her, Liu Zhu, could that little beast have been reborn into the marquis manor and become the manor’s Second Master from birth?

“That little beast was unfilial to his birth mother. It’s good he died—saves bringing another thing like him into this world to suffer like I did.”

Liu Zhu glared furiously at her sister-in-law, quite certain that Liu Chengxiang wouldn’t do anything to her.

She had been arrogant and domineering like this for so many years. Moreover, Liu Chengxiang had taken so much of her private silver—how would he dare not treat her well?

If he didn’t treat her well, even their parents underground wouldn’t let him off.

“I treated that little beast badly? How can you say that with a straight face? I’m his birth mother—how could I treat him badly? His fortune is thin—he doesn’t have the good fate to enjoy wealth and honor. Can that also be blamed on me?”

“Ptui! Shameless woman.”

Hearing these words, Liu family’s daughter-in-law’s eyes turned blood-red. She directly jumped on Liu Zhu and swung her arms left and right, slapping her.

Liu Chengxiang entered with a bowl, shouting loudly, “What are you doing?”

“Elder Brother, your wife is hitting me.”

Liu Zhu covered her face. Taking advantage of Liu family’s daughter-in-law’s unpreparedness, she viciously scratched her face.

The two women became entangled in a fight again. Liu Chengxiang stepped forward and forcefully flung them apart.

Liu Zhu got up and looked at her sister-in-law provocatively.

“Over these years, I’ve given you so much silver. Don’t think just because… mmph…”

Before she could finish speaking, Liu Chengxiang grabbed her jaw and forcefully held her teeth clamped shut.

“Pour it into her.”

Without a word of question about what it was, Liu family’s daughter-in-law took it and poured it into Liu Zhu’s mouth.

Liu Zhu struggled, trying to spit it out, but was firmly held down by her elder brother and sister-in-law covering her mouth and nose.

Only after seeing that entire bowl of medicine had been drunk by Liu Zhu did the Liu Chengxiang couple release her.

Liu Zhu only felt a severe burning in her throat. She rolled on the ground in pain, spitting blood mouthful after mouthful, but couldn’t speak a single word.

Liu family’s daughter-in-law asked in panic, “What was that?”

“Ammonium chloride mixed with gallnut water—something from the outer courtyard for removing iron rust.”

“Then Liu Zhu, she… she won’t die, will she?”

Liu Chengxiang snorted coldly. “She won’t die. It just burned her throat.”

“Come with me to throw her out, so she doesn’t make a scene in the courtyard.”

“Throw… throw her out?”

“What—do you want to disobey Madam’s orders, or do you want to support her?”

Hearing this, Liu family’s daughter-in-law followed Liu Chengxiang. Each person grabbed one of Liu Zhu’s arms and directly threw her outside the Chengyang Marquis Manor.

A servant woman reported to Madam Jiang that Liu Zhu had been driven away by the two of them. Madam Jiang heard and nodded indifferently, too lazy to care further.

Seeing that this chaotic situation had been properly handled, Qi Shun’s wife then stepped forward to Madam Jiang’s ear and whispered a few words softly.