After hearing Madam Xu’s words, Jin Chao’s hands couldn’t help but tremble violently. Mother’s tragic death—was it because of Father’s words? What exactly did he say to Mother yesterday? Mother was already gravely ill, why couldn’t he be considerate of her?

She had done so much, tried so hard to save Mother, why did Gu Jin Rong tell Gu Lan about Yu Ping’s matter, why did Father never believe Mother? Why did all these people want to harm her mother? Why did they all want to harm her?

A surge of anger rose in her heart, but Jin Chao became somewhat calmer. Supporting herself on Madam Xu’s hand, she slowly controlled her tears. She felt she needed to do something—Mother couldn’t die in vain! She must do something!

Meanwhile, when Gu Dezhao learned of Lady Ji’s death, he didn’t even have time to be surprised and hurried to Xie Xiao Courtyard.

Yesterday Lady Ji was speaking to him just fine, how could she be dead today? The maid who reported couldn’t explain anything clearly, mumbling without even knowing how Lady Ji died. He flew into a rage! The people at Xie Xiao Courtyard were too thoughtless, sending such an ignorant maid!

He entered Xie Xiao Courtyard. No one stopped him, but no one came to report either. Gu Dezhao walked straight to the main hall and said sternly: “Where is everyone? How did Lady Ji die? Why can’t I even see a maid?”

The door to the inner room was open. Madam Xu heard his voice and hurriedly came out saying: “Master, Madam is in the inner room… You… please come in quickly…”

Gu Dezhao suppressed the anger in his heart and stepped into the inner room, immediately noticing Gu Jin Chao’s icy gaze on him. He couldn’t help but frown: “What are you…”

Before he could finish, he looked up and saw Lady Ji’s corpse. His eyes widened, his expression in utter disbelief.

Before arriving, he had guessed Lady Ji might have suddenly fallen ill, thinking the maids at Xie Xiao Courtyard were too careless. But now seeing how Lady Ji died, he was immediately shocked. She had deliberately strangled herself to death!

Gu Dezhao stepped back, his hands trembling!

Jin Chao stepped forward, looking at him with a smile: “Father, you’ve finally come. Were you about to scold me just now? Why aren’t you speaking? Are you also frightened by Mother’s appearance?”

“Mother didn’t die of illness, she hanged herself… You tell me, being so sick, how did she have the strength to hang herself? She could only wrap her waistband around the bedpost, and then loop it around her neck. Using her strength to roll off the couch, she could strangle herself to death…”

Gu Dezhao couldn’t speak. He slowly walked forward, but as if frightened by Lady Ji’s corpse, retreated several steps.

“She… how could she hang herself, why would she be so desperate… This… is truly inappropriate!”

Jin Chao said softly: “Inappropriate? Father, you could wrong Mother like this, what else is inappropriate!”

“Mother did so much for you all these years. It’s fine if you don’t remember her kindness, but why treat her this way? She was already so ill, couldn’t you be considerate and not say hurtful words?”

“Did you want to drive her to death to be satisfied!”

Jin Chao could no longer control herself. After saying the last sentence, she couldn’t help but cry again!

How could she not be heartbroken at Mother’s death like this? But besides grief, she had many things to do! Mother couldn’t die in vain!

Gu Dezhao’s mind was in turmoil. He had thought… thought Lady Ji was just using her illness to make trouble, thought she harmed Concubine Yun out of jealousy, thought after so many years, she had become completely different. He had also thought that no matter what he did, Lady Ji wouldn’t resist. With her temperament, she would only gently endure, pretending nothing happened. He had always known… so he allowed himself to do these things!

He forgot that Lady Ji had a strong temperament. When his harshness reached its limit, she would also resist!

This was her resistance!

Gu Dezhao became somewhat flustered. He had long known she might one day die. But when she died like this before him, he found it unacceptable. After all… Lady Ji had been with him for twenty years!

“What I said wasn’t entirely wrong, she… she harmed Concubine Yun, and put Da Huang in her own medicine…” Gu Dezhao mumbled as if trying to defend himself.

Jin Chao coldly looked at her father. At this moment, she truly couldn’t help wanting to rush up and shake him awake! Looking at Mother’s corpse, he still dared to say such things!

“Harmed Concubine Yun? Father, why don’t you think, if Mother truly envied Concubine Yun, would she have raised her status for you? If she truly intended to harm Concubine Yun, would she need to switch medicines? Would she need to wait until Concubine Yun was eight months pregnant to act!”

“You say Mother put Da Huang in her own medicine? I can tell you, that I discovered the Da Huang! My maid saw Song Miaohua’s maid conspiring with someone from the dispensary, putting Da Huang in Mother’s medicine, and only admonished her a few words. She instead told you, and you thought Mother did it! How could Mother do such a thing? It was precisely because of her long-term consumption of Da Huang that her illness repeatedly relapsed…”

Because of Lady Ji’s death, everything became clear.

Gu Dezhao’s eyes reddened, his lips trembling, speaking with difficulty: “I… I didn’t…”

“You want to say you didn’t know? Or that you didn’t mean it?” Jin Chao’s tears flowed down her cheeks as she slowly said, “Father, she was with you for twenty years. Do you know what it means ‘Song Hong doesn’t abandon his humble wife’? You don’t even understand Mother’s character, yet you dare to speak so assertively?”

Gu Dezhao tightly clenched his fists, looking at Lady Ji’s corpse curled by the bedside. She wasn’t particularly small. But after being sick for so long, her body had become so thin, curled up into just a tiny ball…

“I have wronged her…” Gu Dezhao finally sighed and said hoarsely.

Jin Chao couldn’t help interrupting: “Of course you wronged her!”

She said tearfully: “I had already arranged with the Heir of Marquis Chang Xing to find Master Xiao who treated him to treat Mother’s illness. He would arrive soon… At this time, you actually, angered Mother into hanging herself…”

So the Heir of Marquis Chang Xing came to find her because of Lady Ji’s illness!

Hearing her say this, Gu Dezhao couldn’t help saying: “This… you should have told me earlier…”

Jin Chao bit her lip in hatred: “Even if I had told you earlier, would you not have misunderstood Mother, not said those words! Would Mother not have died!”

Hearing her accusations grow louder, Gu Dezhao opened his mouth but didn’t speak for a long time.

He tightly clenched his fists, his face ashen: “If… if speaking helps you feel better, go ahead.”

“What use is it for me to speak to you! Are you truly remorseful? Will you grieve for Mother?” As she spoke, she began crying again, pulling at his sleeve and saying, “Give me back my mother! In this family, only Mother was good to me. You and Jin Rong both prefer Lan, no one likes me. I only had one mother, give me back my mother…”

Hearing these words from Jin Chao, Gu Dezhao finally couldn’t hold back his tears: “Chao, don’t say that! I am your father, how could I not like you!”

Jin Chao looked at her father and shook her head, saying: “Lan slandered me behind my back… You only punished her by copying texts. I didn’t grow up in front of you, you never spoke gently to me. For how Lan and I are now, you deserve much credit… You failed as a husband, and also failed as a father!”

These words were truly disrespectful! Yet Gu Dezhao didn’t even notice. After hearing Jin Chao’s words, he stood there stunned, his face pale.

After speaking, Jin Chao no longer wanted to look at Gu Dezhao. She took a deep breath, withdrew from the inner room, saw the clear blue sky after the rain outside, and gradually calmed down.

Someone still needed to arrange Mother’s funeral matters. If she couldn’t handle it, who else could? Most importantly, with Mother dying like this, she had to hold someone accountable and seek justice for Mother.

Madam Xu was waiting to the side. Seeing Gu Jin Chao silent for a long time, she also didn’t speak.

Jin Chao turned around and asked Madam Xu: “Have you sent someone to inform the sisters and concubines about Mother’s death?”

Madam Xu shook her head: “I haven’t yet, fearing the news would spread. Only Mo Yu and I know about this. I’ve sent the maids and servants to the back courtyard to do other things.”

Jin Chao said calmly: “That’s good then. Now have the maids inform each concubine to come… they must know eventually.”

She thought for a moment, then added: “Also, go to the outer courtyard and ask Guard Xue to tell Grandmother in Tongzhou, then send someone to Seven Direction Hutong to call Gu Jin Rong back… I’m still unmarried and shouldn’t arrange Mother’s funeral. You go to the ancestral home, and ask the Second Madam of the ancestral home to come help.”

Madam Xu saw that although Gu Jin Chao’s eyes were still red and swollen, her face haggard, she had pulled through and could give instructions. She agreed: “I’ll go right away.”

The maids of Xie Xiao Courtyard heard the orders and went to the residences of the concubines and young ladies.

Song Miaohua was having breakfast with Gu Lan when they heard the reporting maid’s words. She was so shocked she spilled a bowl of lotus seed and barley porridge.

“The Madam has passed away? What exactly happened?”

The one reporting was just a small maid from Xie Xiao Courtyard, who replied: “This servant has been busy in the back courtyard and truly doesn’t know. Concubine might as well go see… Xie Xiao Courtyard is in a flurry of activity, this servant must take leave now.”

Hearing the news of Lady Ji’s death, Gu Lan was also very surprised. After the surprise came relief. With Lady Ji dead, she had reason not to marry Young Master Mu! But Lady Ji’s death was truly strange. Although her health was weak, she didn’t seem on the verge of dying from illness!

Just as Gu Lan was about to ask Concubine Song something, she noticed her face looked very unwell. She shook her hand and said softly: “Mother, why do you not seem very happy… Isn’t Lady Ji’s death a good thing?”

Song Miaohua sighed: “Although that may be so, I feel very uneasy. Her death is too strange… not knowing how she died.” She glanced at the magenta ruyi-patterned skirt Gu Lan was wearing, “Hurry back and change into something plain. I’ll go to Xie Xiao Courtyard first, you change your clothes and come quickly!”

Gu Lan dared not delay and hurriedly returned to Cui Xuan Courtyard to change clothes.