Li Guangshu looked completely bewildered: “Your son doesn’t know.”
“Don’t know, don’t know – I suppose you also don’t know that this little concubine of yours dares to kill people?”
“Your son truly doesn’t know.” Li Guangshu said painfully.
The atmosphere in the room was particularly oppressive. Seeing Qiao Zhao emerge from the inner room, Old Madam Deng hurriedly asked: “Is Nanny Rong awake?”
“She’s awake.”
Old Madam Deng went inside.
Seeing Nanny Rong lying on the bed with her head wrapped in bloodstained bandages, her expression vacant, Old Madam Deng’s eyes couldn’t help but moisten.
“Nanny Rong, are you feeling better?”
Nanny Rong nodded vacantly.
Old Madam Deng felt slightly relieved and then asked: “Do you still remember what exactly happened? Where did Concubine Bing go?”
Nanny Rong shuddered as if frightened.
Old Madam Deng gently patted her hand, not daring to rush her.
After a long while, Nanny Rong finally came to her senses and said with a pale face: “Old Madam, Concubine Bing, she went mad!”
“How did she go mad?” Old Madam Deng’s heart tightened upon hearing this.
Nanny Rong recalled intermittently: “This old servant took the abortion medicine to give to Concubine Bing, but she completely refused to accept it. This old servant had two maids hold her down, but they couldn’t restrain her. In a moment of carelessness, she pushed this old servant hard, and then my head hit the wall and I knew nothing more. Oh, right, what about the two maids? Didn’t they stop Concubine Bing?”
Old Madam Deng and Lady Liu exchanged glances. She smiled reassuringly at Nanny Rong: “Nanny Rong, I understand the situation now. Rest well.”
Nanny Rong was filled with shame: “Old Madam, it’s all this old servant’s uselessness – I couldn’t even handle such a small matter for you.”
Old Madam Deng waved her hand: “This isn’t your fault. We can only blame Concubine Bing—”
Thinking of the two maids stabbed to death with gold hairpins, Old Madam Deng felt a chill in her heart.
What exactly was this Concubine Bing’s background? Even with maternal instincts making one strong, she’d never heard of any household’s concubine killing two people just to avoid drinking contraceptive medicine.
After returning to the reception hall, Old Madam Deng glared fiercely at Li Guangshu and said with anguish: “Beast! This is all your doing!”
Li Guangshu felt quite wronged: “Mother, your son truly never imagined this.”
Qiao Zhao sat quietly beside Old Madam Deng. Seeing Binglu standing outside the window, making eye signals at her, she quietly slipped out.
“What is it?”
“Miss, Chen Guang is looking for you,” Binglu said in a low voice.
Qiao Zhao nodded to show she understood and brought Binglu to meet Chen Guang at the second gate.
“Chen Guang, what do you need me for?” Qiao Zhao had a vague guess in her heart.
“Miss, that Concubine Bing from your residence is quite something. Not long ago, she climbed over the wall to escape and was caught red-handed by brothers hiding in the shadows. The brothers felt something was suspicious and sent me to ask you.”
Besides Third Miss, any other woman climbing walls had problems!
Uh, why was Third Miss an exception? Heh, anyone asking that question was naively ignorant. The third Miss had even pretended to be a ghost and run to the Minister’s residence to scare people – what was climbing a wall compared to that?
“Where is Concubine Bing?” Chen Guang’s words confirmed Qiao Zhao’s guess.
Ever since the Jinlin Guards had suffered successive upheavals, Shao Mingyuan had stationed people to secretly guard outside the Li residence. She had known that Concubine Bing escaping from the Li residence would most likely fall into those personal guards’ hands.
Chen Guang said with a cheerful smile: “The brothers thought it better to catch someone wrongly than let them go, so they detained Concubine Bing and are now waiting for your word.”
That Concubine Bing was truly a stunning beauty. Keeping her with the brothers too long would cause trouble – after all, those old bachelors didn’t have his self-control.
“Bring Concubine Bing here.”
After waiting for a while, Chen Guang arrived carrying Concubine Bing.
The moment she saw Qiao Zhao, Concubine Bing’s gaze became as dark and deep as midnight.
“Keep staring at our Third Miss like that and I’ll gouge out your eyes!” Binglu warned with a stern face.
Concubine Bing lowered her eyelids.
“Take her to Qingsong Hall.” Qiao Zhao glanced at Concubine Bing and turned around.
Chen Guang handed Concubine Bing over to Binglu, instructing: “Watch her carefully.”
Binglu pursed her lips: “Stop being so wordy. I could carry her away using only half my strength.”
Qiao Zhao paused in her steps and turned back: “Chen Guang, you come with us and watch Concubine Bing.”
For Concubine Bing to knock out Nanny Rong, stab two maids to death, and escape the residence without alerting the servants of Jinrong Courtyard in such a short time – she didn’t believe it was simply maternal instincts at work.
In Qingsong Hall, Old Madam Deng decided to report to the authorities: “She killed two maids – we can’t just let such a person run away!”
Li Guangshu pleaded with a bitter face: “Mother, Concubine Bing is my concubine. If you report to the authorities, where will your son’s face be?”
“Face, face – is your face more important than other people’s lives?”
Li Guangshu frowned secretly.
Was Mother getting senile? If his face wasn’t important, was his career path also unimportant?
He was at a crucial time for official selection. If news of his concubine killing people and fleeing broke out, it would truly be troublesome.
“Grandmother, there’s no need to rush to report to the authorities.” A young woman’s cold voice came from behind Li Guangshu.
Li Guangshu’s heart relaxed, then he heard the girl’s calm, emotionless voice ring out again: “I’ve brought Concubine Bing back.”
Li Guangshu turned around abruptly.
Qiao Zhao walked in first, followed by Chen Guang carrying Concubine Bing.
“Third Girl, this is—”
Qiao Zhao said with a beaming smile: “Concubine Bing went out and happened to be seen by your granddaughter’s coachman.”
Coachman?
Li Guangshu suddenly widened his eyes and stared at Chen Guang.
Since when did coachmen also handle such matters? Wasn’t driving the carriage properly enough?
Chen Guang returned Li Guangshu a smug look.
What are you staring at? Haven’t you seen such a handsome, dashing, and capable coachman?
Li Guangshu felt completely confused: Was there something wrong with him or with the family? Why had he been constantly questioning life ever since returning to the Capital?
Old Madam Deng no longer wanted to say a single word to Concubine Bing. She waved her hand: “Second daughter-in-law, you arrange for someone to send her to the authorities. With a murder case involved, our small household can’t handle this. This person must be handed over to the honorable officials for judgment.”
“Old Madam, please rest assured. Your daughter-in-law will arrange it immediately.” Lady Liu’s heart was completely at ease.
At this point, this fox spirit could no longer stir up any waves. No matter how soft-hearted Old Madam was, she couldn’t tolerate keeping a murderer in the residence.
She looked coldly at Concubine Bing, feeling deeply moved.
She had originally thought this was just a femme fatale, but now realized she was also a venomous beauty. Unfortunately, human calculations couldn’t match Heaven’s plans – this escape had landed her right in Third Miss’s hands.
Tsk tsk, what had she said? Following the Third Miss would lead to good days.
“Mother, let me have a few words with Concubine Bing.”
Old Madam Deng stared at Li Guangshu with deep disappointment: “Second Son, are you still obsessing at this point?”
Li Guangshu lowered his eyes: “Your son and she have been together for several years after all. Speaking a few words before parting can be considered ending this sinful relationship. From now on, your son will no longer anger you.”
“The key is not angering your wife.”
“Yes, your son understands.”
Old Madam Deng pointed with her finger: “Talk in this inner room. I’ll give you the time of one cup of tea.”