The room was very quiet. Li Guangshu looked at Concubine Bing without saying a word.
Most of the time for one cup of tea passed in the blink of an eye.
“Don’t worry, I know what I should do.” Concubine Bing spoke to break the silence.
“I—” Li Guangshu opened his mouth, as if a ball of cotton was stuck in his throat, making it difficult for him to speak.
Concubine Bing curved her lips in a smile: “I just didn’t expect that Master’s home would be a dragon’s den and tiger’s lair.”
If she hadn’t fallen into the Third Miss’s hands, she wouldn’t have needed to come to this step.
Li Guangshu smiled bitterly: “I didn’t expect it either.”
His mother was an enlightened person, his elder brother was not bright – he had thought he could be the master of the house after returning. How could he have foreseen it would turn out this way?
“Please take good care of Hao Ge’er for me.”
“Mm.”
“In the future, there’s no need to tell him he has me as his birth mother.”
Li Guangshu hesitated for a moment, then nodded: “Mm.”
Concubine Bing slowly bloomed a breathtakingly beautiful smile: “The years I spent with Master were the most comfortable days of my life. You needn’t overthink it. For people like us to end up this way is perfectly normal…”
Li Guangshu showed reluctance, looked deeply at Concubine Bing once, and closed his eyes.
Soon, the sound of a heavy object hitting the wall came, and the entire wall shook.
“Concubine Bing—” Li Guangshu held the bloodied Concubine Bing, who had crashed into the wall, and cried out loudly.
Everyone rushed in through the door one after another.
Li Guangshu held Concubine Bing tightly, tears streaming down his face.
Qiao Zhao gave Chen Guang a meaningful look.
Chen Guang understood and walked to Li Guangshu’s side, bending down to check Concubine Bing’s breathing.
“What are you doing?” Li Guangshu forcefully pushed Chen Guang.
Chen Guang didn’t budge an inch.
Li Guangshu was stunned and increased his strength.
Chen Guang pursed his lips: “Second Master, you’d better save your energy.”
“Don’t touch her!” Unable to push him away, Li Guangshu could only shout at the top of his lungs.
Chen Guang completely ignored Li Guangshu’s words, reaching out to check Concubine Bing’s breathing, muttering quietly: “If he truly cared, how could he let his beloved woman crash into a wall in front of him?”
He thought his voice was quiet, but having gotten used to speaking loudly in the military camp, his words were heard clearly by everyone present.
Qiao Zhao raised the corners of her lips and coughed lightly: “Chen Guang, how is it?”
Chen Guang straightened up: “Dead. She used great force – even her skull is shattered…”
“Ugh—” Fourth Miss Li Yan covered her mouth and ran out.
Lady Liu looked worriedly at her daughter but didn’t chase after her.
She had intentionally brought her eldest daughter to witness these scenes. Her daughter, feeling uncomfortable now, would do better to shed tears in the future.
She just hadn’t expected Concubine Bing to commit suicide by crashing into the wall like this.
This woman was truly remarkable – ruthless to others and even more ruthless to herself.
Thinking of this, Lady Liu felt a chill rising from the bottom of her heart.
If such a woman had remained in the Li family’s inner quarters, over time, she and her two daughters probably wouldn’t have even bones left.
Fortunately, the Third Miss had helped!
Lady Liu looked at Qiao Zhao with gratitude, and even Li Guangshu’s heartbroken appearance holding Concubine Bing’s corpse didn’t draw away half her attention.
Chen Guang was right – if he truly treasured Concubine Bing like his life, how could he let her crash into a wall before his eyes?
Heh, no man was as reliable as Third Miss!
Old Madam Deng frowned at the blood all over the floor and sighed deeply.
What sins had been committed? Ever since her youngest son returned, the household hadn’t had a moment’s peace.
“Alright, carry her out and bury her.”
With the person dead, there was naturally nothing more to say.
Li Guangshu stood up holding Concubine Bing’s corpse: “Mother, I want to—”
Before he could finish, Old Madam Deng interrupted: “Don’t even think about it. Concubine Bing is not permitted to be buried in the Li family cemetery!”
“Mother, Concubine Bing did bear Hao Ge’er for your son!”
Old Madam Deng sneered: “Shut your mouth! Are you blinded by pig fat? Letting a Skinny Horse be buried in the ancestral grave – aren’t you afraid the Li family ancestors will be so angry they’ll crawl out of their coffins to strangle you? There are only two options now – either spend some money to bury her in the charity cemetery, or directly drag her to the mass grave. You decide.”
“Your son understands.” Li Guangshu said dejectedly.
Concubine Bing’s corpse was quickly carried out. The bloodstains left on the floor were washed again and again, but the smell of blood could still be detected.
“Old Madam, tonight, why don’t you move to your daughter-in-law’s place? Come back after we’ve had Daoist priests perform rituals.” Lady Liu advised.
Old Madam Deng looked completely unconcerned: “This old woman conducts herself properly and sits uprightly – there’s nothing to fear.”
Seeing that she couldn’t persuade her, Lady Liu had to give up.
Qiao Zhao left Qingsong Hall and walked toward Yahe Courtyard. Passing through the small garden, she noticed Fourth Miss Li Yan sitting on a bench in a daze. She paused and walked over.
Fourth Sister was different from her – she was a truly fourteen-year-old girl. Witnessing such a bloody scene today must have been quite a shock.
“Why is Fourth Sister sitting here?” Coming before Li Yan, Qiao Zhao asked gently.
Li Yan slowly raised her head: “Third Sister?”
After calling out, she quickly stood up and forced a smile: “Third Sister, please sit.”
Qiao Zhao sat down naturally and smiled: “Fourth Sister, sit too.”
The two sisters sat side by side on the wooden bench.
In February in the Capital, the wind was still cold. There was almost no green visible in the small garden. Li Yan was pale, wringing her fingers, wanting to speak but hesitating.
Qiao Zhao’s attitude was gentle: “Does Fourth Sister have something she wants to say?”
Li Yan closed her eyes. Perhaps Lady Liu’s constant instruction had taken effect, as she instinctively regarded the cousin sister before her as someone she could depend on.
“Third Sister, whenever I close my eyes, I see Concubine Bing covered in blood lying in Father’s arms.”
“Were you frightened?” Qiao Zhao reached out and grasped Li Yan’s hand.
Li Yan shivered, her eyes confused: “I don’t know… I think of Concubine Bing looking like that and feel somewhat pitiful… No, no, I shouldn’t pity her, but I can’t help thinking – must wives and concubines always fight to the death like this?”
The young girl spoke incoherently, clearly having received quite a shock.
After hearing Li Yan’s words, Qiao Zhao didn’t answer immediately.
She hadn’t experienced struggles between wives and concubines.
Her grandfather only had a grandmother – he never had concubines or chamber maids his whole life. When her father was approaching middle age, her mother had actively arranged for him to take a chambermaid, but he rarely set foot in the chambermaid’s room. That chambermaid didn’t even dare breathe loudly in front of her mother, let alone think of competing.
As for herself… in her previous life, she was married for over two years without seeing her husband. Forget having no concubines – even if there were concubines, there probably wouldn’t be any competition. Playing cards together to pass the time would be more likely.
“Third Sister, am I thinking wrongly?” Li Yan felt somewhat ashamed.
Mother had her stay by her side to watch to train her, but she was being so disappointing.
“Third Sister—” Li Yan called out anxiously.
She dared not speak these doubts to her mother – Mother would surely be furious.
Qiao Zhao offered dry comfort: “Between wives and concubines, it’s probably either the east wind overwhelming the west wind, or the west wind overwhelming the east wind.”
Li Yan was silent for a while before asking: “If your future brother-in-law takes concubines, what will you do?”