Favoring the concubine and killing the wife? She divorced the concubine and lived with her concubine

Xue Wu and Master Cui were both waiting in the main hall for the servants to invite Xiao Lan. Xue Wu had a worried look on his face and no one knew what he was thinking about, but Master Cui was leisurely admiring a painting hanging in the main hall.

Xiao Lan hurried over with someone who could speak to her family, because the person who reported it said that Captain Xue and Master Cui had something important to discuss. She was ready to offer some polite greetings when she entered, but Master Cui didn't give her the chance.

"Madam, Lord Su wants you to go to the yamen to identify the body." Before Xue Wujiang could finish his long-considered, tactful words, Cui explained his purpose. There was no trace of sympathy or comfort in his voice, as if what he had just said was Lord Su inviting Xiao Lan to tea.

When Xiao Lan heard the word "identify the body," she was speechless for a moment. Her expression was frozen in a polite smile, unable to change for a moment.

It was Mother Xu who exclaimed, "Identify the body? What do you mean by identifying the body? Who's in trouble?" The more Mother Xu asked, the uglier Xiao Lan's expression became. Currently, only Sun Shaohua and Sun Jiye were out of the Sun family, but the temple was only a few dozen miles outside the city. It shouldn't be...

Xue Wu glared at Master Cui, but Master Cui didn't care.

"Madam, Master Sun and Young Master Sun encountered robbers on the mountain road. Now the servant and Master Sun are dead on the road, and Young Master Sun is nowhere to be found."

Xue Wu's words were not very tactful, but he did explain the matter clearly.

Xiao Lan looked up at Xue Wu, confusion and a hint of hope in her eyes. "Jiye's disappearance means he's very likely still alive, right?"

Xue Wu felt that the robbers wanted to kidnap Sun Jieye for a ransom, so he guessed that Sun Jieye was alive now. "It is very likely..." He looked at Xiao Lan firmly, and it was this look that made Xiao Lan feel a little better.

She could feel her hands and feet getting cold, but she didn't show any expression on her face. Master Cui was looking at Xiao Lan from behind Xue Wu, his eyes seemed to see through Xiao Lan's trying hard.

"I can't go to the government office. I have to wait for news from the kidnappers at home. Perhaps a letter demanding a ransom will arrive soon." This wasn't the information age, and demands couldn't be made over the phone. So, she had to deliver a letter or someone else. Xiao Lan felt that every visitor might be connected to the kidnappers, so she had to wait here, not missing a single clue.

Ever since Sun Jiye cried in Xiao Lan's arms, his dependence on her has grown, becoming even more clingy than Xin'er. Even before leaving, he lingered in her arms for a long time, promising to be back soon and asking Xiao Lan to take care of herself and not to worry. These memories now felt like a knife piercing her heart. Xiao Lan slowly sat down in a chair to the side, clutching the handkerchief tightly.

Mother Xu was a bit bewildered behind him, worried that Xiao Lan wouldn't be able to handle the bad news. The Madam and Master Sun had been getting along peacefully for the past few days, even playing together in the yard with Jiye and Xin'er. Everything seemed to be going in a good direction for the family, so why had this happened?

Xiao Lan had previously gathered all the maids and servants for a talk. The main point was that the child had been through a lot, which had a significant impact on his character. Everyone should take good care of him, based on principles. Xiao Lan's words were so moving that everyone understood the child's pity and had a different perspective on this previously mischievous young master. Suddenly, this person was kidnapped, and everyone was genuinely worried.

Haitang had shallow eye sockets and had already started crying. Seeing her like this, everyone also wiped their tears silently.

Xiao Lan, though seemingly calm on the outside, was actually swirling with turbulent emotions. She couldn't understand why things had taken this turn. She had clearly let bygones be bygones, yet it seemed as if she had sent someone to their doom. If she hadn't agreed to their request for a memorial tablet at the temple, would this have never happened?

She is not a person who likes to waste time on internal conflicts, but every incident shows how important her decision is to everything around her.

Fang Qingqing was also a little worried about Sun Jiye. The fact that he was still alive was more painful than death. She didn't know how the bandits would treat the child. Seeing Xiao Lan's silence, she understood that Xiao Lan was just holding back. She knew how much Xiao Lan cared about Sun Jiye.

"Madam, the master is still waiting for you to identify the body and question it." Master Cui urged.

Fang Qingqing got angry when she heard him say that. She was dissatisfied with the indifference in Master Cui's eyes.

"What are you asking? Can't you come here and ask? It's already like this, and you still want us to come all the way here!"

Master Cui looked at Fang Qingqing with a smile on his lips, which made Fang Qingqing look even angrier.

Just as Fang Qingqing was about to explode, Jasmine appeared behind her and saluted Xue Wu and Master Cui.

"My lords, my wife is not well. Now that I've heard this tragic news, I'm afraid I can't go to the government office to report. I can ask someone else to identify the body. If you have any questions, could you please have the Sun family send a carriage to pick you up? Thank you very much!"

Jasmine spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant manner. Master Cui looked at her and before he could say anything, Xue Wu had already agreed.

"Okay, then we'll get a carriage and send someone with Master Cui back to identify the body. I'll wait here in case the kidnappers send a letter and you're not prepared to respond."

"I'll go and acknowledge it." Fang Qingqing was originally afraid of these things, but she thought that if Su Ze asked something halfway, she would be able to answer a few words, so it would be better to remind him in advance to speak more tactfully.

"Then please trouble Miss Fang to come with me." Master Cui seemed very satisfied with Fang Qingqing's initiative and simply followed Fang Qingqing.

Xiao Lan didn't want Fang Qingqing to go. After all, identifying a corpse was a cruel thing, and she was afraid Fang Qingqing wouldn't be able to handle it. But she was powerless to dissuade her, so she let her go.

She also arranged for Mother Xu and Haitang to go back and take care of Xin'er. After all, it was really unsettling to see these two people, one sighing and the other crying.

Then he asked Yu Lao, Li Si and Qian Jiu to bring a few servants who were trained in martial arts to watch the front and back doors, and to arrest anyone who came to deliver a letter.

Jasmine was left in the hall. Xue Wu wanted to go to the door to help watch, but Xiao Lan reached out and pulled Xue Wu to sit down.

"It's just a letter, I'm afraid it won't be someone from our team. Most of them would pay a little beggar to deliver it." Now that the matter is urgent, she wants to know more details about the scene.

Xue Wu was stunned for a moment after Xiao Lan held his hand. He could feel the coldness of Xiao Lan's hand and thought it would be nice if he could warm it up for her.

Seeing Xue Wu stunned, Xiao Lan urged him, "Sit down, I want to ask you something."

Xue Wu then sat down next to Xiao Lan, staring at his hand that Xiao Lan had just held in a daze.

"If it was a kidnapping, wouldn't it be more valuable to take Sun Shaohua and Sun Jiye along? Why did they only kidnap the child? Is it because they don't recognize Sun Shaohua?" Xiao Lan seemed to be asking Xue Wu, but she was actually asking herself, "No, Sun Shaohua has met more people. To save his life, he would definitely reveal his identity."

"Sun Shaohua is weak. If he resists, he won't be as tough as your kid. But he was killed with one blow, so they must be coming for the child." Xue Wu knew that Xiao Lan acted in a hurry, so he quickly put his thoughts aside and told her his analysis.

The man must have good martial arts skills, and he attacked decisively. The two servants tried to resist, but they were no match for him. There was no trace of blood on the knives in their hands, and they were seriously injured and bled to death.

"It only took them two days to pack their things and leave. Who could have timed it so accurately? After all, it only takes one day to get to the temple. If they hadn't prepared in advance, it would be hard to stumble upon them by chance."

Xiao Lan's analysis also opened Xue Wu's mind. He had originally thought that the robbers had simply happened to see the carriage on the road, robbed it, and kidnapped the child. But now it seemed that this might have been premeditated.

"Aren't the robbers who came to the Sun family before still outside? Could it be..." Xue Wu looked at Xiao Lan while asking the question. However, Xiao Lan didn't notice the suspicion in Xue Wu's eyes because she was thinking about the problem, but Jasmine saw it.

"Captain Xue, are you saying that the robbers who came to our house before might have been keeping an eye on the Sun family, so they kidnapped Young Master Sun this time?" Jasmine interrupted.

"It's hard to say..."

"That robber caused heavy losses last time, and it's not impossible that he's targeting the Sun family for revenge."

Xiao Lan did not comment on their speculation, and because of this, Xue Wu became even more suspicious.

"Captain Xue, please speak frankly." Jasmine slowly walked to Xiao Lan's side and put her hand on her shoulder, indicating that she had better listen carefully to Xue Wu's words. She knew that if everyone in the courtyard said they had never seen the bandit leader, the people in the government office would definitely not believe it.

Xiao Lan also roughly understood what she meant and looked up at Xue Wu. "Jasmine is one of us, there's no problem with speaking frankly."

"You all still remember the robbers from last time, right? Even if others don't, Madam should remember. If they're responsible this time, there's no need to hide it." Xue Wu suspected Xiao Lan hadn't revealed her face to Liu Yu because they hadn't allowed her to. Later, he thought Xiao Lan was being self-protective, fearing retaliation from the robbers, and so she refused to go to the government office to have her portrait painted.

"I think it might not be him." Although Xiao Lan hadn't seen Liu Hu for a few days, she felt that Liu Hu didn't seem like the type to kidnap Sun Jiye out of revenge. If he had only killed Sun Shaohua, Xiao Lan might still have suspected him.

"It's not him... Do you know him?" Xue Wu couldn't help but raise his voice, unable to suppress his surprise.

Jasmine's hand on Xiao Lan paused slightly. Could it be that as the rumors on the street said, the robber was really sent by the lady?