Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

Jing'an Marquis Mansion, Li'an Garden.

As night fell, the moonlight was dim, barely enough to outline the scenery in the courtyard.

Chunya paced anxiously in front of the main door, her brows furrowed, and she looked up at the courtyard gate from time to time. It was already late, but the young lady and Lengshuang had not returned yet, which made her worried and depressed.

She couldn't help but stamp her feet and muttered to herself, "Hmph! Next time I must stick to the young lady like a dog-skin plaster and never let her out of my sight again..."

"Hey, the dog-skin plaster is not as cute as you." A teasing voice came from the door, interrupting Chunya's mumbling.

Chunya looked up and saw the familiar figure of Xie Qingli. She was so excited that she almost cried out loud. She took two quick steps to greet her and said in a trembling voice, "Miss, you are finally back!"

Her mouth pursed, her eyes filled with tears, and she said aggrievedly, "Miss, why did you come back so late? I was so worried!"

Xie Qingli stroked Chunya's head and said softly, "Don't worry, I was just delayed by something." She curled her lips into a smile and urged, "Hurry up and get Lengshuang and me something to eat. We've been so busy today that we haven't had time to eat."

The grievance in Chunya's heart disappeared in an instant. She nodded vigorously and said happily: "Everything is prepared for you, young lady. You can eat after changing your clothes!" After that, she turned around and walked quickly towards the small kitchen.

A moment later, Xie Qingli and Leng Shuang sat down at the dining table. The steaming dishes exuded an enticing aroma. Chunya stood beside Xie Qingli, concentrating on putting her favorite dishes into her bowl.

Xie Qingli pushed Chunya to sit on the chair beside him and chuckled, "There are no outsiders here, so you don't have to follow those rules."

She paused, a look of solemnity flashing across her eyes, and asked softly, "Have you found out what happened to those two children in the mourning hall this morning?"

Chunya nodded, her expression becoming serious. She whispered, "I found out. I first secretly went to find Cai'er, the maid from the second house. Cai'er was very scared at first and said that the second master had forbidden them to discuss this matter, so she didn't dare to speak."

Chunya paused, a sly look flashing in her eyes. "When I saw Cai'er's hesitation, I took off the pearl flower from her hair and put it in her hand. She then told me that the two children seemed to be siblings, and that the Second Master had brought them back home early this morning. She heard that the Second Master wanted to give the little girl to Young Master Xuan as his wife, and to register the little boy as his son!"

Xie Qingli's eyes widened in surprise. She couldn't believe her ears and asked in confusion, "Xuan'er is only twelve years old, and he's already dead. Why would Second Uncle still find him a wife and a son?"

Chunya scratched her head, her face full of confusion and bewilderment. "I don't quite understand either. Cai'er said that the servants of the Second House were discussing privately. Some speculated that the Second Master wanted to continue the Second House's family line; some speculated that the Second Master doted on Young Master Xuan too much and was afraid that he would be lonely, so he found him a wife and son to complete the family; and some said that this was the custom back home in Qingzhou."

Xie Qingli frowned slightly, thinking carefully, and muttered, "First, my second uncle is in his prime and can still have children. My grandmother gave him so many new concubines with the intention of expanding his family line, so the reason of continuing the family line is untenable."

"Secondly," she continued, her voice lowering, "Xuan'er is already dead, but those two children are still alive. How can he not be lonely, separated by Yin and Yang? This reason is also untenable, unless..."

Xie Qingli's eyes turned cold and he didn't continue speaking.

Leng Shuang's frosty face also showed a crack, and he said coldly: "If that's the case, the second master is worse than pigs and dogs!"

Chunya didn't catch the hidden meaning in Xie Qingli's words. She blinked her eyes and asked in confusion, "Unless what? Why is the Second Master worse than pigs and dogs?"

Xie Qingli sighed softly. She did not answer Chunya's question. That was her darkest speculation about Xie Jingliang, and she really didn't want to say it out loud.

After a moment of silence, she continued, "Chun Ya, has Cai Er ever told you why some people say that's the custom back home in Qingzhou?"

Chunya's face showed an embarrassment. She shook her head and said, "Cai'er doesn't know who said that. I wanted to ask someone about the rules in Qingzhou, but after asking around, I found out that all the servants in the mansion were hired after the Xie family arrived in Shengjing City. There were no people brought from Qingzhou by the Xie family."

Xie Qingli raised a faint smile at the corner of his lips and said softly, "No, there is a person who came from Qingzhou."

Chunya asked curiously, "Who is it?"

"Madam Xu." Leng Shuang put down her bowl and chopsticks. She couldn't stand this silly girl anymore and couldn't help but tell her the answer.

A look of sudden realization flashed across Chunya's face. She smiled and said, "Yes, yes, yes. Madam Xu has always been with the old lady, and now she helps the old lady manage the entire mansion. She is the most powerful servant in our mansion. I actually forgot about her. Leng Shuang, you are so smart!"

Xie Qingli smiled and patted Chunya's shoulder, saying softly, "Okay, don't worry about Aunt Xu. I'll go see her tomorrow morning. You've been busy all day, and it's getting late. Pack up and go to bed early!"

Chunya nodded in agreement, called Zhenzhu and Yuanbao to clean up the table, and then left.

Xie Qingli and Leng Shuang were the only ones left in the room. Xie Qingli whispered, "How was the tracking today? Did you find anything?"

Leng Shuang clumsily combed Xie Qingli's long hair as she replied, "I followed Han Jun's carriage, which sped all the way until it drove straight into a house in the west of the city. I saw that the house was hidden deep in a narrow alley, with no other houses around. Fearing an ambush in the courtyard, I didn't dare to rush in. I could only hide in a nearby tree and observe from afar."

"The mansion was occupied by a thin old man, his clothes tattered. Various herbs were drying in the yard. Han Jun's groom carried him directly into the yard. By then, Han Jun's poisoning symptoms were extremely severe. He whispered 'Master' and passed out."

"The old man rushed over upon hearing the noise and took Han Jun's pulse, but he didn't show the slightest bit of concern. Instead, he called him 'waste'. He pressed a few acupuncture points on Han Jun's body, then hummed a song as he went back to prepping herbs. He didn't look like his apprentice had been poisoned at all, but rather as if he had encountered a great fortune."

"About a cup of tea later, the old man had prepared the herbs. He clapped his hands, and a boy of eight or nine came out of the next room. His steps were stiff, his eyes were dull, and he sat down by the stove, staring intently, and began to boil the medicine. Throughout the whole process, his movements were extremely strange, just like those bewitched Taoist priests I met last time at Xuanjing Temple..."