novelzi Chapter 147
Chapter 147
Li Xia felt helpless. She had merely gone to the outhouse, and Xu Xinyue didn't need to be so overly cautious.
"I'll go with you," Xu Xinyue said, fearing that if she let go of Li Xia's hand, she might return injured again. The three days in Liuzhou had truly frightened her and successfully made her develop a phobia of temples. If it weren't for Mrs. Lu's annual custom, Xu Xinyue wouldn't have wanted Li Xia to come and burn incense at all.
"Don't worry, Mother. I have Qiu Chan and Qiu Ling with me. They're quite capable," Li Xia said, giving a knowing look to Qiu Chan and Qiu Ling.
"We will stay with Young Miss at all times," Qiu Chan and Qiu Ling repeatedly assured they would look after Li Xia.
Only then did Xu Xinyue release her grip. Li Xia withdrew her hand, noting that her mother's palm was sweaty from holding on for so long. She took the handkerchief Qiu Ling offered and wiped the sweat from her hands.
After leaving the outhouse and washing her hands, Li Xia suddenly stopped on the way back.
Seeing Li Xia halt, Qiu Ling looked around and asked, "Young Miss, what's wrong?"
"I smell blood."
"It's probably from the kitchen slaughtering—" Qiu Chan's words were cut short by Qiu Ling's piercing glare.
"Temples forbid killing; how could they be slaughtering animals?" Qiu Ling was exasperated by Qiu Chan's words.
"This isn't animal blood, it's human blood," Li Xia said. Having smelled blood most often in the post-apocalyptic world, she could distinguish it without careful examination. Her words prompted Qiu Chan and Qiu Ling to quickly surround her, one in front and one behind, worried that an assassin might suddenly appear.
"There's no one else here," Li Xia's words slightly reassured the two. She walked towards the source of the blood smell.
"Young Miss, shouldn't we inform Young Master Li first?" Qiu Ling, concerned for Li Xia's safety, suggested notifying Li Hui to bring people.
Qiu Ling's words reminded Li Xia. "Qiu Ling, go notify my brother and the temple masters. Qiu Chan and I will go check it out first."
Qiu Ling glanced at Qiu Chan and then at her own build before quickly leaving.
"Get up. I was just upset earlier."
"It's all because this servant failed in her duties. Please punish me, Mistress," Mei Saniang remained kneeling, asking for punishment.
Fourth Miss Lu's suppressed anger flared up again. She picked up a cup, intending to throw it, but put it down, controlling her temper. "I told you to get up, so get up. Let's forget about this matter this time."
"Thank you, Mistress," Mei Saniang kowtowed before leaving.
Watching Mei Saniang depart, Fourth Miss Lu muttered something. Although her voice was low, Li Xia heard it clearly. The corpse was meant to frame the Lu family. This Fourth Miss Lu intended to ruin the Lu family, and she didn't plan to spare the Li family, who had marriage ties with the Lu family.
Several consecutive nights of investigation led Li Xia to find a notebook recording Fourth Miss Lu's subsequent plans to deal with the Li family. She planned to arrange false evidence to prove that the Li family was in contact with the rebel prince, with the Lu family as inside agents. The Cao Family supported this plan.
The Cao Family supporting a rebel prince? Fourth Miss Lu must be out of her mind. The Crown Prince was the legitimate heir; there was no need for this. Li Xia couldn't understand why this element was included in the plan. However, Fourth Miss Lu had become obsessed with targeting both the Lu and Li families.
Li Xia decided she wouldn't let her off. Since Fourth Miss Lu wanted to go after the Li family, she would make Fourth Miss Lu fall first. Leaving the Third Prince's Mansion, Li Xia went to Tian Yi Pavilion to get something from Zhou Heng before returning to Qingyue Street.
She went back to the Third Prince's Mansion and administered some drug to Fourth Miss Lu.
After returning from Qingan Temple and careful consideration, Uncle Lu and Old Madam Lu announced that Fourth Miss Lu had suddenly fallen ill and passed away. Because Fourth Miss Lu wasn't married, Lu family rules dictated that unmarried deceased couldn't be buried in the ancestral grave. They erected a cenotaph for her on their private hill in the suburbs. As she was just a minor official's illegitimate daughter, it didn't cause much of a stir.
Fourth Miss Lu, who had been closely watching the Lu family, received news that they had announced her death. She was so angry she coughed up blood.
"Fine, very well. If the Lu family treats me without kindness, they can't blame me for being ruthless," she said, coughing up more blood. The maids around her were frightened and hurriedly called for a doctor.
The doctor came to examine her and said it was a sudden attack of anger that caused her condition. He advised Fourth Miss Lu not to get angry and to rest quietly to recuperate.
But how could Fourth Miss Lu rest quietly? Whenever she thought about how the Lu Family had left her to die, she was reminded of that night's events. Fourth Miss Lu couldn't relax; her heart and eyes were filled with hatred. She hated the assassin, hated the Fourth Prince, and hated the Lu Family even more.
After several days of such intense anger, Fourth Miss Lu's health rapidly deteriorated, and within a few days, she passed away. Li Xia, watching from the shadows as Fourth Miss Lu breathed her last, sensed a strange energy emanating from her body.