"Mother!" Hu Suqing spoke with an undeniable tone, "In the current situation, if we don’t do sothing, I’m afraid that even if you use this money, you won’t be able to find a reliable family for your daughter. If that’s the case, we might as well use it now and take a gamble!"
Madam Hu looked at her daughter, her face suddenly turning ashen!
She held her daughter and said, "Child, are you really determined to enter the Marquis Mansion and beco Fourth Master Xiao’s concubine?" If one becos a concubine, no dowry is needed!
"What else?" Hu Suqing retorted, "With my condition, if I marry into a regular family, even affording daily dicine would be difficult. But among noble families with achievents, aside from the Xuanning Marquis Mansion, do we have any other option?"
Madam Hu plopped down by the bed. Of course, she wanted to marry her daughter into the Marquis Mansion and had considered her daughter becoming a concubine. But thinking about actually sending her daughter in, made her feel terrible.
Her daughter was originally supposed to be the legitimate wife of Fourth Master Xiao, and now she had to be beneath others.
How could she be happy!
Hu Suqing had long made up her mind. She said again, "Don’t think too much. As long as I enter the Marquis Mansion, I’m confident Fourth Master will put his heart on . As for Tong Xiqiu..." She squinted her eyes with a smile, "not worth ntioning!"
Madam Hu said no more, but sighed deeply, knowing that without the support of the Marquis of Xuanning, the Hu family’s future would be unimaginable. Resolute, she said, "Alright, as long as you’re well, I’ll do as you wish." With that, she turned out of the door and returned with a single-row red lacquered box: "This is all of our family’s belongings. I’m giving it all to you now."
Hu Suqing held it in her hand, her narrowed eyes full of determination.
The next day at 1 a.m., Xiqiu got up to send Fourth Master Xiao to court. Tianyi hurriedly ca in from outside, his face stiff and unpleasant: "Fourth Master!" His voice had a trace of an unclear emotion: "The Hu family’s caught fire!"
Xiqiu paused as she was putting the cap on Fourth Master Xiao, and heard him ask, "Did the Capital City Governnt send people? How did it catch fire?"
Tianyi replied, "People from the Capital City Governnt ca to report that the quadrangle courtyard was completely burned down, and a nanny and two maids died."
That ant the seriously ill Miss Hu and Madam Hu were not hard.
"Got it." Fourth Master Xiao said lightly.
Tianyi showed a hesitant expression outside. Fourth Master Xiao pulled open the curtain and walked out, looking at Tianyi and asked, "If you have sothing to say, say it all at once!"
Tianyi glanced nervously at Xiqiu who followed out, and cautiously said, "Governnt officials went to the Tong Mansion to inquire where the two uncles were last night." That is to say, they still suspected Tong Quanzi and Tong Minzhi.
Xiqiu was startled.
Her breath suddenly beca cold, and a coldness like ice appeared in Fourth Master Xiao’s eyes: "Where is Lord Zhou?"
Tianyi, sensing Fourth Master Xiao’s anger, carefully answered, "At the governnt office waiting for you, saying there are so things to discuss with you."
Fourth Master Xiao’s face was stern as he nodded, turning to look at Xiqiu, seeing her standing there with a calm face but with an anxiety showing in her eyes, he softened and embraced her saying, "It’s alright, I’m here for everything."
Tianyi silently retreated out.
"Fourth Master." Xiqiu smiled lightly at Fourth Master Xiao, "I’m not worried, I trust the Third Brother and Seventh Brother, and I trust you even more!"
Fourth Master Xiao embraced her gently, as if afraid she would be scared, he patted her back lightly and said, "I’ll go first, and if there’s any news, I’ll have soone co back and tell you."
Xiqiu nestled in Fourth Master Xiao’s arms and nodded: "Okay."
Fourth Master Xiao released Xiqiu and strode out the door. Tianyi waited for him in the courtyard, and he stopped to instruct: "You stay ho, and no matter who cos, if the Madam doesn’t want to see them, don’t let them in!"
"Yes!" Tianyi bowed his head in acknowledgnt.
Fourth Master Xiao waved his robe and went out. Xiqiu called Sister Chunliu in and instructed: "Go back to the mansion and see how things are at ho now."
Sister Chunliu acknowledged and left.
In the marketplace, the news of the Hu family’s midnight fire spread like wings and instantly beca the greatest and most interesting new event in the Capital in recent days.
Because this incident involved the newly-declared Grand Commander Xiao.
Once again, Fourth Master Xiao’s romantic affairs beca the talk of the town, during tea and als, saying that Fourth Master Xiao heroically saved the beauty, sought dical treatnt for Miss Hu, and devoted himself to her... After Fourth Madam Xiao learned of it, she beca secretly jealous and instigated her brothers-in-law to tamper with Miss Hu’s carriage, using vicious ans to try to doom Miss Hu. Fortunately, Miss Hu escaped by so miracle...
But clearly Fourth Madam Xiao didn’t intend to let Miss Hu go, and when the Capital City Governnt announced they would thoroughly investigate the accident involving the carriage, the Hu family was burnt to ashes by a sudden fire. At that ti, the coachwoman and maids accompanying Miss Hu all perished in the fire, even the horses pulling the carriage were poisoned, and Miss Hu herself almost died in the fire.
But the witnesses and evidence were all eradicated.
Once the rumor spread.
Fourth Master Xiao and Hu Suqing beca a pair of ill-fated lovers, and Fourth Madam Xiao beca the malicious original wife who cruelly broke them apart!
If soone asked, the accident involving the carriage and the fire at the Hu family’s place were both incidents and why would it involve Fourth Madam Xiao.
Soone would firmly tell that person, the fact that the two uncles from Fourth Madam’s family were questioned by governnt officials is the best proof.
Sister Chunliu noisily shattered the teacup in her hand on the ground, pointed at the door, and cursed: "She becos the aloof and noble lady in the story, while our Madam turns into the villain. Truly shaless, absolutely shaless!" Bihuai listened, shocked, quickly closed the door, and pulled Sister Chunliu saying: "Sister Chunliu, the Madam is still in the room, you can’t let her see you like this, lest it troubles her heart."
Sister Chunliu was fuming, frowning: "You haven’t been outside, you don’t know how people are talking. These hateful rumors, who knows who spread them. It’s really infuriating !"
Sister Chunliu spoke indignantly, while Bihuai frowned and said: "How could ordinary people know so much detail? These rumors could only have co from the Hu family."
"What!" Sister Chunliu was stunned; she hadn’t thought of that: "You’re right, the details in the rumors are so clear. It must have been no one but the Hu family. Truly abominable." As she spoke, she intended to go out, and Bihuai, seeing this, pulled her and asked: "Sister Chunliu, where are you going?"
Sister Chunliu said angrily: "I’m going to tell the Madam, there’s no way we can let them slander her like this!"
Bihuai still held onto her, shaking her head and said, "The Madam certainly already has a plan for this matter, don’t ss things up on your own initiative."
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