Chapter Four: Life and Death (Part One)

Upon hearing that he might return to Beijing, Zhang Changyong first felt a surge of joy and abruptly rose from his seat. However, upon hearing the subsequent statement, his expression turned ashen. He stood there, his face changing for quite some time, and ultimately, he pressed his hand against the armrest and sat down dejectedly. After pondering for a while with his forehead resting on his hand, he suddenly felt a flash of inspiration in his mind and straightened up in an instant.

At this point, although Mother Song wisely chose to remain silent, Zhang Changyong immediately came to a realization and couldn't help but scold himself for his foolishness. Seeing Mother Song with her head bowed in silence, he furrowed his brows and asked, "Do you perhaps have a solution?"

Do not say it!

Master ... ...

At worst, I will use my deceased wife's wishes as a reason to seek to marry a woman from the Gu family as my secondary wife

"My lord, how can the clan daughters be the same! The lady is the youngest daughter of the matriarch, and the eldest young lady is the matriarch's legitimate granddaughter, the niece of the Duke of Wuning, and the first cousin of the Duke of Weining. If it were to be replaced by other young ladies from the clan, the connections with the two dukes and the noble consort would be much weaker. Moreover, both mother and daughter have passed away; how can one be sure that the matriarch will not hold a grudge? Not to mention any thoughts of resentment or revenge, even according to the dowry list from back then, the lady's dowry could be reclaimed, as it is clearly stated in the law. Furthermore, both mother and daughter have passed away; how can one be sure that the matriarch will not hold a grudge? Not to mention any thoughts of resentment or revenge, even according to the dowry list from back then, the lady's dowry could be reclaimed, as it is clearly stated in the law. Even if the lady has accumulated other possessions over the years, they would belong to you, but what if the matriarch is displeased and keeps you confined in the Guide Mansion, or even demotes you to a remote and desolate place..."

Yu'er left Beijing with me at the age of three, and since then, she has not seen any of our relatives in the capital. Although every year someone is sent from Beijing to visit her and her mother, Yu'er is impatient with visitors; each time, it is merely her mother bowing in front of the bed behind a curtain. Even in the Guide Prefecture, her peculiar temperament keeps her from going out, and very few people have seen her.

Zhang Changyong's brows relaxed completely for a moment, and he couldn't help but nod repeatedly, saying: "Your idea is good! Qi girl is inherently timid, so she will definitely do whatever I say. As for her mother, she has long passed away, which saves us a lot of trouble. However, you should review the people at home who have seen Yu'er and Qi girl; it has been at most three or four days since they came from Xuzhou, and time is running short!"

Her mother and younger brother have long been in my grasp, so she cannot possibly turn the situation around!

Over the years, Madam Gu has never paid any attention to this illegitimate daughter; her food, clothing, and living expenses are even inferior to those of Zhang Han, her goddaughter. She even fell seriously ill last year, which further diminished her status. Moreover, with Zhang Qi's timid nature, it will not be difficult for her to manipulate the situation in the future. By holding the master accountable for the death of the legitimate daughter and using the leverage of elevating this illegitimate daughter to a legitimate status, she will have no worries for the rest of her life

Having thought of countless ideas yet still achieving nothing, Zhang Changyong felt greatly dissatisfied at the prospect of Zhang Han being dead, as it would mean all his efforts were in vain. He firmly rejected Mama Song's suggestion. Just then, a notification came from outside, and with an impatient glance, he signaled Mama Song to go out while he remained seated, lightly tapping his fingers on the armrest, contemplating what to do next. Before long, he saw Mama Song hurriedly walk back in. However, just at that moment, a notification came from outside, and with an impatient glance, he signaled Mama Song to go out while he remained seated, lightly tapping his fingers on the armrest, contemplating what to do next. Before long, he saw Mama Song hurriedly walk back in.

Zhang Changyong felt a surge of anger in his heart, followed by a sense of regret. If it had not been for his impulsiveness that caused tonight's uproar, he could have taken his time to plan, and that girl, who had no support, would surely not have been able to escape from his grasp. Yes, it was this girl who had captivated him to the point of losing his composure; otherwise, how could he have lost his mind and done such a thing!

"Yes, I will take care of it immediately." Mother Song knelt and performed a bow. Just as she was about to exit, she cautiously and respectfully added, "How about I go see Zhang Han again, so she knows that both her mother and brother are in the hands of the master, and she should not think of seeking death or escape. The master should hasten to make the raw rice into cooked rice; in this way, she, who has already been damaged, will no longer dare to hope for a way out of the master's grasp"

"It is indeed as you say," thought Mother Song, her heart tightening, and soon a worried expression appeared on her face. "But the master must be informed that both the Hou families have always enjoyed the Emperor's trust. Although the eldest sister of the madam, Consort Shu, has a son, the Prince of Zi, who is lower in the order of succession and unlikely to ascend to the throne, he is still favored by the Emperor. If the master were to lose his wife and then his daughter, what connection would he have with the Gu family thereafter?"

Seeing Zhang Changyong frown, clearly reluctant, she whispered again: "Even if you are reluctant to part with her, you should still be wary of the Gu family wanting to see her; otherwise, it could lead to endless troubles later on"

There are several grievances involved in this matter; otherwise, how could she frequently provoke Miss Zhang Yu in front of others, and take advantage of the lady's illness to incite the master to violence? This ignorant little wretch deserves to be trampled upon her entire life without any status or recognition, how could she possibly turn her situation around

She absolutely cannot do it

Madam Gu is indeed dignified and gracious, but she manages him as if guarding against a thief. He originally intended to take office alone and enjoy his freedom, but who would have thought she insisted on accompanying him to take office! Over the years, he has never had a moment of indulgence, nor has he ever done anything he truly wanted to do. Now that the woman has finally died, he has schemed carefully to take control of almost everyone in the household during her previous illness, and he even had Mama Song poison Madam Gu's most trusted confidante, Mama Zheng, to obtain the small box containing numerous property deeds and banknotes. Who would have known that such a tumultuous event would arise!

Upon thinking of the *illustrated* book, the corners of his mouth involuntarily twitched twice, and he then asked fiercely, "Where are those two dead girls?"

At this point, she stole a glance at Zhang Changyong, noticing that he was still furious. Secretly pleased, she carefully chose her words and continued, "However, the lady has always favored her. When writing to the matriarch in the capital, she often mentioned her many virtues. The matriarch even suggested that the lady bring her to the capital for a visit. This is a matter of great importance; if the Gu family were to come, it could jeopardize everything. The master would either have to eliminate the threat completely..."

He was a genuine and accomplished scholar, having achieved the prestigious titles of both the top scholar and the second place in the imperial examinations, distinguished and talented. Otherwise, it would not have been possible for Madam Gu to willingly marry him. However, after their marriage, he remained in the Hanlin Academy for a stable three years. Later, he entered the Ministry of Personnel, but within a year, he was demoted to an external post due to offending his superiors. Even the influence of the Yue family did not exert much effort; they merely secured him the position of a prefect, and later he was promoted to the governor of Guidé.

Hmph! Zhang Changyong let out a heavy snort, barely suppressing the anger within him, and then slowly sat down. "Yuer has always had poor health; if I were to say that she perished due to the grief of her mother's passing, I believe both the Hou families would have nothing to say."

With a quick roll of her eyes, she hurriedly smiled and said: "Master, think about it, the eldest young lady is seen as a sickly beauty by everyone, but what about Zhang Han's physique? Moreover, she bears no resemblance to you or Madam at all. Let us not forget that her father and brother are still serving in the army under Second Uncle. There are flaws everywhere. Furthermore, if she becomes the eldest young lady, Master, you can forget about being close to her in the future..."

"My lord, something is wrong!" Upon seeing Zhang Changyong's furrowed brow, Mama Song hurriedly bent down, almost whispering in Zhang Changyong's ear, "An urgent message has arrived from Xuzhou; the representatives from both侯府 have already arrived. Fortunately, Chang Yong has been waiting at the post station, specifically arranging meals for the guests. After some effort, he managed to extract a few words. It is said that the madam had previously pleaded with the Grand Dowager and the Concubine Shu on your behalf, and there is some hope for your return to the capital. Furthermore, it was mentioned that the Grand Dowager misses the madam and the young lady, and wishes to bring them to the capital for recuperation."

"My lord, the eldest young lady is gone, but isn't there still the second young lady?" Upon hearing this, Mama Song continued to speak in a gentle and persuasive manner, "The second young lady and the eldest young lady are both your flesh and blood, and they share a resemblance of about four or five parts. Since they have never met, it would be much easier to deceive others. Moreover, the second young lady has always been timid and would certainly not dare to go against your wishes. Additionally, she is still growing, delicate and timid, and her health is not very good; we can simply say that she has been ill all along"

Mom Song instinctively blurted out this remark. Seeing Zhang Changyong glaring at her with displeasure, she recalled how that young girl had once taken advantage of Madam Gu's favor to point out discrepancies in her accounts while helping Madam Gu with the bookkeeping. Moreover, there were already local prominent families interested in the Zhang family's reputation, hoping to marry their wayward sons to the second young lady, Zhang Qi. It was this girl who had obstructed the proposal in front of Madam Gu, causing her to lose the five hundred taels of matchmaking money.

"Replying to the master, we only say that the person has been sent to the manor. To be on the safe side, I also mentioned that, according to the lady's grace, a few households would be allowed to leave, among which are two maids of Miss Han. I have already instructed the appropriate person to handle this discreetly on the way. " Mama Song respectfully lowered her head, and upon hearing Zhang Changyong snort coldly, she cautiously added, "However, ever since the news of the lady's serious illness was sent to the capital, both the Weining Marquis's residence and the Wuning Marquis's residence have expressed their intention to send someone to inquire. Although the people sent to Xu Zhou to gather information have not yet returned, I fear they will arrive soon. Although the eldest young lady does not usually like to go out and knows few people in the library and government office, even the family of the official Lu Tongzhi has not seen her, let alone the servants, but how long can this news be kept hidden..." Although the eldest young lady does not usually like to go out and knows few people in the library and government office, even the family of the official Lu Tongzhi has not seen her, let alone the servants, but how long can this news be kept hidden..."

Seeing that Zhang Changyong's expression was unfriendly, Mama Song hurriedly lowered her head and said, "I report to you, sir, that I first took care of the second young lady, and fearing that that girl Zhang Han might act violently, I personally bound her hands and feet."

Come in! After calling out, Zhang Changyong saw the door curtain lift, and Mama Song entered the room, kneeling to pay her respects. He then coldly asked, "Have those maidservants of Yu'er been dealt with?"

Very well, I will do as you say. I will go see her shortly

Zhang Han is a girl raised by the madam herself, and moreover, I have leverage over her family; as long as I can keep things under wraps...

Mother Song immediately discerned the implication behind Zhang Changyong's words, and her heart involuntarily skipped a beat. She then hesitantly replied, "Sir, do you mean to say..."

Damn it, truly damn it

If this plan succeeds, the master will surely regard her with new eyes. Mama Song was naturally fixated on Zhang Changyong, and upon seeing him deep in thought for a long time, she gently nodded in agreement. She could not help but feel overjoyed and added with a smile, "Moreover, I was part of the lady's dowry when she married, so this time I can rightfully accompany her to the capital. What could be wrong with that? I can provide guidance at any time and ensure that this performance goes well. As for the second young lady, transitioning from a concubine's daughter to a legitimate one, with the support of two noble houses, she will be able to secure an unexpectedly good marriage proposal. How could she possibly be unwilling or disobedient?"

Zhang Changyong paced back and forth in the room, feeling his heart in a state of utter chaos, mindlessly repeating a few phrases. He had smashed everything in the room that could be broken, yet even so, the fire of frustration that had built up inside him not only remained unextinguished but burned even more fiercely.

Good, good!