Chapter 4, The Chu Family is Heartless

The leading servant replied nervously, "Madam, we have done our utmost to search for the whereabouts of the young lady, and the officials are also investigating her whereabouts, but we truly do not know where she has hidden herself."

A few days ago, a corpse was discovered at the Chu family, and it stank up the yamen. Last night, the magistrate sent someone to bury the body. This matter was handled by Erhu, and as a result, that kid returned in a fright, completely terrified. He didn't even dare to come to the yamen this morning; instead, it was his mother who came to report his absence.

Hehe... this kid is really too timid

Ah? What is going on? Hurry up and tell me.

The Emperor has not yet pursued the matter, but that does not mean it will not be pursued. Anyone with a modicum of intelligence understands that the Emperor is exercising restraint. After all, the Lord has just embarked on a northern campaign, and it would be inappropriate to hold the Chu family accountable at this time. Furthermore, the Lord has achieved numerous military successes in both the south and the north, and the Emperor's choice to remain silent for the moment is also a matter of preserving the Lord's face

Three consecutive days passed, and almost no one asked her to do any work. However, she did not remain idle; during the day, she wandered around under the pretense of familiarizing herself with the area. If someone discovered her, she would tell them she was just passing through. Since she was brought back by the prince himself, the other servants did not dare to assign her any tasks. Moreover, as she wore a veil all day, curious individuals who inquired about it would prompt her to remove the veil, revealing her deliberately pockmarked face. Consequently, no one dared to approach her.

The servants kneeling on the ground all lowered their heads, and not a single one dared to speak

Now the entire city is aware of her murderous deeds and her lack of virtue as a woman, and she does not believe that the Emperor will still insist on her marriage to the virtuous prince

Han Jiao furrowed her brows, seemingly at a loss for words

"By the way, why didn't Erhu come today?" a constable suddenly asked

After several days of searching, no trace of Chu Yuliang was found. In the Chu residence, Han Jiao sternly reprimanded the rows of servants kneeling on the ground in front of the matriarch, Madam Wang, saying, "How are you all doing your jobs? It has been several days, and you still haven't found the young lady. If you don't find her soon, even the Emperor will start to blame us!"

The case has not yet been solved, yet the 'evidence' has been disposed of, which clearly indicates a desire to eliminate any possibility for her to turn the situation around

Wang struck the ground heavily with his cane and scolded sternly, "How can I not be angry? That little wretch has committed such a shameless act, not only bringing disgrace upon herself but also implicating our Chu family. The Emperor has just arranged a marriage for her, and she dares to do something so unprincipled. Now the authorities are aware of it; will the Emperor let our Chu family off the hook? This shameless wretch, committing such a scandalous act, has she not considered what kind of disaster it would bring upon our Chu family?" The Emperor has just arranged a marriage for her, and she dares to do something so unprincipled. Now the authorities are aware of it; will the Emperor let our Chu family off the hook? This shameless wretch, committing such a scandalous act, has she not considered what kind of disaster it would bring upon our Chu family?

Gazing at the dazzling flames not far away, which were undeniably scorching to the eyes, yet Chu Yuliang's heart had grown cold to the depths.

However, the matriarch, Lady Wang, who sat in the foremost position, could not help but scold, "What a bunch of useless people; it is just one person, and yet none of you can find him despite your numbers. If you fail to capture that little wretch, and the Emperor lays the blame on us, do you intend for the Chu family to meet their demise?"

Seeing the elder lady angry, Han Jiao hurried over to gently and considerately calm her down, "Mother, please do not be angry. I will handle this matter for you. Do not let this issue harm your health."

Hidden behind the high walls of the yamen, Chu Yuliang felt her heart grow cold, filled with both resentment and anger

Wang's anger had somewhat subsided as he spoke to her, "This matter has nothing to do with you, and you need not take on any blame. I am well aware of who is right and who is wrong. That little wretch dared to commit such a grave mistake; even if the Emperor were to spare her, I would not. Do not think that because Yunzhou dotes on her, she can act with impunity. This time, even with Yunzhou present, I will not allow her to remain in this world to bring shame to our Chu family"

The items that were burned all belonged to her original self, and those large boxes were also from her original residence. At this moment, the person who was burning the items was still her biological grandmother

"Mother, please calm down," Han Jiao said while trying to soothe Wang Shi, feeling guilty. "It is all the daughter-in-law's fault; it is the daughter-in-law who did not manage the Chu family well, which led to such disgraceful events happening in the Chu family."

However, they truly do not dare to make reckless guesses about how the Emperor will handle the situation in the future

The scathing reprimand from the Wang family was understood by all the servants kneeling on the ground. In the past, if the young lady had committed such a disgraceful act that brought shame to the family, it would have merely been an embarrassment for the Chu family. However, the young lady's status is now different; she is the consort of the virtuous prince, as recently decreed by the emperor. With such an incident occurring, the shame extends beyond the Chu family, jeopardizing the dignity of the royal family as well.

Leaving the yamen, she secretly returned to the Chu residence

That annoying little brat will definitely not be given another chance to turn things around this time

What has happened? Why are you asking for leave when everything is fine?

Damn it, that Han Jiao is clearly colluding with the authorities to frame her

"Be quick in your actions, and remember to clean up thoroughly," the elderly woman reminded sternly before walking into the backyard

She originally intended to sneak in from the backyard to see if she could find any clues that would be beneficial to her, but she stopped at the corner by the back door and hid in the shadows, watching what was happening not far away

Han Jiao seemed to be in a difficult position regarding her decision, thus she remained silent. However, in a place where others could not see, her alluring red lips slightly curved, and a fleeting expression of pride quickly crossed her face

The fire was raging fiercely when an elderly woman emerged from the back door. This person, recognized by Chu Yuliang from her memory, was someone close to the matriarch.

At this time, the yamen had long since closed its main gate, and only a few constables remained on night duty. Perhaps out of boredom, the few of them sat in the courtyard, engaging in conversation and chatting.

The discussion among several constables continued, but perhaps out of fear, they did not dwell long on the dismembered corpse from the Chu family a few days ago, instead shifting to other topics.

However, to be fair, it is indeed a bit frightening. Not only was the corpse's hands and feet severed, but there was also such a large hole in the head. If it were me, I wouldn't dare to look at it either

In light of such an incident, it is one thing for no one from the Chu family to stand up and speak on her behalf, but it is quite another to act with such coldness. One must ask, who would not feel a chill if this were to happen to them?

On that night, as the darkness deepened, the Xian Wang Mansion had already hung up lanterns, and the busy servants had gradually returned to their quarters. The entire Xian Wang Mansion was gradually enveloped in silence. On the high wall of the backyard, a shadow swiftly ascended to the top of the wall, clinging there like a bat for a moment before vanishing into the night at an incredible speed

Several servants gradually moved a few large boxes out from the back door and emptied the contents onto the roadside. Then someone started a fire, and the various garments that had been poured out from the boxes began to burn slowly...

Another constable replied, "Erhu took leave this morning."

The fire has not yet been extinguished, but Chu Yuliang can no longer bear to watch. She turned around and once again stepped into the darkness. Everything belonging to her original self has already been destroyed, and it seems even more impossible to find any clues. Since Han Jiao has made up her mind to eliminate her, she naturally would not leave behind any evidence for her to discover. That woman is both cunning and malicious

Chu Yuliang settled down in the residence of the virtuous prince

The vile poison woman, Chu Yuliang has noted this debt down for her

He is still that timid boy, scared out of his wits