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  Chapter 16: The Cost

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  "Is it that serious?" Chu Ke asked, looking puzzled. She thought Chu Yun Ting wouldn't give up like this, and she had also considered the possibility of her doing something, but according to common sense, shouldn't she just use some small tricks at home? For example, pretending to accidentally push Chu Yun Qing into the lake, but now that the weather is warm, even if she fell into the lake, as long as she was rescued immediately, she wouldn't die. Or set a trap for her, like having an affair with a servant. Or even poison her to death... She had thought of all these possibilities, but she really hadn't expected Chu Yun Ting to do something like this.

  Chu Yunqing went missing, even if she was found unscathed in the end, her reputation would still be ruined. Who can say for sure that during this period of disappearance, she didn't lose her chastity? Even if it's just a short time, as long as a girl goes missing, who will think well of her? When rumors start circulating, Chu Yunqing won't have the face to live on, except by either dying or becoming a nun.

  Chu Yunting is really ruthless, Chu Yunqing said they are all her relatives, born from the same mother. Chu Kuihui shouldn't be grateful that Chu Yunting finally doesn't target her anymore, such a ruthless person, in the past when she 'took care' of others, could always sneakily avoid them.

  She shook her head and said, "Whoever goes ahead will look around and listen for any news. If they find anything, just let us know."

  Qing Guo looked at Jing Er, and Jing Er also looked at Qing Guo. Then she smiled and said, "Let the slave go."

  Chu Ke didn't say anything and continued to lower her head to read, Qing Guo looked at Jing Er leaving, turned back to glance at San Gu Niang, whose face was expressionless.

  She continued to rummage through the needlework basket with some trepidation, occasionally stealing a glance at the young lady, her mind racing with thoughts. Jing'er was clearly on the old lady's side, but San Guniang didn't seem to care, and even seemed to be planning to deal with Jing'er in the same way. What was the young lady thinking? It was really impossible to fathom...

  After a while, even Chu Ke could hear the noisy sounds outside her room, footsteps running back and forth, everyone's voices were fast and urgent, the tense atmosphere from outside directly invaded her room, making it impossible for her to continue reading. She put down her book, thought for a moment, and said to Qing Guo, "Let's go take a look."

  Qing Guo couldn't stay still either and nodded immediately after hearing this." Ran out quickly.

  Chu Xueqin walked out of the house and had just reached the eaves when Bai Guo got on his horse, smiling and asked, "Miss, today's weather is warm, I'll have someone bring a chair for you to bask in the sun?"

  Chu Kui Xi nodded, and Bai Guo quickly brought a chair from the side room and placed it behind Chu Kui Xi. Just as she put it down, Ba Bao also smiled and brought over a small table to place beside her. The two of them efficiently continued by brewing a pot of tea and placing it on the small table.

  "Fourth Young Lady isn't here?" Chu Ke asked as she sat down. Since they wanted to curry favor, they naturally had to offer some benefits in return.

  Ba Bao hastily replied that it wasn't long ago, Master himself went out to find Second Miss and was summoned by Old Madam, and has been kneeling until now.

  Bai Guo hastily said that the car driver had also found out, the girl was a lower-ranking maid in the second aunt's courtyard, and there was a young man who did odd jobs outside the courtyard. These two people were both returned their contracts by the second aunt two days ago and left.

  "Is it like selling oneself into bondage? Is Second Miss going to get her hands on it?"

  "Bai Guo rushed to tell the second young lady that a few days ago, she went to find her mother-in-law and said some words that deceived her. Now, her mother-in-law has also been implicated. Just now, the master scolded his wife severely in front of the servants, and his wife knelt down to the old lady."

  "What's with them?" Chu Ke asked coldly.

  The two of them were still vying with each other to please the girl, thinking that she would ask about what was going on outside. But instead, they were suddenly asked this question, and both of them were stunned, speechless, and unable to utter a word.

  Chu Kei picked up the tea beside her and took a sip, smiling as she looked at them and said, "You two are so detailed?"

  "Eight Treasures hesitated for a moment and said: 'Second Miss is kneeling at Old Lady's place, everyone...' "

  Bai Guo thought for a moment, then looked up at Chu Ke's mother, who was the gatekeeper on Madame's side. She said to the slave...

  Chu Ke nodded and said, "Eight Treasures, go and guard the gate of the courtyard."

  Ba Bao nodded in response and cast a sideways glance at Bai Guo before slowly making his way towards the gate of the courtyard.

  Chu Ke looked at her leaving with a faint smile, Ba Bao had the same status as Bai Guo before, but always wanted to suppress Bai Guo, now that something has really happened, he is playing tricks again, such a person doesn't need to be used.

  "Are you familiar with the people serving in each of the imperial courts?" Chu Ke asked.

  Having seen the outcome of Ba Bao, Bai Guo didn't dare to be slow for half a moment, and hastily nodded "The slave is familiar."

  "Tell me about the people in this courtyard, who are born and raised here, who are from outside, what courtyards their parents are from, pick them out one by one."

  Bai Guo didn't dare to hide anything and immediately told everything.

  Chu Kei carefully listened and understood the origins of several people.

  She was most concerned about Jing'er, who was a person from the old lady's side. Jing'er's mother was one of the old lady's wives and originally managed the old lady's private storage room. Now she manages all the servants in the old lady's courtyard and is one of several wives with a status second only to that of the Meng family.

  The outer gate has changed several madams, and the one in charge is also from the old lady's side. Some of the little boys who do chores in the outer courtyard are also theirs.

  Chu Ke thought to herself, after this matter is over, all the carriage drivers on this side will probably be replaced with people from Old Lady's side. With such great effort, was Old Lady afraid of running away or afraid of doing something like Chu Yunqing did, acting first and reporting later? Who exactly does she plan to sell herself to?

  There were some disorderly voices coming from the gate, she looked and saw Jing'er hurrying over, not yet arriving in front of her, already hastily saying "I've found Fourth Miss"

  "Is she alone?" Chu Ke asked more concern for the charioteer.

  Jian Jing'er had already walked up to the front, Chu Ke'ei only then did she see that her face was deathly pale, looking very frightened, eyes wide with fear, voice trembling as she said "The driver...the driver is dead, his head was smashed..."

  "What about the fourth daughter? What did the fourth daughter say?" Was she scared stiff?

  As expected, Jing Er's face turned pale and her whole body trembled as she stammered: "Fourth Young Miss has been unconscious all along. She only woke up when we entered the room, shouting loudly, seemingly... having lost her mind..."

  The word "crazy" was left unsaid.

  Chu Ke thought for a moment, the carman is dead? Who killed the carman? Didn't the carman take Chu Yunqing away? But was beaten to death instead? This thing wasn't done by the carman? After being puzzled for a while, she suddenly realized.

  The driver died, and Chu Yunqing's innocence was even harder to explain.

  That carman is doomed anyway, even if he runs away, the Chu family will not let him go. They won't report to the authorities openly, but secretly ask acquaintances in the government to help find him, and the carman can't escape either. But being beaten to death like this serves two purposes: one, it kills the witness; two, it proves that someone else was present at the scene, and Chu Yunqing will be implicated no matter what. That's why Chu Yunting would let the carman die.

  Chu Ke looked at Jing Er who was frightened and softly comforted her saying "Fourth sister is fine."

  "Qing'er nodded hastily with a trembling voice... it was, ah." It wasn't Chu Yunqing's experience that scared her, but rather the driver's experience. She guessed it should be the driver who was killed to silence him.

  Chu Ke thought for a moment, considering that Fourth Sister had encountered such an incident, it didn't seem right to be drinking tea so loudly here. So she stood up and turned around to enter the house. The sound of tables and chairs being moved came from outside, and Jing Er followed her in.

  "Miss... Miss..." Jing Er was still a bit frightened.

  "?" Chu Ke raised her eyes and looked at her.

  Jing'er took out a silver ingot from her bosom and placed it on the table, taking two steps back and saying: "Just now... when I was a slave, Madame Liu called me over and gave this to me."

  Chu Ke nodded and said?

  "Say... tell the servant girl to serve the young lady well, nothing else was said..." Jing Er said with her head lowered.

  Chu Ke looked at the silver ingot, which was about ten taels. She sighed inwardly, thinking that Liu Niang's monthly allowance was only a little over two taels, and she couldn't even get her hands on it. Saving up ten taels of silver wasn't easy, but she didn't mind being frugal for the sake of buying off someone. It seemed like she had done this many times before, unfortunately, all those previous attempts were in vain.

  She said faintly, "Since it's been given, just take it."

  "No, no, no... I don't dare..." Jing Er said in a fluster.

  Chu Ke sighed, looked up at her and said frankly: "Liu Niang is my mother. She gave me the silver, no more than what she told you, hoping that I can serve her well. What other purpose could there be? There's no need to be so scared, just take it... If not, it doesn't matter." He added a sentence in a light tone at the end.

  Jing'er heard it and realized that if she didn't take it, wouldn't it be clear to San Guniang that there was another master who refused this offer? She was in a dilemma, unable to think for too long, and could only quietly walk up and pick up the ten taels of silver.

  The sound of white fruit came from outside, "Green fruit, la."

  As her voice faded away, Qing Guo pushed open the curtain and walked in. The moment she entered, Chu Ke saw her turning her head to look at Bai Guo with a puzzled expression, which was quickly replaced by a calm demeanor. She hastily said, "Fourth Young Miss, that carriage driver is dead."

  "It's done, what's going on now? Has the doctor arrived or not?"

  Qing Guo shook her head and didn't invite the doctor... Master, mistress, uncle and aunt all went to Si Gu Niang's place, Er Gu Niang asked someone to watch, still kneeling in the old house.

  Chu Xue hesitated for a moment, didn't ask the doctor to come over, was afraid that the matter would be spread out, but the people on the side of the Junwang Fu were not fools, this matter may have been known by them...

  She immediately told Jing'er to go find Liu Niang and tell her that everything is fine on this side, and it's possible that she won't be going out for the next few days, so she should come over and visit.

  Jing'er was stunned and somewhat bewildered as she nodded and went along.

  As expected, soon after, the old lady's side sent someone over. San Gu Niang has been at home studying women's work for several days now, and her embroidery and calligraphy are both good, so she doesn't need to go out anymore.

  Being confined to her quarters, Chu Ke thought of it and estimated that the situation on Chu Yun Ting's side was even more severe, with not many people watching her. However, she still had a purpose in asking Jing Er to go and greet Madame Liu.

  Jing'er is the old lady's person, no doubt about it. The old lady herself, according to Chu Keqi's observations over the past few months and some previous events that have come to mind, has basically figured out her personality as well.

  On the surface, she is a kind and gentle old lady, treating everyone, including her servants, with generosity and even consideration. However, there are probably only a few people who can truly gain her trust, and it's likely that not even Madame Meng can achieve this.

  That's the old lady's weakness, being overly suspicious. Perhaps she thinks it makes her more profound, but in Chu Ke's opinion, if you want someone to be deeply devoted and willing to die for you, then you must put into practice the saying "be cautious of those who are not trustworthy, and do not suspect those who are trustworthy".

  So for Jing Er, she started by gaining her trust, trusting her, Qing Guo and saying, without avoiding her. The relationship with Liu Niang, the details of coming and going, the words and deeds, also did not avoid her, one day, let her feel the difference between trust and Old Lady's distrust, at that time, it was when she would make up her mind.

  Of course, she is not afraid of these things, even if she has been walking with Madam Liu more often than before. Madam Liu is the mother of the master of the house, but now the position belongs to the newly arrived Chu Gaoshi, not Chu Yunshi who had painstakingly raised him into an adult.

  Jing'er reported back, and Liu Yiniang was very worried. She finally couldn't help but remind San Guniang to "please calm down and rest, Miss."

  Chu Ke heard this and couldn't help but laugh and shake her head. Could it be that Madam Liu also thought that, just like Chu Yuntin and Chu Yunqing, she had set her sights on Zhu Yuxuan and would now take action?

  In the evening, Chu Kei became more severe on Chu Yun Ting's side. She was beaten by the old lady with ten slaps and locked in the ancestral hall, watched by four women, kneeling for three days, then under house arrest in her courtyard, she cannot come out before Chu Yun Qing gets married.

  Does the old lady still think that Chu Yunqing can get married? So certain? Is it because the news is well hidden and outsiders don't know? What is the old lady relying on?

  No matter what the old lady relied on, she was a stubborn person anyway.

  That night, outside was in a state of emergency, Chu Keji didn't dare to make another move. The old lady's servant came again and sternly warned the three maids in her courtyard and the servants at the gate that they must stay inside the mansion for the next few days, taking good care of the young mistress. If anything happened to the young mistress, they would not be forgiven.

  He didn't enter the house, just stood in the yard and said it, but the maids inside the house also heard clearly. (If you like this work, welcome to subscribe and reward on Starting Point website, your support is my greatest motivation.)

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