Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 669 - 671: The Truth (4)
So it seems that Xiao Yancheng’s arm was indeed cut off by Fourth Master Xiao.
She looked at Min and asked softly, "Did Father and Third Uncle speak? Was Father happy?"
"I don’t know, but Father didn’t say anything. When he saw Third Uncle, it was the same as usual with no expression, but Fifth Uncle seemed very happy."
Xiqiu pondered, "And what about Third Uncle? Did he speak with Father?"
"Yes, Third Uncle was very enthusiastic, seemed very approachable, and spoke quite humorously." After saying this, Min thought for a moment and added, "But Third Aunt seemed strange, not only were her clothes odd, but the way she spoke was also peculiar." After speaking, seeing Xiqiu’s curious and attentive expression, he described Third Madam’s attire, leaving Xiqiu momentarily stunned.
A woman from Miaojiang?
Long before during Old Marquis’s time, although Great Zhou had recovered most of Miaojiang, Miaojiang was after all a foreign tribe, and with the unstable situation, that Xiao Yancheng actually married a woman from Miaojiang and even openly brought her back to the Capital?
Such a matter, if no one talks about it, it can pass, but if mentioned, it becomes a moderate topic. In the future, if Miaojiang experiences turmoil again, it might easily be seen as colluding with the enemy and treason...
She furrowed her brows and couldn’t help but think about Xiao Yancheng’s attitude. His arm was destroyed by Fourth Master Xiao, yet ten years later, he returned as if nothing had happened, still calling Fourth Master Xiao brother, maintaining a warm relationship as before. If this person is not truly as kind and forgiving as Xiao Yanyi, then he is profoundly calculating.
Xiqiu increasingly believed that his ostentatious return was not without ulterior motives.
The events of the past, Xiao Yanzheng doesn’t know about them, but the Grand Dowager must be aware, so what is her attitude? Is she angry about the brotherly strife caused by Fourth Master Xiao, or does she resent what Xiao Yancheng once did, opposing him just like Xiao Yanyi?
She lowered her head to ask Min, "Was Grandmother happy to see Third Uncle?"
Without thinking, Min answered, "Grandmother wasn’t happy." Although Grandmother usually showed little emotion, he could feel that she wasn’t pleased to see Third Uncle and Third Aunt, yet she suppressed her emotions and smiled while speaking to them.
Min found himself feeling puzzled as well.
Xiqiu was lost in thought. So the Grand Dowager wasn’t very fond of Xiao Yancheng either, but Xiao Yanzheng mentioned that the relationship between the Grand Dowager and Xiao Yancheng had always been good. If it was indeed a good relationship, and she was genuinely affectionate, why did she send the injured Xiao Yancheng to the villa to recuperate, and after ten years, they reunited without the usual tearful excitement of a mother?
The more she thought, the more confused she became, unable to unravel the many crucial points.
When Fourth Master Xiao returned in the evening, with a faint scent of wine on him, Xiqiu attended to him as he washed. She didn’t ask him anything, but Fourth Master Xiao embraced her, burying his face in her shoulder, his voice muffled as he said, "Third Brother is back."
Xiqiu mimicked his usual manner, patting his back, "Yes, I know!"
Fourth Master Xiao was silent for a moment, then said, "I really want to kill him, just like back then, but Mother..." Xiqiu was startled, realizing that Fourth Master Xiao was apprehensive about the Grand Dowager, afraid of making her sad!
Xiqiu held him, gently patting his back and said, "Everyone has concerns or things they have to do out of necessity. Although I don’t know what the conflict between you and Third Brother is, he has returned, and you are brothers. Is there any possibility to try sitting down to talk, to untangle each other’s knots?"
Fourth Master Xiao didn’t speak immediately. After a moment, he shook his head firmly, saying, "No possibility!" leaving no room for reconsideration.
"Why?" Xiqiu asked as she held him, and they sat down at the edge of the bed, "Tell me, Fourth Master, what exactly happened back then?"
Fourth Master Xiao lowered his gaze, his eyes full of sorrow and anger: "Back then, Father didn’t die of illness, but was poisoned to death!" Xiqiu was stunned as she listened, unable to believe, "Poisoned to death? But I heard people say that after the birth of the second sister, the Old Marquis’s health declined, and in the following years, he couldn’t even walk, how could it be that he was poisoned to death?"
When Fourth Master Xiao heard this, a look of sadness appeared in his eyes, and a hint of fierceness emerged from deep within: "That was merely a public statement, even Mother kept it hidden from us. But on the second anniversary of Father’s death, I accidentally overheard Uncle Ming crying before Father’s shrine, and that’s when I learned that Father hadn’t been sick all those years, but had been poisoned—poisoned with something incurable that gradually eats away at the body, potentially lasting for decades. That’s why Father’s health only declined in those final years."
"Uncle Ming?" Xiqiu asked in confusion.
Fourth Master Xiao nodded: "Uncle Ming was Father’s servant, following him for thirty years. That night, he hung himself in front of Father’s shrine." Xiqiu listened, becoming more confused and asked, "What does this have to do with Third Brother?"
Fourth Master Xiao released her and stood without turning in front of the bed, his gaze fixed on the infinite darkness outside. After a long time, he said, "I forced Uncle Ming to tell me everything he knew. It turned out the poison was not immediately lethal; Father had been poisoned for only a little over ten years. According to Uncle Ming’s estimation, Father should have had at least another ten years." 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
Listening to this, Xiqiu felt her heart skip a beat—someone who should have lived for more than ten years, suddenly died!
Sure enough, Fourth Master Xiao turned to Xiqiu and said, word by word, "I secretly took a forensic doctor to Father’s grave at night. The examination confirmed what I suspected—that Father ultimately died from ingesting arsenic." He paused and continued, "There wouldn’t have been such a thing at home, so I searched all the pharmacies in the Capital and finally discovered that a year earlier, Third Brother’s servant had bought arsenic at a pharmacy on Long Street. I secretly captured Third Brother’s servant, and under pressure, he admitted..."
So, this led to the confrontation with Xiao Yancheng, and then to the physical altercation.
Xiqiu looked at Fourth Master Xiao, whose brows were heavy with pain. Her heart ached as she moved closer to ask, "Did you ask Third Brother? Was it he who poisoned Old Marquis?"
Fourth Master Xiao tightly clenched his fist, his brow furrowed as he replied, "Yes! He admitted it."
Admitted! Why would Xiao Yancheng do this? For the title? That makes no sense; Xiao Yanji and Xiao Yanyi were both older than him, there was no way it would fall to him! Xiao Yanzheng also said that Xiao Yancheng was amusing, friendly, and very filial. Why would he harm Old Marquis, turning him into someone tortured by poison, suffering day by day? What reason did he have to do such a thing?
She thought again about the Grand Dowager’s attitude, which seemed to explain why she sent Xiao Yancheng to the villa to heal. This matter, no matter in whose house it happened, would not be tolerated. The crime of patricide warrants being cut to death, of course, the matters of the Xiao family wouldn’t be spread outside, and the punishment Xiao Yancheng received was merely to send him to the villa to reflect.
