Chapter 250: Chapter 203: What Are His Intentions?

Inside the Dingyuan Marquis’s Mansion.

It was nearly dawn, and many people in the Xiao Mansion were already awake. The estate was far from quiet.

The chefs in the rear kitchen were busy cooking while apprentices washed vegetables and stoked the fires, the entire place bustling with activity.

In the various residences, Maids were helping their masters and mistresses wash up and dress.

Household Servants took advantage of the rain to clean the courtyard walls and pavilion corners.

The front courtyard was the busiest of all.

Several grooms had prepared carriages early in the morning, ready to take the masters who served in the Government Office to check in for duty.

The steward and gatekeepers recorded the purpose of any visitors who had been waiting at the entrance since dawn, accepted calling cards, and sent messengers to the residences in the back.

But in the Qingjing Residence, located in the central courtyard, the Old Marquis had dismissed all his attendants.

He not only forbade the servants who were to help him dress and wash from entering, but also specifically ordered several Armored Warriors to stand guard, allowing no one to come within ten zhang.

This led most of the Xiao family members walking through the central courtyard that morning to murmur amongst themselves, speculating that something major must have occurred in the mansion.

But they could only murmur and speculate.

They all knew that even if they went up to ask, they wouldn’t get any answers.

Those Armored Guards would never reveal the slightest detail.

In truth, Wang Lixing, Liu Si’er, and the others assigned to guard the Qingjing Residence were completely in the dark.

They had only received the order to stand guard a quarter of an hour ago.

Just then, an Armored Warrior in a corner spoke in a low voice, "Brother Xing, something feels off today."

"I’ve got a chill running down my spine."

Wang Lixing shot him a sideways glance and hissed, "Stand your post properly."

"Have you forgotten where we are?"

The Armored Warrior sullenly closed his mouth. His head turned reflexively for a glance at the Qingjing Residence as he continued to mumble under his breath.

He still felt the atmosphere in the Marquis’s Mansion was bizarre today, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on why.

Liu Si’er, standing to the side, overheard their exchange and naturally had his own suspicions.

Before Ge the Third left yesterday, he had mentioned he was off to handle something big. He had specifically warned Liu Si’er to be discreet and cautious, and to not give anything away.

Those words, combined with the Old Marquis’s current strange behavior, made it impossible for him not to read into things.

’What exactly is Ge the Third planning?’

’What news did the Old Marquis receive?’

’And who is with the Old Marquis right now?’

’Is it one of the Xiao Family’s Hidden Guards? Or someone else?’

Liu Si’er had no answers. His entire body tensed, and his already stern, unsmiling face grew even more solemn.

Inside the residence behind him, the Old Marquis was far more grim.

The Old Marquis listened to Xiao Jinghong’s account, his gaze fixed on the young man lying on the floor.

His brow was deeply furrowed, his expression grave.

He, of course, recognized Liu Wen.

But he never imagined that Liu Wen would dare to scheme against the summer grain of the Three Towns.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Jinghong asked, "Grandfather, have you met him before?"

The Old Marquis grunted in affirmation, his gaze still fixed on Liu Wen.

"He is the second son of the main branch of the Jing State Liu Family."

"Just two days ago, he paid me a visit. He even brought up a marriage proposal, wanting to marry your eldest sister."

Xiao Jinghong’s brow furrowed slightly. "You didn’t agree, Grandfather?"

The Old Marquis nodded. His expression faltered for a moment before he looked at her. "Do you suspect he bore a grudge because of it?"

"I cannot be certain, but based on the timing, it’s a possibility."

"The timing? What else do you know?"

Xiao Jinghong nodded. She retrieved a blood-stained envelope from her robes and placed it hesitantly before the Old Marquis.

Just as the Old Marquis reached for the letter, she couldn’t help but speak up.

"Grandfather, why don’t I read it to you?"

The Old Marquis froze. A suspicion bloomed in his mind, and he couldn’t help but ask with a small smile, "And why is that?"

"Are you worried this old man won’t be able to bear the contents and will fall ill again?"

"I wouldn’t dare, it’s just..."

Before Xiao Jinghong could finish, the Old Marquis had already opened the letter. "Don’t worry," he said.

"The burning of the summer grain at Iron Wall Town and the secret machinations of the Jing State Liu Family couldn’t make me ill. What harm could a single letter do?"

"I... I..."

The Old Marquis saw the letter’s contents, and the words caught in his throat.

His eyes widened. The wrinkles on his old face twitched, and his very lips began to tremble.

He was clearly incandescent with rage.

Xiao Jinghong couldn’t bear to watch.

But she knew that in order to investigate and deal with Xiao Dongchen, the Old Marquis had to be informed.

As expected.

When the Old Marquis saw the signature, fingerprint, and date at the bottom, he slammed the letter onto the table.

SLAM!

"That monster!"

"How could he dare commit such a treasonous act?"

"For the Patriarch position? For the Marquis Position? For that, he would plunge the entire Xiao Family into ruin?"

"Doesn’t he realize that such an act is no different from digging his own grave? The fool!"

"Utterly, unbelievably foolish!"

The Old Marquis pounded the table as he cursed Xiao Dongchen, his face flushed and his eyes bloodshot with fury.

At last, he broke into a coughing fit, which finally silenced his tirade.

Seeing this, Xiao Jinghong rushed forward, using her True Essence to regulate the Qi Mechanism in his body.

"Grandfather, please don’t be angry. Your health is what’s important."

"Let me call a Physician for you..."

Before she could finish, the Old Marquis waved a dismissive hand. He leaned back weakly in his chair, gasping for breath.

"No need, no need... This old man... won’t die just yet."

Of course, Xiao Jinghong didn’t believe a word of it. She remained by his side, ready to protect his heart meridian at a moment’s notice.

A long silence fell.

The Old Marquis finally composed himself somewhat, but his face seemed to have aged even more.

It was as if he had grown several years older in the blink of an eye.

But the Old Marquis seemed oblivious, his eyes fixed on Liu Wen’s corpse, his hand subconsciously tightening its grip on the incriminating letter from Xiao Dongchen.

"What do you make of this matter?"