My Lord, your wife is spreading rumors about you again.

Chapter 7: When a person dies, he must pay with his life

Old Madam Ming was so angry that she was shaking all over. She covered her chest and tore the Buddhist beads in her hand apart. The bodhi seeds rolled everywhere. The servants immediately knelt down and begged for mercy: "Old Madam, calm down!"

On the stage, An Lushan rebelled, and Emperor Ming's concubine Yang fled to Mawei Slope. Chen Xuanli led his troops to force Emperor Ming to give up his favor and execute him. Concubine Yang left behind a golden hairpin and a small box, crying and crying, and her voice suddenly rose: "I dare to beg you to live forever, a white silk!"

The king covered his face and cried out that he could not save the man, but was it really because he could not save him, or because he did not dare to save him, or was unwilling to save him?

"The Queen has ascended to heaven!"

This one line of lyrics made the Emperor Minghuang heartbroken and tears flow.

"I heard that my mother also hanged herself with a white silk thread." Mingli turned to look at the old lady, "Grandma, do you know whether she committed suicide or was forced?"

"boom--"

Old Mrs. Ming was horrified and her hand trembled, knocking over the teacup on the table, and the scalding water soaked her skirt.

Zhu and Aunt Wang both looked in the direction of the sound, but no one came forward to ask if she was burned, they just speculated on her expression. They also heard about the cause of death of the former Wen.

However, I don’t know whether Mingli asked this question intentionally or unintentionally.

"Oh, the second young lady is joking." Aunt Cui stepped forward and tried to calm the old lady down while smiling and trying to smooth things over.

"First, Madam Wen was ill and couldn't bear the pain so she chose to hang herself. After all, it's not worth it for aristocratic families to fight each other. Besides, you are a girl from the Ming family. You are a family bloodline, and you are still connected even if your bones are broken. The old lady is complaining that you haven't been here for a long time, so she said some insincere complaints. Why did you take it seriously, young lady?"

"Madam, since the second young lady has no connection with the Zhou family anymore, she will naturally go back home to live." Aunt Cui's eyes rolled around, "You forgot that the seventh day after the death of the fifth young master and the sixth young lady is coming soon. They must want the second young lady to light a stick of incense and burn a stack of yellow paper for them personally."

Shancha was stunned.

The seventh day? The fifth son and the sixth daughter are really dead.
But since there was a funeral in the family, why didn't they set up a mourning tent or a mourning hall? Why didn't anyone send an obituary? Why didn't anyone pay respects and offer condolences? Why, when their own son and daughter died, could these people still sit there and drink tea and listen to music with such high spirits? !

Shancha lowered her head, bit her lips tightly, and clenched her fists and trembled.

Old Madam Ming understood what Nanny Cui meant. She was right. The second girl looked very different this time when she came back, so it would be better to keep her under her watch.

Besides, Wen's dowry had been spent over the years, so she couldn't even take it out! As for other manors and shops, they were also the main source of income for the Ming family.

Didn't Mingli always feel sorry for her two younger siblings? The deaths of Mingyi and Mingxin must have disgusted her for a while.

"What Madam Cui said makes sense. If the second girl wants to stay, then she can stay. There is no need to deliberately contradict the elders about the dowry. It really makes Grandmother feel sad."

Old Madam Ming was speaking in a sarcastic tone. She stood up with the help of Aunt Cui. Several aunts around her also stood up, but Ming Li remained motionless.

The old lady glanced at Zhu and Aunt Wang and said, "In two days, it will be the seventh day after Mingyi and Mingxin's death. You two will go with the second girl to pay tribute. The rest of you should stay at home and avoid being infected with bad luck."

"Yes."

After saying that, Old Lady Ming led a group of people out of the hall in a mighty procession. Zhu led her daughter and hurriedly caught up, and served diligently by the old lady's side.

Aunt Wang and her only daughter Ming'an never left.

Ming'an's gaze was always on Mingli, with a complex look that included speculation, admiration, and fear.

She pulled Aunt Wang's sleeves and whispered, "Aunt, Second Sister has changed so much. Can we..."

"No hurry." Aunt Wang interrupted her daughter, changing her usual nonchalant look, "Let's see if she can survive the first seven disasters in three days." If she can't even protect herself, she is not qualified to be a support for them and their daughter.

Aunt Wang pulled Ming An forward. She wanted to flatter Ming Li first. "It's great to have the second young lady back. The servants in my room have nothing to do these days. Why don't I ask them to clean the room for you first?"

Ming An bowed slightly: "Hello, Second Sister."

Mingli didn't recognize them, and Shancha couldn't remind them in public, so she pretended to be indifferent and nodded: "Thank you."

"Uh, okay, okay."

Aunt Wang felt that she had been turned away, so she exchanged a few words of greeting and then took Ming An away. She secretly complained in her heart: This time when she came back, the second girl seemed quite indifferent.

It’s better to be indifferent. Those who want to achieve great things should not be too enthusiastic.

Everyone in the pavilion had left, leaving only Mingli and Shancha. The humans and animals scattered, but the show that had begun on the stage could not stop.

Mingli held the teacup in one hand, standing in front of the railing, staring at the stage in a trance. Shancha didn't say much, just stayed quietly beside her.

The play came to an end, and the emperor who had ascended the throne as the retired emperor stood alone on the stage, stroking the portrait of the imperial concubine and crying: "The rain wet the cold branches, and my tears stained the dragon robe. I would not forgive you, and we are separated by a phoenix tree, and the rain keeps dripping until dawn."

When the curtain fell, the actors on the stage bowed and left one after another. Mingli nodded in return, and her eyes remained on him for a long time until the stage was empty.

"Girl likes to watch plays?"

Mingli's eyes were dim, and she nodded: "I haven't seen it before, I only heard my sister mention it twice in a letter. I saw it today, and I think it's good. I like it."

Shan Cha Dao said: "There is a family troupe in Beijing, which is stationed in Anxiang Tower. Their kung fu and singing are unparalleled. You can go and have a look, young lady."

Hearing this, Mingli was a little surprised. She retracted her gaze and said, "I thought you would say that I was wasting my time on pleasure and urged me to avenge Mingyi and Mingxin."

"I don't think revenge should be the only purpose of your life." Shancha said seriously.

The second girl was sent to the mountains since she was born and has never returned to Beijing in the past fifteen years. Although she and her own girl are sisters, they only exchange letters twice a month. As for the fifth young master and the sixth young lady, she has no feelings for them at all.

She has killed the entire Zhou family and came to the Ming family to fight for the dowry and private property that the girl deserves. To be honest, Shancha feels that she has done her best.

I have no right to ask the second girl for anything.

Mingli smiled slightly and turned away: "No. The only purpose of my life is revenge. My sister is the only one who cares about me. As long as she cares about someone, I will protect them."

"Cha, didn't you hear it just now? The Ming family also had a hand in my sister's death." Ming Li said in a dull tone: "My teacher once said that once a person is dead, the truth is of no use. Only by paying with one's life can we comfort the dead."

Shan Cha was stunned: "The Ming family also has a share? But, but my daughter is the eldest daughter of the Ming family!"

"The eldest daughter of the family?" Mingli sneered, "If they cared about my sister's status as a legitimate daughter, why would they marry her to the Zhou family, a den of tigers and wolves?"

Mingli walked down the stairs slowly, with a gloomy look on his face: "Go to bed early tonight, I need to go out for a while."

"Where is the girl going? What is she going to do?"

Mingli said: "Outside of Kyoto, open the coffin and examine the body."

(End of this chapter)