You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 171 Night Visit to the Fang Family
The coachman was out of danger, but Liang Jiang was still preoccupied with the suspicious points she had discovered the day before and was eager to investigate, so she immediately went to the imperial prison.

She wanted to ask the jailer who was in charge of guarding the prison that night if there were any other suspicious points.

The jailer was very warm and respectful when he saw her, and he did his best to answer Liang Jiang's questions, even calling over two jailers for her.

Faced with Liang Jiang's questioning, the two jailers recounted the events of that night without hesitation.

That night, nothing happened. The men guarded outside Tong Shouliang's prison, never leaving his side and remaining very vigilant.

However, there was no unusual activity, and no outsiders came or went.

When they handed over their shifts the next day, they discovered that Tong Shouliang had committed suicide in prison.

After asking around for a long time, Liang Jiang got nothing and returned disappointed.

After hesitating for a moment, he finally made up his mind to secretly go to the Tong residence after nightfall.

If things are really as I imagine, and there are other suspicious circumstances surrounding Tong Shouliang's death, the only people who should know the truth are Fang Chengxu and Tong Zhao'er.

This includes Fang Chengxu's act of sacrificing his own family for the greater good, holding Tong Shouliang hostage with a sword; this was also part of the conspiracy.

If he were to go under the guise of mourning, he would undoubtedly be asking for trouble and would inevitably be insulted by Tong Zhao'er, leading to a major conflict.

Therefore, she decided to sneak into the Tong residence at night.

The Tong residence has had its original signboard removed and has been officially renamed the Fang residence.

Fang Chengxu claimed Tong Shouliang's body but did not hold a grand ceremony. He kept the gates of his house closed and declined any condolences from others.

Of course, once someone leaves, their influence fades. Tong Shouliang committed such a heinous crime that no one in the court dared to risk coming to offer condolences.

Therefore, the house was very quiet, with only white paper lanterns hanging at the door and a funeral banner erected.

The mourning tent was set up in the courtyard, with a huge black lacquered coffin in the center, as well as an offering table and a brazier.

Tong Zhao'er stood guard by the coffin, blankly tossing paper money into the brazier. Flames surged, illuminating Tong Zhao'er's expressionless face.

Fang Chengxu squatted down beside him and comforted him, "Ah Zhao, the dead cannot be brought back to life, so don't be too sad. Listen to me, go back to your room and rest for a while. I'll stay here and watch over you."

Tong Zhao'er shook her head and remained silent.

"I know you hate me for betraying your father-in-law. But this is the best outcome. Even if you don't care about yourself, can you bear to see your mother-in-law suffer alone and helpless for the rest of her life?"

Tong Zhao'er's expression changed, and she raised her face: "Where is my mother?"

"Don't worry, I've already spent money to take care of things. My mother-in-law is fine and won't suffer at all. Once this storm passes, I'll bring her over and take good care of her."

Tong Zhao'er buried her face in the crook of her knees and finally couldn't help but sob.

“I have nothing left but you. If you treat me badly, you will be letting down my father’s spirit in heaven and all his good intentions.”

Fang Chengxu pulled her into his arms and patted her back tenderly: "I've already bought a house in Fucheng. After your father's funeral in a few days, I'll listen to you and send my mother and younger sister back to Fucheng. Then you'll have some peace and quiet."

Tong Zhao'er nodded.

Suddenly, someone outside the mourning tent sneered unhappily: "I knew my brother had been trying to persuade my mother and me to return to Fucheng these past two days. It turns out it was you, woman, who was sowing discord."

It is a kite.

Fang Yuan flung open the mourning tent, leaning half her body inside: "You're no longer the daughter of the General's family. Your father is a traitor, and you're a jinx to my family! It's a good thing we didn't divorce you." Fang Chengxu retorted, "What nonsense are you spouting?"

"Am I wrong? Sending your own mother and sister to the countryside and then bringing your mother-in-law here to take care of them? Isn't that a joke? My mother and I will never leave. If anyone should leave, it's this woman. What right does she have to tell us what to do?"

Tong Zhao'er stood up and looked coldly at Fang Yuan: "This house belongs to the General's Mansion, and even the house we bought for you in Fucheng belongs to my Tong family. Do you think I have any right to do this?"

"Tch, your general's mansion has been ransacked, and you have nothing left now." Fang Yuan scoffed. "Even your mother is now a lowly slave! If my brother hadn't married you, you'd probably be sleeping with someone in some brothel right now."

As soon as she finished speaking, Tong Zhao'er trembled and slapped Fang Yuan hard across the face.

"My General's Mansion may have declined, but that doesn't mean I, Tong Zhao'er, am easy to bully!"

Fang Yuan was unwilling to accept this insult and was about to fight with Tong Zhao'er when Fang Chengxu stopped her.

"If you continue to cause trouble, get out of here right now and go back to Fucheng."

Fang Yuan looked on incredulously: "Big brother, you actually yelled at me for this woman? Mother, Mother, come quick! Tong Zhao'er hit me!"

Upon hearing the commotion, Old Madam Fang came out from the inner courtyard, and Fang Yuan immediately added fuel to the fire by complaining to Tong Zhao'er and Fang Chengxu.

Grandma Fang pointed at Fang Chengxu with a look of utter disappointment: "I've raised you for nothing, and you actually want to drive us away for this woman, showing no regard for your own family."

"Does she perhaps have some leverage over you? There are other women in the world besides Tong Zhao'er! Listen to your mother, divorce her, and I'll find you a well-educated, polite, and filial daughter from a noble family to be your wife."

Fang Chengxu impatiently interrupted Old Madam Fang, "I only want Ah Zhao as my wife! Don't say things like that again. Besides, General Tong's body is barely cold; it's inappropriate for you to say such things in front of him!"

Grandma Fang slapped Tong Shouliang's coffin: "So what if his body is still warm? Wasn't he so powerful? Didn't he cut off half of my ear? If he's so capable, let him rise from the dead and cut off the other half of my ear."

I'm not afraid of him alive, and what do I have to fear if he's dead! I've already shown mercy by not lifting his coffin lid!

Tong Zhao'er was trembling with anger, and blurted out, "Fang Chengxu, are you just going to watch them humiliate my father like this? Have you forgotten the promise you made to my father?"

Seeing that Old Madam Fang was going too far, Fang Chengxu quickly stepped forward and pushed and shoved her.

Grandma Fang snorted coldly, grabbed Fang Yuan, and stormed off, cursing all the while.

Tong Zhao'er gritted her teeth, narrowed her eyes and smiled coldly. She sat down on the ground again, casually tossing a few pieces of paper money into the brazier, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

The galangal on the rooftop silently curled up back inside.

This farce, seemingly just a conflict between Old Mrs. Fang and Tong Zhao'er, actually reveals a deeper story in Fang Chengxu's attitude towards Tong Zhao'er.

Fang Chengxu is not a man of lasting affection. Now that the General's Mansion has been confiscated, he is so responsible and devoted to Tong Zhao'er. There must be some vested interest involved.

Fang Chengxu was penniless, even destitute, yet he was able to spend money to help Madam Tong and even buy a house for Old Madam Fang in Fucheng. It was easy to tell from Tong Zhao'er's words that all the money he spent came from the General's Mansion.

It's clear that Tong Shouliang had planned this all along; even his capture by Fang Chengxu was pre-arranged.

This discovery further convinced Liang Jiang that there must have been something fishy about Tong Shouliang's later suicide.

Although Tong Zhao'er appeared to be in unbearable pain, her cold, mocking smile concealed a great deal of information.

Therefore, Liang Jiang decided that she absolutely had to exhume the body and examine it to confirm her suspicions.

(End of this chapter)