Jinyi Spring

Madam Ming seemed to still be in shock, and simply nodded blankly.

The Xue family mother-in-law and daughter-in-law left quickly.

Only after the two figures left did a slight smile appear on Madam Ming's lips as she quickly walked into her bedroom.

She glanced at the maid in the room, then pretended to be angry and said a few words to the old lady.

The old woman seemed to be trembling with anger. "What? She's the one who denounced the Kong family? How dare she! She's been deceiving us for over a decade. Bring her here, I want to ask her myself if she did these treacherous things."

Madam Ming led Granny Li out of Fu Rong Hall and headed straight for Bao Su Courtyard.

The old Duke had already hurriedly gone to the front yard.

Baosu Courtyard was quiet.

The aunt was "seriously ill," and apart from Yuxiang, no other servants were allowed to approach the main house.

News of the Kong family's arrival and disturbance had already spread throughout the mansion. The servants were whispering among themselves in small groups, but when they saw Madam Ming approaching, they immediately fell silent in fright.

In the main room, Madam Xia lay on the bed, barely breathing, her body emaciated. She tried to shout, but could only manage gasps; she couldn't even cry out.

Madam Ming pushed open the door and looked down at her.

A sense of foreboding washed over Xia, and her lips moved as she managed to squeeze out a few words, "Shangguan... just kill me."

A mocking smile appeared on Madam Ming's lips. "You certainly deserve to die. However, your death won't be so peaceful—the Kong family has already taken your handwritten letter to the Jingzhao Prefecture, accusing you of 'dishonoring justice' and 'submitting anonymous accusations.' It won't be long before the Jingzhao Prefecture comes to arrest you. Hahaha..."

She laughed so hard she was shaking.

Xia's eyes widened in anger, and she cursed weakly, "You did it? You're too ruthless... You want me to die with this infamy?"

Madam Ming stopped laughing and sneered, "We're just pointing out the evil you've done. Xia Achan, when you're thrown into prison, the prison guards will strip you naked, put you in prison clothes, give you a hundred lashes, put you in shackles and chains, and exile you three thousand miles away."

She glanced at Xia a few times and said, "Although you've lost some weight, you still have some beauty left. Perhaps the escorting constables will give you extra 'attention,' making your journey pleasant every day..."

Xia grew increasingly frightened as she listened, trembling all over, and cried out, "Please... kill me... kill me..."

Madam Ming spat, "Bah, killing you would only dirty my hands."

She glanced coldly at the table. "If you want to die with dignity, then end it yourself."

Before anyone knew it, a white silk ribbon had appeared on the table.

Xia's lips trembled violently as she whispered, "Please... spare Xiyan..."

Madam Ming looked down at her, her gaze devoid of any pity.

“That girl inherited your wickedness, but not your wisdom. If she stays in the mortal world, she will only harm herself and others. My in-laws will spare her life for the sake of General Xia. However, she will be sent to a temple to atone for your evil deeds.”

Xia trembled, and tears welled up in her eyes again.

Madam Ming, too lazy to look at her anymore, turned and walked towards the door.

She stopped at the threshold and said without turning her head, "If you want to die, hurry up. In less than half an hour, the Jingzhao Prefecture will be here to arrest you."

She still had some regrets. In order to avoid arousing too much suspicion from the emperor, and in order to ensure that the emperor could establish an heir as soon as possible, she could not expose all the bad things that Xia had done. Those sins could only be buried with this woman's death.

She got off too easy.

Only Granny Li and Yuxiang remained in the room.

They watched as Xia gritted her teeth and struggled to get out of bed.

Yuxiang helped her put on her outer garment, and Granny Li draped the white silk ribbon over the roof beam and tied it in a tight knot.

The two men helped Xia Shi onto the brocade stool and watched as she put her head into the circle. Xia Shi was barely alive; her body hung there, too weak to even struggle. In less than a quarter of an hour, she was lifeless.

Yu Xiang then burst into tears, "Auntie, how could you leave like this..."

Upon hearing the noise, Madam Ming hurried into the bedroom. Seeing Xia Shi hanging from the beam, her face showed panic. She exclaimed, "Quick, quick, bring her down!"

Two bold old women rushed in at the sound of their voices and quickly put Xia down.

Granny Li checked her breathing and pulse, then turned back and said, "Madam, the young lady... is completely dead."

Madam Ming feigned concern by wiping her eyes with a handkerchief before hurrying to Fu Rong Hall.

Upon arriving at the old lady's bedroom, Madam Ming said, "Mother-in-law, I told Xia about that matter, saying that you want to see her. She said she'll come back after changing her clothes, so I'll wait for her in the main room."

"She said her days were numbered and she wanted to tidy herself up properly, so she sent her maid out as well. Little did anyone know... she would hang herself in the house."

The old lady was stunned at first, then wiped her tearless eyes with a handkerchief. "I raised her for over twenty years! I loved her like my own daughter. And she did such a treacherous thing! She has failed me and the old Duke in raising her, and even more so, she has failed her own father's lifelong loyalty and bravery!"

After crying for a while, the old lady's voice turned cold, "Although she is dead, she is still a sinner. We can't have a big funeral, lest outsiders say that our Ming family is protecting a sinner. But we have raised her for more than twenty years, so we can't let her body be left exposed outside."

She hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let Yan'er see her one last time. No matter how wicked her mother was, she was still her own mother. After the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture come to examine her, we'll prepare her body for burial."

Madam Ming nodded, "I'll make the arrangements right away."

The old lady continued, "The coffin doesn't need to be too fancy; a simple, plain coffin will suffice. Carry it to the mortuary outside the city, keep the body there for three days, and then bury it. No funeral rites, no mourning ceremonies, and no offerings. Her fine clothes and jewelry need not be buried with her, lest it diminish her good karma. Just dress her in simple, clean clothes, and let her go peacefully."

"As for her private property, the dowry given to her before is still hers, it's up to the government to decide what to do with it. The property she embezzled after returning home after the divorce was not originally hers, so it should be separated."

Madam Ming agreed and turned to make the arrangements.

The old woman leaned back against the pillow, closed her eyes, and sighed deeply. She had raised this ungrateful wretch for over twenty years; she had done so much evil. If there weren't certain things that couldn't be made public, she wouldn't have let her die so easily.

An old woman went to fetch Kong Xiyan.

When Kong Xiyan heard that her mother had harmed her father's family and that she had hanged herself out of fear of punishment after the matter came to light, she simply did not believe it.

She shrieked, "My mother is a reasonable and educated woman; she would never do such a thing!"

The old woman had lost all respect for her and sneered, "If Miss Kong doesn't believe me, just wait for the people from the Jingzhao Prefecture to come."

The word "Kong" was emphasized particularly heavily. The meaning was clear: you're not even a cousin anymore.

Kong Xiyan ran wildly to Baosu Courtyard, but when she reached the gate, she became frightened.

She timidly entered the house and saw her mother lying there stiffly, her cheeks sunken, and the purplish-black ligature mark on her neck shockingly visible.

She was so frightened that her face turned pale, and she swayed, but was supported by the old woman behind her.

"Mother, Mother! They say you did that kind of thing, how could that be? They must be making things up..."

She rushed over and clung to Xia Shi, crying her heart out.

Madam Ming stood aside, quietly watching this scene.

This child grew up in her care, and she had genuinely loved him before. But this child was wicked, and after learning about all the bad things Xia Achan had done, she no longer felt any pity for him.

A commotion arose outside, and Steward Bai brought in four constables and two female guards.

Madam Ming and the other women went to the west room, but Xia Achan was forcibly dragged there by the old woman.

The yamen runners and the palace maids heard from Granny Li about Xia's suicide out of fear of punishment, and then examined Xia's body.

He said to Steward Bai, "The man is dead. We should go back and report to the Prefect." (End of Chapter)