Shuse Jinjia

Xie Zhaotang was covered in mud and blood; he would surely frighten Aunt Shen and Tian Tian if he returned home like that.

Huo Ling was very understanding. She took Xie Zhaotang back to the Huo family's estate, let her wash up and change her clothes before sending her home.

Xie Zhaotang would have to work with Huo Ling in the future, and having spent a lot of time with Huo Ling, he realized that Huo Ling was kind-hearted, so he told Huo Ling about his predicament.

Huo Ling felt the same complicated emotions as Huo Beiyu; she hadn't expected Xie Zhaotang to have such a difficult life.

"Sister Tangtang, you'll be of marriageable age in a month. If no one of higher social standing than Lord Gong or the Xu family marries you then, and your father really wants to send you to be a concubine, what will you do?"

Seeing the worry on Huo Ling's face, Xie Zhaotang thought for a moment and then told Huo Ling about his plan to fake his death and escape.

"Xiaoling, if I'm forced into this situation, I'll need your help..."

"It's just that I won't be able to go back to the capital anymore, and I won't be able to work with you anymore! Leaving the capital is fine for me, but it's unfair to my aunt and my sister, who have to leave their hometown with me."

Huo Ling grew up in the capital and had never heard of such a thing as faking death. She was stunned for a long time.

She had learned a lot from Xie Zhaotang during the time they spent together, and she truly liked him and couldn't bear to be separated from him.

The thought of wanting Xie Zhaotang to be his sister-in-law resurfaced in his mind.

But would the eldest brother agree?

"Sister Tangtang, you still have a month until your coming-of-age ceremony, so don't rush to fake your death. We'll definitely find a way to help you get out of this predicament..."

After taking Xie Zhaotang home, Huo Ling went home herself.

She didn't rush to sleep, but went to Huo Beiyu's study to wait for him.

Huo Beiyu returned after two hours.

Upon seeing Huo Ling, Huo Beiyu was puzzled. It was almost midnight, why was Huo Ling waiting for him instead of sleeping? Did she have something urgent to tell him?

"Big brother, I have something to tell you..."

Huo Ling hurriedly told Huo Beiyu about Xie Zhaotang's plan to fake his death and escape, and then said...

"Big brother, our pharmaceutical factory can't do without Sister Tangtang. If she fakes her death, won't she be unable to show her face in Beijing forever? Even if she can secretly give us advice, it won't be convenient!"

"Big brother, I really think Sister Tangtang is very capable and a good match for you. Why don't you marry her? That would solve all your problems!"

Huo Beiyu's face darkened. Thinking of Xie Zhaotang's deep scheming, he looked at Huo Ling.

"Did you come up with this yourself, or did she suggest it to you?"

Huo Ling rolled her eyes at Huo Beiyu and scolded, "Big brother, can you stop thinking about everything as a scheme? Sister Tangtang didn't mention marrying you at all. She even faked her death to escape and was thinking of taking Aunt Shen and Xie Tiantian away. She's already made arrangements for her future."

"Moreover, I don't think her plan was just a spur-of-the-moment thing; she really planned it out. She even asked me to find her a female corpse with a similar build to herself..."

Huo Beiyu was speechless. Although Huo Ling didn't say how Xie Zhaotang would fake his death, with the girl's cunning, she would definitely do it thoroughly.

The thought that Xie Zhaotang was really going to fake his death, and that he would be free to roam the world like a fish in water, far away from the capital, filled him with a strange emptiness.

Huo Ling continued to advise, "Brother, you're going to get married anyway. Tangtang is beautiful and capable, she won't be a disgrace to you. Besides, Tangtang won't be of marriageable age for another month. Just try to like her and see. If you really don't like her, then we'll fake her death!"

Huo Beiyu remained expressionless, neither agreeing nor disagreeing, and simply told Huo Ling to go to sleep.

Huo Ling was somewhat unwilling to accept that she hadn't gotten the result she wanted, and pouted.

"Does Big Brother mind what happened between Brother Zhu and Sister Tangtang? Even if Brother Zhu had his reasons, he was the one who gave up on Sister Tangtang first. Why can't Sister Tangtang find someone else to marry?"

"Big brother, let me tell you, Sister Tangtang has many other good qualities. If you don't make a move now, you'll definitely regret it later!"

Huo Ling is gone.

Huo Beiyu had his servants bring him water so he could wash up and go to sleep.

As he lay in bed, the image of Xie Zhaotang covered in mud, clutching a stone, flashed in his mind, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

The young girl killed someone without panicking; she has the same courage as that unknown woman in Hexi Garden…

……

The next day.

Xie Zhaotang got up as usual, made breakfast for Xie Tiantian and Aunt Shen, and then went to visit Zhou Sui.

Zhou Sui was hit on the head by a beggar last night, and he got a big bump on the back of his head. He vomited several times in the middle of the night.

This is a concussion. Xie Zhaotang examined him, prescribed a medicine, and told him to rest in bed for the next few days.

Xue Jintong already knew that her uncle and Xie Zhaotang had been robbed, and she was relieved to hear from Xie Zhaotang that the young marquis would thoroughly investigate the matter.

Before leaving home, Xie Zhaotang asked Aunt Xia to deliver a letter to Xie Shou. When she returned home, Xie Shou was already there.

Xie Zhaotang told Xie Shou what happened last night and asked Xie Shou to investigate the people around Xie Linzhu and Madam Xu.

Although Huo Beiyu has agreed to investigate, Xie Shou has an advantage over Huo Beiyu in investigating the Xie family's affairs.

"Brother Xie, haven't Granny Qiao's people found the mad dog yet? If not, let's give them a hand!"

Xie Zhaotang gave a cold laugh. Did Madam Xu really think she could do whatever she wanted to him just because he hadn't taken any action?

"I've already found a rabid dog and am just thinking of sending it over sometime. I'll have someone deliver it as soon as I get back!"

Xie Shou knew from Xie Zhaotang's tone that she was really angry, so he went back and had someone send the mad dog to the vicinity of Madam Xu's estate.

The two farmers, upon hearing the villagers talk about it, remembered Granny Qiao's instructions and went to great lengths to catch the mad dog.

Madam Xu's willingness to allow Xu Muyuan to take Xie Zhaotang as a concubine was also a ploy to appease Xu Muyuan into marrying his principal wife before dealing with Xie Zhaotang.

When Granny Qiao received the news that the mad dog had been caught, she reported it to Madam Xu. This time, Madam Xu was not as reckless as last time. After thinking for a moment, she said...

"We can no longer handle sending the rabid dog to Baohua Village; let's send it to Xie Linzhu's dowry estate instead!"

Granny Qiao, a confidante of Madam Xu, was intrigued upon hearing this: "Madam, are you trying to use someone else as a tool?"

Madam Xu smiled: "Last time I went to the Xie family, I asked Madam Xie to marry off Xie Zhaotang, but she kept dragging her feet. Now she even wants to give Xie Zhaotang to Mu Yuan as a concubine. Both of their daughters have married into the Xu family. What are they up to? She schemes against me, so why can't I scheme against her?"

"Also, there were rumors that Xie Zhaotang was stung by bees by Xie Linzhu. Sending a rabid dog over there will be a good opportunity for me to see what kind of tricks my future daughter-in-law has up her sleeve!"

It wasn't that she disliked Xie Linzhu for being ruthless; as the matriarch of the Xu family, she was expected to be in charge after marrying a daughter-in-law, and she would look down on Xie Linzhu if she didn't have some skills.

Madam Xu had her own plans. She wanted to make the sisters kill each other so that she could get away with it without getting her hands dirty, and Xie Zhaotang's death would solve everything.

No, that's just internal strife within the Xie family, it won't affect me. After Xie Linzhu marries into the Xu family, I can still control her and make her obedient to me...

The next day, Xie Zhaotang learned from Xie Shou that the mad dog had been sent by the farmer to Xie Linzhu's dowry estate, and thus guessed Madam Xu's scheme.

She sneered. Madam Xu's plan was too clever. How was Xie Linzhu going to use the mad dog to deal with her?