The Stunning Mad Empress: The Useless Third Miss - Chapter 42

“But how… how can we possibly silence everyone’s mouths?”

Xiao Qingxue frowned, her face puzzled.

“Fear not! When the time comes, we’ll just say that the woman lying in Young Master Nan Gong’s bed was the shameless Xiao Qingcheng. Won’t that be enough? Moreover, it will make it easier for Nan Gong’s matriarch to agree to their annulment.

Eldest sister, this is a good thing!” Xiao Qingqing added.

Lin Fen nodded, “Your sister is right. Everything has two sides. We must learn to seize opportunities to turn the situation around. No matter what, you must marry into the Nan Gong family.”

“What about… the hundred thousand taels of dowry?”

Xiao Qingxue asked despondently.

Lin Fen gritted her teeth and exchanged a glance with Xiao Qingqing. A glint of murderous intent flickered in the eyes of both mother and daughter.

“Qingxue, go back and rest first. Your mother and I will handle the follow-up matters,” Lin Fen said, waving impatiently to summon Xiao Qingxue’s personal maid. Only after watching Xiao Qingxue leave the courtyard did she turn to Xiao Qingqing and say, “Follow me!”

Xiao Qingqing slightly bent her knee and replied, “Yes.”

After entering Lin Fen’s room and closing the door, Xiao Qingqing asked, “Mother, what do you want with me?”

Without a word, Lin Fen walked to the cabinet by the bedside. She reached out and turned the coloured glaze lantern on the cabinet. A hidden compartment then appeared before Xiao Qingqing’s eyes.

“Mother, what is this?”

“Here, I have stored everything I have prepared for you all,” Lin Fen said without turning her head. She then took out a stack of deeds from the compartment.

“These deeds originally belonged to Xiao Qingcheng’s mother when she came to Xiao Family Town. Back then, I was just a poor young lady from a magistrate’s family. If it weren’t for your father’s favor, we wouldn’t have acquired such wealth so easily.”

Listening to Lin Fen’s sighs, Xiao Qingqing furrowed her brows and stepped forward, “Mother, is Xiao Qingcheng really not Father’s child?”

“That’s correct! Initially, Xiao Qingcheng’s mother used the pretext of marrying your father to give birth to Xiao Qingcheng, who she was already pregnant with. And I, who had been childhood sweethearts with your father, had to step back and remain as a nameless concubine.”

Xiao Qingqing took one of the deeds and glanced at it, “Thirty thousand taels of gold? This… isn’t this the villa that Mother gave to Grandpa and Grandma for their old age a few years ago?”

Lin Fen nodded, “Yes! Back then, Xiao Qingcheng’s mother took my man, so I used her money to support my own family. She owed us this.”

“How did Xiao Qingcheng’s mother actually die?” Xiao Qingqing asked curiously.

Lin Fen let out a cold laugh, her eyes filled with excitement, “Die? Huh, I merely used a trick of framing her, and she was disgraced, labeled as a witch, and burned alive in front of everyone in Xiao Family Town.

If it weren’t for that, Qingqing, don’t you think… with the wealth she had, how many people in Xiao Family Town wouldn’t have been bribed by her? How could Xiao Qingcheng have been so easily controlled by us?”

Xiao Qingqing frowned deeply, “But… won’t the main branch of the Xiao family inquire about this? Mother, I don’t care what you thought before, but now Xiao Qingcheng, the fool, has already attracted the attention of the main branch.

No matter what, we have to deal with this matter.”

Lin Fen sighed, “Originally, Xiao Qingcheng’s mother was a scar that everyone in the main branch preferred not to mention. But unexpectedly, someone now wants to take Xiao Qingcheng away! Qingqing, rest assured, I won’t let them succeed.”

Xiao Qingqing nodded and sat down beside Lin Fen, “Mother, we need to think this through carefully. I believe that Miss Qingcheng can be well utilized.

Why don’t we first find a way to make Nan Gong’s matriarch thoroughly despise Xiao Qingcheng, and then use Miss Qingcheng’s hands to kill Xiao Qingcheng? What do you think?”

A gleam of light flashed in Lin Fen’s eyes, “Killing two birds with one stone—what a good strategy!”

Xiao Qingqing pursed her lips, lowering her eyes shyly, “However… Young Master Nan Gong is a trouble. Now, we still need to find a way to get rid of him.”

Lin Fen reached out and gently stroked her daughter’s smooth hair, speaking affectionately, “Don’t worry. Your father won’t let Young Master Nan Gong have his way. We also have our trump cards.

I’ve been honest with you about all these things today. Remember, the dowry that Xiao Qingcheng’s mother left for her is your and Qingxue’s dowry and our trump card. No matter what, this money must not be given away.”

Xiao Qingqing nodded firmly. Naturally, the invaluable poison powder in her possession could not be given away casually either.

The first attempt had already failed; the second one… must not fail again.

Miss Qingcheng, aren’t you the younger fellow apprentice of Nan Gong?

Aren’t you arrogant? Don’t you think I can’t touch you?

Let’s see how this plays out!

Time flew by,

Xiao Qingcheng, on the surface, stayed quietly in Lin Fen’s courtyard the whole day without being disturbed.

Early the next morning, the advance guard of Nan Gong’s matriarch came to announce that the matriarch had arrived in Xiao Family Town and asked Xiao Feng, Nan Gong Feng, and the others to go and greet her.

At the entrance of the Xiao residence, Xiao Feng glanced at Nan Gong Feng in front of him and said with a smile, “Young Master Nan Gong, yesterday the second young master from the Xiao family’s main branch sent a message. I suppose… the young master must have received it too.”

Nan Gong Feng let out a cold laugh, his eyes filled with a hint of dominance: “This strategy of besieging Wei to rescue Zhao is indeed well-used by the head of the Xiao family.”

The second young master of the Xiao family’s main branch had sent a message to Nan Gong Feng yesterday, saying that he would personally come to welcome Miss Xiao San. Moreover, the head of the main branch had invited Young Master Nan Gong to discuss some important matters.

At this critical moment, this letter was clearly aimed at Nan Gong Feng.

Originally, he was not a member of the Xiao family and couldn’t say much. Now, it would be even more difficult for him to help Xiao Qingcheng.

Xiao Feng, seeing Nan Gong Feng’s slight distraction, let out a cold laugh, “Young Master Nan Gong is flattering me. After all, you are not a member of the Xiao family. I hope you will leave soon and have a smooth journey.”

Nan Gong Feng adjusted his cloak and looked at Xiao Feng with a half-smile, “After paying my respects to the matriarch, I will naturally leave. However…”

He paused for a moment before continuing, “This move by the head of the Xiao family is not very clever. One day, he will surely regret it.”

With that, Nan Gong Feng took a step forward with his guards.

Xiao Feng stood in place, watching Nan Gong Feng’s retreating figure, a flash of malice and triumph in his eyes.

At that moment, Nan Gong Feng’s personal guard also secretly passed this message to Xiao Qingcheng.

Standing by the outer wall of Lin Fen’s courtyard, Xiao Qingcheng raised an eyebrow at the unopened letter in her hand: “Nan Gong Feng is leaving?”