The case was stirring up a huge uproar—even Eldest Madam Lu had caught wind of the news.
As her carriage passed by the government office, it was completely blocked by a mass of people.
It was the New Year, so the crowded streets were to be expected. But the strange thing was—government offices were places people usually avoided. During the New Year, there should’ve been even fewer around. So why was it still packed wall to wall with people?
She cast a glance at Tian Momo beside her.
Tian Momo hurried to explain.
Eldest Madam Lu was growing more and more anxious and irritable.
When she heard it was once again related to Duke Chu’s household, and that the one killed was Hu Yichuan, she immediately cursed without holding back: “That little wh*re! That shameless b*tch! That wretched thing! What does any of this have to do with her?! Is she trying to show off how capable she is—poking her nose into everything?! Who the h*ll does she think she is?!”
Eldest Madam Lu’s hostility toward Qi Yuan had been obvious from the very beginning.
Ever since Qi Yuan had returned home and the Qi family hosted the reunion banquet, she had deliberately made things difficult for Qi Yuan in front of everyone.
And now Qi Yuan had stirred up all this trouble.
She’d even managed to play a role in a political storm among several powerful households. That made Eldest Madam Lu detest her even more.
The more she thought about it, the more convinced she became that Qi Yuan was a pawn groomed by the Eldest Princess and the Eastern Palace—specifically meant to target Duke Chu’s household and the Lu family.
It was even possible that they had found Liu Wangfei long ago, and Qi Yuan was planted as the bait to bring all of this to the surface!
Eldest Madam Lu took a deep breath, and at once felt a dense, prickling pain in her chest, like needles stabbing her heart. She clutched her chest in alarm.
Tian Momo quickly tried to calm her down. “Madam, why lower yourself to that little wench’s level? She thinks she’s going to get a good ending out of this? If Liu Wangfei and the others actually manage to pull this off, do you think they’ll let a pawn like her live?”
Eldest Madam Lu’s face was harsh and cold as she gave a sharp snort. “Why wait for them to pull anything off? I’ll take care of her now!”
What the h*ll was she?!
Lu Minghui went to kill Lu Mingan.
So she would kill that little wh*re Qi Yuan first—slaughter the one who was fanning the flames from within—stabilize the situation here in the capital before anything else.
Tian Momo quietly handed her a bowl of ginseng tea.
Eldest Madam Lu was furious to the point her chest ached, so she drank the whole bowl in one go.
Only then did she coldly ask, “Is it done? The letter was sent in the Eldest Princess’s name, right? That wretched girl is slippery and full of tricks. If it wasn’t under the Eldest Princess’s name, it’d be hard to lure her out.”
Waiting was an agonizing thing.
Eldest Madam Lu feared that Lu Minghui would fail to kill Lu Mingan.
She also feared Lu Mingan would return and expose everything.
Every time these thoughts crossed her mind, she couldn’t sit still.
It felt like if she didn’t act, the most terrifying consequences would descend on her.
And the more she thought that way, the more desperate she became to kill Qi Yuan.
Until finally, she arrived at Qingyun Pavilion.
Qingyun Pavilion was a Lu family property.
It was part of Eldest Madam Lu’s dowry from her maiden family. Here—even if she stripped Qi Yuan bare and cut her into pieces—no one would know, and no word would leak.
As long as Qi Yuan entered that building, Eldest Madam Lu was confident she could kill her.
As soon as she stepped off the carriage, the shopkeeper came out to greet her.
Eldest Madam Lu asked in a low voice, “Has she arrived?”
Even the shopkeeper could tell—this time, the lady was likely out for blood.
In the past, whenever Eldest Madam Lu dealt with the women Lu Minghui had outside, she would also bring them to Qingyun Pavilion and find a way to kill them quietly.
Judging by her posture this time, the shopkeeper knew something serious was about to happen.
He lowered his voice and said, “The drugged tea has already been served.”
Eldest Madam Lu raised her chin proudly and gestured for him to step aside.
Then she led her people up to the second floor. As soon as she ascended the stairs, she heard a man’s scream.
A gleeful smile immediately appeared on her face.
Looks like the people she arranged acted quickly.
She gave a sneering laugh, covered her mouth with a handkerchief, and clucked, “Tsk tsk tsk tsk, let’s go take a look, shall we? Isn’t that the long-lost young lady from the marquis’s household? Let’s see—when she gets wild, is she any different from those common sl*ts?”
Tian Momo also laughed maliciously with her.
But the moment they pushed the door open, both Tian Momo and Eldest Madam Lu felt the hair on their arms stand up.
The scream just now had indeed come from a man.
But it wasn’t a triumphant scream.
It was the howl of someone whose fingers had been cut off!
As soon as they stepped inside, they were greeted by blood—everywhere.
The entire room was drenched in red, so bright it nearly blinded them.
Tian Momo let out an uncontrollable shriek and grabbed Eldest Madam Lu in a panic, trying to flee.
But the door slammed shut behind them with a bang.
With that sound, both Tian Momo and Eldest Madam Lu jumped like they’d been struck by lightning.
Terrified, they turned around.
There stood Qi Yuan, leaning casually against the door, arms folded, her face wearing a smiling expression.
At that moment, she was more terrifying than any ghost crawling out of hell.
And yet Qi Yuan seemed completely unaware of it. She was twirling a dagger in her hand.
The dagger spun rapidly in her fingers, obedient and smooth like a pet.
She let out a slow, gentle laugh. “Eldest Madam Lu, aren’t you just too polite? I remember you very clearly from the very first time I came back to the Qi family—you were the most enthusiastic one mocking me during that reunion banquet. Later, during the polo match with Liu Mingzhu, you were also the loudest one shouting insults.”
Eldest Madam Lu began to tremble uncontrollably.
Staring at Qi Yuan, she started to cry out weakly, “Help! Someone! Help!”
But the servants downstairs were used to this by now—no matter what chaos went on upstairs, they treated it as if they heard nothing.
So no one came.
Qi Yuan tsked. “See? Didn’t I say you’re too polite? I hadn’t even come looking for trouble with you yet, and here you are, delivering yourself to my door. The Eldest Princess is staying in the palace right now—do you think she has time to summon me? Anyone with a bit of brain would know the letter couldn’t have come from her.”
But Eldest Madam Lu couldn’t hear anything anymore.
She had never imagined a young girl who hadn’t even come of age could be this terrifying.
Whether it was her schemes, her hands-on ability, or her complete disregard for human life—it all sent chills down the spine.
She clenched her teeth to stop them from chattering and tried to threaten her. “You—don’t get cocky. You’re just a filthy little wench. Even your own parents didn’t want you. If you dare lay a finger on me, w-we won’t let you off!”
She couldn’t help but spit more venom: “No wonder your mother hated you. Raised by a pig butcher, you’re nothing but filth—fit only for lowly tricks like this.”
Qi Yuan’s patience ran out.
The dagger stopped spinning in her hand—and flew.
Just like a thrown dart, it shot through the air and struck straight into Eldest Madam Lu’s heart.
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