Jin Se died of illness, and his wife was invited.

  When that shrill cry echoed throughout the entire Grand Preceptor's estate, Gu Yunxi was sitting by the window drinking tea. The newly fallen snow had accumulated on the branches of the winter plum blossoms, and at this moment, looking over, the red and white were distinct, it was truly a beautiful sight.

  A rustling sound of footsteps arose, and Luo Qing walked out with a puzzled expression, wearing her outer garment. When she saw Gu Yunxi sitting there so early, her eyebrows furrowed slightly, "Yunxi, what was that noise just now?"

  Gu Yunxue didn't answer her. She picked up the cup in her hand, "Mother, your plum blossom tea is really sweet and fragrant. Would you like to have a cup?"

  As Gu Yunxi slowly poured tea with her hand, Luo Qingyi rushed out of the door. When she opened the door, an old woman was sweeping the snow in the courtyard outside. The old woman followed her inside after exchanging a few words.

  Gu Yunxi looked over and saw that the newcomer was Yue Niang, a low-ranking slave responsible for sweeping the entire servants' quarters. She was already over 40 years old and was the only person in the Gu household who still had a kind heart towards them.

  "Yu'e, have a cup of hot tea first." Luo Qingyi handed Yu'e a cup of tea that Gu Yunxi had just poured, and then asked softly, "What was that noise just now?"

  The young lady took a few sips of tea, looked outside and said, "Madam Luo, you don't know, do you? This morning, Jin Se and Jiang Sheng, the son of Xia Dama, were both executed by Master Xiang himself!"

  Luo Qing's face changed slightly, "Why?"?

  As she drew closer to the stove in the house, her voice dropped a few decibels, "You don't know yet, do you? The ancestral hall of the Xiang family caught fire last night! When Custodian Gu took people over there, guess what they saw?"

  "What?"

  The girl's eyes flashed with disgust, "Gu Guanshi actually discovered that Jin Se and Jiang Sheng were secretly dating in the ancestral temple!"

  "Think about it, what kind of place is the ancestral hall? It's a place where we worship our ancestors and gods. They not only did such shameful things in that place, but also set the ancestral hall on fire! And with Xia Dama not being around for the past two days, just based on the crime of adultery, these two people will have no way to escape!"

  "You don't know, Jiang Sheng was beaten to death with a stick, his whole waist was broken. And Jin Se, she still wanted to beg the eldest miss to plead for her, but Ce Furen and Zhen Niang were there. Xu Dama took out that handkerchief, it was a genuine Su embroidery, double-sided embroidery, how could Jin Se argue? A few sticks and she was beaten to death, her eyes, ears, mouth, and nose were all bleeding, it was terrifying!"

  Luo Qingyi's hands tightened slightly, and when she turned her head, Gu Yunxi was still drinking tea by the window with a calm expression, without any reaction. She turned her head back, took two deep breaths, and listened to Yue Niang continue speaking.

  "This is great!" The old man, who had also been in the mansion for many years, sighed, "With Jin Se and Jiang Sheng dead, Xia Ru returned, not to mention anything else, at least two wings have been removed, and from now on, she can't bully people in the inner courtyard anymore."

  The old lady turned her head to glance at Gu Yunxi, and whispered, "Madam Luo, you and your daughter have suffered enough these past few years. If things continue like this, it won't be a solution. In my opinion, Second Miss will be married off this year. If she can marry into a good family, you won't have to suffer this fate!"

  Luo Qing's eyes slightly narrowed, "Mother said that it's just that Xi'er's body is not good, now if I marry her off, I'm afraid I won't be at ease, let's wait another two years."

  Fourth Young Mistress heard this and also nodded in agreement, "Indeed, if Second Young Mistress could have a auspicious fate like Eldest Young Mistress's, that would be great. Ever since the Imperial Astronomer's prediction ten years ago, Eldest Young Mistress has entered the palace several times every year. In the future, even if she doesn't enter the Crown Prince's residence, she will likely enter other princes' residences. At that time, this Marquis residence will probably become even more prominent."

  Luo Qingyi's eyes turned cold, and a few rays of light shot out. "The eldest miss has her own destiny, how can we control it? Even if this Marquis Manor becomes the Imperial Father-in-law's manor one day, what does that have to do with us?"

  Yu'e heard this and also nodded, turned her head to see that there seemed to be servants passing by outside the courtyard gate. She hastily finished drinking the hot tea in her cup, said a word of thanks and went out to continue with her own work.

  Luo Qingyi sat by the stove, dazed for a moment, and when she turned her head again, Gu Yunxi was already standing tall and slender at the window, with cold wind blowing past her from outside. Her three thousand strands of black hair flew up, but to Luo Qingyi, that appearance seemed aloof and hard to get close to.

  Xi'er

  "Mother guessed it right." Gu Yunxi spoke in a low voice, every word and sentence dispelling the doubts in Luo Qingyi's heart, but making her feel cold all over. "The handkerchief embroidered by Mother was used to play a role, this play is over, Jin Se and Jiang Sheng are both dead, it's that simple."

  Luo Qingyi slowly stood up, her eyes deep and serious. "Xier, these are two human lives, why do you speak of them so lightly? How did your mother teach you before?"

  Gu Yun Xi let out a sigh, and a hint of pain flashed in her eyes. "Mother taught me to be grateful and repay kindness, to be a good person, to understand how to overcome others with a humble heart and tolerate others with an open mind, to always leave room for oneself, and to have good virtues."

  Luo Qingyi's mouth curved up slightly, "Very good, you still remember. But why? Jin Se may be ruthless and venomous, even to the point of seeing someone die without lifting a finger, but..."?

  "Are you just going to stand by and watch me die?"

  Luo Qingyi was taken aback, and Gu Yunxi's mouth curled up into a cold smile. "Mother really thinks that a bout of not-so-serious pneumonia can take Cloud Xi's life? They want Cloud Xi's life!"

  Looking at Luo Qingyi's gradually stunned expression, Gu Yunxi's tone suddenly turned urgent, "The people outside are all demons who eat people without spitting out bones. For Mother and me to live safely within the mansion, it's probably not even worth thinking about. I'm lucky that I didn't fall into their trap, but since they've done this, they must pay the price!"

  Gu Yunxi's emotions were somewhat agitated, her previous life was kind and benevolent, but she ended up watching her loved ones die miserably, her tribe being destroyed, and finally dying with resentment. Since heaven gave her a second chance at life, she would never again show mercy to those evil spirits! If anyone harmed her in the slightest, she would return it tenfold!

  She is someone who has walked out of hell, what else can be scary?

  Luo Qingyi's hands trembled slightly as she walked over and grasped Gu Yunxi's hand, "Xi'er, who is it, who wants to harm you?"

  Suddenly, Gu Yunxi felt a pang of guilt. The woman in front of her had given everything to this daughter, but still couldn't escape the eternal separation between heaven and man. Her own soul had taken over this body, and all she could do was make her future slightly better.

  "Mother."

  Luo Qing's eyes suddenly changed, as if she had realized something, and she muttered to herself, "Xier, could it be her?"

  Gu Yunxi didn't say a word, she just leaned on her shoulder, "Mother, the person who harmed me will naturally investigate clearly. It's not that I don't listen to your words, it's just that outsiders are all treacherous and ruthless, our methods of dealing with them must be cruel and ruthless! Otherwise, if we're not careful, we'll be the ones who suffer a terrible fate!"

  Luo Qingyi nodded, "Xier, as long as you can protect yourself well, Mother doesn't care about anything else!"

  Gu Yunxi put down her heart, this mother can bear some things after all. If not, how would she go on with the rest of her life, which was full of wind and snow, swords and spears?

  However, Gu Yunxi's heart didn't stay calm for long. In the afternoon of that day, the gate of Meiyuan was slowly pushed open, and the visitor was none other than Liu Ye, the eldest maid of Ce Furen's quarters. She was over 20 years old, although not very close to them, her manners were impeccable. She said, "Second Miss, Ce Furen requests your presence."

  Is it Mrs. Side?

  Gu Yun Xi's eyes sank, and a sense of unease arose in her heart.

  By the way?

  I just started, and the clicks weren't very good. Friends advised me to change to a more mainstream name, but after thinking about it, I decided not to. I really like serious dramas, and changing the name would be uncomfortable for myself, so that's how it is.

  Also, will everyone feel a bit slow? I still have to write the necessary transitions. In the next chapter, the heroine will have some new troubles, but don't worry, she'll turn things around quickly. Finally, that unusual surname "Wan Qi" sounds like "Mo Qi", I think it's very nice, hehe