After His Majesty was reborn, the poor little girl in his previous life was spoiled to death

With Wuxiang's fast legs, it didn't take long for him to chase the enemy for several miles.

Ning'er narrowed her eyes slightly and suddenly said, "Lingwei, there! There seems to be something in front."

Chu Huan gently pulled the reins, and Wuxiang slowed down immediately. His eyes were as sharp as a falcon. There was a shadowy figure, and it seemed that a green-covered carriage was floating in the night.

Chu Huan said, "Well, it looks like a small carriage. If we chase it, we might alarm them. Let's go slower and follow behind to see where it goes."

Ning Er asked hurriedly, "Is this the car the woman got on?"

Wuxiang's horse's hooves became very light, carrying them forward steadily. Chu Huan thought for a moment and said, "Even if it's not the case, it's probably related to her. Since Ding Santong went after the woman first, he must be near her. We just need to keep an eye on the carriage."

Ning'er instantly perked up. She looked at the majestic Wuxiang and couldn't help asking, "Are we too conspicuous? Will we be discovered if we follow behind?"

Chu Huan held the reins and led Wu Xiang very smoothly under the eaves of the house on the left, avoiding the lights. The black horse gradually blended into the dark night: "Without seeing the light, if you don't look back deliberately, it shouldn't be easy for you to find us."

He comforted Ning Er: "Don't be nervous. If the covert approach doesn't work, try the open approach. If they really find us, just let Xiao Ding lead the others to charge forward."

Having said that, Ning'er still unconsciously slowed down her breathing and just stared at the small car shadow in the distance.

She asked softly, as if afraid of being heard: "Do you think Liu Kui is in that car? Where are they taking her?"

Chu Huan thought for a moment and said, "If Ye Shi wanted to send Liu Kui away, they wouldn't have delayed until now." He looked down at Ning Er's intention and suddenly asked, "What will you do when you find Liu Kui?"

Ning Er recalled the look Liu Kui gave her at that time, and her heart trembled. She whispered, "She must have seen my mother. We have to find a way to make her speak out."

Chu Huan spoke slowly: "Have you ever thought about why Ye Shi used a trick to keep Liu Kui in the Marquis' Mansion, and why she wanted to escape, even at the cost of setting a fire, to get her out?"

Ning Er thought hard for a long time before she suddenly raised her head and said incredulously, "Could it be that she also wants to track down my mother's whereabouts?"

"But why would she do this? What good would it do her?"

Chu Huan remained silent for a while before asking, "Who is behind Liu Kui?"

Ning Er blurted out: "Mrs. Luo." She suddenly realized: "You mean, the person Aunt Ye really wants to deal with is not Liu Kui, but Mrs. Luo!"

"But she is the lady's dowry maid."

In the minds of the girls, those who were chosen by the young lady and brought from her natal family to her husband's family as a dowry were all the maids who grew up with her and were the closest and most intimate ones. Those who had served her since childhood had a deep affection for her, which even Chuncao and Ning'er could not compare to.

Chu Huan said softly: "But you forgot...she is still the concubine of Marquis Xinyuan and the mother of a child."

Ning'er was horrified by the possible terror hidden in this sentence. She shuddered involuntarily and murmured, "Lingwei, you mean, it was Madam Luo who killed the child!"

Chu Huan was silent: "This is just my guess."

Ning Er said horrifiedly, "I heard from Chuncao that the child was only five years old... a young master. But why? Madam Luo clearly made the decision to raise Ye Zhen as her concubine, so why did she want to kill her child?"

He sighed softly. This kind of oppression and harm was too common in the palaces, mansions and deep courtyards.

Why? Perhaps it was because the lord favored the mistress and she felt threatened; perhaps the illegitimate child was clever and she could not allow him to grow up to be a strong rival to the legitimate son; or perhaps the concubine was disrespectful, so she killed the chicken to scare the monkey; it was also possible that there was no special reason and it was just out of pure malice and jealousy that she wanted to get rid of the child.

He had seen too many fights between wives and concubines, and between legitimate and illegitimate children. In the eastern family, it might be that the mistress was unkind and abused the illegitimate son, while in the western family, it might be that the concubine was favored and the wife was killed, and the wife was murdered. Behind closed doors, it was a "family affair" that was difficult to decide even if the three judges met together.

It is even very likely that Ning'er spent the first half of her life as a victim of harem struggles.

Chu Huan looked at Ning'er with pity in his eyes, but all this was too unfamiliar to her. She had never had a father since she was a child, and eating and surviving was the focus of her life before. The fights between wives and concubines in the backyard seemed so far away that they seemed like something from another world.

In this case, he must do his best to keep her away from all these disgusting and dirty things as much as possible.

Chu Huan said: "Perhaps only the Ye family and the Luo family know the twists and turns of the grudges. What we can do is to find Liu Kui first and see why the Ye family went to such great lengths."

Ning'er's voice was melancholy: "But, Madam Luo is the Marquis's wife! Chuncao said that the Marquis loved the child very much. If it was really Madam who harmed the little boy, how sad would the Marquis be if he knew about it?"

Chu Huan touched her head and sighed, "Everyone has his own karma. You are just a child, why do you have to worry about these adults?"

"Besides, I'm responsible for everything."

------

At this time, at Minister Luo’s residence.

In Luo Miaoyun's boudoir before she got married, she was frowning and talking to a middle-aged beautiful woman with a worried look on her face: "Mother, the Marquis' Mansion sent another letter today. What do you think, should I go back?"

Luo Miaoyun inherited her beauty from her mother. Her mother is now over fifty years old, but she has maintained herself very well. Compared with the widowed Madam Shen, her mother dresses much more brightly.

Her hands were as slender and white as catkins, and on her fingers were three or five large, transparent gold flower rings inlaid with rubies and sapphires, which sparkled brightly in the candlelight.

She pondered and said, "Madam, can you tell me how my son-in-law is doing now?"

Luo Miaoyun said, "This is exactly what's strange about my daughter. My mother-in-law said that the Marquis is fine, and the imperial physician said that he is recovering very quickly. If he continues like this, he will be well again in a few days."

Her delicate eyebrows twisted into a straight line. "But the news I received privately said that the Marquis is not doing well and has been recovering severely."

Luo's mother said, "This is very strange. Could it be that the Marquis's health is sometimes good and sometimes bad? Yun'er, you must not be confused at this time. If the Marquis is safe, you should go back earlier."

Luo Miaoyun sighed, "I understand this truth. Now, the old lady has arranged for Song and Ye to serve the Marquis. When the Marquis gets better, I don't know how to reward them."

"It's just that, mother, I've been feeling uneasy these past few days, and I'm a little afraid to go back. Mother Liu is still...locked up in the small Buddhist temple."

Seeing her daughter's face that was so similar to hers, Luo's mother's heart softened: "Silly child, what are you afraid of? Your children are already so old, are they still afraid of their mother-in-law like a new bride?"

Luo Miaoyun lowered her voice very low: "Mother, I am afraid to see the Marquis..."

Luo's mother was very disappointed: "The Marquis is your husband, and he is your lifelong support. You have given birth to children for him, managed the household chores, and served your mother-in-law. What is there to be afraid of?"

Luo Miaoyun was so overwhelmed by her mother's words that she couldn't even lift her head. After a long while, she asked, "What about Madam Liu?"

Luo's mother frowned and said, "What else can we do? She acted carelessly and left someone with a handle. She can only be slaughtered by others. Speaking of which, the lady-in-law is still a decent person. She will not take your wet nurse's life. It's nothing more than locking her up for a while. When the storm is over, I will find a way to get her out."

"But..." Luo Miaoyun hesitated to speak.

Mrs. Luo asked, "But what? You are my biological daughter, is there anything you can't tell me as your mother?"

Luo Miaoyun said in embarrassment: "But, Mother Liu really didn't kill Zhu Xiao. I asked her privately, and it's absolutely true that she didn't!"

Luo's mother scolded, "You are so stupid! What if you killed her? What if you didn't? She was just a maid in your room. If you don't pursue her, who would really catch her and not let her go? Now the old lady of the Shen family has determined that she committed a crime in the Marquis' Mansion, and for the sake of dignity, she has to punish her."

Luo Miaoyun had a lot of grievances in her heart but could not say them, so she could only lower her head and listen to the lecture. Her mother loved her brother very much, so she attached great importance to the marriage with Xinyuan Houfu.

The things she was most proud of in her life were, first, that she found a noble husband and became the mistress of the Shangshu Mansion who had the final say, and second, that she raised a good daughter who married into the Marquis' Mansion and received a proper title at a young age, becoming a first-class marquis' lady.

Even though they were close relatives, they also had their own selfish desires. In some cases, Liu Mama, the wet nurse, could not be more considerate of her intentions.

Luo Miaoyun turned her head away in a bitter tone, refusing to speak any more. At this moment, Bai Juan came in through the curtain: "Madam, Madam Luo is here."

She was a little surprised and glanced at her mother. Luo's mother asked in surprise, "Why is she here at this hour?"

Luo Miaoyun hurriedly stood up and greeted her, "Why don't you invite sister-in-law in?"

The Mrs. Luo mentioned by Bai Juan is the legal wife of Luo Miaoyun's brother, Mrs. Chen, who is now the head of the Luo family.

Chen was a few years older than Luo Miaoyun, but she was also at the perfect age. Her appearance was not as exquisite as her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, but she was tall and had a dignified look between her eyebrows.

When she saw her mother-in-law, she bowed quickly and then sat down next to the flower stool.

Luo's mother asked her daughter-in-law, "Why are you here now? Is there something urgent?"

Chen smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. It's just that the master brought back some news from outside and asked me to tell my aunt."

Luo Miaoyun suddenly became nervous: "But is it news from the Marquis' Mansion?"

Chen's smile was a little forced. People who spread bad news were never welcomed, especially in front of her mother-in-law.

But she had to obey her husband's order, so she could only bite the bullet and say, "That's right. Don't worry, I think everything will be fine. Today, after your elder brother left the government office, he invited three or five colleagues to have a small gathering. Unexpectedly, just after they drank the wine, a deputy commander of the military department suddenly received an urgent order and hurriedly left his post."

"Later, I found out that our mansion had accidentally caught fire, and the commander of the troops received the news and rushed to put out the fire!"

When Luo Miaoyun heard this, she was shocked! Even her mother beside her suddenly changed her expression.

She asked hurriedly, "What should we do? What happened later? Is the fire out now? Is anyone injured in the mansion?"

Chen said hurriedly, "Don't worry, mother, don't worry, aunt. The master was very anxious when he heard about it, and he specially asked the deputy commander for help. Now we have the exact news. It was just a deserted yard that was burned, and no one was injured except for a few servants. I'm afraid the fire has been put out by now."

Luo Miaoyun and her daughter both breathed a sigh of relief. Luo's mother said thankfully, "Oh my god, this is so scary. How could there be a fire in broad daylight?"

Luo Miaoyun was so frightened that her face turned pale. She held Chen's hand and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law. If it weren't for my brother's attention, I would have been completely unaware of such a big incident in the Marquis' Mansion!"

Chen hurriedly tried to comfort her, "Don't worry, sister. We are all family, so there is no need to talk about thanking or not. Fortunately, you brought Ying'er and Yao'er back home, otherwise my mother and I would be so worried now."

When Luo Miaoyun heard this, her heart skipped a beat. She thought about what had happened before and after, and decided that the fire was strange and might not be a natural disaster but a man-made one.

No wonder the old lady forced me to take the children back to my parents' home. It seemed that she had already anticipated that things would not be peaceful in the Marquis' Mansion, and she felt fortunate for a moment.

She said hurriedly, "After this incident, how can I stay in the mansion? I should send someone to greet my mother-in-law and husband tomorrow. Please ask my sister-in-law to thank my brother for me."

Luo's mother nodded, "Of course. Fortunately, no one was hurt, but the fire in the house frightened my wife." She told her daughter-in-law, "Get the car early tomorrow morning and I'll take Miaoyun to visit her."

Chen quickly and meekly agreed. When she was about to leave, Luo Miaoyun called her back and asked with a smile, "Sister-in-law, I wonder if my brother has found out where the fire broke out in the mansion?"

Chen thought about it carefully, but shook her head: "No one knows which courtyard it is, but I know that it is usually not inhabited, but it is at the westernmost end."

Luo Miaoyun's originally relaxed expression suddenly tensed up. She reluctantly sent Bai Juan to send her sister-in-law out, then she could no longer hold on and fell onto the couch.

Seeing her face change drastically, Luo's mother couldn't help but ask anxiously, "What's wrong?"

Luo Miaoyun's eyes were dazed, her ears were buzzing, and it took her a long time to utter a sentence: "The fire started in the place where the old lady locked up Mama Liu!"

Luo's mother also stood up in shock: "Are you serious?" She looked at her daughter who looked devastated, and comforted her: "If it's true... no matter what happens, it's her fate. Look at the bright side, the previous incident with Zhu Xiao can be written off."

Luo Miaoyun did not recover from this blow for a while. She looked at her mother in dismay and said in a sad voice: "How can you say that, mother? Mother Liu is my daughter's wet nurse!"

"Besides, she is now a good citizen, with all her descendants and relatives. If she dies in the mansion without any clear reason, and someone reports it to Shuntian Prefecture, won't our two families suffer any consequences?"

Seeing Miaoyun so excited, Luo's mother couldn't help but say, "Yun'er, calm down. Your brother has said that he only hurt a few maids. I don't think Aunt Liu will be in trouble."

Luo Miaoyun glanced at her mother and said, "Even if she's not dead, she's probably half dead. I finally understand. This matter is aimed at my mother, and it won't be over until she's killed."

Seeing that Luo's mother did not make any comment and had no intention of rescuing her, she gritted her teeth and said, "Mother, I have never dared to tell you. The child that Ye Zhen gave birth to was killed by Mother Liu!"

"What did you say?" Mrs. Luo stared at her daughter sharply, and said in disbelief, "Are you crazy? Is the son of a maidservant or concubine worthy of you dirtying your hands to do such a thing? Have you ever thought about it? Once people know about it, you will not be able to continue to be the wife of the marquis, and how will you let Ying'er deal with it?"

Luo Miaoyun did not respond, but only said: "If we allow Madam Liu to stay in the Marquis' Mansion and face death, she may be tortured to reveal such secrets. Mother, you should think about it yourself."