Chapter 254: A Cloudless Sky

Chapter 254: A Cloudless Sky

The sky was bright and cloudless.

Zheyin slowly carried the set of blood-stained tools used for skinning and extracting tendons out of the house, then instructed the guards outside to collect the scattered parts and send them to different places.

After giving his instructions, he turned back to take another look inside.

Before Princess Three died, she must have regretted not dying directly at the hands of Lady Xie.

At least Lady Xie would have ensured a swift death.

Two severed fingers, placed with jewelry, were sent to the former two young ladies of the Xie family.

The rest was taken to the Xie family's graves, where part was burned after being offered at the tombs of the eldest and second sons, while the remaining parts were thrown into a mass grave to be fed to wild dogs.

By noon, news came from the palace.

Princess Three had died suddenly last night, and the Emperor had ordered that she not be buried in the royal mausoleum but instead be interred in Qinglin Cemetery.

Qinglin Cemetery was an ordinary cemetery that had no connection with the imperial family. It usually housed the remains of neglected concubines, indicating the Emperor's indifference towards Princess Three.

However, this princess was already despised by many in the court, so her death was met with approval rather than suspicion about its circumstances.

Only the eunuchs carrying her coffin to Qinglin Cemetery felt it was unusually light, as if it contained nothing but air, suggesting there were no bones inside.

But as mere servants, they dared not question it, especially without any evidence.

Upon learning of Princess Three's sudden death and receiving her severed fingers, Mei Xue and Wen Qingyu were initially shocked but quickly understood what Ayuan had sent them.

Their husbands' revenge was finally fulfilled!

The two women, facing the severed fingers, felt no fear, only a mix of relief and sorrow.

They had thought that once the second prince's lineage was completely eradicated and Princess Three, who had humiliated their husbands, was dead, they would feel relieved, finally able to vent their anger.

But now, after feeling relieved, they felt even more sorrowful.

Revenge, no matter how satisfying, always meant they had lost something far more precious.

Now that the Xie family had been exonerated, and the Mei and Wen families, who had previously aligned with the Crown Prince, had also regained favor, the two women no longer needed to hide. They decided to visit the Xie Mansion together.

However, upon arriving at Xie Mansion, they learned that Ayuan had been summoned to the palace by the Emperor.

With no choice, they discussed and decided to visit Su Mansion since they were already out.

Regardless of what others might think, both agreed that Ayuan genuinely liked Miss Su, his fiancée.

They had known for a long time that Ayuan had feelings for a girl, though they did not know who it was until now. This revelation brought them comfort, believing their husbands would be happy for their brother.

Moreover, Su Youyue had helped them before, and they wanted to strengthen their relationship with her.

Upon reaching Su Mansion, they learned that Su Youyue had just received medical treatment for her leg and could not get out of bed.

Wen Qingyu, despite her gentle name, was rather anxious and immediately said, "Sister-in-law, perhaps we came at an inconvenient time. Miss Su may not be able to receive us."

Mei Xue also felt it was inappropriate, but the gatekeeper had already gone to inform them and invited them to the front hall. Refusing now would be even more awkward.

Fortunately, a maid from Wisteria Garden soon arrived to escort them, alleviating some of their embarrassment.

When they entered Su Youyue's room, they saw several maids and Su Youyue's younger sister, Su Rong, whom they had met before. They realized their visit was not too disruptive, and their anxiety eased.

"Miss Su, we apologize for the sudden visit. We did not know you were resting," Mei Xue said, instructing her maid to present the gifts she had bought for Su Youyue on the way.

Wen Qingyu also had her maid bring the gift she had prepared, grateful that her sister-in-law had suggested buying a gift halfway through their journey.

Su Youyue had received news of Princess Three's sudden death an hour ago and knew that their visit was related to this event.

Why didn't they go to Ayuan first? Nevertheless, she politely said, "Sisters, there is no need for formality. As guests, you should not bring gifts. Your presence alone brings me joy."

Mei Xue and Wen Qingyu relaxed further, realizing that Su Youyue was quite amiable.

After chatting for a while, they assumed Su Youyue was unaware of the details surrounding Princess Three's death and hinted several times about its unusual nature. Seeing no curiosity from her, they realized she probably knew more than they did.

However, Su Rong clearly had no idea and enthusiastically agreed, "Yes, Princess Three got what she deserved! She harmed so many people; she should have been punished long ago. How satisfying!"

Hearing such a resolute tone, Mei Xue and Wen Qingyu felt their sorrow dissipate somewhat.

Indeed, their husbands' revenge was finally complete, and they should be happier.

This interaction made them like Su Rong a bit more.

After a few exchanges, they found themselves running out of topics.

Despite wanting to build a friendship with the Su family, their past social circles were entirely different, with few mutual friends or shared interests.

Noticing Su Rong holding the account books, Mei Xue remembered that Miss Su was renowned for her business acumen, envied by many noble ladies.

After all, relying solely on the imperial stipend would leave most noble families impoverished, unable to support their households.

Thus, a significant portion of their expenses came from their businesses.

Mei Xue and Wen Qingyu, since returning to their family homes after regaining their independence, found that their families were willing to support them for the rest of their lives. However, neither of them had the temperament to idle about, nor did they want to be idle, as idleness only brought them great pain.

So they continued to manage their shops and estates, keeping themselves busy from dawn till dusk.

Thus, Mei Xue quickly found a new topic: "Miss Su's business seems to be doing very well. Last time, Lin'er bought me a box of pastries from Su Ji's shop, which was quickly snatched up by my nephews. Now, we have to buy some every day, or those little rascals won't be content."

"Yes, I'm curious too. Does Miss Su have any special secrets for running her business?" Wen Qingyu, now focused on business matters, finally shifted her attention away from past memories.

She was typically average in business dealings, frequently incurring losses, which left her feeling discontented.

But she found business quite enjoyable; it was just disappointing when she couldn't do it well.

Upon hearing this, before Su Youyue could respond, Su Rong beside her was already looking at the two with keen interest.