amaotonovel Chapter 291 Counterattack
Chapter 291 Counterattack
Chapter 291
Seeing that there was nothing else to do at this time, Mr. Zhang observed Lu Zhaozhao carefully again, and made sure that there was no problem before he said goodbye.
The Marquis's wife nodded in understanding. Just then, Lu Zhaozhao's eyelashes trembled slightly, and her eyes blearily opened. When she saw the Marquis's face clearly, she tried to get up, but a wave of dizziness and vertigo prevented her from rising. Instead, she whimpered weakly.
Seeing this, Madam Hou quickly turned her attention to her, "Zhao Zhao, you are injured, don't move."
Lu Zhaozhao finally seemed to remember something and raised a hand, intending to touch the wound on her forehead, but was stopped by the Marquis' wife. Thinking she didn't want treatment, the Marquis' wife tried to tear off the bandage and angrily said, "You little girl, the truth is still unclear, and your aunt hasn't said it was you who did it. How could you be so foolish?"
As she spoke, she sighed again, "You and your mother really are alike. Not only do you look alike, but you also have the same gentle exterior but strong interior temperament."
The Marquis' wife knew something about her sisters' deaths. Although the Lu family of Ping'an County had concealed some of the truth, it wasn't difficult for her to know some of it. She naturally knew the reason why her sisters and their spouses had both passed away. Looking at Lu Zhaozhao, the only orphan left by her sisters, her heart softened again.
When Lu Zhaozhao heard this, tears welled up in her eyes. As the tears flowed, she buried her head in the Marquis's arms, so that no one could see her face clearly, but faint sobbing sounds could still be heard.
The Marquis's wife lowered her eyes slightly, looked at her like this, and couldn't help but sigh again.
Then, she raised her hand to call over the maids and nannies, and had them bring out a grand master's chair from inside the house. After helping Lu Zhaozhao sit down, Madam Hou turned around and slowly scanned the people in the courtyard, finally settling on Luo Shuiyao. Her eyes were complex and difficult to read, and she asked, "Yaoyao, now that the evidence points to you, do you have anything to explain?"
Even though Luo Shuiyao had been prepared for the questioning, she couldn't hide her sadness. She squeezed her fingers together, then raised her head, straightened her back, and looked at the Marquis calmly. "The clear will be clear, and the turbid will be turbid. Although I come from a humble background, I have always been upright. I will never admit to anything I haven't done."
Luo Shuiyao's gestures and words betrayed the usual respect and familiarity she had shown her. The Marquis's wife felt perfectly incensed, yet for some reason, a pang of guilt welled up within her. She knew the evidence was mixed, true and false; while it all seemed to point to Luo Shuiyao, it wasn't. But Zhao Zhao had already proven her innocence by committing suicide. One of them must have done it, and it had to be her.
The Marquis's face darkened slightly. Just as she was about to respond, Ye Yunzhou suddenly moved, blocking Luo Shuiyao's way. Ye Yunzhou bowed respectfully to the Marquis, then spoke slowly, "Mother, I know you're worried about Ah Xing's injury. You say the evidence points to Cousin Luo, but that's not conclusive evidence. Please calm down. Once I've thoroughly investigated this matter, you can still hold Cousin Luo accountable."
They say a son knows his mother best, and likewise, a son knows his mother best. Ye Yunzhou knew his mother was born into a noble family in Beijing, and after marriage, she and his father were deeply in love. Her life hadn't experienced many ups and downs, so she wasn't considered a person of deep thoughts. But he also knew that as the wife of a marquis, it was inevitable that his mother would have some contempt for the common people. He was afraid that his mother would say something hurtful again, something that would hurt Luo Shuiyao, so he had to stop her.
Madam Hou looked at Ye Yunzhou, who stood in front of her, protecting others with a protective attitude, and a sense of melancholy and loss welled up in her heart. She felt that her son had grown up and knew how to protect the woman he loved, but she also felt a sense of loss. From now on, her son would share this care with others, no longer relying on and caring for her wholeheartedly.
Ye Yunzhou was unaware of Madam Hou's thoughts. His ears twitched slightly, and he turned his head toward the courtyard gate. He immediately saw Ye Yi, who had disappeared long ago, reappear. Furthermore, Ye Yi was clutching a child by the back of his collar with his right hand, carrying the child as he walked in.
When Ye Yi put the child on the ground, everyone could see clearly that it was a thin little boy who looked no more than five or six years old. After being placed on the ground, the little boy lowered his head and huddled there for a long time. After a long time, he timidly raised his eyes. When he saw the gardener kneeling in the yard, his eyes lit up instantly and he shouted crisply, "Brother!"
The gardener, who had been kneeling with his head bowed, suddenly shuddered all over. He quickly turned around and when he saw the little boy, he shouted in fear, "Liang'er, you...why are you here?"
The little boy, no longer afraid, saw someone familiar and close to him. He ran to the gardener in a few steps and said, "Brother, I was staying in the house, but this big brother brought me to see you. What's wrong with you?"
As he spoke, he saw the gardener kneeling on the ground and asked in a panic, "Brother, did you make a mistake? Why are you kneeling here?"
The gardener shuddered, and following the direction of the little boy's finger, he looked at Ye Yi, who was staring at him expressionlessly with his arms folded. Suddenly, a flash of pain flashed in his eyes. He instantly understood what was happening, raised his hand, pulled the boy to his side, and knelt together. Then, holding the little boy tightly with one hand, he knelt there, looking at Ye Yi with panic in his eyes.
Everyone saw the change in his expression clearly, and they all knew there must be something else going on. The Marquis's wife set her eyes on Lu Zhaozhao, only to see her leaning back in her chair, her head tilted, her eyes closed as if in some discomfort.
The Marquis's expression was complicated as she averted her gaze. However, she didn't notice that Lu Zhaozhao's hands, hidden within her wide sleeves, were trembling violently. The maids and servants around her all lowered their heads, expressions of fear barely concealed.
Ye Yunzhou didn't look at the gardener or the little boy, but instead turned his gaze to Ye Yi and asked concisely, "Tell me, what's going on?"
When Ye Yi heard Ye Yunzhou's question, he loosened his arms and then spread out his palms.
Everyone saw that he was holding a purse that looked exactly like the one he had taken from the gang leader before, except that this one was several sizes smaller. Ye Yi didn't beat around the bush and said, "I've checked. The gardener's name is Zhao Ming, and his brother's name is Zhao Liang. Their parents are both deceased. Zhao Liang has been weak since he was a child. He's obviously eight or nine years old, but he looks only five or six. Just the other day, Zhao Liang's old illness flared up, and he almost died. It was Zhao Ming who, uncharacteristically, took out 10 taels of silver and asked the doctor to treat him, which saved him. And... I also found this purse in their house, and there were 20 taels of silver in it. That's what happened."