Matriarch Rules, Scumbag Begs - Chapter 29

Chapter 29 Only Kill, Not Spare

The snow fell more densely.

On nights like these, the bustling noise of the capital city seemed to be covered under a blanket of snow.

Everything was quiet.

Just then, a few clear bird calls came from a corner of the courtyard, sounding particularly loud.

Shen Qiuci looked in the direction of the sound for a moment, then remained expressionless.
She instructed Xia Shang: “Go tell the servants in the mansion that if anyone asks, they should say that I didn’t come back to the mansion today.”

“Yes,” Xia Shang replied, but then seemed puzzled: “But Miss didn’t notify the Heir that you wouldn’t be returning to the mansion today. He won’t be able to find you, and he’ll probably come to the mansion tomorrow to look for you.”

Shen Qiuci smiled calmly: “Let him come. Tomorrow is the anniversary of my father’s and brother’s death. He should kneel in front of their ancestral tablets and burn incense for them.”

After Xia Shang left, Shen Qiuci walked alone towards the southwest corner of the courtyard.

“Where’s the thing?” she asked softly into the darkness.

The next moment, a figure appeared like a ghost, landing silently on the snow-covered wall.

“Master,” Ruo Xing said, dressed in black night attire, blending perfectly into the night, making her hard to distinguish. She took out a book from her bosom and handed it to Shen Qiuci respectfully.

“This is the specific location of all the dens in the capital city that are still selling opium. Please review it, Master,” she said.

Shen Qiuci took the book and glanced at it briefly before speaking calmly: “I see.”

Ruo Xing said: “The imperial court has strictly forbidden the sale of opium, but many people still trade it secretly.”

“This substance is mostly consumed by men, and once they’re addicted, they’ll stop at nothing to get it, even if it means squandering their entire fortune. Some even go mad and sell their wives and daughters as property to get their fix.”

Her tone grew increasingly fierce, and her anger was palpable: “Why should women suffer because of their lust for pleasure?”
“Master, now that we know the location of the dens, why don’t we just burn them all down?”

“No,” Shen Qiuci said, looking at her. “Most of these dens are hidden in the city center, and during the dry winter season, a fire could easily spread and harm innocent people.”

Ruo Xing bowed: “I was rash, Master.”

Shen Qiuci rolled up the book and tucked it into her sleeve, confident: “We don’t need to get involved in this. I have a way to make them disappear overnight.”

As she spoke, Shen Qiuci’s ears perked up, and she sensed someone approaching through the snow. She signaled to Ruo Xing with a glance, and Ruo Xing leaped into the air like a swallow, vaulting over the wall and disappearing.

Just as Ruo Xing left, Shen Qiuci heard Xia Shang’s voice behind her: “Miss?”

Shen Qiuci turned around and smiled faintly at Xia Shang: “Did you inform them?”

Xia Shang nodded, and Shen Qiuci said: “It’s snowing heavily outside. Let’s go back to the room.”

Inside the room, Xia Shang lit the candles, and the flickering flame cast an uncertain glow on Shen Qiuci’s face.

Xia Shang glanced at her and saw the fatigue on her face, thinking that Shen Qiuci must have had a tough day. She said: “There’s something that might make you feel better, Miss.”

“What is it?” Shen Qiuci slowly raised her eyes.

“I just heard the servants talking. Dr. Xu got drunk and fell into the well in his backyard. He’s dead,” Xia Shang said.
“When he was found, he was already cold.”

Hearing this, Shen Qiuci instinctively glanced at the copper clepsydra. It was just midnight, neither early nor late.

She smiled, and her beautiful face looked particularly radiant in the candlelight: “Oh? That’s really good news.”

Xia Shang said indignantly: “In the past, Madam Shen treated him so well, and when our Shen family encountered trouble, he was the first one to take advantage of us. He really has no conscience!”

She walked to the Buddha altar and lit three incense sticks: “Today’s events must be the Buddha’s divine intervention, causing him to receive retribution!”

She bowed respectfully to the Buddha statue and then said to Shen Qiuci: “Miss should rest early tonight. Eunuch Feng will come to the mansion tomorrow morning, and he’s a favorite of the emperor. We can’t be negligent.”

With that, she closed the door and left.

Outside the window, the wind and snow pounded against the lattice window, causing the red wood to creak.

Shen Qiuci looked at the gilded Buddha statue, its solemn and compassionate face a picture of serenity.

Buddha’s divine intervention?
Ha!

She suddenly raised her hand and swept her sleeve across the Buddha statue, the strong gust of wind precisely extinguishing the burning incense in the censer.

If the Buddha truly intervened, her sister wouldn’t have died, and people like Dr. Xu, who plotted to take others’ lives for their own gain, would have long been sent to the underworld.

The light purple smoke drifted up, shrouding the Buddha’s face, as if it was obscured by the troubles of the world. Shen Qiuci gazed intently, her eyes growing darker.

If the Buddha couldn’t see all living beings, she would be like the fierce Vajra, only killing, not saving!

—
The next day, before dawn, Madam Shen had already gone to the ancestral tombs to pay respects to General Shen.
In previous years, she would receive Eunuch Feng at the mansion first and then go to the ancestral tombs to pay her respects.
This would often delay the timing of her tribute.

Fortunately, this year Shen Qiuci was at the mansion to take care of things, so Madam Shen could rest assured.

When Eunuch Feng arrived, the sky was just starting to brighten. Shen Qiuci had been waiting outside the mansion gate since early morning. When she saw the imperial carriage stop in front of the gate, she immediately knelt down to pay her respects.

“Greetings, Eunuch Feng,” she said. As the daughter of the Zhongyong Duke and the mistress of the Danyang Marquis Mansion, although she didn’t have an official title, she was still a noble lady from a prestigious family.

Eunuch Feng hurried forward to support her, “Oh no, the Heir’s Madam shouldn’t do this!” After Shen Qiuci stood up, he bowed to her and said, “I should be the one paying respects to the Heir’s Madam.”

He carefully examined Shen Qiuci’s complexion and smiled, “You look much better now, Heir’s Madam?”

Shen Qiuci smiled lightly, “Thank you for your concern, Eunuch Feng. Thanks to the Emperor’s blessing, I’ve recovered from my illness.”

“Good! Very good!” Eunuch Feng clapped his hands, “The Emperor is delighted to hear about your recovery.”

Shen Qiuci led Eunuch Feng into the main hall and offered him tea. As she did so, Eunuch Feng waved his hand to the attendant behind him, and the attendant immediately handed him a scroll of imperial edict.

Shen Qiuci’s eyes flickered, “Is this…?”

Eunuch Feng laughed loudly, “You’re the only bloodline of General Shen, and the Emperor certainly remembers you. This imperial edict is a guarantee for you.”

He leaned in closer to Shen Qiuci and lowered his voice, “When the Danyang Marquis passed away, the Heir should have mourned for three years before inheriting the title.”

“However, the Emperor has taken General Shen’s contributions into consideration and has specially approved the Heir to inherit the title immediately!”

“Additionally, a reward of 10,000 taels of silver has been bestowed! This is truly an unparalleled honor!”