Chapter 319: Chapter 118: Sins
Gu Fula had just returned from outside. Although she had wiped her face, there were still beads of sweat glistening on her forehead, and her cheeks were sunburned red.
"Where did Mother go?" Du Yunluo’s asked her with a smile.
Gu Fula’s sat down on the edge of the stool and said, "Madam, do you remember the courtyard where Aunt Qiao used to live?"
Du Yunluo was momentarily stunned upon hearing this, then slowly nodded.
Of course she remembered.
In the secluded corner of the back courtyard of the Marquis Mansion, that was where she used to live, and every brick and tile was especially familiar to her.
"Today is the nineteenth of June. I wanted to see if Lady An really had faith in Buddha, so I lingered quietly near Manhe Garden," Gu Fula’s said softly.
Manhe Garden was on the far west end of the courtyard, rarely frequented, and with Gu Fula’s standing at a distance, no one would notice her.
Mu Yuanjing indeed did not believe in Buddha. On such a day, she still ate meat and drank wine at noon. Even from such a distance, Gu Fula’s could hear her drunken antics.
"Later, Madam became quiet, and I guessed she had fallen asleep. Not long after, Lady An hurriedly left. I followed her for a while and found out she went to Aunt Qiao’s courtyard," Gu Fula’s said, "There’s no one in that courtyard nowadays, except for an occasional cleaning by an old woman every ten days or so. Usually, it’s kept locked. But there’s a small Buddha room inside."
Du Yunluo nodded. Indeed, there was a Buddha room in the courtyard, left by Aunt Qiao. After she moved in, she tidied it up a bit and hung a new Buddha statue, then continued reciting scriptures there.
"Was Lady An praying to the Bodhisattva there?" Du Yunluo asked.
Gu Fula’s nodded with a strange expression: "Lady An was reciting scriptures inside, and as she recited, she began to cry, saying her sins were great and would never be redeemed in her next life."
Du Yunluo raised her eyelids: "Sins are great?"
"She said so, but as for what sins, she didn’t mention a word, just cried," Gu Fula’s said regretfully, "I wanted to listen more but was afraid Lady An would find out, so I came back first."
Du Yunluo nodded to Gu Fula’s: "You must be cautious. If she finds out, it would be troublesome."
Hong Jinbao’s family furrowed their brow and thought for a moment, then said, "Madam, could it be that Lady An was coerced?"
Du Yunluo pressed her lips together.
Would Mu Lianyu have the guts to coerce Lady An?
Lady An wouldn’t dare resist Mu Lianyu, and Mu Yuanjing would fear falling out with the second branch?
Given Mu Yuanjing’s explosive nature, if Mu Lianyu used force, she wouldn’t just push Lady An into the water. She would confront the Lian Family to the very end.
Face, family scandal, Mu Yuanjing wouldn’t care about such things.
Pushed Lady An, then settle accounts with Mu Lianyu in the fall? Such calculated patience and shrewdness belonged to Mu Yuanmou, words that didn’t at all fit Mu Yuanjing.
In the previous life, even though Du Yunluo was far from the power center of the Marquis Mansion and not favored by Madam Wu and Mrs. Zhou, she would’ve heard something if Mu Yuanjing had caused a scene.
Furthermore, in the previous life, Madam Wu treated Mu Lianyu with kindness. If she had known about Mu Lianyu’s affair with the widow in her aunt’s house, would she still have treated him so amiably?
Mu Yuanjing didn’t make a fuss because she didn’t know Lady An was coerced?
No, Mu Yuanjing was self-centered. If she found something out, she would instinctively blame Mu Lianyu. She would think Lady An was innocent.
Even if Lady An cried and sought death without revealing anything, even if she took the blame upon herself, Mu Yuanjing would stubbornly believe it was Mu Lianyu who wronged Lady An.
In the past, the matter vanished quietly along with Lady An’s death, without a ripple.
That leaves only one explanation.
Mu Yuanjing was the one who coerced Lady An.
Mu Yuanjing knew all along about the affair between Mu Lianyu and Lady An. Lady An wasn’t willing, but couldn’t resist Mu Yuanjing.
In August, perhaps Lady An could no longer bear it. She wanted to confess everything to Madam Wu, which led to Mu Yuanjing pushing her, or perhaps Lady An, unable to betray her master and unwilling to endure any longer, jumped into the pond herself.
Only then would Mu Yuanjing remain silent, quietly bury Lady An in a coffin, without tears or commotion.
Thinking of this, Du Yunluo felt a chill up her spine.
If things were really as she guessed, then truly...
But why would Mu Yuanjing force Mu Lianyu into an affair with Lady An? What benefit did it bring her? Wasn’t she insane...
Insane?
Insane!
Du Yunluo gasped sharply.
Could it be between Mu Yuanjing and Mu Lianyu...
She shook her head vigorously. It was too bizarre, too...
Aunt and nephew, how could Mu Yuanjing do such a thing? How could Mu Lianyu dare?
Du Yunluo found it hard to accept at the moment, but she felt it was the truth. Though hard to accept, it was the only reasonable explanation left.
After all, Mu Yuanjing even "shared" a "man" with Lady An, so it’s not surprising she broke a set of golden bracelets to reward Lady An.
Master and servant, also "sisters."
Du Yunluo couldn’t help but shiver, with all her hairs standing on end.
Mu Yuanjing was unruly and unconventional, but in the mansion, who would imagine she’d go that far?
If the Lian Family knew that both Mu Yuanjing and her servant had an affair with Mu Lianyu, such a breach of ethics would make the Lian Family faint!
Du Yunluo’s eyes sharpened; fainting would be good.
An affair with the widow and with the aunt were two different concepts.
Once Madam Wu knew, she might want to keep it quiet, but her affection for Mu Lianyu would end, and she would emotionally distance herself from the second branch.
In the previous life, when Mu Liancheng inherited the title, Mu Lianyu, as the younger brother, was instrumental.
This scandal would be enough to make Mu Lianyu and the second branch unable to hold their heads up in front of Madam Wu.
Rumors will always spread, and Du Yunluo will let them spread.
In the clan, the clan leader and his wife were astute, not yet siding with the second branch, while in the mansion, gossiping among the servants and women would severely diminish the second branch’s prestige.
Just like Du Yunluo from before.
The baseless rumors weighed Du Yunluo down.
This time, it’s the second branch’s turn to taste it.
Caught in the act, how to catch Mu Lianyu and Mu Yuanjing’s scandal?
Originally thinking only Lady An was involved, she could wait until the incident in August, but not anymore. With Mu Yuanjing involved, solid evidence was needed.
Otherwise, if Mu Lianyu only admitted to Lady An’s matter, Du Yunluo’s deal would be a loss.
Du Yunluo took a sip of hot tea, thinking she needed to plan carefully to bring this matter to light.
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