The chill in Li Man'er's eyes was undeniable. She felt she had been too lenient, thinking that if she had known Consort Cui was so vicious, she should have tormented her earlier.
Li Man'er flipped further back, discovering that Consort Cui harbored considerable malice towards the original owner. While she hadn't directly caused her death, she had, through Madam Guo's actions, turned the original owner into a useless, undisciplined waif. The text also suggested that Consort Cui's motivation for doing so was at someone else's behest.
It made sense. She hadn't originally wanted Madam Ning to die, primarily for the Ning family's wealth. In fact, she could have chosen not to cripple the original owner, raising her into a well-educated young lady. Wouldn't it have been more advantageous to marry her off in an alliance?
Why then, would she choose to ruin the original owner?
This way, all accusations pointed towards the Eldest Princess.
Could it be that Yan Zhen was someone from the Eldest Princess's manor, or someone the Eldest Princess cared about? Because he was involved with Madam Ning, the Eldest Princess wanted him eliminated?
Upon further thought, it didn't quite add up. The Eldest Princess was much older than Madam Ning, and Duke Rong's age didn't match either. Their social standing was not comparable to Madam Ning's. How could they have been involved with Madam Ning?
If not Duke Tong, could it be that the Eldest Princess had another lover!
The moment this thought struck, Li Man'er's gossipy nature couldn't be contained, and she went wild with speculation.
Unfortunately, Consort Cui's diary offered no such clues, only evidence of her wickedness. She wondered what other evidence the Eldest Princess held that would allow her to commit such an act as killing her own daughter-in-law.
Beneath the diary were several sheets of paper. Li Man'er picked them up, finding them to be property deeds, land titles, and banknotes of considerable value.
These must have been Consort Cui's 'coffin money,' she mused.
Wait, what was this?
Li Man'er picked out a torn piece of paper. It was a partially burned letter, containing only fragmented words, yet Consort Cui had kept it with great care.
Li Man'er read the words on it cautiously, her alarm growing with each word. She could never have imagined…
In any case, this trip had been fruitful. It was not in vain.
Li Man'er carefully put the box away, restored the altar to its original state, erased any traces of her presence, and then withdrew.
Fortunately, this world lacked DNA and fingerprint technology, saving her a lot of trouble.
Li Man'er stood before Consort Cui's bed again, scrutinizing her for a few moments. The woman's features suggested a life not entirely smooth, but she did not possess the countenance of one who would cause her husband's death. Though her marital palace was not tranquil, she would certainly not become a widow prematurely.
Perhaps it was all caused by that half-burned divorce letter?
Li Man'er had to indulge her imagination. The old Marquis had indeed been quite young when he passed. In the original owner's memories, the old Marquis had succumbed to an old illness, coupled with the lingering injuries from years of campaigning, and ultimately could not be saved.
What if Consort Cui had a hand in it?
She had harmed so many children in the household. Accidentally, the old Marquis had discovered the truth and written her a divorce letter. Consort Cui, being such a proud and stubborn person, could she possibly have accepted the divorce letter and returned to her maternal home willingly?
She wanted to be the Marquis's wife and have her son inherit the title. Therefore, to preserve her wealth and status, the old Marquis had to die.
Perhaps it was because of this incident that the Eldest Princess gained leverage over her, leading to her subsequent murder of her daughter-in-law.
This old shrew was truly wicked!
Li Man'er suddenly smiled and produced a useful item from her spatial storage. She opened the bottle and poured all the suspicious liquid into the flowerpots in the bedroom. After tidying up any traces, she turned and left with a flourish.
She needed an opportunity to expose these people's crimes.
The next day was the day she was to move.
The entire Qingping Xuan was bustling with excitement. The servants' faces were filled with joy. They served Li Man'er, and if Li Man'er became Princess Anning, they would naturally follow her to the Princess's manor.
Such a simple matter as moving house became a topic of discussion in the capital. Many people wanted to see the extent of Madam Ning's dowry, so they craned their necks to watch. Although they would see it when Princess Anning got married, it was better to see it sooner than later.
Fortunately, thanks to her foresight, Li Man'er had already arranged for Madam Ning's dowry and the items the Ning family had gifted her over the years to be transported in batches to the Princess's manor. With Qi Yihan's people overseeing things there, she felt at ease.
Today, only a few carts were moved to the Princess's manor. Some of the items were gifts from noble individuals in the palace, but to ordinary people, it still seemed like a considerable amount.
"It looks about average! It feels like it was exaggerated."
"What do you know?" an old man watching the spectacle said. "When Madam Ning first married, it was a true 'ten miles of red dowry,' the procession lasted until nightfall."
"But the items Princess Anning brought clearly seem to have shrunk. Could it be that they've been squandered over the years?"
"Young man, be careful your words don't bring you trouble!"
While ordinary people couldn't grasp the situation, the noble families of the capital could. Princess Anning was merely hiding her true wealth, afraid of attracting unwanted attention.
At this moment, several youths were practicing archery at the target range in the rear courtyard of Duke Tong's manor.
A young man with a jade-like complexion was earnestly drawing his bow, aiming at the target.
The arrow left the string and shot out rapidly, but it missed the bullseye by about three inches.
"What's wrong with Young Duke? So restless today?"
Tong Qiao felt bored. He threw the bow in his hand to a servant and, with a huff, walked into the pavilion, pouring himself a cup of tea.
His companions, guessing his thoughts, teased him. "What's the matter? Princess Anning is moving today, and Young Duke isn't happy?"
"Don't mention her!" Tong Qiao's tone was unpleasant, but the people around him were accustomed to it and didn't find his tone unusual.
After all, he was the Emperor's nephew. They couldn't afford to offend him.
"Why should Young Duke be angry? She's just a princess, nothing extraordinary."
"Exactly. I heard that when the Princess moved, there were only a few carts. She doesn't seem to be what she used to be, just an empty title. The 'ten miles of red dowry' must have been squandered long ago."
Tong Qiao was furious. He smashed the teacup in his hand onto the ground. "You don't understand anything." With that, he stood up and left, returning to his own courtyard without looking back. The others dared not follow and could only depart dejectedly.
Tong Qiao threw himself onto the bed, pounding it in anger.
He couldn't understand what was happening to him!
He clearly used to hate Li Man'er. He couldn't even stand to hear her name, let alone see her. He didn't want anyone discussing them together. But back then, Li Man'er was his fiancée, and he felt like the unluckiest person in the world.
When their engagement was broken off, he was happy for a long time. But who could have foreseen that this happiness would not last long, replaced instead by regret and anger?