Fourth Concubine twirled the jade bracelet on her wrist and said calmly, "If the master had made this will while he was alive and clearly indicated that the bulk of the family fortune should be left to Eleventh Concubine and her son, it's impossible that she wouldn't have heard a single whisper. In that case, isn't it self - contradictory to her act of poisoning the master?"
She turned around, her phoenix eyes flitting. Although she was only a concubine, her imposing manner was more intimidating than that of the mistresses of some noble families.
Eleventh Concubine cast a venomous glance at Fourth Concubine.
Fourth Concubine didn't give Eleventh Concubine a chance to speak. "A will can be forged, but the fact of poisoning can't be faked. Murder is a serious crime! I will never tolerate it. Someone, remove her hairpins and take this poisonous woman to the wood shed. Without my permission, no one is allowed to visit her."
Fourth Concubine acted with swift determination. "The Eighth Young Master is still young and innocent. Take him to my courtyard. From now on, he has no mother like Eleventh Concubine."
Eleventh Concubine's eyes were bloodshot with rage. She desperately resisted the maids who came to seize her. Her heart was filled with hatred. "Zhao Zhilan, you're the one who poisoned the master! You cursed whore! Since you can't frame me, you're resorting to force!"
After scolding Fourth Concubine, she shouted to Uncle Six and the others, "Uncle Six! All you uncles! She wants to get rid of me and snatch my son. Her greedy intentions are obvious. If she, Zhao Zhilan, gets the family fortune, do you think she'll share even a tiny bit with you?"
At a signal from Fourth Concubine, the maids didn't dare to delay any longer. They roughly pulled out all of Eleventh Concubine's hairpins, and the pearls and jade ornaments clattered to the ground.
Before Eleventh Concubine was dragged out, she was still shouting frantically.
Xiao Que didn't leave with Eleventh Concubine. Instead, she stayed behind and desperately pleaded for her innocence. She kowtowed to Uncle Six and the others, and soon her head was bleeding.
Uncle Six looked solemn.
The other clan elders also waved their hands and sighed. "What shall we do?"
Fourth Concubine snorted coldly in her heart. Eleventh Concubine was overly ambitious, and these old fools were the same.
Relying on their status as clan elders of the Fu family, they extorted a great deal of wealth from the Fu family every year.
They would claim to repair the ancestral temple, the clan school, the roads...
In short, the whole clan was sucking the blood of this family.
Fourth Concubine despised these people, but for the time being, she had to win them over.
She forced out a smile. "Uncles, don't worry. The master has just passed away. We can talk about these mundane matters another day. I only guarantee that as long as I'm here, the offerings to the clan will be the same as before."
Uncle Six and the others were satisfied and nodded. "It's okay. Fourth Concubine, go and attend to your business."
Fourth Concubine arranged rooms for them.
During the days when the coffin was on display, relatives from near and far had come back. Fortunately, the Fu Mansion was large enough. It stretched for miles, and it could accommodate thousands of people.
After Fourth Concubine had arranged all the trivial matters, she rubbed her temples and leaned on De Pei's arm as she walked towards the mourning hall.
De Pei kept his head down submissively, but his thumb unconsciously rubbed Fourth Concubine's fair and delicate hand, which was even more alluring than a young girl's.
Fourth Concubine casually glanced at him, and a hint of charm flashed in her eyes.
It disappeared quickly.
Before they turned into the decorated gateway, suddenly, Fourth Concubine's personal pageboy rushed in in a hurry.
Coincidentally, the pageboy bumped into Fourth Concubine and her entourage head - on.
Fourth Concubine's maid immediately got angry. She stepped forward and kicked the pageboy in the chest. "You blind brat! How dare you bump into the concubine?"
The pageboy staggered but replied through the pain, "Concubine, it's bad... it's really bad."
The maid raised her voice. "Speak quickly if you have something to say!"
Fourth Concubine looked at the pageboy, who didn't even dare to raise his head, and his voice became even weaker.
"The Seventh Young Master is back."
What?!
Fourth Concubine was struck as if by five thunderbolts.
Her fingertips hidden in her sleeve dug into De Pei's back of the hand, almost leaving blood marks. The beaded hairpin on her bun also trembled slightly.
De Pei remained unmoved and silently reminded her, "Fourth Concubine, the Seventh Young Master has been missing for many days. Now that he's back, it's a good thing. Let's go quickly."
Soon they arrived at the mourning hall.
From afar, Fourth Concubine saw Fu Qilang in mourning clothes, and her heart skipped a beat.
Fu Qilang stood in front of Master Fu's coffin, with a half - smile on his face.
Fourth Concubine suddenly felt a chill of fear penetrate her heart.
But she was no ordinary person.
In just a few steps, Fourth Concubine's eyes were already red.
She threw herself at Fu Chengyi and shed tears, sobbing, "Old Seven, you're finally back! You don't know how crazy the family has been looking for you these days!" Her motherly concern made it seem as if she were really Fu Qilang's mother.
Fu Chengyi gently pushed her away. His beautiful peach - blossom eyes were full of coldness.
He didn't answer Fourth Concubine but only said, "My father is dead. I'm back to observe mourning and will perform the ritual of breaking the clay pot the day after tomorrow."
The ritual of breaking the clay pot was usually performed by the eldest grandson of the deceased's legitimate son. It must be performed by the closest descendant or heir of the deceased.
After Fu Qilang said this, Fu Erlang, the eldest among the brothers, suddenly raised his head, and his face changed slightly.
Fourth Concubine forced a smile. "My child, you must have suffered a lot during your long absence. Don't worry about those things. Go and offer incense to your father quickly. I'll have someone prepare food and tea for you right away."
Fu Qilang merely curled his lips slightly. His eyes were cold as he gave Fourth Concubine a deep look. "You're right. I really had a rough time outside this time and suffered a lot. Thank you, Concubine."
He shook his sleeves and went to burn paper money and offer incense to Master Fu by himself.
Fourth Concubine stood there, her lips turning slightly pale. She unconsciously twirled the green jade bracelet on her right hand and quickly regained her usual calm and capable appearance as she attended to the funeral arrangements.
Fu Qilang leisurely had a meal in the small side - room beside the mourning hall.
Fourth Concubine loved to show her kindness and generosity in front of others. Since this meal was prepared by her servants at her order, she wouldn't dare to do anything to it.
He wasn't afraid of being deliberately poisoned, but he was wary of a deliberate accident.
Fu Qilang looked around at the servants in the room.
The three personal pageboys who used to be by his side were nowhere to be seen.
Fu Qilang smiled self - deprecatingly. Unconsciously, the whole Fu family had gradually become the Zhao family.
He summoned a young maid standing on the periphery.
This young maid looked very young. She was wearing a blue maid's uniform and was still a bit awkward in her movements. She must have been newly bought from outside the mansion and hadn't been influenced much by the Zhao family.
The young maid was timid and didn't know what this good - looking but gloomy Seventh Young Master wanted her to do.
The Seventh Young Master said, "Go to the guest courtyard and invite Uncle Six here."
The young maid obeyed Fu Qilang's order and soon brought Uncle Six here.
After going through all the hardships, Fu Chengyi saw clearly the affairs of the Fu family.
He was naturally intelligent.
When he was a child, he was raised under the care of Grandma Fu and was doted on so much that he was not involved in the struggles in the inner courtyard.
When Grandma Fu passed away, he was only thirteen.
At that time, Zhao Zhilan had taken great care of him, attending to every detail for him. She was even more caring than she was for her own daughter.
He naively thought that Fourth Concubine really treated him well.
Among the eleven concubines in the family, each had her own charm, but he was most dependent on and close to Fourth Concubine.
Unfortunately, the human heart is the most unpredictable.
Fortunately, Grandma Fu had left him some secret agents.
He managed to contact these old people and had returned to the city in disguise two days before Master Fu fell seriously ill.
When he heard the news of Master Fu's death, he felt a dull numbness and couldn't shed a single tear.
After Fourth Concubine and Eleventh Concubine fought each other and Eleventh Concubine was defeated, he returned to the Fu Mansion openly.
If he wanted to become the next head of the Fu family, besides his legitimate status as the eldest son of the first wife, he also needed the support of the clan.