"That’s fine, I’ll leave first then. Since Big Brother Huo is not here, I’ll leave the Shen shop to you to handle!"
Cai Wei nodded to the shopkeeper and left Mu’s Shen Record Shop. As soon as she reached the door, she opened her thoughts and called Brother Ying.
"Brother Ying, come back soon, there’s an important task here for you and Chang Mei!"
"What’s the task?" Brother Ying was hovering despairingly over the skies of Lingbei, looking for everything he could eat.
Cai Wei said: "I need you and Chang Mei to help me kill someone!"
Before, she had assigned Brother Ying to investigate and found that Jin Guifei’s sleeping chamber was surrounded by secret guards, making it impossible for her to kill Jin Guifei herself. Therefore, she planned to have Brother Ying and Chang Mei join forces, along with a potent poison prepared specifically by the Old Turtle, to kill Jin Guifei!
Jin Guifei must die as soon as possible. Otherwise, the lives of Big Brother Huo and Virtuous Consort are in grave danger. But she has to get to Lingbei before the soldiers’ morale collapses and help Nangong Yi overcome the crisis. Therefore, she is torn and can only entrust the task of dealing with Jin Guifei to Brother Ying and Chang Mei.
Cai Wei spent the entire day in the market. She bought a large basket at the grocery store, carrying the basket around and buying things. She would put the purchases in the basket and then transfer them into her space domain. She visited shop after shop, and through this transit station equivalent to the basket, she collected goods that would fill several carts into the space.
At night, Cai Wei went to her newly purchased house. To her delight, she found food filling the main rooms and side rooms of the house, and there was also a small mountain-like pile in the courtyard. Including what she had plundered from Lin’an before, it was enough to feed Nangong Yi’s army for a month or two.
"Huan Qiu, you’re really capable!"
Cai Wei was extremely happy and sincerely praised this capable girl.
With no expression on her face, Huan Qiu said: "All the silver is spent, otherwise, we could have bought more."
Cai Wei said: "This is already very good. You go and guard outside the courtyard. Remember not to let anyone in!"
After Huan Qiu left, Cai Wei, containing her excitement, collected all the food inside and outside the house into her space. Thinking of seeing him tomorrow and helping him in a critical moment, her heart was filled with sweetness...
While some families rejoice, others despair
As Cai Wei was enjoying her sweet anticipations, Duke An’s Mansion was in gloom, with the entire mansion enveloped in depression.
The eldest son and his family in the main mansion were all tragically killed by poisonous snakes, leaving Du Ruohai and Du Yongzhi heartbroken and both fell ill. The old madam was severely poisoned. Although she was lucky to survive, she was almost the same as dead because the poisoning was too deep. She was paralyzed and could not speak clearly, needing people to wait upon her for eating and drinking.
Old Madam Wang, who had been strong all her life, could not accept such an ending. All day, she lay on the couch crying incessantly, what saddened her further was that ever since she was injured and fell ill, Duke An had not appeared once, not even a visit. Her sons and daughters-in-law also seldom came to see her, only the second daughter-in-law Wang came once, but only took a quick glance before leaving.
Although the old madam was physically paralyzed, her mind was still active. Seeing how her husband and family treated her, she was heartbroken, almost crying her eyes out. But she didn’t know that her family was in disarray and no one was able to take care of her.
The family of the eldest son had been completely devastated by the death of Du Yu Lang. Du Yongzhi and Lady Guo were in constant tears, as they received guests who were coming to mourn. Du Yuheng was also bitten by a snake that day, luckily it wasn’t poisonous, but it scared the young master who usually dallied in the flower clusters enough to fall ill.