Being a second wife is difficult: I'm busy raising children in the Earl's mansion.

Aunt Zhou frowned slightly, pondered for a long time, and slowly began to recount the past.

"My late wife told me a lot about her childhood when she lived in the Gu family, and she also mentioned a nanny who served Master Gu."

"That old nanny worked in the master's room. She was one of the younger maids among all the maids back then. Unlike the usual rigid and serious old nannies, she was not old-fashioned."

"When my late wife was a child, she was particularly fond of that nanny and often took the initiative to be close to her. That nanny was gentle and kind, and she not only took care of my late wife in every way, but also took good care of the maids who served my late wife. Speaking of which, I also received a lot of care from her back then, and I have always been grateful to her."

Jiang Wan's heart skipped a beat, and she pressed on with the question.

"What is that old woman's name?"

"Everyone in the mansion usually calls her Granny Sun; her real name is Sun Liuxin."

"She was quite young then, and she got along well with us kids. We often called her 'Sister Liuxin' in private."

Aunt Zhou blurted out that even after many years, the name was still clear and distinct.

"After the first wife arranged the marriage, the Gu family began to arrange the dowry."

"The manor found a governess to teach the maids who were close to the late Madam the etiquette and manners. They also needed to select one of them to be the young lady's future maid. In the end, I was the one chosen."

"I remember that during that period, Granny Sun herself also encountered many changes."

"She was engaged early on to a peddler from the same village. The two had known each other since childhood and could be considered childhood sweethearts. However, not long after their marriage, when Granny Sun became pregnant, the peddler went out on his journey and encountered a flood, and was never heard from again."

"Later, when Granny Sun returned to work at the Gu family mansion, Master Gu, out of compassion for her tragic circumstances, showed her great mercy and allowed her to give birth to a child who would not be enslaved, thus enabling the mother and daughter to stay in the mansion."

"During that period, I was busy learning all kinds of rules and regulations, and I had many things to do. I didn't meet with Granny Sun often, and I only saw her daughter a few times from afar."

"But the late Madam really liked that child. She often talked about her and would often call the child to her side to keep her company. The child was young and had not yet been given a formal name. Granny Sun and the late Madam always called her Ah He."

"The little girl was only five years old when my late wife got married. After that, I moved into the Earl's Mansion with my late wife and never saw her again."

Jiang Wan silently memorized the name "Ahe" in her heart, her expression remaining largely unchanged, and softly said, "So there's such a past."

Aunt Zhou did not notice the subtle changes in Jiang Wan's expression. Following her thoughts, she continued to talk about the conversation that the late Madam had with her years ago.

"Madam also mentioned to me the passing of Master Gu."

"The wife had only been married into the Yongchang Marquis's mansion for a few years when the Gu family received devastating news. Everyone said that the eldest master had been working hard on the family affairs and managing the business day and night, and had fallen ill from overwork. After sleeping peacefully one night, he never woke up again."

"At that time, my wife's words were full of sorrow, and every word was filled with the pain of missing her father. I thought it was just the passing of a close relative, and my heart was filled with grief. I kept my wife company and grieved in silence, without ever thinking about it for the first time."

"Looking back now, many years later, it's clear that Madam was deliberately bringing up old stories and focusing on trivial matters, without mentioning the current entanglements in the household or her own situation.

Aunt Zhou frowned slightly, revealing her deepest confusion.

"I still can't understand why, knowing that Lianxin served me closely every day and never left my side, Madam repeatedly mentioned the old members of the Gu family and childhood memories to me before she passed away."

She dismissed everyone else, leaving only herself by her side. Her seemingly casual reminiscing was actually full of hidden meanings in every word.

"I was foolish and did not understand the profound meaning hidden in this casual conversation back then. Now, looking back carefully, I realize that my late wife probably had a premonition, but she was in a situation where she could not get out of it. She could only leave clues by reminiscing about the past."

As soon as Aunt Zhou finished speaking, she looked up at Jiang Wan with a solemn expression.

"I have told you everything today, and I have no other intention."

"Since taking charge of the Earl's Mansion, Madam has acted justly and kindly, treating everyone in the mansion well. I trust Madam's character, and if any past matters need to be investigated and I am required to testify, I will certainly tell you everything I know and do my best to help."

Jiang Wan looked at her quietly.

The people in the Earl's mansion are a complex bunch, each with their own thoughts. It's rare to find someone willing to voluntarily reveal long-hidden secrets and openly cooperate with the investigation.

Her expression softened slightly as she slowly responded.

"I appreciate your frankness, Aunt, and I thank you for sharing so many stories with me. This matter is complicated and could easily cause trouble if it gets out. So please remember not to reveal a single word of what we discussed today to any outsiders."

Aunt Zhou nodded slightly, her expression full of sincerity.

"I ask for nothing in return, I only hope that you can find out the truth about what happened back then, give my late wife justice, and bring those long-buried and unclear old stories to light. If it is difficult, you don't need to tell me the specific details. I will wait patiently for the final result."

Jiang Wan nodded calmly, her tone steady and composed.

"Don't worry, Aunt. I have weighed the pros and cons in my mind. I will investigate carefully and try my best to find out the truth."

Aunt Zhou's anxiety eased slightly. She chatted with her for a few more trivial matters, and soon after, she got up, bowed, and took her leave.

Once the figure had completely left the East Hall, the courtyard returned to silence, and the gentle expression that Jiang Wan had maintained slowly faded away.

Sun Liuxin, and Ahe.

The fact that the late Mrs. deliberately brought up these two people during a casual conversation suggests that it was not just idle talk, and that the two must have been connected to some old secret.

She secretly made up her mind to find a suitable opportunity to secretly send people to investigate the whereabouts and past of the two people.

As Jiang Wan was sorting through the intricate clues, footsteps came from outside the door. Qing He stepped into the room and whispered her reply.

"Madam, Uncle Xu is outside requesting an audience, saying he has something important to report."

Jiang Wan regained her composure, raised her eyes, and said calmly, "Let him in."

A moment later, Uncle Xu strode into the hall, his expression serious, holding a neatly arranged paper file in his hands.

He bowed and immediately presented the booklet in his hand.

"Madam, as you instructed, I thoroughly investigated the old records of the Earl's mansion's purchases and social interactions in the outer courtyard over the years, and found a very suspicious old matter."

Jiang Wan looked up.

"explain."

"Over the years, the Gu family of Qingzhou would secretly send people to infiltrate the Earl's mansion's purchasing teams every now and then, under the guise of purchasing and inquiring about the mansion's activities."

Uncle Xu's words were clear and he reported each item in detail.

"The visitors never entered the main courtyard, never met the master of the Earl's mansion, but only wandered around the outer courtyard, specifically inquiring about the layout of the late Madam's former residence and her daily necessities. Most importantly, they repeatedly inquired about the location and storage regulations of the late Madam's dowry."

"In previous years, everyone in the family thought that the Gu family was mindful of blood ties and remembered the late Madam's kindness, and often sent people to visit and care for her. Some people also privately speculated that the current person in charge of the Gu family was greedy and despicable, coveting the late Madam's generous dowry, and wanted to seize the opportunity to plunder it."

"After all, everyone knows that the eldest master of the Gu family died early, and the power of the Gu family clan fell into the hands of the second master. This man has always had a bad reputation and is extremely selfish, so it is not surprising that he covets the dowry of his in-laws."

Jiang Wan listened quietly, her thoughts racing.

If it were when she first entered the Earl's mansion and heard these rumors for the first time, she would probably have just thought of them as ordinary conflicts of interest between clans, just like the other servants in the mansion, and would have been unaware of the dangers lurking beneath the surface.

But times have changed.

The unusual floor tiles in the Buddhist hall, the unidentified broken jade, the secret hidden in the lotus heart, the series of abnormalities before the late wife's death, and the Gu family's years-long secret investigation...

All the subtle clues piled up, revealing a story that had long transcended ordinary disputes over property.

If one's only desire is for the dowry and valuables, there's no need to hide in the shadows for years, constantly probing and spying.

If one is merely greedy for personal gain, there is no need for such forbearance and meticulousness, to lie low for so long without revealing the slightest flaw.

This relentless probing and covert surveillance, from beginning to end, is probably all aimed at confirming whether the late Mrs. Gu and Lianxin have any backup plans or evidence that can restrain the Gu family.

Looking at Jiang Wan's calm expression, Uncle Xu continued to report.

"After reviewing all the old files, I found that the Gu family's inquiries were most frequent during the period after the late Madam's serious illness and death, with someone sneaking into the outer courtyard to inquire about their movements almost every month."

"It wasn't until the last two years that visits from the Gu family gradually decreased."

After reporting, Xu Bo stood with his hands at his sides, waiting for instructions.

The hall was silent, the air heavy with tension.

Jiang Wan's heart stirred, and she thought to herself: After the Gu family got rid of Lianxin, they were unable to find the complete jade pendant on her, and guessed that the other half might have been left in the Earl's mansion, which is why they kept sending people to investigate.

But after years of fruitless searching, they gradually lowered their guard and became more cautious.

Jiang Wan remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking.

"This matter shall be archived, sealed, and kept under strict guard. Not a single word shall be circulated outside. Continue to send people to secretly monitor the Gu family's movements in Qingzhou. If anyone sneaks into the mansion under the guise of year-end cleaning and shopping, report them immediately."

"Yes."

Xu Bo acknowledged the order and bowed as he withdrew.

Silence returned to the hall once more.

Jiang Wan sat upright in the chair, her eyes calm and still, a thousand thoughts swirling in her mind.

Now, numerous signs are enough for her to deduce that Lianxin must be a pawn planted by the Gu family.

Perhaps the Gu family originally intended to use Lianxin to deal with the late Madam, but Lianxin did not completely obey orders and secretly left behind half a jade pendant and the dregs of the medicine as evidence.

After the late Mrs. Gu passed away, the Gu family frequently sent people into the mansion to search for this keepsake.

After searching extensively without success, they gradually quieted down.

The household was a mixed bag in the past few years. Ding Mama had previously handled personnel matters, so it's hard to say that she might have secretly planted spies. A thorough investigation is indeed necessary.

We will need to find an opportunity to go to the estate later to verify the past personnel matters with Granny Ding in person.

If it weren't for the discovery of that broken jade during the year-end cleaning, if Aunt Zhou hadn't frankly recounted the old story today, and if Uncle Xu hadn't carefully sorted through the old files, this secret buried for so many years would probably have remained buried forever, never to be revealed.

Just as she was pondering her next steps and countermeasures, the maid's voice came from outside the door once again.

"Madam, Wang Mama requests an audience, saying she has obtained a complete record of the names of the stewards who were responsible for escorting the Qingzhou bricks into the mansion back then."