Despite having listened to her grandfather’s lengthy reasoning, Wen Xin still felt fear. She naturally believed that she was just a woman, so how could she bear a man’s responsibility? The Wen family had such a vast estate, how could a woman like herself possibly shoulder it?
Fear and sorrow towards the sudden upheaval before her eyes, together with terror of the unknown future, surged simultaneously in her heart, brewing into an inexplicable, immense pressure.
She had always been well protected. To suddenly bear such enormous pressure, her mood could only be described as “terrified.”
She shook her head. “Grandfather, Xin’er cannot do it, Xin’er cannot manage it. Grandfather, you will get better, you will definitely get better.” Then she turned back and pleaded with Wen Kui, “Steward Kui, quickly find a doctor, quickly find a doctor to save Grandfather!”
Wen Kui stood silently, looking dejected.
Wen Mao said, “Grandfather cannot make it. Do not let Grandfather die with unclosed eyes. Girl, making you inherit the position of family head is not a hasty act, but a difficult decision made after long consideration and assessment. Grandfather has observed you for many years. You can do it. Summon your courage. With your temperament and intellect, given time you will certainly be capable of bearing this responsibility.
The reason I did not tell you these things earlier was also to protect you. Otherwise you would inevitably become the target of public criticism, and otherwise you would not have escaped this calamity this time.
Do not cry. Matters have reached this point, crying is useless. You must face it. There are some words you must remember.
Listen well. Since Grandfather has made this decision, since I have decided to hand the Wen family over to you, it means the entire Wen family has made a crucial decision concerning the fate of the Wen clan.
In the future, you will have your own family, and you will have your own children. If someday in the future you wish to pass the Wen family estate to your own descendants, as long as you can accomplish it, there is no harm. There is no family in this world that does not wither, sooner or later they all disappear.
To Qinglian Mountain, even if they have long grown weary of the Wen family, they must still care about their reputation. If the Wen family’s own people ruin the thousand-year inheritance, to them it is also a matter of indifference. Grandfather also exploited this mentality of theirs to push you, a daughter, into the position of heir.
Of course, if you feel there is someone among the Wen family descendants worthy of entrusting with the Wen family estate, and you are willing to let the Wen family descendants continue to manage it, that is also fine.
If you pass the estate to your own descendants, your descendants will remember the achievements you founded. If you pass the estate to the Wen family descendants, the Wen family descendants will also revere your merits. Grandfather failed to take good care of your parents, and now has no chance to see you married off. Consider this as Grandfather’s final dowry gift to you.
There are still many matters that Grandfather has recorded in the secret chamber of the tunnel. The ring on your hand can open the secret chamber. Go there to learn all the secrets of this family.”
Wen Xin listened in a daze, tears streaming down like rain, gradually sobbing uncontrollably. She grabbed his hand. “Grandfather, who is harming us, why would they strike us so viciously?”
Wen Mao said, “Do not be sad, and do not be grieved. This is the thousand-year destiny of my Wen family. Whenever the family estate is being passed on, all sorts of strange things have happened. Bloody winds and rain are not even worth mentioning. Who the murderer is, you will see. Kui…”
Wen Kui drew near and bent down. “Master.”
“Cough…” Wen Mao choked out some blood from his mouth. “Outsiders could not easily make such moves within the Wen residence. There must be a traitor within. Guard against outsiders day and night, but a thief within the family is hard to guard against. We still do not understand the situation now, nor do we know how many people inside were involved in this matter. Could there also be people from Qinglian Mountain involved?
After my death, your identity will be unable to control the situation. If you announce that this girl is the Wen family’s heir, no one will believe it. Instead they will mistakenly think you have some scheme. Those plotting evil will certainly take the opportunity to put you and the girl to death.
Kui, before announcing my death, first secretly send the girl into the tunnel. Otherwise the girl may be in danger. Before the sect leader comes to preside over the situation and cannot deter the petty villains, do not let her appear.”
Wen Kui said, “Understood. Only, this old servant is somewhat worried. What if the Qinglian Mountain sect leader’s attitude changes after arriving? The young lady might fall into a place of no return.”
Wen Mao said weakly, “No need for excessive worry. If Qinglian Mountain dares to break its word, there will naturally be a skilled person who will take the girl away. Qinglian Mountain cannot stop them. Someone will send the girl to Old Master Yuwen. With Old Master Yuwen’s influence, Qinglian Mountain still would not dare to act recklessly. The girl’s safety can be guaranteed.”
Seeing that the old master had a backup plan, Wen Kui’s somewhat chaotic thoughts settled greatly. He nodded and said, “This old servant understands.”
“Xin’er…”
“Grandfather.”
“Before the Qinglian Mountain sect leader arrives, hide in the tunnel. Do not come out under any circumstances.”
Wen Xin, her face covered with tear stains, was somewhat confused. What tunnel?
Wen Mao’s face suddenly appeared flushed with health, his eyes became bright, and his voice became much clearer. “Xin’er, before the incident occurred, you suddenly left the banquet table, suddenly called away by Song Pingping. What was that about?”
Wen Xin wiped her tears. “Sister Pingping said she had something fun to show me.”
“What fun thing?”
“I did not see it. When we reached the pavilion by the lake, Sister Pingping said her senior brother would bring the thing over shortly. Before we could wait for the thing, the incident occurred.”
Wen Mao closed his eyes and breathed heavily for a while. Finally with his eyes closed he said, “Kui, while the girl is in the tunnel, someone must bring her food. Song Pingping, have her secretly deliver food to the girl.”
“Yes.” Wen Kui responded verbally, but there was a look of surprise and doubt in his eyes. The secret of the tunnel, Song Pingping was not a suitable person to keep this secret. Was this planning to have her executed afterwards? So he could not help but ask, “Master, should we clean up afterwards?”
Wen Mao said, “If one has the heart to protect the girl, she will naturally be safe. Whether to clean up afterwards, some decisions should be left for the girl to make herself in the future…” His voice grew smaller and smaller, until finally there was no sound, no movement. Except for the bloodstains at his mouth, he looked as if he were asleep.
Wen Xin, holding her grandfather’s hand, sensed something. She looked at her grandfather in terror, not daring to make a sound, as if afraid of disturbing her grandfather’s sleep.
It was Wen Kui who tried calling out, “Master, Master…” He slowly reached out to test Wen Mao’s breath, and discovered that the white-haired Wen Mao had already stopped breathing. He immediately let out a long sigh towards the sky, then retreated several steps, knelt down and kowtowed a few times, concluding the master-servant relationship of many years.
Without waiting for Wen Xin’s final emotional outburst, he quickly got up and urged, “Young lady, although this is your home, at this moment, to you this home is the most dangerous place in the world. You must remain silent. You cannot let people know that the master has already passed. There is not much time. Bite down on this, quickly come with me…”
Regardless of whether Wen Xin was willing or not, he directly stuffed a towel into Wen Xin’s mouth to prevent her from crying out loud, then forcibly dragged away the sobbing and whimpering Wen Xin.
A garden, inside and out, suddenly became ablaze with fire, suddenly surrounded by a group of people.
Inside the garden, You Lingluo, who opened the door and came out, frowned upon seeing the scene of officials and plainclothes personnel mixed together.
An official stepped forward. “Are you You Lingluo, the steward of Blue Ocean Shipping?”
You Lingluo said in a deep voice, “It is I. You trespass on private property, what is your intention?”
That official said expressionlessly, “At the Wen residence family banquet, poison was suddenly administered. Even the Wen family head’s life hangs by a thread. There are some circumstances we wish to understand from you. Please come with us.”
“What?” You Lingluo was greatly shocked. “Wen Mao was also poisoned?”
That official waved his hand and shouted, “Take them all away.”
A group of officers charged forward like wolves and tigers, detaining You Lingluo and the others. You Lingluo signalled to her subordinates not to resist, and thus they were obediently taken away.
An inn in the city was also surrounded by officers. Outside the inn’s main gate a large crowd had gathered to watch the excitement.
Qin Jue and Cui You were also pushed out by officers, likewise not resisting, and were taken away under the public gaze.
In the second branch of the Wen family, Madame Wen Guo, lying on the couch, had a pale and very unpleasant complexion, but she had more or less recovered.
Her maid quickly entered from outside the door and reported in a low voice, “Madam, it is confirmed. The family head has already gone.”
Madame Wen Guo’s eyes instantly brightened. She immediately struggled to get up. “Let’s go.”
In one courtyard, the ground was covered with corpses. Steward Wen Kui stood in the midst of a group of corpses looking around, and could not help but reveal an expression of immense desolation on his face. It was truly too tragic.
The main branch, from the head Wen Jiantang, to his wife Madame Wen Rong, to three sons and one daughter and son-in-law, plus several grandsons, granddaughters, and grandsons by their daughter, all could not be saved. All dead, including the new successful examination candidate Wen Yan’an.
The second branch head Wen Jianming, daughter Wen Hui, son-in-law, and grandson and granddaughter by their daughter, all lay on the ground with bluish-black complexions.
The family head Wen Mao’s two married-out daughters, two sons-in-law, and several grandsons and grandsons’ wives by their daughters, plus granddaughters and granddaughters’ husbands by their daughters, plus a group of great-grandchildren, nearly thirty people also lay quietly on the ground.
More than fifty people died in total. Wen Mao’s descendants were nearly wiped out.
Hearing the situation report, Wen Kui suddenly asked in surprise and doubt, “The second branch madam and the two young masters and their families were all saved?”
“Yes.” A guard explained, “We inquired. It was a blessing in misfortune. They happened to have eaten quite a lot before the banquet began, so at the banquet they did not eat much. Perhaps because of this they were lightly poisoned, and managed to be saved.”
Wen Kui immediately became suspicious. However, when he turned back to see the second branch head’s corpse, and then saw the second branch daughter, son-in-law, and children’s corpses, he became half believing and half doubting.
“After testing with livestock, the poison activation method has basically been determined. The poison in the banquet wine and food still cannot be detected. Before activation it is completely non-poisonous. Once triggered by poisonous smoke, it immediately becomes a lethal poison.”
Wen Kui’s cheeks twitched. He also confirmed the reason Wen Xin escaped the calamity, and said, “Have the people who lit the fire and released the smoke been caught?”
The guard said, “Caught. They were just two ordinary servants. They were also poisoned by the same poison. When we found them, they had already fallen into a coma, and basically had no breath left. The mastermind designed it cleverly. First they were poisoned by the same poison. When they lit the fire to burn the poison trigger, they were necessarily the first to inhale it. By the time the banquet side reacted and found them, it was already too late. They had already been silenced. No one knows who told them to light the fire. It is very likely that even they themselves did not know what they were involved in.”