"This is the Minister of the Privy Council's Mansion, how dare you barge in? Get out now!"
Pei Sinian rushed out, his clothes askew and his hair unkempt, originally intending to chase after his young wife, but unexpectedly encountered Jiang Yankun and others.
The combined forces of the Ministry of Punishment, Ministry of Personnel, Ministry of Justice, and Imperial City Guard were no small matter. Appearing in public disheveled was akin to running naked through the streets.
Everyone felt disrespected, and Minister Jiang was furious, directly knocking Pei Sinian to the ground: "You filthy wretch, seeing you in this state has devalued my eyes! How dare you talk about trespassing and leaving? It's you who should leave!"
Pei Sinian lay on the ground, clutching at Jiang Yankun's hem: "What are you doing here with all these people?"
Jiang Yankun kicked him again, this time in the face, causing his nose to bleed: "This morning, I received a letter from the manager of my estate in Yang Village, saying your new wife abducted my daughter and plans to turn her into a vessel for raising Gu insects. At first, I didn't believe it—in this law-abiding Great Yan Dynasty, how could the Minister of the Privy Council break the law and commit such atrocities? But seeing so many lives lost in your mansion today, I have no choice but to believe it. Pei Sinian, hand over my daughter immediately, or I'll tear down your Pei Mansion."
As he spoke, Jiang Yankun moved further inside, and Pei Sinian, too frantic to care about his disheveled appearance or his bleeding nose, feared this cunning old fox named Jiang might uncover something.
"These bodies on the ground—we don't even know what happened! We need to report this to the authorities. You must investigate thoroughly. Why are so many of our servants dead? I suspect it's..."
"Creak—"
"Linlin!"
Before Pei Sinian could finish, Jiang Yankun pushed open a door and cried out, rushing over in tears: "Ah, it's really my Linlin! Pei Sinian, you vile creatures, you've killed my daughter! The Pei family... you're raising Gu worms, you're plotting a rebellion! Arrest them... quickly, arrest them... Oh, my poor daughter!"
Jiang Yulin was barely recognizable, just a tattered piece of skin, but it was indeed the third daughter of Minister Jiang.
The heads of the three ministries had all seen Jiang Yulin at court banquets or family gatherings, especially since the passing of Lady Zhou wasn't long ago, though she had been bedridden for some time.
Before that, the Jiang daughters, though not widely famous, were known for their beauty. Now, what was left was neither a beautiful corpse nor intact skin, but a horrifying, mutilated remnant.
"Clang!"
A wooden stick fell to the ground at the door. When Miao Linlin saw Jiang Yankun, a surge of betrayal and pain overwhelmed her.
"It was you?! I was betrayed by you..."
Miao Linlin charged forward like a madwoman, but Pei Sinian grabbed her: "Wife, wife, calm down... please calm down, you're pregnant!"
"Yes! It was me!"
Jiang Yankun interrupted her: "You wicked Miao woman, when I sought a cure for the Emperor, I paid you handsomely—a thousand taels! Yet you were still unsatisfied and extorted me. When I refused, you followed me to the capital to kill my daughter. You vicious woman, I'll fight you to the death."
"Hey, hey, hey..."
The officials scrambled to break up the fight and gather evidence. Jiang Yankun took the opportunity to signal Jiang Hewei, who slyly began to maneuver closer.
As the scuffle continued, Jiang Hewei managed to slip behind Miao Linlin, deftly slicing with a sharp knife, and the small human-skin drum fell into his hands.
Miao Linlin felt her waist loosen and, realizing something was wrong, looked down to see the drum containing the mother Gu was gone.
"Light it!"
When she looked up, her waist drum had been tossed to the ground, and someone quickly poured some liquid on it. Jiang Hewei then took out a flint from his sleeve and threw it on the drum.
"Whoosh—"
The fire instantly engulfed the drum, and the human-skin drum was consumed by the flames.
"No!"
Miao Linlin's face twisted in horror, her eyes wide with despair, on the verge of fainting.
That was her mother Gu, nurtured with her heart's blood since childhood, the source of all her Gu techniques!
If the mother Gu lived, she lived.
If the mother Gu died, she would die too.
In the fire, the drum burned to ashes, and everyone watched as a white worm, as thick as a finger, writhed and struggled in the flames.
Miao Linlin, as if feeling the pain of the Gu worm, collapsed in Pei Sinian's arms, vomiting a large mouthful of blood and emitting a sound akin to a worm's cry.
As the mother Gu turned to charcoal, all the Gu insects in the Pei Mansion burst.
Minister Pei of the Privy Council, who had been absent until now, finally appeared, pointing at Miao Linlin and shouting: "You wicked woman, my son overlooked your background and married you as a concubine, yet you commit such atrocities in our home. You're truly terrifying. Did you also put a curse on my son?"
Pei Sinian's eyes, which had been glowing with a blue hue, cleared, and upon seeing the woman in his arms, he screamed and pushed her away: "Who... who is this ugly hag?"
Everyone watched in shock as Miao Linlin was thrown onto the cold ground, blood pooling beneath her, while Pei Sinian looked at her with disgust, as if he didn't recognize her at all.
It was true—he had been placed under a curse!
Pei Zhishuo's chest heaved with anger: "Father, you remarried for this woman, don't you remember?"
"Nonsense!"
Pei Sinian frowned: "The only woman I love is your mother. How could I have remarried?"
Minister Pei pointed at Miao Linlin: "Do you see? This woman put a curse on my son, and now she's using our servants to raise cursed insects. Take her away quickly. She must pay for her crimes... I will not shield her."
It was too late to distance himself now.
Jiang Yankun, furious, declared: "You willingly brought this woman into your home. Now you claim innocence, saying you knew nothing. Do you think anyone will believe that, Minister of the Privy Council? You knew she was from the Miao Borderlands and allowed her to carry poison insects. Clearly, you had malicious intentions. My daughter died in your home; you are all responsible."
He waved his hand: "Arrest Minister of the Privy Council and the entire Pei family. Take them to the Ministry of Justice for detention. The Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Punishment, Ministry of Personnel, and Imperial City Guard will jointly investigate and prosecute."
Before the Pei family could react, the officers from the four ministries moved in, arresting Minister Pei and the rest of the family, including other branches, and taking them to the Ministry of Punishment to await trial.
