He Zhiran's two maidservants who were marrying into the family lived in one room. Today it was Qiao Yu's turn on duty, and Qiao Xin had already gone to sleep early.
The sound of the door opening woke up Qiao Xin. She thought it was Qiao Yu who had come back, and blurrily asked, "Qiao Yu, why are you back so early?"
"It's me," He Zhiran spoke to clear up her confusion.
Qiao Xin immediately sat up in surprise and hurriedly put on her shoes and got out of bed. "Miss, do you have any orders?"
"He Zhiran did not want to waste time and directly placed two slave contracts on the table.
"Take these slave contracts and leave the Duke's Mansion tonight. From today on, you are free. "
The two of them did not understand why the young miss was staging this play.
"Miss, where did Qiao Xin do wrong? You can beat or scold me as you wish."
"Yes Miss, Qiao Yu also wants to serve you for a lifetime."
He Zhiran knew these two maids were extremely loyal to her.
She said helplessly, "The Duke has just returned and said he has incurred the wrath of The Emperor. If nothing unexpected happens, The Emperor will punish the Duke's Mansion.
By then, we will all be in danger, how can we still care about whether you live or die?
It would be better for me to free you now than for you to be resold by the officials."
As she spoke, He Zhiran used her sleeve to cover up and took out forty taels of silver, giving each of them twenty taels.
The two little maids did not expect that the reason the Miss was letting them go was this. They could not accept this fact for a while.
After all, the thought of serving by the Miss's side for a lifetime had already taken deep root.
"Miss, Qiao Xin is not leaving."
"Qiao Yu is not leaving either."
In the past, He Zhiran would have slowly explained to them bit by bit, but at this moment, she did not have so much energy and time to do so.
"This matter does not allow for your opposition. Pack up now and I will send someone to take you out of the mansion after a quarter of an hour."
"Miss..."
Seeing that Qiao Yu still wanted to say something, He Zhiran raised her hand to stop her, "That's enough, no need to say more."
After letting the two maids go, Mo Jiuye was also not idle on his side.
After He Zhiran left, he called over several capable young servants who often served around him and freed them in the same way.
As for the rest of the servants in the Duke's Mansion, it would depend on his mother and sisters-in-law's own decisions.
After sending away all these servants whose slave contracts were returned, the sky was already bright.
He Zhiran glanced at the clock in the room, it was already past five in the morning.
He Zhiran had emptied the kitchen of the Duke's Mansion, and later wanted to move the goods from the treasury, so she piled all the space-occupying kitchen utensils in the ear room.
Fortunately, Old Lady Mo's courtyard had a small kitchen.
Even if they really had to be exiled, they had to be full before leaving. So Old Lady Mo directly ordered people to cook porridge in her own small kitchen.
The porridge was already cooked at this time, and an elderly maid came to the bridal chamber to invite them to come eat breakfast.
As for He Zhiran and Mo Jiuye greeting the mother-in-law on the first day of their wedding, it was completely ignored.
He Zhiran looked at Mo Jiuye who was still lying on the bed, "Are you going to your mother's to have breakfast?"
Mo Jiuye shook his head, "I won't go. I'll keep pretending to be in a coma."
He Zhiran knew Mo Jiuye's actions were right.
Since The Emperor had chosen to summon him to the palace for harassment last night, wasn't it to make him suffer severe injuries and die on the way to exile?
If he went out hale and hearty, when The Emperor found out, he might come up with other ways to deal with the Mo family.
It was better to pretend to be in a coma to avoid potential harm.
"I'll go over first to take a look and bring some food back for you."
After speaking, He Zhiran followed the old maid to Old Lady Mo's courtyard.
The Mo family were all very proper people. The sisters-in-law and young aunts had already gone to the old madam's courtyard first.
All the women were neatly seated at the dining table in the living room, and no one would pick up their chopsticks until Old Lady Mo spoke.
Old Lady Mo was thinking that they would start eating after Mo Jiuye and He Zhiran came, so that everyone could eat together.
After all, it was also the first day of her son's wedding, so it had to be somewhat formal.
Seeing that only He Zhiran came over, and not knowing the impending disaster facing the Mo family, Mo Hanyue warmly came out to greet her.
She smiled brightly and linked arms with He Zhiran, "Sister-in-law, why didn't my ninth brother come with you?"
Seeing Mo Hanyue's state, she clearly did not know what was going on in the family.
He Zhiran simply continued to conceal it, "Your ninth brother returned late from the palace last night and has just fallen asleep."
This explanation did not make Mo Hanyue suspicious at all.
"Ninth brother worked hard, let him sleep a little longer. Sister-in-law, come quickly, let's eat breakfast."
Old Lady Mo and the other sisters-in-law knew what was going on and did not ask like Mo Hanyue.
However, everyone's faces did not look very good.
When Old Lady Mo saw He Zhiran come to the table, she personally welcomed her to sit down.
"Young Lady He, you also know the situation in the family. It's the first day of your wedding, and there's not much preparation. Let's make do with plain rice porridge first."
"Mother, this is already very good."
As she spoke, He Zhiran sat down next to Mo Hanyue.
Looking at the bowl of rice porridge in front of her, she immediately frowned.
"Mother, sisters-in-law, who prepared this porridge?"
Old Lady Mo picked up the bowl, and was about to take a sip of the rice porridge when she heard He Zhiran ask, so she put it down again.
"It was prepared by the maid in my courtyard. What's wrong?"
"Mother, sisters-in-law, there is poison in this porridge."
Hearing this, the sisters-in-law and Mo Hanyue also hurriedly put down their porridge bowls, and their gazes fell on He Zhiran together.
"Young Lady He, you said there is poison in the porridge?" Old Lady Mo looked incredulous.
He Zhiran affirmed, "Mother, if I'm not mistaken, this is a lethal poison called Ascend to Heaven. Anyone who takes it will have no chance of survival."
As soon as she finished speaking, a maid ran in panic, "Old Madam, something bad has happened. Chen Granny and Cui Maid suddenly collapsed on the ground foaming at the mouth after drinking a sip of water..."
"What did you say?" Old Lady Mo hurriedly got up and walked out with small steps.
"Where are they?"
"Replying to Old Madam, they are both in the ear room!"
The sisters-in-law and He Zhiran followed Old Lady Mo to the ear room.
Sure enough, the two people Chen Granny mentioned were lying on the ground with foaming mouths, convulsing all over, with eyeballs rolling back, looking like they were about to die.
Old Lady Mo checked and turned to look at He Zhiran.
"Indeed someone has poisoned them."
