Chapter 61: Mo Zixiao's Letter-Após três anos de viúvula, toda a Mansão do Marquês se ajoelha e implora meu perdão.(pensar dinheiro pensar grosso)

After jouncing about for roughly half an hour, the carriage finally came to a halt in front of the General's Mansion.

Having jolted along for about half an hour, the carriage slowly drew to a stop before the majestic gates of the General's Mansion.

Chu Xi lifted the curtain and slowly stepped down from the carriage.

Standing before the entrance, she looked up at the towering gates, her emotions surging like violent waves in her heart.

After standing there for a long while, she took a deep breath, stepped forward with resolute strides, and gently knocked on the door knocker.

A gatekeeper's pageboy soon came at the sound, opened a crack in the door, and poked his head out.

"Oh dear, it's Miss Chu back." His face was filled with astonishment and disbelief, as though Chu Xi should never have returned alive.

"It is I who have returned. You need not announce me; it is the Empress Dowager's command that I remain at the General's Mansion." Chu Xi's tone was cold, stern, and tinged with an imposing authority.

With that, she strode inward. The pageboy was pushed aside by her sheer presence, staggering backward a couple of steps.

Regaining his footing and seeing Chu Xi walking resolutely inside, he quickly gave chase, running and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Miss Chu is back! Miss Chu is back!" His voice echoed throughout the General's Mansion, startling everyone within the estate.

Chu Xi paid no heed to the commotion behind her, continuing her steadfast march inward.

Upon this return, an unaccustomed sharpness had crept into her gaze, though she herself was entirely unaware of it.

"My lady."

Caiping and Wang Mu hurried out to greet her upon hearing the news. The reunion of the mistress and her two loyal servants instantly moved them to silent tears.

Meanwhile, old Madam Mo, whose health had largely recovered, was utterly stunned upon hearing the news. She simply could not accept that a criminal she had personally accused had been released by the Ministry of Justice completely unscathed.

Zhao Cheng stood aside and spoke with cautious deliberation, "Old Madam, let this matter rest. The gatekeeper's boy said Miss Chu was brought back in a carriage from the Prime Minister's residence, which shows it was the Empress Dowager who ordered the Ministry of Justice to release her."

The old lady raged, "Framing and harming the family of an official is a grave crime! How can the Empress Dowager and the Emperor so openly disregard the laws of the realm?"

Zhao Cheng shook his head, finally unable to hold back his warning, "Old Madam, what if the Empress Dowager and the Emperor decide to hurl those very words back at you? That would be a capital offense! The General is currently enjoying a flourishing career; we must not take such risks and ruin everything the Mo family has so painstakingly built."

Sure enough, this veiled warning made the old lady instantly fall silent, her eyes flickering with a panic born of fear.

Seeing this, Zhao Cheng sighed softly, "Now that the Empress Dowager and the Emperor have sent Miss Chu back to the General's Mansion, they surely wish to see what the Old Madam will do next. Therefore, we must proceed with caution and await the General's return before deciding on our next steps."

"Has that thief been caught?" the old lady suddenly inquired.

Zhao Cheng replied immediately, "Not yet. That thief is exceedingly crafty, and we know not whether he is still within the estate. However, I have already stationed guards everywhere to seal off the place. Should he dare to show his face again, he will surely not escape."

Yet, whenever the thief was mentioned, Zhao Cheng's expression never betrayed the slightest hint of genuine tension.

"Old Madam, shall I summon Miss Chu?"

The old lady pondered for a moment before shaking her head. "No need. Let me consider what is to be done next."

"Very well, then this humble servant will withdraw to attend to matters." With that, Zhao Cheng turned and walked out.

Chu Xi returned to her own courtyard, where Wang Mu tightly bolted the courtyard doors.

Seeing that Wang Mu still wore that cautious and nervous expression, Chu Xi asked, "What is it? Has that thief still not been caught?"

Caiping answered, "Indeed not. Heaven knows what the guards in this General's Mansion are actually paid for—hundreds of men, yet they cannot even catch a single thief."

Wang Mu shot Caiping a sidelong glance. "What do you know? This is no mere thief. To my mind, it must be a treasonous rebel from the court, taking advantage of General Mo's absence on campaign to sneak into the mansion and gather intelligence."

"A rebel? Could there still be people plotting rebellion nowadays?" Caiping asked, perplexed.

Wang Mu lowered his voice. "Of course. Nowadays, the Emperor neglects state affairs, indulging solely in sensual pleasures within the inner palace and living a life of debauchery, while the Empress Dowager is entirely consumed by her obsession with elixirs and longevity secrets. Mother and son each play their own games and neglect their proper duties. The common people are living in utter misery and agony—how could there not be those harboring thoughts of rebellion?"

Upon hearing this, Caiping covered her chest in panic. "Good heavens, does that mean the world is about to turn upside down?"

Hearing their words, Chu Xi lowered her head and sighed softly. "I only pray that Zixiao achieves a swift victory and returns soon."

No sooner had her words fallen than a shout rang out from outside: "A letter from the General has arrived! A letter from the General has arrived!"