Chapter 57: Steward Cao Was Pushed Off the Cliff by Qianliu

In less than half a day, the news that Steward Cao had accidentally fallen off a cliff spread throughout the White Horse Temple.

Even the abbot Jingkong personally came to perform a ritual to help release his soul.

As soon as the news reached Madam Qin, she immediately went to Tang Ying. “Cao Xin is dead, did you know?”

Qianliu, who was serving tea beside them, was so startled by the words that the teapot in her hand nearly slipped. She gritted her teeth hard to steady her trembling heart.

Yiyun’s eyes widened in disbelief, instinctively turning to look at Qianliu.

Qianliu acted as if she hadn’t noticed Yiyun’s gaze. After pouring tea for Tang Ying and Madam Qin, she obediently stepped aside.

Tang Ying was also visibly shocked. “What happened?”

“I heard he fell off a cliff,” Qin’s expression darkened. Steward Cao had always been her trusted subordinate, if he died so mysteriously, it would greatly impact her.

Qianliu’s pupils contracted slightly at Qin’s words.

Did the young lady push Steward Cao off the cliff? If she had known this was how it would be handled, she should’ve stayed behind last night to help. The young lady was so delicate, how could she and Ban Xia have managed on their own?

Qianliu was lost in thought, but Tang Ying suddenly frowned. “Fell off a cliff? How does someone just fall off a cliff out of nowhere? What really happened?”

Qin wanted to say more but glanced at Qianliu and Yiyun.

Only then did Tang Ying say, “You two, step outside first.”

Qianliu still wanted to hear what they were going to say, but she had no choice but to obediently leave.

Yiyun followed her out.

Once they reached the doorway, Yiyun turned to Qianliu and demanded, “Didn’t you go to see Steward Cao last night? What really happened? Was it you who killed him?”

Qianliu’s eyes flickered, but she forced herself to stay calm and looked up at Yiyun. “What nonsense are you spouting? Who told you I went to see Steward Cao last night?”

Yiyun frowned and snapped angrily, “I took your night shift last night, don’t think I didn’t notice. You clearly went to see him, and now you won’t even admit it.”

Qianliu stared at her coldly and mocked, “You did take my shift, but that doesn’t mean I went to see Steward Cao.”

“So you’re saying you didn’t go?” Yiyun looked at her suspiciously, not believing her.

“I didn’t. I wasn’t feeling well last night. I left Miss’s room and went straight to bed,” Qianliu said calmly.

Yiyun still looked skeptical. “If you weren’t feeling well, why didn’t you say so earlier? I took your shift for nothing.”

If it hadn’t been for encouraging her to meet with Steward Cao, she wouldn’t have willingly taken that shift.

“You offered to take my shift.” Qianliu snorted coldly, then narrowed her eyes. “Why are you so insistent on me going to see Steward Cao? What’s it to you?”

“I…” Yiyun was momentarily speechless, then said awkwardly, “I was just worried you wouldn’t get the money and thought I’d help you out.”

“My affairs are none of your concern. You’d best take care of yourself,” Qianliu replied coldly and turned away, ignoring her.

Yiyun glared at Qianliu’s back with a sinister expression, starting to wonder just how Steward Cao had really died, and whether Qianliu had something to do with it.

Inside the room

“This morning, Nanny Gui went looking for Cao Xin to arrange the fasting for everyone,” Qin said, recounting what she had heard. “But she couldn’t find him in his room. Later, she found one of his shoes by the cliff, which led everyone to believe he had fallen.”

Tang Ying frowned. “Just one shoe, and they assumed he fell? What if he went out to handle some affairs and just lost a shoe there?”

Qin sighed. “I’d like to think he’s still alive, but Nanny Gui searched thoroughly and found nothing. I heard there were bloodstains on the rocks near the cliff too, so it’s likely he really did fall.”

“Has anyone gone down the cliff to search?” Tang Ying still didn’t believe it.

Qin gave her a look. “The cliff is so high, no one can climb down. How do you expect them to search? Unless he never actually fell because if he did, he’d be smashed to pieces.”

Either Cao Xin didn’t fall, or if he did, he was certainly dead.

“Don’t you think it’s strange?” Tang Ying asked, suspicious. “Why would he go to the cliff for no reason?”

Qin hadn’t thought about it much. “Maybe he was enjoying the view? Watching the moon? Climbing? Who knows why he went there. He was involved in many things behind the scenes with me, his death cuts off one of my arms. I’ll have to re-plan everything.”

What Qin cared about wasn’t Cao Xin’s death, but the Tang family’s accounts, storehouses, and the businesses outside.

Tang Ying glanced at her and consoled, “It’s simple, however you managed things before, we’ll keep managing them the same way. Cao Xin is dead, we’ll just promote a new one.”

Qin gave her a playful glare. “Cao Xin was carefully selected by me. Finding someone new isn’t so easy.”

“His son, Cao Ji, I think he’s a great candidate. He’s even sharper than his father. He’s the best choice,” Tang Ying said. She had long planned to make Cao Ji the successor, which is why she allowed Yiyun to flirt with him under her nose.

Qin’s eyes lit up. “Yes! Cao Ji is perfect. I don’t know how I forgot him.”

She immediately stood up. “I’m going to speak with your grandmother now and ask her to appoint Cao Ji as the new steward.”

Tang Ying thought for a moment. “Cao Ji didn’t come with us this time. Let’s wait until we return.”

“I’ll give her a heads-up first, in case it’s hard to convince her later,” Qin insisted. The old lady never liked Cao Xin, and she probably wouldn’t like Cao Ji either.

If she didn’t speak now, and the old lady chose someone else, it would be much harder to secure the position for Cao Ji.

With that, Qin hurried off to see the old matron.

As soon as she left, Yiyun entered the room. “Miss, I have something to tell you.”

Tang Ying looked at her. “What is it?”

Yiyun glanced outside, then leaned in and whispered a few words into Tang Ying’s ear.

Tang Ying immediately frowned. “You’re saying Qianliu pushed Steward Cao off the cliff?”

Yiyun blinked. “I’m only guessing. But when I questioned her just now, she denied ever going to see Steward Cao.”

Tang Ying’s eyes flickered. After a pause, she looked up. “Go to the North Wing and ask around. Find out who from our side went there last night.”

The North and West Wings housed female and male guests separately. To prevent inappropriate interactions and unnecessary trouble, there was a security gate between the two areas, guarded at night. So it would be easy to verify who entered or left the North Wing.

“Yes,” Yiyun responded and left to investigate immediately.