Chapter 276
“Hey, how did you know?”
The elderly man was surprised that I had guessed it. “You’re right. Eldest Grandaunt really did rise from a branch and become a phoenix. The master of the household took a liking to her.”
“The family was overjoyed, of course. In those days, being chosen by a rich master was almost like entering the imperial palace. Not only would her immediate family benefit, but the entire clan could hold their heads high in the village.”
At this point, the man sighed. “Everyone thought Eldest Grandaunt had begun a good life. But it didn’t last. Within a few years, she lost her life in Luo Mansion.”
I hurriedly asked, “How did she die?”
The man said, “The master of Luo Mansion was Luo Baichuan, and he was no good. Before Eldest Grandaunt, he already had six wives. She ranked seventh.”
“With so many women, trouble was inevitable. It was like an emperor’s harem, full of secret schemes and infighting. Luo Mansion sent a message to Eldest Grandaunt’s family saying she had accidentally fallen into a well and died.”
“But who would believe that? Children from poor families aren’t so foolish that they simply fall into wells. Her family suspected the other women had killed her, and that Master Luo, Luo Baichuan, was protecting the murderer. He refused to reveal the truth.”
The Seventh Concubine’s family had made the same assumption Seventh Master and I made at first.