Was Someone Plotting Against Them?
If this had happened and been dealt with quietly, it wouldn't have been a big deal. But now that so many people are gathered around, and even the First Madam has come, things are really not going to be easy.
"Make way, make way, the Second Madam is here." Seeing that the entrance was completely blocked, Lady Wei's head Daya had no choice but to call out.
The servants who had been watching immediately made way for them.
Lady Wei and Matron Li walked in with dark faces.
"... Our young master has always been known for his integrity and upright character. How can we allow maids like you to tarnish his reputation? What if all the maids in the manor followed suit? So even if I were to do so, I wouldn't let you off easily. Guards..."
"Yes," several burly women answered in unison.
"Tie her up, give her thirty lashes, and sell her off immediately."
At the first lady's command, the servants rolled up their sleeves and stepped forward, ready to take action.
Things had already come to this point, and Lady Wei had no time to think further. She stepped forward and shouted, "Wait!"
Everyone looked at Lady Wei.
Upon hearing his mother's voice, Zhao Jing'an, who had been hiding in the house in shame, also lowered his head and moved to the doorway.
Qingliu lay on the ground, disheveled and crying for mercy, trembling. When she saw Lady Wei and Matron Li arrive, she was as if she had seen her saviors. She stretched out her hands to them and cried, "Second Madam, save me! Grandmother, save me!"
Matron Li knelt down, pulled Qingliu into her arms, and asked in a low voice, "What happened to you? Weren't you going to Qingxue's for the banquet? Why are you here?"
Qingxue was Zhao Rurui's head Daya. Because Zhao Rurui had to flatter Matron Li, Qingxue and Qingliu had always been on good terms.
Today is Qingxue's birthday, and she secretly paid for a feast prepared by the kitchen, inviting several of her close sisters from the household to her place for drinks and entertainment. Qingliu was naturally among the invitees.
How did a birthday banquet end up like this, with all this commotion?
Qingliu knew the situation was urgent; if she didn't explain things clearly, she might lose her life that night. So she stopped crying and quietly told her grandmother what had happened.
It turns out that someone started talking about the time when the eldest young master chased after the third young master, causing the third young master to fall from a tree. As the conversation went on, the topic turned to the eldest young master reading erotic novels.
Because of this topic, some people said that the two young masters are both grown up and have started reading those kinds of novels. They've become acquainted with women and are aware of human affairs. If they don't have maids by their side, trouble will ensue. If they're tempted to go to brothels and become infatuated with courtesans, they might catch some kind of disease.
As long as no illegitimate children are born, having concubines won't affect future marriages. It's always better than contracting a disease or becoming infatuated with courtesans.
At this point, someone whispered mysteriously that she had just heard news from the eldest son's side that the eldest madam was selecting maids to serve as bedchamber maids for the two young masters. She estimated that the eldest madam would send the bedchamber maids to serve the two young masters in the next day or two, to avoid any unforeseen complications and trouble for the two young masters.
However, instead of choosing two, I'll choose one.
Because Qingliu was a maidservant of the second wife and also the granddaughter of Matron Li, and was very beautiful, the First Madam had already planned to make her the second young master's concubine, so there was no need to help the second young master choose a concubine.
At the time, some people jokingly envied Qingliu, telling her not to forget her former sisters when she became a concubine. Everyone toasted her for this.
Qingliu had already drunk some wine and was feeling dizzy. Upon hearing this news, she became extremely anxious and immediately decided to take advantage of her drunkenness to run to the outer courtyard, hoping to force herself on the young master.
She liked the eldest son but not the second son, and she didn't want to be the second son's concubine.
Normally, at this hour, the inner courtyard would be locked; even if it wasn't locked, there would be old women guarding it, and maids and servants wouldn't be allowed to enter or leave the second gate at will. But when Qingliu went out, the second gate was open, and the old woman guarding the gate was nowhere to be found, so she was able to enter the outer courtyard without any trouble.
It was already dark by then. Qingliu was a little tipsy from drinking, and just then she heard Zhao Jingli's two servants carrying hot water passing by. They were talking as they walked, and they were talking about the young master's plan to take a concubine. Qingliu followed them and quietly entered the courtyard. While Zhao Jingli was taking a bath, she slipped away and entered the young master's bedroom.
"I heard the young master's voice when he went to take a bath, really, I heard it clearly," Qingliu said to Matron Li, crying.
She never expected that, although she clearly thought she had entered Zhao Jingli's courtyard and bedroom, and that it was Zhao Jingli who went to take a bath, it was Zhao Jing'an who barged in later. She never expected that Zhao Jing'an would be so heartless and cold-blooded, slapping her away and leaving her naked on the ground, unable to get up.
What's even more infuriating is that when Zhao Jing'an entered and shouted, knocking her to the ground, someone yelled "Thief!" and the guards and servants from the outer courtyard all rushed over, which led to the current situation, leaving her no chance to plead with Zhao Jing'an.
If Zhao Jing'an hadn't sensed something was wrong and quickly slipped out the door, then called in a rough old woman to help her put on her clothes, she would have been completely exposed, and even with the thickest skin, she wouldn't have been able to live with the shame.
Thinking of this, Qingliu buried her face in her grandmother's arms and cried bitterly, pleading, "Grandmother, save me."
When Matron Li heard Qingliu recount what had happened, her intuition told her that someone was behind it all. Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence that Qingliu, who had had such a smooth journey, had mistaken Zhao Jing'an's courtyard for Zhao Jingli's?
But who plotted against them? Was the target Zhao Jing'an and Zhao Jingli, or Qingliu and her, or perhaps the Second Madam?
Leaving aside Qingliu and Matron Li's whispered conversation while squatting on the ground, Lady Wei had already given the First Madam a stiff smile, "Sister-in-law, this Qingliu is Matron Li's granddaughter. I once promised her to be Brother An's Brother An. Although what she did today was inappropriate, it was ultimately a matter of mutual consent between them. What you think is better to forgive Qingliu this time for Brother An's sake?"
The First Madam glanced at her indifferently. "Did you hear what I just said? If not..."
She turned to Matron Zhou, and instructed her, "Matron Zhou, repeat what I just said to the Second Madam."
"Yes." Matron Zhou then repeated what the First Madam had said, "The maids in the mansion are imitating her."
After the First Madam finished speaking, she stared into the Second Madam's eyes and said, "If you believe that Brother An is not the young master of my Marquis of Suiping's Residence, Qingliu is not a maid of the Marquis of Suiping's Residence, then this matter is naturally your second branch's affair, and you can handle it however you want. But if Brother An is the second young master of the Marquis's mansion, Qingliu receives the Marquis's mansion's monthly allowance, then their matter must be handled according to the rules of the Marquis of Suiping's Residence. If Second Sister-in-law is dissatisfied, she can appeal to the Old Madam. As long as the Old Madam does not take back my power to manage the household, I will have to take charge of this matter, and punish them strictly according to the rules of the Marquis's mansion."