Chapter 173 - Punishing the Servants

The carriage drove past a tea house, and outside the carriage, it was full of people watching the fun.

Qiao Jinniang overheard that they seemed to be talking about her, so she asked the coachman to stop the carriage.

A storyteller was speaking loudly in the teahouse, “It’s absolutely true! It’s true that the Crown Princess is dating a man in the Duke Mansion! I don’t dare to risk being beheaded to slander the Crown Princess!”

“I only have one head. How dare I slander her and offend Duke Anyuan?

“This matter was said by a servant of the Duke Mansion, and her sister-in-law is a concubine of Third Master of the Duke

The people didn’t believe it. “How could the Crown Princess be so stupid?! In order to attract business, you are not even afraid of being beheaded?”

The storyteller snorted. “You can choose to believe or not. There are some relatives of the Qiao family who came from afar living in the Duke Mansion and they all know that the Jin Garden’s gate was blocked that night.”

“Walls have ears. If Qiao Jinniang hadn’t done such a thing, how dare that servant of the Duke Mansion make up such a story?”.

Fulu looked at Qiao Jinniang in surprise in the carriage.

Qiao Jinniang frowned. Except for the masters of the Duke Mansion, only servants and guards of the Duke Mansion were in the Jin Garden that night.

This rumor could only be leaked by them.

But they all knew that her “adulter” was actually Lu Chen.

As for the Aunt Liu the storyteller mentioned, Qiao Jinniang didn’t know her, nor had she seen her before.

At this critical moment, this rumor could ruin her reputation.

Fulu asked curiously, “Jinniang, did you really cuckold my imperial cousin?”

Qiao Jinniang: “That man is the Crown Prince.”

The rumor was spreading more and more widely.

On the carriage, Qiao Jinniang could hear the people hotly dicussing this rumor along the way.

The carriage stopped at one of Lu Chen’s houses outside the imperial palace.

Qiao Jinniang entered the house, and when she saw Lu Chen, she complained, “It’s all your fault. Do you know how the people are talking about us now?”

When Lu Chen left the imperial palace, he hadn’t heard of the rumor yet, so he asked Qiao Jinniang, “Are there any rumors about us again?”

Qiao Jinniang said, “Now, everyone says that I was dating a man at home!”

Lu Chen chuckled. “Don’t worry. I trust you.”

Qiao Jinniang snorted. “I’m afraid this matter is not so simple. Now everyone is talking about this rumor.

“A storyteller in a teahouse said that it was said by a mammy in the Duke Mansion. I don’t think a mammy would be so daring. There must be someone behind her!”

That mammy was a servant of the Duke Mansion. If this matter spread outside, it wouldn’t do any good to that mammy.

Moreover, Qiao Jinniang and that mammy never knew each other. Even if the mammy hated her, she shouldn’t have to risk her own life to spread this rumor.

At this time, Lu Chen received a secret signal from one of his secret guards, and he called the secret guard in.

The secret guard came in and reported, “Your Royal Highness, it was the Empress Dowager who had her men spread the rumor about the Crown Princess!”

Lu Chen sneered. “I got it. You can leave.”

When Qiao Jinniang heard that it was the Empress Dowager, she said, “It turns out to be the Empress Dowager? But you are her grandson. Why does she hate you so much?

“In order to ruin your reputation, she doesn’t even mind disgracing Datang when the envoys of so many foreign countries are in Chang’an.”

Hearing that the person behind was the Empress Dowager, Qiao Jinniang understood that this matter was targeted at Lu Chen.

If it were true that she committed adultery in the Duke Mansion, Lu Chen would be a laughing stock of the whole world…

Lu Chen said, “I won’t let her ruin your reputation with this matter, but my birthday is coming soon. Have you prepared a birthday gift for me?”

Qiao Jinniang nodded. “Yes, but come on, no one will ask others for a birthday gift!”

Lu Chen pinched her nose. “I just don’t want you to forget me.”

Qiao Jinniang took Lu Chen’s hand and said, “Since this rumor came from a servant of the Duke Mansion, she deserves to die a thousand times, but I’m afraid the outsiders will believe her words.”

Lu Chen entwined his fingers with her fingers and said, “I don’t want to hide this from others. I can just tell them that it was me who went to your room that night!”

“I don’t think everyone is as superstitious as Duke Anyuan. You and I are already married, so it doesn’t matter if we meet.”

He could finally hold the beauty in his arms, and he didn’t want to wait for another half a month.

Qiao Jinniang said, “But according to the rules, we really shouldn’t meet before our wedding. Besides, these few days will pass soon.”

“You called me out today just for your birthday gift?”

Lu Chen: “Yes, prepare a good one, okay?”

Qiao Jinniang said, “You can rest assured. I bet you won’t be disappointed.”

Qiao Jinniang thought she could really come out to get some air.

But rumors about her could be heard everywhere, so she couldn’t show up in public and could only stay in this house to enjoy the scenery outside the Duke Mansion.

Seeing the many flowers that were blooming in the courtyard, she said to Lu Chen, “It’s been a long time since I made flower cakes. I’ll make flower cakes for you.”

Lu Chen held Qiao Jinniang’s hand. “It’s not easy for me to see you before the wedding. I’m not in a hurry to eat flower cakes.”

Qiao Jinniang expected to get some fresh air, but ended up being locked up with Lu Chen in this house.

Back at the Duke Mansion, Qiao Jinniang changed back to her own clothes and ordered someone to bring Aunt Liu over.

When Aunt Liu saw Qiao Jinniang, she was a little flustered. She knelt down and said, “Your Highness.”

Qiao Jinniang stared coldly at Aunt Liu and said, “I heard that your parents and mother-in-law are all servants of the Duke Mansion?”

Aunt Liu said, “Yes.”

Qiao Jinniang said in an icy voice, “The Duke Mansion treats your family very well and appointed your husband as the gardening supervisor of the Duke Mansion. You and your family are living a life even more comfortable than ordinary wealthy businessmen, aren’t

you?”

Aunt Liu hurriedly kowtowed and said, “This is all thanks to Your Highness and the Duke!”

Qiao Jinniang sneered. “So you still remember that your comfortable life comes from the Duke Mansion? But you ignored the reputation of the Duke Mansion and spread rumors about me…”

Hearing this, Aunt Liu collapsed on the ground, begging for mercy. “Your Highness, I will never do it again. Please spare my life!

“I didn’t say this to anyone outside. I only told this to an imperial maid!”

Qiao Jinniang said, “You don’t have to beg me to spare your life. I’m a soft-hearted person and won’t kill.”

Hearing this, Aunt Liu breathed a sigh of relief. Yuniang was a pushover when she was young. Even if others bullied her terribly, she would just tolerate it.

Sure enough, just like Yuniang, Qiao Jinniang, who was raised by Yuniang, was a pushover too.

Looking at this old woman’s contemptuous eyes, Qiao Jinniang continued,

“Although I don’t want to kill, I don’t want to see you anymore.

“Hongling, find a few human traffickers and ask them to sell Aunt Liu, her husband, Old Liu, and their children out of Chang’an. Remember to sell them to different places.

“Before selling them, carefully check how much money they have embezzled from the Duke Mansion. Don’t let them take a penny with them.”

Aunt Liu was shocked when she heard this. To sell them to different places?! If that were to happen, she and her family would never be reunited!

Her son and daughter had already been allowed to leave the Duke Mansion.

But now they would be reduced to slaves again. Aunt Liu pleaded hurriedly, “Your Highness, Your Highness, the fault is all mine. Please only punish me!”