Although Song Yixiao guessed incorrectly and thought her mother trapped Jinxun indirectly, she didnât want to let Lu Zimiao go. She said, âI live in Prince of Hengshanâs mansion many years without paying. So I always bear their satire and donât dare to complain! I donât mind it. But how can Lu Zimiao treat my maid like that?â
She comforted Jinxun and gave her two sets of dresses she had just worn. Then she asked Jinxun to rest and then called Ms. Zhao upstairs to discuss, âI should teach Lu Zimiao a lesson! But we canât speak it out publicity. Otherwise it will damage Jinxunâs reputation!â
âNow you havenât become Duke Jianâs fiancée. I think weâd better not cause complications since Sixth Young Lady conceals it.â Ms. Zhao said after thinking, âAnyway, Jinxun is just a maid and doesnât get the worst of it!â
Although Ms. Zhao said that, she also knew Song Yixiao regarded her people as important and cared more about her maids after Zhiqin had an accident.
Sure enough, Song Yixiao had a look of dissent. Ms. Zhao reminded her, âWhatever Sixth Young Lady used to be, she saves Jinxun this time and protects her reputation. If we make trouble to Fifth Young Master for Jinxun, he will hate us and transfer his anger on Sixth Young Lady!â
Although Lu Chaiâer had a different mother with Lu Zimiao, they had a good relationship because they were all concubineâs children and almost of the same age. In this era, girls didnât offend their brothers because they rely on them after they get married. If they disliked each other due to Song Yixiao, it would be so unfair to Lu Chaiâer.
Song Yixiao felt sorry for her maid. But she didnât want to return kindness with ingratitude. Hearing Ms. Zhaoâs words, she kept silent for a long time and then sighed, âLet it go!â
She didnât try to revenge, but someone wanted to make trouble for her.
After noon the next day, Wei Mengying asked Qiaoqin to let Song Yixiao go to the principal room. Qiaoqin said, âSecond Young Mistress just told the Princess Consort that she saw Jinxun pawed with Fifth Young Master yesterday in the garden. She persuaded the Princess Consort to give Jinxun to Fifth Young Master, in case of destroying your reputation by their secret contacts. The Princess Consort said she should ask your opinion in advance because Jinxun is a good maid for you!â
Song Yixiao almost died of anger. Jinxun was just bullied and had no way to revenge. How could Madam Jin come to maltreat an injured person?
Did they all think they could bully her easily due to her dim prospects?
She clapped on the table with angry face and stood up suddenly, âLetâs go!â
As soon as she came into the yard of principal room, she heard Second Young Mistress say sharply, âThe princeâs mansion has raised Miss Song for many years. The money spent for her is enough to buy dozens of maids! Now we just want one of her maids. How can she refuse?â
Song Yixiao sneered and walked quickly to the room. Then she questioned, âSecond Young Mistress, do you lack maids to serve you? Even if itâs true, there are many clever maids who want to serve you in the princeâs mansion. Why do you just want my maid? Do I offend you so that you are unhappy to see I have maids and want to grab them?â
âMiss Song, you really have a glib tongue!â Second Young Mistress touched the golden bracelet on her wrist and sighed without raising her head, âItâll be good for you. After all, itâs a good thing to help other people achieve their dreams. Jinxun has served you for a long time and should be given credit for hard work, if not for merit. But your attitude seems to blame me for coveting your maid!â
Then she chuckled, âMiss Song, you misunderstand me! How can I feel unhappy to see you have maids? You are the favorite daughter of Stepmother. Is it a bid thing that you have a maid? The princeâs mansion is rich and easy to buy hundreds of maids. How can Stepmother treat you badly?â
âYou donât want to get Jinxun?â Song Yixiao saluted to Wei Mengying and Second Young Mistress. Then she sat in a junior seat and took a sip of tea given by Qiaoqin. She said casually, âBut what do you mean that you want to help people to achieve their dreams?â
Second Young Mistress knew that Song Yixiao asked as if did not know. But she really saw Lu Zimiao blocked Jinxun in the garden yesterday. It was uneasy for Song Yixiao to deny it!
So she smiled, âWell, Miss Song! You are a girl and should care about your maids! Otherwise other people will say your maids are well-behaved, which will destroy your reputation! Like Jinxun, itâs normal for her to like handsome and young Lu Zimiao. But without a matchmaker and betrothal presents, how could she seduce himâ¦â
âNonsense!â Jinxunâs face looked terrible since she came in. But she had to bear because of her status. When she heard that Second Young Mistress distorted the truth to say Jinxun seduced Lu Zimiao actively, she couldnât stand it anymore even if she was only a servant. She burst into tears and said, âThe truth isâ¦â
âSecond Young Mistress, Jinxun was born in an innocent family even if sheâs a servant girl!â Song Yixiao raised her eyebrows and interrupted Jinxun. She stared at Second Young Mistress sharply and asked, âDo you have any evidence to prove that she seduced Fifth Young Master?â
âI and my maid saw it. How can we put her in the wrong?â Second Young Mistress glanced at Jinxun satirically, âMiss Song, if you donât believe, why not ask Zimiao to confront with her?â
Song Yixiao sneered after hearing it, âItâs so strange! Second Young Mistress, you blamed Jinxun that she was not well-behaved. But when you and your maid saw Jinxun stayed with Fifth Young Master yesterday, why didnât you stop them immediately? Why donât you tell Mother until today?â
She looked mysterious, putting down the tea bowl. She said, âOr did you dare not to care about them because what you did at that time was also not well-behaved?â
Wei Mengying sat in the senior chair and took a sip of tea. She continued to knock Second Young Mistress like her daughter in a proper way, âJinxun wonât gossip. And she seems not to see anything secret. You confess without being pressed this time!â
âStepmother, you really love your daughter!â Second Young Mistress trembled because she was angry by their cooperation, âSure enough, Stepmother didnât have a look at my firm evidence! Miss Song framed me without any evidence. But Stepmother believed that instantly! Stepmother, do you remember that this mansion belongs to Lu Family instead of Song Family! You have married into the Lu Family!â
Wei Mengying was complex and was lazy to care about her blame. She said, âYixiao just said her guess. If you are innocent, why did you rage and even dare to ask me whose wife I am?â
âSecond Young Mistress, you are so strange!â Song Yixiao continued, âYou said that you and your maid saw Jinxun seduced Fifth Young Master. You also said it was not well-behaved! But you didnât stop them at that time but told us the next day. If other people hear that, they will also feel doubtful!â
She said slowly, âJinxun is just a maid. Are you afraid to blame her? As for Fifth Young Master, you are his elder sister-in-law. Your husband is the legitimate son, but he is a concubineâs son. Itâs reasonable that you scold or help him! You have the right to stop them. So Iâm curious why you donât blame them at that time. Am I wrong? Why do you think I frame you without evidence?â
How dared Second Young Mistress confound right and wrong?
She should be knocked by my mother completely!
Song Yixiaoâs eyes flashed scorn. She said, âMother, Iâm thankful that the princeâs mansion raised me. How dare I frame Second Young Mistress of the princeâs mansion? In my view, we should check it out clearly! Like what Second Young Mistress said, it doesnât matter the reputation of me and Jinxun is destroyed, but it will be terrible to implicate Commandery Princess Kouâer and others!â
âIt should be!â Wei Mengying touched her temples and said with a casual air, âSince the Prince and the Dowager Consort ask me to manage the mansion, how can I let bad behavior go unchecked here? Donât worry. I wonât harbor evildoers. No matter who behave badly, I wonât let them go as long as I check out!â
She said so loudly and firmly. But how could Second Young Mistress believe her?
âThe truth yesterday is that Lu Zimiao took liberties with Jinxun. Even if she finds it, she will just punish Lu Zimiao a little!â Second Young Mistress was so angry in her heart, âSong Yixiao just blamed me for doing nothing at that time. Then Wei Mengying followed her daughter to deal with me with much more crimes.â
At that time, even if everyone knew Jinxun seduced Lu Zimiao, Wei Mengying could let Jinxun leave to protect her daughter because Jinxun was just a servant. Each family had some maids behaving badly. If masters took the responsibility of their faults, would the imperial capital have any innocent family?
It wouldnât hurt them painfully!
Whatâs more, it was not a fresh thing that a maid seduced young master. People would forget it soon. Compared with it, Second Young Mistress, as legitimate sonâs wife of the princeâs mansion, didnât help her brother-in-law who was seduced by a girl, which would make people curious about what she was doing at that time!
Even if she was innocent, she would of course be wronged!
In particular, Wei Mengying had a son and a daughter, with a more stable status than 6 years ago. Second Young Mistress framed Jinxun this time. Even the Dowager Consort wouldnât support her!
Shocked and angry, Second Young Mistress vented her anger on Lu Chaiâer, âIf she didnât interfere, I would have stopped them immediately to make it real that Jinxun seduced Lu Zimiao!â
But Lu Zimiao gave face to his younger sister. After Lu Chaiâer persuaded him for a moment, he let Jinxun go and left. Second Young Mistress didnât want to âhelpâ until he got Jinxun or Jinxun became more terrible. So she didnât have time to prevent Lu Chaiâer. As a result, Second Young Mistress had to blame Jinxun the next day!
But she didnât expect that Song Yixiao made use of it to blame her!
Second Young Mistress was so angry and thought it was Lu Chaiâerâs fault. âSh*t! How could she help other familyâs person? She is so weak!â
âDoesnât she know that Song Yixiao is an outsider but can live more extravagant than her!â
âAs a young lady of princeâs mansion, she doesnât think it shameful but even protects Song Yixiaoâs maid!â
âShe doesnât have any backbone!â
âHow foolish she is! Concubineâs kid is really petty!â
However, no matter how she cursed Lu Chaiâer in her heart, she couldnât change the present situation. Fortunately, she hit on an idea in desperation. Song Yixiao seemed to let Jinxun shut up by interrupting her. But Second Young Mistress thought Song Yixiao just wanted to prevent Jinxun from saying the truth. Obviously, Song Yixiao regarded this servant girlâs reputation as important!
Second Young Mistress was smart at this time. She turned to smile and said softly, âAlas! Stepmother, Miss Song, donât be so serious! Itâs just a joke. You are so solemn!â
Sure enough, Wei Mengying only paid attention to the tea bowl in her hand and didnât want to let her go. But Song Yixiao said lightly, âIs it a joke? Donât you think the joke is so terrible? Even if she is only a servant girl, can you destroy her reputation casually?â
âItâs said that Miss Song is clever and resourceful. So Iâm curious and want to bluff you.â Second Young Mistress clapped her hands and pretended to say sincerely, âI didnât go to the garden yesterday. What can I see? Besides, Zimiao is well-behaved and never pays attention to girls, including servant girls, as long as they donât belong to him!â
She smiled, âThe thing about him and Jinxun is not true. I just wanted to use the bluff to make you shocked! But Miss Song is so smart that I failed!â
âSecond Young Mistress, please donât do this kind of terrible thing anymore!â Song Yixiao gave her an opportunity, concerning Jinxunâs future. Although Song Yixiao wanted to slap her face, she took a deep breath to control herself and sneered, âYou are kidsâ mother. You should accumulate virtue for your kids, right?â
âYou!â Second Young Mistress gave up. But she didnât expect that Song Yixiao laughed at her after conciliatory. In the past six years, Wei Mengying had knocked her many times because she didnât give birth to a kid!
Because of that, the Dowager Consort didnât like her as before, either!
Because she couldnât have a son, her husband, Lu Guanqun, was disappointed and began to cultivate eldest concubineâs son, which was the angriest things of Second Young Mistress. That boy knew how to make his father happy. Few years later, even if she had a son, the concubineâs son would still have an important position in his fatherâs heart!
âB***h! Did you laugh at me to be childless? After you marry Zhuo Pingâan, will you continue to smile?â
Thinking of it, Second Young Mistress clenched her fists many times and finally breathed out. She felt a little better this time.