Chapter 38: Why can't I get a break

Lu Yiling looked straight at Su Liya and said "Hold on sister-in-law". She smiled as she walked closer and stood a few steps away from Zhu Fengyin and Su Liya. "I think You should stay back until the end, we must keep a united front right now".

Zhu Fengyin noticed the sharp look ate gave Su Liya or was obvious that She intended to use whatever was going on to threaten Su Liya. "A maid getting punished is nothing new, I don't think my presence is necessary", Su Liya replied. She stepped aside to walk around Lu Yiling but was blocked once again.

"oh but this isn't just a normal punishment, the acts committed by the maid is a lot more serious. You are the new duchess, you must get accustomed to our rules. Don't you think so Liya?" she posed a question to Su Liya while acting innocent.

Su Liya looked at Lu Yiling's small round face, eyes narrowed. 'Why is she putting me in a bad sport. why can't I get a break from all this? Which maid would dare question their master' Su Liya thought looking down at her feet while grinding her teeth.

She didn't even bother to reply to Lu Yiling's statement since each statement was designed to put both Zhu Fengyin and herself against each other. Lu Yiling found her silence amusing, she had already sewn discord between the two ladies.

There was no need to talk much, She walked forward and said cautiously "please come this way, Sister-in-law".

Zhu Fengyin took in a calming breath and stood next to Lu Yiling. Lu Yiling smiled when she saw Zhu Fengyin's cold expression, no matter how powerful Zhu Fengyin was, she was nothing compared to her.

"Do you know what this maid is guilty of, Sister-in-law"?

Zhu Fengyin was too tired to play this game but could only play along since that was the only option left to her. "No, do tell" she replied feeling bored by her present company.

"Sister-in-law hasn't been here long so you must not be familiar with the female servants of every Courtyard. This traitorous maid is was a newly bought high-rank maid, she initially served under my mother's courtyard but was promoted recently and sent to serve under my second brother's courtyard.

"She was sent to be in charge of handling other maids at his courtyard but for the past few days has been trespassing at his study. This afternoon She was caught by another maid drugging second brothers lunch. The matter was discovered by mother and this is the result.

"The Lu family is a clan that appreciates hard work and talent. We do not tolerate underhanded actions of any kind. If you are a servant, you are advised to perform your actions properly and know your place. Do not get greedy and aim higher than you should, do that at the cost of your life".

Zhu Fengyin immediately felt Su Liya who held onto her sleeve and too next to her stiffen. She could already tell that every single word said by Lu Yiling was aimed at Su Liya. While it wasn't strange for a madam to order a servant to be flogged to death.

Zhu Fengyin felt that this punishment was too harsh for the crime, usually most mads sold off the maid far away as punishment. Yet Madam Lu was making a fanfare out of this, it was clearly a warning to everyone, Zhu Fengyin included that she would deal with every transgression with an iron fist.

If she wasn't already sure of her mother-in-law's feelings towards her before, this little action made everything clearer. Lu Yiling was right, it was in her best interest to stay till the end of everything. Since Madam Lu put on such a play for her, it was only proper that she stayed to the end.

Zhu Fengyin gave Su Liya a pat on the hand and nodded towards Madam Lu. The previously nervous Su Liya quickly understood the message and calmed down. This little charade was arranged by madam Lu and not Lu Yiling, there was no need to worry. If madam Lu was aware of her involvement with Lu Yaozhu, she would attack her directly.

Su Liya stood straighter, she put on a calm expression until the very end. She watched as two tall muscular servants laid the maid down on her stomach and tied her to the bench. They stood at both sides of the bench, facing each other and raising the long wooden thin planks high they brought it down, alternating between themselves until the maid stopped moving and was pronounced dead.

At the end of the punishment, Madam Lu instructed the servants to get rid of the body and returned to her room. Su Liya and Zhu Fengyin left some minutes later, the inhumane act left Su Liya speechless.

Su Liya felt queasy as soon as they got back to Zhu Fengyin's room. She knee dived next to the ceramic chamber pot and emptied the content of her stomach. Zhu Fengyin ran to her and helped raise her hair away from her face. Su Liya kept vomiting until everything in her stomach was gone, with shaky hands she accepted the cup of water handed to her by Zhu Fengyin.

Zhu Fengyin helped her get up and led her to the bed. "take it easy, Yaya", Zhu Fengyin poured some wine into a cup and offered it to Su Liya "Here, drink this. It is wine, it will help calm your nerves a little".

Su Liya nodded and accepted the wine "thank you", she said.

"It was nothing, I am only doing what I should", Zhu Fengyin replied patting her back gently.

Su Liya drank some wine and swallowed. it tasted fruity with a little tang caused by fermentation. "no need to be so modest Fengyin, it is not everyday master takes care of their troublesome servants".

"who is troublesome, you?" She looked at Su Liya thoughtfully and after some seconds nodded "yes that is true but that is okay. I like you like that".

They burst into laughter, "You like me like that, Ha wait till I do something naughtier. We will see if you would still say this then" Su Liya teased.

"Hmm, I don't think you can do anything that would make me change how I feel Yaya. You have livened up my life so far, I didn't know how much I needed that until now. So don't let that little charade back then affect you, I won't let that ever happen to you. okay"

Su Liya nodded smiling sweetly "okay".