188 Heaven’s Will
Yu Pingping came to look for Yu Niaoniao and invited her to tea.
Yu Niaoniao happened to be a little thirsty, but given the precedent of the last food poisoning, she was very cautious this time.
“You didn’t make the tea, did you?”
Yu Pingping’s face darkened.
She gritted her teeth and said, “The maid made the tea and the pastry chef made the snacks. I didn’t touch any of it. Are you relieved?”
Yu Niaoniao nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good.”
Yu Pingping’s fists hardened.
Her sister was really asking for a beating!
The sisters went to the gazebo for tea and flowers.
Xiao Juan was led to the study by the butler. Yu Kangtai and Yu Sheng were already waiting there.
Yu Kangtai took out the antique calligraphy and paintings that he had prepared and invited Duke Lang to admire them together.
In fact, Xiao Juan was not very interested in antique calligraphy.
Most of the time, Yu Kangtai talked non-stop. Yu Sheng nodded in agreement, and Xiao Juan listened quietly.
Seeing that it was almost noon, the butler came to remind them that it was time for lunch.
Yu Kangtai put down the painting and brought his men to the dining hall.
At this moment, Yu Niaoniao and Yu Pingping had also arrived at the dining hall.
The table was filled with dishes, most of which were stews. There were only two stir-fry dishes, and they were placed in the center. The ingredients were quite good, and there was no lack of expensive ingredients.
It was obvious that the Yu Residence had spent a lot of effort and money to prepare this banquet.
As the mistress, Madam Jiang couldn’t hide anymore. She was helped into the dining room.
Yu Pingping and Yu Sheng heaved a sigh of relief when they saw that their mother had calmed down. No matter what her mother was thinking, she could at least finish this meal properly today.
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned.
They had only taken two bites of their food when Meng Xizhou walked in and whispered in Duke Lang’s ear. Yu Niaoniao was close enough to hear a few words. She thought it was official business, so she didn’t think too much about it and continued eating.
But in the next moment, she heard the man beside her say,
“Father-in-law, the Eagle Guards just caught a suspicious person. After interrogating her, they found out that she was a maidservant from your Yu Residence.”
Everyone at the table was stunned and turned to look at Duke Lang.
Even Yu Niaoniao reluctantly lowered her chicken wings and pricked up her ears, preparing to listen to the follow-up plot.
Madam Jiang had a bad feeling.
She pretended to be calm. “The maidservants in our Yu Residence are very honest. They can’t possibly do anything illegal. Is there a misunderstanding?”
Xiao Juan looked at her and asked.
“I haven’t even said who that maidservant is. How do you know that there’s a misunderstanding?”
Madam Jiang choked.
Yu Kangtai hurriedly asked, “What’s the name of that maidservant? Tell me and I’ll get someone to investigate.”
Xiao Juan glanced at Meng Xizhou.
Meng Xizhou understood and answered truthfully.
“That maidservant is called Chun Xing. She said that she’s with Madam Jiang.”
Madam Jiang’s face instantly turned pale, while the others turned to look at her.
Even someone like Yu Kangtai, who did not care much about the matters in the backyard, knew that Chunxing was a maidservant Madam Jiang had brought from her maiden family. Madam Jiang trusted her very much.
Yu Kangtai was in disbelief. He asked with his last hope.
“Where’s Chun Xing? Tell her to come out.”
As long as Madam Jiang could call Chun Xing out now, it would mean that the “Chun Xing” that the Eagle Guards had captured was fake.
However, Madam Jiang shook her head. “Chunxing is not in the residence.”
Yu Pingping asked impatiently, “Where did she go?”
Being caught by the Eagle Guards was not a small matter. If they were not careful, it would implicate the entire Yu Residence.
Madam Jiang’s heart was filled with fear and unease but she forced herself to calm down. The more critical the moment, the less she should panic.
She did not have to worry about Chun Xing betraying her. After all, Chun Xing’s indenture was still in her hands. As long as Chun Xing did not tell the truth, the Eagle Guards would have no evidence. She would just deny it.
No matter what, she was still Duke Lang’s mother-in-law and his elder. He had to have some scruples.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Jiang had a plan. She spoke unhurriedly.
“She said she wasn’t feeling well and wanted to go out to see a doctor. Logically speaking, she should be back by now, but I do not know why I had not seen her. I was also wondering what was wrong with her. The prince said that the Eagle Guards had captured her. May I ask what she had done?”
Xiao Juan had seen many suspects and could see Madam Jiang’s thoughts clearly. This kind of person would not shed tears until they saw their doom.
He raised his right hand. “Bring her in.”
Meng Xizhou turned and went out the door.
Seeing this, Mrs. Jiang’s heart was in her throat.
She kept her eyes on the door. In the next moment, she saw Meng Xizhou drag in two half-dead people.
They were a man and a woman. The woman was Chun Xing.
She was lying on the ground covered in wounds. Even though she had been washed, blood was still seeping out of her wounds. She looked extremely miserable.
The man beside him was not much better. Every piece of flesh on his body was twitching in pain. He still did not forget to beg for mercy.
“Please, let me go. I’ll talk. I’ll tell you everything.”
Faced with this image, everyone at the table lost their appetite.
Madam Jiang’s hand, hidden under the table, gripped her handkerchief tightly, feeling uneasy. Initially, she was very confident that Chun Xing would not dare betray her.
But now that she saw Chun Xing being beaten up, her confidence was gone. At this moment, a slave contract was nothing to Chun Xing. It was more important to survive.
Yu Kangtai could not bear to see this bloody scene.
“Your Highness, what are you doing?”
Xiao Juan said calmly, “Seeing is believing. I’ll let you hear Chun Xing’s confession with your own ears now and see what she wants to do by sneaking out today.”
Chun Xing looked up with difficulty. She looked at Madam Jiang, who was sitting at the table, her eyes filled with pleading. She was asking Madam Jiang for help.
However, Madam Jiang looked at her warningly and threatened her not to speak nonsense. The last hope in Chun Xing’s heart was extinguished. What emanated from her eyes immediately was a strong hatred.
She had followed Madam Jiang for many years and was loyal to her. No matter what dirty work it was, she was willing to help Madam Jiang In the end, she even sacrificed herself.
However, Madam Jiang had no intention of saving her.
She could have at least spoken up for her but she didn’t. She was really heartless to the extreme!
Meng Xizhou knelt down and pressed one hand against Chun Xing’s wrist, forcing her fingers apart. He held the knife in his other hand, the blade aimed at her fingers.
“I’ll ask once. If you don’t tell the truth, I’ll chop off one of your fingers. If you don’t tell me the second time, I’ll chop off another finger until you tell me where it is. Let’s see if you can last through all your fingers.”
Almost as soon as he finished speaking, Chun Xing spoke without hesitation.
“Madam asked me to go out to Zhao San. She wanted Zhao San to spread rumors about the County Princess in the capital and ruin her reputation.”