amaotonovel Chapter 294 Maternal Family
Chapter 294 Maternal Family
Chapter 294
Nanny Chu wasn't as calm as Lu Zhaozhao. Upon hearing this, her expression instantly darkened. When the young lady had awarded them the bolt of cloth, she'd cut off a portion for fairness. This meant there wasn't enough cloth for clothes, so they could only make small items like purses. Where could she find the remaining half bolt of cloth for the young lady?
But she knew in her heart that the young lady was leaving her with a mess to clean up. She immediately knelt down with a plop, kowtowed to Lu Zhaozhao, and begged for mercy, "Young lady, you gave me that piece of cloth and told me to keep it safe, but I was so useless that I accidentally knocked over the kerosene lamp and set the cloth on fire. I was afraid and didn't dare tell you, so I kept it a secret."
Before Lu Zhaozhao could respond, she quickly turned to apologize to the Marquis's wife: "It is my fault that I am useless. I beg Madam to punish me."
Nanny Chu's words took all the blame on herself. According to her account, the cloth was already dead and there was no evidence. Lu Zhaozhao breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this, but her face instantly turned furious, and she shouted, "You're useless! That was given to me by my aunt, and I used it like a treasure. My aunt is so magnanimous that she let it go, but I can't let you go easily. When I get back to the mansion, I'll get twenty lashes of the cane, so that everyone else in the courtyard will be on guard!"
Lu Zhaozhao cleared herself of suspicion with a few words, but Luo Shuiyao wasn't worried. She knew that since the Marquis's wife had acted as if she was going to hold Lu Zhaozhao accountable, she wouldn't let her go easily. Sure enough, the Marquis' wife spoke again, "I'll do as you say, but can you explain why your servants bribed the gardener to frame Miss Yao?"
Without waiting for Lu Zhaozhao to answer, the Marquis's wife pressed on, "Explain again, why did that thug insist that it was one of your servants who gave him money to harm Ah Xing and frame Yao? And what conflict did he have with Yao that would have him so cruelly condemn her to eternal damnation? Think carefully about it, and answer me when you've figured it out."
Her questioning was so aggressive that Lu Zhaozhao was speechless and didn't know how to answer.
Nanny Chu, who had been kneeling on the ground and hadn't gotten up yet, once again defended her mistress. "Madam, this is truly an injustice! My young lady has always been kind and gentle, never offending anyone. Someone must have framed her. I hope Madam, for the sake of my late mistress, you won't trust others so easily, lest you bring disgrace upon her spirit."
Hearing this servant mention her old friend's name, the Marquis's wife's rage subsided slightly. But she wasn't about to lose her temper. She simply looked at her coldly and scolded her, "You are your wife's wet nurse, having watched her grow up. Seeing her do wrong, you didn't try to stop her, but instead aided and abetted her. How despicable! When this matter is resolved, do you think I will easily forgive you?"
Upon hearing this, Nanny Chu banged her head against the ground even harder, the thuds coming one after another as she pleaded, "Madam, it's unfair! You can always find a pretext to accuse someone of something. My young lady is truly wronged. We didn't do these things."
Nanny Chu's miserable appearance made all the servants in the courtyard turn their heads away. Ye Yunxing, who had been sitting quietly under the eaves, couldn't help but feel sympathy and wanted to plead for her. At this moment, a servant hurried up and knelt in front of the Marquis's wife and the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery, shouting, "Madam, please help me!"
This sudden, loud voice interrupted Madam Chu, leaving her momentarily unsure whether to continue her plea. The servant, not caring about anything else, saw that the Marquis's wife didn't try to stop him, and spoke directly, "I am a servant in the Crown Prince's courtyard. That day, the Crown Prince was taking a nap in the courtyard, but suddenly he took out a letter and asked me to find the eldest son. However, when I reached the back garden, someone knocked me unconscious and threw me into a well. I was still somewhat conscious at the time, and despite desperate struggles, I only managed to tear off a piece of the man's sleeve. Later, thanks to a servant from the courtyard passing by, I shouted for help and was rescued. I beg Madam to seek justice for me!"
As he spoke, he took out a piece of cloth from his bosom and said, "This is the corner of the man's clothes that I tore off when I fell. Please take a look, madam." As he spoke, he raised the corner of the clothes high with both hands.
The Marquis's wife did not interrupt him. She waited until he finished speaking before reaching out to take the rag. As soon as she picked it up, she felt that the rag looked familiar.
Matron Chu, who was beside the Marquis' wife, saw this and pulled up the fabric she had searched for from Lu Zhaozhao's courtyard. Unfolding it, she saw that the two pieces of fabric had the same pattern, and the sleeve of the dress was missing a piece. The Marquis' wife handed the scraps of fabric to Matron Chu, who measured them and nodded to the Marquis' wife.
The Marquis's wife glanced at the clothes in her hands, then at the servant kneeling at her feet, begging for mercy. She could no longer suppress her anger. "Lu Zhaozhao, I have taken care of you in every way because of your mother's affection. What grudge do you have against my mansion that you actually want to kill my son? You are acting like this now, truly unworthy of my love and care for you!"
Lu Zhaozhao had never imagined that, as bad luck would never come, someone would produce yet another piece of evidence against her. Unable to hold on any longer, her vision went dark, and she collapsed to the ground. Fortunately, the maids hurriedly supported her, preventing her from falling.
Aunt Chu exclaimed, "Miss, how are you?"
But this time, no one came forward to check on her. Nanny Chu cried again, "Madam, all of this is my fault. I was possessed by a demon, and I couldn't bear to see the prince only care for Miss Luo, but neglected my young lady. That's why I made such a big mistake. I beg Madam to spare her life, and please don't dislike my young lady because of this matter."
This time, her voice was even more shrill and heartfelt than before. But now, no one felt any pity for her. Nanny Chu pleaded for a long time, but seeing no one paying attention, she gritted her teeth and stood up. She imitated Lu Zhaozhao's previous move and threw herself against the pillar beside her, intent on taking all the blame. However, her attack missed. Ye Yunzhou, quick-witted and quick-handed, reached out and stopped her, preventing her from colliding with the pillar and committing suicide.
However, Nanny Chu was old, and the sudden impact was blocked by her. She lost her balance, slipped, and fell heavily to the ground. Then, a slight muffled sound was heard, and Nanny Chu screamed "Ouch!", clutching her waist tightly with her hands, and lay on the ground wailing in pain.
Ye Yunzhou frowned slightly and was about to go forward to check, but was stopped by the Marquis' wife in a loud voice: "Don't touch her. I'll have someone send her back and ask the palace doctor to treat her."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunzhou had no choice but to stop. Soon, a strong old woman came forward, pulled Nanny Chu up and carried her away. The Marquis's wife looked at the unconscious Lu Zhaozhao, then at the cowering maidservant, and said, "Take your young lady back home. When she wakes up, tell her that our mansion is too small to accommodate such a large Buddha. She still has her own family, so let them take good care of her."