Chapter 570 Who Is the More Suited to be Blamed on?
Nanny Sheng hurriedly reached out her hands to hold Madam of Duke Xing and helped her to calm down behind her. After a long while, Madam of Duke Xing finally calmed down.
“Look, he’s not in charge of anything, but he threw all the blame on me. If it was that woman…”
“Madam!” Nanny Sheng raised her voice alarmedly and bewilderedly and unconsciously looked at the open door.
The door was wide open, and two rows of servant girls and old maids standing in the yard could be seen. They were all respectful, but Madam of Duke Xing’s voice was amplified without control just now.
“Let them go away and close their mouths, otherwise…” Madam of Duke Xing also came to her senses at this time. She glanced at the servants in the courtyard severely. In fact, she was a little far away from them, so it was impossible for them to hear anything.
There were a lot of people in the yard. If there was only one or two, she could just find an excuse to kill them.
Seeing Madam of Duke Xing’s horrible eyes, a trace of panic flashed in Nanny Sheng’s eyes. She hurriedly went to the door and said to the two rows of servants outside the yard, “All of you, go away. Don’t gossip. If you dare to talk something…”
“We don’t dare!” The servant girls and old maids hurriedly said.
“All of you, get away!” Nanny Sheng waved her hand.
The servant girls and old maids understood and left the main room far away. No matter what they did, they could not get close to the main room.
Seeing that there were no more conspicuous people around, Nanny Sheng was relieved. After closing the door, she came to Madam of Duke Xing and persuaded her, “Madam, don’t care too much about it. In fact, she is just mad… She would not impede you.”
“Mad? Even a mad woman is more important than me. I don’t know what’s on his mind!” Not only did she fail to persuade Madam of Duke Xing, but her words made her so angry that her face turned livid.
When she worked as a good wife for him at home and helped him solve various troubles, he didn’t take her seriously from beginning to end, which made Madam of Duke Xing, who always believed that she was the winner, almost couldn’t control herself and wanted to smash everything in this room.
All the things in Duke Xing’s Mansion were blamed on her. If something went wrong, he would blame her for not doing her best. He had never cared about Duke Xing’s Mansion.
“Madam, let’s talk about this with Old Madam. Since this matter has become big, you should at least have a plan! You can’t let First Miss get a bad reputation!” Seeing that Madam of Duke Xing could not control herself, Nanny Sheng quickly changed the topic and threw the matter to Old Madam.
These words touched the heart of Madam of Duke Xing. She didn’t want to implicate her daughter. Her son and daughter were the most precious and the noblest in the mansion in the future. She couldn’t slack off at all. “Come on, let’s go and find her!”
Madam of Duke Xing stood up and said with a cold expression.
She couldn’t bear it, and she didn’t want to bear it. It wasn’t her fault. How could these mother and son let her bear it?
After a little makeup, Madam of Duke Xing took Nanny Sheng to Old Madam’s Chuntang Yard.
“Madam!” Nanny Yu just helped Old Madam finish her medicine. When she saw Madam of Duke Xing coming in, she saluted to her at once.
“My mother, how are you?” After forcing a smile at Nanny Yu, Madam of Duke Xing walked to the bed, squatted in front of Old Madam, and asked with concern.
Old Madam looked up and found that Madam of Duke Xing’s face was pale and her expression was very ugly. Her clothes looked a little messy. Her visit seemed to be a hasty behavior.
There were still faint tears at the corners of her eyes.
“Did something happen?” Old Madam asked.
Nanny Yu frowned tightly and looked at Madam of Duke Xing with concern. The news of what had happened outside had naturally spread to the Chuntang Yard, but Nanny Yu was worried about Old Madam’s health, so she did not let anyone tell her. But now, Madam should come to talk about it straightly? Old Madam’s health was not very good!
She wanted to step forward, but she still lowered her head. Although she was a servant favored by her master, she was just a servant. Nanny Yu knew this clearly. Since she was a servant, she should listen to her master. Even if it went against her own thoughts, she had to listen to her master.
Old Madam was her master, and so was Madam!
“Mother, it’s said that… this evil Xiushui Daoist is a man, and he colludes with someone in our mansion and wants to ruin the Fifth Miss’s reputation. It’s said that our mansion may have a close relationship with this evil Daoist, and we even… maybe… have a secret and immoral relationship with him!”
Hearing Old Madam’s question, Madam of Duke Xing’s eyes turned red immediately. She knelt down in front of the bed with unstable steps, “Mother, if they just doubt me, it doesn’t matter and I just pretend that I don’t know that. But… it’s a pity that a few unmarried girls in our mansion should, should be insulted so terribly… It’s said that the evil Xiushui Daoist was originated from Duke Yong’s Mansion and started in our mansion!”
Madam of Duke Xing sobbed as she talked.
“What? How could they… be so vicious…” Old Madam’s hand hit the edge of the bed heavily, and her face turned livid with anger.
Nanny Yu raised her head to look at Madam of Duke Xing, and then looked at Old Madam, who was so angry that the blue veins on her forehead stood out. She lowered her head again.
She also knew the news outside the mansion, so she naturally knew that this thing was said to be related to Madam of Duke Xing. After all, she was in charge of the mansion.
Although there were occasionally rumors about other masters, everyone thought that the rumor about Madam of Duke Xing was the most credible one.
In Nanny Yu’s heart, she felt that this matter was just a rumor, and people in the mansion did not believe it. Both Old Madam and Duke Xing did not believe that Madam would do this. Therefore, the rumor was just a rumor. Madam did not have to make it known to Old Madam.
She sighed softly and reminded herself again that she was just a servant, but her eyes were still focused on Old Madam.
“Mother, you don’t know, do you? It is said that this matter involved Yuhui Nunnery. Ru’er’s servant girl still said yesterday that the people of Ministry of Justice were also asking about this matter. An’er and her brother, even Duke were gossiped about outside… This… How can Duke keep his position in front of the ministers…”
Madam of Duke Xing started to sob again.
Old Madam was both angry and annoyed when she heard that. She stretched out her trembling fingers and wanted to say something, but she felt stuffy in her chest as if she could not breathe. She breathed hard and her face was red. It seemed that something blocked her throat. Her eyes burst out and she collapsed on the bed.
Nanny Yu ran over and pushed Madam of Duke Xing away quickly. She apologized to her and said, “Madam, Old Madam is seriously ill again. Please wait for a moment.”
After saying that, she ignored Madam of Duke Xing and held Old Madam in the half of her arms. On the one hand, she pacified Old Madam’s breath hard on her chest, and on the other hand, she ordered the servant girl to get the pills.
Fortunately, the pills had been prepared early. Nanny Yu took the water with pills and carefully fed it to Old Madam. Seeing Old Madam’s face improve slightly, she breathed a sigh of relief.
She patted her back again, letting her spit out a mouthful of spittle from her throat, and then she really calmed down.
“Mother, mother, how are you?” Madam of Duke Xing was also shocked. Of course, she didn’t mean to frighten Old Madam. If something really happened, Duke Xing would not forgive her.
“I… I’m fine!” Although Old Madam had recovered, her head was splitting. Her throat was sore, and she felt uncomfortable.
“You, you can say that I was deceived outside. I listened to evil people’s words and trusted them, which almost made it difficult for Fifth girl.”
Old Madam said with difficulty, she covered her chest with her hands, but there was gloom on her old face.
“But, but who is the evil person? Who is the evil person in our mansion?” Madam of Duke Xing seemed to be frightened and was not as smart as she used to be. She looked at Old Madam with red eyes and asked her to make a decision. They needed to find someone to pay off the debt. She wanted to see who Old Madam would give up.
Since the matter had been so big, someone had to take responsibility for it. A servant’s reputation was too low. Even though it was not good for her to listen to others slanderous talk, it would be better than that her grandson’s and granddaughter’s reputation was ruined, especially the reputation of the few children in the second branch. All of them were Old Madam’s favorites.
“Your nominal foster daughter!” Old Madam leaned backward and closed her eyes feebly.
Madam of Duke Xing was stunned for a moment and immediately reacted. She tentatively asked, “Qi Rongzhi?”
“Yes, it’s her. Let her pay for it. I heard that when she was in Qin’s Mansion, she had a bad relationship with the Fifth Girl. And it was even worse in Jiangzhou.”
Old Madam answered with her eyes closed.
“But, but, as a little girl who hasn’t been in the capital city for a long time, she doesn’t know this… the thing about Xiushui…” Madam of Duke Xing didn’t feel pity for Qi Rongzhi, but Qi Rongzhi was impossible to get involved in this matter. It was too far-fetched, which would make people even more suspicious. They only felt that she was the person who was pushed forward by Duke Xing’s Mansion to take the blame, and she was an adopted daughter. It was very unkind.
“Let her say she also heard from others. Just say… from the eldest daughter of Qin’s Mansion, who has been married to Duke Yong’s Mansion.” Since Old Madam thought of Qi Rongzhi, she certainly also thought of her background and origin. Just now Madam of Duke Xing also mentioned it, it could be seen that Duke Yong’s Mansion was also very suspicious.
In this case, it was ordinary for Duke Yong’s Mansion to start this matter.
Although Old Madam had not been in charge of the business for many years, she also remembered something about the Xiushui Daoist. At first, it seemed that the rumors indeed came from Duke Yong’s Mansion. Countess Yong at that time was the Old Madam of Duke Yong now. At several banquets, she repeatedly expressed that this Xiushui Daoist’s magic arts were brilliant.
When she thought about it carefully, it did seem like she was trying to help the Xiushui Daoist to promote him.
“If we put the blame to Duke Yong’s Mansion, I’m afraid that Old Madam of Duke Yong’s Mansion won’t let it go easily, will she?” Madam of Duke Xing said hesitantly.
Although Duke Yong’s Mansion had fallen, they had some foundation, so they couldn’t look down upon them.
“We are not to put the blame on them but on Qi Rongzhi. As for what Qi Rongzhi should say, it’s up to her! We have raised her for several years, and she has to repay us! Her elder brother was powerful. Just help her to pass on the message that the person of Qin’s Mansion told her!” Old Madam said coldly. It was a forced idea to recognize Qi Rongzhi originally.
It was reasonable to ask her to pay back because of their loving-kindness.
“Yes, I get it!” Madam of Duke Xing understood her words in her heart…