Chapter 216 All the Plots Used
In her preexistence, the plate or the plate set appeared at Madam Dowager’s place.
On that day, when Madam of Duke Xing visited the mansion, Madam Dowager received her and used the plate set to carry desserts and fruits.
Madam of Duke Xing shouted at Madam Dowager so fiercely.
She would never forget that Madam Dowager, who she relied on, knelt heavily on the floor to confess in spite of her serious disease. That scene stung her eyes. At that time, she also knelt beside Madam Dowager, but she couldn’t prevent herself from wanting to argue. Yet, she was held tightly by her grandmother with her freezing hands.
After Madam of Duke Xing left, Madam Dowager asked her calmly to wrap up the plate set, send it to Madam Di’s room, and return it to Madam of Duke Xing because she heard that the plate set, among Madam of Duke Xing’s dowries, was bestowed by the emperor.
Madam Dowager panted, her face as pale as snow, which seemingly just happened yesterday. Later, her grandmother’s health deteriorated day by day.
Madam Di did have her share in the secret harm, but this matter should also be considered. Her grandmother was always kind and gracious, but for the safety of the entire mansion, she had to bear the humiliation and kneel to Madam of Duke Xing to beg for mercy!
She never thought Madam of Duke Xing’s items could appear in Qin’s Mansion so early in this life.
As expected, Madam of Duke Xing had meddled in. But in her preexistence, Madam of Duke Xing meddled in through Madam Di. Now, their relations.h.i.+p seemed not so harmonious as it was in her preexistence.
This also reminded Qin Wanru that Madam Di and Madam of Duke Xing had long known each other, not the time after the former arrived in the capital city as she thought before.
A trace of coldness flashed in her watery eyes, but she had a broad smile. It seemed that Madam Di wanted to use the plate to plot against her!
That was just what she wanted because she could use it to push forward what she calculated…
“Go ask the kitchen staff. I like the plate. Do they have any others? If not, bring me a similar one!” Qin Wanru gave her order. There shouldn’t be other plates, but since she was afraid some might be taken out, she thought she had better be more careful.
“Miss, I’m going at once!” Qing Yue replied from her side.
Qin Wanru nodded, and Qing Yue left hurriedly.
“Yujie, go invite Nanny Zheng!” Qin Wanru said, after observing the plate carefully.
Nanny Zheng was now Qin Wanru’s servant, teaching her etiquette and also helping Nanny Yu organize Zhifang Pavilion, but she didn’t usually with Qin Wanru.
Yujie replied and left. After a while, Nanny Zheng came on invitation. Qin Wanru had asked her girl servant to change the previous plate with a new one.
“Nanny Zheng, take a look, do you recognize this plate?” After Nanny Zheng entered the room, Qin Wanru pointed at the changed plate on the table and said.
Nanny Zheng walked over, took it to observe against the sunlight coming through the window, and said firmly, “Miss, this is an imperial object! On it, there are still secret marks of the palace. It should be bestowed by the palace, but when did the General’s Mansion get the object?”
“Not bestowed!” Qin Wanru shook her head.
“Not bestowed, but where does this come from?” Nanny Zheng was astonished. Imperial objects would not suddenly fall from the sky. If not handled carefully, it might even lead to the extermination of the whole family.
“I don’t know, either. The kitchen staff sent me such a plate. Just now, I asked Qing Yue to search and see if there is another set!” Qin Wanru rose, walked to the window, saw the outside sunlight, narrowed her eyes, and said.
“But why did it appear in Qin’s Mansion?” Nanny Zheng stayed in the palace for a long time and definitely knew such things couldn’t be given away casually. Each and every object bestowed by the imperial family would be treated as a family heirloom to wors.h.i.+p. How come they were taken out like this?”
“Maybe related to Madam!” Qin Wanru said.
“Madam also comes from an aristocratic family. How come she doesn’t know this could be a disaster!” Nanny Zheng looked serious. “If something bad really happens, Madam cannot shoulder it alone.”
“Or perhaps she doesn’t know, either. Of course, it is also possible someone has a.s.sured her!” Qin Wanru said coldly. In her preexistence, it was this matter that Madam of Duke Xing and Madam Di used to control her grandmother, forcing her to have to kneel. Or, in it, there might have been some deals that she didn’t know. Since the matter was not exposed, no one knew it did exist.
In her preexistence, she had been curious about the reason why her grandmother remained so silent about her background. Was it true that it was also related to this matter?
“For this matter, either the one who used the imperial object or the one who lost it is guilty!” Nanny Zheng heard other meanings from Qin Wanru’s words, so she thought about it and reminded her.
“The one who lost it is also guilty?” Qin Wanru turned and asked slowly.
“Yes. After the imperial family bestows objects, any mansion should treat them very seriously. If lost, the mansion is certainly guilty!” Nanny Zheng was very clear about this, thought about it, and said very firmly.
So, at that time, the so-called confession was only used to suppress her grandmother.
Both her grandmother and Madam of Duke Xing were guilty, but Madam of Duke Xing browbeat her grandmother and put all the blame on her, forcing her to kneel and confess.
The coldness in her eyes was freezing, but her smile became more flamboyant. She patted the table with her white, tender fingers, and then raised her head to ask Nanny Zheng, “What is the crime for breaking the plate?”
“Beaten with a heavy stick or killing!” Nanny Zheng said severely.
“This plate looks on the verge of breaking?” Qin Wanru eyed the plate calmly. A thin crack was hidden behind the exquisite flower patterns. If not careful, one would not notice it. Looking at it let her know this was not a new crack. Raising the corner of her mouth, she gave a small sweet smile, which was elegant but chilled people’s hearts inexplicably…
“Mother, why did you ask Meiyan to send the plate to Qin Wanru? She robbed the cloth I liked on purpose, doesn’t treat you as an elder, and irritated my cousin and me deliberately, making my cousin blame me. Mother, I want that b*tchy girl dead!”
Sitting in Madam Di’s room, Qin Yuru saw Meiyan come back and report, speaking fretfully.
At this moment, Madam Di looked very calm. With a wave of her hand, others in the room all left, except Nanny Zhou.
“Let Nanny Zhou talk to you!” Madam Di said.
“First Miss, keep calm, this is an imperial object, not something anyone can use. Now, we’ve sent the plate to Second Miss. If she breaks it, she cannot pay for it even with her life!” Nanny Zhou gloated and said as she saw no others in the room.
“What, an imperial object?” Qin Yuru had never seen imperial objects, but she heard of them. Instantly, she stood up out of shock, looking pale. “Mother, if, if something bad happens, we will also be involved, won’t we?”
“Don’t worry! This is what your aunt brought. There won’t be anything. As long as we don’t talk about it, and your aunt doesn’t talk about it, no one will know. Nothing serious!” Madam Di smiled and caressed Qin Yuru. In fact, she was also shocked as she heard it, but after Countess Young’s explanation, she felt at ease. “Besides, this is also a betrothal gift, which cannot be treated as something sent out in private. After getting married, you will take it back to Duke Yong’s Mansion. So, this is also reasonable!”
“This is what my aunt gave me? But why give it to the b*itchy girl Qin Wanru? Do her dirty hands deserve to touch such a n.o.ble object? ”
After learning the origin of the plate, Qin Yuru felt relieved, sat down again, but said unhappily.
“Just let her use temporarily, not for real use!” Madam Di smiled and said. Since she returned from the Duke Yong’s Mansion that day, much of her gloom had gone.
Her mother and sister-in-law all agreed to this marriage. In addition, her sister-in-law, who didn’t agree at the beginning, also helped her think of such an idea. But she didn’t come back until that time and didn’t take any action temporarily.
This was a good opportunity.
“What if she breaks it?” Qin Yuru was still worried. In her heart, the exquisite plate was hers.
“It had better be so. If she breaks the imperial object, use her life to pay for it!” Madam Di sneered and said viciously. This was one of her original purposes.
“But, but if broken, won’t we be involved?” Qin Yuru didn’t really understand such things, doubted somewhat, opened her eyes wide, and asked Madam Di.
“It doesn’t matter. Our way of getting it is rightful. Previously, this plate was placed in your room, but Qin Wanru liked it. You told her it was an imperial object and couldn’t be borrowed, but she said stubbornly that she would only borrow it for a day or two and return it. Then, if broken, who else should be blamed? If something bad happens, no one but she should pay for it with her life!”
Madam Di said proudly and also felt her sister-in-law’s previous words were reasonable. In the past, her actions were too reckless. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been in such a situation. If she had heard her sister-in-law’s ideas before, she wouldn’t have been in her current poor situation. Apart from Qin Wanru, she also wanted Shui Ruolan dead. Then, if the old woman didn’t listen to her, she would also kill her.
She still had one sachet filled with Qingqu Gra.s.s powder. When going to the capital city this time, she would also bring it for sure, but recently the old woman had been guarded carefully and became ill again, and she could not go there, so the old woman could enjoy a few more peaceful days.
After weeding off the two younger ones, she could kill the old one with a few words.
“Then, how can you make her break the plate?” Qin Yuru became interested after hearing this. She turned her eyes and said hurriedly.
“Did she get a few scrolls of cloth bestowed by Rui’an Great Elder Princess?” Madam Di smiled eerily.
“Yes, many scrolls. She said she would give four to Shui Ruolan, but I think she just said so and will keep them all. She really thinks I am blind!” Qin Yuru said with hatred. Since she was angry, she visited Madam Di to discuss how to deal with Qin Wanru. Previously, her marriage was not settled, so she could not spare too much time to deal with Qin Wanru.
Now her marriage was settled with her satisfaction, so she would not let Qin Wanru off.
“Yuru, your cousin and one of your close friends are now in our mansion, take them to have a look!” Madam Di smiled eerily and coldly. “The little b*tch must be in a mess now. Broke the imperial plate, and broke the brocades Rui’an Great Elder Princess sent, let’s see how the little b*tch will deal with it!”