Chapter 111 – You Won"t Blame Me, Right?
Hexi slightly raised her eyebrows and meaningfully said, "What Madam said is correct, previously in the other courtyard, Butler Li and that group of slaves humiliated me everyday. They would bully me for their amus.e.m.e.nt and said it was all Madam"s order, but Wet Nurse Chen, as a slave from Nalan Manor, opposed Butler Li. Going against Madam"s order, she put her own life at risk to protect me. This kind of dedicated slave, Nalan Manor still won"t spare her!"
Hearing what was said, Madam Nalan"s complexion changed and she sharply shouted, "What nonsense are you talking about! How can I order people to bully you? Hexi, who taught you to be so ignorant of the relations.h.i.+ps between people that you would slander an elder?"
Hexi lightly laughed, "This isn"t talking nonsense, but let"s call over my current slaves in the other courtyard to confront them and see. Oh, and in order for it to be fair, I suggest we have a public trial outside Nalan Manor"s gate. If I really have slandered my elders, then it"ll be good to let everyone criticise me together, isn"t that so?"
The muscles on Madam Nalan"s face twitched strangely, while her hands made cracking sounds as they clenched at her sides. Yet in the end she endured it, and with difficulty, she plastered a smile on her face, "A public trial you say? I love you dearly and regard you as my own daughter, how can I not believe that what you have said is true? Those slaves used my name to deliberately make things difficult for you, that group of d.a.m.ned slaves…"
"Indeed, a group of d.a.m.ned slaves." Hexi continued, saying, "Therefore, I"ve already punished them, yet it was without authority. Madam won"t blame me, right?"
Madam Nalan"s face showed a shocked expression, and when her eyes made contact with w.a.n.g Zhong"s own, she saw him nod, then shake his head. Her gaze was somewhat filled with contempt as she looked at Hexi and she couldn"t help but coldly snort, calming down her heart.
With an amiable smile once again hanging on her face, her was voice gentle as she said, "For just several insignificant slaves, how could I blame you? Hexi, you"ve suffered hards.h.i.+ps, in the future when you return to the Nalan family, I"ll give you a tonic to nurse your body back to health. I"ve already ordered people to pack up your courtyard and you can rest a.s.sured, since Wet Curse Chen loyally protected you, I will let her continue to serve you. What do you think?"
Hexi nodded her head, slightly lowering her eyes as she replied, "Then I"ll trouble Madam."
Madam Nalan"s eyes revealed a smile, and suddenly she waved her hand while raising her voice, "Did all of you already bring the things I ordered you to prepare for Third Miss?"
Her voice barely fell, when several maids and servants entered the room walking in a row.
Some carried chests, some carried teacups, while others still were holding trays, yet all of them were smiling as they walked in.
Madam Nalan pointed at the chests and trays, saying, "These are clothes and jewellery I specially ordered people to prepare for you. In the future you will be a proper Third Miss of Nalan Manor, and as such, you will be representing Nalan Manor"s face, so you can"t be dressed so plainly again."
The chests were opened and inside were luxurious dresses, while placed on the trays were fine pieces of jewellery.
For a martial artist these items wouldn"t have any usefulness, so they weren"t worth more than a few crystal stones. But for the original Nalan Hexi, these ordinary clothes and pieces of jewellery were things she had never seen before.
Madam Nalan noticed Hexi staring fixedly at the clothes and jewellery, and a satisfied expression showed on her face while a coldness flashed in her eyes. Reaching out, she picked up the teacup that was carried to her side, then handed over it to Hexi, "This tonic is something I ordered people to begin stewing since early this morning. It contains high quality ginseng and snow lotus herb, it"s useful for improving one"s appearance and nouris.h.i.+ng one"s skin. Hexi, quickly drink it while it"s still warm!"
Hexi took the tonic, and opening the lid, a strong fragrance immediately a.s.saulted her nostrils.
Once open, Hexi knew right away that a lot of high quality ingredients were added, yet that definitely wasn"t all.
Chapter 112 – Staging A Good Play
For example, the slightly sweet fragrance from red brocade mugwort, some sour myriad arrow gra.s.s, as well as pure sweetness from a cage core fruit…tsk tsk, this may be more expensive compared to ordinary ginseng and snow lotus herb. Can Madam Nalan really be so eager to part with her hard earned savings?
However, with this tonic that she was given, it would result in Hexi losing her mind, gradually turning her into an idiot.
Hexi smiled, and under Madam Nalan"s burning gaze, she drained the tonic in the teacup in one gulp.
"Good!" Madam Nalan"s face showed a satisfied smile, yet her eyes filled with scheming, "Later on, everyday around this time, I will order the servants to deliver the tonic to you. Hexi, you must obediently drink it!"
Wait until after you"ve drunk it for seven days, you will then become my puppet! At that time, I will let you experience living but not life, and dying yet not death.
Living in Nalan Manor was naturally much more extravagant and relaxing compared to the other courtyard. Every day there were delicacies of all kinds to taste, satin and silk dresses, and beautiful servant girls catering to every whim.
But Wet Nurse Chen"s face was full of anxiety. After noticing Madam"s personal servant, Si Lu, fixedly watch Hexi drink the tonic before leaving, she then lowered her voice and said, "Miss, why has Madam ordered a servant to deliver tonic to you everyday? They also insist that you have to drink it all."
A moment after leaving, Si Lu was no longer able to suppress the expression on her face, revealing a pleased smile.
Hexi slightly sneered, "Wet Nurse rest a.s.sured, after today no one will deliver tonic again. Moreover, a good play will soon begin."
Yet Wet Nurse Chen was not feeling rea.s.sured, her entire face instead creasing, and suddenly, she swung her hand, firmly slapping her own palm, "This is all the blame of this old fool for not being cautious and always telling Miss to return. Who would have imagined that the reason they let you come back is to force you to become the Second Miss"s scapegoat. Miss, I"m really sorry, even more, I"ve let Madam down…"
Hexi had no idea how to comfort her, and showing a disdainful smile said, "With just with this small scheme she wants to push me into a pit of fire…Madam Nalan really underestimates me too much. Wet Nurse don"t forget, I"m a person who has crawled back from the gates of h.e.l.l."
Hexi"s words were not at all gentle and soft, but miraculously, they caused Wet Nurse Chen to settle down.
Looking at the Young Miss"s indifferent expression, she felt that in just over a month Young Miss had matured and grown stronger, becoming a Master that everyone in the other courtyard relied on.
If Madam"s soul in heaven could see Miss like this, she would probably feel very happy!
Just as Hexi expected, after she drank the seventh cup of tonic, Madam Nalan thought she now had a foolproof plan and began to arrange for the Zhu family"s father and son to visit once again.
The Zhu family can be considered as a well known and wealthy family in Jin Ling kingdom. Zhu family"s Master, Zhu Yiqun"s Madam, came from an outstanding and famous sect, while his younger sister, Zhu Raorao, married into the royal family and became an imperial concubine. Zhu Raorao gave birth to the Sixth Prince, and that Prince is doted upon most by the Emperor. Just going off family backgrounds, the Zhu family and the four great families can stand side by side.
Unfortunately, the shrewd and powerful Master Zhu happens to have a stupid pig for a son. Not only was he weak, he was also ugly. Everyday he would frequent brothels and kidnap women from lower cla.s.s families. He didn"t yet have a Main Wife, but he already had seven to eight rooms full of Concubines!
With him resembling an ignorant and incompetent pig like this, which decent family"s Young Miss would be willing to marry him? As it happened, only young women from small families would be interested, which Master Zhu despised. This had resulted in Zhu Zhongba"s marriage been delayed.