Chapter 230 - sA surprises 1 (2/2)
Why would a servant bring a basket full of snakes to Feiwan Courtyard? Those snakes had even been able to bite that person to death. These were clearly poisonous snakes.
Nie Chenyu was sitting by Old Madame's side and crying. Her body was still trembling as she said, ”That scene was too frightening. Dengxin even lied to Chenyu and said there was a surprise inside. If I didn't have a habit of checking a room before entering, I would have definitely been bitten by those poisonous snakes too.”
Dengxin gravely said, ”This servant didn't misspeak. There really was ”a surprise”. Old Madame, please find this kind-hearted person that specially had Little Five deliver so many poisonous snakes to my master.”
Little Five was a servant that worked in the kitchen. He had been an honest, young lad.
Ning Yuxuan profoundly looked at Nie Sangyu, then he finally spoke, ”Of course, I'll have people from the Ministry of Justice personally come here to investigate this matter. I'll send people over to remove the snakes in Feiwan Courtyard too.”
Ji Man glanced at Qian Lianxue, who had been sitting on the side without showing any reaction, then she took out the account book as well as a list of prices, ”This servant went shopping today. While I was outside, I asked about the prices for some items. Based on the average prices from several places, it should haven't cost more than a thousand silver taels for the materials needed to repair Xuesong Courtyard.”
”Furthermore, the relative that Lianxue had recommended had reported over three thousand silver taels as the cost for those materials. This servant had already reported this matter to the local magistrate.”
Qian Lianxue finally showed a reaction. She raised her head and deeply looked at Nie Sangyu, then she stood up and knelt down in front of Marquis Moyu and Old Madame. While mildly gasping for breath, she said, ”Lianxue wasn't aware of this matter. Old Madame, Marquis, please forgive Lianxue.”
She had ingratiated herself with everyone. Who knows how many masters she was secretly serving? Qian Lianxue thought Nie Sangyu's understanding was really too low-leveled. So what if she caught her red-handed? Old Madame and the marquis believed in her. No matter what, they wouldn't blame her. As for those two letters, even if they had both fallen into Nie Sangyu's hands, that was okay too. Those letters only had orders and didn't mention her by name. There was no way that Nie Sangyu could prove that she was the intended recipient of those letters.
Qian Lianxue lightly coughed a few times. She raised her face that looked as if it would never hurt another person or animal and pitifully looked up at the two people in the center seats.
Old Madame was silent for a while, but she surprisingly asked Nie Sangyu, ”What do you think is the most appropriate way to handle this matter?”
Ji Man closed the account book and said, ”Even though Lianxue's intentions weren't bad, her actions have established a negative precedent. What will we do if more people think they can use their relationship with the other concubines to defraud the marquis? How can the rules of right and wrong be enforced then? This servant thinks, the punishment doesn't need to be harsh. Lianxue has always been a person that didn't compete for favor or status. Rank isn't that important to her. Let's just lower her status to an ordinary concubine in order to warn other people from following her bad example. Lianxue, I'm sure you can accept this as the resolution, right?”
Qian Lianxue's heart tightened in alarm. She raised her head and looked at Marquis Moyu. Nie Sangyu's words left her unable to defend for herself. She naturally couldn't say that she wasn't willing to accept this. She could only pleadingly look at Marquis Moyu and wait for him to help her.
However, this time, Ning Yuxuan only nodded his head and said, ”That's good.”