Chapter 454 Painstaking Efforts
Madam of Duke Xing didn't expect that Shao Wanru could immediately reverse the elders' opinion with just a few words. Watching the elders listen to her and nod with their faces full of pity, Madam of Duke Xing was so angry that she almost lost her temper.
"Madam, please wait a moment!" Nanny Sheng said in a low voice and looked towards Dongxing. Now the situation was unclear. Even if they could neither directly ruin the Fifth Miss's reputation nor kill her, they could at least make her suffer the disgraceful reputation as a girl of easy virtue. Wang Shengxue could insist that he had mistaken Dongxing for someone else. Regarding who he thought it was, he would certainly keep his mouth shut.
As long as he kept his mouth shut, Rui'an Great Elder Princess couldn't intervene in it, but everyone could figure it out. With so many elders around, if the news went out, it would be a scandal.
Madam of Duke Xing nodded. It was not the end. However, in the next moment, the calmness she feigned froze.
"Great Elder Princess, I know this person!" Yujie's voice was particularly clear in the room.
Madam of Duke Xing grabbed Nanny Sheng's hand and trembled slightly.
"Madam, even if they find out that it has something to do with us, cousin young master won't give up your name." Nanny Sheng also felt bad, but now she had to comfort Madam of Duke Xing, so she said in a low voice.
"Who is she?" Rui'an Great Elder Princess asked coldly.
"She is the maid of the Second Miss of Ning's Mansion. The Second Miss of Ning's Mansion has an unusually close relationship with Childe Wang. When we were in Qin's mansion, my master investigated Ning's Mansion because of the First Miss. So I know there are two Misses in Ning's Mansion. The First Miss has a close relationship with the heir of Duke Yong, while the second Miss has a close relationship with Childe Wang. It's known to all the stores around Ning's Mansion!"
Yujie pointed at Dongxing and testified loudly.
She had just received a hint from her master to reveal Dongxing's identity. Yujie did know Dongxing. She found it out and got evidence of what she said when Shao Wanru asked her to investigate Ning's Mansion. Under the circumstances at that time, it was reasonable for her to investigate Ning's Mansion because of Qin Yuru.
What had happened between Di Yan and Ning Caixian was a big scandal serial in the capital city, and almost everyone knew it. Qin Yuru made a big scene in Ning's Mansion, and then Ning Caixian trapped Qin Yuru and damaged her reputation. After that, Ning Caixian knelt at the gate of Qin's mansion and begged to marry Di Yan as a concubine, and she was sent to the government office by force later. In the end, Ning Caixian died, and Di Yan was still Qin Yuru's fiance.
It was said that Di Yan was really infatuated with Qin Yuru. Even after Qin Yuru tried to hook up with Prince Cheng, this heir of Duke Yong's Mansion still set his mind on marrying her and even intended to hold the wedding earlier than scheduled.
Of course, some people considered Di Yan extremely silly. No one knew how many green hats were on his head, and he kept wearing them tightly regardless of sweat. (The green hat has always symbolized a cuckold in Chinese culture.)
Of course, his sweat was also green!
Di Yan had an affair with Ning Caixian at that time. What about the Second Miss? It seemed that she also had an affair with Wang Shengxue.
Those who knew the master of Ning's Mansion could not help shaking their heads. Ning's Mansion had raised two indecent daughters, and deserved to be despised!
"Tell me, who do you think this girl is?" Rui'an Great Elder Princess looked towards Wang Shengxue, who was dumbfounded, and shouted harshly.
"I... I thought she was... the Second Miss of Ning's Mansion..." Wang Shengxue was covered with sweat, but he had to say so. Rui'an Great Elder Princess stared at him with murderous intent in her eyes. As long as he said a word against Shao Wanru, he would probably end up in tragedy.
Wang Shengxue had thought that his Second Aunt would support him. However, seeing Madam of Duke Xing slightly trembling with a pale face, he felt extremely desperate. So he had to give up Ning Xueqing's name and did not dare to mention Shao Wanru at all.
It was easy to check out the relationship between him and Ning Xueqing and inquire about Dongxing's identity.
Hearing Wang Shengxue's words, Madam of Duke Xing almost passed out and glared at him resentfully. Since he didn't mention anything about Shao Wanru, it meant that it had nothing to do with Shao Wanru. After plotting for so long, she failed to do any harm to Shao Wanru. She felt so reluctant.
"In that case, Duke Xing, just send him to the government office! It should be easy to investigate the matter that the maid pretended to be her master and met him secretly!" Rui'an Great Elder Princess looked up at Duke Xing and said coldly.
She couldn't get her granddaughter involved in this disgraceful thing, so she had to let it go.
It was not difficult to deal with Wang Shengxue and a maid, but she was afraid to get her granddaughter involved in it. Now it would be the best solution if she could make her granddaughter stay out of it.
"Great Elder Princess, it's, it's no big deal. Shengxue is just easy in his morals. Since they have an affair, I think the maid could be his concubine. Regarding the second Miss of Ning's Mansion, she could be a concubine as well!" Duke Xing sighed and helplessly begged Rui'an Great Elder Princess.
Shao Wanru didn't get involved in it, so strictly speaking, it was indeed a private affair. It was reasonable for Duke Xing to settle the problem in this way.
Even the elders sitting here could not say anything about it, because it had nothing to do with the Shao clan. Both Wang Shengxue and the Second Miss of Ning's Mansion had nothing to do with the Shao clan.
In that case, they all thought it fair to do Duke Xing a favor. So they all nodded at the moment.
"He's easy in his morals indeed, but having a concubine is a matter of indifference." "Having a concubine is no big deal. The Second Miss of Ning's Mansion can only be a concubine now!" "A lady legally marrying a man should be considered a wife, and a lady eloping with a man should be considered a concubine. It's acceptable for her to be a concubine!"...
Shao Wanru coldly observed everyone's reactions, and then looked at Dongxing, who was curling up on the ground as motionless as a wooden image. With her eyes suddenly darkening, she dragged Rui'an Great Elder Princess's sleeve and said prettily, "Grandma, please spare this maid's life. Since she and her master are going to marry the same man as concubines, just spare their lives!"
The maid and her master were going to marry the same man as concubines. In the last life, the maid had helped Ning Xueqing trampled her into a quagmire. In this life, she would like to see how the maid treated her master loyally.
Rui'an Great Elder Princess obviously understood Shao Wanru's words. She reached out to touch her hair and nodded. "Do as Duke Xing said. But we should make a thorough investigation of what happened to Zhuozhuo today. Who was capable of setting Zhuozhuo's yard on fire? I've ordered someone to check it out, and find that the person used high-quality kerosene. In this mansion, who could use high-quality kerosene, pour it in Zhuozhuo's yard without detection and wait for it to burn when Zhuozhuo was having a bath?"
After finishing speaking, Rui'an Great Elder Princess beat the table violently and said with obvious fierceness, "In Duke Xing's Mansion, who intends to trap Zhuozhuo? Who leaves no room for Zhuozhuo here? Who hates Zhuozhuo so much and even intends to kill her?"
Duke Xing heard Rui'an Great Elder Princess's increasingly sharp words, and his forehead began to sweat.
Ordinary people couldn't afford high-quality kerosene, but Duke Xing's Mansion happened to have some. However, something dangerous like kerosene was not available to everyone. Except for the several senior masters of Duke Xing's Mansion, even the younger generation could not use it at will.
Duke Xing wanted to look back at Madam of Duke Xing, but he was afraid to be discovered by Rui'an Great Elder Princess. So he could only cough in a low voice.
"The Empress Dowager heard it in the imperial palace. The Old Madam of your mansion said that she hated Zhuozhuo very much. Today after such a big accident, she didn't come out to show her concern for Zhuozhuo. It can be seen that she hates Zhuozhuo a lot. Even if Zhuozhuo is killed in the fire, it has nothing to do with her, right?"
Rui'an Great Elder Princess said sternly before Duke Xing said anything.
Shao Wanru fell into the arms of Rui'an Great Elder Princess and cried in a low voice. Anyone would feel sad and aggrieved if her grandma hated her so much that she didn't even care about her safety.
The Fifth Miss Shao was indeed pitiful. She had lost her parents, and was treated shabbily by her grandma. When you thought about it carefully, you would be overcome with horror. Someone set a fire today exactly when the Fifth Miss Shao was taking a bath.
When the fire started, if the fifth Miss Shao wanted to survive, she must escape in the nude. But if she did that, there were so many people outside and her reputation would definitely be ruined. In this case, how could she survive? Even with Rui'an Great Elder Princess as her baking, it was useless. Reputation was the most important thing for a girl, and the Shao clan attached most importance to etiquette and rules.
There seemed to be no one capable of doing this in the inner yard of Duke Xing's Mansion except Old Madam. But when some people saw Madam of Duke Xing's pale face, they suddenly thought that she might also be capable of doing this.
With her face changing dramatically, Duke Xing suddenly stood up and deeply bowed to Rui'an Great Elder Princess, "Great Elder Princess, please choose your words cautiously!"
"What's the matter? You don't allow others to talk about your mother's deeds? Even the Empress Dowager knows your mother's grudges against Zhuozhuo. From the current situation, I can tell that the fire should be set by one of the masters of your mansion. Duke Xing, who do you think is most likely to trap Zhuozhuo?" Rui'an Great Elder Princess said, reluctant to give in.
With the sweat streaming down his face, Duke Xing complained about his mother in his heart. How could she say that in front of the Empress Dowager?
"Great Elder Princess, my mother hasn't been in charge of domestic affairs for many years. She's old and befuddled. She doesn't mean it when saying she hates someone." Duke Xing had to explain.
"She hasn't been in charge of domestic affairs for many years, so Madam of Duke Xing has been in charge these years. Madam, tell me, who is capable of trapping Zhuozhuo and hates her so much? I heard that when my daughter was in Duke Xing's Mansion, you had been on bad terms with her."
Rui'an Great Elder Princess took the opportunity to shift the subject to Madam of Duke Xing.
Shao Wanru involuntarily shouted "Bravo!" in her heart. Her grandma deserved to be the elder princess. Her words were overwhelming and sharp. Nevertheless, her grandma's identity and her current situation made her grandma's words sound righteous.
"Great Elder Princess, how, how would I..." Madam of Duke Xing turned pale with fright. She suddenly covered her face with a handkerchief and cried, "Great Elder Princess, Wanru is my niece. I even gave up the best yard for her in order to make up for the hardships she has suffered these years. Why would I want to burn her to death? I've made painstaking efforts to build the yard."
Shao Wanru, who was nestled in Rui'an Great Elder Princess's arms, sneered in her heart. Painstaking efforts! That was true. If Shao Wanru died in the fire, the yard she had made painstaking efforts to build could be left to her eldest son...
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