novelDestroying the Reputation of the Prince's Manor
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Chapter 96: Destroying the Reputation of the Prince's Manor
Bai Xiangxiu knew that the third madame came from a good birth. It was the reason she had the impression that the third madame's love of cheap little tricks came from her upbringing as a true noble daughter. But now, it seemed that she was someone who had found her true love! Even if Long Heng was the most outstanding man out there, someone who had a true love like her probably wouldn't even bat an eye at him!
"Bring them to Winter Garden. Don't let anyone spread rumors of this matter around." Thinking quickly, Bai Xiangxiu brought them with her into Winter Garden. Luckily, this place was a little more remote so nobody noticed them along the way there. To ensure that the guards would keep their mouths shut, she spoke sternly for the first time."Don't even think of keeping your tongues if even one hint of today's matter travels."
However, she still needed some guards around her since Ah Quan was originally a guard as well. What if he grew angry and harmed the people in Winter Garden in a fit of rage?
In the end, they would still have to clear up the matters of the day. She took a seat in the center of the study, and Ah Quan dropped to his knees in front of her."Fourth Madame, I beg of you, please let Su'er go. Ah Quan will be your cow and horse even in the afterlife to repay your kindness."
Because Ah Quan was overly agitated, he suddenly leaped upwards. Bai Xiangxiu didn't know what he was trying to do either, but she suddenly had a bad feeling. She immediately shouted, "Stop him!"
Her loud voice had an enormous effect. A guard who was nearest to them lunged to stop Ah Quan on her command. Miraculously, the guard actually managed to prevent Ah Quan from cutting himself.
Are you kidding me? Was he trying to trade his life for hers?
There was no need to turn the situation that scary. She really was a timid person who couldn't stand the fright. Bai Xiangxiu really didn't know what to do with him anymore. With a faint voice, she said, "Tie him up. If he really wants to kill himself we can talk about it later. Third Madame, uhh... no, Lady Jiang, what do you have to say for yourself?"
Lady Jiang had been frightened senseless as well. Her state of mind was already in complete disarray. She kneeled on the floor and crawled towards Bai Xiangxiu, as though Bai Xiangxiu was an executioner who was on the verge of sentencing them to death.
"Madame Xiu, please let him go! Actually, it wasn't his fault at all. He was only too much of an idiot. I followed my father's wishes and became the prince's concubine, but I didn't expect that he would follow me all the way here. It's my fault; it was all my fault!"
There seemed to be a story between them. Naturally, Bai Xiangxiu had to inquire about it. In the end, she ended up listening to a cliche story about a wealthy girl and a servant getting to know each other, eventually falling in love with each other. Although Bai Xiangxiu felt that the story was really trite, she felt that they were truly in love with each other. Even if one half of the couple was too feeble and didn't dare to defy her father, or rather, didn't dare to defy society.
She couldn't blame Lady Jiang for that. Even she herself didn't dare to do such a thing when she was a person that transmigrated here, let alone those in front of her! As for the other, he only protected her in secret. But in the end, both of them couldn't take it anymore and did what they should not have done.
If there was love between a man and a woman, that sort of thing was inevitable.
This prince's constantly escaping bride in the original novel was exactly like that. After the male lead realized that he had fallen in love with the female lead, he became infatuated with the idea of having her body. Not a day went by without those thoughts invading his mind. His brain was filled with such thoughts no matter if he'd seen her or not.
Can it be? She suddenly thought of the way the male lead looked at her. It was certainly a little strange. Could it be that he likes me?! Impossible. No. She'd definitely allowed herself to wander too far into a tangent.
She couldn't afford to think about irrelevant stuff. Handling the matter in front of her was more important. However, after looking at the two soulful lovers kneeling pitifully on the ground, she had trouble trying to harden her heart.
Yes, she was indeed too naive. She thought that managing an ancient household wouldn't be too difficult. But what she had forgotten was that people from the olden times and modern people had entirely different values. Those of ancient times didn't treat human lives as a sacred thing. Even women from the inner quarters wouldn't soften their blows when they punished their servants.
Modern people only gave more importance to lives due to their education. Only perverts and the like would take other people's lives for granted. Bai Xiangxiu was a successful product of that modern style of education. She really didn't want to stain her hands with blood. She always felt that the girls who fought and killed after they transmigrated to the past were pretty incredible, but there was no way she could do those kind of things even if she wanted to.
She wasn't the Holy Mother, nor was she Mary Sue. She just simply felt that killing two people just because they were in love, or to demonstrate her power over the household was just a little too barbaric!
One had to understand that the heavens were always watching. Morality and ethics was a choice that every person had to make by themselves. There was no way she would kill someone just like that. Bai Xiangxiu looked at them indecisively as she stroked her chin. In the end, she said, "Lock them up in Repentance Garden."
After giving it some more thought, she added, "Lock both of them up together so they can repent on their wrongdoings.
Around her, the group was shocked. Locking them up together meant that their illicit love affair was a success. Why would they still repent on their wrongdoings? In the end, a young girl was indeed just a young girl. The way she handled this matter was indeed inappropriate. However, she was their mistress. Her orders were absolute.
As the couple were taken away, eyes shining with gratefulness, Bai Xiangxiu felt that she hadn't handled it well either. What if they decided to commit double suicide? But what did that have to do with her? By leaving them alive now, she had already shown them unlimited benevolence.
As soon as they were taken away, the people who disagreed with her decision spoke up. Ye-mama had been by the side of the old madame for a long time, and so knew her mistress' way of handling things.
How could she stand it when she saw the way Bai Xiangxiu had let the shameless couple off? Moreover, the culprit had dared to see another man behind the prince's back. Not killing them but instead giving them a room to spend time with each other! How is that appropriate?! But because her mistress had handled the matter in front of a crowd just now, she naturally had to give her mistress some face, so she didn't mention anything while everyone was there. When everyone else had withdrawn, she used the time while she was preparing the bed to say, "Madame Xiu, no matter what, our estate is still a well respected household. Although we're just a household of military officials, our household has always had a strict reputation. If this matter were to spread outside, I'm afraid it would destroy our estate's good name.
"Mmm, what Ye-mama says is true."
Good name, my butt. Just wait until the female lead brings back her legion of boyfriends. Then, your estate will become the gathering point of male lover three, four, five and six. You wouldn't even be able to find your good name then. Whatever reputation your household had would be in pieces by the front door, alright?! Your old madame got so angry then, she almost went to knock at heaven's door, okay! What does a small scandal like this even matter?!
Ye-mama continued saying, "Your punishment is also a little too lenient. You could just sell off the third madame... no, I mean, Lady Jiang, and then beat the man to death. He is but a servant that was originally sold to the estate.
Pfff, is that really the way they handle things here? Why am I not surprised!
Bai Xiangxiu looked at Ye-mama for some time. She was such a good senior servant, but yet she seemed to lack a certain.. human kindness?
That Lady Jiang Su'er was at most in her teens. In the modern world, she would still be no older than a high schooler. For that matter, the guard wasn't very old either. At the very most he would only be around eighteen or nineteen years of age. Both of them were still very much youths. If one of them was sold to the brothel to prostitute her body for the rest of her life, while the other was to be executed, wasn't that just too cruel a fate?
"Mama, has it ever come to your mind that even if you combined their years, it doesn't even exceed forty? It's true, solving the matter your way would be simple and direct. But, you would also end up ruining the lives of two poor souls." She slowly stood up and said, "Today was an exhausting day, and I'm too tired. All of you, go and rest!"
Ye-mama didn't say any else either. In her heart, she only felt that this mistress was still indeed too young, and far too timid. If she stayed like this, she was entirely unsuitable to become the pillar of the household. It seems that only someone like the old madame would be suitable after all. But it wasn't that she blamed Bai Xiangxiu for her decisions either. She just felt that she needed to personally let the filthy couple get what they deserved.
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