Chapter 324: Chapter 160 Scolding
"Young Master! What should be done with these people?" Ming Mo looked at the five River Bandits tied up on the deck and asked Gu Chengyu.
Gu Chengyu glanced over and found that two were slightly wounded while three others were more severely injured.
"First stop their bleeding, and when the government officials arrive, weâll deal with it!" Gu Chengyu had no intention of taking on the trouble himself. He only wanted to return home quickly; this trip would certainly delay him for several days, and Gu Wanâs wedding date was fast approaching.
Yao Mengxian was staying in the next room to Lianxinâs. She had changed her attire and did up her hair. She now appeared composed and poised.
Two matrons and two guards stood in the room, all watching Yao Mengxian drink tea with trepidation.
One of the matron dressed in mustard yellow tentatively said, "Young lady, those River Bandits were too fierce, we old servants were truly scared, and stayed in the room not daring to move around. We really didnât hear any sound!"
The other matron immediately chimed in, "Yes! Yes! Young lady, we didnât hear any sound either, how could we know that you were frightened?"
Lianxin listened and sneered coldly, defiantly saying, "Originally, it was said to serve conveniently, and once on board, the young lady booked the three cabins next door together. You say you didnât hear, who are you trying to fool?"
"Innocent! We truly didnât hear anything!" The two matrons immediately proclaimed their innocence. Of course, they couldnât admit it, or they would surely be punished.
As servants, without Silver, they stayed in the room with their master. If River Bandits came, they would definitely face the trouble too. Who knows if the River Bandits had prior information? Being with the young master was the least safe. If the Third Young Lady pushed them out to block the knives, what could they do?
Yao Mengxian also knew that the matron would never admit it even if beaten to death. Did they still think she was the weak person she once was?
She put down the tea bowl and asked composedly, "River Bandits appeared on the boat, servants should be loyal and protective of their master, but you only cared about hiding in the room. Where does that leave me as your master? Do you think Iâm easy to bully because Iâm weak?"
Later, her tone grew stern, and the matron saw the commanding presence of a house mistress in her.
Yao Mengxian continued, "No matter what, Iâm always the master. You followed me out this time. If something happens to me, do you think you could still survive? Moreover, I came to Jingyuan Prefecture to visit my grandfather. Though he retired, he still has influence in the court, and even the Holy Emperor occasionally asks about him. Do you truly think I lack support?"
Yao Mengxian fully understood that the residence was filled with opportunists; these matrons assumed she was unsupported, hence their impudence. Although recently she had cleaned up a few using pretexts, were they truly afraid of her? Of course not, she was merely leveraging her advantages.
The matrons lowered their heads; previously, they were frightened, but now their minds had turned around. Being sent by the mansion indicated their lack of employability; those favored maids served before the masters. If something happened to the Third Young Lady, for the face of the Duke Mansion, they surely couldnât survive.
Having realized this, they understood their current position, and could only stay loyal to the Third Young Lady.
The guards were nothing more than a show.
"And as for you, upon our return, there will be decisions regarding you. As guards, to be so cowardly, surely even my father wouldnât indulge you!"
Even if her father didnât favor her, he wouldnât retain such cowardly guards. The guards in the mansion were trained from childhood with sell contracts, giving the residence authority over any action.
"Third Young Lady, please spare us, we wonât dare again!" Both guards fell to their knees with a thud, aware that their plight was far more severe than the matrons.
They had heard the River Bandits kicking the door but with so many outside, they tacitly agreed not to go out. Afterwards, they planned that if anything happened to the lady, they would cut each other to feign defeat. After all, the Third Young Lady was not favored in the mansion; they had tried their best, and the master might not kill them.
Needless to say, their thinking was rather naive.
"I might speak on your behalf, but in the future..."
Yao Mengxian was quite exhausted now; fearing the servants would create more trouble to avoid punishment, she decided to pacify them first, planning to deal with them upon reaching their destination.
The matrons and guards promised repeatedly, saying they wouldnât dare again and would be dutiful.
After Yao Mengxian dismissed them, she inquired about Uncle Liâs injuries, "Mrs. Gao, how is Uncle Li? Are his injuries serious?"
"Young lady, Uncle Liâs bleeding has stopped, and heâs lying in bed, though he still canât get up. He feels very guilty; he never imagined the guards would be so useless. Had he known, he wouldnât have gone out to help!"
The guardsâ cowardice was unexpected to Yao Mengxian. Uncle Li was from her external family and had come specifically to escort her to Jingyuan Prefecture.
Mrs. Gao couldnât hold back any longer, "The madam was indeed careless, sending only two, and useless ones at that, on such a long journey. The master even agreed, abandoning even their dignity? The young lady shouldnât spare these two guards and matrons; their actions warrant punishment."
Mrs. Gao lamented inwardly. Truly, with a stepmother comes a stepfather, no wonder people say better a beggar mother than an official father.
Since the original wifeâs illness and passing five years ago, and the masterâs remarriage, the young ladyâs life had worsened, her previous privileged life gone forever.
The prestigious young lady of the Duke Mansionâs main house had to endure her half-sisters in the mansion, living a very difficult life, making it also difficult for them as close servants.
Initially, the young lady didnât involve herself in mansion affairs, her nature being gentle and non-competitive, yet she had suffered a lot. However, since being pushed into the water by the Second Young Lady, she had wised up and started planning for herself.
Years ago, the young ladyâs grandfather had sent to fetch her, but fearing the madamâs displeasure, she always declined.
Now, she knew to correspond with them. She came to Jingyuan Prefecture to visit her maternal grandmotherâs family.
"Donât be angry, madam! On the boat, we have to pacify them first; even if I wanted to punish them, it would be impossible. When we get to my grandfatherâs, let him send word to the mansion, then weâll deal with them!"
This encounter with the River Bandits did move Yao Mengxian; her life was miserable, yet Lianxin and Mrs. Gao remained loyal.
As for Qing Dai...
"Thud!"