Chapter 217 She Can't Ambition to Steal a Piece of the Earl's Mansion's Household Affairs

Madam Zhang ultimately dared not say anything more outrageous, so she softened her tone and said:

"This is just a minor squabble between sisters, a little quarrel. There's no need to make such a fuss. Besides, Qingyan was also beaten by her father, so she's learned her lesson. The two sisters should apologize to each other and let's just let it go."

"Qingci, you're the younger sister. Come here and say some kind words to your second older sister. I'll arrange for her to apologize to you as well, and then this matter will be over."

Su Chengniang spoke in a cold voice: "The old lady is really good at smoothing things over. My daughter was perfectly fine in her own room, but someone came to the door, beat and scolded her, and almost disfigured her. In the end, the old lady insisted that it was my daughter's fault. Who is really biased?"

"You want my daughter to apologize? No way!"

"Shut up!"

Zhang slammed her hand on the table and stood up again.

"That's enough! All of you, shut up!"

Yu Jingsheng scolded, looking at Lu Yunqi with a weary voice: "My dear son-in-law, I've made you look foolish today. Why don't you take Qingci back first? I know Qingci was wronged today, and I will definitely give you an explanation another day."

“Father-in-law, this matter is not a big deal. We have both witnesses and evidence. In my opinion, there is no need to wait until another day, is there?”

Lu Yunqi's voice was gentle yet carried an undeniable authority, causing everyone to tremble once again.

Lu Yunqi made his stance clear, and Yu Jingsheng knew that he had to give an explanation for what had happened today. He hardened his heart, looked at Yu Qingyan, and said in a deep voice:

"Yes, today's events are undeniable with both witnesses and physical evidence. Qingyan is indeed at fault. She shall be confined to her quarters from today until her marriage and shall not leave her own courtyard. She shall be punished by copying 30 pages each of 'Women's Precepts' and 'Women's Virtues' every day, and shall not be allowed to rest until she finishes copying them."

"What?"

Zhang and Qiao shouted at the same time.

Madam Zhang: "Are you crazy? Qingyan is about to get married. You're confining her at this time. If word gets out, will you ruin Qingyan's reputation?"

Madam Qiao said, "Lord, Qingyan is also your daughter. You can't treat her like this. Thirty sheets a day, two notebooks, that's sixty sheets. How can she possibly finish copying them all? Besides, she still has her needlework for her new bride to finish. How can she have time to copy those things?"

Yu Jingsheng: "If she can't even be a decent person, how can she be good at needlework? Let the embroiderers in the embroidery room do it. Qingyan should stay in her room and reflect on her mistakes. Only then will she understand things and be more cautious when she goes to her husband's family."

After saying that, he stared at Qiao Shi with eyes blazing with anger: "Anyone who is not convinced will be grounded along with her."

Zhang was about to speak again in anger, but Yu Jingsheng looked at his mother and said, "I am doing this for Qingyan's own good. Mother doesn't want Qingyan to be criticized by her husband's family for being spoiled after marriage, right?"

And then there's Madam Qiao. As the matriarch of the household, her unwavering favoritism after such an incident is unacceptable to the people. Effective today, she is stripped of her leadership of the household and placed under house arrest for a month.

Qiao's face turned deathly pale and she lost her balance.

The lord punished her in public; how could she ever hold her head high in this mansion again?

Madam Zhang sneered twice and looked at her son: "You want to remove Madam Qiao from the position of head of the household? You really want Madam Su to take over? Let me tell you, I won't agree. I'm not dead yet, and Madam Su can't even think about touching the household affairs of the Earl's Mansion."

Su Chengniang rolled her eyes indifferently: "Does anyone care about managing this household affairs? I have money and free time now. Let whoever wants to take care of this arduous job in the Earl's mansion take care of it."

Yu Jingsheng glanced helplessly at Su Chengniang, knowing without a doubt that she didn't care about the power to manage the household.

With a sigh inwardly, she said to Madam Zhang, "Qiao must be punished. Does Mother have any other candidates to take charge of the household?"

Madam Zhang's face was tense: "You are the head of the family, so it is up to you to decide who to punish, but when it comes to the power to manage the household, it is up to this old woman, me."

"Let's leave it to Fourth Brother's wife, Liu, for now. There's a lot going on with Qingyan's wedding these days, so I, this old woman, will have to help out too."

Madam Zhang was determined not to give Su Chengniang any chance to manage the household affairs.

Yu Jingsheng: "Then I'm sorry to trouble you, Mother, during this period."

Zhang said angrily, "Stop pretending!"

Yu Jingsheng waved to the outside, and the steward immediately led several old women in to Yu Qingyan and Qiao Shi, respectfully inviting them back to their own courtyard.

Yu Qingyan was taken away crying, and Qiao Shi was not much better off. Her face was frighteningly pale, but she still forced herself to walk out.

Madam Zhang, supported by her nanny, returned to Shouyin Hall in a huff.

Yu Jingsheng looked at Lu Yunqi and Yu Qingci, a slight smile appearing at the corners of his mouth:

Are you satisfied with this handling of the matter?

Lu Yunqi cupped his hands in a respectful bow: "Father-in-law, you are wise."

Yu Qingci curtsied and said, "Thank you, Father, for making the decision for your daughter."

Yu Jingsheng: Hmph!

After such an incident, the two could no longer stay, so they quickly bid farewell to Yu Jingsheng and Su Chengniang and returned home.

The two sat facing each other in the carriage of the General's Mansion. Yu Qingci leaned back wearily and was about to relax for a while when she suddenly remembered the person opposite her and quickly straightened her posture.

She could feel the burning gaze on her from the other side, and she became uncomfortable again.

She took out a silk handkerchief and gently wiped her slapped cheek. Because the ointment was applied in time at the Wisteria Courtyard, and because Yu Qingyan was a sheltered young lady with limited strength, the redness and swelling on her cheek had subsided by more than half and no longer hurt, but the marks were still visible.

Lu Yunqi suddenly got up and moved over. Yu Qingci was startled. Her hand holding the silk handkerchief was covered by a warm, large hand.

"Does it still hurt?"

Lu Yunqi's deep and magnetic voice rang in her ear. She could clearly feel his warm breath on her ear, and immediately felt her cheeks and ears burning hot. Needless to say, she turned red again.

Lu Yunqi gently pressed the silk handkerchief against her face, his expression focused. The slight panic in Yu Qingci's heart caused by the unexpected intimacy transformed into an indescribable flutter.

She glanced up furtively and was immediately captivated by a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes, eyes that seemed to possess a magical quality, profound and focused.

The carriage jolted slightly, and the two seemed to get a little closer. She could smell the clean, crisp scent of pine and cypress on him, mixed with the cool, faint scent of ointment on her face.

The only sounds in the carriage were the intertwined breaths and her increasingly clear heartbeat, pounding against her eardrums like a drum, disturbing her peace of mind.

"There's still a long way to go, you should close your eyes and rest for a while."

As he spoke, Lu Yunqi casually picked up a cushion from the side and stuffed it behind Yu Qingci, helping her lean back in her chair. He then turned to the side, looking straight ahead, appearing as a cool and aloof gentleman.

With that gaze no longer on her, Yu Qingci immediately felt much more at ease, and relaxed, leaning back in her chair until she actually fell asleep.

She was gently woken up shortly afterward: "Madam, we've arrived."

As soon as Yu Qingci opened her eyes, she saw Lu Yunqi's cool and handsome face, his lips slightly upturned, his eyes filled with tenderness and concern.

Yu Qingci lowered her head, pressed her lips to her mouth, and got off the carriage with his help.

The two went to Songbai Hall to see Madam Ning, and ran into Luo Yi as soon as they entered the courtyard.