Chapter 95 Master, Miss Qing is here

Seeing that Madam Jin had somewhat understood, Old Madam Chen nodded.

Thinking that there was still a way to save her husband, Jin took out her handkerchief and wiped away her tears.

"Then I'll go and have Madam Fang come over and apologize to the esteemed guest!"

As he spoke, he turned to leave.

Her husband was still waiting for her, but she couldn't wait any longer.

Seeing her anxious and flustered appearance, Old Madam Chen stopped her, saying, "Wait!"

Madam Jin turned around and said respectfully, "Madam, is there anything else?"

She was in a hurry to save her husband!

Madam Chen asked, "How do you plan to get that Madam Fang to come over?"

Madam Jin lowered her head and said, "She's a merchant's daughter, and I'm an official's wife. If I asked her to come, would she dare not come?"

"If she refuses to listen to reason and has to suffer the consequences, just have her tied up."

Upon hearing this, Madam Chen paused, her hand holding the teacup still, and stared intently at Madam Jin.

In his heart, he thought that the Jin family was so thoughtless in their actions that they were as stupid as pigs.

She's just a woman from a humble family, yet she dares to try and show off her status as a government official's wife in front of that lady Fang!

This is called abusing one's power by using the name of a government official to bully others!

If she were to be seen or overheard by someone with ulterior motives, and impeached, she could forget about ever becoming an official's wife!

It might even implicate her son.

Madam Chen recalled that day when Shen Qingnian spoke frankly in public, pointing out that the young master Xie had mistaken someone for someone else, and refusing to remove the veil.

She always acted with grace and poise, clearly a girl of great character.

They would never want to be someone else's plaything.

For someone as powerful and influential as Prince Xie, getting a woman wouldn't be difficult at all.

But he was implying to her that he wanted that lady to be willing.

If Jin is allowed to treat Fang Niangzi so rudely, when Xie Shizi finds out that Fang Niangzi has been wronged, her husband may not even want his life.

Madam Chen took a sip of tea and thought to herself that if it weren't for the fact that Madam Jin's mother had some past relationship with her, she wouldn't have bothered with this matter!

"Are you confused?!" Old Madam Chen slammed the teacup down on the table.

Seeing this, Madam Jin knew that Old Madam Chen was angry, so she lowered her head and said, "I hope Old Madam can give me some guidance."

Seeing that she was still quite respectful and receptive to instruction, Madam Chen's expression softened slightly: "You have to make people come here willingly."

Upon hearing this, Jin looked puzzled.

With just a little threat from her, would that merchant's wife dare to disobey?

Seeing that Jin still looked arrogant, Madam Chen shook her head: "You don't know that Madam Fang is a woman of principle. The trick of intimidating people won't work on her."

“If you forcibly bring her here, she will definitely be in a bad mood, and you will also displease the important person.”

Upon hearing this, Jin was immediately stumped: "How can we get people to come willingly?"

Old Madam Chen twirled her prayer beads in her hand, squinted her eyes, and said, "Then let's see what you can do."

When Shen Qingnian arrived at the government office gate, two yamen runners blocked her way.

"This is a government-controlled area; no unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter!" one of them said.

Shen Qingnian quickly took out some loose silver and stuffed it into the purse, saying softly, "Sir, do you know if a young maid was just brought here?"

The two constables glanced at each other after hearing this.

The lady did indeed bring a young maid in just now; I heard she accidentally bumped into her.

The maidservant beside the lady instructed that if a woman came looking for that girl, she should be brought in.

One of the constables pretended to look at the silver in his hand, and said with a happy expression, "A girl just went in, and I heard she's going to get fifty lashes."

"Sir, please take me inside quickly!" Shen Qingnian said, slipping some more silver to the two men.

The two men led the person inside with smiles on their faces.

Before Shen Qingnian even got close, she heard the sound of the board hitting her body.

She looked in the direction of the sound and saw Ling'er lying on a bench, with a bailiff on each side beating her with a board.

Shen Qingnian's heart clenched instantly.

"Ling'er!" she called out, wanting to rush to Ling'er's side, but was stopped by two maids.

Jin sat to the side, sipping her tea and said slowly, "Madam Fang, be careful, or you might accidentally hurt yourself."

Upon hearing Shen Qingnian's voice, Ling'er turned her head with difficulty, and tears immediately streamed down her face.

Shen Qingnian saw that her face was pale, large beads of sweat were on her forehead, and even the hair on her forehead was wet. She was biting a bamboo tube in her mouth and could not make a sound.

With each strike of the cane by the bailiff, her body trembled.

After the bailiffs struck her a few more times, Ling'er seemed to have lost all strength, and she lay motionless with her head tilted to the side.

Shen Qingnian only then noticed that Ling'er's dress was already covered in red, and she knew without looking that her skin was torn and bleeding inside.

Her heart ached, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears. She calmed down and thought for a moment.

Regardless of whether Ling'er bumped into the lady or not, only she can save Ling'er right now.

After glancing at Ling'er, Shen Qingnian walked towards Madam Jin and said, "Madam, this girl has already been punished. Can you release her?"

Before Madam Jin could speak, a maid who was watching Ling'er being tortured said, "Madam, she has fainted!"

Jin gestured for the two constables to stop, and said to Shen Qingnian, "Madam Fang, since she has already been flogged, I will not pursue the matter any further."

Shen Qingnian felt relieved, thinking she could leave with Ling'er, and said to Madam Jin, "Thank you, Madam."

Jin scoffed and said, "But the child in my womb is my husband's. She bumped into our child and should apologize to my husband."

Upon hearing this, Shen Qingnian's heart clenched again. Jin's words sounded casual, but they likely held a deeper meaning.

That's very likely the reason she came to cause trouble for her today.

Shen Qingnian then followed Jin's words and said, "After Ling'er recovers from her injuries, I will bring her to your husband's house to apologize."

Upon hearing this, Jin took out a handkerchief, covered her mouth, and said with a smile, "There's no need for that."

"My husband hopes for two things: first, that we will have a son soon; and second, that he will have a successful career in government."

Shen Qingnian was puzzled as to what this had to do with her, but she could only patiently listen to her finish speaking.

"I am already carrying a child in my womb, and I only wish that Lady Fang would help my husband's career to go smoothly."

Shen Qingnian was even more confused after hearing this. How could she help someone's career go smoothly?

She asked softly, "What does Madam mean by this?"

Jin looked at her and said, "All you need to do is have Madam Fang go to the Chen residence and find a respected person to put in a good word for my husband."

So this was the lady's real purpose.

Should we go to the Chen residence to find some important person?

Of all the people in the Chen family, she was only somewhat familiar with Chen Jiangyuan. Could the "noble person" refer to Chen Gongzi's father, Prefect Chen?

Seeing Shen Qingnian hesitate, Jin nodded to the two constables.

One of them carried a copper basin and poured cold water over Ling'er's head.

Ling'er slightly opened her eyes, her breath barely a whisper.

Seeing that the bailiffs were about to place the board on Ling'er again, Shen Qingnian quickly spoke up to stop them: "No!"

Seeing this, Madam Jin smiled and looked at Shen Qingnian: "Has Madam Fang made up her mind?"

"This little girl's life depends on Madam Fang."

Shen Qingnian bit her lip and nodded.

Since she was looking for a noble person from the Chen family, she first went to the Chen family to find Chen Jiangyuan and see if she could get him to intervene and persuade the lady to let Ling'er off the hook.

"I'll go right now. Madam, could you please release Ling'er first?"

Jin raised an eyebrow, somewhat displeased, and said, "Madam Fang, hurry back. This girl and I will wait here."

Shen Qingnian glanced back at Ling'er, then, without further hesitation, headed towards the Chen residence.

Inside the Chen residence, Yuan Qing stood before him and said, "Master, Miss Qing has arrived."