Disposal
Lianrong was small and weak, and no match for Zhuling and Rongwei. She tried to break free, but Rongwei was tall and much stronger than the ordinary maids. She held Lianrong's shoulders firmly, making her unable to move.
Zhu Ling reached into Lian Rong's sleeve and unexpectedly pulled out a small paper-wrapped object, which she immediately presented to Lin Xu.
When the small paper package was opened, Zhu Ling and the others were shocked. Inside were two crumpled yellow papers, no bigger than a fingertip. They had something written on them, seemingly in cinnabar, with extremely fine, hurried, and messy handwriting that was almost illegible. But even so, it was enough for anyone to recognize at a glance that these were two cursed papers!
Zhu Ling immediately stepped in front of Lin Xu, carefully protecting her as she was pregnant and could not be offended, while sternly questioning Lian Rong:
"Lianrong, why are you hiding all these filthy things in your sleeves! Could this be the curse paper you use to cast spells and harm people?"
Lianrong's face was deathly pale, and she was already sobbing uncontrollably. She murmured:
"This servant truly does not understand what Sister Zhuling is saying. This is merely a nightmare I've been having lately. My grandmother, being superstitious, gave me this talisman for protection. It's nothing more than a protective charm to ward off evil spirits; I have no intention of harming anyone. Even if you gave me ten lives, I would never dare to do such a thing!"
Lin Xu sneered, looking at Lian Rong kneeling on the ground, repeatedly trying to explain herself, her voice very calm:
"Since you keep saying you have no guilty conscience, why did you rush to hide as soon as you saw me? And why were you acting so suspiciously? If you haven't done anything wrong, why would you do this!"
Lin Xu paused, glanced again at the two crumpled talismans, and his sneer deepened:
"First you tried to get a strand of the First Madam's hair from Lianhe, and then you carried such filthy things on your person. To call it a talisman is a bit of a stretch! I don't think you would dare to commit such a crime. It must have been Aunt An who secretly instructed you..."
Before she could finish speaking, she heard hurried footsteps coming from the path behind her, followed by a sweet voice that interrupted her.
"Madam's words are really biased, and I cannot agree with them."
Lin Xu turned around and saw An Chan arriving late. She was dressed in a ginger-yellow silk robe with a dark blue embroidered jacket with auspicious patterns on the edges. Her red lips were bright red, but she was walking very hurriedly. Perhaps she had rushed here, and her voice was slightly out of breath, but a charming smile still lingered on her lips.
"Why is the Second Madam not resting peacefully in her separate residence today, instead of having the time to interrogate my maid here?"
Since gaining favor, An Chan has become lawless. In the past, she was still respectful when facing Lin Xu, but now she only bows slightly as a gesture of respect, and her words are particularly sharp.
Lin Xuyi curled her lips into a smile, but her eyes held a chilling glint.
"What a coincidence. I was just about to send someone to find Aunt An, but she came here on her own. In that case, please have Aunt An and your maid explain things to her properly."
After saying this, he asked Zhu Ling to show the talisman in her hand to An Chan.
An Chan's face immediately paled upon seeing this, but she gave an awkward smile and covered her mouth, saying, "Second Madam, you're being unreasonable. My girl comes from a rural background, so her behavior is a bit crude. Why bother arguing with her? It's all my fault for not teaching her properly."
He then coldly called out to Lianrong, "Fool, have I ever let you make a fool of yourself here? The Second Madam is pregnant, and you still dare to offend her? Do you have a death wish? Now go back and kneel in the courtyard!"
After saying that, Lianrong looked aggrieved and tried to stand up. Seeing that the two of them were trying to find an excuse to leave, Lin Xu's cold voice rang out behind them, making An Chan tremble.
"Wait—"
“Why is Aunt so eager to leave? You must have seen it yourself. Just now, your maid was caught red-handed outside Lingbo Garden, lying through her teeth. I think it would be better to report this to Mother, so that the matter can be handled fairly. If Aunt An is too kind to her maid and punishes her leniently, it would go against the rules of our household and be difficult to convince the people.”
An Chan was of low status, and she knew that today's events were due to her being unreasonable, which gave others an excuse to use against her. She had really suffered a great setback.
With so many people around and no one to deal with Lianrong in front of Lin Xu, she couldn't refuse him no matter what she did, so she could only silently follow Lin Xu to Bai Shi's place. All the way, An Chan gritted her teeth, wishing she could peck a hole through Lin Xu's back with her glares.
Even so, when Bai Shi sat upright in the main hall, turning the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand, An Chan still managed to maintain a smile on her face, and her posture became more and more ingratiating.
"...Reporting to Madam, I truly have no idea what happened. Lianrong is a wicked woman who acts without any manners, but I absolutely had no intention of harming anyone! It was Second Madam who brought me here without explanation. I am truly wronged and aggrieved! I beg you to do me justice..."
Bai Shi slowly raised her eyes and looked at Zhu Ling and Rong Wei, who were standing together in the hall, as well as Lin Xu, who was sitting to the side with a very calm expression.
The two crumpled talismans lay on the ground, and seeing Lianrong kneeling with a terrified expression, she understood what had happened at a glance. Bai Shi remained silent for a long time, her face grim, before finally gently moving her prayer beads and speaking to An Chan, who was kneeling on the ground:
"come over."
An Chan dared not disobey, and thinking that she was now a member of the Bai family and had someone to make decisions for her, she carefully crawled to Bai's side. Before she could even steady herself, she heard a gust of wind beside her ear:
"Smack—"
Suddenly, a slap from Bai landed squarely on her face!
Five finger marks immediately appeared on An Chan's delicate, fair cheek. She had served by Bai Shi's side since entering the manor. Although she wasn't as favored as Fu Lian and Fu Zhen before, she was still one of the mistress's servants.
My dear girl, you've never suffered such injustice before!
An Chan's eyes immediately reddened, and she hurriedly kowtowed heavily on the ground, crying out in a delicate voice:
"My lady, please understand! I am innocent!"
Bai remained expressionless, slowly turning her prayer beads, not even glancing at An Chan who lay slumped on the ground, her voice filled with disgust:
"Do you know what time it is now? Our family is in turmoil, our eldest son's career is unstable, and the whole family is in chaos! And you, how could you be so reckless as to do such a foolish thing! You were once someone I personally trained, yet you are so stupid and have caused such a disaster!"
Before An Chan could continue crying, Madam Bai flicked her sleeve and said coldly:
"Our Dou family will absolutely not tolerate such a stupid and vicious person!"
After saying this, he ordered the steward to bring the servants up and immediately threw An Chan and Lian Rong outside the mansion to fend for themselves.
The commotion in the hall was quite loud. Lin Xu, head slightly lowered, silently stared at the teacup in front of her. The clear, emerald-green tea rippled gently, its delicate aroma wafting through the air. She raised her head amidst the steam and smiled softly:
"Mother, why get so angry? It will only harm your health. Although witchcraft is poisonous, I have heard from Lianrong that I have not yet used it, so it is not out of control. As for Anchan, I heard that she knew some pharmacology at home. I suppose she was exposed to it from a young age. She was just confused for a moment and did such a stupid thing."
An Chan's face had long since turned ashen, and she was terrified by Bai Shi's sudden change of expression. Now, she crawled back to Bai Shi's side on her knees, wailing incessantly, "Madam, I really didn't do it, I really wouldn't dare to lay a hand on the First Madam..."
Seeing that Bai Shi remained silent with a cold face, An Chan crawled to Lin Xu's side again, crying and pleading:
"Second Madam, please save An Chan! An Chan has no such intention..."
Zhu Ling and Rong Wei exchanged a glance, both completely bewildered. How could An Chan look like she had truly been wronged?
However, before Lin Xu could say anything more, Madam Bai shook her head and sighed at An Chan, whose makeup was already ruined by tears:
"Having done such a thing, you can never serve Zhou Lang again." He then lightly waved his hand, instructing the servants who had rushed down from the hall:
"Take her to the side room in the backyard."
Lianrong was already terrified, tears still streaming down her face. Then she saw Bai Shi glance at her and say, "Let's drag her away and give her a beating too."
Lianrong's vision went black, and she immediately collapsed to the ground.
Everyone in the Dou family knew that Madam Bai was always ruthless. When she punished a servant without specifying the number of people, it meant she wanted to beat them to death! Even if they didn't die, they would probably be half-dead. Lianrong was about to speak when she was dragged away by a burly servant. Soon, the hall returned to calm.
Seeing this, Lin Xu understood that Bai Shi had only wanted him to give her a way out, but now, out of consideration for her feelings, there was no room for reconciliation.
There was a row of empty side rooms in the backyard of the Dou family mansion, which were usually just used to store odds and ends. Sometimes, servants who made mistakes would be thrown there for punishment. But once An Chan was imprisoned there, she would likely be plunged into darkness and never be able to return to her glamorous life.
Lin Xu raised an eyebrow slightly. She was also quite surprised that the Bai family was willing to sacrifice An Chan, their capable assistant, today.
Silence fell over the room. After everyone had left, Madam Bai sighed softly and said to Lin Xu, "You are pregnant and still have to deal with such matters. It must be very difficult for you."
Lin Xu took a sip of tea, her expression as serene as ever:
“I didn’t want to disturb you, Mother, but An Chan and Lian Rong were acting suspiciously at the entrance of Lingbo Garden, which aroused suspicion. I caught them in the act. Witchcraft and curses are the most terrifying things. I was afraid that such actions would disturb the peace of the house, so I had no choice but to bring them here. Please forgive me, Mother.”
Bai glanced at Lin Xu quietly. She saw that Lin Xu's face was serene and she sat there as elegantly as a painting. Bathed in the soft sunlight, she appeared even more composed.
In her eyes, these were things that the Lin Xu of the past never possessed. Or perhaps, she had always underestimated this woman, who was rumored to be utterly despicable?
Today, she effortlessly eliminated the people she had placed around Dalang, putting herself in a difficult position and forcing her to deal with that bitch An Chan.
Having such a person in the Dou family is surely a scourge.
Now that the main branch of the family is in decline and Zhou Lang is embroiled in scandal, the situation in the other courtyard is quite different. First, Dou Yanxun was promoted and given a noble title, and then Lin Xu was granted the title of Lady of the Imperial Decree and recognized the Princess as her godmother. It seems that their arrogance is growing stronger day by day.
Whenever she thought of this, Bai felt immense regret that she hadn't managed to eliminate the two men on their way to Laining before they left.
If the Dou family is handed over to this person in the future, will everything I have worked so hard to maintain over the years eventually vanish into nothingness?
Thinking of this, Bai's hand, which was turning the prayer beads, paused slightly. She raised her head, her eyes, full of fine lines at the corners of her eyes, half-closed, and, against the light and shadow streaming in from the window, said softly:
"Now that my eldest son has been implicated in the matter with his former superior, his mother is saddened and unwilling to bring it up easily. But the present moment is indeed a critical one. I wonder if you could find some time to go home for a few days, so that you can visit Right Chancellor Lin and the two of you can be reunited."
Lin Xu raised her eyes and gently put down the white porcelain teacup in her hand.
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