Chapter 89 A Place Where People Can Speak the Truth
"It's so lively here!"
Yu Nian watched the servants disperse; the group that had come to catch them in the act of adultery was quite large.
"Xiao Wu?"
Yu Jing turned around upon hearing the sound and saw Chunyu Han standing side by side with Yu Nian under the moonlight.
Granny Zhu had obviously seen it too, and her heart skipped a beat. Wasn't Chunyu Han supposed to be in his room after taking his medicine? How could he be here unharmed?
"Fourth Brother, the moon is beautiful tonight. I'd like to invite you out to admire the moon and also to sober up."
Yu Nian remained calm and composed, making up a reason as if it were the absolute truth.
What are you doing?
Yu Nian's gaze fell on the old nanny who was about to knock on Chunyu Han's door, with a hint of inquiry in her eyes.
"You tell me."
Granny Zhu was a servant. Upon seeing Yu Nian and Chunyu Han, she immediately knelt down to pay her respects, keeping her head down and not daring to raise it.
"A maid in our household has gone missing and we couldn't find her. We wanted to ask Lord Chunyu if he has seen her."
Granny Zhu wasn't afraid of Yu Nian; she was more afraid of Chunyu Han. If she said the wrong thing, her head could very well be hanging in front of Xuanhua Gate tomorrow.
"She's just a mere maidservant; there's no need for her to disturb the master's rest. You're a senior member of the Prime Minister's household; don't you even know this basic etiquette?"
Yu Nian, abandoning his usual easygoing demeanor, spoke sharply and sternly.
"Fifth Miss, you are wise. This old servant was worried that this maid was ignorant of the rules and might do something she shouldn't have, ruining the reputation of the Prime Minister's Mansion and destroying the marriage between the Regent and Miss. That's why I resorted to this tactic."
Granny Zhu's shoulders trembled. She thought to herself that Yu Nian, this fifth young lady, had always only cared about her clothes and was very casual with the servants. Today, she was so dignified. Could it be that she had noticed something...?
"Oh? So it turns out I misunderstood you. You should be rewarded for thinking of me and the Regent."
"Then go open the door and see if that maid is inside."
Yu Nian allowed Zhu Mama to go in and search, but Chunyu Han was currently outside, so even if the maid was in the room, it wouldn't prove anything.
"yes."
Granny Zhu stood up, pushed open the door, and found the room dimly lit by candlelight. A young maidservant, her hands tied together, was hanging from a beam.
Canghai stood inside the room and, seeing Chunyu Han arrive, reported back.
"Sir, this person sneaked into the room after the lights were turned off and has been apprehended by my subordinates. He awaits your judgment."
Chunyu Han looked down at Yu Nian and thoughtfully straightened the cloak on her shoulders.
"This is the Prime Minister's residence. Just listen to what Niannian says."
Yu Nian was startled by Chunyu Han's address and got goosebumps. Others might not know, but she understood. The subtext of Chunyu Han's words was: If you don't handle this well, see how I deal with you.
"Granny Zhu, go and identify the person."
Yu Nian nodded and called for Granny Zhu to come forward. A mere maid would not have the courage to do so, so it seems that Granny Zhu is also a parasite.
"Miss, this maid is none other than Diancui, who has not yet returned!"
Knowing the maid's background, Yu Jing felt an increasingly strong sense of unease.
"Diancui, what brings you to the Regent's room in the dead of night?"
Yu Nian told Canghai to put the person down first. She wanted to see why Granny Zhu was not flustered at all, even though their scheme had been exposed.
"This servant was threatened by Miss Lu of Nanyuan, which is why I came to your room, sir. Diancui was forced to do so. Please, Fifth Miss, have mercy!"
Diancui said softly, "The only person staying in the guest rooms of the South Garden of the Prime Minister's Mansion is Lu Mingzhu."
Yu Nian's eyes darkened. So this was their backup plan. When they failed to frame Chunyu Han, they dragged Lu Mingzhu down with them.
"nonsense!"
Before Yu Nian could speak, Yu Jing spoke first.
"Xiao Wu, you know Mingzhu's character. She would never be such a vicious woman."
Even if Yu Jing didn't defend Lu Mingzhu, Yu Nian wouldn't believe Diancui's words.
If Lu Mingzhu truly possessed such cunning and resourcefulness, she wouldn't have had such a difficult time living in Minister Lu's mansion.
But Yu Nian didn't rush to a conclusion, instead telling Yu Jing to calm down.
"You say Miss Lu threatened you, but what did she use to threaten you?"
Seeing that things seemed to be turning around, Diancui quickly spoke up.
“My younger brother is seriously ill. After Miss Lu found out, she promised that the Fourth Young Master could help treat him. If I could get close to the Regent and ruin our marriage, I would have no choice but to take this gamble for my brother…”
Good heavens, they even managed to outmaneuver Yu Jing. This is a brilliant scheme. Whether they succeed in framing Chunyu Han or not, this guy won't lose out.
Unfortunately, the people behind this miscalculated one step.
Yu Nian spoke calmly, glancing at Granny Zhu standing to the side, and took two steps to stand in front of her.
"You seem to care about your family. Since that's the case, and you haven't done anything wrong, stand up and speak first."
"Your name is Diancui, right? I heard from Granny Zhu the other day that your younger brother has a cough and asthma and needs to collect his wages in advance. My fourth brother isn't good at treating this kind of illness. I'll have the steward arrange for a better doctor to examine your brother, is that alright?"
When Diancui heard that Yu Nian was not going to pursue the matter, she mentioned Granny Zhu again and wanted to exchange glances with Granny Zhu, but Granny Zhu was blocked by Yu Nian.
But thinking that Granny Zhu and she were in the same boat, she quickly replied to Yu Nian with gratitude.
"Thank you so much, Miss Fifth. I will never forget your kindness."
Diancui's words startled Granny Zhu, who immediately knelt behind Yu Nian and spoke.
"Fifth Miss, please understand. This old servant has never collected any wages for Diancui, and I am not acquainted with her at all!"
What was supposed to be a done deal was ruined by Yu Nian's trickery, resulting in a complete loss.
"Hehe, Diancui, it seems you don't care much about your brother. You don't even know what illness he has. I casually mentioned that he has asthma, and you readily agreed."
Diancui's legs went weak, and she knelt on the ground, her heart sinking completely. She hadn't expected that Yu Nian was actually bluffing her.
"Diancui, who exactly is in charge of you? Tell me and I might spare your life."
At this point, even Diancui couldn't hold back anymore.
"Fifth Miss, it was all Granny Zhu's idea. She instructed me to do it, and even promised me two gold bars after it was done!"
"You brat, you're making baseless accusations! Fifth Miss, you absolutely cannot believe her. Just now she said that Miss Lu ordered her to do it, and now she's saying it's this old servant. These are just empty words!"
In just a short while, the two of them started acting like dogs fighting.
Yu Nian naturally didn't expect them to speak the truth here. She said this only to find a good place for the two of them.
"Since you're all talking past each other, then we'll have to trouble the Regent. I've heard that the Eastern Depot has plenty of ways to get people to tell the truth. Once you get there, you'll naturally know who's telling the truth."
What kind of place is the Eastern Depot? If you go in standing up, you're lucky if you come out lying down. It's a place that eats people without spitting out the bones!
"Fifth Miss, spare me! This old servant has been loyal and dutiful in the Prime Minister's residence for many years. What you've done has chilled the hearts of all the servants in the Prime Minister's residence!"
Granny Zhu knelt on the ground and wailed loudly, wanting the servants who were still awake to hear her. If Yu Nian sent her away today, she would lose her authority as the master of the Prime Minister's mansion.
Granny Zhu was gambling, betting that Yu Nian didn't have the guts to lose more than he gained for a small gain.
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