"I have a few questions for you."
"Please ask, sir." You Shuyao bowed and answered respectfully.
"You've been serving me for so long, why did you go to the kitchen?" Huo Jingsha asked in a deep voice.
You Shuyao lowered her head, feeling the coldness emanating from above. Although she was wary of Huo Jingsha, based on her understanding of him over several lifetimes, nothing could escape his eyes in front of this shrewd man. Even the slightest movement could reveal everything to him, so... rather than lying to him or playing tricks on him, it was better to tell the truth.
"Replying to you, sir, I was very ill a few days ago and had to stay in bed for several days. After I recovered, Steward Sun told me that my original job was gone and only the kitchen was open, so I went there."
"Oh? You're quite obedient? The foreman told you to work as a maid in the kitchen, and you went obediently?"
“Compared to serving my master, I certainly don’t want to go to the kitchen, but…” You Shuyao paused, as if she had some unspeakable secret.
A stern order came from above from Huo Jingsha: "But what? There must be no concealment."
You Shuyao thought for a moment, then suddenly knelt down with a "plop". "Being able to serve you is a blessing I have accumulated over several lifetimes, but if... if you want me to sell my body to get this job, I will absolutely refuse."
Before the words were even out of his mouth, Steward Sun jumped up as if struck by lightning, roaring furiously, "You bitch, how dare you frame me?"
You Shuyao raised her head and calmly looked at Steward Sun.
“What slander? I’m telling the truth. Cuiwei bribed you to give her my job. I refused your request, so you deliberately made things difficult for me by transferring me to the kitchen. Although I am of lowly status, I know how to keep myself pure. You want me to submit to your lewd power and offer my body in exchange? I would rather chop wood and carry water in the kitchen.”
You Shuyao knew Huo Jingsha's abilities best. At only twenty-three, he had risen to the position of Commander-in-Chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard; he wasn't someone to be easily fooled. The fact that Huo Jingsha sent guards to summon her instead of arresting her showed that he didn't treat her as a suspect. This Steward Sun had long coveted her beauty and habitually abused his position to accept bribes with impunity. If Huo Jingsha were determined to investigate, he would easily uncover all the evidence.
As for the fact that she also paid money to get to Huo Jingsha's side, as long as she doesn't mention it, Steward Sun certainly won't dare to reveal it himself. Five hundred taels is not a small amount. After the Cuiwei incident, how could he possibly bring up another one? If he makes the same mistake again and again, it's hard to guarantee that Huo Jingsha won't kill him. So this is a dead end!
Steward Sun absolutely refused to admit it. Cuiwei was someone he had transferred to serve the master, but she was an assassin who wanted to kill the master. He was to blame, and in order to protect himself, he tried to shift the blame onto Shuyao.
He pointed at Shu Yao and cursed, "You Shu Yao, you're twisting the truth and making false accusations! It was you who tried to seduce Cui Wei with your beauty to persuade me to transfer her to the kitchen. When I refused, you pretended to be sick and hid in your room. As the person in charge of the backyard, how could I be threatened by you? That's why I had Cui Wei replace you and transferred you to do manual labor as punishment. Yet you're badmouthing me to the adults! You vicious woman, the adults will never believe you!"
Steward Sun then turned to look at Huo Jingsha. "Sir, this girl is definitely not a good person. I suspect she may be in cahoots with Cuiwei and intends to harm you. Please investigate thoroughly!"
You Shuyao simply knelt silently to the side, head bowed, letting Steward Sun ridicule her. She wasn't in a hurry to defend herself, nor did she speak. Even if he was right about everything, someone still needed to believe him. Anyway, she had said what she needed to say, and now she was just waiting for Huo Jingsha to make the final decision.
Huo Jingsha listened coldly without uttering a word. After listening to Steward Sun's chaotic barking, he simply issued an order.
"Men, break all four of Steward Sun's limbs and throw him into the dungeon."
Sun Guan was initially taken aback, but then his expression turned to terror, and he crawled on his knees, shouting loudly that he was innocent.
Two guards entered from outside the door, stepped forward, and swiftly dragged him out.
You Shuyao kept her head down, listening to Steward Sun's screams. Soon there was no more sound, and in the blink of an eye... the elegant main courtyard returned to tranquility.
She remained in the same position. Huo Jingsha didn't tell her to get up, so she just knelt there, feeling the person above staring at her intently.
This person dealt with Steward Sun without saying a word, which shows that he had already investigated the matter thoroughly, but he just wanted to hear their respective versions of events. Fortunately... fortunately, she was glad that she had made the right bet! Although Huo Jingsha was ruthless, she was still able to see things clearly when things happened and did not believe either side's slander.
But why won't he let her get up? He doesn't say anything, he just stares at her with an unfathomable look.
You Shuyao felt uneasy, but she tried her best to remain still and waited quietly.
Suddenly... she sensed footsteps approaching, and then a large, well-defined hand reached out, lifted her chin, and fully revealed her face, forcing her eyes to meet his deep black eyes.
His resolute yet cold face drew closer, his sharp eyes seeming to see right through people. She could feel the rough calluses on his fingers pressing tightly against her smooth skin, sending a pang of pain through her.
She had served Huo Jingsha closely for quite some time, but this was the first time he had taken the initiative to touch her, and the first time he had seriously looked at her face.
"Do you know why I dealt with Sun Qinghui?" Sun Qinghui was the name of Steward Sun.
You Shuyao looked calmly into his eyes and began to shower him with compliments.
“Your Excellency is always wise and discerning. You can tell who is lying and will not wrong the good or let the bad go unpunished.”
Sometimes, flattery is necessary. She could sense that her words resonated with Huo Jingsha's feelings, and she saw a rare smile appear on his lips.
“Sun Qinghui falsely accused you, but you were not flustered at all, and you were quite calm.”
You Shuyao was startled, realizing that her calm demeanor might have aroused his suspicion.
"There's a reason I'm calm," she said, her expression unchanged, but her mind was racing.
"Oh? What's the reason?"
"Because I trust you, sir. You must have seen many things like this before. You won't let Sun Qinghui get away with it with just a few words. Also... I was a little scared just now, afraid that what he said was too outrageous. Fortunately, you cleared my name."
She timidly looked up at him, her tone gentle and weak, not trying to please him, but expressing admiration for his abilities and genuine awe.
Unbeknownst to her, at this moment, she involuntarily displayed a charming shyness. This shyness was not something she deliberately created, but rather a complete trust in him, mixed with a sense of attachment. Several contradictory expressions appeared on her face at the same time, causing Huo Jingsha's gaze to linger on her for a while longer.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
