Chapter 177 Winning over the People
As soon as the imperial concubine said this, the three kneeling people immediately became agitated.
Wu Shutong was still relatively calm, but Wang and Li were obviously unable to contain themselves. One of them kept shruging his shoulders, and the other twisted his body. He raised his head and glanced at the imperial concubine, but saw that the imperial concubine lowered her eyes and said nothing, and did not look in their direction, so he lowered his head again.
After a moment, the steward surnamed Wang suddenly spoke up, "Reply... reply to the Imperial Concubine, all matters in Liluo Courtyard are managed by Chief Steward Wu. I, your servant, am only following orders and know nothing else."
His words broke the offensive and defensive alliance among the three.
Eunuch Li, unwilling to be outdone, also hurriedly said, "That's right, that's right. The two of us were following the orders of Chief Steward Wu. We were kept in the dark about everything, including the withholding of funds and the substitution of herbs!"
Wu Shutong was shocked and angry, and shouted at the two of them, "You two, stop spitting blood in front of the Imperial Concubine! When have we ever done such things?!"
Steward Wang squinted his eyes at him and said, "Steward Wu, for the Imperial Concubine's sake, you better tell the truth. Ever since the plague broke out in the garden and this Liluo Courtyard was chosen as a place for the sick to recuperate, you've been saying in front of us that good fortune has come and it's your turn to become rich. You've been doing such evil things against your conscience. We've tried to persuade you, but you never listened! Instead, you've stuck your neck out and yelled at us."
Steward Li also echoed, "Yes, Chief Steward Wu, you were the one who spearheaded all of this. Since the Imperial Concubine knows everything, you should just confess. If you dare to do it, you must take responsibility for it. After all, you were the only one who made a fortune in the beginning, so now you take the blame alone. It has nothing to do with us."
Seeing the two men attacking him simultaneously, Wu Shutong knew they were trying to gain credit and loyalty in front of Imperial Concubine Meng, hoping to win her leniency. He flew into a rage, shouting, "You two traitors! When did I ever do anything like this? You're just throwing dirty water on me! If the Imperial Concubine finds out I had nothing to do with this, I'll definitely not let you two bastards off!"
His words were openly a self-confession, but implicitly contained threats and intimidation.
As if they thought of the master behind him, a hint of fear flashed across Wang and Li's faces, and they fell silent together.
Wu Shutong looked quite pleased and said, "Your Highness, please do not listen to slander and be fooled by these two bastards, or your reputation will be ruined."
Meng Yan laughed and said calmly, "This matter is actually quite simple. All we need to do is check the names of the herbs currently in Li Luo Courtyard and we'll know the answer. Also, the palace maids recuperating in the courtyard are all witnesses, and I can extract their statements one by one. Regarding these matters, I have carefully warned you that this epidemic is serious and that the patients' vomiting and diarrhea must be strictly controlled. However, along the way, the courtyard is filthy. Under the roots of the trees, in the flower beds, there is filth everywhere, and the stench is overwhelming. It proves that you have ignored my words. Based on this alone, I can accuse you of incompetence. You must have heard of my tactics in the past."
At this point, she paused deliberately, and seeing the slight change in color on Wang and Li's faces, she smiled again, "It's just that I thought, given these difficult times, even if you haven't made any contributions, you've at least done some hard work, so I said I'd be lenient with you two. However, the Li Luoyuan incident has spread like wildfire, and even the Emperor asked a few questions yesterday, implicating me in it. If I don't deal with you, I won't be able to explain myself to the Emperor."
After hearing this, Wang and Li had no more scruples and immediately started fighting over it, wishing they had more mouths to speak. They told a story about how Wu Shutong had cheated and fostered an adulterer in Li Luo Courtyard in the past few days, how he had replaced the herbs with real ones, how he had embezzled money, how he had forced the palace maids to do embroidery, and how he had squeezed the blood and sweat of the palace maids.
Wu Shutong's eyes bulged like bells, almost spitting fire. He trembled and said, "You, you... How dare you bite me like this... When you were getting the advantage, you all pushed forward with all your might, but now that you're selling me out, you've turned your back on me!"
Wang and Li both thought to themselves, "You have Concubine Liang protecting you, so nothing will happen to you. We two don't have any backers, our lives are worthless, why should we die for you in vain!"
Meng Yan asked slowly, "Wu Shutong, do you think you admit it?"
Wu Shutong's face turned pale, and he lay wilted on the ground like a defeated rooster.
Meng Yan continued, "I have already investigated the matter of Liluoyuan. But based on these facts, I cannot forgive you."
Wang and Li immediately became anxious, and they were busy thinking about what else could be poured out.
After a moment, Steward Wang suddenly stammered, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I have something to report..."
Meng Yan glanced at him and said, "If it's about corruption again, then there's no need to talk about it."
Steward Wang hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, when I woke up the other night, I saw Steward Wu talking to a palace maid behind a rockery. The maid whispered something like, 'Your Majesty has ordered us to do our best to muddy the waters here and blame it on Concubine Meng... Once we succeed, we'll be rewarded handsomely!' The voice sounded unfamiliar to me, unlike the maids at Shanghe Garden. I wanted to go over and take a look, but Steward Wu noticed, came out, scolded me, and sent me away."
Seeing that he had gone all out and exposed the matter, the eunuch surnamed Li, unwilling to be left behind, hurriedly said, "I also saw three days ago that Steward Wu secretly handed a bag of silver to a round-faced palace maid, saying that it was a tribute to the master and that everything was fine. I was thinking that Steward Wu might not be paying tribute to the imperial concubine."
These two finally spilled the beans!
Meng Yan stared at Wu Shutong and smiled slightly, "Wu Shutong, what else do you have to say?"
Wu Shutong had a strange look on his face, and he didn't say a word, but his mouth moved a few times.
Meng Yan's heart moved, and she said sternly, "Dong Sanbao, pinch his chin!"
Dong Sanbao stepped forward, waved his hand, and as Meng Yan said, pinched Wu Shutong's chin and forced him to open his mouth.
Even though he moved quickly, a trace of blood still flowed from the corner of Wu Shutong's mouth.
Dong Sanbao took a closer look and replied to Meng Yan, "Don't worry, Madam. It's just some broken skin. The tongue is not broken."
The weight of the burden on Meng Yan's heart dropped to the ground. She smiled faintly and said, "You're truly loyal, willing to bite off your tongue for her. But even so, you've ruined her plans. You should be more familiar with her ways than I am." She stared into Wu Shutong's eyes and said word by word, "Don't count on her saving your life. Distant water cannot quench immediate thirst. Based on what you've done in Li Luo Courtyard, I could beat you to death with a stick today."
Wu Shutong was speechless, but his eyes revealed a strong fear.
Meng Yan then ordered Dong Sanbao, "Let him go."
Dong Sanbao let go as ordered, but still stood beside Wu Shutong to prevent him from biting his tongue again.
Wu Shutong gasped twice, staring at Meng Yan with red eyes, "My Lady, I know exactly what you want. But if I confess, will you spare my life and the lives of my family?"
His face was stern and his tone was sharp, but because he had just bitten his tongue, his speech was a little lisp, which sounded particularly funny to others.
"I don't like anyone bargaining with me."
Meng Yan said with a cold expression, but then changed the subject, "However, I am not a harsh and cold person. If you really have something to hide, I am not incapable of sympathy."
After listening to this, Wu Shutong hung his head and said nothing more.
Meng Yan knew that there were many things he couldn't say in public, so he ordered, "Take this guy away and interrogate him slowly."
As soon as he finished speaking, two eunuchs came out and dragged Wu Shutong away.
After capturing Wu Shutong, Meng Yan felt relieved. The biggest goal of her trip had been achieved, and the rest was just a small matter.
She glanced at Wang and Li, only to see them huddled together like quails in the rain, trembling. Her red lips curved, "Wu Shutong is corrupt and exploiting the palace maids. Although Wang and Li are not the main culprits, they are also accomplices. Considering that you are afraid of Wu Shutong's tyranny, your crimes are understandable and can be spared. You are sentenced to 100 strokes of the cane and dismissed from your positions as stewards effective immediately. You will be transferred to the clean rooms."
The so-called clean room is the toilet in the folk.
Working in the toilet naturally means cleaning toilets and transporting excrement out of the palace every day, which is considered the lowest job in the imperial city.
Both Wang and Li have risen to the level of managers, but now they have to go back to work in the purification room. The feeling is really... hard to describe!
However, when encountering such a thing, being able to save one's life is already a blessing, and one cannot ask for anything else.
After the two men figured this out, they calmed down, kowtowed to the imperial concubine and expressed their gratitude, then left the hall and accepted their punishment.
Meng Yan stood up and announced loudly, "From now on, if I hear anyone, not just in Liluo Courtyard, taking advantage of their power to withhold funds from their subordinates or exploit the lower-ranking palace servants, I will punish them severely!"
After saying this, she ordered Dong Sanbao to stay in Liluo Courtyard and temporarily act as the steward to make up for the lack of funds in the courtyard. "From now on, if there is any disturbance, report it directly to me. I want to see who dares to cause trouble under my nose!"
As she was speaking, the palace servant guarding the gate suddenly came in to report, "Your Majesty, the sick palace servants in Liluo Courtyard have heard the news and want to kowtow to Your Majesty to express their gratitude. They are now waiting in the courtyard."
Meng Yan smiled faintly and nodded in agreement.
As soon as the message was passed on, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard, and more than ten palace maids rushed into the hall, knelt down together, kowtowed in unison, and loudly thanked the imperial concubine for saving her life.
Yue Rong, who had just left, and another older palace maid knelt in front, excitedly saying, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine is willing to make a decision for us. We are so grateful to you. Even if we were to offer a token of gratitude, it would be hard to repay your kindness!"
Meng Yan accepted it with a smile, and suddenly asked, "Before today, you all hated me in your hearts, right?"
Everyone was silent for a while, not daring to answer, but not denying it either.
Yue Rong had just spoken with the Imperial Concubine. Knowing her kind nature and a certain amount of courage, she spoke frankly, "Your Majesty, it is indeed so. We servants had fallen ill and were already devastated. Suddenly, we heard that Your Majesty had granted Li Luo Courtyard to the sick palace maids for their recovery. We were grateful. But once we entered this courtyard, not only were we short of food and clothing, but even the medicines delivered daily were not what we thought they were. I know a few herbs, but I realized most of them were just tree bark and grass roots. I argued with the stewards, but they said it was all the Imperial Concubine's orders, and that our lives were too low to deserve medicine! Later, they even forced us to do embroidery to supplement our expenses. Rumors spread in Li Luo Courtyard... rumors..."
At this point, Yue Rong was a little hesitant to speak. She looked up and saw the Imperial Concubine's eyes full of a gentle smile. Her courage grew again, and she gritted her teeth and said, "Rumor has it that the Imperial Concubine did all this just to show off her virtue in front of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor, and that she doesn't care about the lives of these servants. There are also rumors that the Imperial Concubine embezzled all the money that was withheld!"
After Yue Rong finished saying this, Yunxiang, who was standing beside Meng Yan, suddenly gasped.
She couldn't help but scold, "You are truly blind! The Imperial Concubine is deeply favored by the Emperor and comes from a noble family. How could she covet such a small sum of money and do such a thing? You are confusing right and wrong like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, you don't know how to appreciate a good person!"
Yue Rong continued, "What this sister is complaining about is that everyone thought the Imperial Concubine had brought us here just to use our lives as a stepping stone. Our hopes of survival were instantly dashed, and we all truly hated the Imperial Concubine. But today, the Imperial Concubine, despite the epidemic, has come here in person to seek justice for us. Only then did we understand that the Imperial Concubine truly cares about us and that she truly wants to treat us. We are merely lowly palace servants, insignificant, but we all remember the Imperial Concubine's great kindness!"
The rest of the people also started talking at once.
"That's right. How many masters in this palace can treat us palace maids and eunuchs as human beings like the Imperial Concubine? The Imperial Concubine truly has the heart of a bodhisattva! No, it's like Guanyin Bodhisattva has descended to earth!"
"If I could serve the Imperial Concubine for half a day, I would be content even if I died."
"Although I am stupid, I am willing to serve the Imperial Concubine like a slave."
"If I can leave the palace in the future, I will definitely set up a longevity tablet for you and kowtow to you and burn incense every day!"
Meng Yan listened to their ramblings for a long time before she smiled and said, "Alright, I understand what everyone is thinking. This incident was caused by a villain, and you were kept in the dark. It's your lives that are at stake, so it's only natural for you to feel resentful. I don't blame you."
As she was about to ask about the palace maids' illnesses, she heard the maid outside hurriedly say, "Imperial Physician Xiahou, the Empress is questioning her in there. Wait for me to pass on the message..."
Before the palace maid finished speaking, a tall and handsome man in a clear silk gown strode into the hall.
Xiahou Yu entered the room and bowed to Meng Yan, "Your humble servant greets the Imperial Concubine!"
Meng Yan looked over and saw that the veins on Xiahou Yu's forehead were bulging, his hands were clenched into fists, and the muscles in his arms were tense, as if he was suppressing and enduring something.
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