Dongmei stepped forward and said, "Butler, Madam Li has come from afar, let's go inside and talk."
"Oh, right, right, please come in, Madam!" The head butler snapped out of his daze and quickly greeted the guest.
The group followed the head steward inside. Along the way, many servants looked on with curiosity. Although they didn't point or whisper, their expressions weren't exactly respectful.
After all, this is a marquis's residence, frequented by people from powerful and noble families. The Li family's attire clearly indicates they are ordinary people, which is extremely rare.
Old Mrs. Li straightened her back, chatted with the head housekeeper with a smile, and walked in step by step. There was no fear or envy in her expression, just as if she were visiting her neighbor's house.
The Li family members walking behind her, including Jiayi and Liu Yang, were all well-behaved. Although their faces were full of curiosity, they did not look around.
Of course, there is one exception, which is good news.
She wrapped her arms around Dongmei's neck, looked left and right, her big eyes sparkling with laughter.
But a two-year-old child who doesn't cry or make a fuss is already considered sensible; who can expect her to act like an adult?
It must be said that the Marquis's mansion was truly vast and luxurious, with multiple layers of eaves, carved beams and painted rafters. It took a full cup of tea's time to walk down each of the layers of doors and finally reach the main courtyard.
Since the Marquis was not present and there was no mistress in the mansion, the head steward led everyone to the small flower hall for tea.
The maids brought in tea and various snacks in a continuous stream. The Li family members picked up their teacups, took a sip, but did not touch the snacks, nor did they show any signs of craving.
This surprised the two maids guarding the door. They exchanged glances and, when they looked up, saw the head steward looking at them coldly. They were so frightened that they immediately retreated.
The head butler personally stepped forward, pushed the plate of snacks towards Jiayin, and beckoned her.
"After such a long journey, Miss must be hungry. Let her have some snacks to tide her over. The Marquis brought these snacks for her before, saying that she loves them."
Jiayin looked at the old lady, and seeing the old lady nod with a smile, she took a piece and thanked her with a grin, "Thank you, Uncle Butler."
"Oh, you're too kind, young lady." The butler was even more pleased to be called "uncle."
Li Lao Er was concerned about the rumors, so he asked about them.
The head steward quickly replied, "I just received the news that the women were arrested by the Emperor's men, but we've already sent people to find out the details, and they should be able to get back to us soon."
Has the Emperor intervened?
Everyone was happy; although the Marquis was not in the new capital, he still had people protecting him.
The head steward was also eloquent and knew that the Marquis treated the Li family differently, so he chatted with the Li family about the business in the valley and the harvest in the fields.
Jiayin came to the city with a small goal in mind. Seeing that there was nothing to do for the time being, she tugged at Dongmei's sleeve.
Dongmei understood and, taking advantage of a lull in the conversation, said, "I'll carry the little lady for a walk in the garden."
The head butler quickly said, "It was my oversight. I forgot about this. The young lady is too young to sit still."
Grandma Li laughed and said, "The child is naughty and used to being wild at home. He's just causing trouble for the head housekeeper."
After exchanging a few polite words, Dongmei carried Jiayin out of the main courtyard and headed straight for the back of the Marquis's residence.
She walked until she reached a small courtyard near the back gate of the Marquis's mansion, then stopped, took out a key from her bosom, and unlocked the copper lock on the gate.
“Miss, this is the courtyard where Ye Shan and I usually live. Since we're always at the estate, it's always locked here, and no one comes here. It's also quite close to the back gate…”
Dongmei lowered her voice and gave a brief explanation.
Jiayin jumped down and carefully pushed open the door. Dongmei subconsciously turned around and looked around, worried that someone might be walking around nearby.
But before she could even look around, Jiayin tugged at her collar, "Let's go back!"
Dongmei was surprised, bent down to hug Jiayin, and then looked at the tightly closed courtyard gate with a conflicted expression.
Jiayin whispered a few words in her ear, and Dongmei nodded, quickly went forward to lock the door, and then took Jiayin to the garden.
The garden features artificial hills, various flowers and trees, a small lake, and pavilions, all exquisitely and elegantly constructed.
But Jiayin was worried about her family, so she went back to the main courtyard after walking around for a while.
Just then, the people the Marquis's mansion sent out to gather information returned.
It turned out that the rumors were spreading like wildfire in the new capital, and someone thought they had seized an opportunity to secretly complain to the emperor.
As a result, the emperor was furious, not because he was angry that the marquis was lecherous and neglecting his duties, but because he was furious that the marquis had been unjustly slandered. So he directly sent people to arrest Hua Ruyue and others and bring them to the bustling market for questioning.
Even if Hua Ruyue and her ilk had the guts of a bear and the courage of a leopard, they wouldn't dare to deceive the Emperor. All their petty tricks and greed are like remnants of snow in spring, quickly melting away in the face of absolute authority.
Thus, the truth came to light: all the rumors about heroes and beauties, and all the grudges and feuds, were false.
They were nothing more than a group of greedy and foolish dancers, obsessed with the Marquis, hoping to find a powerful backer.
Hua Ruyue wasn't completely stupid; she kept expressing her admiration for the military commander and her gratitude for his service to the country. She was simply infatuated with him for a moment.
As a result, she once again outsmarted herself.
They were sent directly to the southwestern border to "entertain the troops," supposedly to sing and dance for the soldiers who had been stationed there year-round, to comfort their loneliness and homesickness.
But everyone knows that's just a polite way of saying it; they're destined to continue working in the sex trade, and the kind where they can't take money...
The Li family members were left speechless with mixed feelings upon hearing this.
It's not fair to sympathize with Hua Ruyue and the others; after all, they brought it on themselves.
But for a group of women, this outcome is certainly not something to be happy about.
The head housekeeper was a shrewd person, and upon seeing this, he quickly began to arrange the meal.
Old Madam Li, however, was about to take her leave. "Steward, please don't bother. We were just worried about the Marquis and came to see if we could help. Now that the matter is resolved, we'd like to go back early."
The head steward wanted to keep them, and Li Lao Er added, "We ran into Mr. Wen on the way here. He was also waiting for news, so we should at least meet with him and say a few words. Now that we know which way the gate of the Marquis's mansion is open, there will always be opportunities to visit each other in the future, so this one time won't make a difference."
The head steward then stopped trying to keep them, and the group quickly left the mansion.
At this moment, Dongmei mentioned that she had some matters to attend to at the manor and wanted to stay with Yeshan for two days before returning to the villa.
The old lady readily agreed, accepted the good news, gave Dongmei a few instructions, and then got onto the mule cart.
The mule cart hadn't gone far when it encountered Mr. Wen. Liu Zhiheng was well-informed, and by the time Mr. Wen arrived at Liu's house, Liu Zhiheng had already learned the details.
Mr. Wen was no longer worried about the Marquis. He gave the Li family a few simple instructions, put some snacks and other food in the carriage, and then hurriedly took his leave to attend to other matters.
The Li family rode in a mule cart, swaying and wobbling, as they slowly made their way home, facing the setting sun.
Jiayin sat in her grandmother's lap, munching on a snack, feeling incredibly happy as she thought about how she had accomplished something important.
She held up snacks in her chubby little hands, feeding them to her grandma, then to her dad and second uncle.
The old lady was quickly cheered up by her granddaughter, and tapped her little nose, "You, every time you insist on going out together, is it just for these foods? You're such a little glutton!"
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