Chapter 56 Chapter 56 "Auntie is very capable." ...
No one present felt the Duke was being perfunctory. Duan Zhi said considerately, "Could you please take out all your personal savings and have a look? I'm sure the Duke will be able to tell at a glance whether there's too much or too little."
Duan Zhi looked at her aunt as she spoke. Her aunt's head was lowered, her eyes drooping. But Duan Zhi was certain she must be terrified.
What she wanted was her fear. Only when she was afraid would she lose her composure and reveal her flaws.
No one knew what Madam Duan was thinking, but now that things had come to this, it would be like trying to cover up the truth if Jasmine refused, and she had no right to refuse.
The eldest young lady volunteered to retrieve the concubine's money box. To prevent tampering, Duan Zhi asked her eldest sister-in-law, Qiu, to go with the eldest young lady.
The Duke did not refuse.
In just half a cup of tea, the eldest young lady and Mrs. Qiu came back.
Cuizhu was holding the money box and several jewelry boxes that Jasmine had hidden in the cabinet. Meanwhile, Mrs. Qiu's face was turning pale and red.
Duan Zhi noticed something was wrong with her sister-in-law, so she stepped forward and asked softly, "But what's wrong with the money box?"
Mrs. Qiu shook her head: "The money box is fine."
Qiu didn't know what to say. Especially at this moment, how was she going to tell her aunt and mother-in-law that she saw him in the concubine's room... no, in the main courtyard.
A concubine had the audacity to enter the main courtyard and reside there. She even placed her money box there. And with all the decorations surrounding her that belonged only to her, it was clear that the concubine considered the main courtyard her own.
Duan Zhi heard that the money box was fine, so she didn't care about anything else. She just stared at the opened boxes.
Everyone's eyes were now fixed on several red lacquer money boxes with peony patterns.
This is a box unique to Concubine Liang’s clothing store, originally used to store jewelry.
One of them was a gift from the Duke. It was a large box, but it only contained a pair of earrings. Jasmine used it to store her silver and money.
The remaining four boxes contained real jewelry.
One is a jade bracelet given by the eldest young lady, one is a pearl hairpin given by the old lady, and the other two are given by the Duke.
There were several pieces of jewelry in it. Except for the earrings and bracelets that were originally in the box, the rest were gifts from the Duke and she kept them there.
The last box is much bigger than the others and is more valuable.
It is a set of gold headgear.
Everyone in the Duke's Mansion knew that this was a reward from the Imperial Concubine to the Duke, and the Duke gave it to his concubine.
But the Shangshu Mansion didn't know.
Mrs. Lu also asked, "Is this also from Auntie?"
No one replied to her.
Duan Zhi saw that the Duke did not react, so she knew that the Duke knew about these jewels.
Looking carefully, the mother, daughter and three others all discovered a golden hairpin in the headdress, which was the one that the aunt had worn to show off in front of them.
It goes without saying who sent it.
Even Minister Duan felt that the Duke had lost his composure at this time.
But Minister Duan thought again that this golden headdress might be a gift from the most generous uncle and daughter-in-law in the Duke's Mansion to his concubine.
But this was also the fault of the Duke's Mansion, as it gave the concubines inappropriate thoughts.
Minister Duan couldn't help but say, "How can a concubine wear such precious jewels? It's tantamount to encouraging evil ways. I don't know what the intentions of the person who gave the jewel to a concubine are. The Duke should clean up the family's bad habits."
The Duke had no intention of hiding anything: "The head ornaments for my aunt were given by me."
The old minister looked at Duke Yan in astonishment.
The Duke did not explain, but simply said to Madam Duan, "My aunt's money box and jewelry are all here. What do you want, Madam Duan?"
Duan Zhi recovered from the Duke's words and, after gathering her composure, spoke again, "Excuse me, Duke, are my concubine's money box and jewelry all here?"
The old lady said, "The Duke is busy with official duties, how could he know about my concubine's things?"
The eldest young lady's wife echoed, "That is to say, it's not like my aunt is just saving money and not spending it. Maybe she spent it, but who knows? Madam Duan is fine, why is she making things difficult for the Duke?"
"Your Excellency doesn't need to look too closely. Just check to see if there's anything missing. A little less wouldn't be noticeable, but if it's half missing, you'll definitely be able to tell, right?"
Duan Zhi looked around and then landed on the ground and said in a loud voice, "The Duke's Mansion gives the concubine a fixed monthly allowance. Add to that what the Duke gives, and what the old lady and several young ladies give on a daily basis. The old lady and the young ladies should be able to understand it at a glance."
As soon as these words were spoken, the old lady, the eldest young lady's wife and others all stared at the boxes.
The eldest young lady's wife was the first to say, "The jewelry is all there." She thought again and said, "The fertility-giving Guanyin statue I gave to my aunt is also sitting in the cabinet."
Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth?
Now the expressions of the people from Shangshu Mansion became even weirder.
Even the Duke looked at the eldest young lady in surprise. It was obvious that the Duke was unaware of the eldest young lady's gift of the Guanyin Bodhisattva to the concubine.
The Duke did notice the elaborately packed items in the cabinet, and he even opened them to see that they were jade. He didn't think much of it.
I didn’t expect it to be Guanyin, the Goddess of Childbirth.
"You...are outrageous!" Lu couldn't stand it any longer.
Now the old minister stopped scolding his daughter-in-law for being unruly. He wanted to scold her too! The Duke of Yan's Mansion, which has always been known for its solemn and strict rules, had such a disorderly backyard!
If it weren't for what happened today, they probably wouldn't have discovered it in their lifetime.
If it weren't for the fact that this was a marriage granted by His Majesty, and if he didn't still hold out hope for the Duke, Minister Duan would have wanted to just take his son and granddaughter and run away. Minister Duan was just about to ask what was going on, and whether the Duke's Mansion could eradicate these unsavory things in the future.
Then the Duke said, "It is indeed less."
"Yes, it's less." The old lady murmured.
No one cared about the Goddess of Childbirth anymore.
Duan Zhi happily asked, "Did the Duke see through it?"
The Duke's face showed no sign of doubt. He simply said, "There's less money. Perhaps my aunt has spent it."
The old lady looked at the Duke with suspicion. If there was a little less, they wouldn't be able to tell, and the silver in the coin box was pitifully small.
The Duke didn't give anything to the concubine, but only the monthly allowance that the Duke gave to the concubine, which is actually not correct. But as the Duke said, the concubine also spends money.
But if the Duke still gives money to the concubine to support herself, and it is not just once or twice, then the amount given by the Duke each time must be considerable.
The amount here is indeed pitifully small. My aunt never leaves the house, so how much can she spend just at home?
This account is worthy of suspicion.
The Duke didn't notice the concubine's lack of money, but the old lady immediately remembered it. She pretended not to know that it was the Duan family's wife who had a grudge against her who asked the question.
He was just wondering in his heart what the aunt's purpose was, and why the girl from the Duan family wanted to use the aunt's living expenses to make a fuss.
At this time, Duan Zhi asked Moli: "How about Auntie, could you tell me where the money went?"
Jasmine was panicked and looked around. She glanced at her grandfather and happened to see that the Duke was also looking at her.
When the Duke saw his aunt looking at him, he knew that she was asking him for help.
In the past few days, because of him, the concubine had been wronged, and the Duke was feeling mixed emotions. But he couldn't always protect her.
"Each piece of clothing from Concubine Liang's clothing shop is worth quite a bit of money. It's normal that the money is short since Concubine Liang bought too much. Madam Duan has said so much, so it's time to explain your intentions, right?"
Duan Zhi: "If Auntie really did buy clothes, there would be proof. Even if it wasn't clothes, but something else, it can be verified. The reason I asked Auntie for her personal money is because I knew the real culprit behind my kidnapping must have used money to instigate others, and it was more than just a small amount. I didn't expect Auntie to actually be missing half of her personal money. I think this is the best proof."
Everyone's attention shifted to the aunt again.
Jasmine knelt helplessly.
The Duke met her eyes and said softly, "I am here, no one dares to wrong you. Just speak frankly."
Even though she told herself that the Duke was only fulfilling his duties to his concubine, Duan Zhi still felt extremely uncomfortable.
He seemed to have given all his tenderness to his concubine. What about when she came to the mansion? Would he give her some? How much?
Jasmine was encouraged by her master's eyes. She nodded to him, took a deep breath, and said, "I was out on the street earlier and found a beggar's den. I felt sorry for them, so I bought them some buns with money."
Hearing the word "beggar", Duan Zhi's eyes lit up. As expected.
Duan Zhi: "I wonder which beggar's den Auntie is talking about?"
Jasmine replied nervously, "The back street of Nanfu Street."
"Why are there beggars in the back street of Nanfu Street?" The Duke said with a serious expression.
No one present understood the Duke's words. Only Minister Duan, a fellow official, sighed and said, "Those beggars in the back streets of Nanfu Street are refugees who've fled into the city. The Ministry of Revenue allocated silver, and the Ministry of Works built charity granaries outside the city walls, keeping most of the refugees away. But some still manage to sneak in. Alas, it's impossible to prevent them."
The Duke said: "The charity granary is temporary. The refugees know they will be driven out sooner or later, and they are afraid, so they sneak into the city. Can't we build houses and allocate farmland to accommodate the refugees?"
Minister Duan: "This is the capital. There's not much open space left to build houses, let alone farmland. And even if there were, what could the court do if thousands of refugees poured in?"
The Duke nodded. "Old Minister, what you say makes sense. What should the court do?"
Minister Duan: "We will temporarily resettle them. We will rebuild after the natural disaster."
"That's all I can do. If there's any need for me, please feel free to ask, Your Excellency."
The old minister bowed and everything was done in one move without further words.
Somehow, they ended up chatting about business, and no one else dared to interrupt.
After the two pillars of the Great Qi Dynasty finished speaking, the Duke said, "Let's continue where we were just now."
Jasmine then repeated her story: "In the back alley of Nanfu Street, they kept begging me. I felt sorry for them, so I bought them some buns with my money."
Duan Zhi: "My aunt must have been there more than once."
Jasmine admitted, "Yes, I have been there several times, and Shancha has even been there alone. That's how much I spent."
Duan Zhi: "Auntie, you're not giving them favors out of pity. I'm afraid you're trying to take advantage of them."
"I am wronged..."
Duan Zhi didn't give her aunt a chance to explain. She turned to the Duke and said, "My daughter was originally kidnapped because of some beggars. They tricked her into going to Yuanguang Temple and deliberately tricked her into sending the driver and maid away. The first night she disappeared, she was trapped under the bridge by these beggars. There's no such coincidence in this world. So I suspect your aunt is the real culprit who manipulated the beggars to kidnap her!"
"I am wronged. I did not do it."
"Is there any evidence?" The Duke asked again.
"Yes." Madam Duan uttered a word in a clear and loud voice.
I saw a few beggars coming in. Although they were still disheveled, Shan Cha couldn't help but feel that they looked familiar.
Shancha couldn't help but burst into tears. Was she going to die today?
"What are you doing, madam?" Jasmine looked up at Duan Zhi.
Duan Zhi saw the fear in her eyes and curled her lips.
Duan Zhi: "Your Excellency the Prefect, Your Excellency the Duke, the beggar kneeling in the corridor is the one who originally kidnapped my daughter."
The Duke was puzzled: "The four criminals who kidnapped Madam Duan have been apprehended, so why are these beggars involved?"
Li Fuyin explained at the right moment: "Madam Duan was initially tricked by beggars into going to Yuanguang Temple, and was later handed over to the four murderers."
The Duke nodded in understanding, then said in a deep voice, "Bring the beggar in."
There were six beggars in total, two little ones and four older ones, the oldest of whom was no more than fourteen or fifteen years old. They all looked like young ladies.
The Duke asked, "Do you admit to kidnapping the wife of Minister Duan?"
Having been caught in the act, the six beggars nodded one after another.
Li Fuyin said, "Tell me what happened."
Then the eldest sister among them spoke up: "We thought the lady must be from a wealthy family, so we approached her and asked for alms. She gave us some. But we were greedy, and Liutu's mother was dying, so the clinic refused to admit us. We wanted the lady to help find a doctor, so we tricked her into coming to our home near Yuanguang Temple. But she accused us of deceiving her, and we were so scared that we refused to let her go until late at night. Then we fled. But two days later, Madam Duan found us."
He said everything except his aunt!
Duan Zhi's eyes swept across the faces of the six beggars one by one, ignoring the eldest sister and fixing her attention on the youngest beggar. She squatted beside her and asked softly, "Liu Tu, the buns that you mentioned were bought for you by the sister of the Duke's Mansion, was that her?"
Liutu followed Duan Zhi's finger and looked at Jasmine, then shook his head.
Duan Zhi pointed at Shan Cha again: "Is that her?"
Liutu looked at her, and this time she didn't shake her head immediately.
Duan Zhi tempted her: "Don't be afraid, I will protect you. Everyone here is an adult and will protect you."
Liutu nodded slowly, looked at Shancha and said, "It was the elder sister who gave us the buns. Although she was wearing a veil, we wanted to know where she lived, so we followed her and found out that she lived in the Duke's Mansion."
Shan Cha nearly collapsed after hearing these words. She knelt helplessly on the ground. She had clearly endured it again and again, but tears still rolled down her cheeks.
Chunli, who was standing behind the Duke, looked at Shancha, and the finger bones that were holding the hilt of the sword were pale.
Duan Zhi asked Liu Tu again, "Did that sister order you to kidnap me?"
Liutu stared blankly at the woman in front of him and shook his head slowly.
Upon hearing this, Mrs. Lu was the first to react. She pulled Duan Zhi away and grabbed the little beggar's thin arm: "That's not what you said then. Why have you changed your mind now?"
Liutu, who was only five years old, was frightened and burst into tears, while the other five kowtowed and begged Lu for mercy.
Mrs. Lu was in disbelief and continued, "I've been treating you to delicious food and drinks these past few days. You promised me that you would speak the truth. How can you go back on your word?"
But how could she be honest with a bunch of little beggars? Mrs. Lu rushed forward and said, "Your Excellency, Duke, these six beggars confessed everything when they were captured. They clearly said that my aunt bought them buns, and in return, they helped me kidnap Zhi'er. Now that they've suddenly changed their minds, they must have been threatened by my aunt."
The eldest sister, Big Rabbit, kowtowed and said, "Madam, we were ignorant and said the wrong thing. It was indeed Auntie... Auntie or whatever, who instigated us. We didn't want to do it either, but Auntie forced us to do it."
Two rabbits, three rabbits, four rabbits, five rabbits, followed their elder sister and kowtowed in a disorderly manner, mumbling: "That's right, we didn't do it on purpose. It was Auntie who made us do it."
"Whatever the Madam says is right. Whatever the Madam says is what it is. We dare not refute it!"
"Please, sir, be kind and spare our lives. We will never do it again."
Everyone present could tell that the Sixth Beggar was talking nonsense because he was afraid of the Lu family.
Minister Duan's beard puffed with anger as he glared at Lu: "I had no idea you and your daughter were hiding these six beggars."
Can I tell him? If I tell him, the six of them might be sent to Jingzhao Prefecture. The six beggars are their only backup, so of course it is most reassuring to keep them in my own hands.
Lu lowered her head and did not dare to look at her father-in-law.
Duan Zhi looked at her aunt with a cold gaze. Her aunt's face was as uneasy and innocent as ever.
As she got closer, Jasmine heard a voice beside her ear: "Auntie is very capable."
Jasmine pretended not to hear.
"I'm afraid the words of six beggars are not reliable. What do you think, Lord Shangshu?" asked Li Fuyin respectfully.
"You are the prefect, why are you asking me this?" The old minister felt that Prefect Li was deliberately trying to make things difficult for him, and he was so angry that his beard was about to flutter.
Li Fuyin instantly sat up straight again and said impartially, "I will bring these six people back to Jingzhao Prefecture and verify that they were indeed the ones who kidnapped Madam Duan. I will punish them severely and give Madam Duan justice."
The words "severe punishment without mercy" were spoken loudly by Li Fuyin. This was considered as another favor from the Shangshu Mansion.
After saying this, Li Fuyin looked at the six beggars below.
The rest of the people in the living room also looked at the six beggars. They knelt and trembled, and the two younger ones sobbed, but no one stood up to speak.
Li Fuyin glanced at the old minister, his eyes seemed to say: "Old sir, I have tried my best, please bear with me."
Minister Duan remained silent with a sullen face.
At this moment, Wutu, the second of the six beggars, looked up at the prefect and asked, "Sir, are we really going to die? Could you spare our lives and lock us six up in jail? Even for the rest of our lives."
Li Fuyin said sternly, "If I had known this would happen, I shouldn't have committed a crime. If you have committed a crime, you must accept the consequences. The person you have kidnapped is not someone else, but the wife of the Shangshu Mansion. Don't even think about getting away with it."
After all, the six of them were young, and they all burst into tears of excitement.
Jasmine looked at this scene and couldn't help but raise her eyelids.
Big Rabbit and Second Rabbit crawled to the feet of Li Fuyin, each holding one of his legs and crying for help.
Big Rabbit: "Sir, I say, we all say, it was Auntie who ordered us to do this!"
Ertu: "It's really Auntie, we just lied. Shancha, who is by Auntie's side, often comes to buy buns for us, but not long ago, she suddenly asked us to kidnap Madam Duan. It's all Auntie's fault!"
Big Rabbit and Second Rabbit pointed at Jasmine.
Jasmine was even more flustered. Shancha was also sobbing helplessly, hugging her aunt's arm.
Lu's eyes lit up: "The prefect heard it, they admitted it was my aunt who did it!"
Except for the Lu family, everyone in the Shangshu Mansion looked unhappy.
The prefect looked embarrassed: "This..."
Seeing that the prefect was hesitant to speak, the Duke said sympathetically, "Young Madam, why bother the prefect?"
The Duke did not explain further and said to the six beggars, "You don't have to die, just rest in peace."
The six beggars finally felt relieved. They looked at each other, and the joy in their eyes and on their faces could not be hidden.
"Can we have enough to eat now?" It was Liutu who spoke.
The childish voice echoed throughout the living room.
Upon hearing this, the Duke recalled something and said to Li Fuyin, "Recently, disasters have continued throughout Qi State. I've learned that many refugees are deliberately committing crimes just to get a job in jail. These are just children, and they had no choice. Now that Madam Duan is unharmed, why not give each of these six people ten lashes and expel them from Kyoto?"
The Duke turned around and asked Minister Duan, "What do you think, old minister?"
Hearing this, the six beggars felt as if a thunderbolt had struck them. Their faces turned pale, and they burst into tears.
Their lives are so miserable!
The old minister felt that the Duke's idea was very reasonable. Although it was his granddaughter who was bullied, in the face of the greater good, even if his granddaughter's life was at stake, the old minister would resolutely choose to prioritize the greater good.
"Your Excellency, what I'm saying is exactly what I'm saying. If the prisons across the country are overcrowded, not only will the court be unable to sustain itself, but I'm also afraid that everyone will commit murder and arson just to make a living. That would be disastrous."
The Duke nodded and said, "I will report this matter to Your Majesty tomorrow morning, and we will discuss and make a decision together then."
"No problem."
The three important ministers unanimously agreed on another official matter.
It was already past noon, so it was not a good time to mention dinner. The old lady seemed to have forgotten to mention it, so Xin Wang, the steward of the inner court, took it upon himself to serve several stacks of snacks and tea.
Li Fuyin glanced at the tea in the cup in his hand that he could never finish, and sighed that it was finally coming to an end.
Li Fuyin put down his teacup, cleared his throat, and then spoke loudly, "The truth about Madam Duan's kidnapping is now clear. Madam Duan was first kidnapped by beggars, but who knew she would be kidnapped by real bandits? And my concubine happened to be passing by Yuanguang Temple and was mistaken for Madam Duan. It was all a misunderstanding. We are all family from now on, and we should live in harmony. What do you think, Duke and the old minister?"
Before the Duke and Minister Duan could speak, Duan Zhi said, "I have something unclear. The prefect previously stated that the four suspects confessed that it was the concubine who ordered them, and they also discovered that the four suspects had close ties with the servants of the Duke's Mansion. If the concubine is truly innocent, how do you explain this?"
Inwardly, Prefect Li complained about Madam Duan's meddling, but on the surface, he said amiably, "I did say so, but it might just be a coincidence. After all, these four are habitual liars, and their confessions are irrelevant. I will investigate further. Once I find solid evidence of the four suspects' communication with Madam, I will report back immediately."
Again, “no evidence”.
What else can she say?
After Li Fuyin and Madam Duan finished their conversation, they turned around and asked for instructions from the Duke and the old Minister.
The Duke remained silent, but Minister Duan nodded.
The reason why Minister Duan followed him to the Duke's Mansion was that he was overconfident and thought his granddaughter would not make a mistake. The most important thing was that he found the Prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture.
Li Fuyin's words were all from the heart, as if he treated the old minister as his own. He said that he would definitely give an explanation to Madam Duan and bring the real culprit behind the scenes to justice.
The old minister thought that Li Fuyin had also concluded that it was the Duke's concubine who harmed Duan Zhi.
But now, I know that is not the case.
His Shangshu Mansion is a place of integrity, so how could he slander others at will?
Seeing her father-in-law compromise, Lu was filled with resentment. It seemed that she couldn't get rid of her concubine today!
Do I really have to wait until Zhi'er comes home before I can fight with that concubine?
Mrs. Lu didn't think that the aunt was the one who did it, but she hated the aunt. Since she couldn't get rid of her, she hated her even more. That's why she kept holding on to her.
Duan Zhi knew she had no choice but to accept the outcome. Her aunt was more difficult to deal with than she'd imagined. Her desire to win suddenly surged.
It seems that her life in the Duke's Mansion will definitely not be too boring. Haha, for the time being, it can be considered a good thing.
Everyone was tired of sitting.
I thought today would end successfully. The prefect smiled and said, "Then why not come today..."
"Ms. Duan came to my aunt today to cause trouble, and I have a few words to say to her." Unexpectedly, the Duke suddenly spoke.
Moreover, these words were extremely disrespectful. Minister Duan frowned: "What do you mean, Duke?"
The Duke said: "It is known today that Madam Duan misunderstood my concubine. Doesn't Madam Duan need to apologize?"
Minister Duan nodded: "It's right."
Minister Duan looked at his granddaughter: "Zhi'er."
Duan Zhi had always been praised for her generosity, propriety, and intelligence. Seeing this, she stood up and said, "It's my daughter..."
"Wait a minute." The Duke said, "Shancha, help Auntie up."
Shancha tried to get up, but her legs became numb from kneeling for so long, and she knelt back down.
The maidservant standing by was smart enough to step forward, but she was a step too late.
The Duke stood up, took two steps forward, and came to the front of the concubine. He grabbed the concubine's arm and lifted her up.
"Madam Duan, you can continue now."
The Duke did not leave either. He stood behind his concubine with his hands behind his back, waiting for Duan Zhi to apologize.
Duan Zhi bit her lower lip and bowed to the person in front of her: "It is my fault that I misunderstood you, Auntie. Please bear with me."
Seeing her daughter, whom she had raised so pampered, now having to apologize to a concubine, Lu's heart ached. But she didn't dare act rashly. She could only turn her face away and pretend she didn't see it.
Everyone in the Duke's Mansion was naturally happy, but in front of others, they all pretended to be serious.
When Madam Duan ducked down, Jasmine stepped forward and helped her up: "Madam, please leave now. It's just a misunderstanding. Once it's resolved, everything will be fine."
Duan Zhi lowered her eyes and looked at her hand. This time, she suppressed her disgust and did not wave it away.
The Duke was afraid that his concubine would be beaten again, so he stepped forward and pulled her away.
Duan Zhi was stunned and sneered.
Everyone thought it was over, but unexpectedly, the Duke added in a deep voice, "And that slap."
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