Standing under the eaves, Wang Xiuxiu watched the First Madam's figure disappear into the night, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly: This good show has only just begun...
The brothers, Uncle Cheng and Second Master Cheng, appeared to be friendly and respectful to each other on the surface, but secretly harbored their own ulterior motives.
Master Cheng, relying on being the eldest son, always puts himself in a superior position to Master Cheng.
Meanwhile, Master Cheng the Second harbored resentment and was always looking for an opportunity to bring down Master Cheng the First so that he could gain a foothold in the Cheng family.
Old Master Cheng is greedy and lustful, while Second Master Cheng is treacherous and cunning; neither of them is easy to deal with!
Wang Xiuxiu had long seen through their intentions, but she just didn't have the opportunity to make a move.
Being secretly coveted by the Cheng brothers like this, she would live in constant fear if she couldn't completely put an end to their thoughts.
The First Madam has always been protective of her own, especially of her only son, Cheng Shujie.
Given her doting affection for Cheng Shujie, even if he made a huge mistake, the First Madam would try her best to cover it up for him, even at the cost of others.
The First Madam will surely pin all the blame on Song Qing'er, accusing her of bewitching the master, seducing Cheng Shujie, and disgracing the family.
Now that Cheng Shujie and Song Qing'er's scandalous affair has been exposed, it's the perfect opportunity for her to stir up trouble in the Cheng family.
Wang Xiuxiu was also aware of the risks and uncertainties involved in the plan she was about to implement.
This move is extremely risky; a slight misstep could backfire.
But she had no other choice.
The Cheng brothers' greed and treachery had long since become unbearable for her, and she could no longer sit idly by and wait for her doom.
Instead of living in constant fear and on the defensive, it would be better to take the initiative and use this opportunity to drag Cheng Lao Er down with him.
A cold glint flashed in Wang Xiuxiu's eyes; she had already made up her mind.
As everyone knows, Master Cheng Er has a very poor alcohol tolerance. After the banquet ended today, he was even more reluctant to get up and leave, stubbornly sitting there for a full hour longer.
He slumped drunkenly in his chair, his face flushed, mumbling incoherently, clearly completely unconscious.
At this moment, the servant beside him had already been ordered to fetch tea to sober him up, while he himself slumped drunkenly in a chair in the hall, his eyes tightly closed, muttering repeatedly, "Water... I want water..."
Wang Xiuxiu hid in the shadows, watching all of this with a cold eye.
She knew her opportunity had arrived.
She secretly pulled out a bellyband embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water from her sleeve; this was the "evidence" she had prepared long ago.
She took a deep breath, and taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, she gritted her teeth and quickly walked to Master Cheng's side, stuffing the undergarment into his arms.
Having accomplished her task, she dared not delay for a moment and fled the "crime scene" without looking back, hurriedly blending into the crowd to find the jade belt.
Wang Xiuxiu's heart was pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her chest, but the moment her gaze met the jade belt, her face remained calm, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the courtyard, Madam Cheng had just returned to her own residence.
She was about to step into the house when suddenly, a slight noise came from somewhere, as if someone had accidentally knocked over something. The sound was not loud, but it was particularly clear in the quiet night.
Madam Cheng paused, her brows furrowing slightly, and her heart tightened involuntarily.
What could be the person in the study in the dead of night? Could it be that a thief has broken into the mansion?
A chill ran down her spine, and she immediately became alert. Turning around, she whispered to the maid behind her, "Quickly, call a few capable people to quietly surround the courtyard!"
Seeing her solemn expression, the maidservant dared not neglect her and quickly responded and left.
Madam Cheng stood under the eaves, her cold gaze sweeping over her surroundings. She pondered to herself: The manor is always heavily guarded, how could someone have broken in so quietly? Could it be an inside thief?
Meanwhile, Cheng Shujie's servant, Afu, was hiding in the shadows outside the courtyard wall, cold sweat pouring down his forehead.
He was ordered to stand guard outside the study, ready to report any news at any time, but today he drank a few too much cold wine because he was greedy, and his stomach was acting up, so he had to go to the outhouse several times.
He had just come out of the outhouse when he saw the brightly lit courtyard of the First Madam in the distance. His heart skipped a beat, and he knew something was wrong.
"Oh no, oh no, this is a disaster!" Afu was terribly panicked. He didn't dare to think about reporting the news anymore and just wanted to run away as quickly as possible.
He crouched low and jogged along the base of the wall, but his foot slipped on something and he almost fell to the ground.
He hurriedly steadied himself and scrambled away into the distance, afraid of being discovered.
In the courtyard, Madam Cheng saw that the servants had surrounded the courtyard, so she personally led the people toward the study.
She pushed open the door to the main room and scanned the room with sharp eyes, only to find that everything inside was normal and there was nothing unusual.
She frowned, her doubts deepening: "Could I have misheard?"
Just as she was pondering this, a servant rushed over and whispered, "Madam, someone just saw Afu sneaking away from the other side of the courtyard wall. He seemed to be in a panic and running for his life."
"Afu?" Upon hearing this, a cold glint flashed in Madam Cheng's eyes. "Shouldn't he be by Shujie's side? Why is he here?"
She pondered for a moment, and with a few guesses in mind, she ordered the servant, "Go and find Afu for me. I want to ask him what he's up to in the middle of the night!"
The servant obeyed and left, while Madam Cheng stood at the door of the study, gazing intently at the distant night, a sense of unease creeping into her heart.
She had a feeling that what happened today was probably not so simple.
Madam Lu glanced at Granny Lu as her gaze fell upon the door of the study.
After receiving the signal, Granny Lu walked towards the study.
Gently pushing open the door, Granny Lu squinted, trying to see the scene inside, but due to the dim light, she could only vaguely see that two people seemed to be doing that filthy thing.
Startled, fearing she might disturb the person inside, she quickly and quietly closed the door and hurried back to her master's side, whispering what she had seen and heard to the First Madam.
Upon hearing this, Madam Cheng flew into a rage, trembling with anger, and shouted, "You wretches! I'll teach you a lesson today..."
He led a group of servants and charged aggressively toward the closed door.
Upon reaching the door, Granny Lu kicked it hard, and with a loud bang, the door opened.
However, just as Madam Cheng was about to unleash a torrent of abuse, she suddenly discovered that the man inside the room was none other than her good-for-nothing son, Cheng Shujie.
Cheng Shujie turned around in astonishment and met his mother's gaze.
Madam Cheng was stunned for a moment, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head to extinguish her anger.
She was convinced that her husband had secretly come to her courtyard to meet his lover during his rest time, but it turned out that it was this good-for-nothing son who was causing trouble here.
Madam Cheng quickly came to her senses and immediately reached out to close the open door again.
At the same time, Cheng Shujie on the other side also frantically grabbed the clothes next to him and haphazardly covered his naked body.
The woman lying beneath him covered her face with her hands, her body trembling violently.
"Shujie, if you take a fancy to any girl, just tell your mother, and I'll find a way to bring her into your family. Look at the mess you're making! If word gets out, how will our family ever face anyone again?" Madam Cheng scolded her son, both anxious and angry.
"Mom, please stop scolding me. I can't get down. Please come and help me!" Cheng Shujie pleaded, his face flushed, feeling both embarrassed and helpless.
Madam Cheng, standing not far away, seemed to hear the familiar voice. She paused for a moment, then rushed forward in three strides, tearing open the bodice the woman used to cover her face.
"You shameless slut! Not only do you monopolize the master, but you also dare to seduce my son! Have you no shame at all!"
Madam Cheng was furious and raised her hand to slap Song Qing'er hard across the face.
Song Qing'er's cheeks instantly swelled up, and for a moment, only the crisp sound of slaps could be heard in the study.
At this moment, Cheng Shujie, who was tightly entangled by Song Qing'er, couldn't help but let out a painful wail.
"Mother, please stop hitting her! I'm in so much pain, please get me out of here!"
As Cheng Shujie spoke, he twisted his body, trying to break free from Song Qing'er's grasp.
Madam Cheng then realized that something was wrong, stopped what she was doing, and instead reached out and pulled Song Qing'er forcefully.
However, no matter how hard she tried, Song Qing'er seemed to lose consciousness, her face as pale as paper, like a lifeless dead person.
Seeing this, Madam Cheng knew that she would probably not be able to do anything by herself, so she had no choice but to call for Granny Lu, who was waiting outside the door, to come and help.
Upon hearing the commotion, Mrs. Lu rushed over. As soon as she entered the room, she was stunned by the chaotic scene and her young master's disheveled appearance. She stood there dumbfounded.
Wang Xiuxiu stood at a distance, watching all of this with a cold eye.
The plan is already half successful; all that's needed now is to add fuel to the fire.
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