"Actually, it's not difficult. It's just that the old lady didn't seem to want Niu Niu to recognize that couple before. Strangely, this time when the Emperor and Empress came, the old lady's feelings were unusually strong. She remembered everything she couldn't remember before!"
Liang Shuyan was surprised to hear such a strange thing, and then said, "Oh dear, maybe our Niu Niu really is a princess?"
Grandma Jin looked distressed and said with some displeasure, "But for some reason, I wish that couple who came before would visit again. That way, our Niu Niu might not have to go to the palace, and we might still have a chance to meet. But once she enters the palace, she might never have a peaceful night's sleep again in this lifetime."
The room was quiet. The old lady's frail body suddenly convulsed. Liang Shuyan said with some difficulty, "Mother, I can understand your feelings. There are some things we can't change. If Niu Niu really is the Empress's princess, then Niu Niu will have a place to settle down and live a good life. Isn't that good? I'm just worried that it's not."
Liang Shuyan's words plunged the room into a brief silence, the air seeming to freeze. The old woman's body convulsed violently again, the cane in her hand striking the floor with a dull echo that rang out clearly in the stillness. Her lips trembled slightly, and her eyes flickered with an indescribable emotion—anger, disappointment, or helplessness?
Liang Shuyan lowered her eyes, her hands clasped on her knees, her fingers unconsciously clenching and unclenching, revealing her inner conflict. She looked up at the window; the sky was filled with dark clouds, as if foreshadowing an impending storm. She took a deep breath, trying to calm the turmoil within her.
“Mother, I know you’re worried about Niu Niu,” she said, her voice gentle yet firm, “but some things are beyond our control. If Niu Niu really is the Empress’s princess, then she has a bright future. She can enjoy the riches and honors that we can’t give her, and she won’t have to live that life of wandering anymore.”
A crisp sound came from outside the door, and Liang Shuyan was startled and ran out the door!
"who?"
Looking around, I didn't see anything. Then I looked at the ground and saw a pile of broken cups!
Niu Niu's background cannot be revealed to others. No, we must find the person who knows this information!
Niu Niu's heart tightened. She looked around, trying to find the source of the sound. However, the room was empty, with only the broken cups gleaming coldly on the floor.
She crouched down and carefully picked up a shard of porcelain. Its sharp edge cut her finger, and a trickle of crimson blood seeped out, contrasting sharply with the white of the porcelain. Niu Niu seemed oblivious, silently watching the drop of blood spread across the white porcelain shard.
Just then, a cool breeze drifted in through the window, causing the curtains to flutter gently. Niu Niu's gaze followed, and for a fleeting moment, she seemed to see a dark shadow flash past the window. Her heart skipped a beat, and a strong sense of unease welled up inside her.
Soon, the news spread that Niu Niu was not the lady's daughter. It was said that there were ready-made goods in the workshop, and Liang Shuyan summoned her to the courtyard for questioning!
A gentle breeze blows, and the curtains sway softly in the wind.
Niu Niu's eyes were fixed in that direction; she seemed to see a blurry figure flash past the window.
Her heart suddenly raced, and a strong sense of unease welled up inside her, as if something was about to happen.
Suddenly, the news spread like wildfire through the village, and the rumors grew increasingly intense, all saying that Niu Niu was not that woman's daughter.
This news was like a bomb, instantly detonating shockwaves throughout the entire village.
Liang Shuyan stood in the courtyard, looking at the crowd in front of her, her eyes sharp as knives.
A slight smirk appeared on her lips.
She gathered all the villagers and demanded that they tell the truth. Her voice echoed in the courtyard, carrying an undeniable authority.
"Speak, you lot, who said Niu Niu isn't my daughter? What, you work at my teahouse and now you dare to gossip about my daughter?"
A man stood at the entrance of the teahouse, his face ashen and filled with rage.
His voice sounded particularly jarring in the quiet afternoon.
The shop assistants lowered their heads and remained silent, but their hearts were in turmoil.
He glared at them, his eyes like knives.
The shop assistants kept their heads down, avoiding his gaze.
They knew that this woman was the owner of the teahouse, the one who provided them with money every month to support their families, and the Tea Lady personally appointed by the Emperor. Her authority was not to be challenged, and her dignity was not to be violated.
The person who was gossiping was in a state of utter confusion.
He knew she had made a mistake, a serious one. He had thought that gossiping behind someone's back was no big deal, but he never expected the news to reach Liang Shuyan's ears. Now, he could only silently await Liang Shuyan's punishment.
His heart felt as heavy as a lead ball. His gaze fell on Liang Shuyan's face, her once kind and gentle countenance now cold as ice. He remembered the contemptuous smile he had given her behind her back; those whispered words seemed like sharp arrows, now piercing his chest.
He saw Liang Shuyan's fingers trembling, a sign of anger, but also the beginning of a judgment he could not escape. He knew that would be the price he paid for his recklessness. His eyes couldn't leave those hands, as if he were foreseeing the impending punishment.
Liang Shuyan's lips moved, and he heard her voice like a cold blade slicing through glass: "Do you have anything else to say?" At that moment, he knew he had nowhere to escape.
"Yes, I'm sorry. I... I heard it from Chunyan, and I just couldn't control my mouth and blurted it out. Madam, please forgive me. I don't want to lose this job!"
"No! No!" he cried out in terror, his face as pale as paper.
His voice echoed in the empty courtyard, attracting the attention of the other servants.
Chunyan watched silently from the side, a hint of reluctance flashing in her eyes.
The lady looked at him coldly, a sneer curling at the corner of her lips. "Do you think I'll let you off so easily? You betrayed me, and you think you can escape punishment?"
He knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, "Madam, please, for the sake of all the years I've served you, spare my life!"
The lady glanced at him, said nothing, and turned to leave. He was left alone kneeling on the cold stone slab, weeping in despair.
"Chunyan, come here!"
A look of smugness flashed across Liang Shuyan's face, but Chunyan's heart was pounding like a drum!
"Auntie, Auntie, I... I just overheard it by accident!"
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