Chapter 16 Your older brother is right, he should be punished.
Xiao Jingheng stepped in, his face calm and expressionless, as if he had already expected to see this scene.
He glanced indifferently at his younger brother kneeling on the ground, completely ignoring him.
When Madam Liu saw her eldest son arrive, she seemed to have found her pillar of support and hurriedly said, "Heng'er, you've come at the right time. Your younger brother has already realized his mistake. He was just confused for a moment. Besides, that Li Mo really went too far..."
Xiao Jingheng listened quietly to his mother's words, without immediately refuting her. Instead, he looked at his younger brother beside him with a sharp gaze.
"So, you're saying that going to the gambling den wasn't a mistake, but rather a righteous act to protect the Marquis's reputation?"
Xiao Jingheng stopped looking at him and turned to Madam Liu, clearly and logically exposing his brother's lie:
“Mother, you are wise. First, if he hadn’t lacked self-control and been so impetuous, he wouldn’t have been provoked by Li Mo’s few words. Ultimately, it was his own improper conduct that gave others an opportunity to take advantage of him.”
"Secondly, as a young master of the Marquis's mansion, he disguised himself as a man with his maid and frequented gambling dens and restaurants. Regardless of the reason, he had already put the reputation of the Marquis's mansion in danger. If it weren't for luck, what he would have lost today would not only be money, but the face of the entire Yongning Marquis's mansion."
“Third,” he paused, emphasizing his words.
"To fail to reflect on one's own faults when faced with problems, and instead attempt to downplay them and deceive one's mother, is an even greater mistake!"
Listening to her eldest son's meticulous and insightful analysis, and seeing the guilty and shifty look in her younger son's eyes, Madam Liu suddenly realized the truth.
The slight pity I felt earlier vanished instantly, replaced by anger at being fooled.
"Your older brother is right!"
Madam Liu's face darkened. "You child, you almost fooled me! Your elder brother is right, we should teach you a lesson for your lawless and irresponsible ways of speaking!"
Turning her head, she stopped looking at her youngest son and said to Xiao Jingheng, "You handle this matter; I won't interfere."
Xiao Jingxuan was completely dumbfounded and collapsed to the ground.
He had intended to get Su Xiaoyu to share the burden, but his older brother completely overturned his performance! He received all the punishments he was given, and also gained a bad impression of "deception" in front of his mother!
What's this called?
He tried to steal a chicken but lost the rice instead.
They lifted a rock only to drop it on their own foot!
Xiao Jingheng said no more, bowed to his mother and said, "Mother, I will take him down to carry out his punishment."
Liu waved wearily: "Go, and make sure to discipline them strictly."
Fortunately, her eldest son was a worry-free person. Otherwise, with the Marquis away from the manor for long periods, she, a woman confined to the inner quarters, really wouldn't know how to discipline Xiao Jingxuan and Xiao Lingxi, those two troublemakers.
After dealing with Xiao Jingxuan, Xiao Jingheng did not leave immediately.
He remained calm and composed, and then brought up the punishment for Su Xiaoyu.
"Mother, I also have some thoughts about that girl, Su Xiaoyu."
Madam Liu was already troubled by her youngest son's incompetence when she heard this, and she rubbed her temples. "That audacious girl, let's just send her to the estate to do hard labor for a while. That will teach her a lesson."
Liu's handling of the matter was actually quite lenient.
If it were any other servant, and she took her master out to have fun, she would be sold off no matter what.
“Mother, you are mistaken,” Xiao Jingheng said. “It would be a waste to send him to the estate to do hard labor.”
"What a pity?" Liu asked, somewhat puzzled.
"Hmm." Xiao Jingheng nodded and began to state the reasons he had already prepared.
"My son has observed her carefully. Although she is lively and unconventional, she does have some unusual qualities."
"Today at the gambling den, Li Mo colluded with the dealer to cheat. The method was so subtle that even Jing Xuan and the others did not notice it. It was Su Xiaoyu who first saw the flaw and cleverly broke the deadlock, saving the Marquis's mansion's reputation and preventing Jing Xuan from suffering a loss."
Madam Liu was indeed drawn to the matter: "Is that so?"
"Yes. It can be seen that she is simple and honest, and knows her limits. Jingxuan once tried to tempt her with gold and silver jewelry, but she was not tempted at all and refused directly. It can be seen that she is indeed greedy, but when it comes to matters of right and wrong, she is quite upright and is not the kind of person who is vain and cunning."
"This girl has her shortcomings, but also her strengths. Placing her by Lingxi's side, given her impulsive nature, might cause trouble for her sister in the future, which is not a long-term solution."
"But if we simply release him to a lowly post or punish him severely, it would be a waste of his rare quick wit and decent character."
Upon hearing this, Lady Liu also felt that it made a lot of sense.
"So what do you think we should do?"
"After much thought, my son decided that it would be better to transfer her to 'Moyunzhai'."
“Moyunzhai? That’s your study. How can a girl who doesn’t know her place be allowed to serve you in your study?” Madam Liu immediately objected.
Xiao Jingheng then offered a 'grand and imposing' explanation: "The study is an important place with strict rules, which is a good opportunity to temper her temperament and strictly restrain her. This is the 'punishment'."
Furthermore, keeping him under his son's watchful eye allows him to fully utilize his talents, observe whether he truly has potential, and guide him accordingly. In the future, he might become a trusted and capable confidant within the household—this is what is meant by 'utilizing' him.
After listening to his analysis, Liu remained silent.
This reason seems impeccable, even perfect.
But why did she feel something was off?
This child was calm and composed from a young age, more clever than his peers, and also more "cold" than them. He never questioned the maids and servants in the mansion when they made mistakes.
Even when Jingxuan and Lingxi caused trouble in front of him, he would usually just say "punish them according to the rules" indifferently. He would never go to such lengths to plead for a maid he had never interacted with before.
Recalling what Xiao Lingxi had said to her earlier, Liu was filled with suspicion and doubt.
Could it be...
Liu picked up the teacup and gently stirred the floating tea leaves with the lid, her gesture carrying a hint of probing:
"Heng'er, you've never cared about matters of the inner quarters, but now you're thinking things through so carefully for a little girl."
Xiao Jingheng's expression remained unchanged; he didn't even blink.
“Mother is too kind. I am not doing this for her, but for the Marquis’s mansion.”
"Right now is a critical moment in the struggle between the Crown Prince and the Third Prince in the court. There are many servants in the household, some good and some bad. If we can identify them early, weed out the bad and keep the good, and guide them to make the best use of their abilities, then we can establish a solid foundation. This is the foundation of managing a household and the way to govern subordinates. As the heir apparent, I have no choice but to take on this responsibility."
Upon hearing this, most of Liu's doubts vanished.
Come to think of it, Jingheng has always taken official duties seriously, and the study is where he handles case files, so naturally he would choose a "suitable" person.
Madam Liu smiled and shook her head. "Mother is overthinking it. You are more thoughtful and consider things more thoroughly than I am. In that case, let's do it your way. I'll talk to Lingxi to avoid her throwing another tantrum."
Xiao Jingheng stood up and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your understanding, Mother."
However, Liu then changed the subject: "Speaking of which, Su Xiaoyu is quite pretty. Lingxi even told me that you seem to treat her differently. If you're willing..."
This statement is very straightforward, almost revealing the truth.
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