Chapter 131 I, Lu Zhaoruo, will never kneel!
Looking at Li Nian'er's smug smile and the menacing gazes of the constables, Lu Zhaoruo took a deep breath. Contrary to everyone's expectations, she was not angry or desperate. Instead, her voice was clear and steady: "Young Master Li, please forgive this humble woman... for being unable to comply with your request."
Li Nian'er's face darkened: "You dare, you..."
“It is not I, a humble woman, who would dare to disobey you.”
Lu Zhaoruo interrupted her calmly and respectfully, saying in a measured tone, "But I am a commoner... I cannot kneel."
"As I just stated, half a month ago I donated my family's wealth to help the navy suppress the Japanese pirates, fulfilling my duty as a citizen of this country. Heaven and earth can bear witness to my heart and my thoughts."
"If today, because of my 'meritorious service in assisting the army,' I kneel and kowtow to you again..."
She paused slightly, her gaze sweeping over the constables present and the common people outside the gate. "If this gets out, what will people think?"
"Could it be that Magistrate Li's daughter is above the merits of the royal army and the rewards of the court? That a commoner who has rendered meritorious service to the court must kowtow to diminish this achievement in order to save face for you?"
"this……"
She looked at Li Nian'er again, her tone becoming meaningful, "I'm afraid this will greatly harm Magistrate Li's reputation and your good name, Miss Li?"
"Though my knees are lowly."
She emphasized her words slightly at the end: "But we dare not tarnish the face of the imperial court, nor dare we bring such criticism of 'arrogance and humiliation of the righteous people' upon the Li family."
“If I were to kowtow to this, I would truly be putting Miss Li in an unjust position.”
“Therefore, I dare to say,” she bowed slightly, “I beg you to rescind your order, and I am willing to atone for my sins through other means.”
The people outside the gate were talking about it.
The constables also looked fearful.
Both Steward Chen and Madam Yang admired Master Lu, thinking how truly intelligent he was!
Li Nian'er was so angry that her face was contorted.
We can't throw her in jail and beat her to death, nor can we force her to kneel in public! Even if we forcibly confiscate the embroidered pavilion, it will be far from enough to quell the overwhelming hatred in her heart!
She pointed at Lu Zhaoruo, her voice trembling with anger: "You! You kept saying you would take responsibility for everything! Now we can't arrest you or force you to kneel! Your word 'take responsibility' is clearly cunning, a trick to me! What exactly do you mean?"
Faced with Li Nian'er's fury, Lu Zhaoruo smiled calmly, her tone even carrying a hint of humility: "This humble woman dares not."
"How can we quell your anger and uphold the authority of the law?"
She nodded slightly, "Of course, I will follow your instructions, Miss Li. I will do as you say."
Li Nian'er was so angry that she felt a sharp pain in her chest!
After Peng, the foreman, whispered a few words in her ear, she sneered and raised her voice: "Fine! Lu Zhaoruo, you're all silver-tongued. I'll deal with you 'according to the law'!"
"You have allowed your servants to commit violence, harassed law enforcement officers, and are suspected of overstepping your authority. The evidence is conclusive! Effective immediately, the embroidery shop is to be sealed off and closed pending trial!"
With a wave of her hand, the constables immediately slapped the prepared seal onto the gate.
“These unruly servants involved…”
Her gaze swept over Wan Wanning and Shi Mozi. "They must be taken back to the yamen and severely punished!"
"Furthermore," she stared at Lu Zhaoruo and said, word by word, "you have three days to embroider ten banners that read 'Repent and Start anew,' and hang them outside the door so the whole city can see the 'sincerity' of your Lu Family Embroidery Shop! I will send people to 'guard' this place day and night!"
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Lu Zhaoruo remained calm and said, "I am afraid I cannot comply. What is the offense of overstepping my bounds? We cannot convict someone based on just one sentence from Miss Li. As for the matter of letting the servant commit violence and clashing with the police, I have already stated that I will take full responsibility. Naturally, I cannot be brought back to the yamen for punishment."
Li Nian'er was so angry she went crazy.
She no longer cared about appearances and yelled, "Hold her down! I want to see if your knees are as tough as your mouth! I want you to kneel right now!"
The constables looked at each other, hesitating in their tracks.
Peng Bantou forced a smile and said in a low voice, "Young lady, this...this is unacceptable..."
"waste!"
Seeing that she couldn't command these yamen runners, Li Nian'er trembled with anger and stomped her foot: "You dare to disobey orders? What can a mere merchant's wife who has donated some money and grain do?"
"My aunt..."
Her voice suddenly rose, sharp and piercing, "But she is the mistress of the household of the Director of Studies of the Imperial Academy in the capital, a noble lady of the fifth rank! She treats me like her own daughter."
"If you dare to defy me today, one day my aunt can dismiss you all from your posts and condemn you to eternal damnation!"
This is a blatant threat of power!
Lu Zhaoruo had not expected that Li Nian'er had gone to such extremes.
The two constables were so frightened that they had no choice but to step forward, grab Lu Zhaoruo's arms, and forcefully try to make her kneel down...
Lu Zhaoruo struggled fiercely, her gaze as cold as a tempered blade, fixed on Li Nian'er's face.
Lu Bohong, Sun Jing, Dong Rou, Steward Chen, Yang Niangzi, Shi Mozi, Ni Qiu San... and many other embroiderers were all worried and resentful.
Wan Wanning bit her lower lip.
She almost urged in her heart, "Sister, kneel down quickly and appease Young Master Li!"
Seeing that Lu Zhaoruo refused to kneel, Li Nian'er shouted again, "If she refuses to kneel, break her legs! Let's see how tough she is then!"
now--
Sun Jing had already gripped the stick at his side, his eyes blazing with murderous intent, and was about to step forward when...
"Miss! Miss! Something terrible has happened!"
A servant, tumbling and crawling, his face filled with terror, broke through the crowd and rushed straight to Li Nian'er.
Li Nian'er was furious and kicked him, saying, "You idiot! What's the rush?"
Ignoring his pain, the servant cried out in a hoarse, tearful voice, "Miss! An imperial envoy has suddenly arrived from the capital! He's carrying an imperial edict!"
"Master...Master, your official hat and belt have been removed! 'Embezzlement, dereliction of duty, allowing your son to commit violence, and harming the village'...The evidence is conclusive, and you have been dismissed from your post and investigated, and demoted to a commoner!"
"boom!"
This news struck Li Nian'er like a thunderbolt, making her eardrums ache.
All the arrogance, pride, and madness on her face turned into bewilderment and horror.
Her lips trembled, but she couldn't utter a single word. She staggered back a step, almost collapsing.
The two constables who were holding Lu Zhaoruo's shoulders quickly let go, looking at Li Nian'er in horror, then at the servant who had brought the news, unsure whether to go forward or retreat.
Lu Zhaoruo seized the opportunity to quickly break free from the restraints.
Dongrou wiped away her tears and immediately rushed forward to help her up.
Lu Zhaoruo felt a slight tremor in her heart, and a sense of doubt arose within her.
Why did an imperial envoy suddenly arrive from the capital? And why was Magistrate Li dismissed and investigated so precisely? Who brought this matter directly to the emperor's ears? And who could wield such swift and decisive power?
This was completely beyond her expectations and plans.
Li Nian'er suddenly snapped back to her senses, shook her head, and exclaimed incredulously, "Impossible... Absolutely impossible!"
She turned and glared at the servant: "You wicked servant, how dare you spout nonsense!"
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