Hu Mingmei stood her ground, "Then why did Second Aunt hit her?"
Hu Haichuan was at a loss for words. How could it be such a coincidence that Hu Mingmei overheard this sentence? How could it be such a coincidence that Eunuch Qian arrived?
“Ming’er, it’s because your second aunt was too anxious!” Madam Zheng stepped forward, having regained her composure. “Your fourth brother was seriously injured and unconscious by Nuo’er. It was because your second aunt thought that Nuo’er had just married into the family and was still too wild in the countryside, so she thought of giving her a light punishment. She didn’t mean to kill her!”
"Nono just came back and has never seen Fourth Brother before, how could she hit him?" Hu Mingmei sneered. "Second Aunt, I may be physically weak, but I'm not mentally challenged!"
Madam Zheng choked. She didn't know the answer to this question either, but even if she did, she would say it was Bai Nuo's fault.
"Alright, alright!" said Eunuch Qian. "Since there are doubts about this matter, wouldn't it be clear if we investigated it? This would give the Fourth Young Master justice and prevent the Second Young Mistress from feeling wronged."
After finishing his sentence, Eunuch Qian looked at Hu Wenbai and asked, "Old Master Hu, you have no objection to what I'm doing, do you?"
Hu Wenbai said repeatedly, "What you said is extremely fair, and I naturally have no objection."
Even if he had a problem with it, he wouldn't dare to say it!
Since the matter was about investigation, Hu Wenbai summoned everyone from Hu Mingmei's courtyard. When Eunuch Qian looked at the few people kneeling below, he was taken aback. "Why are there only so many people in the Second Young Master's courtyard?"
Hu Mingmei said, "It was Nuo'er who said that there are only the two of us masters living in the courtyard, so there is no need for so many people to serve us. Too many people are not good for my recovery."
"The second young mistress is indeed virtuous!" Eunuch Qian exclaimed in admiration.
"Have you seen Fourth Brother enter my courtyard?" Hu Mingmei asked Peony and Peony.
None of the servants had followed Bai Nuo into the main hall, so they were unaware that something had happened to him. They assumed that his misdeeds had been exposed and that he was about to be interrogated, so they immediately insisted, "We have never seen him!"
"So, did a thief break into my yard today?" Hu Mingmei asked again.
"Yes!" Peony replied in a low voice, "A petty thief broke in and disturbed the young mistress, but we caught him."
"You're talking nonsense!" Madam Zheng was furious at the thought of her most beloved youngest son being beaten half to death. "That was clearly Yi Kang!"
"This servant doesn't know!" Peony replied stiffly. "We were in the outer room when we heard the young mistress scream from the inner room. When we went in, we saw that person run out and knock us all down. When the young mistress saw that we couldn't do anything to him, she put a sack over his head. We didn't get a good look at what he looked like!"
"Don't you all even take a look?" Madam Zheng said angrily.
“We were only concerned about the young mistress’s safety. If we had known it was the fourth young master, we wouldn’t have dared to hit him even if you beat us to death. But how did the fourth young master get into the inner room? We didn’t see him enter the courtyard!” Peony asked in confusion.
This question stumped Madam Zheng!
"How did Second Aunt find out that Fourth Brother entered my courtyard?" Hu Mingmei asked coldly.
Madam Zheng didn't know how to answer. She couldn't very well expose her own daughter, could she?
However, since Madam Zheng didn't say anything, others spoke up for her. Peony said, "The commotion in the courtyard was too loud and alerted the eldest young lady. It was only when the eldest young lady came over that she realized it was the fourth young master!" Therefore, the reason Madam Zheng knew that Hu Yikang had arrived at Hu Mingmei's courtyard was because Hu Ziyao told her.
This question dragged Hu Ziyao into the matter again.
When asked to the end, Hu Mingmei sneered, "Second Aunt really dotes on her son. She wants to hit someone without even knowing the facts. Is it because my parents are no longer here, or is she bullying Nuonuo because she just married into the family?"
Hu Ziyao couldn't bear to see Hu Mingmei blame his mother like that, so she immediately said, "Second brother, don't say that about my mother. She hit fourth brother first!"
"How did Nuonuo know that was the fourth brother? Are you saying Nuonuo did it on purpose?"
"No!" Hu Ziyao immediately denied it, wanting to explain, but looking into Hu Mingmei's cold eyes, she didn't know what to say.
"Alright, alright!" Eunuch Qian laughed at this moment. "It's good that things are clear. But Old Master Hu, the Second Young Master is still the Princess's only descendant. You two are in the wrong. The Young Madam has just married into the family and she's already having a miscarriage. What if something happens to the child?"
"It was my fault!" Hu Wenbo immediately said. "I will severely punish that unfilial descendant!"
Eunuch Qian nodded, "Then hurry up! I'm waiting for the imperial decree to be announced!"
Hu Wenbai choked. He had originally planned to deal with Eunuch Qian and then pretend nothing had happened after he left. But Eunuch Qian's words put Hu Wenbai in a difficult position. With a grim expression, he ordered someone to bring in the family punishment.
Poor Hu Yikang, he was beaten unconscious by Bai Nuo and hasn't even woken up yet, and now he's been beaten again.
Hu Yikang was carried in, half-dead. Finally, Eunuch Qian was satisfied and slowly began to read the imperial edict. The more Hu Wenbai and the others listened, the uglier their faces became.
In the imperial edict, His Majesty expressed his joy at Hu Mingmei's marriage, and instructed Hu Mingmei to take good care of her health and give birth to a grandson for the princess as soon as possible. He also expressed his affection for his new daughter-in-law and bestowed many gifts upon Bai Nuo.
"Because the princess's things are still being packed, they will be sent along with the reward once they are all packed!" Eunuch Qian said after Hu Mingmei received the imperial decree.
"Thank you, Your Majesty!" Hu Mingmei said in a deep voice.
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