Chapter 225 This Marquis will not be able to swallow this anger!
Qingling glanced at Zhaoyin and sneered, "Do you think giving her to you will bring peace to the Marquis's mansion? Will it?"
She talked as she walked, forcing the old woman to retreat step by step.
"Go back and tell the Marquis that I am going to pay my respects to him."
The old woman met with a rebuff and had to return empty-handed.
As she left, she turned back and gave Zhao Yin, who was being helped up by Lou Yue, a vicious glance that nearly made Zhao Yin kneel down again.
Lou Yue said, "Miss, why did you say earlier that the medicine packet was found?"
Why not just have CMB testify against her?
Qingling sighed: "Because I originally wanted to give him a way out."
She wasn't under the influence of the aphrodisiac. Things hadn't gotten out of control yet, and even if they made a scene, it wouldn't lead to anything. It was better to give each other some dignity.
Ultimately, the Marquis's mansion still reveres the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery.
Qingling originally planned to find an excuse to take Zhaoyin back and then let the matter rest.
“That old woman wasn’t stubborn or stupid. She insisted that Zhao Yin stole the gold for two reasons. First, she was afraid I would deal with her, and she wanted to save her own life. Second, she was upholding the Marquis’s absolute authority in the manor.”
Even if the Marquis is wrong, you have no choice but to accept it!
If Qingling does not object, then even if Marquis Zhongyong doesn't use any tricks and directly sends her to Zhan Xingzhuo's bed in the future, she will have no choice but to obey.
Lou Yue's eyelids drooped, looking somewhat dejected: "Miss, the Marquis's wife was only recently sent to the estate, and now there's trouble brewing again in the manor. How are we going to live like this?"
She just wanted to eat and drink with the young lady and live a peaceful life.
Qing Ling smiled faintly and looked up at the treetops.
A gust of wind blew by, knocking some of the snow off the branches.
"In the grand mansions, there will never be peace as long as there is wind."
She is optimistic, though.
If a person stays in a stable environment for too long, they will lose their fighting spirit and the ability to protect themselves. If they encounter plunderers, they will only be bullied and will have no ability to fight back.
This reminded her of her first year after marrying into the Duke's family.
That year, her husband treated her well, and her parents-in-law also treated her well, making her think that was a warm home, and that she could spend the rest of her life there peacefully.
She was filled with gratitude, so much so that after Zhou Zhining and her son appeared, she felt that it wouldn't hurt to endure it.
But her forbearance only fueled their plundering, leaving her with no peaceful and warm home at all.
Only then did Qingling realize that her forbearance was a mistake; if she didn't protect her home, it would be taken away by others.
Fortunately, she didn't remain naive and fantasize that life would still be peaceful.
She lost one home, so she rebuilt another, and this time, she carefully selected her family members.
This time, she wants every member of her family to have the ability to protect themselves.
Therefore, it is better to do this: when the enemy comes, we fight back; we try every means to defeat the enemy and always maintain the ability to protect ourselves.
Or rather, the joy of fighting with others is endless.
"...Think positively, life goes on, and it will only get better."
Lou Yue nodded.
After washing and grooming herself, Qingling went to the main courtyard to pay her respects.
With Madam Ma gone, Concubine Zhao has been elevated to the rank of Noble Concubine, making her second only to the Marquis in the household.
She was polite to Qingling, without showing any smugness, and gently invited Qingling to sit down and talk.
The old woman who came to Mulan Courtyard early in the morning was also there, but she was kneeling on the ground, begging Qingling for forgiveness.
Marquis Zhongyong grabbed a teacup and threw it at the old woman: "Fool, who told you to come up with this terrible idea? My Marquis's mansion is a clean place, and you, this self-righteous old scoundrel, have made it a mess!"
The teacup struck the old woman on the forehead, causing blood to gush out immediately.
She cried out and fell to the ground, not daring to wipe the blood from her forehead. She immediately knelt down and said, "Miss, that packet of medicine was put there by this old servant. It was my own idea, thinking it was for your own good, so that you and your husband could be reunited as a family soon."
"But I never expected that my good intentions would backfire. I know I am guilty and I am willing to accept any punishment."
She kowtowed repeatedly, her face covered in blood, as if she intended to die from the kowtow. Compared to her arrogance that morning, she seemed like a completely different person.
At such an advanced age, the sound of his pleas and the blood all over his head were too much to bear to watch.
Concubine Zhao did not speak directly to Qingling. Instead, she poured her own tea for Marquis Zhongyong and gently comforted him, "My lord, please calm down. Don't ruin your health over a servant. This whole family is counting on you."
With such a beautiful, gentle, and considerate woman to coax him, what man wouldn't be tempted?
Marquis Zhongyong's anger subsided by a third. He took the teacup, sipped some water, and looked up at Qingling, saying, "I won't say anything more. This person is yours. Do whatever you want with her."
This sudden change was beyond Yao Qingling's expectations.
She thought her uncle would scold her to save face and maintain his authority, and then let the matter drop.
Qingling glanced at Zhao Qie, who was admiring the jade bracelet on her wrist with her eyes lowered, seemingly indifferent to the matter.
Qingling knew very well what kind of person the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery was.
His sudden change must have been suggested by this concubine.
Qingling gently curled the corners of her lips and said, "This old woman is from the main courtyard. My uncle gave her to me, how could I dare to discipline her? Wouldn't that be overstepping my bounds? I also have to take care of her in her old age and see her to her death out of respect for my uncle. Is this a punishment or a reward?"
"Since Uncle knows that it was his subordinates who messed things up, he can handle it. Qingling believes that Uncle is impartial and will definitely give Qingling an explanation."
Marquis Zhongyong's face darkened, and he immediately summoned two servants to drag the old woman out, angrily declaring, "Beat her to death with sticks!"
The old woman seemed to have already foreseen her fate, but upon hearing this, she was still so shocked that she sat down on the ground with a thud.
When the two servants came to drag her away, she knelt down respectfully and kowtowed to the Marquis of Zhongyong.
Outside the courtyard, the only sound was the thud of sticks striking the body. The old woman had a strip of cloth stuffed in her mouth, and she kept it in her mouth until she died. When it was torn off, a tooth was also pulled out.
The guards who were carrying out the execution came in and reported that the man had died.
Marquis Zhongyong looked at Qingling: "Would you like to go and take a look?"
Qingling shook her head and turned to Xia Chan behind her, asking her to take out a silver ingot: "Give it to this old woman's family and tell them to buy a coffin."
She had no sympathy for the old woman's death.
Just because someone is old doesn't mean they can get sympathy and forgiveness, or that they can avoid dying.
Judging from the ruthlessness she showed towards Zhao Yin, many people must have died at her hands in the past. Besides, if she didn't die, it would be Zhao Yin who would die. It was on this matter that Qing Ling bowed her head to Marquis Zhongyong.
She took out the silver and deliberately said that sentence to tell the Marquis Zhongyong that she knew the old woman had taken the blame for everything and upheld his dignity and honor.
Qingling didn't say anything more, got up, and left with her maid.
The hall quickly quieted down.
Marquis Zhongyong gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, the veins on the back of his hands bulging.
Yao Qingling didn't take him seriously at all.
He is the true master of the Marquis's mansion, the pillar of this mansion!
Concubine Zhao sighed regretfully, "It's a pity that Granny Liang died. I will make sure to comfort her family later. My lord, please don't be angry. There's always next time."
Marquis Zhongyong took a deep breath: "No matter how much you guard against it, it's hard to guard against a traitor within your own household. This servant of the Marquis's mansion actually dared to betray me and go to that girl. That wretched girl ruined my plans and almost made me lose all face!"
"I, this lord, cannot swallow this insult!"
Concubine Zhao snorted softly: "But I have a feeling that Qingling is trying to win people over. Her intentions are sinister."
She placed the silver ingot on the table.
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