Her arguments were clear and logical, directly addressing the issues of the legitimacy of the search and the attribution of responsibility.
Shen Zhiwei was taken aback by the question. Xin Jiuwei's calmness and sharpness exceeded her expectations. She forced herself to remain calm: "Miss Xin, you are too kind. I am only thinking about the reputation of Ciyoutang. Since Miss Xin is so confident, then why don't we just investigate the cotton cloth? If there is really no Su brocade, it will clear Miss Xin's name and put Madam Zhao at ease."
She took a step back, but her goal remained clear—the pile of cotton cloth! As long as she could "find" the two "missing" bolts of Su brocade in the cotton cloth, or... "discover" that something else was missing, Xin Jiuwei would be unable to defend herself!
Xin Jiuwei saw the determined ruthlessness in Shen Zhiwei's eyes and understood. She stepped aside, her tone calm and even: "If Miss Shen insists on investigating, please do so. Granny Li, I'd like to trouble you to be a witness." She emphasized the word "witness."
Shen Zhiwei gestured for Granny Zhou to lead her people forward. Two rough-looking old women immediately rushed to the pile of cotton cloth, roughly examining it. Granny Zhou watched closely from the side, her eyes darting around.
Xin Jiuwei observed coldly, but her heart was pounding. She had absolute confidence in her inventory, but since Shen Zhiwei dared to come, she must have a backup plan! She secretly gave Xin Kui, who was standing not far away, a wink. Xin Kui understood and quietly withdrew.
The atmosphere in the storeroom was tense, broken only by the rustling of cotton quilts being turned over. Granny Li frowned, clearly displeased with Shen Zhiwei's elaborate commotion.
Suddenly, an old woman exclaimed "Eh!" and pulled out a small piece of brocade—a piece of a distinctly different color, shimmering with gold—from under a piece of plain white cotton cloth!
"Found it! It's here!" the old woman shouted, holding up the fragments.
Granny Zhou immediately rushed over, snatched the fragment, and exclaimed in feigned surprise, "Oh my! It really is Su brocade! And it's woven with gold! Good heavens! How come there's only a small piece left? Where are the others? Miss Xin! This... how could there be a fragment of Su brocade under this cotton cloth?! This..." She looked at Xin Jiuwei, her eyes filled with "shock" and "accusation".
Shen Zhiwei's face instantly contorted with "heartbreak": "Miss Xin! What... what happened?! How could fragments of imperial brocade appear in such a sensitive place as the storeroom?! Those two bolts of Suzhou brocade... could it be..." She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was clear—they had been cut up and hidden away!
"Miss Xin! This... how do you explain this?!" Granny Zhou held the broken piece of paper and pressed Xin Jiuwei for answers, as if she had caught a thief red-handed.
Granny Li also looked at Xin Jiuwei with surprise and doubt.
Xin Jiuwei stared at the clearly newly cut brocade fragment dangling in Zhou Mama's hand, her anger surging, yet a strange, cold smile appeared on her face. Just as she was about to speak, steady footsteps and an authoritative voice came from outside the storeroom:
"An explanation? I'd like to hear it too. How come such a wonderful drama is unfolding in the storeroom of the orphanage?"
Everyone looked over at the sound and saw the old lady of the Marquis of Anguo standing at the door, her face ashen, supported by her maid! Beside her was none other than Xin Kui, who had just quietly left! And behind the old lady of the Marquis of Anguo stood a person who made Shen Zhiwei and Granny Zhou turn pale instantly—Princess Rongchang!
Xin Kui left just now because she received a hint from Xin Jiuwei to invite the old lady of the Marquis of Anguo! When the old lady of the Marquis of Anguo heard that someone was going to cause trouble in the storeroom, she immediately sent someone to invite Princess Rongchang, who happened to be a guest in the mansion, to come and uphold justice!
"Madam! Your Highness!" Shen Zhiwei and Granny Zhou were so frightened that they hurriedly bowed, their voices trembling.
Without even glancing at them, the old lady of the Marquis of Anguo sharply swept her gaze over the messy storeroom and the shard of brocade clutched in Zhou Mama's hand, finally landing on the calm-looking Xin Jiuwei: "Jiuwei, what happened here?"
Xin Jiuwei stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and clearly recounted the events, including how Shen Zhiwei led people in, how she claimed that a piece of imperial-bestowed Su brocade had been mixed in, how she insisted on searching, and how she "coincidentally" found the fragment under the cotton cloth. Her tone was calm and even, without adding or subtracting anything, yet every word was clear, vividly portraying Shen Zhiwei and Granny Zhou's relentless pressure and the "coincidence."
“Madam, Your Highness, please understand,” Xin Jiuwei concluded. “The inventory and donation slips are all here. When the items were being counted and sealed just now, Granny Li was also present to witness it. There was absolutely no Suzhou brocade that entered the warehouse. As for this fragment…” Her gaze swept coldly over Granny Zhou, whose face was ashen. “If I may be so bold as to ask Granny Zhou, this fragment of brocade in your hand has brand-new edges, clearly it was just cut off! And the pattern of this gold-embroidered Suzhou brocade, if I remember correctly, seems to be… the ‘cloud and phoenix pattern’ that the Imperial Household Department exclusively supplied to the palace three years ago? How did Madam Zhao’s residence come to have a tribute from the palace three years ago? And how could it have been ‘carelessly’ mixed in with cotton fabric and donated to the orphanage?”
Xin Jiuwei's words were like a thunderclap!
Freshly cut fragments! Patterns from tribute items from the palace three years ago! How could Madam Zhao have possessed them? And how could she have made a mistake in donating them?
This frame-up, riddled with flaws, was instantly and calmly exposed by Xin Jiuwei!
"Thump!" Granny Zhou was so frightened that her legs went weak and she collapsed to the ground, the brocade fragments in her hands falling to the ground like a hot potato! She looked at Shen Zhiwei in horror.
Shen Zhiwei's face was deathly pale, her whole body trembling, and her lips quivering, unable to utter a word. She never expected that Xin Jiuwei would not only remain calm in the face of danger, but also recognize the pattern and year of the brocade so clearly! This was no country bumpkin; she was clearly… a wolf in sheep's clothing!
Princess Rongchang snorted coldly, stepped forward, and poked at the piece of brocade on the ground with her toe. She said to the head maid accompanying her, "Go, check this fabric. Also, check if the Zhao family really donated the wrong 'Imperial Gift Suzhou Brocade'!"
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