Shui Ling panicked and tried to stand up, but she clearly had no strength in her legs.
After glancing around at Shui Ling, Madam Wu looked at the lavish breakfast on Shui Ling's table, far exceeding the rations expected of a concubine. Where would Shui Ling get the money to bribe the kitchen staff? Clearly, someone was secretly helping her!
"To see our princess and still remain seated, Madam Ji, what a grand display of yourselves!" Hongying said sarcastically with a cold face.
Shui Ling pursed her lips, braced her hands on the table, and tried to use the strength in her arms to stand up, but unfortunately her legs were too weak, and she couldn't stand up even after trying for a long time.
"Madam Ji, please sit down. Didn't you just injure your leg? I've come today to investigate the red charcoal. Someone just reported that some of the red charcoal is missing. I suspect someone stole some. Madam Ji, you won't stop us from investigating, will you?" Wu Shi walked to Shui Ling's side, looking at her face; she was indeed quite alluring.
Shui Ling knew that Wu's words were clearly directed at her, and her heart tightened. She could only say, "Please do as you please, Princess Wu."
Before Shui Ling could even speak, the maids that Wu had brought had already begun ransacking Shui Ling's room.
Shui Ling's heart pounded with the sounds of things being rummaged through. She didn't know what Wu Shi would do with this. Before she could even decide whether or not to side with the Fujin, Wu Shi had already made her move.
"Gege, the item has been found!" a gruff female voice called out from outside.
Shui Ling closed her eyes, knowing that she was unlikely to escape, so she remained silent and waited to see what would happen.
Madam Wu glanced at her and then said loudly, "Bring her in, let me see her!"
"Madam Ji, can you explain what's going on?" Madam Wu asked, having seen what she expected to see.
Shui Ling gritted her teeth and remained silent. She didn't know what to say. But if you tell her that this was sent by the Fujin (the wife of the emperor), it's not the same as admitting that she has already sided with the Fujin!
Seeing that Shui Ling remained silent, Wu said, "Since you won't say, then you must have stolen it yourself?"
Shui Ling's shoulders began to tremble. She said, "How could I possibly steal charcoal when I'm in this state?"
Knowing that Shui Ling was always sharp-tongued, Madam Wu chuckled inwardly when she saw that Shui Ling had been cornered and had no words left to say. "Then how does Madam Ji explain these things? And you, a mere concubine, are hardly qualified to use such things!"
Shui Ling knew that she had given others a pretext to criticize her this time; concubines indeed could not use red charcoal, only black charcoal.
"Guards, escort Madam Ji out to kneel! Since she dared to openly break the rules of the manor, how can she be expected to kneel until she explains where these things came from!" Madam Wu shouted.
Two rough maids immediately entered the room. They were both tall and strong, with thick waists and arms. Each of them lifted Shui Ling up from the chair.
Shui Ling felt as if her arms were about to be ripped off, but before she could think any further, two rough maids dragged her outside.
Her legs hadn't recovered yet, and Shui Ling felt waves of pain in them, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. But what awaited her was far from over. Two maids dragged her outside and then pressed Shui Ling down onto the bluestone ground below the steps of the house entrance.
This commotion had already alerted Madam Yun, as well as Zhang Mama and Qiu Mama at the gate. However, seeing that it was Madam Wu herself who had come, they dared not step forward to say anything. It was only natural for a concubine to be punished by a princess.
Wu Shi emerged, dressed in a black sable cloak, with Hong Ying and Hong Qian standing beside her.
Standing at the door of her room, Yun Shi cracked open a handful of melon seeds, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. Women like her, devoid of their former beauty, often found their greatest pleasure in watching others' misfortunes, a way to while away the empty, boring days.
“Madam Ji has broken the rules and stolen the red charcoal. The evidence is now conclusive. She is hereby ordered to kneel for two hours to reflect on her actions,” Madam Wu said coldly. “Take away the remaining red charcoal from her room.”
“Zhang Mama, you keep an eye on things. If they don’t get up on time, make them get up. I’ll hold you responsible,” Madam Wu said to Zhang Mama, noticing the two old women at the gatehouse.
Seeing this, Madam Qiu dared not plead for mercy. Besides, since Madam Ji herself did not mention the Fujin (principal wife), she naturally would not either.
Wu and her entourage glanced at Shui Ling a few times, then looked at her injured leg, and left with satisfaction.
After seeing that Wu had left, Yun came out of the door and walked to Shui Ling's side, deliberately saying with feigned concern, "Oh dear, my sister's leg is still not healed. If she kneels like this, it will only make things worse."
Shui Ling felt cold and in pain, but the pain in her heart was even greater. She had been humiliated today because she had offended Nan Xiaoyuan.
In no time, news of Shui Ling's punishment spread. Upon hearing this, Lan Qin frowned slightly and said to Cui Niang, "Don't go too far. Setting rules is fine. After all, it's almost the end of the year, and Doctor Lin will be going home. There might not be a doctor in the manor then. If she falls ill again, it's not good to let her suffer."
Cui Niang, however, agreed with Wu Shi's approach, saying, "Master, a girl like Shui Ling should be punished like this to curb her arrogance. Let all the maids see what happens when someone betrays their master for personal gain."
Lanqin shook her head and decided to ignore the matter. In any case, Shuiling had inexplicably acquired some items that didn't belong to her, and she should indeed be punished to prevent chaos in the manor.
Shui Ling knelt on the cold, icy bluestone ground for more than an hour. She felt as if everything below her knees was no longer her own. Her clothes were not thick, and she was shivering from the cold. It was only because her mother gave her hot water several times that she was able to persevere; otherwise, she would have collapsed long ago.
"Oh dear! Mrs. Ji!"
Seeing Shui Ling fall into the water, Qiu's mother immediately cried out. Zhang's mother, watching, calmly said, "Oh dear, what a terrible thing to do! Why did you have to steal coal!"
Seeing that her expression had changed again, Qiu's mother muttered, "Hurry up and help her up, someone could die if this continues."
The two old women had no choice but to rush out, help Shui Ling up, and carry her back to the house.
Before it got dark, Shui Ling started to have a high fever. Zhang's mother didn't care at all, but Qiu's mother felt sorry for her and started to wipe her body.
"Go and tell the concubine that if the fever continues like this, she might not be able to hold on any longer," said Mama Qiu to Mama Zhang as she carried a bucket of water back from Shui Ling's room to the side room by the front door.
“I’m not going. If you want to go, you go. Anyway, the doctor came last time, but look at how Wu Gege looks today,” said Zhang Mama.
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