After leaving the Third Prince's place, the Fujin's face, which had been gentle and warm just moments before, gradually turned as cold as the thin winter sun outside—it hung there, but without any warmth.
"The moment the master returned, he went to the South Courtyard and, after seeing the scene, concluded that it was Yin Shi who did it. Alas, I, the Fujin, wanted to say a few words for her, but it seems it would be of no use." The Fujin tucked her hands into the sleeves made of snow fox fur, and the cold north wind whipped against the hems of their robes, making a rustling sound.
"Madam, let's go back quickly. It's too windy here. Be careful not to catch a cold," said Madam Wu, seeing the displeasure on Madam's face.
“Now I can’t even see the Fourth Prince, and I can’t even say a few words to her. The maids who serve her are probably with the head nanny now. I’m afraid not many of them can withstand those tortures.” The Princess frowned slightly. “It seems that this time we have no choice but to punish Lady Yin.”
Meanwhile, Lady Yin was confined to her room, and the Fujin (principal wife) had not visited her since. Although the Fourth Prince had said not to let anyone see her, the Fujin could still be stopped if she wanted to come.
Thinking of this, a deep hatred flashed across Madam Yin's eyes. She had done so much for her, yet she was still reduced to being used as a tool by others.
"If you want me to die, then I'll drag you down with me." Madam Yin glanced at the breakfast that had long since gone cold on the round table and muttered to herself.
As for the head nanny, there's not much to say about the people who serve the Third Prince. Ying'er and Cuizhu don't serve Madam Yin closely, so you can't get anything out of them. They just told you everything they knew after being whipped a few times.
The head nanny had already received the Fourth Master's order: anyone unwilling to speak should be severely beaten until they were willing to talk. Seeing that the maids were crying pitifully and that she could tell from their cries that they had nothing to say, the head nanny dragged them away.
The only way to get information out of them is through Night Poppy.
At this moment, in the room next to where the dead were kept, Ye Ying was tied to a pillar. Her clothes were torn to shreds, and there was a horrifying bloodstain on her face.
"Girl, you're quite fierce. I'm not the kind of person who enjoys torturing people. If your master hadn't committed a crime, and the master hadn't ordered that we must get something out of you, I wouldn't have tortured you like this." Seeing that the thirty lashes had been applied, the girl didn't cry out like the others. She endured it until her skin was torn and bleeding, at which point she couldn't bear it any longer and cried and wailed for a while.
"Head Granny, my mistress loves the Third Prince so much, she really didn't do anything. Those things were just people who saw our mistress raising the Third Prince and were jealous and framed her." Ye Ying knew in her heart that if she confessed, it would not only kill Madam Yin, but also herself. No mistress could be spared if her personal maidservant died.
"Girl, I advise you to tell her. At least you'll suffer less. It's your master and servant's fault for doing such a thing. Even if you know you'll suffer the same fate if you tell, you won't have to go through all those punishments." The head nanny, seeing that Ye Ying was loyal, advised her. Although her loyalty was misplaced.
"Granny, if you have any pity on me, just give me a painful punishment. How can I admit to something I didn't do?" Ye Ying only wanted to die at this moment; she knew she couldn't escape this calamity. Perhaps following Madam Yin into the manor in the first place was a mistake, but who cared about the lives of the maids like them?
"Night Poppy, you haven't told the master what he wants to know, so why should you die? Fine, if you still won't talk, I'll have no choice but to have you tortured again." The head nanny looked at this helpless little maid, who only had a loyalty that was hard to fathom. She sighed inwardly, but there was nothing she could do.
"Granny, you should go out and rest for a bit. I'll take care of this girl. Once we've splashed her with salt water or chili water, she won't be so stubborn anymore," said Old Chen, the servant in charge of punishing servants who had made mistakes.
"Very well, I'm old and kind-hearted, you can do it. If she's willing to talk, stop immediately. Understand?" The head nanny looked at Ye Ying, shook her head, and left after saying this.
After the head nanny left, only three or four servants who were responsible for carrying out the torture remained in the room. They were all men in their thirties or forties, and they did not have the compassionate heart of the head nanny.
"Little girl, you're used to living a life of luxury following the princesses around the inner quarters, you've never experienced this kind of hardship, have you? Today, your grandpa will let you taste it. You'd better tell us now, or you'll suffer a fate worse than death later. If you don't tell us, we grandpas will be punished by the master because of you, and don't blame us for being ruthless." Old Chen's face was gloomy. Although he was only in his thirties, those of them who were used to bloodshed and killing every day had a ruthless look on their faces that was more sinister than that of ordinary people.
Ye Ying couldn't help but shudder, staring at Old Chen in utter terror, and stammered, "What are you going to do?"
Old Chen grinned and chuckled like a crow, a sound as unpleasant as scraping a piece of iron against a stone.
"Come on, give our little miss some salt water. I guarantee you'll never forget this taste." Old Chen glanced at a servant beside him, who chuckled as if he were about to experience something exciting, and turned to fetch the salt water.
"Little girl, you know the phrase 'rubbing salt into a wound,' right? In a bit, we'll have you splashed with salt water. That feeling will be unforgettable. It'll hurt twice as much as being cut with a knife. Or, we'll have chili water, which will be even more excruciating. Sigh, with your delicate skin, it would be such a waste to rub salt water on you. It'll make you look like cured meat in the sweltering heat of the South." Old Chen laughed again, his extremely unpleasant voice making Ye Ying feel as if countless ants were crawling all over her body.
When Ye Ying still refused to tell the truth, the first ladle of salt water was poured on her. The head maid was outside instructing several servants when suddenly a piercing scream of a woman came from the execution chamber. Immediately following were second and third whimpers and screams echoing from that chamber.
The sound continued for almost fifteen minutes before gradually subsiding. Suddenly, the doors were pushed open from the inside, and Old Chen strode out, saying to the head nanny, "That reckless girl has finally confessed. She said that Nan Xiaoyuan instructed her to do it."
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