Chapter 73 It's all up to you
Cui'er was quick-witted, and seeing Tang'er speak up, she quickly chimed in, "Yes, Second Miss, please let us stay and give us a way to live."
Tang'er knelt on the ground, her head lowered even further. She clutched the hem of her clothes tightly, but her eyes secretly glanced up at Shen Shu's expression.
Shen Shu stared at Tang'er kneeling on the ground and Cui'er standing to the side with a pleading expression, and was momentarily stunned, but then she thought about it again.
"Since it is my mother's wish, then I will keep it."
Madam Fang was shocked: This is clearly a spy carefully selected by the madam, how can we keep him?
She was about to speak to stop her, but Shen Shu stopped her with a look.
Tang'er's heart, which had been in her throat, finally settled down, but a layer of cold sweat had already broken out on her back.
She lowered her head, concealing the fleeting relief in her eyes, and only put on a docile and obedient appearance.
Looking at the two girls busy in the yard, Fang's mother couldn't help but feel worried.
"Second Miss, are you really going to keep them?"
Shen Shu sat upright by the window, and gently raised her eyes upon hearing this.
"Keeping them under our watchful eyes is always better than keeping them in the dark and impossible to guard against. Both of these girls have said so, so if I don't keep them, wouldn't I be too heartless?"
She paused, then tapped her fingertips lightly on the table: "Aunt Fang, could you investigate the background of these two girls for me?"
After all, knowing yourself and your enemy is the key to victory in every battle.
After receiving the order, Madam Fang dared not slack off in the slightest and immediately began to carry it out.
Before long, Mrs. Fang returned.
After all, the servants in the Uncle's mansion are adept at changing their tune depending on the situation.
Now that the eldest daughter is gone, the lady's status is not as good as before.
Shen Shu is not only the future wife of the Marquis of Dingyuan, but also deeply favored by the Princess and the Ninth Princess.
These servants had long been trying their best to curry favor with Shen Shu. If they could gain her trust and enter the Marquis's mansion as dowry maids, becoming someone close to the mistress of the house, they would be rising to the top in one step.
Therefore, when Madam Fang came to inquire about the news, all the servants rushed to tell her everything they knew, afraid that they wouldn't say enough or in enough detail.
"Second Miss, we've found out. That Cui'er is Zhao Mama's niece, and that Tang'er is someone close to the eldest young master. I heard she's already lost her virginity but hasn't been taken as a concubine yet," Fang Mama said indignantly.
"That Cui'er is one thing, but Tang'er, although she wasn't officially recognized, at least served the eldest young master. How could she be assigned to serve the second young lady? This madam is clearly trying to embarrass you and make you lose face."
Shen Shu's expression remained unchanged: "I don't think it's that simple, but as for Tang'er..."
She suddenly had an idea.
Since Wen Lanting dared to send someone like this over, then don't blame her for using Tang'er and Shen Lian's relationship to make a fuss.
Perhaps, she can use this opportunity to completely bring Wen Lanting down.
She needs to find an opportunity to take Tang'er under her wing.
evening.
Just as Shen Shu was pondering how to win over Tang'er, an opportunity unexpectedly presented itself.
Shen Shu looked at the bird's nest porridge that Tang'er brought over with a half-smile.
Are you sure this was delivered from the kitchen?
Tang'er's hand holding the tray trembled slightly. She lowered her head, trying to remain calm, and said, "Second Miss, it was just cooked in the kitchen. I saw that it was cooked perfectly, so I brought it to you first."
Shen Shu did not take the bowl of porridge, but lightly traced the rim of the bowl with her fingertips, her voice carrying a hint of indifference.
"You're quite clever. Today is your first day with me, and I can't think of anything to reward you with. In that case, I'll give you this bird's nest porridge."
Tang'er suddenly raised her head, and the color drained from her face instantly.
Actually, she hadn't planned to do it so quickly; it was Cui'er who kept pressuring her.
They figured Shen Shu wouldn't believe them anyway, so instead of waiting for an opportunity, they might as well act on the first day and catch Shen Shu off guard. Who knows, she might actually drink Tang'er's drink if she's not careful.
Cui'er was a distant relative of Zhao Mama. She came to the Second Miss's courtyard with the purpose of keeping an eye on Tang'er. Tang'er dared not disobey and could only bite the bullet and go along with it.
Unexpectedly, she was discovered by the second young lady so quickly.
A bitter feeling welled up inside her, and she thought to herself how foolish she had been.
Who is the second young lady? She's someone even the madam and the eldest young lady can't defeat.
She's just a lowly maid; how could she do something that neither the madam nor the eldest young lady could do?
Since I'm going to die either way, I might as well drink this poisoned bird's nest soup and die a clean death, rather than be sold to a brothel to be humiliated.
As she spoke, Tang'er was about to pick up the bowl of bird's nest porridge and bring it to her mouth.
Just as the rim of the bowl was about to touch her lips, Shen Shu suddenly raised her hand and pressed down on her wrist. The force was not strong, but it made her unable to move.
Tang'er's heart skipped a beat. She looked at Shen Shu in confusion, only to see a playful smile in the other's eyes as she slowly said, "I'll give you a chance to tell the truth."
Shen Shu gently released her hand and tapped the back of her hand with her fingertips: "Now that you've entered my courtyard, your life or death is no longer up to you. I'll give you two options: either tell me exactly what Madam sent you here for, and I might give you a way out."
"Secondly, if you insist on working for Madam, then you shall drink this bowl of porridge in front of me. After that, whether you live or die is entirely up to fate."
Tang'er's body trembled uncontrollably. Shen Shu's words were like a hammer, striking her heart hard.
If she tells the truth, the lady will not let her off.
If she didn't speak up, Shen Shu would not let her off the hook.
Compared to being tortured to death by the madam, perhaps Shen Shu still has a glimmer of hope.
She took a deep breath and knelt down again with a thud, her voice trembling with tears.
"Second Miss, spare me! This servant... this servant was forced by the Madam! Within three days, she ordered me to poison your food, and said that if I failed, she would sell me to a brothel... This servant had no choice!"
"And that Cui'er is Zhao Mama's person, she keeps forcing me to do it, I... I didn't want to, please spare my life, Second Miss!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Shu couldn't help but admire Wen Lanting.
This seemingly foolish plan actually hides a secret.
Only now did she begin to understand some of Wen Lanting's thoughts.
Wen Lanting probably deliberately left a loophole so that Tang'er would discover the poisoning.
The intention was to use her to get rid of Tang'er.
Then, in a show of upholding justice, she accused Shen Shu of beating and killing a maid, accusing her of mistreating servants and even intentionally killing them.
As for the evidence that Tang'er poisoned her, Cui'er will naturally clean it up, and then she will be unable to defend herself.
What a brilliant two-birds-with-one-stone strategy!
"It's not difficult for you to live, but you'll have to cooperate in a play, which might be dangerous. But if you play the play well, not only will you not die, but even the lady who wants you dead the most will disappear completely. At that time, without the mistress of the Bo Gong Mansion, you can be with whomever you want without any obstacles. As long as you have the ability, you can naturally gain a foothold in the Bo Gong Mansion."
Whether you do it or not is entirely up to you. After all, what you earn yourself is much more reliable than these empty promises.
Shen Shu's voice was seductive.
Tang'er's eyes widened, but her peripheral vision involuntarily swept over the bowl of bird's nest that had been laced with medicine.
The fear that Shen Shu had just made her take bird's nest resurfaced in her mind.
"As you command, Miss!"
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