Chapter 132 Negotiation
In the past two years, the Earl of Yongqing has been trying to curry favor with Prime Minister Fang in order to inherit the title.
He's thick-skinned and humble, and now at least Prime Minister Fang is giving him a second glance. For Earl Yongqing, the opportunity for Prime Minister Fang to nod in help might come any day now.
Upon hearing that Qiu Heng had offended the First Madam of the Prime Minister's Mansion, Yongqing felt as if the sky had fallen.
"You—" The Earl of Yongqing pointed at Qiuheng, but when he met the girl's clear black and white eyes, his overwhelming anger faltered. He turned his finger towards Fangzhou, "You damned lowly servant, are you trying to kill the Earl's mansion?"
Fangzhou lowered his head and remained silent.
The old lady was initially angry with Qiu Heng, but Yongqing Bo's actions turned her anger into confusion.
Even after all this, the old man didn't scold Sixth Sister?
Yes, it was Fangzhou who hit the head maid of the Prime Minister's residence, but Fangzhou is Sixth Miss's maid, so it's Sixth Miss's responsibility. It's like when Sixth Miss gets into trouble, people don't talk to the young girl but come to the old lady instead.
Why is the old man so lenient with Sixth Sister?
The doubts that had arisen countless times since Qiu Heng was found reached their peak at this moment.
"Guards, throw this lowly maid out of the manor!" Marquis Yongqing shouted sternly.
It wasn't that the Earl of Yongqing wasn't angry with Qiu Heng, but someone like him, who wasn't afraid of being ridiculed by the world for his crooked bones, was exceptionally good at weighing the pros and cons.
His three sons were mediocre and accomplished nothing, and his grandchildren were even less of a hope. On the contrary, his little granddaughter, who had been lost for many years and was later found, kept bringing him surprises.
He was still waiting to see what the sixth daughter would do in the future, and that it would be counterproductive to use his grandfatherly authority to scold and punish her.
Two old women stepped forward to pull Fangzhou, but Qiuheng stopped them: "Grandfather, I have something to say to you alone."
Yongqingbo looked at Qiuheng with a stern face.
Is Sixth Sister going to plead for a little maid?
After a moment of eye contact, the Earl of Yongqing nodded.
He wanted to see what Liu Yatou would use to plead for this favor.
After Qiuheng and Yongqingbo went to the west room, the old lady slammed her teacup down on the table.
Is there anything that can't be said to her face? This brat completely disregards her as her grandmother!
In the west room, only Qiu Heng and Yong Qingbo were present; the heavy curtain blocked their voices and view.
"What does Heng'er want to say?" Uncle Yongqing asked calmly.
He did value this girl, but he couldn't let her become arrogant and spoiled.
"What happened today was indeed wrong by Fangzhou. But Fangzhou is not an ordinary maid to my granddaughter, but a playmate who grew up with me. I hope that grandfather will consider my granddaughter's sake and hand her over to me to discipline." Qiu Heng said these words carefully.
Fangzhou was not just a playmate to her, but family and a sister.
But she couldn't let someone as self-serving as the Earl of Yongqing know.
People have weaknesses, and they may face sharp knives aimed at those weaknesses.
The Earl of Yongqing looked at Qiu Heng with a half-smile: "Heng'er, you should know that your grandfather only punished your maid because he approves of you. If your sisters had offended the Prime Minister's Mansion, they probably wouldn't have been in the mood to worry about their maids."
Hearing what Yongqingbo said, Qiuheng smiled slightly.
She wanted to speak with Yongqingbo alone, and of course she wasn't naive enough to think that she could just ask for help; what could move Yongqingbo was a benefit.
"Grandfather, there's something I forgot to tell you."
"you say."
“I saved Princess Rongning during the autumn hunt. His Majesty asked me what reward I wanted, but I couldn’t think of one at the moment. His Majesty said that once I thought of one, as long as it was reasonable, he would grant my request.”
The Earl of Yongqing was greatly surprised: "Does His Majesty really say that?"
Qiu Heng nodded.
The Earl of Yongqing still couldn't believe it: "Didn't His Majesty allow the Earl's household to participate in the autumn hunt next year—"
"His Majesty said that it wasn't really a reward; it was just something his granddaughter mentioned, and he just casually agreed."
Earl Yongqing: !
After calming his emotions of surprise and joy, the Earl of Yongqing stared intently at Qiuheng: "Why didn't you say so when you came back?"
"Too many things happened during the autumn hunt, I can't recall them all right now."
Yongqing Bo didn't pursue the truth of these words, but his tone couldn't hide his frustration: "You should have asked the Emperor for what you wanted back then."
“My granddaughter has always grown up in the countryside and doesn’t know what’s appropriate to ask for. If she asks for too little, she’ll be at a disadvantage; if she asks for too much, she might upset the Emperor. So I thought I could discuss it with my grandfather when I come back.”
Upon hearing this, the Earl of Yongqing was in a great mood.
I have to admit, this girl always surprises him.
As for whether he might not tell the truth, what does it matter? Those honest, simple-minded people at home are useless anyway.
“Grandfather,” Qiu Heng called softly to Yongqing Bo.
Yongqingbo looked at the girl who had called him with a serious expression.
"What do you think of using His Majesty's reward to spare Fangzhou from punishment?"
Yongqingbo agreed without hesitation.
"My granddaughter hasn't finished speaking yet."
Qiu Heng actually enjoyed negotiating with the Earl of Yongqing because he didn't involve emotions or face-saving. As long as she had enough leverage, she could always get what she wanted.
"Fangzhou is my maid. In the future, I do not want anyone else to discipline her in the Earl's mansion."
“Of course, the Earl’s mansion does not have Fangzhou’s indenture.” The Earl of Yongqing did not care about Fangzhou at all. “But she caused trouble, so you, as the master, have to take responsibility.”
Qiu Heng smiled gently: "Isn't my granddaughter taking responsibility for this?"
The Earl of Yongqing was stunned for a moment, then laughed.
"What did the Prime Minister's residence say in the end?" only then did the Earl of Yongqing have time to ask.
"Miss Fang asked me to change the dressings for the old woman who was injured by Fangzhou every day. I will go tomorrow."
The Earl of Yongqing looked at Qiu Heng with a complicated expression: "Don't you feel embarrassed?"
Qiu Heng said in a nonchalant tone, "What's the big deal? My granddaughter bandaged up an injured donkey when she was in the countryside, let alone a person."
Her nonchalant tone silenced Yongqing for a long time before he sighed, "What a pity, Heng'er, if only you were a boy."
Qiu Heng didn't reply.
She was too lazy to waste her breath arguing with Yongqingbo about how women are no less capable than men.
After they finished talking, they returned to the main room.
"Alright, Heng'er, take Fangzhou back and discipline her properly."
The old lady was utterly astonished.
While she was waiting, she wondered if Sixth Sister had protected the maid, but seeing the old man let her go so easily still seemed unbelievable.
"Lord, you're being far too lenient with Sixth Miss. Her maid has caused such a huge disaster. If she goes unpunished, how will you manage the servants in the Lord's mansion in the future?"
“Fangzhou isn’t a servant of the Earl’s mansion. She was brought back by Sixth Miss.” The Earl of Yongqing glanced around and said with a warning, “If you don’t know your place as servants, don’t blame the Earl’s mansion for being heartless.”
"Lord, sir—"
"Alright, it's settled then. Heng'er, you should go back to your room."
"Grandfather, Grandmother, your granddaughter takes her leave." Qiu Heng bowed gracefully, then stopped at the door with Fangzhou. "Granny Yu, we're leaving."
Granny Yu, who had been heartbroken since returning home, was taken aback. She glanced at Uncle Yongqing and the old lady, but seeing that they didn't seem to care, she quickly lowered her head and ran towards Qiuheng.
After Qiu Heng left, the servants in the room also withdrew. The old lady quickly went into the inner room, took out the dried black donkey hoof that she had hidden for a long time, and threw it at Yongqing Bo.
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