Qiu Yue knew perfectly well what was going on, so she kept quiet. No matter what the Madam and the Eldest Miss were like, it was not something a mere maid like her could say.
Ye Rou's entry into the manor is a foregone conclusion. The lady did not refuse firmly at first, and now there is even less room for her to back out.
Qiuyue stepped forward to support Chen's mother and said cautiously, "Madam, let's go back first."
She could see through the second young lady's attitude, so why couldn't the madam understand?
If Madam had treated the second young lady a little better from the beginning and hadn't been so biased towards the eldest young lady, things wouldn't have come to this.
Seeing that Madam Shen looked dazed and seemed not to have recovered from the blow she had just suffered, Qiuyue sighed and gave her a strong dose of medicine, "As the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, you still need to arrange the relevant matters of taking concubines."
Although the lady had never been involved in the affairs of the household due to her poor health, she was, after all, the mistress of the Marquis's mansion, and she could not shirk the responsibilities she should bear.
These words struck Shen's mother's heart mercilessly, making her already red eyes even more swollen.
Not only did she have to watch helplessly as her husband took a concubine, but she also had to personally handle the related matters. Mother Shen turned pale instantly, and a sense of powerlessness welled up within her.
Perhaps she trusted Shen Feng's promises too much, or perhaps Shen Feng's long-standing chastity had given her the wrong impression, to the point that she could not accept another woman sharing her husband.
Moreover, this woman was someone she personally brought into the household and treated with genuine kindness.
"Let's go." Thinking of this, Mother Shen seemed to have all her strength drained away, and collapsed weakly onto Qiu Yue, slowly walking back to her courtyard.
*
Half a month later, a small sedan chair was quietly carried in through the side gate of the Chengen Marquis's residence.
The affair between the two was not exactly honorable, so to avoid gossip, the matter of taking a concubine was kept simple and thus considered aboveboard.
Since the incident at the birthday banquet, Shen Feng has been impeached by almost every official in the court, losing all face and dignity, which has made Prince Li, who already had some reservations about him, even more dissatisfied.
First, Shen Jinshu was thrown out into the street in disheveled clothes and displayed to the public. Then, Shen Feng, disrespectful to his elders, did something indecent at his own mother's birthday banquet.
The reputation of the Marquis of Chengen's mansion was completely ruined by this father and daughter, and the reputations of other people in the mansion were also greatly affected.
Nothing happened during this period of time; the silence was eerily quiet. Shen Feng remained trembling with fear, terrified of making a mistake and incurring the emperor's reprimand again. Only today, with the ceremony completed, did he finally breathe a sigh of relief.
But what followed were even more challenging problems.
Their plans were completely disrupted by Song Zhiyu, forcing him to make Ye Rou suffer in the first place. Fortunately, Rou'er was always understanding and could comprehend his predicament.
Shen Feng felt even more sorry for Ye Rou, and always felt that he owed her something.
Fortunately, this situation won't last long; all he can do now is wait.
*
As night fell, many people in the mansion were unable to sleep.
Song Zhiyu stood at the window, gazing at the red lanterns hanging high in the distance, a cold smile playing on her lips.
Suddenly, a sharp female voice shattered the tranquility of the night.
"Miss, please help me!" Xia Zhu suddenly knelt down in front of Song Zhiyu, repeating the same sentence over and over again.
Song Zhiyu snapped out of her daze, looking down at her with a disdainful gaze, his flat voice filled with a subtle chill, "What do you want me to help you with?"
Hearing this, Xia Zhu thought there was hope, and her face showed barely suppressed excitement. She reached out and grabbed Song Zhiyu's skirt, her eyes filled with fervor, "Miss, this servant and Young Master Qin have already been intimate..."
Upon hearing this, Song Zhiyu raised an eyebrow in surprise and parted her red lips slightly, "You don't know what happened to Qin Xu, do you?"
She actually wanted a man like that?
Xia Zhu frowned in hesitation, but finally made up her mind.
She didn't want to be a maid for the rest of her life, nor did she want to hide in Songxi Courtyard forever. In order to survive, she had to leave the Marquis's mansion as soon as possible.
Xia Zhu nodded emphatically, "This servant knows, but this servant still hopes that Miss can help this servant for the sake of our relationship as mistress and servant, and agree to let this servant leave. Anyway, you are not going to marry Young Master Qin, so why not grant this servant's wish?"
Lu Bai couldn't stand it anymore. She took a few steps forward and grabbed Xia Zhu's arm, her expression somewhat complicated.
"You're supposed to be a maid from Songxi Courtyard, yet your heart is with those outside. How can you face your mistress?"
To have an affair with someone the young lady despises right under her nose is tantamount to slapping her in the face.
Xia Zhu didn't think she had done anything wrong and replied confidently, "How did I offend Miss? Miss doesn't even like Young Master Qin. By doing this, I'm essentially helping Miss solve her problem."
"You..." Lu Bai was furious. How come she never noticed before that Xia Zhu was so shameless?
Song Zhiyu raised her hand and gently patted Lu Bai's shoulder, giving Xia Zhu a proper look. "As long as the Qin family speaks up, I will naturally not stop you from pursuing wealth and glory."
People strive for better things, and to be honest, she quite understood Xia Zhu's choice.
However, understanding does not mean acceptance, and Xia Zhu's behavior disgusted her.
Betrayal was the thing she couldn't accept the most.
Song Zhiyu was not interested. Qin Xu was best at deceiving people with his somewhat dignified face. When he was deeply in love, he could say all sorts of sweet words.
But this kind of person is precisely the most selfish. He can't possibly take Xia Zhu away from her before he's even married, thus creating unnecessary trouble for himself.
Song Zhiyu slowly squatted down, grabbed Xia Zhu's chin with her fingers, and stared at her intently for several moments.
“Once you leave Songxi Courtyard, you will no longer be a member of Songxi Courtyard. As for the Qin family, you can go and find them yourself. If Qin Xu agrees to take you into his household, prepare the money for the indenture, and I will not stop you.”
"Thank you, Miss." Xia Zhu was overjoyed, her eyes filled with happiness.
Although the Qin family was not as wealthy as the Marquis's family, they were still well-off and could afford to pay for her indenture.
Xia Zhu had never considered what she would do if Qin Xu didn't want her anymore.
Song Zhiyu didn't care about any of that; she found it hard to be kind to a maid who harbored disloyal intentions.
Having received confirmation, Xia Zhu scrambled to her feet, a smile spreading across her delicate face, and ran towards the door, saying, "This servant will go find Young Master Qin right away."
“Miss, you shouldn’t have agreed to this.” Lu Bai frowned as she looked at the departing figure, unable to fathom Song Zhiyu’s thoughts.
Song Zhiyu smiled, not taking it to heart, "Whether the Qin family agrees or not is another matter."
Moreover, she also wanted to know why Qin Xu had his eye on Xia Zhu.
There are also several maids and servants who have been loitering outside the courtyard lately; their purpose seems to be Xia Zhu as well.
This is getting more and more interesting.
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