Not only did she sprain her ankle, but that damn Xiao Wu was pestering her from beginning to end. She had no chance to leave the Duke's Mansion at all, and she wanted to find anyone for help but was unable to.
Now I can only watch helplessly as others bring me here.
Ji Jingxu recognized the maid and frowned deeply.
He probably knew what was going on. It must be that stupid woman who failed to scheme against others and ended up hurting him.
He had clearly told her not to be anxious and to wait until Pei Ji died before settling the score with Su Li. He hadn't expected her to act on her own and mess things up.
It's really true that he is not capable of accomplishing anything, but is more likely to cause trouble!
After putting the man down, Xiao Ye Xiaowu retreated behind Su Li.
Su Licai said, "Grandma, this is the maid who calls herself Xiaonian. She was the one who went to Danhuai Courtyard to call me tonight."
Nanny Jin shook her head and said, "Madam, she is not the maid who makes incense."
Nanny Jin was in charge of incense making and knew the maids who made incense. "There is indeed a maid named Xiaonian among them, but it's not her."
If that's the case, then someone pretended to be a maid making incense and tricked Su Li into Liuxiangyuan.
Yinzhu, who was standing behind the old lady, recognized her. "Old lady, I recognize her. She is Ah Cai, the maid in the Second Lady's courtyard."
Sure enough, it was Liu Furong, the evil-minded girl, who caused trouble again.
The old lady glanced coldly at Liu Furong, then looked at Ah Cai and interrogated her, "Who asked you to pretend to be a maid making incense and trick the young lady out of Danhuai Courtyard? What was your purpose in tricking the young lady out?"
Ah Cai was a little panicked, but fortunately she remembered what the young lady had told her. If she was caught, she would never admit it even if she was beaten to death. Without any witnesses, the young lady would have no way to deal with her.
She limped to her knees, stumbling and pretending to be wronged, but said firmly, "Old Madam, please understand. I accidentally sprained my ankle in the evening and have been staying in the house ever since. I haven't gone out at all, let alone pretending to be someone else to go to Danhuai Courtyard to deceive the young lady. If this maid has lied to you, may the heavens strike me with lightning and I die a miserable death!"
Oh!
Su Li curled up the corners of his lips and sneered. He didn't expect that a maid in Liu Furong's courtyard could be so cunning.
However, she probably didn't know that when Xiao Ye knew about Liu Furong's plan, he had already found out everything about A Cai and had been prepared for this. How could he allow her to deny it now?
"Great-aunt..."
Just as Su Li was about to speak, Li Linglong and her two maids came.
She bowed and said, "Grandfather aunt, grandmother aunt."
The old lady was surprised: "Linglong, why are you here?"
"Grandma asked me to bring some good calming incense, but I forgot to give it to my great aunt today. Just when I took it to the main courtyard, Sister Jinzhu told me that my great aunt was here..."
Then he bowed and said, "Linglong shouldn't have come. I'm sorry for being rude..."
"Silly child, we are all family, why are you saying anything disrespectful? Come to your great aunt's place."
"Yes." Linglong stood obediently beside the old lady and nodded to Su Li with a faint smile.
Su Li was a little surprised. Based on what she knew about her today, Li Linglong didn't seem like the kind of person who would come over to join in the fun even though she knew someone else was having private matters.
Li Linglong glanced at the kneeling Ah Cai and said in surprise, "Grandma, I just heard this maid outside the door say that she had never been to Danhuai Courtyard, right?"
"Hmm?" The old lady tilted her head. "Why? Do you recognize her?"
Li Linglong nodded. "I happened to run into my cousin's wife outside the gate of Danhuai Courtyard tonight. This maid was right beside her at the time. I thought she was her personal maid, but it turns out she wasn't."
Su Li raised her eyebrows slightly. Is Li Linglong helping her?
But why should she help her?
It couldn't be that just because they copied scriptures together today, she had developed a deep friendship with her, right?
Could it be that because the old lady disliked Liu Furong, she also wished Liu Furong bad luck?
The old lady scolded, "Now that someone has proven that you've been to Danhuai Courtyard, how else do you want to argue? If you don't tell the truth, I'll have your legs broken!"
Ah Cai was really panicked now. She didn't expect that it was so dark and she lowered her head on purpose, but her cousin could still recognize her.
Now it is impossible to deny it even if you kill yourself.
She looked at Liu Furong for help, but Liu Furong glared at her fiercely with a warning in her eyes: "Bitch, why are you looking at me? This is not the Danhuai Courtyard I asked you to go to!"
Ah Cai was already panicked and scared, and now after being scolded like this, she was even more panicked and at a loss.
The lady only said that if she was caught and beaten to death, she would deny it, but she didn't explain how she should respond if someone testified.
What should I do?
Su Li, noticing the exchange of glances between the two, asked, "A Cai, you're a servant. If I'm not mistaken, your indenture should be in the Duke's Mansion, in the hands of the old lady, right?"
As far as she knew, in Liu Furong Courtyard, except for her four first-class personal maids who were brought from her mother's home, the indentures were in her own hands.
The rest of the people, including the second-class maids, third-class servants, and old women in Furong Garden, were all servants of the Duke's Mansion, and their indentures were in the hands of the mistress of the Duke's Mansion.
A Cai was stunned, not knowing what Su Li meant.
Su Li continued, "In this mansion, only the Duke and the Old Madam have the right to decide your life or death. No one else has the right, even if you are serving in Hibiscus Courtyard..."
A Cai finally understood what she meant.
That's right, although she has been serving in Furong Courtyard and has done a lot for the lady, she is a servant of the Duke's Mansion, and her indenture contract has always been in the hands of the old lady, not in the hands of the lady.
Strictly speaking, the lady really had no right to deal with or sell her.
Now that she thinks about it, it was all in vain that she had been loyal to the lady all these years and had done so much for her.
Now, she has pushed her out and left her alone, so why should she still be loyal to her?
But, but her sister was also serving in Furong Courtyard. If she betrayed the Madam, it wouldn't matter what happened to her. With the Madam's vicious temper, her sister would definitely be tortured to death...
She saw clearly the warning in the lady's eyes just now. How could she dare?
Su Li had already found out about Acai's situation and knew what she was worried about.
Since she had some concerns, she would make these concerns become the biggest concerns and the biggest threats, to see if she would confess.
Then he looked at the old lady and said, "Grandma, since your servant is so disrespectful to your master, why don't you just sell her off? Hmm..."
Su Li pretended to think for a moment, "She's deceiving her superiors and subordinates, and doesn't take her master seriously. I can't let her get away with it easily. Otherwise, all the servants will follow suit, and there will be no more rules in the Duke's Mansion. It would be better to sell her to the lowest brothel and make an example of her."
The old lady didn't know what she was planning for a moment, but she still cooperated and said, "Well, you are right, let's do as you say."
Ah Cai's eyes widened, her face filled with fear. She thought that they were simply selling her off, and that way, she would at least have another way out.
If she were sold to a brothel of the lowest class, she would have no way out but death.
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