Chapter 395 The Man in Black
Chu Youan frowned, and a cold light flashed in his phoenix eyes, and a cold and stern look flashed by.
She turned her head and looked at the maid Guo Lu who was standing beside her with her head bowed. "Go and find out where this rumor came from."
Guo Lu immediately bowed, replied with a crisp "yes", and then left quickly.
Not long after, Guo Lu hurried back and bowed again to report: "My dear lady, I have verified that the rumor was spread from the kitchen."
"The kitchen?" Chu Youan became even more confused.
She wondered to herself, how come this rumor had to come from that place of fireworks?
His eyebrows slightly raised, and he immediately ordered: "Quickly bring the fat lady who helps in the kitchen over here, I have something to ask."
In a short while, the fat lady was half pushed and half shoved by several servants to Chu Youan.
When she saw Chu Youan's cold expression, her legs went weak with fear. She fell to her knees with a plop and trembled, unable to speak clearly: "Old... Old slave greets the young lady..."
Chu Youan glanced at her from top to bottom and said slowly, "Don't tremble like that. Let me ask you, where did you hear this rumor that's spreading around the mansion?"
The fat lady swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling a few times as if to give herself courage, and then she patted her chest and said confidently: "This old slave... This old slave saw it with my own eyes! Miss Lin... Miss Lin was whispering with a man in the garden, and that man... that man was dressed in black and looked sneaky..."
"The man in black?" Chu Youan fixed his eyes on the fat lady and asked again, "Are you sure you saw a man? Did you see his appearance clearly?"
The fat lady was so anxious that her face turned red. She patted her chest vigorously with both hands, and she looked as if she was swearing an oath. She guaranteed in a hoarse voice: "I saw it clearly, and I dare not lie to you in the slightest! Although it was dark at that time, my eyes were still clear. I saw that the figure was tall and strong. He must be a real man! What's more, I saw Miss Lin smiling sweetly at him, and there was a lot of intimacy in her eyes..."
Chu Youan's lips curled up into a sarcastic sneer, her eyes filled with coldness, and she refuted mercilessly: "You are so bold, how dare you lie! My mother would never do such a thing."
When the fat lady heard Chu Youan's resolute disbelief, beads of sweat rolled down her forehead. She added hurriedly, "Miss, everything I said is true. If I say even a single word is false, I will be struck by lightning! Miss Lin is not only involved with men outside, but she is also flirting with the servants in our house! If you don't believe me, just ask anyone. I know who they are."
Although Chu Youan was full of doubts about these nonsense in her heart, since it concerned her mother's reputation, she would not allow any ambiguity. In order to find out the truth thoroughly, she still ordered people to bring the boy over immediately with a cold face.
Soon, the servant Li Si was brought to the front. This man had a pointed face and a pair of eyes that rolled around, revealing a cunning spirit. At this moment, he was surrounded by people and was trembling with fear. He wanted to lower his head to the dust and did not dare to look at Chu Youan at all.
"Let me ask you, have you seen my mother interacting with any strange men recently?"
Li Si shivered with fear, and after mumbling for a long time, he stuttered and replied, "I... I was originally responsible for boiling medicine for Prince Ning. Ever since Miss Lin took over to take care of the prince, the job of boiling medicine has been assigned to Miss Lin... Miss Lin also told me... that I only need to stay by her side and chat..."
"Talk to her?" Chu Youan frowned.
Li Si shrank his neck, his eyes dodged, and he whispered in a very low voice: "I... I was thinking privately... This, this is just a show of goodwill to me, what else could it be..."
Although his words were vague, everyone present heard them clearly.
Chu Youan suddenly felt a surge of anger rising to his head. Just as he was about to yell, he saw Yu Xiuling slowly walking towards him.
She glanced at Chu Youan's furious expression and soothed him softly, "Youan, these slaves are born cunning and sly. How can they confess the truth if you ask them so gently? In my opinion, sometimes... they won't give in unless they are tortured."
When Chu Youan heard this, she was naturally unhappy in her heart. She frowned and was about to refuse politely, but she saw that Yu had quickly instructed the servants beside her to press the fat lady down on the long wooden chair.
Then, the crackling sound of boards suddenly rang out, breaking the original silence in the house.
"One... two... three... four..." The board fell heavily again and again. The dull sound was like a heavy hammer, hitting everyone's heart again and again.
The fat lady groaned in pain at first, but later, as the board continued to rise and fall, her breathing became weaker and weaker, like a candle in the wind that could go out at any time.
Chu Youan was shocked when he saw this, his face turned pale, and he shouted loudly: "Stop!"
Yu Lingxiu stood gracefully aside, watching everything that happened. Her eyes rolled smartly, and instantly her face was filled with sorrow and worry. She looked so hypocritical, as if she was the most soft-hearted person in the world.
She only spoke softly, but deliberately raised her voice so that everyone could hear: "No matter what, this man is the kitchen helper of the Princess's mansion after all. Besides, the lady is already quite old. If she is really beaten and hurt, and the news gets out, the reputation of our mansion will be affected. How unpleasant it will be."
After she finished speaking, a sinister look flashed across her eyes, like a poisonous snake spitting out its tongue. Then, her gaze shot straight at the servant who had already collapsed on the ground and trembled like a sieve. Her tone suddenly became cold and hard: "In this case, let's start with this servant and ask him carefully. I don't believe that we can't pry open his mouth!"
The servant beside her acted upon hearing the order, pulled the servant up, and pressed him hard on the long wooden chair.
In an instant, the board fell like raindrops, hitting the servant hard. The servant's shrill screams immediately echoed over the yard.
The boy looked thin and could withstand more beatings than the fat lady. After only twenty or so blows, the heart-wrenching screams stopped abruptly, without a single sound left.
When Yu Lingxiu saw this, the color on her face instantly faded away. She seemed to be extremely frightened. She stretched out a trembling finger and pointed it directly at Chu Youan. She widened her eyes and screamed, "Youan, you... How could you be so cruel to beat someone to death?! What should I do!"
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