When Wu Jinghua crawled forward like that, Jiang Qingxue caught a sour odor of urine on the wind. Although her body didn’t move, her brows locked tightly.
Chuntao could see that Jiang Qingxue was already furious. She hurried forward to stop Wu Jinghua from getting too agitated.
Wu Sheyue leaned weakly against Ning’er, held her chest, and cried, “You’re going too far! Second Sister, instead of staying properly in your room under confinement, you ran to the gate of my courtyard in the middle of the night and shouted that I’m a demon. Second Sister, looking like this… which one of us looks more like a demon?”
Wu Sheyue’s body was already thin and weak from long-term malnutrition. Leaning pitifully against Ning’er, she looked as though she might collapse at any time. By contrast, Wu Jinghua’s crazed appearance made her look even more like a ghost.
Concubine Liu and Wu Lixiang exchanged a glance, unable to hide their delight in another’s misfortune.
Jiang Qingxue looked down woodenly at Wu Jinghua, anger flashing in her eyes. She pointed at the unconscious Bailian and asked, “Wu Jinghua! Tell me exactly why you are here. What is that about?”
“I… I…” Wu Jinghua panicked and couldn’t explain. She could only cling to the matter of the ghost, crying, “There really was a ghost. I just saw it… right in that carved window. It was crawling out… Believe me!”
Jiang Qingxue looked sideways at the guard leader. The leader immediately understood, waved his hand, and led two guards to investigate. A short while later, all three returned.
The leader said, “Madam, there is nothing there. There are two pots of flowers on the carved window.”
“Impossible. It wasn’t flowers! You must have seen wrong!”
The guard leader’s face darkened further, and he said with great annoyance, “We checked both outside the wall and inside the courtyard. There are only two pots of flowers.”
Wu Sheyue let go of Ning’er, staggered forward two steps, and said gently, “Mother, don’t be angry. On such a dark and windy night, seeing wrong is normal…”
As soon as Wu Jinghua saw Wu Sheyue speak, she grew angry. She stood and pointed at Wu Sheyue, roaring, “I didn’t see wrong! Truly! It was greenish purple! And… and it had no eyes. It even smiled!”
When she stood, everyone around saw the damp patch on her skirt. They wanted to laugh but didn’t dare.
Wu Sheyue was very satisfied. In the entire Chancellor’s residence, Wu Jinghua was the easiest to tease.
“Enough!” Jiang Qingxue shouted. “Remember your status. What kind of behavior is this—acting mad and making such a racket?”
Seeing no one believe her and finding herself in such a sorry state, Wu Jinghua collapsed to the ground and continued crying. Wu Sheyue was already a little annoyed. She keeps crying. Is her brain only there to make her look taller?
So Wu Sheyue also wiped her eyes and said pitifully, “Ah, how did my poor maid end up like this…”
Concubine Liu clicked her tongue quietly. “It looks as if she was robbed of money and assaulted… Heavens, how can she live as a person after this?” As an ancient woman, she knew how serious this was.
Wu Sheyue continued wiping tears and accusing, “Second Sister, why exactly did you come here in the middle of the night? Could someone have incited you? Yue’er doesn’t believe you would do such a thing!”
This naturally made Jiang Qingxue think of Chuntao. That day, Wu Sheyue had mentioned Chuntao’s disrespectful words. Seeing everyone stare at her, Chuntao backed away in terror. “No, no…”
Wu Sheyue looked at Chuntao darkly and continued, “Yue’er warned Second Sister long ago…”
Having the old account brought up made Wu Jinghua’s heart sink. Jiang Qingxue’s voice suddenly rose. “Your father has only been away from the residence for a few days, and you already want to tear the roof off. Do you think I am unworthy to manage you?”
That sentence was extremely serious. Wu Jinghua fell to her knees with a thud.
Jiang Qingxue felt very wronged at this moment. The Old Madam believed that the Chancellor not returning home was all her fault and often used words to prod her. But what could she do? The Chancellor hadn’t touched her for a month. Yet she still managed everything up and down in the Chancellor’s residence. She worked so hard, and Wu Jinghua had rebelled so disobediently. The Old Madam and the Chancellor would certainly think she had failed to discipline the household.
In truth, sneaking out while confined was neither a very big nor a very small matter. But Wu Jinghua had stepped on Jiang Qingxue’s sore spot.
Wu Sheyue hadn’t expected Jiang Qingxue to become this angry. It felt like an unexpected gain.
Concubine Meng hurried over wrapped in clothing. From far away, she had heard Jiang Qingxue’s angry rebuke. That sentence changed her face, and she rushed over to embrace Wu Jinghua on the ground. “Madam, Madam, please calm down. What is going on?”
Jiang Qingxue narrowed her eyes. “Meng Ruxue, look at your good child. Look at what she has become.”
Only then did Concubine Meng look carefully at Wu Jinghua. Her hair was crooked, her clothes disheveled, and she carried the smell of urine. Her entire person was curled into a terrified ball. Concubine Meng’s heart ached terribly, but her daughter had appeared here while under confinement. Could this girl have caused trouble again?
She didn’t dare ask more now. She merely slapped Wu Jinghua’s back hard and scolded, “Why did you run here? Quick! Hurry and apologize to the First Madam!”
Wu Jinghua immediately called timidly, “Mother, I only…”
Wu Sheyue suddenly walked toward Bailian, crouched, and with boundless distress helped Bailian up into her arms while pulling at her clothes. “Ah, this is truly heartless. My poor girl. She is an unmarried maiden. How will she marry in the future?”
Concubine Meng suddenly glared at Wu Sheyue, her eyes nearly shooting fire. Although she had just arrived, with this scene, she could think with her toes and know it was unfavorable to her daughter. And it involved Wu Sheyue again. She truly is a disaster who harms people, and she even dares stir things up.
Wu Jinghua looked to Concubine Meng in terror, trying to seek help. “Concubine Mother, I… I don’t know. Right, when I came, I saw her lying there, and then I saw that ghost… Could the ghost have done it? It must have been the ghost, right?”
“But why would a ghost bully Bailian?” Wu Sheyue asked in surprise. “Bailian is so pure and kind. How could she attract ghosts?”
This was Bailian? How could it be…
Wu Jinghua’s face turned deathly pale. It was over. Everyone knew Bailian was someone the First Madam had sent over. And Bailian was considered the spy watching Wu Sheyue. That was an open secret.
Jiang Qingxue was so angry she laughed. No matter what, one must still consider the owner before beating a dog. “Heh. If you cannot explain this clearly, then tomorrow morning we will go see the Old Madam.”
Wu Sheyue immediately held Bailian and began tearfully “explaining.” “Mother, I asked Bailian to pour me water, but there was no water in the room. She went out and never came back. If my throat hadn’t hurt so badly that I couldn’t sleep and I immediately heard the shouting outside, who knows what might have happened to her? Who did something so vicious?”
Jiang Qingxue looked toward the watchman. Among them, he was the only man. The one capable of stripping clothing was probably a man.
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