lcionline Chapter 280 Leaving
Chapter 280 Leaving
Chapter 280
"But she hurt you, and you still want to speak for her like this? Could it be that the girl is really a vixen who can bewitch people's minds?" The marquis's wife looked at everyone in the room with disbelief, shook off her husband's hand that was trying to stop her, and blurted out.
"Madam, there's no need to think so. I'm just an ordinary woman, and I don't have the ability to charm anyone's mind. Besides, I feel it's really unfair to have this matter decided so easily. I'm willing to prove my innocence, and I hope Madam will grant my consent."
The clear voice suddenly coming from the door broke the atmosphere in the room.
When Ye Yunzhou came to his senses, he saw Luo Shuiyao dressed in a simple green dress, her hair tied up slightly with a wooden hairpin, just as plain as before she came to the Marquis's Mansion. He couldn't help but feel that she was very far away from him, so far away that it seemed as if she was separated by time and space. Although he could see her, he couldn't catch her.
The Marquis' wife was startled by the sudden voice. When she saw Luo Shuiyao at the door, a trace of embarrassment washed over her face. After all, the memories of their previous interactions were still fresh in her mind. But when she thought of how she had caused her son to be injured like this, the Marquis' wife quickly suppressed the embarrassment, her expression instantly becoming cold and hard.
"What are you doing here?" The Marquis's wife frowned, her tone so cold that it could freeze ice.
Luo Shuiyao, however, seemed oblivious. She walked into the room with a gentle smile on her face, and said calmly, "Madam, I'm here today because a girl's reputation is of the utmost importance. If I were convicted in such an unclear manner, I would be embarrassed to face others in the future. I hope you can give me a chance to clear my name."
When the Marquis heard her say this, she felt a surge of emotion in her heart. But when she turned her eyes to her youngest son who was still unable to get out of bed, and thought of how these two unworthy sons had defended her, her heart hardened again.
"Wash the injustice?" She sneered, her eyes full of mockery. "Xing'er is now seriously injured and bedridden. The doctor said that if he is not treated in time, he will probably suffer from chronic illness in the future. And all this is because of you! If it weren't for you, how could he have been so seriously injured?"
Luo Shuiyao's eyes narrowed slightly, and she was about to speak when she was interrupted.
"Mother, from what I've found out, Ah Xing was able to receive medical treatment in time because cousin Luo discovered him in time and sent him back home. How could she be involved in this injury?" Ye Yunzhou listened to his mother's increasingly impolite remarks, glanced at Luo Shuiyao worriedly, frowned and said to Madam Hou, with a barely perceptible protective tone in his voice.
Ye Yunzhou simply couldn't understand. While his mother wasn't exactly kind, she certainly wasn't a vicious person. How could she, based on a single accusation, accuse a young woman of such a crime? Although he had never intended for the two of them to live together, his mother's actions were so ruthless and unforgiving. How could he get along with Yaoyao in the future?
Upon hearing this, Madam Hou looked at Ye Yunzhou with disappointment. "Ever since you were a child, you've never needed mother's control. Although mother wanted to be close to you, she was afraid of upsetting you, so she had to stop. Ah Xing has always respected you as his brother, and now that he's injured like this, you're still defending the person who hurt him."
Seeing his mother's tears welling up in her eyes, Ye Yunzhou took a deep breath and said helplessly, "Mother, I've always said that evidence is essential for everything. You nailed Cousin Luo to the pillar of guilt without any evidence. I truly feel that this is unfair."
The Marquis' wife had originally intended to instill guilt in her eldest son, but upon hearing her son's blunt words, she immediately dropped her sleeves and turned to Luo Shuiyao, her gaze instantly turning icy. "You want evidence, huh? Considering you've been relatively well-behaved in the past, I was going to show you some leniency to avoid compromising your future marriage prospects. But now you insist on having evidence. Fine, I'll produce it right away. Don't blame me for holding back when the time comes."
After saying this, she suppressed her anger, walked past Luo Shuiyao, and shouted loudly outside the door, "Madam Sang, take your men to Chunhua Courtyard immediately and search carefully for evidence. If you find any, return and report to me immediately."
"and many more."
The Marquis's wife's expression was so certain that both Ye Yunxing and the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery could not help but feel suspicious. Could it be that the Marquis had truly found irrefutable evidence? Ye Yunzhou, upon hearing this, was the only one who immediately objected, "Mother, your action is truly inappropriate. Regardless of whether or not we can find evidence this time, sending someone to search her compound will undoubtedly damage his reputation. I cannot agree to this."
Upon hearing this, Madam Hou frowned, turned to Ye Yunzhou, and snorted coldly, "Who do you think she is? Why do you think you can stand up for her? All the etiquette and integrity that the Master taught you over the years, have you thrown out the window?"
Ye Yunzhou felt a little uncomfortable listening to the Marquis's accusations, but not for himself. He glanced at Luo Shuiyao quickly, stepped forward to block her behind him, and then spoke calmly, "We'll talk about propriety, righteousness, integrity and shame later, but if you send people to search her yard, I will never allow it."
"All right."
The Marquis's wife's eyebrows suddenly raised, and she was about to retort, but Luo Shuiyao spoke first.
She stepped out from behind Ye Yunzhou, her steps light and graceful, and bowed gracefully to the two of them. At that moment, her face showed neither embarrassment nor shame, her expression unusually calm. "Thank you, Young Master, for your righteous protection. However, this matter concerns me personally, so I hope you will listen to my words."
Without waiting for Ye Yunzhou's response, she turned to look at the Marquis' wife and continued, "Madam, since you are so certain that the evidence is in my yard, you must have received the news, or someone has informed you. I have no complaints about this. But I am a woman after all. Regardless of whether I can ultimately find the physical evidence you mentioned, this matter will damage my reputation. If you insist on investigating, I have no reason to refuse, but... you can't just investigate me."
Perhaps because she was so calm, the tense atmosphere in the room quietly eased a bit. The Marquis's wife narrowed her eyes slightly, her gaze full of confusion, and stared at Luo Shuiyao and asked, "What do you mean?"
Luo Shuiyao nodded gently in confirmation and spoke methodically, "Chunhua Courtyard and Qiuli Courtyard are adjacent to each other. If Madam wants to thoroughly investigate my courtyard, she might as well include Qiuli Courtyard in the search. If the evidence is indeed in my courtyard, I will be happy to let Madam handle it. But if nothing is found, even if people talk about it in the future, they can only say that we went to the courtyard over there to search for thieves. This way, my reputation will not be tarnished."
After saying this, she bowed again. "Madam, what do you think of this arrangement?"
The Marquis's wife looked at her suspiciously, wondering in her heart, could it be that this girl knew that the news came from Qiuliyuan?
Yesterday, Nanny Chu from Qiuliyuan came quietly to see her, speaking vaguely and with hidden meanings. When the Marquis' wife questioned her, Nanny Chu immediately swore and swore, claiming she had seen it with her own eyes. Nanny Chu said she had told Lu Zhaozhao what she had seen, but Lu Zhaozhao forbade her to tell anyone else. However, Nanny Chu, mindful of the Marquis' wife's deep love for her son, ultimately hid the news from Lu Zhaozhao and ran to report it.
The Marquis' wife couldn't believe this so easily, so she quickly sent her servants to inquire. As it turned out, the servant in the mansion also said that he had seen Miss Luo wearing a black jade pendant. Only then did the Marquis' wife believe that this was true.
But seeing how confident this girl was, with not a trace of guilt on her face, could it be that things weren't going as she expected? But no matter what, everything had to be based on evidence. Regardless of whether or not the object could be found in the end, since the words had been spoken, she could only agree to it. Thinking of this, the Marquis's wife nodded and said, "Okay. Madam Sang, go and search Chunhua Courtyard and Qiuli Courtyard carefully, and report back to me when you're done."
"Also, bring in the messenger." As she spoke, she glanced at Luo Shuiyao and thought to herself, no matter how calm you are now, I don't believe you won't reveal your true identity later.
"Yes." Nanny Sang responded, then quickly led her people out of the yard.
The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery had remained silent until now, but now that they were the only ones left in the room, he spoke. Though his tone remained gentle, it exuded an undeniable authority that compelled disobedience. "Madam, are you absolutely certain that the evidence points to Miss Yao as the culprit?"
The Marquis's wife turned to look at the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery and said firmly, "I am absolutely certain. I sent people to search for evidence overnight yesterday. The matter has been thoroughly investigated and there will be absolutely no mistakes."
"But if something goes wrong and it's proven that Yao girl was wrongly accused, what are you going to do?"
Upon hearing this, the Marquis's wife said without hesitation, "Then I will personally apologize to her. But if she is truly responsible, I hope Master will not stop me."
The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery looked at her deeply, then turned his gaze to Luo Shuiyao and asked in a gentle voice, "Yao girl, what do you think?"
Luo Shuiyao lowered her eyes slightly and said softly, "Marquis, why don't you wait a little longer? I don't know what the evidence Madam is talking about, so I really can't give you an answer. However, if this is truly not my doing, I don't need Madam to apologize. I just want to thank you for your kindness in taking me in. Luo Shuiyao is deeply grateful."
Hearing the distant tone in Luo Shuiyao's words, the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery couldn't help but sigh. It wasn't that he didn't want to intervene and uphold justice, but Luo Shuiyao was a woman, and as a male elder, he had to avoid suspicion. Therefore, matters concerning her in the mansion had always been handled by his wife. Moreover, his wife's attitude was so resolute that, as her husband, he had no choice but to side with her, even if he disagreed.
Of course, he knew his eldest son's thoughts perfectly. He simply hoped that this incident wouldn't cause Miss Yao to harbor resentment against them. At this moment, all he could do was uphold justice. If this incident truly had nothing to do with Miss Yao, he would never allow his wife to harm her in the slightest.
Soon, the guards from the mansion walked into the yard with a few people.
The Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery strode out first. Luo Shuiyao and the others followed him. Even Ye Yunxing called over a servant, and with the help of the servant, he struggled out of the house and sat down on a bench under the eaves.
The Marquis's wife glanced at Ye Yunxing and said nothing. Then, she glanced at everyone in the courtyard and asked loudly, "How did it happen? Please repeat what you told me yesterday."
Several thugs were escorted to their knees in the courtyard. Last night, the Marquis' wife was furious. Thinking of her son being beaten and bruised by them, she ordered the guards to give them a good beating. However, the guards were very measured in their attacks. Although they all looked bruised and swollen, in reality, they only had superficial injuries. At this moment, the thugs huddled together, trembling with fear. A few of them secretly glanced at the man sitting under the eaves, secretly cursing their bad luck. They had never expected that this plainly dressed man was actually the Marquis's son. They had really hit a wall this time.
At the same time, they secretly cursed the boss in their hearts for being too much. He actually hid this kind of thing from them and sneaked away without telling them. All these years of brotherhood were thrown away. It was really a waste of the friendship that everyone had put in together.
Seeing their timid expressions, the Marquis's wife was truly annoyed. Frowning, she coldly shouted, "Speak now!" Several people shuddered in fear. One of them, a little braver, quickly said, "We really didn't know. We were just following the boss's orders. We had no idea this was the prince. If we had known earlier, we wouldn't have dared to do this even if we had a hundred times the courage. We hope that Master Marquis and Madam will understand."
Ye Yunxing snorted coldly after hearing this, staring directly at the man and said, "I told you at the time that I was the prince of the Marquisate, but you just didn't believe me. Now stop quibbling about it. Tell the truth about who sent you."
The man shrank back, lowered his head, and dared not say anything more. He only stammered, "Our boss said that a girl, masked, gave him 1,000 taels of silver and promised to give him another 500 taels after the job was done. That's why we had the guts to do this."
"Then do you know who that girl is?" Ye Yunzhou was impatient to listen to his long-winded talk and asked directly.
"I don't know. But the boss asked once, and the girl said her name was Chuntao. We didn't see her face, but we saw a black jade pendant hanging around her waist."
Ye Yunzhou frowned slightly, took off the jade pendant from his waist, and asked, "But is it a jade pendant like this?"
The man took a closer look and nodded quickly, "Yes, that's the jade pendant."
The others behind him also nodded in agreement: "That's right, the girl was wearing a conical hat at the time, so we didn't see her face clearly, but we could clearly see the jade pendant hidden around her waist."
After listening to what the others said, Ye Yunzhou turned to look at Ye Yunxing and asked, "Where is your jade pendant?"
Ye Yunxing had been searching all over since they had just checked the jade pendant. After searching for a while and still finding nothing, he looked up at Ye Yunzhou blankly and said, "I don't know."
Ye Yunxing really couldn't remember when the jade pendant disappeared.
Seeing him like this, Ye Yunzhou stopped looking at him and turned around to wave. The steward of Cuizhu Garden hurried forward, and Ye Yunzhou asked, "Did the prince carry the jade pendant when he left the palace? Did you see it?"
The steward tried hard to recall, then shook his head and said, "My Lord, now that you ask, I remember that the prince didn't have the jade pendant on him when he left the palace."