Chapter 423 - The Old Friend, Nanny Fang's Daughter
Chapter 423 The Old Friend, Nanny Fang's Daughter
Two servants who both came from Jiangzhou were standing in the hall. Qin Yuru suddenly became hysterical at the sight of the two servants.
Not only did Qin Yuru look nervous, many people there also looked astounded. Qin Wanru's shimmery eyes flashed in the direction of those people whose faces also changed severely and a trace of darkness emerged in her eyes.
Actually, those people whose faces changed severely had their own plans. They had thought they almost achieved their goals but they didn't expect that Qi Rongzhi would be a deal-breaker.
"Sister Yuru, you know them, don't you?" Staring at Qin Yuru, Qi Rongzhi sneered.
"First Miss, how can you forget me? As regards your failed engagement, my mother tried her best to shift the blame on Second Miss. I also helped you tell First Young Master of the Qi Family that it was Second Miss who destroyed the wedding and tried to be the bride. I even told him that you were the victim and implied that he should revenge for you by destroying Second Miss' reputation! I did everything according to your instruction! My mother and I had always been loyal to you, First Miss. But, but how dare you flog my mother to death and even try to kill me!"
One of the two servants who were kneeling there raised her head. She was about seventeen, or eighteen years old. The most striking thing was the scar on her forehead, which started from right between her eyes to her right cheek. The servant girl was badly disfigured by the deep and long scar.
Even so, the scar didn't shade her beauty.
"You, you are," Qin Yuru took her handkerchief to cover her trembling lips and said nervously, "Xi, Xixiang."
When they were in Jiangzhou, the one who was in charge of things in Qin Wanru's courtyard was Nanny Fang. Xixiang was Nanny Fang's daughter and also was the second-class servant girl in Qin Yuru's courtyard.
Qin Wanru's gaze roved over Xixiang's face and a trace of sarcasm flashed upon her eyes. After Nanny Fang died, she had tried to find Nanny Fang's daughter to get more useful information. However, at that time she only got the news that Xixiang fell into water and drowned.
The river rushed fiercely and many people in Jiangzhou also got drowned there. Since Xixiang was only a second-class servant girl and her master didn't intend to go very deep, her death then was directly identified as an accident.
The timing of this accident was pretty suspicious and Qin Wanru also doubted it. However, since nobody could help her at that time, she could not investigate the whole accident and had to leave her question unsolved.
It seemed that when Nanny Fang died, Qin Yuru also started to murder Xixiang. But she didn't know her servant girl would be saved by people from Qi's mansion and it was clear that Qi Tianyu even brought her to the capital city.
Qi Tianyu had known the truth, but he still pretended to treat Qin Yuru with sincerity. Nobody knew what he was planning.
"First Miss, do you feel strange? And are you wondering why I am still alive? You asked others to cheat me into walking to the river and tried to murder me! However, I am a survivor and I am lucky enough to get through this! My mother and I had been serving you wholeheartedly and been loyal to you! We had tried our best to help you plot against Second Miss but we ended up like this. I am paying for what I have done. However, don't you fear that bad thing will happen to you? Don't you fear that you will get your comeuppance after you have committed so many crimes?"
Xixiang looked up and stared at Qin Yuru viciously. Her voice was not loud but very clear. Her hatred smashed Qin Yuru with her cold tone.
Qin Yuru couldn't help taking a few steps backwards. She was staggering and it seemed that she was nearly unable to stand straight. She was extremely pale.
Old Madam of Duke Yong's fingers were trembling. She favored her granddaughter Qin Yuru but also liked Di Yan. She now finally found out that those rumors were true and her dear granddaughter did nearly get married with First Young Master Qi. According to this servant girl's words, it seemed that Qin Yuru and Qi Tianyu still kept a dubious relationship with each other privately.
Her face first became livid, then pale and finally got red because of anger.
No matter how she favored Qin Yuru, now she finally believed her dear granddaughter had an affair with Qi Tianyu and even betrayed her grandson. As Qin Yuru's grandmother, she should stop Xixiang immediately. However, as Di Yan's grandmother, she wanted to know the truth.
When Di Yan and Qin Yuru had arrived in the capital city, they both talked about stories in Jiangzhou to her and told her the matter about the failed engagement was only a rumor made up by others. It was just a story between Qin Wanru and Qi Tianyu and it had nothing to do with Qin Yuru. As for why there was such a rumor, it was only because some people always confused these two girls' names and then incorrectly relayed the erroneous message.
Old Madam of Duke Yong's Mansion definitely chose to believe her daughter and granddaughter whom she had not seen for years. However, she never expected that the truth would be like this. Thinking that Di Yan demanded to annul the engagement for his marriage with Qin Yuru when crying uncontrollably, Old Madam of Duke Yong's Mansion felt extremely sorry to her grandson.
Di Yan was her grandson while Qin Yuru was her granddaughter. Both were her dear grandchildren. Thus, at this moment, she didn't know whether she should stop the servant girl or not. Anyway, the only thing she could do now was bite the bullet and keep listening while thinking about how to explain this matter to Di Yan. For her, it was quite fortunate that Countess Yong didn't come here because of other arrangements. If she knew this, she would not let Qin Yuru marry Di Yan.
"You, you are just a mean servant! And how dare you slur my reputation!" gnashing her teeth, Qin Yuru said. She was so furious that she almost could not breathe.
"Those who slur the former master's reputation should be punished by flogging to death after being caught!" Madam of Duke Xing added gravely.
"It doesn't matter. I have died once and my mother was killed by flogging. These were all given by my dear First Miss and I will never forget!"
Xixiang sneered and answered resentfully with her eyes on fire. Her words and her look both showed her hatred towards Qin Yuru.
She drew a letter from her bosom and said, "This is the letter which First Miss used to arrange a date with First Young Master of the Qi Family!"
Xixiang actually didn't get this letter by herself. It was Qi Rongzhi who stole this letter in Qi Tianyu's study room. When they were in Jiangzhou, Qin Yuru and Qi Tianyu liked each other. However, even though two mansions had agreed their engagement, it was not easy for unmarried man and woman to meet each other, and thus it was quite normal for them to write letters full of love to each other privately.
If they intended to meet each other and hoped their parents could not find out their arrangement, they would also communicate with each other by letters.
Qin Yuru got a habit of arranging a date with Qi Tianyu by writing letters at that time. To avoid misunderstanding, Qin Yuru particularly slurred Qin Wanru's reputation and even expressed how she wanted to see Qi Tianyu in the letters. Moreover, she even said that since Qin Wanru ruined her engagement, she had been ill and she had always missed Qi Tianyu.
She wrote many letters and each of them all revealed her affection for Qi Tianyu. Although she didn't directly say that she hated Qin Wanru, she seemed to be full of remorse and even grow dissipated. Besides, it seemed that she was to imply Qi Tianyu that she could not get happy anymore if she could not marry Qi Tianyu.
And it was Qin Wanru who caused these things!
"Old Madam, have a look." Qi Rongzhi took the letter from Xixiang and gave it to Old Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion, perkily.
She didn't expect that her plan would be so successful!
"Old Madam, these letters are all counterfeits! This servant girl did serve me for some time but I sent her away because of another thing! I never expect that she will have a grudge against me and now she even tries to demean me!" Qin Yuru answered. She knew she could not act rashly even though she did want to snatch those letters from Qi Rongzhi.
"Demean? Sister Yuru, you'd better not plot against others! You even ruined my brother's reputation!" Qi Rongzhi sneered relentlessly while handing those letters over to Nanny Yu.
Nanny Yu took them and gave them to Old Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion who took the main seat.
Old Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion reached out and took them. After looking over those letters, she passed these letters to Old Madam of Duke Yong's Mansion. She looked bad.
When Old Madam of Duke Yong's Mansion was reading, her face changed drastically. A mixed feeling of abashment and anger overwhelmed her. If Qin Yuru were not her granddaughter, if Madam Di had not become like this, she would throw these letters into Qin Yuru's face!
She clutched those letters tightly with her trembling fingers. At this moment, no matter how Old Madam of Duke Yong was knowledgeable and informed, she had no idea that what she should do now. She wanted to ruin these letters but she was clear that this behavior would raise too many questions. The more one tried to hide, the more one was exposed. Besides, her identity didn't allow her to do such a thing.
She shot a quick glance at her trusted old maid who stood beside her. Then the old maid took a step forward and was ready to take those letters and tear them up.
Even though a master could not do this thing, a servant could. When they destroyed these letters, they could put the blame on the servant girl.
However, another hand quickly took those letters from Old Madam of Duke Yong's hand before the old maid got them. "If Old Madam of Duke Yong's Mansion finished reading, our Madam Dowager also wanted to check these letters."
Yujie said with a smile and then she gave these letters to Old Madam Qin. Qin Wanru had asked her to keep an eye on Old Madam of Duke Yong in case she tried to destroy the evidence.
After Old Madam Qin read through those letters impassively, she sighed heavily and handed them over to Qin Huaiyong.
Qin Huaiyong looked livid. After he read through the whole content rapidly, he banged the table with letters in his hand and shouted angrily, "You are an unfilial daughter! How dare you!"
"Father, I have never written these letters! It must be someone who imitates my handwriting! I, I will never write letters like this!"
Qin Yuru covered her face and burst into tears.
"Not you?" Rolling her eyes, Old Madam of Duke Yong felt she finally came back to life!
"Grandma, I never do this! I don't know what Sister Rongzhi wants to do and why she would treat me like this! It is because Old Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion favors me but not her? If so, then I quit! Please let me go!" Qin Yuru turned around and suddenly knelt down in front of Qi Rongzhi with her tear-stained face. Tears kept rolling down on her face, which made her look sorrowful.
Qin Yuru was clear that she could not acknowledge this and admit what she had done before. She was sure that Qi Rongzhi could not do it to her. Letters could be counterfeits and these witnesses might be considered as the tool Qi Rongzhi used to plot against Qin Yuru.
Qin Yuru had never been so clear and calm before. She knew the reason why Qi Rongzhi hated her was that she was also going to be a nominal granddaughter of Old Madam of Duke Xing's Mansion. Qi Rongzhi must fear that she would snatch everyone's favor and that was why Qi Rongzhi wanted to uncover her past.
She bet Qi Rongzhi had no other evidence except for these letters and witnesses.
Most people here today all supported Qin Yuru. If she kept denying these things, Qi Rongzhi could not threaten her!
Qin Wanru lowered her head and pulling at her clothes slightly. She was happy to see this scene as she also did hard to contribute to this drama. A trace of coldness flashed upon her eyes. Qi Rongzhi might not have that kind of power, but Qi Tianyu did have. She knew he had an ace up his sleeve...