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墨書 Inktalez
“Master Lu, can you tell me what kind of dishes the Substitute Concubine has been sending to the kitchen recently?”
“Yes,” Master Lu nodded and stepped aside, saying, “The recipes are indeed consistent with what Madam usually instructs, but the quality has dropped significantly. For instance, many fish and meat dishes are often not fresh or are leftovers from the previous day. After noticing this several times, I reminded her, and the situation improved a bit. However, there seems to be an issue with the pig liver and beef bought for Second Madam's nourishment—they were quite unsatisfactory.”
Yue Ziyun bit her lip, suddenly showing a mocking expression as she watched coldly; Yun You looked on in disbelief; Fu Lianyin’s face alternated between red and pale as she glanced at the gloomy-faced Three Elders beside her, quickly holding her breath to continue “watching the show.”
“You're talking nonsense!” Before Master Lu could finish, Dai Chun Ni jumped up anxiously, flaring her nostrils and saying, “I only choose from reputable sellers. They are all well-known butchers in the capital. If you don’t believe me, you can call them here to confront me.” She scanned everyone present with her eyes.
Yun Kexin secretly laughed at Dai Chun Ni, thinking she believed she had everything under control, unaware that she was merely digging her own grave—if Aunt hadn’t sent someone to investigate afterward, how could she be so confident?!
Master Lu was not intimidated by her feigned confidence and continued calmly, “Substitute Concubine, which seller did you buy the pig liver and beef from? I wasn’t there, so I can’t make any assumptions. But if I—a person who has worked in the kitchen for many years—can’t even distinguish between good and bad ingredients, then I should no longer work as a kitchen master.”
“You…” Dai Chun Ni was so angry that her teeth chattered. She wanted to argue back but stumbled over her words as if her tongue were tied, unable to say a complete sentence. “You… clarify your words!”
Master Lu turned his face away and stopped looking at her.
“Mr. Mu from the accounts room?” Sun Rulan asked slowly.
“Here,” Mr. Mu stepped forward and said, “Madam, what do you need?”
“Mr. Mu, how much money has the Substitute Concubine taken from the accounts room these past few days to buy ingredients?”
Mr. Mu was an old scholar in his fifties but did not have failing eyesight; on the contrary, he seemed very sharp with numbers as if the abacus were part of his brain.
He recounted in front of everyone how much silver Dai Chun Ni had taken under the pretense of asking Madam to buy groceries, down to the last coin, causing the latter to feel a chill run down her spine.
Is this going to blow up? Dai Chun Ni was startled again, beads of sweat already forming on her forehead, and her legs began to weaken. But it wasn't a situation where she could compromise; absolutely not! Thinking this way, she straightened her back.
"Wow, sounds like you took quite a bit," Sun Rulan suppressed the fire in her heart and slowly approached Dai Chun Ni. "Substitute Concubine, Mr. Mu from the accounts room has been quite lenient with you on my behalf. Why is it that the silver isn't enough for you to buy good wine and dishes, yet you specifically choose some stale, inferior items that no one wants? Why?" She was determined to make Dai Chun Ni reveal something bit by bit, her eyes narrowing as she pressed closer. "Could it be that you think the Duke's Residence is running low on funds and has become so poor that you need to tighten your belt to get by?" Suddenly glaring, she added, "Where has all the leftover money gone?!"
What made Sun Rulan formidable was this: she didn't show anger or raise her voice; even when scolding someone, it was slow and devoid of foul language, making people think she was refined and composed. Little did they know this was the most torturous approach because her opponent would be completely unaware of their own downfall while still being unable to grasp the situation.
"Leftover money..." Dai Chun Ni's eyes darted around anxiously. In her panic, she realized her palms were warm. Looking down, she was shocked to find she had been holding Yun Kexin's hand all along. Gazing at the innocent four-year-old child in front of her, Dai Chun Ni suddenly smiled brightly with affection.
She looked up and said, "Look at my memory; I forgot everything in a rush. Madam, I spent all the leftover money on Seventh Young Lady for food and fun..."
Yun Kexin nearly spat blood. Before leaving home, she had anticipated that Dai Chun Ni must have some ulterior motive for wanting to take her out and had considered that Dai Chun Ni might shift blame onto her. She never expected it would turn out to be true.
A cold smirk appeared at the corner of Sun Rulan's mouth as she returned to her original position at a leisurely pace without saying a word, just staring intently at Dai Chun Ni. The look in her eyes conveyed a chilling intent to eliminate her, sending a shiver up Dai Chun Ni's spine!
It was then that she realized how different Madam, who usually seemed peaceful and soft-spoken, appeared now. She shifted her gaze toward Third Master and his wife with a pleading expression.
With a loud "smack," Dai Chun Ni jumped in shock. Turning around, she saw that the white jade teacup held by Sun Rulan had shattered into pieces, tea splattering everywhere.
"Dai Chun Ni!” Sun Rulan could no longer hold back and angrily shouted, “I trusted you completely! You took extra silver in my name to buy groceries while cutting corners during the process! You pocketed leftover money for yourself and tarnished my reputation! You even tried to pin the leftover money issue on Sister Xin, giving her 'food and fun'—I see you've really got some nerve! Do you realize that those stale or spoiled pig liver and beef you bought could cause problems for the pregnant Second Madam!? You nearly put me in an unjust position; do you understand?" Madam’s voice was sharp enough to be heard several miles away. "If we can't expel you from the Duke's Residence today, we must let Third Master deal with you according to family law. If we don't give you some consequences now, how will we keep order in the future?"
Seeing Dai Chun Ni’s face turn pale and her breathing quicken as she swallowed hard and opened her mouth again, Sun Rulan coldly added one last remark that plunged Dai Chun Ni into despair: "Don't even think about trying to argue your way out of this. This morning I followed you and Seventh Young Lady with my two sons and saw everything with my own eyes. Those so-called respectable businessmen have already confessed everything. Should I invite them here? It's fortunate I went today; otherwise, I wouldn't have known how you've been undermining me behind my back or how you would go so far as to frame an innocent child!"
Sun Rulan was actually stalking her! No matter how she calculated, she never expected this step. Whose idea was this?
The fierce gaze had not yet turned towards Yun Kexin when a large shadow loomed over her. Immediately, her wrist was tightly gripped by a strong hand. In pain, she looked up: Master! When did he come to stand in front of her?
"It seems that last year's slap didn't wake you up, or perhaps you thought it was too light," Yun Yang's cold and distant tone sent chills down Dai Chun Ni's spine. "Come, go back with me and let you see what 'Ancestral Family Law' really means!"
"Master, please spare me," Dai Chun Ni pleaded, feeling her wrist being crushed by Yun Yang's grip, the pain making it feel as if her bones were breaking. At the same time, she was terrified of how dreadful the Ancestral Family Law could be. "I, Consort, know I was wrong..."
Yun Yang ignored her. He coldly tightened his grip on Dai Chun Ni's wrist as if he were squeezing a chicken and walked towards the Three Courtyard West Garden. Fu Lianyin pulled along the discarded Yun Kexin, following behind.
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