CHAPTER 378: CHAPTER 378 PEACOCK

Watching Xie Jingchen turn to leave, the cold gleam in the Old Madam’s eyes poured out.

In the room, the maids and servant women didn’t dare to make a sound.

Although the Eldest Young Master did not openly plead for the Eldest Young Madam.

His words were laced with threats.

Who doesn’t know that the Emperor favors the Eldest Young Madam? If he knew that the Eldest Young Madam was wrongfully blamed, he’d be furious enough, let alone deceived out of two boxes of Bihun Ointment, the Emperor would surely be enraged.

The Old Madam and Princess Nanzhang falsely accused the Eldest Young Madam without properly investigating, they are sure to be reprimanded.

Moreover, the Eldest Young Master said the Emperor awarded two boxes of Bihun Ointment, but Princess Nanzhang only gave the Old Madam one box.

She’s pocketing one of them.

The room was silent for a moment until Mrs. Wang spoke up, breaking the stillness.

"Old Madam..."

But before Mrs. Wang could finish, the Old Madam raised her hand to interrupt.

"Report everything that has just happened word for word to Princess Nanzhang," the Old Madam said coldly.

"She is the head mistress of the Duke Mansion, it’s up to her to decide what should be done."

After speaking, the Old Madam closed her eyes and had Hongxiu assist her back to her room.

Mrs. Wang was troubled.

She went to the Peony Garden.

Before Mrs. Wang arrived, Princess Nanzhang had already heard about the events at Qihao Hall.

Thinking of how her misappropriation of a box of Bihun Ointment was exposed like this, Princess Nanzhang’s face burned with shame.

Looking at Mrs. Wang, Princess Nanzhang said, "The injury on the Elder Yongcheng’s Mansion’s young lady’s hand only needs one box of Bihun Ointment, I kept the other one in case it is needed elsewhere in the future."

"Eldest Young Madam was punished by Old Madam to kneel in the Buddhist Hall, whether the punishment continues or is lifted, naturally depends on the Old Madam."

It was not only the Old Madam who punished Su Jin, but also who sent Princess Nanzhang into the palace to ask the Empress Dowager for Bihun Ointment.

If Su Jin got angry and complained to the Emperor, this fire wouldn’t reach her.

Princess Nanzhang felt she had nothing to fear.

As for the Old Madam, she wasn’t really afraid either.

Old Master Xie had just captured King Beimo, meritorious to the state, the Emperor could not possibly punish the Old Madam for such trivial matters, at most a few words of admonishment.

Princess Nanzhang didn’t want to deal with this mess, Mrs. Wang had no choice but to go back and report honestly to the Old Madam.

The Old Madam was clearly giving Princess Nanzhang a graceful way out, but Princess Nanzhang didn’t care, nor did she return the Bihun Ointment.

The cold gleam appeared again in the Old Madam’s eyes.

But this matter had to be handled, there was no way around it.

Appeasing Su Jin’s anger while preserving her own dignity was indeed a difficult task.

Inside the Buddhist Hall.

Su Jin was copying the family rules, feeling irritable and with a liver full of anger.

After copying one page of the family rules, Su Jin rubbed her wrist, she wasn’t used to writing with a brush, and couldn’t go long without her wrist aching.

Mrs. Wang walked in, Xingxing cheerfully said, "Why has Mrs. Wang come?"

Seeing Xingxing’s bright smile, Mrs. Wang felt an indescribable sensation.

Neither the Eldest Young Madam nor the maid had ever smiled like that at the Old Madam, but rather at her...

Mrs. Wang curtseyed to Su Jin, saying, "The Eldest Young Master is deeply affectionate and loyal to the Eldest Young Madam, he brought people back to prove to the Old Madam that Elder Yong Cheng’s Mansion young lady’s burn was not the Eldest Young Madam’s fault, the punishment the Old Madam gave to the Eldest Young Madam yesterday was too severe."

Too severe?

Does that mean there is still punishment?

"The Eldest Young Madam may leave after copying two hundred pages of the family rules in the Buddhist Hall," Mrs. Wang said.

The punishment was reduced by more than half, Xingxing was quite satisfied.

But Su Jin was not so easily appeased.

Yesterday she had already stated that the injury to Elder Yong Cheng’s Mansion’s young lady couldn’t wholly be considered her fault, yet still, the Old Madam punished her heavily.

Now they were changing their tune, but changing one’s tune undermines authority, something the Old Madam would never do unless forced.

Xie Jingchen must have found something to use against the Old Madam.

Even though she didn’t know yet, it didn’t stop her from making use of it.

Su Jin looked at Mrs. Wang and said, "Please convey to the Old Madam that I will complete the two hundred pages quickly and vacate the Buddhist Hall."

As for who it would be vacated for, Su Jin didn’t know.

But judging by Mrs. Wang’s expression, it seemed someone would take the hint.

Good.

Su Jin picked up the brush, dipped it in ink, and continued copying the family rules.

Mrs. Wang knew the Eldest Young Madam was difficult to deal with, for the harmony of the Duke Mansion, she could only act first and report later.

Looking at Su Jin, Mrs. Wang said, "Originally, the Old Madam punished the Eldest Young Madam to copy family rules in the Buddhist Hall for ten days, it was this servant who felt copying two hundred pages would allow the Eldest Young Madam to leave sooner."

"Was it ten days?" Su Jin asked.

"..."

"This servant has been feeling dizzy these days, I always remember things incorrectly," Mrs. Wang said quietly.

She looked towards Hongxiu, "How many days did the Old Madam say?"

"Seven days," Hongxiu said with a twitching mouth.

I’ve never seen anyone haggling while being punished to copy the house rules. Eldest Young Madam is one of a kind.

Xingxing was stunned.

The young lady is truly amazing.

Su Jin looked at Mrs. Wang.

Mrs. Wang’s gaze carried a hint of pleading; it couldn’t be reduced any further.

For chasing a dog in the street, anyone else would be confined for a month, copying the house rules for seven days is really as lenient as it gets.

It was the Eldest Young Master’s cleverness, after all.

He waited until Princess Nanzhang went to the palace to ask for the Bihun Ointment and caught her handle before bringing people to the mansion. Otherwise, with the Old Madam’s temper, she would have made Eldest Young Madam copy the house rules five hundred times without reducing even one.

As for the Bihun Ointment, it could have been obtained under a different pretext, albeit with more trouble.

Su Jin also knew it was impossible to waive all the penalties.

Besides, there’s no rule stating how many house rules she needs to copy daily. With some jesting, seven days would pass quickly.

Seeing that Su Jin said nothing more, Mrs. Wang and Hongxiu bowed and retired.

As for what happened when they returned and how the Old Madam got angry, Su Jin could imagine. Anyway, she was in quite a good mood.

Su Jin instructed Xingxing to bring some books to pass the time.

Xingxing worried that her young lady would be confined for seven days, and with no one in the rear courtyard, someone might sneak in.

Su Jin laughed, "Don’t worry, even if I don’t go back for a month, no one would dare to sneak into our back courtyard again."

If they come once and suffer once, even a fool would learn. If they still don’t, there’s truly no hope for them.

Hearing this from Su Jin, Xingxing felt relieved.

She returned to the Agarwood Pavilion to fetch the book.

Yet by noon, the sky had turned overcast.

Howling winds rustled the leaves noisily.

The Buddhist Hall was quiet with few people; with the wild winds, it was indeed a bit daunting.

Xingxing sat right next to Su Jin, going nowhere.

With the doors and windows tightly shut, the wind could still seep through, making the candlelight flicker. Reading in such circumstances was a strain on the eyes.

Su Jin closed the book and rested her eyes.

The weather changed fast, catching people off guard.

With such weather, Mrs. Tang was really worried about Su Yang being out alone, especially after Su Jin told her that Su Yang was dressed as a little beggar.

A beggar’s den can’t shield against the wind, nor the rain. If it rains heavily, the den might even collapse.

Unable to be at ease until bringing her son back, even the servants of Dongxiang Marquis Mansion couldn’t sit still.

Knowing that Little Black could help find Su Yang, Steward Lin personally led people following Little Black into the street.

But even by nightfall, they couldn’t find a trace of Su Yang.

The torrential rain drenched the ground.

Mrs. Tang stood by the window, imagining her son running in the rain, and couldn’t stop worrying.

In the bedroom of the Ninth Prince, Su Yang and the Ninth Prince sat cross-legged on the bed.

Their eyes fixated on the two peacocks at the foot of the bed.

Yes.

They were peacocks.

After the Imperial Physician came to check the Ninth Prince’s pulse and confirmed he was well enough to go out, Su Yang went to the Imperial Garden with him.

Su Yang had no interest in the flowers and plants, and since picking them wasn’t allowed, it was meaningless to him.

He discovered two peacocks in the Imperial Garden.

He heard that peacocks spreading their tails were incredibly beautiful, but he’d never seen it himself.

So he stayed there, waiting for the peacocks to spread their tails.

But after waiting for half the day, the peacocks didn’t display, and the fierce wind arrived.

The palace maids and eunuchs were busy moving potted plants.

Without a word, Su Yang picked up a peacock, and both he and the Ninth Prince each took one back to the room.

At this moment, the palace maids and eunuchs were shivering in fear.

These two peacocks were the Emperor’s favorites.

And just like that, they were taken by the two little ancestors...

"Look, look, the peacock is reacting," the Ninth Prince said excitedly.

Su Yang’s eyes widened.

They saw the peacock look around, its long tail flicking slightly.

Under everyone’s gaze—

It pooped.

Su Yang, "..."

Ninth Prince, "..."