"Sold them all!" Lei took a sip of the tea and waved her hand in annoyance: Shen Lixue had actually discovered all four of them. They were useless and only caused trouble. Once they were sold, Zhuyuan would no longer have its own spies. Although they hadn't provided any useful information before, spies were there to monitor people, so it was better than nothing!
Ding Mama's eyes flickered, and she whispered, "Madam, since Fourth Maid's identity has been discovered, there's no point in keeping her in the Bamboo Garden. Selling her off is the right thing to do. Shen Lixue is choosing new maids, which is a great opportunity for us to plant new spies in the Bamboo Garden!"
Lei paused in his tea-drinking, a glint of anger flashing in his eyes. A slight smile slowly spread across his well-maintained face: "That's right. Now that we've been discovered, we need to get rid of the old spies and replace them with new ones to continue monitoring Shen Lixue. When are the human traffickers coming?"
"She's in the capital and will be at the Prime Minister's residence this afternoon to make the deal!" Ding Mama was Lei's right-hand woman, and she had always handled the buying and selling of servants. She was very familiar with the slave traders.
"Very good!" Madam Lei nodded gently, a cold glint flashing in her clear eyes: "Granny Ding, I'm leaving this matter to you. Make sure to plant a capable spies in the bamboo garden to closely monitor Shen Lixue's every move!"
"Don't worry, Madam, I'll take care of it right away!" Ding Mama was quite pleased with herself for having her suggestion approved. She smiled ingratiatingly and was about to get to work when Lei Mama called out to her, "Ding Mama, where did Yingxue go?"
Thinking of Yingxue's angry appearance when she came to Ya Garden, Lei couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Yingxue was too young; she would lose her temper if provoked. Even though she had taught her step by step, she still couldn't learn well. She was far inferior to Shen Lixue...
"Reporting to Madam, the Second Miss received a letter while in the Bamboo Garden, and then ordered someone to prepare a carriage to leave the manor!" Granny Ding reported respectfully, not daring to conceal anything.
Lei's eyes narrowed: "Who sent the letter, and what did it say?"
"This...this servant doesn't know!" Ding Mama lowered her eyelids. Who would dare to peek at Shen Yingxue's letter without her permission? According to Xia Jin's mutterings, after she read the letter, she crumpled it into a ball and burned it, so even if someone wanted to see it, they couldn't!
"It's alright, you can go now!" Madam Lei waved her hand, secretly sighing in her heart: Although Yingxue is willful, she knows what's important. If it's something important, she would definitely discuss it with me. She left the mansion without a word, so she must have gone to see a friend. She has many maids with her, so nothing will happen to her.
As Lei sighed, Shen Yingxue was sitting in a luxurious carriage bearing the insignia of the Prime Minister's residence, speeding down the street. At the back of the carriage sat Xia Rou, Xia Jin, and two second-class maids.
Shen Yingxue had already met with the person who had arranged to meet her. She was returning to the Prime Minister's residence with her eyes lowered, her face gloomy, and she remained silent, with a cold glint flashing in her eyes from time to time.
Xia Rou and Xia Jin knew that she was in a bad mood. They exchanged glances, sat quietly without saying a word, and didn't even dare to breathe loudly, for fear of accidentally angering Shen Yingxue and causing trouble.
Suddenly, the horses neighed loudly, and the fast-moving carriage came to a screeching halt. Shen Yingxue and the others inside lost their balance and tumbled onto the thick blankets. The blankets were thick, so they weren't hurt, but the way they fell was quite unseemly. Shen Yingxue was already furious, and this embarrassing incident ignited her anger: "How do you drive a carriage? Don't you know how to steer steadily? Are you trying to make us fall to our deaths in the carriage?"
"I'm sorry, Miss, there's someone blocking the road ahead!" the coachman replied weakly, his voice tinged with guilt.
Shen Yingxue was taken aback. In this capital city of Qingyan, someone actually dared to block her way? Who was so bold?
She quickly lifted the carriage curtain, and a familiar figure stood before her horse, looking at her with a slight smile: "Miss Chen, how have you been?"
Shen Yingxue was taken aback: "It's you!"
---Aside---
\（^o^）/~……Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! Eat lots of zongzi and grow up healthy and plump!
065 Beating Zhou Wenxuan
Zhuang Kexin's smile was radiant, her pomegranate-red dress fluttering gently in the sunlight, making her look beautiful and lovely. She walked slowly towards the carriage, her voice sweet and charming: "Yingxue!"
"Did you need something?" Shen Yingxue asked casually, glancing to the side, clearly not taking Zhuang Kexin seriously. Zhuang Kexin always followed Su Yuting's lead and listened to her very much. Su Yuting had helped Shen Lixue before and was her enemy, so Zhuang Kexin was also categorized as an enemy by her.
"Knowing that Yingxue is in trouble, I came to help!" Shen Yingxue's attitude was arrogant, but Zhuang Kexin was not annoyed. She smiled slightly, her dark eyes flashing with a mysterious light, and her calm tone revealed her profoundness.
Shen Yingxue scoffed, "What difficulties do I have that I can't solve myself? Why do I need your help?" Zhuang Kexin is at most the daughter of a high-ranking official, while Shen Yingxue is the daughter of a prime minister. Her status and position are much higher than Zhuang Kexin's. If she can't solve something, Zhuang Kexin is even less capable of doing so.
"Yingxue has recently encountered a big problem that is difficult to solve!" Zhuang Kexin came to the carriage and whispered a few words to Shen Yingxue.
Shen Yingxue's nonchalant expression instantly changed, a sharp, cold glint flashing in her eyes as she glared at Zhuang Kexin, her gaze filled with intense seriousness and wariness: "How did you know about this?"
Zhuang Kexin looked at the long street and the maids in the carriage, her smile radiant: "Yingxue, this is not the place to talk. How about we go to the restaurant up ahead to discuss this?"
Shen Yingxue looked in the direction Zhuang Kexin pointed and saw an ordinary restaurant. Zhuang Kexin knew her big secret. If she let her leave like this, Zhuang Kexin would spread her secret and she would be ruined. It would be better to go to the restaurant with her and see what tricks she could play.
After getting off the carriage, Shen Yingxue and Zhuang Kexin walked to Ruyi Restaurant. It wasn't mealtime yet, and the restaurant was quite empty. A few customers sat in the lobby drinking and chatting. Seeing Shen Yingxue and Zhuang Kexin enter, their slightly tipsy eyes widened in admiration: "These two young ladies are so beautiful, especially that lady in crimson, so fresh and natural..."
"She is the legitimate daughter of the Prime Minister's family, the apple of Prime Minister Shen's eye. Just look at her and don't overthink it..."
Praised for her beauty, Shen Yingxue was quite pleased. She moved gracefully and elegantly, her eyelids slightly lowered and her chin slightly raised, allowing people to see her beauty clearly without making her seem arrogant.
"Ladies, room number one is on the second floor. Please follow me!" The waiter hurried forward and led Shen Yingxue and Zhuang Kexin to a private room. A man who was dining in the corner of the hall narrowed his eyes slightly, quickly paid the bill, and left Zuixianlou.
Upon entering the private room, the waiter poured tea and left. Shen Yingxue ignored Zhuang Kexin, gracefully sat down at the table, picked up her teacup, took a sip, and said arrogantly, "There's hardly anyone here anymore, so just say what you need to say!"
Zhuang Kexin glanced at Xia Rou and Xia Jin, hesitating to speak: "Yingxue, this is a confidential matter, the fewer people who know about it, the better!"
Shen Yingxue raised an eyebrow and calmly instructed, "Xia Rou, Xia Jin, you two go wait outside!" Zhuang Kexin was alone and a woman who couldn't even kill a chicken, so Shen Yingxue wasn't afraid of her.
After Xia Rou and Xia Jin left, only Shen Yingxue and Zhuang Kexin remained in the private room. Shen Yingxue put down her teacup, stared at Zhuang Kexin, and asked sharply, "How did you know that Mu Zhengnan was harassing me?"
The letter she received during her confrontation with Shen Yingxue in the morning was written by Mu Zhengnan. He was sentenced to death and imprisoned in the Shuntian Prefecture prison, yet he still managed to write a letter to threaten her; he was truly quite capable.
“A friend of mine went to visit a relative in the Shuntian Prefecture prison. The relative’s cell happened to be near Mu Zhengnan’s cell, and he overheard your conversation.” Zhuang Kexin smiled gently, her tone calm, as if she were talking about something very ordinary.
Shen Yingxue's expression changed slightly. Her conversation with Mu Zhengnan involved many secrets, which must have been overheard by others: "What do you want?"
"Yingxue, don't be nervous. I'm here to help you, I would never harm you!" Zhuang Kexin picked up the teacup and carefully poured a cup of tea for Shen Yingxue. Amidst the rising steam, Zhuang Kexin's gaze was unfathomable.
"Although the Shuntian Prefecture prison is not as heavily guarded as the Ministry of Justice prison, rescuing someone from that death row is no easy task. Mu Zhengnan's decision to have you rescue him within three months is clearly an attempt to make things difficult for you..."
These words struck a chord with Shen Yingxue, instantly shattering her strong facade and filling her beautiful eyes with tears: "I am merely the daughter of the Prime Minister's family, powerless and without any strength. How could I possibly rescue him from prison? The Prime Minister's family's reputation is already ruined because of him. Even if I beg my father, he will not agree. Moreover, breaking someone out of prison is a serious crime. If I do it, my life will be ruined..."
Zhuang Kexin knew everything, and Shen Yingxue no longer hid anything, pouring out all the grievances she had suffered to Zhuang Kexin.
Zhuang Kexin patted Shen Yingxue on the back and gently comforted her, "Don't be sad. Mu Zhengnan is locked up in prison and will be executed in three months. There's no need to be afraid of him!"
Shen Yingxue cried even more bitterly, her handkerchief soaked with tears: "Mu Zhengnan has evidence that my mother instructed him to harm Shen Lixue. If we don't get him out of prison, he will expose the evidence to the world before he dies!" At that time, she and her mother will be infamous, and how will they be able to stand in the capital!
A glint flashed in Zhuang Kexin's eyes, but she quickly regained her composure: "Mu Zhengnan plotted to harm Shen Lixue first, and then framed the Princess Consort of Anjun. The two crimes combined are capital offenses. It's almost impossible to get him out of prison!"
"Shen Lixue is not the Princess Consort of Anjun!" A vicious glint flashed in Shen Yingxue's red eyes. Mu Zhengnan, that idiot, killed her half to death and then left. If he had used more force back then and strangled Shen Lixue to death, there wouldn't be this situation today.
“Yingxue, you’ve been waiting for over a decade, and you’re finally about to come of age and marry Prince An. Who would have thought that a wild girl from the countryside would come and steal your noble status as the legitimate daughter, and even steal away your beloved Prince An? How pitiful…” Zhuang Kexin sighed softly, shaking her head repeatedly, her eyes full of sympathy.