Lei tried to stop her, but it was too late. She glanced coldly at Shen Lixue, her eyes filled with uncertain emotions.
"Splash! Splash! Splash!" Basins of cold water were poured over them, instantly turning Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin into drowned rats. Their dazed minds were jolted awake, and gusts of cold wind seeped into their skin through their soaked clothes. The three of them felt chilled to the bone and shivered. They sat up, disheveled and bewildered.
"Young Miss, Prime Minister, Madam!" Looking at the familiar surroundings and familiar people, Ding Mama and the other two were stunned. The scene before they fainted flashed through their minds, and the three of them were even more shocked and speechless. A thought flashed through their minds: they had messed things up!
"Are you going to confess the bad things you've done yourselves, or do you want me to tell you?" Shen Lixue looked at Ding Mama and the other two, a slight smile playing on her lips.
Looking at her smile, Ding Mama and the other two felt a chill seep into their backs and instantly spread to their limbs. This young lady would show such a bright smile to everyone in the Prime Minister's mansion, but the brighter her smile, the more miserable the fate of those who harmed her would be.
"Young Miss, this servant does not understand what you mean!" Ding Mama said in a low voice, lowering her head and not daring to look Shen Lixue in the eye. She could not admit to harming others. Once the crime of harming their master was confirmed, the three of them would be doomed.
"Don't understand? Then let me make it clearer. Who instructed you to scare me by playing tricks in the pavilion?" Shen Lixue emphasized the last sentence, her voice chilling and bone-deep.
Ding Mama's body trembled, then she came to her senses and stubbornly argued, "We were just passing by the pavilion and did not mean to scare Miss..." The implication was that Shen Lixue was timid and thought they were ghosts, which was why she was frightened.
"Yes, yes, we were just passing by the pavilion and didn't mean to scare Miss!" Xia Rou and Xia Jin were young and had never experienced such a scene before. They were quite frightened and followed Ding Mama's lead in everything. Whatever Ding Mama said, they echoed her.
“Granny Ding has been by my side for over twenty years, and Xia Rou and Xia Jin have been with Yingxue for five or six years. I know their character very well, and they would never do such a heinous thing.” Lei said softly, her voice not loud, but her tone was very firm, letting Shen Minghui know her thoughts: she wanted to protect Granny Ding and the other two.
"Li Xue, could it be that you're too tired and misread it?" Shen Minghui frowned slightly and asked patiently. This daughter of his was always causing trouble. This time, she actually made a big deal out of Ya Rong and Ying Xue's capable maids. She was really a handful.
"I might be mistaken, but are all these guards mistaken too?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow and coldly retorted to Lei Yarong and Shen Minghui. In front of so many witnesses, they actually tried to argue and accuse her instead. How shameless!
“Young Miss, you are the master, and the guards are the servants. Of course they will not disobey your orders…” The situation was somewhat in favor of Granny Ding and the other two, and Granny Ding became bolder, secretly blaming Shen Lixue.
"Are you saying, Granny Ding, that I bribed the guards?" Shen Lixue smiled coldly, her gaze sweeping lightly over the guards at the door whose expressions had changed slightly. "Not to mention that there are many guards, bribing them all would require a huge amount of money and resources. With the Prime Minister and his wife here, they are the true masters of the Prime Minister's residence. The guards have the most contact with them. Granny Ding, do you think the guards listen to me or to them?"
Ding Mama's expression changed slightly: "Perhaps only one or two guards were bribed, and the others were instigated by them..." She had been negligent just now and should not have involved so many guards. Once things get complicated, the situation will be difficult to manage.
"Your Excellency, Madam, it is our duty to protect the Prime Minister's residence. We were absolutely not bribed or bribed by the young lady. When we arrived at the pavilion, we witnessed Ding Mama and the other two pretending to be ghosts to harm the young lady. We did not fabricate any lies or incite any wrongdoing!" The guards were filled with righteous indignation at being wronged. The guard leader took the lead and reported the truth to Shen Minghui to prove their innocence.
"Granny Ding, what else do you have to say?" Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow at Granny Ding. Even on the verge of death, they were still being stubborn. This time, the evidence was there, so let's see how they can still argue.
"This servant, this servant..." Granny Ding's eyes darted around, desperately trying to think of something to say.
Shen Lixue glanced at Lei Yarong, whose expression was unpredictable, and said calmly, "That pavilion is the only way back to the Bamboo Garden. Whether you go to Ya Garden, Xue Garden, or back to your residence, you will not pass through there. Don't tell me that you are planning to go to the Bamboo Garden to see me or deliver something. When the guards and I see you, you will have nothing in your hands."
"Young Miss, have mercy! Have mercy!" With witnesses present, the truth could no longer be concealed. Granny Ding knelt on the ground, kowtowing and begging for forgiveness.
Shen Minghui's face was terribly gloomy. Shen Lixue was his daughter, the eldest daughter of the Prime Minister's mansion. If anyone was to be disciplined, only he could do so. Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin were nothing but lowly servants. To discipline Lixue in private was clearly a sign that they didn't respect him!
"Who ordered you to do this?" Shen Lixue stared coldly at the three women. Ding Mama and the other two were just servants. If no one had instructed them, they wouldn't have dared to harm her even if they had a hundred lives.
“No one ordered us to do it. We servants were angry because the Second Miss was seriously injured by the Eldest Miss, so we pretended to be ghosts to scare the Eldest Miss…” Granny Ding trembled and kowtowed, begging for forgiveness.
If he takes the blame, his master will treat his family well because of his loyalty. If he's lucky, he might even be spared death. But if he reveals who's behind it all, he'll lose his life and bring harm to his family.
Shen Minghui's gloomy expression gradually softened. It turned out that they were standing up for Yingxue. Although their actions were a bit intense, they were loyal to their master!
"Father, in the Prime Minister's residence, what is the punishment for a servant who intentionally harms the master's life?" Shen Lixue smiled and looked at Shen Minghui with clear eyes. Ding Mama and the other two had plotted against her, but he was not only not angry, but seemed to be very pleased. She would let him personally punish Ding Mama and the other two severely and see how pleased he was.
Shen Minghui's improved complexion instantly darkened again, and he answered with a stiff upper lip, "A servant who deliberately plots to harm his master is doomed to die!" This rule was not set by him, but by the Qingyan royal family.
In full view of everyone, Ding Mama and the other two committed this capital crime. Even if he doesn't blame them, he can't save them. The maids who loyally protected Yingxue, the nanny, cannot be kept alive!
“Li Xue, Granny Ding is an old nanny who has been by my side for a long time. She manages many things in the Prime Minister’s residence. Even if she is to be sentenced to death, we should give her a few days’ reprieve so that she can hand over some of the affairs of the Prime Minister’s residence to others…”
Suddenly, Lei spoke up, her tone very firm. She wasn't discussing anything, but rather ordering Shen Lixue not to execute Granny Ding immediately.
Ding Mama was secretly delighted, but her face showed great sorrow and grief: "This servant has failed Madam's trust. I will definitely hand over all the affairs of the Prime Minister's residence to the next nanny in detail, so that she can help Madam manage the residence well. This servant can rest in peace even in the afterlife..."
Her words were so poignant and heartbreaking that they brought tears to the eyes of all who heard them. Even the guards who had just hated Granny Ding felt a pang of sympathy and looked at Shen Lixue with a mixture of pity and wondered if the young lady would agree to release her.
Shen Lixue smiled slightly: "Madam, Ding Mama is in charge of the affairs of the Prime Minister's residence, with others assisting her. Those assisting her must also understand the affairs of the Prime Minister's residence. They can take over the affairs of the Prime Minister's residence as soon as they get the account books. Ding Mama is your most capable assistant. If she makes a mistake, you must punish her severely to show your fairness, magnanimity, and kindness. If you delay and Ding Mama takes the opportunity to slip away, you will be accused of favoritism and protecting criminals. At that time, your reputation will be ruined..."
Lei Shi and Ding Mama are both shrewd people. Delaying the execution to give Ding Mama a chance to escape is a joke. She's not that stupid.
The crowd looked at Lei Shi with more consideration. What the young lady said did make some sense. Granny Ding had committed a serious crime and could not be tolerated.
Ding Mama's face turned deathly pale instantly. Her lips trembled, her body shook slightly, and she kept glancing at Lei Shi. Would the madam find another way to save her?
Lei's face instantly turned extremely ugly. Her plan had been seen through by Shen Lixue, leaving her speechless. Ding Mama was beyond saving.
"Xia Rou and Xia Jin are Yingxue's personal maids and are very familiar with Yingxue's daily habits. Now that Yingxue is seriously injured, let's leave them to serve her for the time being. We can punish them after Yingxue recovers, how about that?" Lei's tone was not so harsh anymore, and it had a hint of negotiation in it!
“Madam, Xia Rou and Xia Jin are wicked and try to scare people by pretending to be ghosts. I am healthy and determined, and I was not frightened by them. Yingxue’s arm is seriously injured and she cannot withstand being frightened. If the two of them pretend to be ghosts while serving Yingxue, Yingxue’s injury will definitely worsen…” Shen Lixue said softly, and saw Lei Shi and Shen Minghui’s face growing darker and darker.
Shen Yingxue's bones were broken, and it would take several months for her to fully recover. Xia Rou and Xia Jin were by her side to serve her, and they could "make a great contribution" at any time to offset her sins. When it comes to enemies, one must be ruthless and completely defeat them. Otherwise, once they turn the tables, it will be one of them who suffers. Shen Lixue was not so foolish as to wrong herself and give others a chance to turn the tables.
Ding Mama, Xia Rou, and Xia Jin instantly turned ashen-faced, a voice echoing in their minds: they were going to be executed, they were going to be executed...
Shen Lixue looked at Ding Mama and the other two and said calmly, "I originally thought that since you were the maids of Madam and Yingxue, as long as you admitted your mistakes, I would only fine you half a year's wages. I didn't expect you to be so stubborn and keep throwing mud at me. Your character is so wicked, you really can't be kept around..."
Xia Jin was stunned, then suddenly looked up at Granny Ding, her lifeless eyes filled with anger: "It's all your fault, you idiot! When the young lady asked, you could have just told the truth. Why did you lie? You've risked our lives..."
"It's all your fault, you're the one who ruined us..." Xia Jin pounced on Granny Ding, kicking and punching her relentlessly. Granny Ding was old and frail, and seriously injured, so she was powerless to fight back. Her old face twisted back and forth, turning from one side to the other: "I'll beat you to death, beat you to death..."
"You little hussy, you were the one who came up with the scheme, and now that the truth has come out, why are you blaming me!" Granny Ding reacted and started slapping Xia Jin across the face with both hands. Xia Jin was not to be outdone and slapped Granny Ding back with her own little hands. The scene was extremely chaotic.
"Guards, pull them away!" Shen Minghui's throat went dry, and he couldn't help but cough a few times. His face was grim; these servants were truly lawless...
Shen Lixue sneered inwardly. Shen Minghui didn't even consider that Ding Mama and Xia Jin had been sentenced to death and were about to die. Why would they be afraid of him, the prime minister?
The guards stepped forward and pulled Ding Mama and Xia Jin apart. Xia Jin cried and struggled, her eyes pleading as she looked at Shen Lixue: "Miss, I'll confess, I'll confess everything, please let me go, the person who ordered us to harm you was..."
A rag was quickly stuffed into Xia Jin's mouth, blocking the name she was about to say. Xia Jin whimpered and struggled desperately, trying to spit out the rag, tell the truth, and save her life.
Xia Rou looked at Shen Lixue. This young lady was indeed clever. With a single scheme to sow discord, she caused Xia Jin to turn against her own people and even prepare to confess everything. They had all underestimated this young lady from the countryside and underestimated her abilities, which was why they were driven to a dead end...