Free Web NovelChapter 1141: Chapter 1132: Indulgence (17)
The Chief of Staff sighed.
At this point, considering it as an accident is the only choice left.
The son has engaged in intimacy with the young lady; it’s impossible to pretend as if nothing happened.
For the sake of a legitimate wife’s position, it’s not worth offending Prince Zhenbei.
Outside, a servant from the Prince Zhenbei Mansion was listening to the interrogation in the room intently.
The servant quickly went to report to the Prince.
Although the Prince had suspected it earlier, he still harbored a sliver of hope; now, with the last shred of dignity stripped away, his face turned eggplant purple.
Utterly humiliated.
To rear a son who betrays the country and a daughter who knows no shame!
The Prince dismissed all the maids and servants in the room.
Only Mrs. Wang and a second-class manager were left to interrogate the nun.
Initially, the nun refused to confess, but when the servant recounted the Chief of Staff’s questions, she no longer resisted firmly.
"Those ornaments were given by Miss Xie to buy my assistance," confessed the nun.
"As long as I agreed to help her, she assured me I would not suffer any loss."
Mrs. Wang was so enraged that she was practically smoking, "Did the Prince Mansion give so little incense money to Ciyun Temple?!"
"Promised solemnly to take care of Miss Xie, yet you were bribed by her, aiding her in smearing the Prince Mansion’s face!"
"With such behavior, do you qualify to claim yourself to be pure and detached from worldly matters?!"
Mrs. Wang knelt down to plead guilty to the Prince.
It was her fault for sending Miss Xie to Ciyun Temple again, giving her a chance to tarnish the reputation of the Prince Mansion.
The Prince asked Mrs. Wang to rise, "This is not your fault."
He bore distaste for Princess Nanzhang, partly due to pressure from the Empress Dowager and the Old Madam, which led to a lack of discipline over her two children, deeply influenced by Princess Nanzhang.
The Chief of Staff and his wife came forward, saying, "The matter has been thoroughly investigated. It’s nothing but an accident."
"Perhaps it’s fate between your son and my daughter, so once my wife and I return home, we’ll prepare the engagement gifts and visit to propose marriage, selecting an auspicious date for the wedding."
The Chief of Staff spoke with a modest demeanor.
The Prince felt utterly embarrassed for raising such a disgraceful daughter, leaving her with no choice but to marry and trouble others.
The Chief of Staff preserved the dignity of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion, and he acknowledged this favor.
The Chief of Staff and his wife bade farewell, taking Third Young Master Zhu back to their mansion. ƒrēewebnovel.com
Third Young Master Zhu dared not look at the Prince, fearing the Prince’s wrath.
Once they had left, the Prince coldly ordered, "Return to the mansion!"
The Prince strode off swiftly.
The maids and servants looked at Mrs. Wang, "These nuns disregarded the Princess Consort’s instructions, helping Miss Xie, and that’s it?"
Mrs. Wang looked at the nun with an unkind gaze.
But since it was treated as an accident, punishing the nun would make the matter uncontainable.
Mrs. Wang also left.
The nun knelt on the ground, drenched in cold sweat on her back, her legs so weak she couldn’t stand.
Another young nun came to support her, remarking in relief, "Fortunately, the Chief of Staff didn’t pursue the matter fully, preserving the face of the Prince Zhenbei Mansion; otherwise, we’d be in serious trouble today."
The nun smiled bitterly, "Do you think the Chief of Staff’s mansion is all good people?"
Looking at the nun, the young nun vaguely recalled that the nun seemed to have given a hint to the Chief of Staff’s wife.
Ciyun Temple was bustling with incense offerings, and many Old Madams enjoyed coming here to pray.
Ten days ago, the Old Madam of the Chief of Staff came to pray with Third Young Master Zhu accompanying her.
In the pavilion, Third Young Master Zhu was enjoying the scenery when Xie Jinyu approached him, and he assisted her when she sprained her foot.
Third Young Master Zhu’s family status, appearance, and scholarly talent were all average.
Yet, for someone so ordinary, he was the best match Xie Jinyu could find.
In the current situation, she could only settle for it.
Third Young Master Zhu was quite upright; without scheming, Xie Jinyu couldn’t succeed in her wishes.
She sought the nun’s help, but the nun refused.
Xie Jinyu paved the way with money, also sending ornaments; the nun reluctantly agreed to assist just once, but whether it would succeed depended on her fate.
The nun promised to help Xie Jinyu, but once the ornaments were in her possession, even if it didn’t succeed, she wouldn’t return them; if the matter blew up, it would be Xie Jinyu’s embarrassment.
The nun wanted to benefit from both sides. Days ago, when the Chief of Staff’s wife visited Ciyun Temple, the nun discreetly reminded her, mentioning how the little nun inadvertently overheard that the daughter of Prince Zhenbei Mansion admired the third young master of the Chief of Staff’s mansion, and had maligned intentions...
Although Xie Jinyu was not favored, the nun dared not tarnish the Prince Zhenbei Mansion’s reputation, thus speaking as discreetly as possible.
But discreet or not, the meaning was conveyed.
Before the Chief of Staff’s wife left, she added another hundred taels to the incense money.
The nun even found the Chief of Staff’s wife quite stingy to have only added a hundred taels for preventing her son from being schemed; at least three hundred taels should be the norm, right?
She merely regarded it as doing a good deed.
Who would have thought that today, Third Young Master Zhu would come to Ciyun Temple, and he came alone.
Having promised to help Xie Jinyu, she couldn’t go back on her word; hence she instructed a young nun to drug the tea...
Even though she warned them, Third Young Master Zhu still walked into the trap; now both eyes shut as if it were an accident, the Chief of Staff mansion’s intentions frightened the nun.
If it’s merely to have Prince Zhenbei owe them a favor, that’s nothing; the worry lies in their ambition not ending there.
Princess Nanzhang only has two children; Second Young Master is deceased, leaving only Miss Xie.
All those dowries from back then are bound to become Miss Xie’s bride wealth; with a slight addition from the Princess Mansion, it’s a ten-mile red wedding.
Miss Xie’s calculative marriage plan will end in grievance at the Chief of Staff’s mansion; without face for Prince Zhenbei Mansion to stand up for her, should anything happen to her, those dowries won’t be returned.
Even if returned, they’d be sent back to Princess Nanzhang’s family, Liu Family...
Liu Family, implicated by Prince Qi and Duke Chong, is already gone.
The Prince Zhenbei Mansion is wealthy, not in need of Princess Nanzhang’s old possessions; why do anything to upset themselves?
Miss Xie’s scheming against the Chief of Staff’s mansion probably just fits into the Chief of Staff wife’s plans.
The nun, shaken, was served tea by the young nun to calm down, "The Chief of Staff wife intentionally indulged, the daughter of Prince Zhenbei Mansion won’t have any good life once married."
Indeed.
The ornaments bribed to the nun by Xie Jinyu were still on the table.
The maid returned to collect them.
If left behind, it would be a needless gain for Ciyun Temple!
Just as she reached the door, those words caught her ear.
Although she didn’t catch any crucial details, the words "intentional indulgence" were enough for the young maid to know it wasn’t simple, and she immediately ran back to inform Mrs. Wang.
Mrs. Wang was already on the carriage; upon hearing this disturbing news, realizing it was a scheme against the Prince Mansion, where they ended up owing a favor, she found it unacceptable!
Favors like these must be repaid!
Mrs. Wang promptly returned with the maid, pressing for a confession and a signature from the nun.
After returning to the Prince Mansion, Mrs. Wang took the confession to the Prince.
The Prince was so furious his lips trembled.
But knowing this now, what could be done?
His daughter was the one who started the scheming; the others merely played along.
She voluntarily pushed into the Chief of Staff’s mansion, and with intimacy now shared with Third Young Master Zhu, can he prevent her from marrying out?
This bitter consequence, sown by her, she must harvest and swallow herself!
