Chapter 192

Chapter 192: The Green Hat Nanny Qiu helped Nanny Zheng up and said softly, "Look how nervous you are. The Eldest Young Madam is the most generous person. As long as you tell the truth, it certainly won't affect you. Come, have a sip of tea to moisten your throat." Nanny Zheng made a couple of sounds of acknowledgment, her long, narrow eyes seeming to calculate something, until finally she confessed everything. "Back then, when County Princess Rongjia wanted to select a bedchamber maid for the Marquis, I thought this was such a good opportunity that I'd better seize the chance, so I recommended Zhuqing. But Zhuqing didn't measure up and later became a menial maid—all of this the Eldest Young Madam already knows." "And then?" Cui Lingrong asked. Meanwhile, the people in the inner room, upon hearing Nanny Zheng mention Zhuqing, were all puzzled—why bring up Zhuqing at a time like this? It couldn't possibly have something to do with Zhuqing, could it? Song Shulan glanced at County Princess Rongjia. Zhuqing was someone arranged by County Princess Rongjia, and he had been quite satisfied with Zhuqing at the time, but unfortunately Zhuqing's temperament was too restless. County Princess Rongjia also felt uneasy, not knowing what Nanny Zheng intended by bringing up Zhuqing. At this moment, Nanny Zheng continued, "That girl Zhuqing—she's someone who can't endure hardship." Having started, Nanny Zheng could only push everything onto Zhuqing. "After working as a menial maid for a few days, she came to find me, saying it was too hard and too tiring, that she couldn't bear it anymore, and asked me to help find someone to introduce her to, so that while she was still young, she could marry into a well-off family." "So you introduced your younger brother?" Cui Lingrong asked. "The Eldest Young Madam sees clearly. At first I refused—after all, Zhuqing had been the Marquis's maid; who knew if the Marquis might think of her again someday?" At this point, Nanny Zheng began to shift the blame. "It was Zhuqing herself who learned that my brother was going to meet prospective brides, and she went to seduce him. She even told me that since she'd become a menial maid, the County Mistress and the Marquis wouldn't care about her anymore, so why should she worry about such a thing?" "I thought that made sense too. Since she was already involved with my brother—one being my niece, the other my own brother—I had no choice but to help keep it hidden. Later, when my brother had prepared all the things for the wedding, then..." Nanny Zheng stopped there, and Cui Lingrong continued, "Then Zhuqing was found to be pregnant and became the Marquis's concubine, is that right?" Nanny Zheng nodded. "Reporting to the Eldest Young Madam, that's how it was." Inside the inner room, Song Shulan was stunned speechless. County Princess Rongjia and Old Madame Song initially thought they had misheard, until Cui Lingrong asked again how far things had gone between Zhuqing and Zheng Side, and they all held their breath. "They had already prepared the wedding items and were about to report to the County Mistress." Nanny Zheng said. "Then, had they... done anything?" This was the answer Cui Lingrong wanted. Nanny Zheng hesitated slightly. Before, she hadn't known the specifics, but recently, her brother often went to find Zhuqing and even bragged to her, saying that even if Zhuqing had become the Marquis's concubine, so what? Didn't she still have to serve him too? Her brother also said that the seed in Zhuqing's belly was very likely his. If she said such things, it would implicate her brother. Nanny Zheng shook her head. "This, this servant wouldn't know. Men's affairs—how would they explain such things clearly to a woman like me?" She said she didn't know, but she didn't deny it either. Cui Lingrong paused for a moment, then said, "You might not know, but your brother is already dead." "What?" A thunderclap sounded in Nanny Zheng's mind. She murmured, "How is that possible? It can't be!" In the past, when her brother came to the city, he would stay for a day or two before returning. She knew that since her brother had no woman at home, he would go drinking at brothels. This time, she hadn't thought much of it. And now her brother was dead? "The body is in the garden—it was discovered in the well. The coroner said he was murdered. The reason I called you here is to find out who your brother's lover was—most likely it was this lover who did it." Cui Lingrong paused, then said seriously, "Was it Zhuqing? If your brother and Zhuqing had never slept together, then why were Zhuqing's dudou found in your brother's room?" When Cui Lingrong had sent people to fetch Nanny Zheng, she had also ordered a search of Zheng Side's room, and thus found two of Zhuqing's dudou. Before Nanny Zheng could recover her senses, tears and words came together. "How is that possible? Even if it was Zhuqing, she's pregnant—how could she overpower my brother?" "Your brother accidentally fell in, but Zhuqing took advantage of his misfortune to push him down." Cui Lingrong gave a definitive answer to guide Nanny Zheng. "Was it because Zhuqing no longer wanted to be with your brother that the two of them got into an argument?" "That ungrateful wretch! I brought her to the Marquis's residence to enjoy fine food and drink, and now that she's made something of herself, she doesn't care whether I live or die. Yes, my brother was involved with Zhuqing—they were together from the very beginning. She's nothing but a slut!" Nanny Zheng wished Zhuqing dead. She wanted to go see her brother, and Cui Lingrong had Nanny Qiu take Nanny Zheng there. When Nanny Zheng went out, she could barely walk steadily. County Princess Rongjia rushed out from the inner room and called after Nanny Zheng, "Are you spouting nonsense? How could Zhuqing have taken a liking to your brother?" It was only at this moment that County Princess Rongjia realized Cui Lingrong was trying to ruin Zhuqing's reputation—and if that happened, even the paternity of the child in Zhuqing's belly could no longer be confirmed. Nanny Zheng saw the flood of people streaming out, all of them masters of the marquis household. Her knees went weak with fright, and she dropped to the ground. "County Mistress, please see clearly—this servant has not spoken a single false word!" By now, Nanny Zheng understood: this was the Eldest Young Madam using her to bring down Zhuqing. Whether she was willing or not, an arrow once loosed cannot return. She had already said so much; there was no way she could deny what she had spoken. "Look at that dudou, and in my younger brother's room, and the silver and jewelry Zhuqing gave him—all of it is evidence!" Nanny Zheng pressed her forehead to the ground. She knew that whether she lived or died now depended entirely on the Eldest Young Madam. Before County Princess Rongjia could speak, Song Shulan rushed over and snatched the dudou away. After confirming its contents, his face flushed red with rage. "Go find that slut! Shameless wench, how dare she—" How dare she cuckold him! Song Shulan had been especially sensitive about matters between men and women ever since becoming a eunuch, let alone the fact that Zhuqing had been cuckolding him for so long. Old Madame Song was equally furious. She looked at County Princess Rongjia with displeasure. "Look at you—what kind of person did you choose?" At the same time, Old Madame Song also began to catch on, sighing inwardly at Cui Lingrong's skillful maneuvering. From the very beginning, when County Princess Rongjia wanted to summon the coroner, to Cui Lingrong's objection, and now to this interrogation—step by step, it all showed that Cui Lingrong had known long ago about the affair between Zheng Side and Zhuqing! That was right. Cui Lingrong managed the household—what could possibly be hidden from her? Once or twice might slip by. But over all this time, there was no way Cui Lingrong hadn't noticed at least once! Yet Cui Lingrong said nothing, waiting until the matter blew up before speaking—and it was only uncovered with County Princess Rongjia's support. Now County Princess Rongjia could neither deny it nor manipulate the situation! "You're no good either!" Old Madame Song glared at Cui Lingrong for a long moment. After thinking it over, she had no proof that Cui Lingrong had known all along, so she could only scold her for failing to manage the household. "Something that went on for so long, and you discovered nothing at all! I think you'd better hand over the authority to manage the household right away!" "Old Madame's reprimand is well taken. Your daughter-in-law will be more careful in the future." Cui Lingrong gave Old Madame a slight nod. Hearing Zhuqing's voice outside the door asking what was going on, she added, "She's here now. Old Madame may interrogate her as you wish—I will follow your lead." "You're the one who did all the investigating, and only now do you think of me?" The implication was that at this point, it didn't matter who did the interrogating—the matter was already perfectly clear.