Chapter 400
~ DISTINGUISH THE TRUTH FROM THE FALSEHOOD IN DETAIL ~
The Eldest Madam was a little flustered by Mu Yunyao’s gaze, but when she thought about the Old Madam’s meticulous arrangements, she immediately calmed down. Even though Mu Yunyao had the ability to overturn the heavens, don’t even think about escaping this time. “Well, I would like to see if you can reverse things upside down!”
Mu Yunyao looked at Shen Ce, “You are the son of the steward and are a servant of the Su family residence. Naturally, you are listening to the errands in the front yard. Then, I ask you. Just now, you said that I fell in love with you at first sight, and then we had feelings for each other. Even had a private meeting that was later Elder Sister Su You bumped into it, where are we met?”
Shen Ce lowered his head and replied, “We met in the garden at the back of the Su family residence. On that day, I listened to my father’s orders and went to have the garden tidied up. Young Miss stood amidst the flowers and was extremely beautiful. She treated me extremely gently, so I fell in love with Young Miss.”
“You fell in love with me at first sight, so you naturally should be particularly give special attention about me. What clothes did I wear that day? What kind of jewelry did I wear? What kind of embroidered shoes did I wear?”
Shen Ce paused for a moment, then replied: “Miss is wearing a aquamarine skirt with makeup made of clouds and spring satin. I don’t remember the hairpin clearly, and I didn’t see the embroidered shoes either.”
“You’re lying. That day, I was clearly wearing a dress with silver patterned. Furthermore, it wasn’t aquamarine, but lavender.”
“Yes … I was wrong just now. It was a floral dress with silver patterned. At that time, I was only captivated by Young Miss’ charm, so I didn’t look at what clothes she was wearing.”
Mu Yunyao laughed. “Actually, what you said just now was correct. I’m wearing an aquamarine dress with makeup made of clouds and spring satin. As for the silver-patterned dress, it was a fashionable style in the Capital. I had not been here for a long time, so I had not had the time for anyone to prepare it. You say that you like me at first sight, but you didn’t even remember what kind of clothes I was wearing. Isn’t it a joke to say it out loud? That doesn’t count. Let me ask you again, when did Elder Sister Su You bumped with you and me? Where was it?”
“It’s behind the fake mountain outside Jiyue Pavilion.”
“Jiyue Pavilion is already the inner courtyard. How could you, the son of a steward, have the opportunity to enter and leave so easily? Could it be that a man from the outside could casually enter the inner courtyard in the Su family?”
The Eldest Madam coldly snorted: “Mu Yunyao, have you still not forgotten to slander the Su family so far?”
“Eldest Aunt, how can this be called slandering? Isn’t what I spoke the truth? It was one thing for the son of a steward to go to the back garden so easily, but he could still have a private meeting with the residence’s female cousins in the inner courtyard. Could it be that the guards, maids, and mamas of the inner courtyard were all blind? How could no one have noticed such a large living creature coming in?”
“There are times when negligence is inevitable. Shen Ce is the steward’s son, so he often goes in and out of the residence. His actions are always proper, and the guards think that he has entered the inner courtyard to serve his master’s orders.” replied the Eldest Madam.
“Alright, even if that’s the case, I still have a second question. According to Shen Ce’s explanation, since we’re having a private meeting and chose to stay behind the fake mountain outside Jiyue Pavilion, we must be extremely secretive. Elder Sister Su You is already very ill. What is she doing behind the fake mountain?”
“This... Maybe it was just a coincidence that she heard something and went to take a look.”
“Just now, Shen Ce said that it was because I was afraid that Elder Sister Su You would tell about our secret meeting, so I killed her when no one was around. Then, when Elder Sister Su You ran into me that day, she was alone behind the fake mountain. Why didn’t we kill her then? Instead, I had to make such a big incident in today’s day when I celebrate my coming of age?”
“Who knows what you guys were thinking at that time. Perhaps you frightened and confused..”
Mu Yunyao turned her head to look at Second Madam, “Second Aunt, why don’t you quickly capture those servants who serve Elder Sister Su You and interrogate them?”
The Eldest Madam frowned: “What does it have to do with them?”
“Why doesn’t it matter? As servants, it’s their duty to take good care of their master. They let Elder Sister Su You go behind the fake mountain alone. Isn’t this a dereliction of duty?” Mu Yunyao’s voice was clear and cold, carrying with an intimidating aura. “Before this, I would also like to invite the various Madams and Misses to be witnesses. Shen Ce, let me ask you again. When was our private meeting caught by Elder Sister Su You? And at what time?”
A trace of guilt flashed across Shen Ce’s eyes as he said hesitantly, “It is the seventeenth of August, at noon.”
“Have you thought about it? At noon on the seventeenth of August?”
“Yes!” Shen Ce gritted his teeth as his heart pounded non-stop. He had indeed made ample preparations previously, but he never expected that Mu Yunyao’s problem would be so tricky, causing him to feel increasingly uncertain.
Mu Yunyao looked at Second Madam, “I know that Second Aunt wants to help Elder Sister Su You to take revenge, but you must also find a real enemy. Otherwise, Elder Sister Su You’s death will be filled with grievances. Now I ask Second Aunt to call in the servants who served Elder Sister Su You and interrogate them.”
The Eldest Madam’s expression was rather unsightly as she stepped forward to support Second Madam’s arm. “Sister-in-law, you have to think carefully....”
The Second Madam pushed aside the Eldest Madam and turned around to look at the guards behind her. “Immediately come to the West Courtyard and bring the servants who served Fifth Miss here. Wait a minute, I will go with you to prevent you from letting out any more information.”
“Daughter-in-law Qi.” the Old Madam said, “You stay here with Su You. Let your Eldest Sister-in-law bring these guards over.”
The Second Madam turned to look at Eldest Madam before bowing to the Old Madam. “Mother, please forgive Daughter-in-law for disobeying your orders. This matter involves the death of my daughter, so I don’t believe anyone.” With that, she led the guards directly to the West Courtyard.
The Old Madam’s brows twitched, and her fingers that were holding onto the cane constantly tightened. Dark clouds started to appear in her eyes.
Mu Yunyao’s expression was calm as she stood to the side, coldly looking at the Old Madam and the Eldest Madam. The two’s arrangements were indeed quite thorough. If they succeeded, not only would they take advantage of the opportunity to take her life, they would also ruin her painstaking reputation. The Eldest Madam and the Su family could also use this opportunity to wash off their reputation for making money and then accept Ni Yun Fang and Bu Xian Luo, which is logical.
Very quickly, the two female maids serving Su You and the two Mamas were brought over.
The Second Madam did not wait for Mu Yunyao to speak and directly asked, “Are you guys always by Fifth Miss’s side after the fifteenth of August ?”
Before several servants were brought here, they only knew that something had happened in the front yard, but they didn’t know what had happened. Seeing so many people in the front yard, they quickly kneeled on the ground with a terrified expression: “The servants are always following Fifth Miss all the time.”
“But now, someone said that Fifth Miss had been to the fake mountain outside Jiyue Pavilion and had even stumbled upon Miss Biao’s secret relationship with the steward’s son, Shen Ce.”
One of the maidservants said tremblingly, “Fifth Miss has indeed been to the fake mountain outside Jiyue Pavilion, and she told the servants to wait a little distance away. As for whether she bumped into anything, even the servants aren’t sure.”
“What day is it? What time is it?”
“Servant … This servant can’t remember clearly. It should be on the sixteenth of August … On the seventeenth. Yes, it was on the seventeenth.”