Chapter Thirty-Eight Framed

  Yan Niang clenched her fists tightly, she absolutely could not expose herself before there was substantial evidence.

  Calm down, she needs to calm down and know that Nian'er was sent to the outskirts of the city by her last night, just waiting for the city gate to open today and leave Beijing immediately. Liu Shi basically can't find her.

  "I don't understand what you're saying, what maid? What help?" She began to pretend to be stupid and even looked at Liu with a pained expression, "Sister, I've also served the old master with you for over a decade, not to mention merit but at least there's hard work. Have I ever done anything that goes against heaven and reason all these years? Why do you want to go to such great lengths to harm me?"

  The Liu and Lu families are related by marriage, and their relationship has always been good. It's to the point where if they were to frame someone together, no one would find it unbelievable.

  Liu's lips curled up in a faint smile, with an air of confidence and interest, just like a cat teasing a mouse that had already reached its mouth.

  "You're really not shedding tears until you see the coffin! I really want to know, in the entire mansion, who else besides you can get in touch with Tang's mother's granddaughter and who can move her? Don't forget, she's not a slave of the Hou Mansion, it was you who personally removed her mother's slave status back then!"

  The composure on Wan Niang's face began to crumble slightly.

  She chose to have children has both advantages and disadvantages.

  The advantage is that it's not easy to be exposed.

  The downside is that once she's exposed, she can't pin the blame on anyone else. The fact is, Nian'er and her family are loyal only to her, not someone who can be bought off by just anyone.

  "Hehe..." She forced herself to calm down, "You're talking about that girl? Since I took off her mother's slave collar and let them leave the Hou Manor, I haven't seen her again. Sister, you're making a joke by bringing her up."

  "Really?" Liu smiled slowly, a smile that was originally warm and moving, but for some reason it seemed to be shocking in the eyes of Wan Niang.

  She heard Mrs. Liu say: "Lin's mother, you bring people in!"

  Yan Niang's heart skipped a beat, her eyes fixed intently on the outside of the door.

  In a split second, the felt curtain was lifted and Lin's mother entered the house first.

  Behind her followed a ten-year-old girl wearing a light green cotton jacket.

  "Niang'er!" Madame Wan let out a sharp cry, her eyes full of incredulity.

  The boy hung his head low, and his body couldn't help but shiver with fear.

  She knelt down and paid her respects to Old Lady Lin and Mrs. Liu.

  She wasn't a servant of the Marquis's household, but rather a proper commoner. Madame Liu had Lin Mama help her up, and then raised an eyebrow at Wan Niang, "What? Didn't you say it's been ten years since you last saw her? Then how do you know this girl is the Nian'er you mentioned?"

  Wan Niangniang only then realized she had misspoken, and trembled as she said: "Half... half a year ago when I went to visit my wet nurse, I saw him from afar..."

  Liu coldly smiled and didn't expose her lie, but instead turned to Nian'er, "I'd like to ask you, today when you were found by someone at the Xǐ Lái Inn, what were you planning on doing?"

  The Happy Guest House is located at the city gate boundary, providing food and lodging for some traveling merchants.

  Nian'er hung his head even lower, as if he wanted to hang it down to his toes, and his voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum, "I, I just want to go out of the city to visit my uncle..."

  Tang's mother had only one daughter, Hong Xiu. The "maternal uncle" she mentioned referred to a sworn brother that Hong Xiu acknowledged after leaving the Tang household, who was a traveling merchant and did not have a fixed residence, so it was indeed possible that he was not in Shengjing.

  Yan Niang heard this and let out a sigh of relief.

  As long as the son has not acknowledged it, everything is still not irretrievable.

  "Alright, I'll ask you again, where were you last night?"

  "Me... I'm at home..."

  "You were at home, so why were you found at the Happy Inn early this morning? If you really wanted to leave the city to visit your uncle, there was no need to rush out so early, as the city gates hadn't even opened yet! Besides, I asked the innkeeper and he said you checked in last night. What's the reason for such a hurry? And were you really at home before checking into the Happy Inn?"

  Liu's string of pressing questions scared Nian'er pale, and she could only shake her head, crying: "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know anything..."

  If this continues, even if you don't invite fear, you will still be discovered.

  "Hey, sister, what do you mean by this? You're pressuring a ten-year-old girl like this, she's bound to get nervous and scared. Are you trying to force a confession out of her?"

  Liu didn't pay attention to her and continued to question Nian'er, "If you were really at home last night, why did so many maids in the Hou Mansion see you? Lift up your head and let everyone take a look, is there a red beauty mole on the corner of your mouth?"

  "Tang's mother said it was inherited from generation to generation, this clearly shows that you are the one who plotted against us!" Wan Niang took the lead in shouting, constantly smearing Liu's motives and trying to shift the focus.

  "Alright, let's just say that our lady's abilities are so great that she can even bribe the red tassels by the old lady's side. What about the owner of the pharmacy? The record of buying medicine? Or perhaps Hongxiu and Tang Mama, can our lady also buy them off?"

  Lin's mother said with a sneer, looking at Wan Niang's suddenly changed face, clapping her hands and shouting towards the door, "Bring them all in, not one left behind."

  Yan Niang looked at those people who had entered the house, especially the desperate gaze of Hongxiu, and knew that she would not be able to escape this time.

  But she couldn't figure out how things had developed to this point. Was it Nian'er's affair, the pharmacy's affair or even last night's failed design of Lin Ruoyan, who was behind all these?

  Wan's mind was racing with thoughts, unable to figure out where she had gone wrong, and she racked her brains for a way to escape this predicament.

  It's all because of Lu, this woman was the first to sell her out, afraid that she would be implicated.

  So...

  Her eyes fell on Tang's mother who had entered the house with her, and saw that she was filled with sorrow and pain.

  Got it!

  Wan's lips curled up with a smile, she liked to reuse her subordinates wholeheartedly, giving them the greatest trust, and also requiring them to repay the greatest loyalty.

  All these years, she has been supporting the Tang family, even giving her daughter a dowry. What for? Is it really because of her kind heart and gratitude towards Tang's upbringing?

  What a joke! All she wants is their undivided loyalty, even if it means sacrificing themselves.

  In the past, they just helped her a little bit, but she rewarded them heavily. Now it's time for payback!

  "Mother Tang!" She immediately struck a shocked pose, exclaiming in a trembling voice: "Could it be you?! I've told you before that I don't need your help, I don't need it anymore! The mistress has been very good to me, and all I want is to live a peaceful life with Xing'er in the Hou Mansion. Haven't you had enough of the lesson from five years ago?! How could you do something so cruel and unjust this time, just for the sake of Xing'er entering the palace?!"

  Thank you for the rewards from Tiankongyimianlan (2), Re'ai, Mùjiàng Hóng, Qí Liàn, and Dōng Yè Yǔ Zhòng Mànbù!