Fierce Consort

Chapter 6

Mei Xiang had been keeping watch at the Ningxiang Chambers. She and Mei Xue were used to it already. Someone needed to guard the house when the third miss was absent.

Mei Xiang and Mei Xue also knew the fourth young master had fallen into the water. But since the third miss remained gone, Mei Xiang had grown worried and ordered Mei Xue to investigate. After Mei Xue left, she hadn't returned either.

Mei Xiang couldn't sit still due to her worry.
Suddenly, Mei Xue ran inside with reddened eyes. Mei Xiang saw the situation wasn't good and grabbed her hand, asking what had happened.
"The fourth young master fell into the water. The miss made a fuss about investigating the truth at Jinse Pavilion. Madam had listened to the miss at first and ordered Concubine Pei and the third young master over. Unexpectedly, the old madam went over as well."

"What happened then?"

There was no need to ask. Mei Xiang also knew what would have happened. As Yan Yan's trusted maid, no one knew better than them how wicked that Concubine Pei and the old madam were. One appeared respectful on the surface but did countless disagreeable things in the dark. The other appeared to cherish her daughter-in-law but actually was biased towards her niece.

The key was that these two were extremely good at scheming, and prevented others from seizing any evidence every time. The madam was also simpleminded and would always get played by them.
Although Mei Xiang and Mei Xue hadn't seen all the many grievances the third miss had suffered in silence, they had at least seen some of it. Only the madam was the fool and could never see the truth. Instead, she felt the third miss wasn't obedient and would often reprimand her.

Mei Xue wiped her tears as she cried and said: ".....by the time I got there, the third miss had already been locked up in the small worship hall. It was the madam that ordered it. How could the madam be so ruthless? Could the third miss have been adopted.....?"

Mei Xiang hurriedly covered Mei Xue's mouth and said quietly: "My dear ancestor, you have to watch your words. Don't you know how many Ziyu Pavillion's people are here in the Ningxiang Chambers?! Be careful, lest words gets to the madam and causes a rift between mother and daughter. Can't you see Concubine Pei along with Fang Cao and Fang Cui's group continuously influencing the madam into viewing the third miss as an eyesore, and making her feel the third miss is too stubborn and unladylike?"

Mei Xue also understood how crafty these people were. The two of them belonged to the third miss, and those people wouldn't say they were the ones who said it. Instead, they would just say the third miss complained to her maids that she was adopted. Such words were heretical in this age where filial piety was emphasized, especially when people who longed to ruin the mother daughter relationship were added to the mix.

"Big sis Mei Xiang, what should we do? The third miss is still so young. Being shut inside the small worship hall, she definitely can't endure. It's not a suitable place for anyone to stay."

"What about Matron Qin? What does she have to say about it?"

"Matron Qin, Yan'er and Ying'er all suffered a loss. They said it was the third young master who pushed the fourth young master into the water. The old madam ordered for them to be dragged out and slapped, but was blocked by the miss. This was why things got out of hand. When I went over, Matron Qin had just returned. Ying'er and Yan'er's eyes were swollen from crying. Matron Qin had wanted to ask for madam's help, but the madam had followed the old madam to the Rongan Hall."

"What a sham! Did Matron Qin's group end up getting hit?" Ying'er and Yan'er were like Matron Qin. They were all sent over from Yan Yan's side, and their relationship with Mei Xiang and Mei Xue had always been good.