Fierce Consort

Chapter 52

These words cut off everyone's paths of retreat.

The estate investigating things in private and having the authorities come investigate would result in completely different outcomes.

If the estate investigated, no matter what comes out of it, things could be privately resolved and concealed. But if the authorities came, along with the Zhenguo Duke's influence, the outcome would be whatever they said it was, and there would be no cover up. Not only would the Weiyuan Marquis Estate's reputation be finished, the Pei household, which included the old madam and Concubine Pei, wouldn't get off either.

If this matter blew up, it would definitely boil over.

Outsiders would wonder how a concubine had the guts to steal jewelry passed down for generations, from the Zhenguo Duke household's daughter no less. Others would say she must have had some backing, since the estate's old madam was that concubine's aunt....

Then the Pei household would be put on display. Concubine Pei's father was a third-ranked assistant minister in the Ministry of Rites. It would ruin their family. Since they produced such a daughter and sister, he would definitely be impeached by an imperial censor. If the Zhenguo Duke then made a move, the Pei household would be consigned to damnation....

The old madam no longer dared to think along those lines.

"Lass Yan. Why let outsiders know about such household matters?"

Yan Yan raised her brows, "Then grandmother means to say we should swallow this grievance?"

The old madam laughed awkwardly, "How could that be? Didn't we find the thing?"

Yan Yan sneered coldly, and couldn't be bothered to speak with someone who would avoid the elephant in the room.

The old madam had planned to watch mother and daughter argue, stir up the waters and make it easier to protect her niece. It seemed this would be difficult to accomplish.

Concubine Pei also no longer dared to continue playing dead. She raised herself up and crawled over in front of Yan Yan, sobbing: "Third miss, I beg you. Spare this servant concubine. It's all this concubine's fault. This concubine was too daring, too short-sighted. Seeing the madam's jewelry spawned wicked thoughts...."

She kowtowed with all her might as she spoke. This was the most wretched she had ever been in her life. But she also knew this was the biggest danger she had ever encountered. If things went wrong, there would be no hope of reprieve!

How did things turn out this way? How!
Concubine Pei no longer had the mind to analyze things or be resentful. Her heart was filled with terror. What the old madam had thought of, she had thought of as well.

Bang, bang, bang. Before long, her head was completely bruised.

Yan Qian ran over and held onto Concubine Pei, stopping her from kowtowing. She glared at Yan Yan. "Where's your humanity? My concubine mother already apologized to you."

Yan Yan laughed angrily, "Oh? From what you're saying, I'm the one in the wrong? It's my fault for allowing her to stuff people by my mom's side, and steal my mom's jewelry while blaming me for it? And after the fact, everything should be forgiven after a couple of kowtows? What sort of bandit logic is this?!"

She looked at the old madam, and then at Concubine Pei and Fang Cao's group. "I always keep my word. If things aren't clearly investigated today and if I don't get a satisfactory explanation, then I'll have the Heavens Abiding Estate's people come investigate. You guys like avoiding the elephant in the room while focusing on the small things? And aren't you guys greedy and merely bribed? Keep making stuff up, take your time. It's only early afternoon. There's still a while before dark."