Ink Burns

Chapter 210 I Can Do It for You (Fatty Chapter)

The green blossoms of the old locust tree at the entrance of Xue Nan Mansion had fallen to the ground. Huang Zhi peeked out of the door, waiting for something. Soon after, a carriage hurriedly drove up. Before it had even come to a complete stop, Madam Zhou lifted her skirt and hurriedly got off the carriage, rushed through the gate, went around the screen wall, and went straight into the covered walkway.

Huang Zhi followed closely behind, hurrying up to catch up, but could never keep up with Madam Zhou's pace. She watched as Madam Zhou hurriedly rounded the corner of the covered walkway and headed straight for the main courtyard through the second gate as if no one was there.

"Madam Zhou—Madam Zhou—" Huang Zhi, having failed to get the answer, could only give up and anxiously pulled Dou Mama, who was standing next to Madam Zhou, aside: "What's wrong with Madam? She didn't even send out an invitation today, but drove over in her carriage, looking very aggressive, as if she wanted to devour our Madam!"

Dou's mother glanced back at Madam Zhou, her drooping eyelids twitching slightly.

For the past two days, she didn't know what was wrong with Madam Zhou. She was restless every day, and even when the eldest daughter of the family, Yu Niang, came to flatter her, it was to no avail. Even when she inquired, Madam Zhou would only say a few words indifferently, "I'm worried about Su-ge'er," and "Chang Lin doesn't care about anything. If we go to His Highness for help, wouldn't that annoy His Highness?" She had a feeling something was wrong and wanted to question her properly, but unexpectedly, the night before last, her good-for-nothing eldest son secretly came to her door asking for money. He said he had met a little girl who was bad at playing dominoes, but had good luck. After only three rounds, he had lost everything.
She was so angry that she slapped her son across the face. Her hand was strong and the slap was hard, but her son didn't flinch or flinch. He obediently snuggled up to her and called her "Mother." "Mother, lend me thirty taels. That girl is a fat sheep. The bracelets on her wrists are all goldfish-backed and sloping! She's just a newbie with some luck. Once I turn the tables, I'll use my winnings to buy you a big gold bracelet. And those jade earrings I bought you last time, you can wear them carefully and admire them!"

She looked into her son's doe-like eyes and her heart softened: she was originally the daughter of the wet nurse of the Grand Princess Jing'an. She was sent to the Chang family by the Grand Princess to help this little Zhou manage the household, but in reality, she helped her good-for-nothing son commit all sorts of evil deeds, such as murder, arson, forcing women into prostitution, and framing others. She was also a mother, so what was wrong with giving her son some money to spend?
With her son on her mind, she naturally neglected Xiao Zhou Shi.

Now that the Xue family's maid is asking her, how can she possibly answer what's wrong with Madam Zhou?

Even if you can't answer, you can't show your ignorance.

Dou's mother lowered her beady, triangular eyes, her gaze falling on Huang Zhi's wrist as she grabbed hers, her tone disgusted: "What kind of upbringing is this? Touching people like that?"

Huang Zhi quickly let go, startled and panicked.

Madam Dou then turned her head: "Servants should meddle in the affairs of their masters. Seeing that you are young, let me teach you a few words. Only when the masters have face can servants hold their heads high. Your mistress Liu comes from a lowly background and has a gentle nature. Other ladies and mistresses treat her like dough, kneading and shaping her however they please. You, as a servant, must be a thousand times more cautious than your master to get the better of her! — Think about it yourself, how can you just stop people and ask questions without any real knowledge? How do you pave the way? If you don't know how, go and learn! Go and think! Go and reflect!"

Huang Zhi looked terrified. After thinking for a moment, she tremblingly pulled a small cloth bag from her sleeve and handed it to Dou's mother's palm: "Yes, yes, yes, your teachings are absolutely right!"

Without changing her expression, Dou's mother casually wiped the cloth bag down, weighed it in her hand, and found it to be a whole piece. She was secretly delighted: the rumors that this lowly Liu Shi was favored by Xue Niao were indeed true. If she wasn't favored, how could the little maidservant by Liu Shi's side give out silver ingots so easily?

“Our young master is currently imprisoned, so it’s understandable that your wife is in a bit of a hurry. She’s just visiting your wife because we’re usually close, and now that she’s facing difficulties, she’s just here to confide in her and have a chat. There’s no need to act like this is a major crisis.” Dou Mama lowered her voice, making up stories for the sake of the silver ingots: “Go and prepare some tea, fruit, and snacks. Doing your duty is the greatest kindness you can show as a servant.”

With just a few words, Dou's mother exchanged a silver ingot the size of half a palm. She felt it was a good deal, and the heartache of having missed giving her son thirty taels the day before faded a bit. Without saying another word to Huang Zhi, she lifted her crimson skirt and followed closely behind without looking to the side.

As soon as Aunt Dou left, Qiu Tao, who was waiting to the side, shrank her neck and asked honestly, "...What tea, fruit, and snacks should we prepare?"

Watching Dou's mother's retreating figure, Huang Zhi slowly straightened her back, her delicate features relaxing. She lightly spat on the ground, her expression indifferent: "Tea and fruit? What tea and fruit? They don't even deserve it?"

Huang Zhi flicked her sleeve, a flash of gold passing by her wrist, her tone now tinged with disdain: "Like mother, like son."

Tea, fruit, and seeds were not available.

As soon as Madam Zhou entered the main courtyard, she slammed the gate shut, and the two doors slammed together tightly. She rushed straight to Shan Yue without the slightest hesitation, raising her hand to give this "junior" with whom she had always been on good terms a big slap in the face!
"Snap—" Shan Yue caught her hand tightly in mid-air with perfect accuracy.

"Please don't panic!" The young noblewoman before him said urgently, her eyes filled with sincere empathy, her voice choked with sobs, "If we had known someone was coming to cause trouble, Xue Xiao and I should have gone with you to pick up the young master. The person we chased was slashed in the leg and almost didn't survive. Xue Xiao went out to search early this morning, in the mountains, in the rivers, inside and outside the city. The person was kidnapped by us, and we will definitely give you an explanation!"

Madam Zhou's eyes were red and swollen, and she gasped for breath: "Didn't you stage this whole thing to kidnap my son?!"

Shan Yue cried, "If we wanted to do this, why would we have specifically asked you to go to the outskirts of the city?! Even if Xue Xiao wanted to do it, how could I dare? I don't want to drink that bowl of medicine six months from now? I don't want my life anymore?!"

Madam Zhou loosened her grip a little.

Yes. There are still constraints and obstacles hindering her.

Liu Shanyue was helping "Qingfeng" scheme against Xue Xiao on one hand, and on the other hand, she was helping Xue Xiao to seek promotion and wealth. All she wanted was money, power, and riches. Liu Shanyue really had no reason to stab her in the back.

As for Xue Xiao, there was even less reason for her to hold a grudge against Chang Yusu: although her son looked down on this mad dog, the two had no direct conflict of interest. The Duzhou dike breach case from long ago involved Xue Xiao's maternal clan, but it was ultimately the fault of the Grand Princess Jing'an; the Chang family merely played a supporting role, getting a share of the spoils from the Xishan camp. The account book Xue Xiao took was of little use; at best, it could serve as evidence of corruption and bribery among the prefects and governors of Jiangnan.
Zhou couldn't figure out Liu Shanyue and Xue Xiao's motives for plotting against Chang Yusu. She was anxious for a day and a night and dared not tell anyone. She was even wary of telling Dou Mama Shanyue's foreword—how could Xue Xiao have bumped into her son so precisely at Qiushui Ferry!
She sees everyone as a bad person!

She sees everyone as a murderer plotting against her son!
Terrification, fear, worry, and panic alternated, and Mrs. Zhou felt like her head was about to explode!
Shan Yue grabbed Madam Zhou's sleeve, crying bitterly, and raised her hand to swear a vicious oath: "If you don't believe me, I'll call that guard with the injured leg over here—if we staged this ourselves to cause trouble for the young master, may my parents die, may my six clans be severed, and may even my clansmen who have gone to the underworld have their seven souls and six spirits destroyed, and may they be reborn as animals in their next life!"

Madam Zhou loosened her grip, slumped listlessly into a chair, covered her face, and cried, "Where is my son now! Who kidnapped him?!"

Shan Yue wiped away her tears and tentatively asked, "Young Master Chang, do you have any enemies?"

Mrs. Zhou was stunned.

Enemy?

There are just too many enemies.
Her son has taken at least four or five lives, if not ten. There's the lowly eighth-rank official trampled to death by a horse, the tofu seller forced to throw herself into a well, the servants in the house who were either injured or crippled, and the young mistress Huang who was paralyzed after being bought and played with. Count them up, and there are many more.
Could it be that someone is seeking revenge?

Madam Zhou lowered her head, muttering to herself as she pondered: "The tofu seller's family was completely slaughtered; her father and mother were burned to the ground, so her relatives have no intention of seeking revenge. As for the servants, if any of them were promiscuous, they all benefited greatly; why would they seek revenge? Any grudges caused by fights were settled with money. Commoners don't have the ability to retaliate. If we really had to discuss it—"

Madam Zhou looked up: "That eighth-rank official's family owns a mine; they have plenty of silver. And also..."

Madam Zhou's mind was unusually clear: "'Beating the brothel'—the Prefect of the Capital tortured the brothel owner's nephew into confessing to a crime, and since the owner is unhappy, he might turn his anger on my son!"

Knowing Madam Zhou's urgency, Shan Yue asked repeatedly, "Have you searched both places?!"

Madam Zhou quickly shook her head: "No! No!"

With a mournful face, she said, "Where would I find the manpower to do this? Chang Lin has always disliked me, and although the Grand Princess has been lenient and protective of me because of my brother, she has never given me any power or manpower! — I dare not tell Chang Lin about my son's kidnapping. Your Highness has also been having a bad time these past two days. Sui Yuan is acting strangely, sometimes cold and sometimes warm towards Su Ge'er, and Cui Yulang has just returned from Yulin. As soon as Cui Yulang returned, Sui Yuan stopped seeing guests."

Madam Zhou burst into tears: "It was already a heinous crime of me to make a deal with Xue Xiao behind their backs, how dare I provoke them to turn themselves in now!"

"You don't have it, but I do!" Shan Yue clapped her hands, and Huang Zhi bowed her head and went inside. Shan Yue told Huang Zhi about Madam Zhou's guess: "Go find the magistrate and tell him to find the 'Da Hang' first, then find that clerk. Please do your best to find the young master!"

Mrs. Zhou wept bitterly, saying, "Thank you—thank you—"

Zhou's voice was extremely melodious and clear.

Shan Yue patted Madam Zhou's hand reassuringly again, her voice warm and gentle: "We both come from humble backgrounds. In this vast capital, if I don't help you, who will?"

Shan Yue paused for a moment: "Aunt, there is only one thing you should decide—the timing of the two kidnappings of the young master is so precise that it's hard not to suspect something."

“I reminded you last time to be wary of the people around you—when I arranged the time and place to rescue the young master, Dou’s mother happened to walk by the window. Did she hear something?” Shan Yue lowered her voice: “Is there something wrong with her?”

Madam Zhou immediately shook her head, crying, "She...she may hate my son too, but she wouldn't want him to die!"

"Better to kill a thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free." Shan Yue said in a deep voice, "Search the body, search the person, search the room. As long as there is any disloyalty, there will be traces. If it is inconvenient for you or you do not have any manpower by your side, I, your niece, can do it for you as usual."