Chapter 346
Late at night, the torrential rain had lessened slightly, but it still drizzled, and the night wind was chilling enough to make one shiver. Suzhou Prefecture was quiet at this hour, with no light visible except for the lanterns hanging under the eaves of wealthy households.
"Miss, do you really have to go?" He Nuan asked hesitantly, holding a fox fur cloak. Compared to the warmth of the room with the charcoal brazier, it was too cold outside.
Zhan Feiyu put down her brush, pressed the freshly written article with a paperweight, and then stood up to stretch her stiff body from sitting for too long. "Since we have to stay at the inn for the next few days anyway, there's no harm in going to take a look."
Seeing this, He Nuan no longer tried to persuade her. She helped Zhan Feiyu get dressed and handed her a hand warmer. "The people have been controlled, but they are all servants of the Qiu family and may not know anything."
A carriage left the inn and headed for a small courtyard in the southern part of the city.
A quarter of an hour later, in the side room, a screen blocked the view, and only one candle was lit on a table near the door. In the dim light, the room was still dark.
The maidservant who was brought in had trembling legs. She lowered her head, stealing a glance, but could only see the figure sitting behind the screen.
"Answer while sitting," He Nuan's voice, unlike her usual gentle tone, sounded a bit hoarse. "Say what you are asked, and if you dare to conceal anything..."
"This servant wouldn't dare!" The maidservant didn't dare to sit down and stood there trembling.
He Nuan looked at the words written on Zhan Feiyu's paper, nodded, and then asked, "You are Qiu Jingyuan's maidservant. Tell me about Qiu Jingyuan's situation in the Qiu family over the years."
Zhao'er was just a maidservant in charge of needlework. After Qing Hong died, she was promoted to serve Qiu Jingyuan closely. However, she was also a family servant of the third branch. Although she was only sixteen this year, she had been serving Qiu Jingyuan for nearly eight years. In the beginning, she was just a small maidservant who cleaned the courtyard, and she gradually moved up. If nothing unexpected happened, Zhao'er would likely be promoted to head maidservant upon their return to the Qiu mansion.
"Miss is the most favored in the mansion..." Zhao'er's voice was a little stammered at first, but as she spoke, it became smoother.
The old master of the third branch was Qiu Shao. Although Qiu Tai was in charge of the third branch, the final decision-maker was Qiu Shao.
However, the inner quarters were different. Madam Qiu had passed away early, and Qiu Tai had not yet married at that time. The one managing the household affairs was the adopted son's wife, who by rights should also be called the First Madam.
But people's hearts are unfathomable. Although Qiu Shao did not consider the inner quarters important, he was still uneasy about his adopted son. The First Madam managed the household affairs openly, but more than half of the power was in the hands of wet nurse Tu. Wet nurse Tu was a dowry maidservant of Madam Qiu back then.
Later, when the eldest daughter Qiu Wenlan returned home with her only son after her husband's death, wet nurse Tu was also old. The power of managing affairs was actually handed over to Qiu Wenlan. At that time, Qiu Tai was already married. According to seniority, Qiu Tai was the fourth, and his wife was the Fourth Madam.
However, because he was Qiu Shao's biological son, Qiu Tai was always referred to as Young Master in the third branch, and his wife was called Madam. The three sisters-in-law above were still called First Madam, Second Madam, and Third Madam.
"Madam Yu has been practicing Buddhism in Jingxin Courtyard these years, but this servant remembers that Madam Yu doted on Miss the most, so Young Master Feng also doted on Miss..." Zhao'er remembered so clearly because she was only a few years older than Qiu Jingyuan. When she was a child, she was a humble maidservant who looked at the doted-upon Qiu Jingyuan with jealousy and envy, so her memory became particularly vivid.
Qiu Jinyu showed his talent for reading from a young age, so he was personally taught by his grandfather, Qiu Shao. He lived in Qiu Shao's courtyard from the age of three and then began his education.
Because of the third branch's ambition, neither Qiu Shao nor his son wanted Qiu Jinyu to be raised by women. Therefore, he only entered the inner quarters to pay respects on the first and fifteenth of each month, and then he always stayed in the front courtyard to study or accompanied Qiu Shao on visits to relatives and friends.
Since Madam Zhan had given birth to a son, it was as if she hadn't. Therefore, she doted on her daughter Qiu Jingyuan, who grew up under her knees, which was why her temper was so overbearing and arrogant.
The three adopted sons also had daughters, but after all, there was a blood relationship. No matter how overbearing and arrogant Qiu Jingyuan was, her paternal aunts dared not to comment. Coupled with the fact that Qiu Feng was more than ten years older than Qiu Jingyuan and protected her, Qiu Jingyuan was the one who bullied others, whether in the third branch or outside.
After Zhao'er was sent out, an old woman was brought in.
"Replying to your esteemed self, this old servant has been in the third branch for nearly thirty years. To speak with utmost disrespect, this old servant also has two granddaughters. Although this old servant's status is low, she has always taught her granddaughters manners. Miss often beats and whips servants in the mansion, and she does the same outside. Whenever she is unhappy, she throws a tantrum on the spot."
This old woman was indeed bold. "Previously, Miss Zhang's eyes were beautiful, and she was praised for her 'bright eyes like flowing stars.' As a result, on the way back from a flower viewing event, her horse was startled, the carriage overturned, and Miss Zhang fell out of the carriage. A wound ran from her eyebrow to her chin."
Originally, Miss Zhang was young, only nine years old at the time. Even though the wound was quite deep, as long as good medicine was used and she was well cared for for a few years, she would likely recover. Even if there was a scar, it would fade with age, and at least it wouldn't disfigure her.
But who would have thought that five days later, news spread that the maidservant had used the wrong medicine. The wound, which was already...