Lin Qingge smiled, offering no explanation for the puzzled look on Leng Ningyue's face.
After a brief tour of the room, she asked Leng Ningyue to lead her away.
Standing on the rooftop, gazing at the distant lotus pond, Lin Qingge found herself pondering:
"Madam, why would Li Xiaolian, after being beaten, come to the lotus pond instead of resting in her room? Could she be considering ending her life?"
"It doesn't seem like it."
"You think so too, Madam? Although Li Xiaolian cried pitifully just now, her gaze was resolute, unlike someone contemplating death. But why would she go to the lotus pond with one side of her face so swollen? Perhaps she intends to garner sympathy and expose the schemes of Madam Xing and her niece? However, Madam Xing controls everything in the manor; to whom could she appeal for sympathy? Ah...
How could I forget that brute Yan Hanhan."
Seeing the familiar crimson figure in the distance, Lin Qingge's lips twitched. The conversation between Li Xiaolian and Yan Tinghao, though inaudible from afar, clearly angered Yan Tinghao, as he stormed away abruptly. The steward, Wen Bo, left behind, quickly followed after exchanging a few hurried words with Li Xiaolian.
With nothing more to observe, Lin Qingge and Leng Ningyue returned to the study. Lin Qingge handed the torn paper fragments found in Li Xiaolian's room to Qin Han and then turned to leave with a flourish. Qin Han, who hadn't had a chance to speak a word throughout the entire process, was left speechless.
Since they weren't heading to the inner quarters, Lin Qingge and Leng Ningyue no longer needed to sneak around and instead walked boldly towards the servants' living quarters. Leng Ningyue was asked to wait outside the courtyard, and Lin Qingge, a social butterfly, quickly blended in.
Soon, she drew several maids aside and began chatting with them jovially.
"Oh, is that so?"
"Yes! Our master is a cleanliness fanatic; all rooms must be cleaned daily. Last time, Xiao Hong missed a piece of paper while cleaning the study. Upon discovering it, the master flew into a rage, docked Xiao Hong half a month's wages, and thoroughly scolded the Madam."
"If Xiao Hong made a mistake, how is it related to your Madam?"
"How is it not? Xiao Hong and Yin Tao are both maids brought by the Madam from her family. Although such menial tasks as cleaning the study were usually handled by us maids, Xiao Hong insisted on doing it herself, clearly at the Madam's behest, to monitor the master in the study."
"Monitor? Are the relationship between your master and Madam very poor?"
"More than poor? Since I came to the manor, I've never seen the master and Madam sleep together! The master rests directly in the study every night. If I were the Madam, I would also suspect the master of keeping a mistress in the study!"
"Xiao Cui, don't talk nonsense! Be careful Madam hears you, and you'll be in serious trouble!"
"That's how it is. The master only married the Madam, and if he doesn't seek the Madam, he naturally seeks other women."
Perhaps it was to curry favor with Lin Qingge, the official, or perhaps due to deep-seated resentment towards their masters, but the maids answered most of Lin Qingge's questions. Especially the maid named Xiao Cui, who was young and spoke rather indiscreetly.
Lin Qingge cleared her throat, returning to the main topic. "I have been to Magistrate Li's study; there is only a soft couch, not a place suitable for sleeping the entire night."
"Your Excellency, you might not know, but although our master sleeps in the study, he actually sleeps in the room next to it."
"I know this! I once overheard the steward, Wen Bo, mention that the master felt the study's feng shui was poor, so he had someone divide the study, originally one room, into two. One part was used as the study, and the other as the bedroom. However, that was many years ago. Steward Wen Bo also said that although the master's actions then seemed as if he were possessed, after changing the study's feng shui, the Li family's business actually began to improve. The master believed this place to be the feng shui treasure land of the Li family's prosperity. After accumulating wealth, the master bought up the surrounding properties for expansion, which led to the Li manor of today."
"I see. By the way, I overheard you mentioning earlier that Madam Xing has another maid named Yin Tao. Why haven't I seen her today?"
"This..."
Upon mentioning the name 'Yin Tao,' the maids' expressions changed. Finally, the youngest maid, Xiao Cui, spoke up. "Sister Yin Tao was brought by the Madam from her family; to be precise, she was sent as a maid. However, unlike Sister Xiao Hong, Sister Yin Tao is very beautiful. It is likely that the Madam's family, seeing that the Madam had not produced any heirs over the years, forcefully sent Sister Yin Tao."
Although Xiao Cui's words were veiled, Lin Qingge understood. The greatest of filial impiety is to have no descendants. Although Madam Xing nominally had Li Xiaolian as her daughter, she had not given birth to any male heirs for the Li family. Therefore, Madam Xing's family, fearing her loss of favor or perhaps fearing Magistrate Li would take concubines, sent Madam Xing a 'helper.' After all, compared to the competing beauties from outside, a 'family member' would be easier to manage.
Here, the maid Xiao Cui continued her gossip. "But after Sister Yin Tao arrived at our manor, not only did the master not even look at her, but he also scolded her severely when she brought him ginseng soup in the study at night. Later, Sister Yin Tao was taken by Young Master Xing. What a pity for Sister Yin Tao's beauty."
"Why a pity? Young Master Xing is capable and distinguished; he is considered a good match!" Lin Qingge repeated Madam Xing's earlier praise, suppressing a surge of nausea, which earned her looks of astonished disbelief from the maids, as if she were an idiot.
"What? Did I say something wrong?" Lin Qingge feigned an innocent and bewildered expression, coupled with her fair face, it made the maids feel reluctant to accuse her.
"Your Excellency, you were deceived by Young Master Xing. That Young Master Xing is not a good person, truly!" Fearing Lin Qingge wouldn't believe her, the maid Xiao Cui glanced around, leaned close to Lin Qingge's ear, and whispered, "Your Excellency, that Young Master Xing is really not a good person. He not only finds ways to bully Sister Yin Tao, but he also takes Sister Yin Tao out to be bullied by his dissolute friends. He's simply, simply not human!" By the end of her words, tears subtly shimmered in Xiao Cui's eyes.
Seeing this, the other maids comforted Xiao Cui while explaining to Lin Qingge: "Your Excellency, please don't take offense. Xiao Cui was once assigned to clean a room in Young Master Xing's courtyard and encountered him returning after drinking. Young Master Xing, seeing how young and tender Xiao Cui was, insisted on keeping her for the night. Fortunately, Yin Tao appeared in time and saved Xiao Cui by sacrificing herself."
Although they were lowly maids in the Li manor, they were not born into servitude, nor had they signed contracts of indenture with the Li manor. To put it plainly, they were merely helpers earning a few hundred copper coins a month. Therefore, Young Master Xing's actions were quite shameless. Even so, for the meager wages, they not only couldn't seek justice for themselves but also had to endure it in silence. Fortunately, apart from Xiao Cui, the others had relatively 'safe' appearances.