Hearing the compromise in the old lady's tone, Mrs. Jiang, who had been standing by, eager to watch the show, couldn't help feeling anxious.
"Madam, this is just her trick. You mustn't let her lead you by the nose!" Mrs. Jiang whispered a reminder in the old lady's ear, convinced that Yun Xi, who held the power to manage the household, would never leave the Prime Minister's Mansion so easily.
However, it seemed that both the master and the old lady had been deceived by this little bitch, shattering her hope of seeing Yun Xi hoist herself by her own petard!
The old lady, already seething with anger, flew into a greater rage upon hearing Mrs. Jiang's words. She whipped around and slapped Mrs. Jiang across the face, roaring,
"Shut up! I don't need you to tell me what to do!"
Having lived this long, how could she fail to see that Yun Xi had an ulterior motive?
But now her son was at odds with her, and Yun Xi's words were so reasonable, holding a bargaining chip against her. What else could she do?
Mrs. Jiang, slapped by the old lady in a fit of anger, stood there stunned, her eyes wide with shock.
She covered her face, her hands balled into fists. A flicker of hatred flashed across her eyes but was quickly hidden.
"I was wrong, mother-in-law," she said meekly, lowering her head and falling silent, standing quietly to the side.
Yun Xi sneered inwardly at Mrs. Jiang's act and then took the opportunity to say,
"Granddaughter didn't do this to blackmail anyone. If Auntie thinks I have ill intentions, then I'd like to ask: When I was in danger, no one cared. But who ordered Yuzhu to be flogged?"
Yuzhu had deliberately glossed over the flogging to avoid making Yun Xi angry, saying only that she had lost her temper and hit Mrs. Jiang, which was why she was punished.
However, Yun Xi knew things were not that simple. It must have been something Mrs. Jiang said that provoked Yuzhu, a usually calm girl, to strike out!
It was clear that Mrs. Jiang had played a significant role in both the ambush on her and Yuzhu's flogging!
Mrs. Jiang said nothing but silently looked at the old lady, feigning a look of submissiveness.
"I ordered Yuzhu to be flogged," the old lady said, glancing at Mrs. Jiang and raising the corners of her drooping eyes, showing no sign of remorse.
"As a maid constantly by her mistress's side, she didn't advise her mistress on her behavior but instead joined in her foolishness. When something went wrong, she even shifted the blame onto others. I was being lenient by just flogging her!"
Yuzhu had come to the Yun family with Su Yun when she was only twelve or thirteen. Now, with Yun Xi having come of age, Yuzhu was practically an old hand in the family.
However, Yuzhu only focused on serving Yun Xi and turned a deaf ear to the words of other masters. Even when her master had strictly forbidden it, she still secretly went out with Yun Xi.
When Yun Xi got into trouble and Yuzhu dared to return to the mansion, the old lady was naturally furious.
Especially when she saw Yuzhu unrepentant and blatantly shifting the blame onto Mrs. Jiang and even hitting her, the old lady ordered the flogging.
"If it weren't for the approaching New Year and my reluctance to cause a death in the Prime Minister's Mansion, Yuzhu would have been flogged to death long ago!"
The old lady's expression was cold. Even Yun Sheng couldn't help frowning, while Yun Xi clenched her fists tightly, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Shift the blame? Flog to death?" Yun Xi sneered, her cold eyes fixed on her grandmother as if she were looking at a cold-blooded monster.
"Should I set off a couple of firecrackers to celebrate that Yuzhu was lucky the New Year was approaching so she didn't end up being killed by you?!"
After all, the old lady had once fallen from grace and endured hardships at the bottom of society. Yet her words were so cold-blooded, treating human life like an ant.
Moreover, that person was Yuzhu, who had dedicated most of her life to the Yun family!
Yun Xi's sharp words made the old lady's eyes widen in shock.
"What kind of attitude is this? Is this how you talk to your grandmother?!"
Was she crazy to defy her just for the sake of a maid?
Hearing the old lady's words, Yun Xi suddenly laughed, a laugh full of sarcasm.
"Now you remember you're my grandmother? It seems you only remember your identity when it's beneficial to you."
"You!" The old lady trembled with anger at Yun Xi's words, but Yun Xi continued,
"You said Yuzhu shifted the blame. Didn't Mrs. Jiang tell you that it was all her doing that allowed Yuzhu and me to leave the mansion?"
"If she hadn't deliberately distracted Xiao Anzi and arranged a carriage and coachman, how could Yuzhu and I have managed to sneak out of the mansion past the guards?"
Yun Xi glanced at Mrs. Jiang and sneered,
"Grandmother, without any investigation, you flogged Yuzhu. May I ask, what right do you have?!"
"Yuzhu was first a maid of the Su family and later had her slave status revoked. Even though she has served me wholeheartedly for many years, she has never received a single copper coin from the Prime Minister's Mansion. And you bullied her while I was away!"
"If outsiders knew that the masters of the Prime Minister's Mansion were a bunch of ungrateful villains, they would truly be laughed at!!!"
As if seeing someone clearly for the first time, Yun Xi was completely disappointed in her grandmother.
She felt that even if she presented the evidence of Mrs. Jiang's attempt to frame her, it wouldn't sway the old lady. So, she no longer needed to worry about saving face.
"Grandmother just asked what I wanted. Well, I'll tell you clearly: I not only want to set up my own household but also reclaim everything that belongs to my mother!"
Then, she glanced at Mrs. Jiang beside her, her eyes cold.
"You hired a killer, thinking you had covered your tracks perfectly. But you never thought I'd survive, did you?"
"Also, the coachman you tried to silence was actually faking his death. I've hidden him away. Once I've gathered all the evidence, when I'm in a bad mood one day, we'll meet at the Magistrate's Office, Third-Rank Lady!"
Yun Xi's lips curled into a mocking smile. Without waiting for Mrs. Jiang to defend herself, she walked straight out of the hall.
Once outside, Yun Xi looked up at the boundless blue sky. She had never felt so relieved!
She was already tired of the endless scheming and backstabbing with Mrs. Jiang. If they were going to fight, she'd bring it all out into the open.
Anyway, there was no longer any sense of hierarchy, face, or human kindness between her, the old lady, and Mrs. Jiang. Holding onto these things was tiring. It was better to declare war directly!
Mrs. Jiang thought that with her title of Third-Rank Lady and the old lady's support, she could do as she pleased without fear.
This time, Yun Xi would beat her to the ground and give her no chance to catch her breath!
After Yun Xi left, the old lady flew into a rage, cursing Yun Xi as a troublemaker and a jinx. The words were so vulgar that they were almost unbearable. Yun Sheng then roared,
"That's enough!"
Far from blaming his daughter for her extreme actions, he felt sorry for her as he listened to his mother's curses.
Not only did his daughter want to leave this cold Prime Minister's Mansion, but he also had the urge to leave.
Yun Sheng was about to leave but stopped in front of Mrs. Jiang. His voice was as cold as ice,
"Those who do evil will surely bring disaster upon themselves. This time, I won't protect you anymore! If you truly care about Yun Ni and Yun Qi, go to the Magistrate's Office and confess your crimes!"
With that, Yun Sheng flicked his sleeve and left. Mrs. Jiang slumped to the ground in despair.