Three days later, a group of men suddenly burst into an old thatched cottage outside the city. They looked fierce and were armed with long knives. Once inside, they rummaged around and hacked at random. Unexpectedly, they didn't find a single person, but were surrounded by the constables of the Capital Prefecture and escorted back to the prison.
Just like that, the news that a gang of notorious bandits who had been at large for a long time were captured by the Capital Prefecture on the third day of the Lunar New Year quickly spread throughout the capital.
Everyone praised Lord Liang, the Prefect of the Capital, for his foresight and dedication. He had eliminated another threat to the peace of the common people! Even the emperor spoke highly of his deeds!
However, few knew that Lord Liang had received the news two days ago that there were bandits roaming in this area.
For such an uncertain tip, the constables couldn't take a holiday to celebrate the New Year. They grumbled in discontent. But Liang Sheng, the upright and unyielding prefect, ordered the constables to lie in wait here just in case.
Fortunately, their efforts paid off. They not only made a great achievement but also received the emperor's commendation and reward.
But they couldn't find the informant.
Inside the Prime Minister's Mansion, Nanny Qian was kneeling on the ground in panic. She had no idea what she had done wrong and cold sweat was streaming down her forehead.
"Madam, forgive this old servant's stupidity. I really don't know what you're talking about!"
"I've served you for decades. I've been utterly loyal to you. Even if I haven't made any great contributions, I've surely endured a great deal of hardship. You mustn't believe the slander of villains!"
After serving the old lady lunch at noon, Nanny Qian was scolding a lazy maid in the tea - making room. Unexpectedly, Nanny Zhao called her over, saying that the old lady wanted to question her.
At first, Nanny Qian didn't think much of it. But as soon as she entered the room, the old lady threw a cup of hot tea at her, drenching her head. Without thinking about anything else, she quickly knelt down.
The old lady scolded her for being disloyal, for being a turncoat who colluded with outsiders to deceive her!
Nanny Qian vaguely guessed what was going on but deliberately pretended not to know. She was determined to deny everything, thinking that she might still have a chance of survival.
However, the old lady didn't believe a single word of hers. She coldly said to Nanny Zhao beside her:
"Nanny Zhao, tell her exactly what you've seen while following her recently."
"Yes, madam."
Nanny Zhao curtsied and gave a cold look at Nanny Qian, who usually flaunted her authority in front of her because of the old lady's trust. A hint of contempt flashed in her eyes.
It turned out that since Yun Xi left the courtyard last time, although the old lady was still skeptical, she had Nanny Zhao secretly follow Nanny Qian. Sure enough, she saw Nanny Qian having a contact with Nanny Luo from Madam Jiang's courtyard.
If it had been a proper meeting on the old lady's order, it would have been fine.
But because of Yun Xi's words, the old lady became more vigilant. She specifically told everyone in the courtyard to mind their own business and not to leave the courtyard without permission these days.
However, Nanny Qian not only secretly met Nanny Luo but also took the initiative to find her!
Coupled with the news of the capture of the bandits outside the city reaching her ears, the old lady immediately concluded that the place was the hiding place of the coachman that Yun Xi had once told her about!
With both the witness and the evidence, Nanny Qian had no room to defend herself. The old lady immediately ordered her to be tied up.
"Madam, I've been framed! I'm innocent!!"
Nanny Qian's face turned ashen. She struggled desperately on the ground, glaring angrily at Nanny Zhao beside her and shouting:
"It must be Nanny Zhao! She's jealous of my being favored by you, so she joined hands with the eldest miss to deal with me. Madam, you mustn't be alienated by them!"
Having worked with Nanny Qian for many years, Nanny Zhao had long wanted to get rid of her and take her place.
So, when the old lady asked her to follow Nanny Qian, she knew that Nanny Qian would try to shift the blame onto her for self - protection.
Fortunately, Nanny Zhao had collected a lot of evidence of Nanny Qian's taking bribes on a regular basis. Usually, Nanny Qian would only be scolded for such things. But the situation was different now. She decided to take advantage of this opportunity to bring Nanny Qian down once and for all!
"Madam, Nanny Qian has been two - faced for a long time. Her room is full of gifts from the concubines! If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check. See if it's as I've said."
Nanny Zhao's words were the last straw that broke the camel's back.
The old lady immediately ordered someone to take out all the valuable items in Nanny Qian's room. There were all kinds of rare antiques, jewelry, and precious stones, filling the whole room.
Seeing this, the old lady's eyes bulged like copper bells. She couldn't hold back her anger any longer.
She not only confiscated all of Nanny Qian's belongings but also ordered her to be severely beaten! The indenture that was originally going to be returned to her was casually given to a tooth - broker. Nanny Qian was sold for two taels of silver and kicked out of the mansion!
Because of this incident, the old lady completely fell out with Madam Jiang.
No matter how hard Madam Jiang tried to curry favor, the old lady always kept a cold face. She even found fault with Madam Jiang whenever she had the chance.
This made Madam Jiang unable to hold her head up, whether in front of outsiders or the servants in the mansion!
However, that wasn't the end of it.
One day, an old shopkeeper who had worked in the Yun family for more than a decade suddenly reported to the old lady, exposing Madam Jiang's secretly transferring the Yun family's assets, buying fertile fields and shops outside without permission.
It turned out that the continuous losses of Madam Jiang's shops in recent years weren't just due to poor business.
She deliberately created an illusion, robbing Peter to pay Paul, gradually embezzling the money and using it to fill her own pockets.
This incident infuriated the old lady and Yun Sheng. They never expected that there was such a greedy rat in the Yun family!
Under the old lady's strong pressure, Madam Jiang was forced to sign a document. The old lady not only took back all the fertile fields and shops under Madam Jiang's name but also forced her to return all of Su Yun's dowry that she had secretly embezzled back then.
Otherwise, it wouldn't just be a matter of being sent to prison!
As a third - rank virtuous lady, Madam Jiang couldn't be easily punished by the family law of the Prime Minister's Mansion. But once her crimes were discovered, things were different!
After several rounds of battle, Yun Xi had almost nailed Madam Jiang to the pillar of shame in the Yun family.
However, she knew very well that a single spark could start a prairie fire. She mustn't take it lightly when dealing with Madam Jiang. Once she gave Madam Jiang a chance to catch her breath, there was bound to be a counter - attack.
So, she supported Nanny Zhao beside the old lady. She even brought Nanny Zhao's children who were far away in their hometown to the capital and found them a means of livelihood.
This not only allowed Nanny Zhao to reunite with her children but also removed her concerns, enabling her to work whole - heartedly for Yun Xi.
Yun Xi did all of this flawlessly, leaving no room for anyone to find fault.
In the blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day of the first lunar month. As the lanterns were just lit, the annual riddle - guessing festival in the capital kicked off in a bustling way.
To reward herself for her continuous hard work in recent days, Yun Xi made an appointment with Zhen Bao. They decided to enjoy the delicious food from the street stalls in the capital while strolling around the lantern festival.
However, she had only been walking around for a short time. As soon as she reached the meeting place with Zhen Bao, she saw someone she didn't want to meet recently, Qi Rong.
At this moment, there was a young and beautiful girl standing beside him. Dressed in a white dress, she looked like a fairy floating in the air. Under the illumination of the lanterns, she was smiling sweetly and looking up at Qi Rong.
Wasn't that Yu Xueming?!!