Yun Xi spoke with such conviction and precision that there was no room for refutation.
The old woman who had caused the trouble earlier was shocked to find so many accusations piled on her head. Her former arrogance was instantly replaced by panic.
Even if she were given ten times the courage, she wouldn't dare to call the prince a chicken!
However, Yun Xi had dissected every word, making her case so plausibly that the old woman couldn't even defend herself if she wanted to!
When Yun Xi finished speaking, there was an uproar among the onlookers. They couldn't help but whisper to each other, while the steward looked at Yun Xi with a troubled expression:
"Madam, if you dismiss so many people at once, there will be a lot of vacancies in the prince's mansion. Could you please reconsider?"
Although Qi Rong had publicly handed over the steward's power to Yun Xi, she had never really bothered to interfere in the mansion's affairs during her time there.
Even the steward thought that the prince had only done it to give this newly arrived "madam" some power on the surface, so that the servants in the mansion would respect her more.
He assumed that Yun Xi would only hold the title and never actually take charge.
But today, Yun Xi not only asked him to bring the list of servants in the mansion and summoned everyone, but also announced that she was going to dismiss more than a dozen people!
This would surely cause dissatisfaction among the servants in the mansion!
Hearing the steward's words, Yun Xi's expression turned cold, and her tone was non - negotiable:
"I've made myself clear just now. Since the prince has entrusted me with the management of the mansion, I naturally have the right to deal with the incompetent servants."
Then, Yun Xi slowly scanned the crowd in front of her and said coldly:
"If anyone is not convinced, you can go and complain to the prince. If the prince says to keep them, I'll have nothing to say. Even if they make bigger mistakes in the future, I'll never mention dismissal again!"
Yun Xi's words were so powerful that those who had been whispering to each other just now looked at each other in dismay.
Going to the prince to complain was like seeking death!
Since the matter had nothing to do with them, they naturally chose to stay out of it. No one wanted to cause trouble for themselves!
"Even though you're the mistress of the mansion, aren't you afraid that your arbitrary and abusive use of power will make it hard for you to win the respect of others in the future?"
While the crowd below dared not say a word, Wu Shuang suddenly spoke up and questioned Yun Xi.
"They just dare not voice their dissatisfaction because of your status!"
Seeing Wu Shuang pretending to be a just person in front of everyone again, trying to belittle her to gain popularity, Yun Xi couldn't help but curl her lips in disdain:
"Wu Shuang, by deliberately ignoring the mistakes of those servants and choosing to protect them, you'll only allow more evil servants to thrive in the mansion!"
"If you feel sorry for them, you can go to the prince at any time to plead for them. Otherwise, I have every reason to suspect that you deliberately instigated them to break the rules of the mansion!"
If she wasn't sure at first, the truth was now clear as day.
In this world, people always fawned on the powerful and bullied the weak. Even the servants in a big family would act accordingly, currying favor with those in power and being servile.
These more than a dozen people were just tools Wu Shuang used to make things difficult for her, trying to show everyone that she had fallen out of favor. They wanted to make her life in the mansion miserable.
But Wu Shuang never expected that she wasn't a soft - hearted person. She would use her power as the mistress to get rid of these people all at once, giving the other servants in the mansion a warning!
Hearing Yun Xi's words, Wu Shuang's face changed. Before she could defend herself, she was met with the pleading looks of those more than a dozen people.
"Madam Wu Shuang, please plead for us!"
"The prince dotes on you so much. He will surely spare us for your sake!"
"You're so kind - hearted. Please help us, Madam Wu Shuang!"
Most of them had signed indentures with the mansion. Once dismissed, they didn't know where they would be sold. Their future was bleak!
They had just followed Wu Shuang's orders and mocked the new madam at the gate of the South Courtyard. They never thought they would face such a severe punishment! So now, they could only pin their hopes on Wu Shuang.
Caught between the expectant looks of the crowd, Wu Shuang was in a dilemma. She had no choice but to promise that she would plead for them later.
But Yun Xi didn't give her a chance to escape. She stared at Wu Shuang coldly and said:
"Don't wait for 'later'. I'm going to dismiss them today. If you don't go to the prince to plead for them now, it will be too late!"
Meeting Yun Xi's calm and confident gaze, Wu Shuang gritted her teeth in anger.
Would she really go and bother the prince for these servants? She would never lower herself to do such a thing!
If the prince found out that she was focusing on such a trivial matter, he would surely think she was making a mountain out of a molehill and even doubt her ability to handle things!
Wu Shuang instinctively wanted to refuse. However, with the whole mansion watching and the people she had instigated looking at her, she felt extremely frustrated, like a tiger that couldn't get off its back!
If she didn't go to the prince to plead for them today, these more than a dozen people would surely turn against her and expose what she had told them before.
But what bothered her even more was that even if she went to the prince, the prince might not give her face.
Then, she would be humiliating herself in front of everyone. The prestige she had painstakingly built up in the mansion would disappear in an instant!
As the prince's most "favored" concubine, if she couldn't even keep a few servants, wouldn't she become the laughingstock of the mansion?
"Well, Madam Wu Shuang? With your kind heart, you won't just watch them being dismissed, will you?"
Looking at Wu Shuang, whose expression changed rapidly, Yun Xi lifted her red lips slightly, full of sarcasm.
Then, Yun Xi turned to look at the more than a dozen people and said, slightly relenting:
"Alright, I'll give you a chance. Go with Wu Shuang to see the prince. Even if the prince doesn't agree to keep you, as long as Wu Shuang is willing to take your punishment, I'll agree to let you stay."
"Wu Shuang, what do you think?"
Yun Xi pushed the problem to Wu Shuang. Wu Shuang knew it was a trap, but she had no way out. She had to ask reluctantly:
"What kind of punishment?"
If it was just something trivial, she would agree for the time being and then order the servants to do it.
However, since Yun Xi had spoken, she wouldn't make it easy for Wu Shuang. First, she smiled, then counted the number of people and slowly said, counting on her fingers:
"Since there are ten of you, one day for each. As long as you wash clothes for ten days or clean the latrines for ten days personally, I'll guarantee that I won't pursue this matter any further!"
"What?!"
Hearing that she had to wash clothes and clean the latrines, Wu Shuang's eyes widened in shock, and her face turned as green as grass!
"You're dreaming! I advise you not to push me too far. I'll go to the prince right now and report this. Your arrogance won't last long!"
Wu Shuang was so angry that her hands and feet were shaking. After throwing a harsh word at Yun Xi, she led the more than a dozen people towards Qi Rong's courtyard in a grand manner.