Chapter 227 - The Master and Her Loyal Maid

“I didn’t! Your Highness, I really didn’t do that!”

It sounded like Baizhi.

Lin Mengya let the four maids return ahead of her.

But they just went back an hour earlier than her. Why would she hear their cries out there?

Lin Mengya rushed to the Art Courtyard.

Inside the main room, she found Baizhi kneeling down on the floor and crying loudly.

Her fair face was already red and swollen.

She looked very pathetic while she was trying hard to shake her head, and her hairpin dropped.

Baiji and Baisu were stopped from getting a chance to help Baizhi.

However, Baishao sat opposite them. Her facial expression was unseen with her head lowered.

“You’ve been caught with money. What excuse do you have for your behavior? Because you followed your master from the beginning, Her Highness meant to not punish you severely. But how dare you remain impenitent. You must have wanted to die.”

A sharp sound came, and then, Baizhi kneeling on the ground was slapped violently.

Lin Mengya rushed forward to take that slap with her body for her poor maid.

“How arrogant you are. She’s one of my people. Who dares to bully my people now?”

Her charming face sent forth coldness as her phoenix eyes focused on the woman in front of her.

The woman didn’t step back at all when noticing her.

Instead, she said with a smile, “Calm down, Your Highness. I punish her for your sake. You may not know that she secretly possessed lots of money just because she followed you from the beginning. Thanks to Baishao, your maid, she placed righteousness above loyalty and disclosed Baizhi’s corruption, otherwise, none of us would be not in the know.”

The woman standing in front of her looked like she was a young teenager.

She was still a clean-cut girl, yet as mean as the royal maid.

Although she claimed herself to be a maid, no humble maid-like attitude was seen from her.

It was really impressive that she acted like one of the masters in the house.

“She’s my maid. It should be my duty to make the decision. Don’t mind her. She possessed money? How much?”

In her eyes, Baizhi would never do that kind of thing. She was timid and a foodie, but she was actually loyal to Lin Mengya.

It was unlikely that she would do something that could harm Lin Mengya.

So she would never secretly take any money as her own. If she wanted money, she could go straight to draw money from Sanjue Hall without asking anyone.

How ridiculous to slander her and say she was stealing money!

“Since you asked us, I, Jinsu, have to tell the truth.”

After a scornful glimpse at Baizhi kneeling down on the ground, Jinsu complacently said, “You know, Baishao takes charge of the money of our house. The other day, she came to report that 50 taels disappeared among the money from our shops for no reason. Then, according to Concubine De’s order, I made a check on every yard. What a coincidence it was! Baizhi, as a maid of the second rank, could offer 10 taels to treat those servants in Liuxin Courtyard. In the beginning, I thought it was your order. But Baishao told me Your Highness had never given that order. Think about it. Her wage for one month is only three mace. So where did the 10 taels come from? Therefore, I made a secret investigation and surprisingly found that she was the thief! Besides, I also caught her with the 50 taels!”

Baizhi shook her head hard and her eyes brimmed with tears.

“I didn’t. Master gave the 10 taels to me. The 50 taels were also a reward. I never stole anyone’s money. You can’t claim that an innocent person is guilty!”

Even though her face was slapped swollen, Baizhi still refused to admit it.

She had received lots of private punishments before Lin Mengya showed up.

If Baisu and Baiji hadn’t struggled to stop them, she might have been beaten to death.

She was still puzzled as to why they would accuse her of stealing when the fact was that her master gave the money to her.

“Hmph, it’s only your excuse. Your Highness, I’ve asked Baishao about the 60 taels. She told me that she never saw them.”

Lin Mengya already guessed almost everything from Jinsu’s words.

She emotionlessly looked at them.

Whether it was Concubine De wearing a sad expression, or Baishao, whose expression was unseen with her head lowered, they were setting a trap for her.

Lin Mengya silently sneered. It came to her mind that the 60 taels were the profit Old Uncle Bai presented to her last month.

She was excited then and gave it to Baizhi. Baizhi could use it to treat those servants in Liuxin Courtyard when they wanted.

But she never imagined that it would become hard evidence to frame Baizhi.

They took her maids as their target, as they could do nothing to her. They really tried their best.

“Do you have any evidence to prove what you said?” Lin Mengya said coldly, neither humbly nor pushy.

When they actually punished Baizhi, it was not as simple as hitting her face because she had followed her for many years.

“Your Highness, we do. Here is the account book. There is a deficit of 50 taels.”

Jinsu gave a fluent reply. Concubine De didn’t need to open her mouth. It was apparent that they must have practiced it many times.

Now that they set a trap for her, they might have a big plan.

“Show me.”

Lin Mengya casually turned the pages of the account book. The beautiful handwriting looked neat.

There was no need to check because she always believed Baishao’s way of managing the money.

But to her surprise, the one who Baishao stood against was her.

Lift a rock only to drop it on her own feet!

“Mengya, you’ve been acting cautiously and conscientiously, and attended to everything personally after you became Princess Yu. Unfortunately, your maid is not as good as you. So for the sake of your reputation, it’s better to deal with her here. Use her as a warning for the other servants in our house, and also, to avoid arousing outsiders’ suspicions. Is that okay?”

Concubine De spoke at an appropriate speed, but her words hit the mark from the beginning.

Those words sounded like they were for Lin Mengya’s sake on the surface, but in fact, every word seemed to be criticizing how she managed her people.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“I should take mother’s advice since you propose it for my own good. But she follows me for many years. So could you spare her for once, for my sake?”

She still remembered those good memories with Concubine De.

She also kept in mind Long Tianyu’s affection for her.

So she refused to offend Concubine De publicly.

But Concubine De lightly gave her a cold smile and said, “A country has its laws and a family has its rules. She broke our rules. She should be punished. As her master, you should not indulge your people too much, or you’ll get into big trouble. Guard, drag the maid out and beat her to death with sticks.”

It was the Art Courtyard. Concubine De’s order was the top order.

Immediately, a few female servants hurried over to try to grab Lin Mengya and Baizhi.

Baisu was entangled by several guards. She gritted her teeth and was about to perform kung fu. Surprisingly, those servants were thrown out.

“My, my! It really hurts!”

Screams filled the room. Lin Mengya seemed unsurprised.

But she was slightly stunned when she saw a slim figure in front of her.

“Your Highness, why—”

Aunt Jingyue stared at Long Tianyu with astonishment, who took action just now because in the presence of Concubine De, he always acted like a filial son.

But he seemed to be disobeying her orders after he got married. If he carried on, Concubine De might make a plan to kill Lin Mengya.

As expected, Concubine De changed her face and icily glared at her son.

“What are you doing, you unfilial son! Don’t I have the right to punish a maid?”

Long Tianyu retracted his hand. The atmosphere in the room immediately became colder as he scanned his surroundings with his eyes narrowed.

“I’ve told you, Mother, it’s my house, not yours.”

He got angry and a feeling of coldness could be sensed from his eyes.

In the past, Concubine De kept telling him not to ask for her advice about every detail of his house because he was an adult.

From then on, he got to know what a real master should be like.

But it was ridiculous that Concubine De plotted against Lin Mengya by using those dirty plans in the palace.

Baizhi was a naive girl. He saw her smiling every day. And she would privately prepare delicious food or funny things for servants in Liuxin Courtyard.

Besides, Lin Mengya treated her like her younger sister. She was generous to offer Baizhi everything she needed.

So how could it be possible for Baizhi to steal money?

If it was an emergency, Lin Mengya would help her as long as she asked for her help.

So she had to be framed by someone.

“You—You—Are you going to offend your mother and cover up for that woman?”

Concubine De pounded on the desk, and with her eyes opened wide, glared at Long Tianyu.

She never expected that Long Tianyu would stand by Lin Mengya’s side so much. She was not allowed to deal with one of her maids.

It was clearly that he thought highly of Lin Mengya.

If he carried on, Concubine De was afraid that she would be disadvantaged.

“Don’t feel it is difficult, Your Highness. Concubine De is right. I’m just a maid. You don’t need to argue for me. My death is not to be regretted, Your Highness. But promise me, you must protect my master. Master, I wish I will still be your maid in the next life.”

To the others’ surprise, Baizhi, who seemed to be simple-minded, could make such a heroic speech.

She was really loyal to Lin Mengya.

“No, Baizhi!”

Tears already fell down the faces of Baisu and Baiji. After getting along with each other for a few months, they had established a relationship more intimate than that among real sisters.

“Who told you, silly, that you have to die?”