Xiao Zhen understood.
This matter was likely because the Crown Prince dared not trouble the King of Qin, so he came to the General's mansion to file a complaint.
To give the Crown Prince an explanation, the Old Madam had beaten Xiao Man, but the Old Madam always had a sense of proportion; even if she punished her, she wouldn't beat her to death.
"Who was present when Miss was being punished?" Xiao Zhen knew his mother's temperament to some extent, and there must have been someone instigating her.
"Madam, along with Concubine Lin."
Xiao Zhen's eyes flickered: "Steward."
"Your servant is here."
"Go and inform Madam that she should hand over the household affairs to the Fourth Concubine and confine herself to her courtyard to cultivate her character," Xiao Zhen ordered. "Also, send Concubine Lin to Purple Cloud Nunnery to pray for the Eldest Miss. When the Eldest Miss recovers, she can return, and send the Fourth Miss along with her."
"Yes."
The steward hurried to pass on the orders.
As soon as the General returned, he stripped the Madam of her authority over household affairs and sent Concubine Lin and the Fourth Miss to a nunnery to pray for Miss. The Old Madam, who had administered the punishment, was likely in for a difficult time as well.
"Deputy General Zhang."
"Your subordinate is here."
"Take all the guards assigned to the Old Madam by this General and deal with them according to military law." Xiao Zhen gave his orders in an orderly fashion.
He assigned guards to his family to ensure their safety, not to deal with his own family members.
"This subordinate obeys."
Early in the morning, the steward, with his men, barged into Madam Yan's courtyard, took away all the account books and keys, inventoried them one by one, and handed them over to the Fourth Concubine to manage.
Meanwhile, Concubine Lin and the Fourth Miss were crammed into a carriage together and sent to Purple Cloud Nunnery outside the city. Deputy General Zhang led his men to take away all the guards assigned to the Old Madam.
The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard.
Madam Yan was so enraged that she smashed her favorite blue and white porcelain vase on the spot. Clearly, it was the Old Madam who had administered the beating, but the General dared not confront the Old Madam, so he took it out on her. He had directly stripped her of her authority over household affairs. After more than a decade of marriage, he was so heartless!
"Wet nurse, you saw it. What does the Eldest Miss's beating have to do with me? Yet he is punishing me. I even went to the main courtyard to plead for the Eldest Miss, but he, upon his return, without asking for the truth, directly stripped me of my authority over household affairs!" Madam Yan's face contorted with anger. "Just you wait and see, I want to see what capability the Fourth Concubine has to manage this General's mansion!"
The Madam was confined to her courtyard, Concubine Lin and the Fourth Miss were sent to a nunnery, and Deputy General Zhang took his men to apprehend all the guards Xiao Zhen had assigned to the Old Madam.
The Old Madam's eyelids twitched incessantly. This was a warning. Although Xiao Zhen did not confront her directly, he was giving her a stern warning by punishing the guards assigned to her!
"Deputy General Zhang."
"Old Madam." Deputy General Zhang was respectful and courteous.
"Has Eldest Daughter woken up yet?"
"Not yet."
Deputy General Zhang's voice was hearty, but devoid of emotion. After speaking, he led his men away from the main courtyard. As for how those guards would be dealt with in the end, the Old Madam could not and did not dare to interfere.
Wet Nurse Xu sighed.
As soon as the steward left Shuiyue Xiaozhu, he went directly to the Madam's courtyard, took away the account books and keys, delivered them to the Fourth Concubine's courtyard, and then had Concubine Lin and the Fourth Miss sent to Purple Cloud Nunnery. If the Eldest Miss had woken up, the General would not have been so furious to send the Fourth Miss to the nunnery as well. It was likely that the Eldest Miss's condition was indeed not good.
Wet Nurse Xu was filled with worry. If something were to happen to the Eldest Miss, not only would there be a rift between the Old Madam and the General, but the Eldest Young Master, who was in Yunzhong City, would likely not stand idly by. The Old Madam was muddled!
The Old Madam fiddled with her prayer beads, chanting the Diamond Sutra.
She merely wanted to teach Xiao Man a lesson; she never intended to beat her to death. She was simply too angry at the time, which led to her being so heavy-handed. She never expected to injure her so badly.
Concubine San had originally regretted not witnessing the Old Madam beating Xiao Man with her own eyes. However, upon hearing that everyone present in the main courtyard was punished by the General, she felt fortunate that the Second Miss had stopped her, and she had not gone to the main courtyard.
Otherwise, she and the Second Miss would likely have been sent to a nunnery as well.
"The General, upon his return, punished both the Madam and Concubine Lin, and even the Fourth Miss suffered. Fortunately, you stopped me, or my son and I would have been in trouble too," Concubine San said as she fed medicine to Xiao Xiang. "I see clearly now. As long as Eldest Miss is in trouble, the General will not let go of anyone involved, regardless of their innocence!"
"Concubine, I am also his daughter, and I am also sick, yet Father hasn't even come to see me. He only has eyes for Eldest Sister!" Second Miss choked back a sob. She merely wished for her father to acknowledge her existence, was that so difficult?
Concubine San fell silent.
In this mansion, there was more than one daughter who was not favored by the General, just like Xiao Xiang. The Fourth Miss, Xiao Ting, was also one of them. No matter how likable she was, the General showed her no favoritism, and even Xiao Ling, Yan Shi's daughter, was the same.
"Your father's affections have always been on Eldest Miss. It's not like you didn't know this from the start. It's not just you; even the Third Miss, isn't she also unable to gain the General's favor?"
Concubine San took a more optimistic view.
She only hoped that her daughter could find a good marriage. After all, times were different now. The Second Miss had lost her purity, and marrying into a noble family was impossible. Now, she only prayed for a peaceful life.
"Concubine, I plan to seek refuge with Eldest Sister."
"What?" Concubine San's voice rose, then she realized something was wrong and lowered her voice. "Are you delirious from your illness? To seek refuge with her, and you still think she hasn't harmed us enough? Don't forget, it was she who caused you to lose your purity!" Su Dan Fiction Network
"Concubine, besides her, who else in this mansion will help us!"
Before Xiao Xiang went to the Prime Minister's mansion, she thought that if she could ruin Xiao Man, she might still have a way out. However, Xiao Man's actions made her realize that before she could ruin Xiao Man, Xiao Man would send her to hell first!
"Help? Who can she help now?" Concubine San stirred the medicine in the bowl. "Look at how ruthless she is, having you thrown into the lake and causing you to catch a cold. One incident after another, unforgivable deeds. You still think she will help us? We should be grateful if she doesn't harm us!"
"Concubine, don't forget, Eldest Sister has Father as her backer, and her own brother is the only male heir in the mansion. She is right; as long as she lives, no one can surpass her. Neither can I, nor can Xiao Ling!"
"But wasn't she also beaten by the Old Madam until she lost half her life and is still unconscious?" Concubine San harbored deep hatred for Xiao Man. If it weren't for Xiao Man, her Second Miss would still be the proud Second Miss. "Just you wait and see, once the General leaves the mansion, everyone in this mansion will want to devour her alive. How can she possibly have the time to help others."
"Concubine, Eldest Sister is in a difficult situation now. If we go to seek refuge, she will definitely accept us. If we miss this opportunity, we will truly have no way out."