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The maid didn’t understand why the room had fallen so quiet for such a long time.
She was supposed to be here to give her account, shouldn’t Third Miss have been allowed to get up once she entered?
Qi Wenzhen’s face darkened as he ordered, “Take her away and administer fifteen lashes.”
The young maid, with a puzzled expression, was lifted and dragged outside. When she was being pulled towards the door, she panicked and shouted towards Qi Yiran, “Young lady, save me, young lady!”
Qi Yiran was being held down and couldn’t turn her head, but if she could, her glare alone would have been enough to kill the maid.
What a bunch of fools, achieving too little and causing excessive trouble!
The voice gradually faded away. Qi Wenzhen turned to the two remaining individuals and instructed in a quiet tone, “Take Third Miss to the ancestral hall for self-reflection. Do not provide her with meals. She must not leave without my permission, and no one is allowed to visit her.”
After the young maid had spoken, Qi Yiran understood that she couldn’t escape punishment. So, when the two maids pulled her up and led her away, she didn’t resist.
However, before leaving, her gaze towards Shen Yu’an was venomous, as if it had been dipped in poison.
Xie Shi’s anger had subsided as well. She dared to shout a few times only when the punishment from Qi Wenzhen wasn’t directed at her. But now that the punishment had come, she dared not say anything.
Once Qi Yiran had been taken away, Xie Shi couldn’t stay any longer. She shot a resentful look at Xin Rui and Shen Yu’an, then left in anger.
The others didn’t leave the scene, but their emotions weren’t particularly high either.
A woman dressed in a jade-green gown watched as Qi Yiran was escorted away, emitting a soft hum from her throat. Then, she glanced towards Shen Yu’an with admiration.
Her third sister was skilled at putting on an act. She had been tricked by her many times before, leaving her with an indescribable bitterness. Now it was her turn to be left speechless.
The Third Young Master, who had been challenged by Shen Yu’an the moment she arrived, ate his meal in silence. Occasionally, his gaze towards Shen Yu’an held a touch of displeasure.
Dishes were brought in one after another. After waiting for so long, the food had already grown cold. People ate absentmindedly, and the meal passed in this manner.
After the meal, people gradually left the room. Qi Wenzhen looked at his eldest daughter, who seemed to have something to say.
Qi Wenzhen asked, “What does my daughter want to say?”
Qi Yiwan, the eldest daughter of General Xiangnan and Lady Wen, slowly recounted what she had witnessed when she arrived.
As Lady Wen listened, she became increasingly shocked. She hadn’t expected the situation to be like this.
Xie had never really gotten along with Lady Wen and Xin Rui. No matter what she said, it could always be interpreted in a few different ways by them. Thus, Lady Wen didn’t engage with Xie much.
However, Qi Yiran was still a daughter of their general’s household. Her reputation outside was also beneficial for the household, so Lady Wen had never mistreated her.
She had taken the rumors about Qi Yiran to be true, only to discover that there was more to the situation than met the eye.
Qi Wenzhen nodded slowly, believing in his own decision. Qi Yiwan’s words confirmed the validity of his choice.
Despite Shen Yu’an’s ordinary background, she had still saved Zhu Zhu twice and was a benefactor of the general’s household.
Qi Yiwan continued, “In reality, our third sister’s disposition is not as gentle as the rumors suggest. She just chooses to listen to such words, and outsiders are wary of the general’s household, leading to the spread of such reputation.”
“Has second sister ever complained to mother about third sister always taking her things?” she asked.
Lady Wen nodded.
She did remember that incident, but she had thought it was simply Yitong (the second young miss) being overly competitive, something she had reprimanded her for.
Qi Wenzhen added, “Then let her stay in the ancestral hall for a few more days to reflect and learn her lesson.”
……
Shen Yu’an couldn’t return to the inn to find Ji Xun because General Qi needed to ask something about the incident the previous night regarding the kidnapping. She wondered if that simple-minded man had noticed her absence.
Upon learning that Ji Xun had come along with Shen Yu’an, Qi Wenqin took the initiative to send someone to inform Ji Xun of Shen Yu’an’s whereabouts and also invited him over.
Inside the governmental office, Qi Wenzhen addressed Shen Yu’an, who stood at the lower end, saying, “Miss Shen, I have questioned the captured girls and children, but their descriptions were not very detailed. Could you please provide a specific account of last night’s events?”
“Yesterday evening, I accidentally bumped into a woman on the street, the same woman you apprehended, Yun Niang. I escorted her back to her home. As I was passing by Hu’s residence, I noticed officials conducting an investigation. I sensed something was amiss and followed them to that courtyard…”
Shen Yu’an went on to describe the events in detail. Upon hearing her account, Qi Wenzhen praised, “Miss Shen, despite knowing the danger, you risked your safety to infiltrate the enemy’s territory. You certainly possess remarkable courage.”
“General, you give me too much credit. Compared to your bravery, my small cleverness doesn’t amount to much.”
“Our father has always reminded us that you, General, are the role model for serving the nation and the people…”
As their conversation continued, Shen Yu’an found herself increasingly favorable towards him.
Meanwhile, Ji Xun, after discovering Shen Yu’an’s absence in the morning, inquired with the inn’s staff and learned that she hadn’t returned the previous night. He had searched the streets extensively.
Failing to find her once again and hoping to check the inn for her presence, he coincidentally bumped into a servant from the general’s household who was inquiring about his residence.
Upon entering the inn, the inn’s staff member’s eyes lit up upon seeing Ji Xun. He exclaimed, “Hey, the person you’re looking for has returned.”
Ji Xun looked at the person who had come to find him in confusion. Could it be that Shen Yu’an had sent someone to look for him?
Before he could voice his question, the person said, “You must be Master Ji. Our master invites Master Ji to the residence. Please~”
Master?
Ji Xun dodged the suggestion, saying, “I’m still looking for someone. If there’s anything, we can discuss it later.”
The person chuckled, “Master Ji must be looking for Miss Shen, right? It’s Miss Shen who asked our master to inform you. Currently, Miss Shen should have returned to the general’s residence from the government office.”
Following the inn’s staff member who had come to fetch him, Ji Xun headed towards the general’s residence.
Along the way, Ji Xun kept inquiring about what had happened—why Shen Yu’an had gone to the government office and then to the general’s residence.
By the time the carriage arrived outside the general’s residence, Ji Xun had gathered a rough understanding of the situation from the inn’s staff member.
As it turned out, Shen Yu’an had spent the night away performing charitable deeds.
Tsk~ She really has no sense of loyalty; she didn’t even think to inform him about such matters.
The ancestral hall of the general’s residence had a back entrance that had been repaired. Qi Yiran was being held there, guarded by personnel under Qi Wenzhen. However, the back entrance was unattended.
As evening fell, a figure approached the back entrance cautiously, skillfully unlocked it, and entered.
Seeing the person suddenly appear, Qi Yiran, who was kneeling unsteadily on a cushion, whispered, “Third Brother!”