After Being A Slave For Three Years, The Entire Marquis’s Manor Kneels To Beg For My Forgiveness

Chapter 70: Sisterly Affection

Qiao Nian had always felt that Lin Ye understood her quite clearly.

She held grudges and sought revenge even for the slightest offense.

Those unbearable three years could indeed be considered repayment for the fifteen years of care from the Marquis’s household, so after her return, she didn’t quibble over everything and only wanted to accompany her grandmother.

But those fifteen years were what she owed the Marquis’s household, not Xiao Cui.

A mere maid who had falsely accused her multiple times, and now even caused Ning Shuang to be punished.

If she didn’t seek retribution, she wouldn’t be Qiao Nian!

Outside, more and more maids and servants had gathered to watch, even many from Fanghe Court had come.

Hearing Qiao Nian speak like this, voices immediately rose from the crowd, “That’s right! That day when the Second Young Miss accidentally fell into the water, it was the First Young Miss who bravely saved her, only to be falsely accused by Xiao Cui as soon as they reached the shore!”

“I can’t believe Xiao Cui was never punished! I thought she’d at least have her mouth beaten and be expelled from the mansion!”

“Shh, she’s the Second Young Miss’s maid, she has the Second Young Miss’s support!”

“But the First Young Miss risked her life to save the Second Young Miss. For the Second Young Miss to do this, isn’t it a bit ungrateful?”

The servants’ quiet discussions all reached the ancestral hall.

Marquis Lin’s face had already turned ashen, his eyes coldly looking at Xiao Cui, “Is this true?”

Xiao Cui fell to her knees with a thud, “Master, this servant knows her mistake. This servant has already apologized to Madam, the Young Marquis, and the Second Young Miss!”

“Hah!” Qiao Nian laughed, “So you’ve apologized to everyone except me.”

Xiao Cui was stunned, not knowing what to say.

Seeing this, Lin Yuan hurriedly rushed in front of Qiao Nian, her hands moving as if to grab Qiao Nian’s arm, but seeing the blood on Qiao Nian’s sleeve, she held back. Instead, she pleaded humbly, “Sister, Xiao Cui grew up with me, we’re like sisters. She grew up in the countryside and doesn’t understand much, she only knows to protect me. Please, for my sake, forgive her this once! She won’t dare, she won’t ever dare again!”

Hearing this, Qiao Nian merely raised an eyebrow slightly and asked coldly, “Then have you forgiven my maid?”

Why should Ning Shuang be punished today while Xiao Cui gets away scot-free?

Didn’t they always say they treated her as the First Young Miss of the Marquis’s household, as if she were their own?

Now, with everyone watching, they surely couldn’t be so blatantly biased, could they?

“Come!” Marquis Lin suddenly shouted sternly, “Take this foolish servant away, tear her mouth and expel her from the Marquis’s household!”

This was the rule of the Marquis’s household. Any servant who dared to speak disrespectfully to their masters would meet this fate.

Xiao Cui was terrified and immediately began crying and shouting, “Young Miss, save me, please save me!”

Lin Yuan was even more panicked. Seeing Xiao Cui about to be dragged away, she actually knelt before Qiao Nian, “Sister, I was wrong. It’s my fault for not disciplining her properly, I shouldn’t have grabbed your arm. If you want to punish someone, punish me. Can you please spare Xiao Cui’s life? I beg you, I beg you!”

As she spoke, Lin Yuan began kowtowing to Qiao Nian.

Each bow was heavy, striking the ground hard. After just two bows, her forehead was bleeding.

This scene shocked everyone.

Outside, those servants who had been sympathizing with Qiao Nian now all felt sorry for Lin Yuan.

After all, what master would go to such lengths for their maid?

Lin Ye also immediately came forward, hugging Lin Yuan, “Silly girl, what are you doing!”

Lin Yuan cried breathlessly, “Brother, please help me beg sister, let Xiao Cui go. Please spare Xiao Cui!”

But Lin Ye couldn’t speak up.

Ning Shuang was already being punished, how could he possibly plead for Xiao Cui now?

Unexpectedly, Qiao Nian voluntarily relented, “Since you and your maid are so close, I don’t want to push things too far.”

After all, just tearing her mouth and expelling her from the mansion would be too easy on Xiao Cui.

As she spoke, she even personally reached out to help Lin Yuan up.

This scene made Madam Lin’s eyes light up.

She hadn’t expected Qiao Nian to voluntarily help Lin Yuan up.

For a moment, she felt that in the future, Qiao Nian and Lin Yuan might truly become close sisters!

Lin Yuan sobbed, wanting to thank Qiao Nian, but seeing the smile at the corner of Qiao Nian’s mouth, she felt an inexplicable chill.

So, she didn’t speak.

Then Qiao Nian asked, “However, my maid is to receive thirty lashes just for biting you once. Given my injury, how do you think Xiao Cui should be punished?”

The bright red on the bandage was particularly eye-catching.

Lin Yuan’s mind was blank at this moment.

She didn’t know what punishment would be appropriate for Xiao Cui, she only thought that as long as Xiao Cui wasn’t expelled from the mansion and could stay with her forever, it would be fine!

So, sobbing, under Qiao Nian’s cold smile, she said word by word, “As long as sister gives Xiao Cui a chance to live, no matter how sister punishes Xiao Cui in the future, I won’t have a single word of complaint!”

“Good,” Qiao Nian immediately agreed, “Then as Yuan’er says, in the future when I want to punish Xiao Cui, I’ll summon her to my Fanghe Court. Today… let’s start with the same as Ning Shuang, thirty lashes!”

Her voice was extremely gentle, as if talking about something unimportant, making others feel it wasn’t a big deal.

But Lin Yuan was stunned.

She had thought that there would be no punishment today, and that when Qiao Nian thought of how to punish Xiao Cui in the future, they would discuss it then.

But Qiao Nian’s meaning was clearly that she could summon Xiao Cui to Fanghe Court at any time in the future!

Her heart jolted, and she saw several servants take Xiao Cui away at Qiao Nian’s signal.

She was about to stop them when Madam Lin came forward and held both their hands, “This is good! You are sisters, there’s no need to make such a scene over two maids.”

Even Marquis Lin said, “Today’s matter, Nian Nian shouldn’t have made such a big fuss, but ultimately it was Yuan’er’s fault. Your sister is in this condition, how could you touch her carelessly! However, it’s not important. What’s important is that you two sisters can be like today in the future, discussing things, and not going to extremes.”

These words were clearly a warning to Qiao Nian.

But they left Lin Yuan unable to say a word.

Those words she wanted to say to save Xiao Cui were forcibly held back in her heart, leaving her mind in a daze, even forgetting how to cry, which she was best at.

Instead, Qiao Nian smiled gently, “After all, I’m going to be Princess Ming, naturally I should be magnanimous.”

Hearing that Qiao Nian wasn’t averse to marrying Prince Ming, Marquis Lin and Madam Lin’s faces immediately showed signs of pleasant surprise. Madam Lin couldn’t help but ask, “Nian Nian, do you truly think so?”

“Of course,” Qiao Nian smiled faintly, watching the satisfaction and relief in Marquis Lin and Madam Lin’s eyes, while layers of coldness spread in her own eyes…

And so, the matter was resolved.

Seeing Lin Yuan still sobbing, Madam Lin hurriedly comforted her, embracing her as they left.

Marquis Lin and Lin Ye also left successively, though the latter gave her a deep look before leaving, his eyes full of anger and disgust.

Qiao Nian didn’t take it to heart. She was walking out supported by several other maids from Fanghe Court when unexpectedly, she saw that Xiao Heng was still standing there.