Chapter 53

Chapter 53: Punishment

Princess Wulie cast a knowing, half-smile at Dong Yuting, scrutinizing her from head to toe as if she were an inanimate object, her eyes practically overflowing with malice. Dong Yuting, standing before her, maintained a perfectly composed smile, her expression unwavering no matter how intensely she was observed. She fully grasped Princess Wulie's fury; the princess had been on the verge of using this incident to thoroughly discredit the Li residence and unleash her wrath. Yet, the words of the Old Lady and Dong Yuting had forced her to consider the repercussions of such an outburst.

Princess Pingning and Princess Xiankang flanked Princess Wulie, attempting to mollify her, but she was impervious to both gentle persuasion and stern words. After a fierce glare at Dong Yuting, she turned and departed without a backward glance.

Princess Pingning felt a touch of awkwardness, sighing softly, seemingly resigned to her nominal sister-in-law's intractable nature.

In stark contrast, Princess Yongning’s gaze towards Dong Yuting was brimming with admiration. Had there not been other people present, she would have bestowed generous rewards upon Dong Yuting.

Princess Zhaoxin winked at Dong Yuting, sharing a covert smile.

Dong Yuting sighed inwardly, fearing that after today, Princess Wulie would add her to her list of grudges. Yet, she felt no fear. The previous rumor had subtly hinted at Princess Wulie’s involvement. At that time, Li Lingchuan was absent from the residence, leaving her unable to act. Now that he had returned, surely he wouldn't stand idly by while his wife was bullied?

Should she assemble her own team to pursue the endeavors of her past life?

Outside the residence, several carriages crafted from aloeswood were parked. Their shafts and compartments were intricately carved with cloud patterns, creating an illusion of rolling mist as they moved. The carriage curtains were embroidered with floral and bird motifs, and the windows were inlaid with gold thread. From a distance, the carriages shimmered brilliantly, dazzling all who beheld them.

Princess Pingning announced, "Old Lady, we must take our leave now."

The Old Lady promptly led everyone in bowing to the princesses. It wasn’t until the carriages had receded into distant specks that the company straightened up. The other ladies also took their leave, accepting their gifts and boarding their carriages, with the Old Lady seeing them off with a warm smile.

Once they had departed, the area outside the Li residence felt eerily empty, as if a flock of birds had suddenly scattered, leaving behind a vast void.

A clerk from the Correspondence Office approached, looking distressed. "Madam, Princess Wulie did not take the gift."

Today’s event was a Shao Wei Banquet, so Dong Yuting had opted not to give guests traditional sachets or bronze mirrors. Instead, she had prepared the "Four Treasures of Promotion": a gilded Bixi-shaped seal with ribbon, a high-quality bamboo and jade pendant, a white jade lotus fish tally, and a long pine and white crane admonition tablet. Each item was a valuable and expensive piece—who would refuse such fine gifts?

Dong Yuting instructed, "Return them to storage for now. There might be another occasion to use them. Have Steward Ge record them in the ledger."

"Yes, Madam," the clerk replied, carrying the Four Treasures of Promotion away.

Dong Yuting and Zeng Huiyan supported the grim-faced Old Lady on either side as they returned to the residence. As they stepped over the threshold, they saw Zhao Si, pale and weak, standing before the screen wall. Sensing the Old Lady’s chilling gaze, his legs gave way, and he collapsed to his knees.

The Old Lady withdrew her gaze and walked towards the decorated gateway without a word.

Dong Yuting lagged two steps behind and said to the kneeling Zhao Si, "Follow us."

She knew the Old Lady was awaiting her response, perhaps even observing how she would handle the situation. If her resolution was deemed unsatisfactory, or if she attempted to shield anyone, she too would face punishment.

Zeng Huiyan glanced back, a smug smile playing on her lips.

As they passed the main hall of Chongli Court, the Old Lady’s expression brightened like morning light piercing through mist. But as they traversed the hall and entered Lanzhu Court along the covered corridor, her face darkened instantly, as if a storm were about to break. One could almost see a torrential downpour brewing on her face.

Zhao Si felt a sudden chill on his neck and trembled as he turned his head. It was merely the leaf of a green bamboo in Lanzhu Court brushing against him. The leaf, lush and finely pointed, gradually seemed to transform into sharp blades in his eyes.

Once inside the room, Zhao Si immediately knelt on the ground. The Old Lady ignored him as if he were air, sipping her cooled tea.

Despite it being the height of summer, Zhao Si felt as cold as if he had been thrown into an icy wilderness. Beads of cold sweat rolled down his cheeks, but he dared not wipe them away, remaining as still as a statue.

The Old Lady leisurely finished her tea, then glanced at Dong Yuting and instructed Wang Mama, "Go summon Qian Kun."

Zeng Huiyan could barely contain her joy, her face blooming into a wide smile. Everyone in the residence knew that Qian Kun was a retainer brought by Dong Yuting from her maiden family. Humiliating him was no different from humiliating Dong Yuting herself.

Qian Kun, having reached his position, was adept at reading the room. Sensing the tense atmosphere, he immediately wiped the smile off his face and began reviewing what he might have done wrong that day.

He had delivered the food account and dishes to the palace without error. Upon returning to the residence, he had gone to check if the assigned guards were slacking or making mistakes. That left Zhao Si. He shot Zhao Si a deep glance and knelt straight down, saying with a smile, "Greetings, Old Lady. Greetings, First Madam, Second Madam, Third Madam."

As the saying goes, one doesn’t strike a smiling face, but Qian Kun had miscalculated this time. The earlier incident was no trivial matter. Had Dong Yuting and the Old Lady not been in sync, the Li residence would have become a laughingstock. For the Old Lady, who valued the Li family’s reputation above all, this was a grave matter.

The Old Lady looked meaningfully at Dong Yuting and said, "I leave this matter to you to resolve."

Dong Yuting stiffened. She knew that while the Old Lady was entrusting her with the task, she was also evaluating her. If she handled it poorly or tried to protect anyone, she'd be in serious trouble.

Dong Yuting was also angry. She had given clear instructions, yet they had disobeyed, choosing to drink on this very day. They simply couldn’t control themselves.

"Explain yourself. Why did you come to the front courtyard?"

Zhao Si stammered timidly, "I was in the Transport Department office when someone told me the master was giving out rewards and I should hurry over. I was delighted and went immediately... I was framed!"

"Who framed you?"

Zhao Si said guiltily, "I didn’t see what he looked like. He spoke to me from outside..."

Dong Yuting stated firmly, "You were drunk at the time and didn’t bother to think whether it was true or not. You just stumbled to the front courtyard in a daze. Am I right?"

Zhao Si didn’t dare respond.

"I gave clear orders that none of you were to drink today. Why did you disobey? You were careless first, so don’t blame others for setting a trap. You fell for it and can’t even identify the culprit. What right do you have to cry injustice?" Dong Yuting said sternly.

Qian Kun, furious, slapped Zhao Si twice across the face. "You fool! I told you countless times not to drink today. Why didn’t you listen? You’ve caused such trouble for the Old Lady and Madam!"

The slaps were delivered with full force, leaving Zhao Si’s cheeks swollen and his teeth bleeding. Zeng Huiyan and He Jinglin frowned, while the Old Lady lowered her eyes, offering no reaction.

Zhao Si, with swollen cheeks and tears rolling down his face, looked rather pitiful and mumbled incoherently, "The Old Lady and Madams have always been kind and considerate to us servants. That’s why I didn’t think twice and came like a fool."

"Enough of that. If not for the Old Lady’s quick thinking today, this matter wouldn’t have been resolved so easily. You'd have been done for," Dong Yuting said coldly.

Zhao Si nodded, weeping. "Yes, yes."

"You’ve failed in your duties, so I cannot keep you here. However, since you delivered the dishes to the palace without error today, you have some merit. Tomorrow, you will go to the manor," Dong Yuting said calmly.

For servants, tasks close to the masters were desirable, followed by work within the residence. Jobs far from the center of power, such as those on manors, were looked down upon by residence servants. Being away from the masters meant no extra benefits or money. Who would consider that a good place? For Zhao Si, this was akin to falling from heaven to hell. In the residence, though not Dong Yuting’s right-hand man, he was still considered second-in-command. Otherwise, why would the task of delivering to the palace have been assigned to him?

At this moment, Zhao Si was filled with regret. He remembered that his connection to Qian Kun had been built over drinks and conversations. Now, his downfall was also due to drinking. He couldn’t help but feel that he had risen and fallen because of alcohol! He stole a glance at the Old Lady’s expression, shivered, and knew this was the best outcome he could hope for. He kowtowed heavily. "Thank you for your mercy, Old Lady and Madam."

Dong Yuting waited a moment. The Old Lady gave a soft "Hmm," and Dong Yuting relaxed, knowing Zhao Si had passed this hurdle.

Qian Kun was a retainer brought by the original host from her maiden family. In fact, many people in the six departments of the Li residence were retainers she had brought. During her power struggle with the Old Lady, she had strategically placed her retainers in every department. Among them, the most favored were Zhu Yueru and Qian Kun.

In truth, Qian Kun was innocent. She had also experienced the frustration of repeatedly warning subordinates only for them to make mistakes. It was like asking an employee to prepare a PPT, only to receive a document the next day. While not a major issue, it was deeply frustrating.

Zeng Huiyan’s eyes gleamed like a half-starved wild wolf spotting a lively boar, barely containing her drool.

The position of Transport Department head was coveted by many. It was no surprise that Zeng Huiyan showed such an expression. In fact, Dong Yuting found it easier to deal with Zeng Huiyan than with the smiling, cunning Old Lady.

However, even if Qian Kun were removed from his position, would she allow Zeng Huiyan’s people to take over? Absolutely not. She had no intention of fighting for the original host’s interests, but she wouldn’t let the original host’s power base crumble under her watch.

Yet Dong Yuting also felt that Qian Kun was truly innocent. Unfortunately, this era favored collective punishment. Zhao Si’s mistake inevitably meant punishment for Qian Kun.

"Qian Kun, you failed to supervise Zhao Si, allowing him to err. You are penalized three months' wages and will temporarily serve as deputy head of the Transport Department." The title of deputy head sounded impressive, but it was essentially the second-in-command of the department. The wages were the same as others’, but the workload was heavier. Of course, in others’ eyes, the title was prestigious and a mark of favor.

The Old Lady rose, supporting herself on Wang Mama’s arm. "I’m tired. All of you may leave."

Zeng Huiyan’s eyes darted, and she hurried to offer her services.

Qian Kun kowtowed decisively without hesitation. "Thank you for your leniency, Old Lady and Madam. I am deeply grateful for your mercy and will never dare to stray again!"

Zhao Si watched Qian Kun’s retreating figure, filled with remorse.

No matter how much Steward Qian loved to drink, he never touched alcohol when important matters arose and had never made a mistake. He had got Steward Qian into this.

Zhao Si lowered his head, feeling the gap between himself and Steward Qian.