Chapter 14 This Princess Loves Beating Dogs Best

Chapter 14: There's Nothing I Like More Than Beating Dogs

Nanny Xu didn't expect Chen Hu to dare sass her in front of so many people. Seeing that he wasn't responding to gentle persuasion, she resorted to force.

"Don't forget who's been putting a roof over your head and food on your table. If you don't hand over that hundred taels of silver today, you won't be stepping out of this gate behind you."

As her words fell, a light, airy voice drifted down from above.

"Of course, it's Prince Ye. Could it possibly be you who's been feeding and housing him?"

Everyone turned to look and saw Ji Yuntang leap down from a parasol tree beside the courtyard wall with a light push of her legs. She wore a spotless white dress, her face free of makeup, and a simple crabapple wood hairpin adorned her hair.

The left side of her face was still covered in dark spots, but her fox-like eyes sparkled like stars, clear as glass, seemingly able to see right through a person.

Nanny Xu was startled. With so many of them present, how had they failed to notice Ji Yuntang's presence?

When had she arrived, and how much of their conversation had she overheard?

Seeing Ji Yuntang, Chen Hu immediately walked over. "Princess Consort, what are you doing here?"

"There are too many wild dogs here. You should hurry back to the Western Courtyard to avoid being bitten unprovoked."

Ji Yuntang stood with her arms crossed, her gaze cold. "Well isn't that a coincidence? Beating dogs happens to be my favorite pastime."

"If a blind dog dares to bite me, not only will I bite back, but I'll take several extra bites, tearing the flesh from their bodies piece by piece and stomping it into a pulp. Don't you think that would be quite interesting?"

The two spoke as if no one else were present, their voices neither too loud nor too soft, yet perfectly audible to everyone there.

Liu Linlang's face went white as a sheet. Blood drained from her features as she shrank behind Nanny Xu.

Anyone could tell that the "dogs" Ji Yuntang referred to were her and Nanny Xu.

Having been given a sound thrashing by Ji Yuntang just that morning, seeing her now, she was terrified.

Ignoring them, Ji Yuntang continued speaking casually with Chen Hu.

"Chen Hu, didn't I tell you to run an errand? Why haven't you left yet?"

"Reporting to the Princess Consort, Nanny Xu brought people to bar my way, demanding I give her the hundred taels of silver to settle a debt. She won't let me leave unless I hand it over."

Ji Yuntang rubbed her chin thoughtfully, her eyes darkening slightly. "Is that so?"

"Oh, right. I believe I just heard Nanny Xu say she's the one who feeds and houses you, correct?"

Chen Hu, a plain speaker, immediately recounted the whole story from beginning to end.

"That's right, Princess Consort. This subordinate has great strength and eats a lot in Prince Ye's mansion, but the work I do each day is also five or six times that of others. Basically, all the dirty, exhausting, and heavy tasks in the mansion are handled by this subordinate alone."

"Up to now, I haven't received my monthly wages for five years. Not only has Nanny Xu pocketed my wages, but she also makes me pay for my meals. I now owe her five hundred taels of silver."

"But I refuse to acknowledge this debt. No matter how incapable I may be, I was still personally brought back by His Highness back then. Even if I haven't made great contributions in Prince Ye's mansion, I've certainly worked hard. Me working and the mansion providing food is a two-way street. Even if you sold me, I couldn't produce that much silver. Nanny Xu is practically devouring people without spitting out the bones."

Hearing Chen Hu's accusations, Nanny Xu immediately panicked. "Chen Hu, stop talking nonsense! I've duly paid you your two-tael monthly wages every month. There are records in the mansion's account books. Everyone in the mansion knows what kind of person I am. Don't go slandering me here!"

Nanny Xu managed the entire Prince Ye's mansion. Whether in front of the servants or outsiders, she maintained an image of virtue, capability, good reputation, and frugality.

This was why the servants of Prince Ye's mansion obeyed her without question, even ignoring Luo Junhe's orders.

If people found out she had withheld Chen Hu's monthly wages for five years, would the mansion's servants continue to obey her so readily in the future?

Knowing Nanny Xu was digging in her heels, Ji Yuntang's lips curled into a cold smile as she fixed her with a stare.

"You claim you gave Chen Hu his monthly wages? Then bring out the account books for us to see. Then it will be clear who is lying."

Nanny Xu was left speechless. She had only said it casually, of course not daring to actually produce the account books. After all, Prince Ye's mansion's account books were all fabricated by people she had hired.

If a real investigation were conducted and word reached the palace, who knew what kind of trouble might erupt?

Seeing Nanny Xu standing motionless, Chen Hu's loud voice began to boom.

"Have you all got donkey hair stuffed in your ears? Didn't you hear the Princess Consort say she wants to see the account books?"

With Ji Yuntang's arrival, Chen Hu felt emboldened.

He was straightforward, candid, and easygoing, but that didn't mean he was willing to be slandered and have dirty water thrown on him.

If this account book matter wasn't cleared up today, he, Chen Hu, would be branded with the crime of false accusation and framing.

Since Nanny Xu had already shown she had no shame, why should he spare her any face?

At that moment, Ji Yuntang spoke. "Nanny Xu, are you unwilling to bring the account books because there's a problem with them?"

"How could that be? The mansion's account books were all supervised by this old servant personally. There's absolutely no issue." Flustered, Nanny Xu immediately denied it.

She knew Ji Yuntang probably wouldn't give up today without seeing the account books.

Thinking that Ji Yuntang was just a country girl raised in the countryside, she didn't believe she could even understand account books.

With this thought, Nanny Xu immediately relaxed. Putting on a stern face, she said, "Princess Consort, please wait a moment. This old servant will go fetch the account books for you."

Ji Yuntang sat in the front courtyard. She had already finished two pots of tea by the time Nanny Xu finally shuffled back with the account books.

"Walking so slowly, haven't you eaten?"

"You're as fat as a ball; it doesn't look like you're underfed. Next time you make this princess consort wait this long, you'll roll your fat ass over here!"

Nanny Xu's face alternated between green and red, yet she dared not speak.

After all, it was true she was fat, and true she resembled a ball.

For Ji Yuntang to say it in front of so many people really didn't spare her any dignity.

Nanny Xu instantly stored another grudge in her heart. Once Ji Yuntang fell into her hands, she would definitely humiliate her thoroughly!

Opening the first page of the account book, Ji Yuntang nearly laughed in anger.

"His Highness purchasing a bed cost fifty taels? His Highness using ice for a year cost three thousand taels?"

"If this princess consort remembers correctly, you haven't even cleaned His Highness's bed once. When I moved him to the Western Courtyard, we used the existing rooms and bed there. How can you claim buying a bed cost fifty taels?"

"And also, ice cellars are things only found in the palace. Presumably, this ice was also sent from the palace. If I'm not mistaken, it should have been sent by Consort Li."

"Shall we go ask Consort Li in person and see if she charged her own son for using ice?"

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