Jiang Ning looked at this personal maid of Nangong Ling, killing intent already rising in her heart.
A servant betraying their master deserves death!
"Hahaha..." Nangong Ya suddenly burst out laughing, startling everyone.
Jiang Ning was puzzled by his outburst, but noticed his eyes were full of desolation and his face was dejected.
"These words were all taught to you by Yan'er, weren't they? You've memorized them well, exactly the same as last time. They sound flawless at first, but upon closer inspection, they're full of holes."
Dongmei suddenly raised her head, panic flashing in her eyes: "My lord, this servant is telling the truth."
"The truth?" Nangong Ya's eyes were full of mockery, the anger in his voice unconcealed as he sternly questioned: "You say the Third Miss personally told you that she was living a life worse than death in the Prime Minister's Mansion, counting the days, that she wanted to pursue her own happiness, and even had you bring me a message saying she hated me, telling me not to look for her in the future, to consider her dead... Are these words also the truth?"
Dongmei lowered her eyes, her fingers twisting her clothes tightly, hesitating before answering: "...Yes."
Nangong Ya closed his eyes painfully, pressing his hand against his temple, and said softly: "Yan'er is truly my good daughter, knowing that only such words would throw a father into disarray, making me feel guilty and remorseful, unable to carefully consider the details, believing such nonsense about eloping!"
Hearing Nangong Ya's words, it was clear he knew something.
Dongmei bit her lip, too anxious to speak.
Nangong Ya walked out from behind his desk, standing in front of Dongmei, staring at her motionlessly: "Ma Steward is already kneeling here. If you tell the truth, I might still spare your life."
The struggle in Dongmei's eyes was plain to see. Ma Steward seized the moment to speak: "Dongmei, don't try to be clever. Think carefully about who really has the final say in this Prime Minister's Mansion."
"Thud!"
Nangong Ya watched as the person before him fell heavily to her knees, then confessed: "My lord, the Third Miss didn't elope. She was taken away by the Second Miss."
Dongmei's whole body trembled, not daring to raise her head at all, spilling out everything she knew in one breath: "On the second day after you left for Jiangnan, the Second Miss tricked the Madam to Fragrant Leaf Temple, then drugged the Third Miss and took her out of the mansion. This servant doesn't know where she took the Third Miss."
"And then you all conspired to say she eloped? Even spreading the news of her elopement far and wide before I returned..."
Nangong Ya couldn't continue. His sweet and obedient second daughter actually had such a vicious scheme.
"My lord, this servant didn't harm the Third Miss. It was all the Second Miss who taught me to say this. I didn't dare disobey her orders..." Dongmei wept bitterly, trying hard to put on a pitiful appearance of someone who had been coerced.
"You didn't dare disobey her orders, but you dared to deceive me? Hahaha... Very well, very well!" Nangong Ya laughed in extreme anger, his eyes already somewhat bloodshot.
"Come here!" Nangong Ya shouted towards the door.
Jin Yao knew this command wasn't just calling for him, so he quickly walked a few steps out of the study and called two servants to enter together.
"Take this slave girl away, lock her in the woodshed under strict guard. One meal a day to ensure she doesn't starve to death. We'll settle accounts together when the Madam and Second Miss return from Fragrant Leaf Temple!"
After giving the order, Nangong Ya turned his head, not wanting to look at Dongmei again.
"My lord, spare this servant! It was all the Second Miss who forced me to do it, spare—"
Jin Yao, who had vaguely heard most of the conversation from outside the room, knew this maid had committed a grave error. Seeing that she still wanted to shout, he quickly took out the handkerchief he carried for wiping his hands, balled it up, and stuffed it into her mouth, cutting off her unfinished words.
The servants responded with a "Yes," each grabbing one of Dongmei's arms and dragging her away.
So Nangong Muyan wasn't in the mansion. Jiang Ning rested her chin on her hand, feeling somewhat disappointed. It seemed she would have to make another trip.
Jin Yao was also preparing to leave with the two men, but was called back by Nangong Ya: "Go find Jin Hui immediately. Tell him to ride at full speed to Fragrant Leaf Temple, catch up with the Madam's carriage, and have them return immediately."
"Yes!"
After Jin Yao left with his orders, only Nangong Ya and the kneeling Ma Steward remained in the study.
"Where did you sell Ling'er?" Nangong Ya suddenly asked calmly.
But Jiang Ning saw that his hands behind his back were tightly clenched into fists.
Ma Steward had followed Nangong Ya for decades. He knew what kind of storm was brewing behind this calmness.
Ma Steward once again prostrated himself deeply and told the truth: "I don't know. I just followed the Second Miss's instructions to find a human trafficker with some connections and had him sell the Third Miss far away, preferably to a village in a remote area. But..."
"But what?" Nangong Ya's hands trembled uncontrollably. There were some things he dared not imagine.
"But the Third Miss has already..." Ma Steward struggled for a moment, but thinking of that white-robed female ghost, he gritted his teeth and revealed everything that had happened tonight: "Died!"
"What did you say?!"
Nangong Ya's voice suddenly rose, no longer able to contain the turmoil in his heart. He kicked Ma Steward, knocking him to the ground.
Just as Ma Steward was about to get up, Nangong Ya rushed over, grabbed his collar, and pulled him up from the ground: "What did you say?"
Nangong Ya's eyes asked again, a sea of red.
Sigh~
Seeing this situation, Jiang Ning couldn't help but sigh.
She had been wrong before. She thought only Lan Xu, her birth mother, cared about Nangong Ling in this world. It turned out Nangong Ya cared about her too.
Nangong Ling's life wasn't too bad after all. Although her parents didn't love each other, they both loved her. It was much better than someone like herself, abandoned at birth.
Nangong Ya's kick had used his full strength. Ma Steward's entire face was wrinkled in pain, but faced with the furious Nangong Ya, he dared not make a sound, only gritting his teeth to endure the pain.
"Explain clearly! Wasn't Ling'er sold? How do you know she's dead? Speak quickly!"
Nangong Ya frantically shook Ma Steward, like a wild beast gone berserk, completely losing his usual composure.
"The Third Miss, her ghost came to seek vengeance on me. She killed me four times, and brought me back to life four times. All this blood on me was her doing." As Ma Steward spoke, he recalled that eerie place, undisguised terror in his eyes.
"Are you joking with me?" Nangong Ya obviously didn't believe it.
Afraid that Nangong Ya wouldn't believe him, Ma Steward hurriedly said: "My lord, it's true. The Third Miss died with grievances and became a vengeful ghost. She's coming back to seek revenge on us. That's why I chose to tell you everything."
But Ma Steward didn't tell Nangong Ya about the deal he made with the female ghost. The ghost truly wanted to kill him, but Nangong Ya wouldn't, after all, given their many years of relationship, and the fact that he was only an accomplice in this matter.
At this moment, Jin Yao pushed open the door and reported to Nangong Ya: "My lord, Jin Hui has already set out."
Nangong Ya threw Ma Steward at Jin Yao's feet and looked down at him, asking: "Who is this human trafficker? How can we find him?"
"His name is Wei Fangxiong, living in the Late Winter Road area. I handed the Third Miss over to him on July 8th last year. At that time, the Third Miss's hands and feet were all broken, she was covered in whip wounds, both sides of her face had been burned by hot irons, and she had been poisoned mute and couldn't speak. Her characteristics were very distinctive. Any trafficker who handled her would surely know if asked."
"Damn it!"
Hearing about Nangong Ling's miserable state, Nangong Ya angrily stepped forward and kicked Ma Steward viciously several more times.
Even Jin Yao at the side widened his eyes in disbelief, unable to believe that the frail and timid Third Miss would suffer such a fate.
"Come here!" Nangong Ya called out hoarsely, and the two servants from before appeared in the room again: "Take him and lock him up in the dungeon with Dongmei. Before Nangong Muyan returns, give each of them twenty lashes every day!"
Ma Steward widened his eyes, unable to believe that Nangong Ya would treat him like this.
The two servants had already come forward to drag him away. Ma Steward crawled over with all his might and hugged Nangong Ya's legs, weeping bitterly: "My lord, I know I've done wrong, I'll never dare to do it again. Please spare me this time, considering all the years I've served you..."
Nangong Ya's eyes were full of disgust. He kicked him away again: "Years ago, when you were almost dead on the street, I took pity on you and brought you home. All these years, I've never mistreated you, yet this is how you treat my daughter. Loyalty? Did you count on me not killing you? Ridiculous!"
As Nangong Ya's words came out one by one, the light in Ma Steward's eyes gradually dimmed.