Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

The kitchen staff's embezzlement of vegetable money has been discovered!

Xi Chun's expression changed drastically, but she forced herself to remain calm.

"What evidence do you have? You've only been a head maid for a few days, and you dare to slander me?"

Liu Wenying said seriously, "Xi Chun, there's plenty of evidence. The old woman in the main kitchen and the servants in charge of purchasing—they are all guilty."

"So what?"

Xi Chun's back was soaked with sweat. She swallowed hard and tried to argue her point.

"Besides, even if I touched the money for the groceries, I didn't touch the old lady's meals. What business is it of yours?"

"What's wrong with the servants eating rotten vegetable leaves? They are of lowly birth; do they deserve to eat fresh meat?"

Liu Wenying's expression remained unchanged. "Xi Chun, get this straight. I'm not here to provoke you or establish my authority. It's because you embezzled money from the household and cut back on the servants' food. You were in the wrong first!"

"As for your claim that servants are lowly and unworthy of eating fresh ingredients, have you never considered that you are a servant yourself?"

Xi Chun retorted, "I...I'm different. Granny Sun is my aunt. You're not afraid of me, but aren't you afraid of Granny Sun?"

"Ha, every copper coin you embezzled was money from the manor, the rations that the servants deserved."

"You deserve to be punished for what you've done, so why should I be afraid of you?"

Xi Chun was speechless after being choked by Liu Wenying's strong rebuttal.

The previous fierceness, which appeared strong on the outside but was weak on the inside, was gone, replaced only by deep fear.

"I...I was wrong! I was out of my mind. I'll give you the money for the vegetables, please forgive me, and please don't tell the old lady..."

Seeing that Liu Wenying remained silent, Xi Chun looked around and, seeing that the doors and windows of the side room were tightly closed and no one would see her, she knelt down with a thud.

"Liu Wenying, I was wrong, I really won't dare to do it again."

"Please, don't report me. I'll kowtow to you..."

Liu Wenying remained unmoved, saying, "The mistakes you made are not for me to forgive."

The door was suddenly opened, and light shone in. Xi Chun squinted at the figure in blue robes backlit by the light.

"Liu Wenying! If you denounce me today, you have nothing to fear, nothing to fear..."

"what ever."

Before she could utter her threat, Liu Wenying dismissed it with a casual remark.

After leaving the side room, Liu Wenying did not go directly to see the old lady, but instead went to find Granny Wu first.

The old lady was at a critical stage of her recovery and did not want to be disturbed by such distressing matters.

Granny Wu, who had been on night watch, was resting in the room when she saw her come in. "What is it?"

Liu Wenying recounted in detail how Xi Chun embezzled the money for ingredients.

The more Granny Wu listened, the darker her expression became.

"Go and call Xi Chun over."

Shortly after, Xi Chun entered with his head down, looking uneasy.

She was still trying to explain, "Granny Wu, don't listen to her nonsense..."

"Well, well, you!" Granny Wu slammed her hand on the table, interrupting her. "You've been at Mingxi Hall for so long, and you've done something like this!"

Xi Chun repeatedly admitted her mistake, "Granny, I know I was wrong, I really know I was wrong."

"You admit your mistake? If Liu Wenying hadn't discovered it in time, how long did you plan to continue your greed?"

"Is it because the Duke's mansion is short of your monthly allowance that you can't afford food and clothing? How can your appetite be so big?"

She got up and walked over to Xi Chun.

"According to the rules of the manor, you embezzled money and cut back on food rations, so you should be given twenty strokes of the cane and expelled from the manor."

Xi Chun's face turned deathly pale.

"But considering that you have served in Mingxi Hall for so long, you have worked hard even if you have not made any great contributions. The beating will be waived, but your monthly salary will be confiscated until you make up for the food money you embezzled earlier."

It's neither too heavy nor too light.

It's difficult to calculate exactly how much Xi Chun embezzled, so there's a lot of room for her to return.

They were even spared the beating, and didn't suffer any physical pain.

Liu Wenying couldn't help but ask, "Granny Wu, isn't the punishment a bit unfair?"

Granny Wu waved her hand, signaling Xi Chun to leave first.

Then, she turned to Liu Wenying and said, "Liu Wenying, you have done a good job, but you have only just taken office, so you cannot be too rash."

Liu Wenying frowned: "What does Granny Wu mean..."

"Xi Chun is an elder in the household, and he has already admitted his mistake and accepted punishment, so let's not bother the old lady with this matter any further."

Granny Wu spoke with a deeper meaning, "The old lady is currently focused on her recovery, so we can handle these trivial matters."

Liu Wenying's heart sank slightly. "You mean... you want to let this go?"

"How can it be considered light? How can it be considered heavy? To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue."

Xi Chun had worked with Granny Wu at Mingxi Hall for a long time, and they had developed a close relationship.

The newly arrived Liu Wenying quickly rose through the ranks and became the old lady's confidante, but to them she was ultimately an outsider.

She couldn't fight against two people on her own.

Moreover, behind Xi Chun is Granny Sun, who holds a significant position in the household.

"I understand."

Liu Wenying responded and left the room.

She made a note of this.

She is still young and inexperienced, so she can only be patient for now.

Xi Chun may have escaped disaster today, but he may not be so lucky every time.

Night had fallen, the wind had died down, the trees were still, and all was quiet.

Liu Wenying lay on the bed, and Luo Luo was fast asleep in her arms.

The rabbits in the corner outside were also busy, munching on vegetable leaves.

She opened her eyes, staring at the dark rafters, unable to fall asleep.

My mind is filled with thoughts of today.

If Xi Chun dared to embezzle Mingxitang's money, could there be other embezzlements?

Suddenly, the strange things about the ice jar in the summer came to mind.

It was the height of summer, and the old lady, who was sensitive to the heat, needed to use large amounts of ice to cool down every day.

But the ice in the ice jar always melts exceptionally quickly.

Ice example... is also under Xi Chun's management.

A thought flashed through Liu Wenying's mind.

She gently laid her daughter down, put on her robe, and got out of bed.

Since I can't sleep, I might as well find out the truth.

In the dead of night, the cold moonlight cast her long, slanted shadow.

Liu Wenying carried a lantern as she walked along the garden path.

Just as they reached the artificial hill, they encountered the guards patrolling the mansion.

"Who goes there?!"

They saw them coming up with sticks.

Liu Wenying raised the lantern higher, illuminating her face.

"I am the head maid of Mingxi Hall."

Fearing they wouldn't believe her, Liu Wenying even took out the warehouse key.

Mingxi Hall, that's the old lady's place.

Throughout the entire mansion, even the Duke himself had to show deference to his master.

"It's so late, why aren't you resting and still out?"

The leader bowed, his tone much more polite.

Liu Wenying put away the keys and smiled, "I have some things to take care of."

The guard nodded, made way, and reminded him, "Get some rest early, don't overwork yourself."

Liu Wenying thanked him, walked through the garden, and continued forward.

She breathed a sigh of relief after walking a distance.

Fortunately, she was protected by her status as a head maid; otherwise, if she had been arrested as a thief in the middle of the night, it would have taken a lot of talking.

The warehouse door was opened, and the smell of aged wood wafted out.

Liu Wenying went in holding a candle, cutting a small patch of light in the darkness.

She walked around several rows of shelves and came to the innermost side.

As autumn turned cooler, the ice detector was no longer used and was stored away in a corner of the warehouse.

The bronze ice mirror has a simple and ancient shape, with auspicious beasts carved on its four corners.

Liu Wenying put down the lantern and carefully examined the inside of the ice jar.

As my fingers brushed against the inner wall, they felt cool and smooth, but then suddenly stopped at the bottom.

…………