The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

So the first thing Lu Mingzhao did when he woke up in the morning was to call Cuiju over.

Zhao Xianglan found an embroidery pattern on her bed, which featured two kingfishers and was almost finished.

When Cuiju saw the embroidery pattern, she broke out in a cold sweat and cried, saying that she would never dare to do it again.

Even after Zhou Shili and his wife arrived, she still hadn't revealed what she was afraid of.

Lu Mingzhao gestured for the two to sit down before looking at Cuiju.

"They're here to take you away. If you don't explain yourself clearly, I'm leaving you to fend for myself."

Cuiju looked at the two of them in horror.

Having handled many cases, Zhou Shili was used to such scenes and naturally responded to his mother's words: "Whether you confess here or go to the Dali Temple to suffer all kinds of punishments, the choice is yours."

Lu Mingzhao's tone softened somewhat: "If you're willing to tell the truth, I can save your life."

Despair gradually crept into Cuiju's eyes, and she finally nodded through her tears: "This servant admits...this servant had an affair!"

"Please, Your Majesty, spare this servant!"

"..."

Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.

Cuiju laid her cards on the table, crying as she continued to confess: "I know it's a grave mistake to have an affair, but he and I are fellow villagers who fled here, and we've long since exchanged our feelings."

"I'm just waiting for him to find me a good job, and then when I'm old enough, I'll ask my ancestors for a reward."

"I was foolish for a moment and secretly embroidered this pattern to make a sachet for him. I haven't done anything else like this before. Please, Grandmother, Master, and Madam, give me another chance! I promise I will never have any more thoughts about him!"

After Cuiju finished speaking, she began to cry and kowtow.

Lu Mingzhao quickly asked Zhao Mama to stop the other party, not knowing how to start the conversation.

In her opinion, this was no big deal at all.

It's perfectly normal for two people to be in love, so why hide it?

But upon further reflection, she understood some of it.

This is the capital city, the Marquis's residence.

These servants were all bought into the household and were tied to the Marquis's mansion for life; their marriages were naturally beyond their control.

Especially for young women like Cuiju, they were all chosen and assigned by their masters before they could have the possibility of being matched with a young man when they reached a certain age.

Otherwise, if others knew that Cuiju would rather marry a young boy than submit to two gentlemen, wouldn't that offend the master?

Lu Mingzhao frowned: "So that day, when An'an asked about the embroidery pattern, you said it was me who asked you to make it?"

Cuiju trembled all over and cried even harder.

"I'm afraid you'll overthink things if you find out, and if you tell others, I'll have nowhere to stand."

"I had no choice but to pass it on to the matriarch, saying it was a task for her... I didn't know you were afraid of this embroidery pattern, I deserve to die! I'll never do it again!"

Cuiju's eyes were red from crying, and her words were sincere, not feigned.

Even Cuizhu couldn't help but kneel down to plead for her, saying that she was kind-hearted and would never do something like murdering her mistress.

Lu Mingzhao was silent for a moment, then suddenly stared at the embroidery pattern in her hand and asked, "I believe you mean no harm, but where did this embroidery pattern come from?"

Cuiju paused in her sobbing and looked up blankly.

"This embroidery pattern... was given to me by Aunt Qing."

"That day, the two concubines came to pay their respects to the matriarch. When they left, I saw them off. To express her gratitude, Concubine Qing gave me this embroidery pattern, saying it would be perfect for making sachets, and... it could also be given to others."

As she spoke, Cuiju bit her lip and added:

"My fellow villager is Aunt Qing's godbrother..."

The group exchanged glances, and Liu Muqiu frowned slightly.

"Call Aunt Qing over."

.

Meanwhile, in the East Courtyard, Qingqing was chatting with Yu Shuang.

When Qingqing heard that the three masters of the main courtyard were calling her, she was stunned for a moment, and then a sense of unease welled up in her heart.

She forced a smile and said she needed to change her clothes.

After the old woman left, she immediately looked at Yu Shuang.

"...What should I do? Sister, why do the masters suddenly want to call me over?"

"Could it be that they've discovered it?"

Yu Shuang squeezed Qingqing's hand and comforted her, "The grandparents are kind. Even if they find out, they won't do anything to you."

"Besides, you don't even know what happened yourself, so who would blame you?"

Qingqing was still worried and held onto Yu Shuang's hand tightly. "Sister, I dare not."

Yu Shuang said softly, "Then I'll go with you. I can put in a good word for you in front of the masters."

Qingqing was deeply moved and thanked him repeatedly.

The two were led to the main courtyard, and Lu Mingzhao was somewhat surprised by Yu Shuang's arrival.

After all, summoning Qingqing suddenly is obviously not a good thing.

Not to mention that Yu Shuang is also a suspect.

She had originally planned to ask Yu Shuang for her reaction, but now that Yu Shuang had come along on her own initiative, it made her dispel some of her doubts.

"Greetings to the old lady, uncle, and aunt."

The two of them knelt down together.

Receiving a look from her mother-in-law, Liu Muqiu cut to the chase and asked, "The embroidery pattern I have, was it given to Cuiju by Aunt Qing?"

"……yes."

Aunt Qing lowered her head and responded with a sound.

Young people, even at such a young age, wear their hearts on their sleeves, their guilty conscience is visibly obvious.

Liu Muqiu slammed her hand on the table: "I felt something was off when the two of you suddenly came to pay your respects to the old lady that day, but I just assumed it was fine since the old lady had chosen you to come in."

"Now that I think about it, it turns out you two had planned this all along."

"If you tell the truth, Aunt Qing, where did this embroidery pattern come from? Considering that you've been well-behaved for a year since you entered the manor, the master and I can spare your life."

Cuiju turned back to Qingqing crying, "Aunt Qing, you've really gotten me into trouble! What kind of embroidery is this that has frightened our young lady?"

"Now that the Marquis is coming to take us, you'd better confess quickly!"

Qingqing's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and she shook her head repeatedly in fear:

"I...I don't know how this embroidery pattern has anything to do with Miss!"

After Qingqing's stumbling explanation, everyone learned that she had also accidentally found a letter in the food box, which contained the embroidery pattern and ten taels of silver.

The letter said that as long as she delivered the embroidery pattern to the head maid of the main courtyard on the designated day and instructed her to finish embroidering it as soon as possible, she would receive another ten taels of silver.

Liu Muqiu was furious and frowned, scolding, "You heartless wretch! You've been in the manor for a year, and when have I ever mistreated you? Why are you short of twenty taels of silver?"

"You come to me begging, how can I refuse?"

"Why accept this dirty money and engage in these shady, underhanded schemes!"

Liu Muqiu was angry because the East Courtyard was ultimately under her control.

If this had happened in the West Courtyard, she could have found a way to deny it, but it happened in the East Courtyard...

One was a concubine who didn't follow the rules and was easily bribed.

One of them was a thief who had somehow infiltrated the mansion.

If the mother-in-law were so inclined, it would be incredibly easy to accuse her of neglecting her duties as a housekeeper!