“I have no maid named A’man in my manor. I don’t know who you are looking for.”
Leng Ruo Li pretended not to know the person Leng Ruo Shuang mentioned.
“You clearly locked A’man in the Cold King’s manor, preventing her from seeing me. How dare you say you don’t know A’man!” Leng Ruo Shuang pointed at Leng Ruo Li, her face flushed with anger, and berated her.
“Concubine Leng, you are merely a concubine. Upon meeting the Cold King’s Consort, you neither pay your respects nor refrain from speaking harshly. If you do not wish for your head to be severed, please mind your tone. Otherwise, do not blame us for being impolite.”
At this moment, Chu Ming Xuan emerged from the main entrance and spoke.
“Who are you? How dare you reprimand me?”
Leng Ruo Shuang raised her eyes again and glared furiously at Chu Ming Xuan.
“It matters not who I am. I am merely reminding you that this is the main entrance of the Cold King’s manor.”
Chu Ming Xuan raised his eyebrows, knitting them together, and pointed to the plaque with his finger.
“If you don’t want me to cause a scene at the Cold King’s manor and embarrass you, then hurry up and let A’man out.” Leng Ruo Shuang said in a pushy manner, head held high, hands on her hips.
“There is indeed no maid named A’man in the Cold King’s manor. Concubine Leng, do you want us to make one up for you? Guards, guards, escort this madwoman out of here!” Leng Ruo Li calmly commanded.
The guards at the manor entrance immediately replied respectfully, “Yes!” Then, they approached Leng Ruo Shuang and drove her away from the entrance.
“You, you, what are you doing? I’m telling you, I am the most favored woman of the Prince of Qing. If you dare to touch me… I, I will become the Prince of Qing’s Consort in the future and I will properly deal with you gatekeepers.” Leng Ruo Shuang still arrogantly reprimanded.
Upon hearing this, Leng Ruo Li and Chu Ming Xuan both shook their heads, thinking: It’s truly a miracle that this Leng Ruo Shuang is still alive.
“Then let’s see you become the Prince of Qing’s Consort first.” Leng Ruo Li and Chu Ming Xuan said in unison.
“Leng Ruo Li, don’t get smug. You’d better let A’man out to see me quickly, or I’ll take this matter directly to the Emperor and accuse you of wrongfully detaining another family’s maid.”
Leng Ruo Shuang was still not giving up. She was determined to see A’man today and find out the whereabouts of her mother.
“If you have the ability to enter the palace, then go ahead and report me. I, Leng Ruo Li, will be waiting for you at the Cold King’s manor.”
Leng Ruo Li shrugged and said indifferently.
Seeing that Leng Ruo Li was unmoved, Leng Ruo Shuang seemed to lose some of her spirit, her imposing manner deflating.
“Sister, I beg you, please let A’man come out and see me.” Leng Ruo Shuang pleaded.
“I shall repeat myself. My parents gave birth to only one daughter, me. I have no sister. And there is no maid named A’man in the Cold King’s manor.”
As she spoke, Leng Ruo Li’s gaze turned towards Leng Ruo Shuang, her pair of dark, deep apricot eyes causing a sense of fear.
“Leng Ruo Li, why are you so heartless? We lived under the same roof for more than ten years. You treat me like this, boohoo…”
Seeing that passersby had stopped to watch, Leng Ruo Shuang immediately put on a pitiful act.
“Heh! Leng Ruo Shuang, back then, when your mother and you heard the news that my father was severely injured at the border, you kicked me out to live in that dilapidated Qingfeng Courtyard, drinking dirty water and eating spoiled food. Why didn’t you consider that we lived under the same roof and treat me better then?” Leng Ruo Li said with a face full of mockery.
As soon as Leng Ruo Li’s words fell, the onlookers began to criticize Leng Ruo Shuang.
“That’s right! Before General Leng returned to the capital, I had heard about how Leng Wang Fei was treated in General Leng’s manor. That Liu Ruo Yi and her daughter treated Leng Wang Fei worse than dirt. A legitimate daughter, yet she was fed spoiled food and drank dirty water. What’s more, Liu Ruo Yi and her daughter even made Leng Wang Fei live in a rundown small courtyard. On sunny days, it couldn’t block the sun, and on rainy days, it couldn’t keep out the wind and rain. In winter, it offered no protection from the wind or warmth. I say, she was the legitimate eldest daughter of a general, yet her life was worse than ours, ordinary citizens!” said a particularly gossipy woman in the crowd indignantly.
“Heh, do you think that life as a wife, young lady, young master, or concubine in those wealthy households is easy? Let me tell you, their lives are truly not as comfortable as ours, ordinary folk. The schemes and intrigues in the hearts of those rich people are simply too numerous.” At this moment, another woman muttered in a low voice.
“Yes! That’s why we really don’t need to envy the lives of those wealthy families.” Someone in the crowd picked up the conversation.
And so, the more the onlookers discussed, the more heated the debate became.
“All of you, shut up!”
“Things are not as you say. We did not abuse Leng Ruo Li. Her mind was not right at the time, and she willingly lived in Qingfeng Courtyard. It has nothing to do with us. Besides, Qingfeng Courtyard was not as dilapidated as you imagine.”
Leng Ruo Shuang thought to herself, since General Leng’s manor’s Qingfeng Courtyard had already been demolished by Leng Jin Yu, as long as she denied that the courtyard was dilapidated, they couldn’t produce any evidence now.
“Concubine Leng, these rumors are not baseless. I have a relative who worked as a chef in General Leng’s manor for over a decade. He knows precisely what Leng Wang Fei experienced in General Leng’s manor before.”
Someone from the crowd immediately stepped forward to refute Leng Ruo Shuang.
“I don’t have time to explain to everyone now.”
“I have come today to demand the release of someone from the Cold King’s manor. The Cold King’s manor is holding my mother’s maid, and I want the Cold King’s manor to release her.” Leng Ruo Li said again, looking at Leng Ruo Li standing at the manor entrance.
“I will say it again. There is no maid named A’man in my manor. Have you mistaken the place?”
“Don’t try to fool me. My maids saw people from your Cold King’s manor taking her out for a stroll in the streets these past two days.”
At this moment, Chu Ming Xuan’s usually quiet eyes gradually turned cold. He scrutinized Leng Ruo Shuang for a moment before speaking with extreme impatience, “Her name is not A’man. She is my own sister, Chu Miao Ling.”
“What Chu Miao Ling? She is my mother’s maid.”
“Miao Ling, you can come out now, otherwise, this madwoman will not give up.” Leng Ruo Li suddenly said.
Immediately, a woman emerged from the main entrance of the Cold King’s manor. This person was the former A’man, but now her name was Chu Miao Ling.
“A’man, you’ve finally come out! Have you been confined by people from the Cold King’s manor these past few days? I’ll take you away now.”
“Concubine Leng, my name is not A’man. My real name is Chu Miao Ling. If you have something to say, say it quickly.” Chu Miao Ling said with a faint tone.
“A’man, the reason I came to the Cold King’s manor today is to ask you, where is my mother now? I’ve searched everywhere she might have gone, but I haven’t seen her.” Leng Ruo Shuang frowned and asked.
“She is at Ten Miles Slope outside the city. Go find her.” A’man said indifferently.
“What? How could she have gone to a place like that? That’s a mass grave!”
Leng Ruo Shuang was utterly confused.
By the time she came back to her senses, Leng Ruo Li, Chu Ming Xuan, and Chu Miao Ling had already walked back into the Cold King’s manor.