Chapter 559: Chapter 232 My Son is a Treacherous Official (Part 8)
"Grand Madam, I have been wronged, this old servant has been wronged!"
Granny Qin, the confidante of the original mistress Ms. Hetian, knelt on the ground, her tears flowing freely, crying out her injustice with all her might.
Her plump dark face was starkly marked with several slap prints, and blood was oozing from her nose and the corners of her mouth.
It appeared that she had just been slapped.
"This old servant truly did not commit any acts of insubordination, Madam, with your esteemed status, even if you gave this old servant a hundred guts, I would not dare to deceive or belittle you, it’s insubordination, oh oh oh!"
As she spoke of her alleged "crime," Granny Qin cried even more miserably.
Unlike her usual pretentious sorrow, this time she was genuinely aggrieved and panic-stricken.
No, she really did not "forge imperial orders" or intentionally force Princess An Kang to kneel to the Grand Madam.
Thus, this time Granny Qin was truly sincere and emotional, crying as if to burst into tears of blood.
But He Tiantian had no sympathy for her.
As the head confidante by the original mistress, Granny Qin was definitely not a kind-hearted character.
Although Ms. Hetian was a naive white flower, she ultimately came from a rural background with limited experience.
She was not very familiar with the convoluted and secretive manipulations within the inner quarters.
Granny Qin, as a hereditary servant from a noble family that had been raided, knew all the tricks of the inner chambers too well.
After being bought by He Xi accidentally and sent to serve Ms. Hetian, Granny Qin began to exercise her expertise, often giving Ms. Hetian advice.
Using the rules and etiquette she knew all too well, she frequently set traps for Princess An Kang, adding to her troubles.
It could be said, that Ms. Hetian was able to quickly and precisely manipulate An Kang, not only due to her own skills at playing the innocent lotus but also because of Granny Qin’s significant contributions.
Sometimes, she was even more hateful than Ms. Hetian.
Perhaps due to the inferiority complex of her servant origins or her traumatic past experiences, Granny Qin’s heart was somewhat twisted.
As a servant, she thoroughly enjoyed the feeling of bullying an esteemed mistress.
Using the words often said by Student Xiao D, Granny Qin was just a half step away from being psychotic.
Such a twisted, psychotic servant who knew very well how to survive in the inner quarters indeed made Princess An Kang suffer a lot.
And this time, He Xi wanted to find a scapegoat and pushed out Granny Qin to bear the blame for her own mother.
Speaking of injustice, it was indeed an injustice to Granny Qin since it was Ms. Hetian who forced An Kang to kneel, not her.
But to say it was not unjust, was not too excessive either.
Considering the things Granny Qin had done in the past, any single incident was enough to warrant a beating.
Therefore, when Princess An Kang saw Granny Qin being slapped by someone sent by He Xi and saw her running to her mother-in-law, crying so miserably, the always kind and gentle Princess An Kang did not soften at all.
Da Ya and the two maids, Bai Zhi and Bai Wei, who stood by her side also showed faces of satisfaction — this Old Devout Woman deserved a harsh beating long ago!
"...You were wronged by my son?"
He Tiantian, seemingly oblivious to the reactions of Princess An Kang and her servants, asked indifferently, "So, it was I who intentionally made An Kang kneel at my bed?"
"Of—"
The word "course" was on her lips, but Granny Qin quickly realized her mistake.
She immediately corrected herself, frantically shaking her head, "No, of course not! The Grand Madam has always cherished the Madam and, and how could she—"
Ms. Hetian did not like An Kang, her daughter-in-law, and always tried to grind her down, which was a secret the He Family could not spoke aloud.
Indeed, many people in the family knew it, but it was something understood but never spoken of.
As Ms. Hetian’s top confidante, Granny Qin was even more aware of Ms. Hetian’s intentions.
Ms. Hetian wanted to keep her daughter-in-law under her feet, but she could not tarnish her own reputation.
Others still had to maintain the facade of the "good mother-in-law."
Thus, those actions against Princess An Kang were carried out in secret.
Even if it had to be brought out into the open, it was the work of the "troublesome slave."
Every so often, Ms. Hetian’s side would push out a minor maid or a sturdy old woman as a scapegoat.
Not only responsible for placating Princess An Kang, Ms. Hetian would deliberately spread the word—
"The old woman in charge of the house, having let a troublesome slave take advantage relies on being a favored servant by elders, to disrespect Princess An Kang!"
"Even though it’s someone by my side, our He Family does not endorse such principles. A servant is a servant, even if a favored servant by elders, daring to offend the master should be punished!"
Ms. Hetian proclaimed loudly with glee, but when it came to punishing, her actions were all thunder and no rain.