The eldest daughter's scheming, the crown prince's exclusive favor to the venomous concubi

After saying this, Xiao Tao could easily hear the fury inside the door, accompanied by the sound of banging on the door. She just smiled smugly and said, "Xiao Rou, be gentle. The things in the Sixth Miss's courtyard are not very sturdy. If you break them, you will have to pay for them."

Besides, we're all now part of Miss Six's household, so naturally we have to follow her orders. Xiao Tao, I'm just a lowly maid now, so I can't disobey Miss's orders. You should just stay here and sleep for the night.”

Upon hearing this, Xiao Rou immediately became furious: "Xiao Tao, you can't do this! You and I are both people in the eldest young lady's courtyard, and we have to do things for her. How can you treat me like this? What benefits did the sixth young lady give you that made you betray the eldest young lady like this? I will definitely tell the eldest young lady about your actions."

Upon hearing this, Xiao Tao suddenly snorted coldly: "You still think of yourself as a maid in the young lady's courtyard? Don't act like a second-class maid. No matter how high our status is, it's still higher than the young lady's."

Since the young lady invited us to this courtyard, we are now considered part of this courtyard. Xiao Cui is the first-class maid in this courtyard. Do you think you can compare to her? If you go against her, what good will come of it?

Furthermore, if you offend the head maid here, how can you possibly get close to the Sixth Miss? How can you possibly gain her trust? Without her trust, how can you possibly know anything about their affairs? What good news can you possibly bring to the Eldest Miss?

Xiao Rou, wake up! You should at least consider the time before you start daydreaming. Don't lower yourself to the level of a decent person, and don't just think about being arrogant and domineering all day long. Wake up! You've offended Sister Xiao Cui by coming here today. Do you think you're of any use to the young lady now? Heh, just a stupid fool.

When your aunt brought you back, she told me to do everything I could to gain the Sixth Miss's trust so that I could better serve the Eldest Miss. Don't you understand? This is the gift the Eldest Miss gave to the Sixth Miss.

So you'd better behave yourself, otherwise, before the Sixth Miss even makes a move, the Eldest Miss, to avoid trouble, will make you taste the bitter fruit herself.

After saying that, Peach fell silent. Xiao Rou slumped to the floor, listening to Peach's footsteps fade into the distance, her face filled with terror.

Meanwhile, Jian Yue had already changed into the servant's clothes that had been prepared beforehand, and she and Xiao Cui left the courtyard and headed towards the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't far from their courtyard. Because the people of the Qiu family were pampered and couldn't stand even the slightest smell of cooking oil, the kitchen was relocated to a remote place. The place she lived in happened to be the courtyard to the left of the kitchen. Although it was not small and had a nice view, it was abandoned by the nobles of the Qiu family because of the smell of cooking oil.

The kitchen lights were already off, and there were only two old women keeping watch. When Jian Yue and Xiao Cui arrived, they saw a short, thin boy walking towards them from outside the kitchen door.

Upon reaching her, the young man said in a low voice, "Miss."

"Yes, Xiao Wu, thank you for your hard work."

As Jian Yue spoke, she looked around and led the two to a secluded spot.

"Tell me, how's the situation here? How's my mother doing lately?"

Jian Yue asked somewhat urgently, eager to know her mother's current situation. After being away for five years, she had gone to great lengths to finally place Xiao Cui's younger brother, Xiao Wu, in the strictly regulated Qiu family. It had been more than two years since then, and because of the strictness of the Qiu family, she had never contacted Xiao Wu. Now that he had entered the Qiu family, she was somewhat impatient.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Wu immediately said, "Please punish me, Miss. I am useless and don't even know what Madam is like."

"

Jian Yue paused, looking at the young man. Xiao Cui also said anxiously, "Xiao Wu, what did you say? What do you mean? What happened to Madam? Tell us, or we'll be worried to death!"

"Xiao Cui."

Jian Yue glared helplessly at Xiao Cui before turning to the boy and saying, "Xiao Wu, continue. Speak slowly and carefully."

Xiao Wu then said, "Yes, I've been keeping an eye on the cellar ever since I came in. At first, because I was too young to do heavy work, and because there was no one to take charge of the better jobs, I was left to guard the cellar and deliver meals to the madam."

I didn't dare speak to the ladies; they were watching too closely. Every time I went down, they could only leave the food far away on the ground, and someone would only come to retrieve it after I left. Moreover, if I were to glance at it out of curiosity, I would be scolded; those people seemed to be carrying swords and didn't look like people to be trifled with.

Jian Yue nodded: "There are indeed people guarding there, and they are all quite skilled. You are young, so those people didn't do anything to you. If it were someone else, they would probably have their head on the ground if they even glanced at it."

In her past life, she lived in the cellar for fifteen years, a full fifteen years. She heard everything from the people who guarded them, from their initial sternness to their eventual breakdown and incoherence. She was still learning to speak and didn't understand the ways of the world, so these people didn't bother to hide anything from her. They would speak lewd and obscene words in front of her, and even vent their resentment at being forced to stay in this dark and gloomy place for so many years on her.

At that time, she experienced not only things like vegetable soup, but even urine. At that time, she didn't understand, but little by little, she realized that she was someone who was not human.

She had a long memory, perhaps because she suffered psychological oppression when she was very young. So, from the time she could stand up on her own, she remembered everything, and she remembered even more the heads that were cut off in front of her, and those terrified faces.

“What you’re saying is true, those people did want to kill me, but they were held back by the lady inside.”

As Xiao Wu spoke, he recalled the scene and couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

He continued, "It seems that the lady was locked in a large cage, with a black cloth covering the top of the cage. I didn't see what was inside, but I suddenly heard crazy laughter coming from inside the cage, and people were shouting Master Qiu's name. So all those people ran over to surround the lady, and I quickly went out."

From then on, I didn't dare look up, I just listened. Those people didn't seem to touch Madam. Little Five always heard them cursing and swearing, saying things like "you can't hit her," or "I don't understand what they're saying," and they were always going crazy. When will this end?

Jian Yue recalled the scene when she first left that cage.

She was also kept in a cage, but she was kept alone from the time she could remember. At that time, she vaguely remembered that her mother would pitifully beg those people to let her hold the child, and would suddenly go crazy, crying and shouting through the cage that she was a beast and a bastard.

At that time, she couldn't understand why her mother, who had raised her by breastfeeding, would scold her.

They call her "Mother," because they all say this woman is her lowly mother.

Anyway, those days were a blur, and she doesn't remember much.

Later, because of their mother's hysteria, the distance between their cages and their indulgences was widened. Those people disliked the filth and mess of their eating, drinking, and defecating in the cages, so they covered them with black cloth, and from then on, it truly became a dark and hopeless existence.

In the days that followed, she learned to speak, to curse, and even more importantly, to feel disgust and resentment by simply listening.

She hated that her mother was a lowly madwoman and that she wasn't the noble eldest daughter of the Qiu family.

Looking back now, it seems so ridiculous.

A faint smile played on her lips, yet it carried a hint of coldness. Jian Yue asked, "Let's talk about now!"

Xiao Wu nodded, feeling inexplicably that the cold young lady was different from the one he had met four years ago, but he still continued, "A few days ago, about two months ago, Master Qiu suddenly came to the kitchen, went to the cellar, and stayed in the cellar for a long time before coming up. After that, he went back, and at night, there were sounds of arguing coming from the master's courtyard."

Later, I learned from other maids that Madam Qiu and Master Qiu were arguing, apparently because of our mistress, and that they had broken many things. The next day, many people went to the cellar, and the guards were much tighter. I wasn't even allowed to go down to deliver food; I could only leave it at the door.

Later, those people left, and I was able to go down into the cellar again, but I never saw the cage with the lady inside, and the guards were gone too.

After a pause, Xiao Wu suddenly continued, "I also heard that the madam punished the maids around her for several days in a row, and almost beat one to death."

Jian Yue understood immediately. The reason why Madam Sun was so angry that she beat the servants to vent her anger was naturally because of Qiu Zhenzhou's decision to bring her back. If this matter had not involved Qiu Lingfeng, Madam Sun would not have agreed at all.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Cui asked, "Then you're not bringing the food anymore?"

Xiao Wu shook his head: "They do deliver, but they're all handed over to the two guards at the cellar entrance. As for why I can go down into the cellar, it's because after the renovations were completed, they started storing wine. When we entertain guests at the mansion, I'm the one who goes down to get the wine, and I'm also in charge of counting the wine in the mansion now."

Upon hearing that her mother was missing, Jian Yue's hand tightened immediately. But after Xiao Wu finished speaking, she turned her gaze and asked, "You said that the cellar was renovated?"

Xiao Wu nodded: "Yes, the cellar used to be full of disgusting, fishy smells, and there were some brown marks that looked like blood. The surrounding walls were also filthy and covered in moss."

But now, there's no smell inside at all, only the aroma of wine, and the surroundings have all turned to stone, with torches embedded in the stone walls, making it much brighter.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Cui said worriedly, "Could it be that Madam has been moved away? What should we do?"

Jian Yue pondered for a moment, then heard Xiao Wu say, "But if Madam really was taken away, when exactly was she taken away? There's not a single word from the manor. I've been guarding that place day and night, but I haven't seen anyone being taken away."