A pair of emerald jade ruyi scepters, auspicious clouds swirling about them. A white stone Guanyin statue with dripping water, kind brows and gentle eyes. One painting depicted Buddha transmitting sutras on his spiritual platform. A paired couplet read “Harmonious family brings all matters success, five blessings and abundant joy.”
Such a benevolent room, inhabited by a kindly elderly lady of advanced years. But at this moment, kneeling on the ground and looking up, Mo Zi saw this old lady’s face held not a trace of kindness—her gaze was stern.
Seated beside the old madam was the princess consort. This mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were like-minded in everything they did, a rarely seen harmony—at least on the surface it appeared so.
“Mo Zi?” The old madam’s gaze met Mo Zi’s squarely. Though Mo Zi immediately lowered her eyes, the old madam grew displeased at that fearless look.
A servant girl without a servant girl’s manner—the old madam had felt this way during that incident with Wei Liu Niang. So even though she knew Wei Liu Niang’s maid was lying, she still used the excuse of an inauspicious name to hint that Qiu Sanniang should punish Mo Zi. What was so remarkable about a maid lying? In this manor, if one truly investigated, there probably wasn’t a single honest person. But as a maid lacking a maid’s proper awareness—such people caused the most trouble. Looking carefully at Mo Zi’s face, it was an extremely fine appearance. If she applied that clever wit to male masters, climbing up would be very easy. If not for the fact that Wei Er hadn’t shown any particular familiarity with Mo Zi in all this time since, she wouldn’t doubt this maid wanted to use that incident with Wei Liu Niang to curry favor with Wei Er, harboring unseemly thoughts. She could allow Wei Liu Niang to play her little games because the Wei family was wealthy and beneficial to Wei Er, even to the Xiao family. But what was this maid called Mo Zi? At a glance, she wasn’t sensible like Lu Bi—definitely wouldn’t let anyone have peace of mind.
“Yes.” Mo Zi didn’t know her feigned obedience completely failed to win the other party’s favor, her tone very respectful.
“Where have you come from?” The old madam personally presided over this interrogation today.
“I came from Bai He’s place at Deer Horn Lane. Last month Bai He was released by my mistress and is temporarily living at Mistress’s villa.” Mo Zi continued looking down.
“Where’s your exit token?” Servants of the prince’s mansion who wanted to go out all had to obtain tokens from proper masters. The inner quarters were even more strictly controlled. Each courtyard had to request tokens from the princess consort.
Mo Zi untied the pouch from her waist, extracted a copper token from inside, and raised it above her head with both hands. “Old Madam, please examine it.”
People said—so Mo Zi did have a token after all.
Well, it was a counterfeit. Qiu Sanniang found leaving the mansion once too troublesome, and Mo Zi was someone who thought three steps ahead with each step taken. The two conspired—one obtained tokens from the princess consort, the other found craftsmen outside to forge tokens for emergency use. Just like the little household registration document. Carried on her person every day.
The two seated above clearly hadn’t expected Mo Zi could actually produce a token, both momentarily stunned.
The old madam glanced at her daughter-in-law with slight reproach, thinking—when I asked you just now, why did you say you never gave one?
The princess consort only felt wronged. She took the token and examined it repeatedly but couldn’t detect anything amiss. Sullenly she said, “I haven’t given your mistress any tokens recently.”
Mo Zi had prepared her explanation long ago. “Your Highness the Princess Consort may have forgotten. Some days ago, to send Bai He out, Mistress obtained a token for Xiao Yi. It was meant to be returned. But then I needed to leave the mansion, so Mistress let me use it. Surely Mistress mentioned this to Your Highness. However, with such a large place and so many people, if Your Highness must personally remember even small matters like issuing tokens, wouldn’t that tax your spirit and harm your health?”
“Now that you mention it, I do recall.” The princess consort said to the old madam, “Mother, that’s right—I did give out a token last month. With so many matters during New Year, I was too busy and forgot to demand its return.”
The old madam’s face darkened as she snatched the copper token and hurled it at Mo Zi’s face.
Mo Zi lightly dodged—the token brushed past her ear and clattered onto the brick floor behind her.
“You lying little wretch. Tell me then—what day did you leave the mansion? How many people were guarding the gate? Who opened it for you? Give me the name and I’ll immediately summon someone to confront you.” One token might just be the daughter-in-law’s oversight, which Sanniang and Mo Zi took advantage of.
“…” What a meticulous old lady. Mo Zi pondered briefly but remained unhurried. “Mo Zi left three days ago, just when the Old Master and Master returned from the water fortress. Mo Zi usually stays at Mozhi Courtyard or the bamboo grove—this was my first time leaving, so I didn’t recognize the gate guards’ faces. I only remember everyone was welcoming the Old Master and Master, so no one paid me attention. I thought, since Mistress had permitted it and I had a token, I didn’t say much and just went out directly. If Old Madam doesn’t believe me, you can also summon the gate guards from that day—perhaps someone saw me.”
Now the old madam was somewhat bewildered. The Old Master and Master had indeed returned to the mansion three days ago. If Mo Zi was lying, how could she know such details? Could it be the other two dowry maids of Sanniang tipping her off? But that couldn’t be. Three days ago, Jin Si had secretly reported that Qiu Sanniang was instigating maids to leave the mansion privately, secretly operating flower houses and shipyards outside. The matter being so significant, to confirm Jin Si wasn’t talking nonsense, she had servant women watch the perimeter of Mozhi Courtyard and also planted two women inside. The bamboo cottage side was also confirmed empty. Only tonight did she begin closing the net. These three days, absolutely no one from Mozhi Courtyard had left the mansion.
Mo Zi saw the old lady frowning in deep thought and secretly smiled. No matter how well calculated, what use was it if they couldn’t discover Xiao Yi possessed martial skills? This morning Xiao Yi had brought Laba porridge and told Bai He about the male masters of Prince Jing’s mansion returning. Bai He had then relayed it to her. Perfectly allowing her to fabricate lies with complete confidence. This era had no surveillance cameras—they couldn’t say one hundred percent that she didn’t walk through the main gate, could they?
“Mother, I think perhaps Jin Si is stirring up trouble. She sees Yong Er inseparable from Sanniang lately and deliberately creates incidents. When Sanniang fell suddenly ill that time, her suspicion was greatest. Let’s not seek our daughter-in-law’s displeasure on account of a concubine.” The princess consort played the sympathetic role so convincingly even Mo Zi couldn’t distinguish true from false intent. Without being steeped in decades of household intrigue battles, absolutely no flaws could be found.
The old madam felt instinctive dislike for Mo Zi from the bottom of her heart, intuiting this maid was clever as a demon and difficult to handle. Therefore, though her defense sounded reasonable, she paid it no mind. For her part, she firmly believed Mo Zi and Qiu Sanniang were doing things behind their backs. Qiu Sanniang’s dowry was generous, she came from merchant background, unwilling to remain confined to the inner quarters—seeking wealth outside fit perfectly with her spirited temperament. Moreover, claiming to recuperate yet doing so for two or three months—this too aroused suspicion. To question Qiu Sanniang required the most crucial witness. Mo Zi’s mouth—she absolutely must pry it open.
“I see you truly won’t shed tears until you see the coffin. Don’t think I have no evidence whatsoever, that like you I can only talk a good game.” The old madam tonight intended to dig out a gold mine for Prince Jing’s mansion—her heart was set like iron. “Someone come, call in all those people waiting in the side room.”
Moments later, the curtain lifted. Mo Zi shivered, then saw Jin Si, Jin Si’s godmother, and two junior maids from Mozhi Residence’s outer courtyard. This wasn’t all—two servant women carried in several sections of bamboo ladder and placed them before Mo Zi.
Mo Zi’s expression didn’t change. Though the other side had superior numbers, they were all in the open now. She wasn’t afraid.
“Old Madam, mobilizing forces on such a scale tonight just over Mo Zi leaving the mansion?” Why not speak plainly so she could respond directly?
“Si Niang, you tell it.” The old madam wouldn’t be provoked by Mo Zi—she proceeded methodically. Anxiety accomplished nothing.
“Yes, Old Madam.” Si Niang curtsied, showing no smugness on her face. Her expression was completely serious, her tone calm and unhurried. “About three months ago or so, Si Niang learned Mo Zi had been demoted by Third Madam to the bamboo grove. Si Niang felt this maid was rather pitiable and sent junior maids over with food. Who knew—going several times, they never once encountered her. So I personally went twice and discovered the grove hadn’t been maintained, and the furniture in the house had accumulated a thin layer of dust. I thought Third Madam was trying to please Old Madam by punishing Mo Zi, but being a dowry maid after all, couldn’t bear to truly punish her—just talk. Who knew when I secretly asked the junior maids at Mozhi Courtyard, they all said Mo Zi had indeed moved to live in the bamboo grove. I immediately felt something suspicious, so I had people watch the grove for two months. I discovered that though Mo Zi appeared from time to time, she often climbed over the wall to go out. I also learned the residence on the other side of the wall belonged to people surnamed Yuan, officials serving at court. This frightened me terribly—I thought Mo Zi was having illicit relations with servants from that mansion…” She paused to catch her breath after speaking so much at once.
Mo Zi sneered coldly. Yes indeed—any maid with slightly unusual behavior must be having illicit relations with someone. Jin Si and Jin Si’s godmother had identical thinking.
“Old Madam, Your Highness, please don’t blame Si Niang for taking matters into her own hands. I didn’t want to wrongly accuse an innocent maid either, so I spent silver having Godmother find people outside to help follow Mo Zi’s movements. Who knew we’d discover her disguised as a man entering and leaving places like Wangqiu Tower, and also shipyards outside the city. Moreover, once she left, she’d be gone for ten days to half a month without returning to the mansion. She acts this way, yet Third Madam doesn’t intervene. Though Si Niang is of humble origin, I understand the principle that women should remain at home. Moreover, our Prince Jing’s mansion isn’t an ordinary household—how can we permit such conduct that corrupts feminine virtue? Si Niang thought and thought—even if you two believe my intentions are sinister, I must still report the truth to prevent others from learning of it later and speaking gossip about the prince’s mansion. In Si Niang’s view, Third Madam is good—she just spoils those several dowry maids too much, inevitably letting them lead her astray into doing such unseemly things. Si Niang begs Old Madam and Your Highness to see clearly—even if these maids are beaten to death, don’t make things difficult for Third Madam. Just speak to her a few words so she won’t indulge the maids anymore in future.”
According to Jin Si’s godmother and Jin Si’s account, she was definitely doomed! Mo Zi pressed her lips together, her eyes tightly narrowed.
After Jin Si finished, Jin Si’s godmother testified, the two junior maids from Mozhi Courtyard testified. A man also hurried in—supposedly this very person who’d followed Mo Zi.
Mo Zi silently complained—never mind that both the Yuan mansion and Prince Jing’s mansion had strict security, even when she was outside, Zan Jin was almost inseparable from her. It would be absolutely impossible for people sent by Jin Si to tail her. And this fellow looked shifty-eyed, not like someone highly skilled—clearly a plant. However, they had indeed uncovered matters concerning Wangqiu Tower and Hongyu. Yet Jin Si’s description was vague, not mentioning other people or matters at all. Logically, the more detailed the account, the more she’d be unable to counter. So most likely—she heard it from someone else!
Someone both she and Qiu Sanniang had overlooked—that jianghu backer hidden behind Jin Si!