After Transmigration, I Snag a Stunning Bigwig as My Husband
Chapter 58: Framing

Chapter 58: Chapter 58: Framing

The maids seemed even more afraid of her.

This realization—

Su Jin was both crying and laughing.

In her mind, she envisioned a scenario where she shot a glare, and the maids dropped dead on the spot.

It’s exaggerated, but at this rate, it could very well become true.

Su Jin rubbed her forehead and walked toward the large tree where the maid was hanging. The maid was still there, hands tied, head lowered, face obscured.

"Take her down," Su Jin ordered.

Only then did the two old women start untying the rope from the tree.

The maid fell to the ground, her pale face and open eyes scared the timid maids into screaming.

Xingxing felt her heart skip a beat, clutching Su Jin’s cloud sleeves.

Su Jin patted her hand, signaling her not to be afraid, and then crouched down to examine the maid.

The old women always thought the Eldest Young Madam was cruel, and with the maid dying so miserably, the Eldest Young Madam was fearless—

No one was more terrifying than the Eldest Young Madam.

Princess Nanzhang walked over to see Su Jin inspecting the maid’s wrist.

She furrowed her brows tightly.

This female bandit is a little too bold!

She doesn’t have an ounce of the demeanor a woman should have!

Even her bandit-like little maid is more ladylike than her!

Su Jin stood up.

Seeing her face tense, Xingxing was a bit worried, "Miss?"

"Report to the authorities," Su Jin said.

Xingxing nodded repeatedly, instructing a little maidservant, "Quickly go to the authorities."

But the maid dared not move, looking at Princess Nanzhang, waiting for her to speak.

Su Jin smiled.

She couldn’t even command a little maid, she had no status at all in the Agarwood Pavilion.

"Is reporting to the authorities such a trivial matter that I, the Eldest Young Madam, must handle it personally?"

She asked, but no one answered, so she added, "Fine, take the maid’s body, and we’ll take a trip to the government office."

Su Jin lifted her foot to leave.

Princess Nanzhang angrily said, "It’s said that family shame should not be publicized, yet you openly want to make a scene after cruelly killing a maid?!"

Cruelly killed?

That’s quite the accusation.

Su Jin looked at Princess Nanzhang, only to hear her scold, "In the past half a month, haven’t you been punished, leading you to act lawlessly?!"

Su Jin’s expression remained indifferent as she asked, "Are you standing up for this maid, Mother?"

The fact that this maid had poisoned her and Xie Jingchen was something no one in the Duke Zhen Country Mansion could be unaware of.

Princess Nanzhang’s face stiffened.

"Even if this maid deserved to die, you can’t just hang her to death! There’s no one so cruel in the Duke Zhen Mansion!" she retorted angrily.

After a silent moment, Su Jin admitted her mistake, "Mother’s teachings are right, I should have beaten her to death, that would make me seem a bit gentler, and the servants in the Duke Mansion wouldn’t think I’m too cruel."

The maids, "...."

Xie Jingchen came over from the backyard, just in time to hear Su Jin’s words.

Raising his hand to his forehead, feeling utterly exhausted.

But to say she was wrong, not really.

In the Duke Mansion, at least a dozen maids are beaten to death every year, it’s become a norm, hanging to death is indeed a first.

If you think about it, it’s six of one half a dozen of the other.

Princess Nanzhang was at a loss for words from Su Jin’s response.

Xingxing said, "Miss has a kind heart, this treacherous maid poisoned Miss and Young Master, Miss was willing to spare her, but she was too weak. Generally, no one would die even after being hung upside down for three days, she couldn’t last one night."

"You silly girl, you really think the maid was hung to death alive," Su Jin chuckled.

"Ah? Didn’t she?" Xingxing looked puzzled.

"The maid was silenced."

Xingxing became a bit angry.

Xie Jingchen came over and asked, "What happened?"

Su Jin looked at him and said, "Husband, I want to send the maid’s body to the government office for an autopsy to prove she wasn’t killed by me. But Mother says family shame should not be publicized, does that mean I’m just supposed to be wrongfully blamed? Does the Duke Mansion wrong the innocent just for the sake of face?"

Xie Jingchen remained silent.

Su Jin added, "Isn’t this merely a facade of gold and jade covering decay?"

Xie Jingchen, "...."

Princess Nanzhang’s face turned livid, she gritted her teeth and asked, "Are you certain the maid wasn’t killed by you?!"

"Why would I hang her to death? If I wanted her life, I would have simply had her beaten to death yesterday, wouldn’t that have been easier? Although I don’t care much about reputation, I’m not foolish enough to let everyone know I’m cruel and vicious."

"I must find out the truth about how this maid died!"

"Once I find out who framed me, I’ll kill her!"

Su Jin’s voice was firm, fierce, and merciless.

Princess Nanzhang’s face darkened, and she looked at Xie Jingchen.

Hoping he would stop Su Jin for the sake of the Duke Mansion’s reputation.

Xie Jingchen asked, "Is this necessary?"

"Do you also want me to be wrongfully blamed?" Su Jin’s gaze turned harsh.

"..."

"Go call the Minister of the Ministry of Justice over," Xie Jingchen decisively ordered.

"And also get a skilled doctor," Su Jin added.

Princess Nanzhang angrily swung her sleeves and left.

Su Jin stepped back into the house, saying, "Someone silenced the maid and framed me, playing such a good ruyi abacus, I wonder where they bought it."

"Why, do you want to buy one?" Xie Jingchen laughed and asked.

"If one truly exists, I wouldn’t mind," Su Jin teased.

Xingxing stood by, blinked, and then turned to leave.

When the little maid brought in the meal, Su Jin washed up and sat down.

Xingxing came over, hands behind her back, "Miss, you don’t need to envy others for having a ruyi abacus, we have one too."

Su Jin, "...."

Xie Jingchen, "...."

"Where is it?" Su Jin laughed, picking up a delicate shrimp dumpling and popping it into her mouth.

Xingxing brought out an abacus hidden behind her, smiling broadly.

"Miss, look."

"..."

Su Jin glanced at it, couldn’t help it, and spat out the delicate egg dumpling from her mouth.

Xie Jingchen dodged most of it, but some fragments of the egg dumpling landed on his face, and he silently moved to sit next to Su Jin.

Su Jin coughed a few times, staring at the words engraved on the abacus—

Ruyi Abacus.

She was speechless.

"Where did you buy this?" she asked.

"It was specially customized by the Marquis for Miss. He said Miss doesn’t like to do accounts and ordinary abacuses would just be stored away, only a fine one might spark some interest. For abacus calculation, it must be a ruyi abacus, he specifically instructed the shopkeeper to engrave these words."

"..."

Nothing to say.

Xie Jingchen instructed the maids to serve breakfast again.

The maid took away the breakfast, spreading the news that the Eldest Young Madam had a ruyi abacus.

Just after finishing breakfast, the Old Madam sent a maid to invite them to Qihao Hall for a talk.

Su Jin rolled her eyes and said, "The Old Madam is probably looking for me for the face of the Duke Zhen Mansion, right?"

"You already know," Xie Jingchen said.

"Your Duke Zhen Mansion wants face, but does that mean I have to sacrifice mine?"

"..."

"Miss, the Marquis told you not to provoke the Old Madam," Xingxing reminded her.

"..."

Su Jin blinked and said, "Then I must strike first to gain the upper hand."

"How do you plan to do that?" Xie Jingchen raised an eyebrow.

"I’m not telling you!"

"..."

The two of them held hands and went to Qihao Hall.

As soon as they entered, Su Jin suddenly let go of Xie Jingchen’s hand.

Xie Jingchen looked a little puzzled.

Su Jin looked dissatisfied.

"Husband, don’t try to persuade me. The Old Madam is definitely not calling me to give up the autopsy of the maid, how can one sacrifice substance for face? This obvious frame-up can be seen by anyone with a brain; the upright do not fear shadows, anyone who stops me from investigating the maid’s cause of death is the murderer."

"..."

"Old Madam, do you have urgent matters to discuss with me?" Su Jin asked seriously.

"..."

"Nothing much, just a sore shoulder, wanted you to come and massage it," the Old Madam said in a dull tone.

"..."