Chapter 73: Chapter 24: Keeping Old Mrs. Xu Under Control

“Quickly go out and find out what exactly happened at the distillery?” Old Mrs. Xu said anxiously, her tone tinged with panic.

Could it be that what Shen Ruoxi said is true? Tai is not her nominal nephew from the Tang Family Castle, but the son of that fearsome Demon Sect Hierarch?

“Yes, I’ll go right away!” Nanny Hou responded respectfully and then turned to leave.

Old Mrs. Xu felt uneasy, sitting on pins and needles, anxiously awaiting the news Nanny Hou would bring back.

However, after just a moment, Nanny Hou hurried back.

Old Mrs. Xu was startled and nervously asked, “Why, why are you back so soon?”

Nanny Hou’s expression was grave as she whispered, “Ma’am, Shen Ruoxi just gave orders to the gatekeeper to forbid anyone from our courtyard from leaving the mansion. I can’t get out now!”

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Xu instantly felt a wave of weakness, as if she lost all her support, collapsing into her chair.

“Ma’am, given the situation, what should we do?” Nanny Hou asked Old Mrs. Xu worriedly, feeling lost.

Old Mrs. Xu’s face darkened as a wave of regret surged in her heart, regretting not being more ruthless back then and leaving the loyal guards of the Shen Mansion who still followed Shen Ruoxi’s orders faithfully.

In hindsight, the time was indeed too rushed.

Shen Ruoxi’s mother had only been gone for a year and a half, and several elders in the Shen Mansion held high prestige, she hadn’t even managed to drive Feng Hai away, let alone Shen Da and the others.

So, even though she arranged for managers who were her people, once Shen Ruoxi returned, she was still in a passive position.

What should she do now?

The most troublesome thing is, Shen Ruoxi definitely cannot be killed.

If anything happens to her, all her secrets will be thoroughly exposed.

Be it Duke Xu or various other duchesses, they would definitely tear her apart, this isn’t just idle talk.

Old Mrs. Xu found herself in a predicament, her mind in turmoil, pondering how to resolve the current crisis.

“Go and bring Zhen Ge and Miao Shui together.”

Old Mrs. Xu at this moment could only rely on Nanny Hou, and after some thought, she concluded that only by getting rid of Cuicui and Chen Gun could all traces be cut off, leaving Shen Ruoxi with nothing to act on.

As long as she could endure these difficult times, once Shen Ruoxi successfully enters the palace, the Shen family would ultimately return to her control.

Nanny Hou nodded in agreement and left Old Mrs. Xu’s room, just about to step out of the courtyard, when suddenly an authoritative voice rang out, “Marquis Shen has ordered that no one is to leave Fushou Courtyard without permission!”

Nanny Hou was startled, looking closely, she saw Shen Da standing at the gate with three guards of the Shen Mansion, looking stern.

Usually relying on Old Mrs. Xu’s power, she was used to being arrogant and domineering in front of the Shen family servants, so she couldn’t help but feel anger rising, shouting, “Shen Da, how dare you! Are you planning a rebellion? This is Fushou Courtyard, not a place for you to act wildly, clear the way immediately!”

Shen Da, long disgusted with this master-servant duo, now sneered and retorted, “Rebellion? I’m just wondering exactly what kind of status Mrs. Xu holds, to dare be so arrogant, disregarding the orders of the Marquis?”

Nanny Hou sneered, “What about the Marquis? Don’t forget, Mrs. Xu is his grandmother, an elder! Quickly clear the way, if you delay Mrs. Xu’s important matters, can you bear the responsibility?”

Shen Da ignored Nanny Hou’s threats, a faint sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth, he said contemptuously, “You should hurry back, I’ve been ordered by the Marquis to forbid anyone from Fushou Courtyard to leave. Any defiance of orders will be met with execution without mercy!”

With that said, Shen Da suddenly drew the treasure sword from his side.

Under the sun, the blade glinted with a fierce chill, making one’s blood run cold.

Nanny Hou, having never witnessed such a scene, her legs immediately turned to jelly, almost unable to stand, stumbling back to Old Mrs. Xu’s room.

Seeing Nanny Hou’s pale face as she returned, Old Mrs. Xu was shocked and hastily asked, “What on earth happened?”

Nanny Hou answered tremblingly, “Shen Da said that he received orders from Shen Ruoxi, prohibiting any of us in Fushou Courtyard from leaving! I can’t get out.”

Upon hearing this, Old Mrs. Xu’s face turned as white as paper, as if dried of all life and vigor.

“Shen Ruoxi!” Old Mrs. Xu shouted through gritted teeth, filled with extreme anger.

Shen Ruoxi, after deep consideration, realized that it was enough to firmly control Old Mrs. Xu.

Previously her hesitation was mostly due to the fear that Old Mrs. Xu in desperation might commit rash acts, harming Chen Gun’s wife and children.

Now, she had arranged for a tight surveillance on Old Mrs. Xu, giving her time to interrogate her people, and she hoped she could find the whereabouts of Chen Gun’s family.

She couldn’t let Old Mrs. Xu continue to lead her by the nose, she had to firmly grasp the initiative, tightening the net.

Therefore, while arranging for strict surveillance on Old Mrs. Xu, Shen Ruoxi had summoned all the managers responsible for affairs in the Shen Mansion, who were aligned with Old Mrs. Xu, to gather together.

In her Shaohua Courtyard, ten men knelt neatly on the ground, the atmosphere solemn and tense.

Shen Ruoxi scrutinized this group of men in front of her; their ages mostly ranged from thirty-two to thirty-eight, appearing proper, though one or two looked fair and gentle, their brows bore a hint of unruliness.

These men were once Old Mrs. Xu’s lovers. Shen Ruoxi, upon detailed inquiry before, discovered they hadn’t committed any major crimes.

Now employed as managers in the Shen Mansion, most were merely taking small advantages, pocketing little bits of silver.

However, there were also those who were quite responsible.

For example, a man named Miao Shui, thirty-five years old, served as the officer of the kitchen.

He never deducted the kitchen staff’s monthly silver, and managed the kitchen impeccably.

“Introduce yourselves first.”

Everyone reported their names quietly, along with what they were responsible for.

When it was Miao Shui’s turn to introduce himself, Shen Ruoxi paid him a closer look.

He appeared quite different from the others, having a genuine cultured bearing, entirely without malice.

Shen Ruoxi spoke coldly, “Manager Yan has already confessed. I not only know who Old Mrs. Xu really is, I also know what relation you all have with her.

Old Mrs. Xu’s crimes are enough to sentence her to death many times over. But you are different; you have not committed evil, and I will not kill the innocent.”

On hearing this, the people’s faces changed drastically, some even showing looks of shame.

After all, their unsavory pasts were things they wished to keep buried.

Still, Miao Shui appeared relatively calm, looked straight at the Marquis, and straightforwardly asked, “Marquis Shen, just tell us clearly, are you planning to hand us over to the government, or are you going to expel us all from the Shen Mansion?”

Shen Ruoxi, recalling the records Feng Hai presented, and remembering their actions over this past year in the Shen Mansion, slightly smiled.

She calmly replied, “The answer to that question depends on you. As long as you reveal everything without reservation, then there’s room for maneuver in any matter.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep