Chapter 283: Fear
Jinchao couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.
With just a few words, Madam Qin had managed to absolve herself completely. No wonder no one dared to challenge her authority over household affairs.
As Mama Zheng looked up, she spotted Chen Xuanyue hiding behind Gu Jinzhao and immediately feigned tearful joy, reaching out to pull him. “Ninth Young Master is here! This servant has been searching everywhere for you. Come quickly, let’s go back—”
But Chen Xuanyue reacted as if he had seen the most terrifying ghost in the world, screaming in terror and desperately trying to hide further behind Gu Jinzhao.
Gu Jinzhao could barely make out his hoarse, broken voice: “No… hit…”
It sounded like the voice of someone who hadn’t spoken in a long time—raspy and indistinct.
Gu Jinzhao pushed Mama Zheng’s hand away. “Mama Zheng, you should first explain how the Ninth Young Master went missing.” She then took Chen Xuanyue’s small hand and asked gently, “Ninth Young Master, tell Auntie, did someone hit you?”
Chen Xuanyue stared blankly at Gu Jinzhao, his lips trembling as he could only repeat, “Hit…”
Madam Ge, the most soft-hearted of them all, immediately felt her nose sting with tears. “This poor child can’t even speak properly, let alone complain. How could anyone bear to mistreat him?”
Gu Jinzhao stroked his freshly washed hair, speaking softly, “Don’t be afraid, Ninth Young Master. Everyone is here now—no one will hit you.”
The child’s hair was unusually soft.
Chen Xuanyue didn’t seem to understand her words, still trembling uncontrollably.
Gu Jinzhao could only grab a nearby cushion and let him cling to it tightly.
Madam Qin sobbed, “This child… I saw him just a few days ago, and he was fine. How… how did he end up like this?”
Madam Chen watched her expressionlessly. “Second daughter-in-law, you still refuse to explain clearly? The child lived under your care and paid his respects to you daily. How could you not know when he went missing? When he was first brought here, he bit anyone who approached him and was filthy and starved. Is this how you cared for him?”
Madam Qin wiped her tears. “Mother, you don’t understand. Xuanyue has been acting strangely these past few days, always saying someone wanted to hit him or harm him. When he came to pay his respects, the maids had to drag him over! The moment we took our eyes off him, he’d run away. I had no choice but to have Mama Zheng watch him constantly and excuse him from paying respects. Who knew he would slip away yesterday at noon when the maids weren’t looking… Mama Zheng searched for him privately all day before finally telling me.”
What a clever excuse! She could spin the story however she pleased. Chen Xuanyue couldn’t even speak properly now—he couldn’t refute her.
Madam Chen smiled coldly. “Second daughter-in-law, look at the clothes he’s wearing. How many days has it been since they were changed? Did he really just run away yesterday? The servants you trained would search for a missing young master privately without reporting to you? Do you take me for a senile old woman who no longer pays attention to anything?”
Madam Qin’s face paled. In the past, Madam Chen had always turned a blind eye to matters concerning Chen Xuanyue—why was she suddenly so determined to get to the bottom of this?
“This daughter-in-law… has failed in disciplining the servants!” Madam Qin said meekly, casting a glance at Mama Zheng.
Mama Zheng immediately dropped to her knees, wailing dramatically. “It’s all this servant’s fault! This servant failed to watch over the young master properly and let him suffer!”
Madam Chen closed her eyes and sighed. “Go… summon the two maids who attended the Ninth Young Master. Xianlan, take Mama Zheng to the side room for now.”
Madam Qin’s expression grew even more strained. Madam Chen was clearly resolved to investigate this thoroughly!
She bowed and excused herself.Chen Xuanyue turned his head to watch her walk away, not even blinking. Wang Shi also noticed and cupped his little face: "Xuanyue, there's no one else here now. Tell your aunt, has anyone hit you? Who was it?"
But Xuanyue didn't speak again, turning his head away instead. He spotted the tangram puzzle Chen Zhao often played with, seemingly drawn to its colorful patterns. After cautiously glancing at Jinchao and seeing she wasn't stopping him, he quickly crawled over and snatched the puzzle.
Madam Chen sighed: "I don't think he's frightened. More likely, he hasn't spoken to anyone for so long that he's forgotten how to talk."
With the people he disliked gone, Chen Xuanyue relaxed considerably. He knelt on the Arhat bed playing with the tangram puzzle.
Soon two maids arrived. Chen Xuanyue looked up at them briefly before indifferently lowering his eyes again.
Both maids were around fourteen or fifteen years old and quite pretty. Madam Qin had probably chosen them with the intention of having them serve Chen Xuanyue as concubines when he grew older. Named Yuzhang and Yuhuan, they looked around nervously, their faces paling when they saw Chen Xuanyue.
These maids weren't as strong-willed as Nanny Zheng. After some intimidation from Madam Chen, they confessed everything.
"...It wasn't our doing. Nanny Zheng was the one personally attending to the Ninth Young Master. Recently, she became obsessed with playing pai gow and would often gather with some women from the laundry to gamble. When she couldn't be bothered to look after the Ninth Young Master, she... she would lock him in his room. Sometimes she'd forget to come back, and the Ninth Young Master would go hungry all day before getting a meal. When the Ninth Young Master threw tantrums, Nanny Zheng would lock him up too..."
"Gradually, the Ninth Young Master became more and more afraid of Nanny Zheng. Even when locked up, he wouldn't make a sound. What Nanny Zheng did was against the rules, but we didn't dare speak up... Two days ago, the door wasn't locked properly, and the Ninth Young Master ran out on his own. Nanny Zheng was terrified but didn't dare tell Madam, so she dragged us along to search everywhere but couldn't find him..."
"When did Second Madam learn the Ninth Young Master was missing?" Madam Chen suddenly asked.
Yuzhang hurriedly replied: "Only this morning! Nanny Zheng realized she couldn't hide it anymore and went to tell Second Madam!"
So Madam Qin truly hadn't known about this.
"The Ninth Young Master said someone hit him. Do you know who it was?" Madam Ge asked.
Yuzhang shook her head: "...When Nanny Zheng lost too much gambling, she'd take things from the Ninth Young Master's room to pawn for silver. She wouldn't let us see, and stopped us from personally attending to the Ninth Young Master. So we don't know who might have hit him..."
Madam Chen looked at the old woman who had bathed Xuanyue earlier. The woman nodded: "The Ninth Young Master has bruises and scrapes... but he's been wandering outside for two days. It's hard to tell whether they're from being hurt by someone or from falling..."
Seeing they couldn't get any more information, Madam Chen punished the two maids by docking their monthly allowance and demoting them to the laundry.
As for whether Chen Xuanyue had been beaten, they would need to question Nanny Zheng to find out.When Mama Zheng arrived, she knew all was lost. Sobbing with snot and tears, she cried, "...Tai Furen, I admit to everything you've said! It's true I have a gambling addiction and terrible luck. I took things from Ninth Young Master's room to exchange for money... but beating someone? I would never dare! Think about it—beating someone would be too easily discovered. Would I still have a way to live then? I'm not that foolish..."
Chen Xuanyue, however, watched Mama Zheng's every move intently. If she made even the slightest sudden gesture, he would immediately dart behind Gu Jinzhao like a startled monkey, his hands clutching her so tightly—his nails untrimmed for who knows how long—that it hurt.
Gu Jinzhao pried his fingers from her wrist and instead held his hand in hers.
If Chen Xuanyue claimed someone had beaten him, Mama Zheng seemed an unlikely culprit. As the woman had said, no matter how bold she was, she wouldn't dare lay hands on a young master.
Madam Chen then summoned Madam Qin and informed her of Mama Zheng's deeds, adding, "...This servant is from your household. Decide on a suitable punishment. Now that you hold power over household affairs, you must lead by example. Even if Xuanyue's condition wasn't your intention, the fact that he went missing for two days without your notice shows grave negligence!"
Madam Qin replied, "This daughter-in-law is ashamed... Such a wicked servant cannot remain!" She immediately ordered the matrons accompanying her to drag Mama Zheng away, give her a beating, and throw her out of the Chen Family.
Mama Zheng was hauled off, wailing and screaming.
Madam Qin sighed, "I've failed this child, Xuanyue!" She reached to pat his head, intending to take him back and arrange for new servants, hoping to end this farce. She had already suffered enough humiliation.
But Chen Xuanyue shrieked and dodged her touch, muttering repeatedly, "Hit... hit..."
Was Chen Xuanyue implying Madam Qin had beaten him? How could that be?
Wang Shi whispered, "Has Ninth Young Master truly lost his mind...?"
The matron behind Madam Qin tried to pull Chen Xuanyue forward, but he turned to Gu Jinzhao, his eyes brimming with tears.
Gu Jinzhao had seen this look before—when she encountered him by the lotus pond, being led away by Mama Zheng, he had gazed at her with the same pleading expression.
If she remained unmoved now, he would fall back into Madam Qin's hands. After this incident, who knew how Madam Qin might treat him in the future.
Gu Jinzhao pondered briefly. Taking Chen Xuanyue under her care was impossible. Though he appeared small, he was already ten years old and from a separate branch of the family. She settled on an idea and stood, saying, "Mother, since Xuanyue is already ten, perhaps he should move to the outer courtyard. Seventh Young Master also moved there at ten—I think it's time for Ninth Young Master as well... He could even study with Eighth Young Master and the others. He's old enough now; we can't leave him without any plans."
Moving to the outer courtyard would free him from Madam Qin's control—surely better than his current situation.
Madam Qin quickly smiled, "I had considered sending him to the outer courtyard, but he's too simple-minded. I worried others might not manage him well. It's better to keep him under my watch in the second household, lest anything go wrong."
Madam Chen shot her a look, "Haven't enough things already gone wrong under your watch?"
Madam Qin's face stiffened, and she dared not speak another word."He's so simple-minded, he's bound to be bullied by others," Madam Chen sighed. "Third daughter-in-law, I see he's still willing to be close to you. You should take more care of him from now on. There's no need to watch him day and night, just check in on him regularly, ask how he's doing. See if anyone has been mistreating him. It might be better to move him to the outer courtyard—after all, he'll have to start a family and make his own way in the future..."
Gu Jinzhao stood up and acknowledged the request. She noticed Chen Xuanyue was still fiddling with the tangram puzzle, as if sensing someone would look after him now, and seemed less afraid.
Her thoughts lingered on Chen Xuanyue's situation.
She remembered... Chen Xuanyue was cured after going to Shaanxi. No one knew exactly how he recovered, but it was possible. Maybe she should call in a couple of physicians tomorrow to examine him? Among the three illegitimate sons of the second branch, only one survived—and he was a simpleton... It was truly bizarre.
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