"Nonsense, it was clearly Ziwan who started the trouble first." Mo Hanyan could not help but snap out in protest upon seeing Mo Qingyun siding with Ziwan.
"How did Ziwan cause trouble, you tell me." Chancellor Mo asked venomously.
Looking at the stern Chancellor Mo, Mo Hanyan was a bit scared, but realizing that Ziwan really did initiate the incident, she mustered up strong resolution. "Ziwan showed disrespect to the elders and even spoke rudely to our grandmother," she stated defiantly, raising her head like a prideful rooster.
"All I said was that she's just a concubine, how dare she boss around in the master's room? Was I wrong in saying that?" Ziwan made a face of confusion and grievance. "If I was wrong, I'll apologize to them. Could it be, concubines also count as elders?"
Seeing her daughter's rapid-fire gestures, Chancellor Mo felt a genuine pang of heartache. "You were not wrong, a mere concubine that dares to act as a master, how ridiculous. A concubine within the manor is nothing more than a servant."
Again, it has to do with their hierarchical status. The faces of Lady Mo and Second Lady were a kaleidoscope of colors, why does the Mo Manor always like to slap them in the face?
"So, I want to kick them out. I don't want to see them again in the future," Ziwan exclaimed, her face lighting up with a sense of wronged grievance.
"Good, what Ziwan did was right," Lady Mo said, stroking Ziwan's long hair in agreement with her thoughts.
"Didn't you hear? Starting from today, you are no longer allowed in the Mo Manor," Chancellor Mo echoed in agreement, both hands applauding. He was all too familiar with the built-in nature of these few. If it weren't for Ziwan's sake, would it be their turn to enjoy supremacy in Mo Manor?
The old lady wished to faint out of sheer embarrassment; this was a disgrace taken too far. Despite having no ability to refute Chancellor Mo, no matter where she went, the status of her being a concubine shadowed her. It's not that main offspring could merely disregard her, but Prime Minister's fearless nature made him invulnerable.
"Tell the gatekeeper that starting today, Mo Manor will no longer permit these few people to enter." It's not over yet, Chancellor Mo's words were like another slap on their faces.
The old lady and the Second Lady, despite their unwillingness, could only stamp their feet and return with their servants and maids.
"You all belong to the young lady, what a good job you have done," Chancellor Mo's words dripped with sarcasm. The quaking maids and servants in the courtyard were so frightened that a few of the timid ones had already fallen to the ground.
"When the mistress encounters trouble and is beaten, you servants stood by idly, allowing the mistress to be bullied. Get them! Sell off all of these disrespectful people. Shanzi, get Matron Ya." A furious Chancellor Mo was extremely intimidating.
Upon hearing that they were going to be sold, everyone started crying, and their pleadings echoed around Chancellor Mo. The grim-faced Shanzi, who had been following Chancellor Mo for many years, began to carry out his task emotionlessly.
The cries of pleading from the servants all merged together, but Lady Mo and Chancellor Mo were adamant this time, these were the servants that would allow their own daughter to be sold without even knowing.
Soon after, Matron Ya was brought in, and the contracts to sell these servants were also prepared by Lady Mo's side. The servants who were born in the family were sent to the outside Zhuangzi, the others were all sold without hesitation.
Nanny Xia watched as the servants were dismissed and sold, and sweat dripped from her face. Most of these people had been promoted and kept by her; they were practically her confidantes. Once they were dismissed, it was like her hands and feet had been severed. These dismissed maids and servants continually pleaded with her to beg the master and mistress for mercy on their behalf, did they not see that she was barely managing her own survival?
Ziwan lay in her room without going to the courtyard. She gestured to Mo Qingyun and said, "Keep Nanny Xia and Xueying around, I'm not done with them yet," she said, her eyebrows dancing in mischief.
Mo Qingyun paused, then quickly understood. "Okay."
After indulging Ziwan's wish, Mo Qingyu ran outside the room to Mo Manor and Lady Mo, quietly conveying her words to them. Although Mo Manor and Lady Mo liked their intelligent daughter in this state, they still worried. After all, Ziwan implicitly obeyed Nanny Xia and her daughter while being somewhat alienated from the couple. Could they be swayed again this time?
Even so, the couple were not willing to go against Ziwan's wishes. Both looked at each other, their worries reflected in each other's eyes, but they were helpless in this situation. "Nanny Xia, Xueying, do you realize your mistake?" Those who needed to be punished had been dealt with; the courtyard was thoroughly cleaned leaving only Nanny Xia and her daughter trembling in fear.
"It was the old servant who was blinded by the blinding lard, only thinking of preserving the young lady's reputation, not realizing we caused such a grievous wrong to the young lady." Nanny Xia was a shrewd operator, even at this moment, she managed to excuse herself.
Mr. and Mrs. Chancellor Mo were upset, but there was nothing they could do. "Considering your past diligent service to the young lady, we'll spare you this once." Lady Mo held back and spat out through gritted teeth, her voice carried an underlined threat, "If the young lady suffers any grievance in the future, you won't need to stay."
Nanny Xia and Xueying's faces brightened at her words. It seemed that the young lady really could not do without them.
"But you can't escape punishment for your negligence, you two failed to protect the young lady, each of you will receive ten beatings." Lady Mo quickly changed the tone of her conversation. Nanny Xia was not someone easy to fool; how could she miss the smugness in the nanny's eyes?
Nanny Xia and Xueying were just about to speak up to plea for mercy, but when they looked up and saw Chancellor Mo's gloomy expression, they were taken aback.
Nanny Xia, always carrying herself high due to Ziwan's favoritism, endured the resentment from many people in the manor. So naturally, the burly women who had to administer the beatings did not hold back, each stroke of the beating fell heavily on their buttocks.
The mother and daughter had been riding the wave of Ziwan's favor for a long time now, how could they withstand such a punishment? Hence, after the first strike, both of them cried out at the top of their lungs, hoping that Ziwan would hear them and come to their rescue.
"Shut up, didn't you hear that the young lady needs to rest?" Lady Mo scolded fiercely.
Everyone understood the subtext of this sentence; who would dare bear such a responsibility. Nanny Xia and Xueying bit their lips, continuing to be beaten till their flesh burst open, but they did not dare to make another sound.
Ziwan was lying with Xueyuan, Xueyan, and Nuan Qi in the room, while Mo Qingyun was listening to the music of the spanking outside. They were very vindictive, thinking that it was the most pleasing sound in the world. "Both of you should keep an eye on their behavior and report back to me whenever something's fishy." Xueyuan, Xueyan, and Nuan Qi, the three little maids nodded knowingly at Ziwan's gestured command.
"After a few days, your mother will choose some more reliable maids for you." After dealing with Nanny Xia, Lady Mo and Chancellor Mo entered the room again.
"Don't rush, having these three maids are enough for now. I like it to be quiet, and I will choose my own maids in the future." Ziwan gestured with a smile. "Mom, dad, Nanny Xia and Xueying are not to be trusted and should not be allowed to stay. I am aware of everything, so you don't have to worry."
With Ziwan's reassurance, Chancellor Mo and his wife finally breathed a sigh of relief. "Then let it be. I'll pick someone to help with cleaning the courtyard for the time being, and find someone to watch over the gate."