Su Mu could not reveal her identity just to prove Yu Wan’s motive. That way, her outcome would not be any better than now.
The Empress punished Su Mu with thirty strokes according to the palace rules.
The news of Su Mu’s theft quickly spread throughout the Young Master Manor.
“Zi Su.” Tao’er pulled Li’er into Zi Su and Ban Xia’s room. “Is this true?”
Zi Su put down the half-folded clothes. “What is it?”
Tao’er asked curiously, “It’s about Su Mu being punished by the Empress.”
“Yes.” Zi Su nodded.
Tao’er was young and curious. Zi Su had already turned around, so she grabbed her hand again. “Did Su Mu really steal something from the palace?”
Zi Su felt that Su Mu hadn’t stolen it, just like how she knew that Young Madam hadn’t given her the Safety Talisman. Everything was just Young Madam’s means. However, as Young Madam’s trusted aide, she wouldn’t and didn’t dare to tell outsiders about this.
Zi Su nodded.
Tao’er stomped her feet. “Aiya, I really couldn’t tell. She’s actually a thief!”
If this news had spread a few days ago, no one would have believed it. However, after causing so much trouble in the manor and not hesitating to risk her life to force Yu Wan, Su Mu’s image in everyone’s hearts had long plummeted. It would not be so difficult to accept the fact that she was a thief.
Li’er frowned and said, “It’s not difficult to paint a tiger’s skin but it’s hard to paint its bones. You can’t judge a book by its cover!”
Zi Su looked at the disdain on everyone’s faces and seemed to understand why Young Madam wanted to bring Su Mu into the palace. This was a trap, a trap to bury Su Mu. Su Mu was smart, but she did not know that she had fallen into Young Madam’s trap from the beginning.
With such a thing happening, there was no need for Young Madam to personally say anything. There would be countless people pleading to chase Su Mu out of the Young Master Manor.
As expected, after Yu Wan returned to the manor, the stewards came looking for her one after another.
The first to arrive was Steward Hu. He was the one who brought Su Mu back. He could not escape the blame. “I didn’t know better…”
Yu Wan replied to him with the Empress’s words, “It’s not your fault. Quickly get up.”
The stewards all expressed that Su Mu could not continue to stay in the manor. Otherwise, it would appear that the Young Master Manor was too unruly.
Yu Wan looked troubled. “This…”
Steward Wu said, “If we continue to keep her, it will be difficult to convince the public. In the future, anyone who wants to steal can go anywhere to steal. Because they knew that in the end, Young Madam wouldn’t punish them severely.”
Yu Wan sighed. “Since everyone says so, then… then it’s decided. I’m young, so I have to consider things carefully. I hope the stewards can remind me in the future.”
This time, even Uncle Wan shut up.
Su Mu was officially expelled from the Young Master Manor, but everything was not over yet. Just as she got the maidservant to carry her out, she was brought to a courtyard by a few guards.
This courtyard was located in the suburbs. There were few people and the terrain was remote.
Su Mu was thrown into the woodshed. She had been hit thirty times in the palace. Although she was not dead, she was still injured and her face was pale. The dim candlelight landed on her face, but it did not make her look any different.
She tried to sit up with her hands, but the light above her head suddenly darkened, and a tall and muscular figure pressed over. She slowly raised her head and met a pair of cold eyes.
Shadow Thirteen looked down at her. “Tell me, who sent you?”
… .
“Young Master!”
In the evening, Yan Jiuchao returned to the Young Master Manor. Just as he entered the upper room, Shadow Six and Shadow Thirteen also came.
Yu Wan went to the small kitchen. Yan Jiuchao missed her and turned around indifferently. “What is it?”
Shadow Six said, “We got it. Su Mu isn’t from Wan City. She’s from Yan City!”
“Yan City?” Yan Jiuchao frowned strangely.
Wan City and Yan City were both in the south of the Great Zhou. Wan City was adjacent to Southern Xinjiang, and Yan City was by the sea. There was a small town between the two cities, but the accents of the two places were very similar. This was also why Su Mu could pass off the fake as the real one.
Shadow Six nodded. “And she’s not only from Yan City, but also from the Prince Yan Manor.”
Yan Jiuchao’s expression became even stranger.
Shadow Six said, “Young Master, you were still young at that time. You didn’t know that Prince Yan once had a guard surnamed Su. That guard was brave and resourceful. Prince Yan thought highly of him and transferred him to the navy to become the deputy commander. However, this person had evil intentions and took bribes in the army, Prince Yan discovered it and he was fired.”
“So what is his daughter here for?” Yan Jiuchao asked.
“Revenge,” Shadow Six said.
