The maid was speechless.
Jia looked at the maid controlled by Feng Qi Shi with a look of surprise, swallowing hard. He suddenly felt they were quite terrifying.
Mu An Xiao still held the maid's arm and said, "Alright, come with me."
"You're really going to take me to Madam's place?" The maid looked at Mu An Xiao in disbelief.
Mu An Xiao: "Otherwise? You spoke ill of me in front of that guy, ruining my reputation. This matter isn't over."
"No."
"Why not? Are you afraid to admit what you did?"
"I..." The maid was scared. "I... this servant was ordered by Miss Mu Hua to do these things, so it has nothing to do with this servant. If you want to find someone, find someone else, not me."
"This is the first time I've seen a maid reporting her mistress," Mu An Xiao said indifferently.
The maid: "I dare not. I was just speaking casually." She said this with a tone of complete shirking of responsibility.
Mu An Xiao looked at the maid's falsely aggrieved expression, then thought about what she had done to her under Mu Hua's instruction. Mu An Xiao sneered, "A good 'speaking casually.' Your words alone are enough to doom your Miss Mu Hua."
The maid lowered her head.
Mu An Xiao looked at the maid's evasive movements and said, "Since that's the case, remember to perform well at Madam's place later."
Upon hearing this, the maid's body stiffened. She looked up at Mu An Xiao and said, "I've already told you the truth. You... you can let me go now, right?"
"Before, when Mu Hua bullied me, you seemed to be the most enthusiastic instigator. Why..." Mu An Xiao coldly looked at the maid's face. "Now you know fear."
"Mm." The maid trembled.
Mu An Xiao: "That's truly..." She deeply felt the maid's reaction and said, "Too late."
"You..."
"Let's go. There are some things I should make clear to Madam," Mu An Xiao interrupted, pulling the maid and walking out of the courtyard.
Immediately after, Feng Qi Shi and Jia exchanged a glance, and Jia said, "I'll follow."
"Mm." Feng Qi Shi nodded.
Jia chuckled, stepped over the threshold, and followed Mu An Xiao and the others.
Feng Qi Shi, after they had walked away, also quietly followed.
In a blink of an eye.
Mu An Xiao pulled the maid to outside Madam's room.
As fate would have it, Madam had just returned to her room.
Mu An Xiao stood at the foot of the steps, looking up at the slightly ajar door, and said, "Madam, it's Mu Xiao." She knew Mai Xia was definitely there, so she wanted to take this opportunity to see... if the owner of that light was Mai Xia.
At the same time, Jia stopped beside Mu An Xiao.
The maid, as if she knew her fate, dared not say a word now.
On the contrary, Mu An Xiao guessed that the maid would not speak kindly to her, so she harbored no hope for the maid. Her purpose in coming was only to see if Mai Xia could truly see Jia.
Thus, she said again, "Madam, it's Mu Xiao. Are you there?"
Inside the room.
Mai Xia stood beside Madam, listening to Mu An Xiao's voice from outside. Her heart sank, and she said, "Madam, she's here."
Madam: "..." She raised a teacup with one hand and looked up at Mai Xia.
Mai Xia: "Madam, why are you looking at me?" she asked, puzzled.
"Why are you looking for me?" Madam retorted.
Mai Xia had just entered, and Mu An Xiao arrived immediately after. Therefore, Madam suspected the synchronized actions of the mother and daughter.
"I'm here because I have something to say," Mai Xia said softly.
Madam: "What could you possibly have to say? Just now in..."
"Madam, I say the same thing again. If Mu Hua is not disciplined properly at this final moment, the consequences..." Mai Xia said seriously, "will be unimaginable."
"..." Madam frowned.
"To tell you the truth, I saw her go to the General." Mai Xia pierced the veil of Madam asking Mu Hua to find Feng Qi Shi to put in a good word.
Thus, Madam's expression became awkward.
Mai Xia looked down at Madam's strange expression and asked, "Madam, what's wrong?"
"Nothing. Which eye did you see Hua'er going to the General? This statement," she took a sip of tea, "you mustn't speak carelessly."
"Madam, if you don't believe me, then I can't do anything about it," Mai Xia said resolutely.
Madam's expression froze. "What do you mean by that?"
"Perhaps you don't understand palace affairs."
"What affairs?" Madam retorted.
Mai Xia pursed her lips and said, "Women in the palace are not allowed to interact with any men. Of course, eunuchs are an exception. In short, if she enters the palace and seeks out the General, then things will be serious." She deliberately exaggerated the severity of the matter.
Madam was stunned.
Outside the door.
Mu An Xiao clearly heard Mai Xia and Madam's conversation. She then thought about Mai Xia's usual walking speed, and her eyes deepened. She muttered, "No way."
Unexpectedly, Mu An Xiao's "No way" was clearly heard by the maid. Subsequently, she fixed her gaze on Mu An Xiao's face.
Mu An Xiao noticed the maid's gaze and turned to look at the maid's face, asking, "Why are you looking at me?"
"Weren't you talking to me?" the maid retorted.
Mu An Xiao: "I wasn't talking to you. I was just surprised," she frowned slightly. "How did my mother know that your mistress went to find Shen Moyun."
"..." The maid heard Mu An Xiao's address for Feng Qi Shi and recalled Feng Qi Shi speaking up for Mu An Xiao just now. She couldn't help but ask, "What is your relationship with the General?" Her voice was very low.
The next second, Mu An Xiao glanced around as if to avoid suspicion, then looked again at the servants standing outside the door, silent. She said softly, "Want to know?"
The maid nodded.
Mu An Xiao sneered, "A relationship of enemies."
"Enemies?" The maid didn't quite understand Mu An Xiao's meaning.
Mu An Xiao looked at the maid's completely clueless expression and said, "He provoked me, so naturally, he's my enemy. As for you, I advise you not to overthink things, lest you don't even know how you died."
"You..." The maid uttered a word, then pondered Mu An Xiao's words in her mind before saying, "I won't say anymore."
"It's good to know how to preserve your life," Mu An Xiao said, turning back to look at the door. She thought, it seemed Mai Xia had seen it.
Jia, standing beside her, also heard Mai Xia's voice. He frowned in deep confusion and said, "It doesn't make sense."
Mu An Xiao: "..." She lowered her head and glanced at Jia.
Jia: "The direction she walked just now was the opposite of yours. How did she know about Mu Hua?" He tilted his head and fixed his gaze on Mu An Xiao's face.
Mu An Xiao was not surprised by this. Instead, she raised her head and looked at the maid again: "..."
Seeing Mu An Xiao look at her, the maid shifted her gaze and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"
"You go."
"Huh?"
However, Mu An Xiao's purpose was to see if Mai Xia was by Madam's side, and secondly, to see... if there was any actual connection between Mai Xia and that blue light. Now that she heard Mai Xia speak, she had a clearer understanding.
Naturally, this maid was no longer of much use.
"What 'huh'? As long as you go back and don't speak carelessly, and answer whatever your mistress asks you," Mu An Xiao instructed.
"Got it." The maid breathed a sigh of relief and looked down at her arm, which was still held tightly by Mu An Xiao. She said softly, "Um... your hand."
Seeing this, Mu An Xiao released her hand.
After the maid nodded slightly, she turned and left.
Jia was confused. "If you don't take her, how will you get in?"
"..." Mu An Xiao looked down at Jia, ignored the servants, and walked straight in.
Jia was startled and followed Mu An Xiao into the room.
The servants dared not provoke Mu An Xiao, so they withdrew their hands that were about to stop her.
At that moment.
Mu An Xiao stood still, looking at Madam and Mai Xia seated at the table, saying not a word.
Jia stood beside Mu An Xiao, observing Mai Xia, who was looking in their direction.
Madam leisurely picked up her teacup, looked up at Mu An Xiao, who had stopped in place, and asked, "Is something the matter?"
"Madam, you were the one who asked Mu Hua to find Shen Moyun, weren't you?" Mu An Xiao went straight to the point.
Mai Xia's expression was blank.
When Madam heard Mu An Xiao's words, the hand holding the teacup couldn't help but tremble. She said, "Truly mother and daughter." She glanced at Mai Xia.
Mai Xia glanced at Madam, then looked at Mu An Xiao with a worried expression.
Mu An Xiao: "Madam, what do you mean?"
"Your mother was just talking about Mu Hua, and now you've come. What a coincidence," Madam said, also glancing at Mai Xia.
Mai Xia remained unfazed, still silent.
"I also think it's a coincidence, but," Mu An Xiao said, "Madam, I think what you did was not right."
"What did I do?"
"Asking Mu Hua to find Shen Moyun to curry favor with him."
"I only asked Hua'er to find General Shen to learn etiquette. What does that have to do with you and your mother?" Madam completely disregarded what Mai Xia had just said.
Mu An Xiao: "Etiquette," she sneered, "I think she misinterpreted your intentions. When she went to General Shen, she was always speaking ill of me."
"What?" Madam exclaimed.
When Mai Xia heard Mu An Xiao say this, she also closed her mouth tightly.
Mu An Xiao continued, "Madam, Mu Hua and I are going to the palace together, and this time the Mu Manor is involved. From this point of view alone, do you think..." she smiled, "she did the right thing."
"..." Madam's eyes darkened.
Mu An Xiao added, "If my reputation is bad, once that bad reputation spreads in the palace, those who dislike us in the harem will have an opportunity to take advantage. Therefore," she nodded slightly, "please make things clear to Mu Hua."
"You want me to say it?" Madam pointed to herself.
"You are her mother. If I say it, who else will?"
"You say it," Madam stated firmly.
Mu An Xiao's expression stiffened. "Madam, why me?"
"I see you're quite articulate. If I say it, she probably won't listen."
"But I'm a wild girl. If you ask me to speak to her, it might be inappropriate," Mu An Xiao knew Madam had ulterior motives. She guessed Madam did this because she didn't want to offend her own daughter? She didn't think about other intentions.
"What..."
Madam was speaking halfway when Mu Hua walked in and interrupted, "Mother, you think I would listen to her?"
Hearing this, Madam shifted her gaze to Mu Hua's face.
Mu Hua immediately shifted her gaze to Mu An Xiao's face. "You really talk nonsense." She glared at Mu An Xiao angrily.
Mu An Xiao: "How am I talking nonsense?"
"When did I tell her to speak ill of you to Brother Shen? You really can make anything up." Mu Hua said righteously.
Mu An Xiao wanted this effect, so she coldly smiled and said, "You say I'm making things up, but she doesn't think so, does she?" She pointed to the maid standing beside Mu Hua.
The maid: "..." She thought she had escaped. Who knew that she had met Mu Hua not long after. Seeing that she was acting strangely, Mu Hua brought her back with all her might. At this moment, she felt conflicted.
Mu Hua shifted her gaze to the maid's face.
The maid: "Miss, why are you looking at me?"
"Tell me what I instructed you to do," Mu Hua ignored Madam and focused entirely on the maid and Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao: "..." She watched Mu Hua calmly, deliberately remaining silent.
At the same time, Mai Xia's gaze fell on Jia, and Jia was stunned.
Then, the maid, relying on her memory, said, "You said you wanted to curry favor with General Shen and asked me to speak more ill of her. This way, in the palace, she would... have a hard time surviving."
"..." Mu Hua's eyes widened.
Mu An Xiao hugged her arms. "You're truly ruthless."
"I didn't," Mu Hua didn't even look at Mu An Xiao. She continued to stare at the maid, who was completely making things up, in disbelief. "You dead girl, did she give you benefits to frame me like this?"
"This servant remembers that's exactly what you said," the maid stated firmly.
Mu Hua frowned.
At the same time, Mai Xia naturally shifted her gaze from Jia's face to Mu An Xiao's face.
Mu An Xiao noticed Mai Xia's gaze, but to avoid making it too obvious, she deliberately did not look at Mai Xia.
The maid cautiously watched Mu Hua's angry expression. Just as she was about to speak, Madam said, "Hua'er, I asked you to find General Shen to seize an opportunity. But you, you ended up harming her. You're too much!" She knew Mu An Xiao had a good understanding of palace rules. If she didn't side with Mu An Xiao now, it would be Mu Hua who would suffer. Therefore, for Mu Hua's sake, she had to turn her elbow outwards.
Mu An Xiao remained silent.
Mu Hua looked wronged. "Mother, I didn't."
"Even if Mother wants to believe you, the facts prove that the maid you trust the most has already said this. Therefore," Madam said solemnly, "you should admit it."
"Why should I admit it? I only sent this maid to see if Shen Moyun was hiding Mu An Xiao. So..." Halfway through her sentence, Mu Hua's eyes lit up, and she immediately shifted her gaze to Mu An Xiao's face. "No, how did you know all this?"
"..." Mu An Xiao blinked, deliberately maintaining her silence.
Seeing that Mu An Xiao wasn't speaking, Mu Hua assumed she had the upper hand. "You were indeed in Shen Moyun's room." She pointed at Mu An Xiao.
Mu An Xiao's expression was blank. "I don't understand what you're talking about."