APSIL -Chapter 139 The Young Lady’s Morning Temper

While Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou each slept soundly for half the night thanks to the calming incense that continued burning in their rooms, the latter half of the night at Zhao Garden was anything but peaceful.

The gates were tightly shut, no one was allowed in or out, and an extremely thorough search began. They searched so carefully that not even a single tree or potted flower was overlooked.

Even though Zhao Garden had always prided itself on strict rules, after such a massive inspection, no one knew how many forbidden items and how much suspicious gold and silver had been uncovered.

The Zhao Garden steward, who had still been smiling warmly when welcoming Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou the previous day, now stood before the piles of confiscated items completely dumbfounded. He did not dare utter a single word.

Zhu Hong, who personally led the inspection, looked at the piles of messy evidence, his face already dark with anger.

He took a deep breath before shouting furiously: “If our Zhao Duke Manor were not a household that has always refused to execute people privately, then based on these stolen goods alone, many of you would have enough charges to die more than ten times over!”

“Interrogate every single person carefully! Do not let even the slightest offense slip!”

When Zhang Shou woke up from a deep night’s sleep, he got out of bed, changed clothes, and washed up. Then he heard A-Liu speak from behind him.

“There was trouble outside all night.”

Zhang Shou yawned, stretched without caring about his appearance, and casually asked:

“What about Yingying?”

“The Young Lady is still asleep.”

Seeing Zhang Shou turn around and stare at him in surprise, A-Liu did not explain. Instead, his eyes shifted toward the incense burner in the corner.

By now, the windows had already been opened for ventilation, but a faint trace of the sweet fragrance of the calming incense still lingered in the air.

Zhang Shou immediately understood.

No wonder Zhu Ying was still sleeping so peacefully until now. She had this thing to thank.

After waking up, Zhang Shou changed into a sandalwood-colored robe.

As for why Zhao Garden, a secondary estate of the Zhao Duke Manor, already had clothes perfectly matching his measurements, he did not even need to think about it.

The Zhu family had probably prepared ten or even dozens of sets of clothing long ago and sent them here in advance.

Facing this level of thoughtful preparation, Zhang Shou was already too lazy to think about it.

After leaving Warm Fragrance Studio, before he even had a chance to inspect his surroundings, Zhu Hong had already hurried over.

After bowing, he spoke solemnly: “Master Zhang, Zhao Garden has been roughly searched once. Those guilty of serious crimes have already been locked up. However, there are countless others who committed smaller offenses.”

“Since this matter is extremely important, I have already sent people riding quickly back to inform the Madam Dowager and Madam.”

He paused before lowering his voice.

“I did not want to disturb the Young Lady’s sleep.”

“Oh?”

Zhang Shou looked amused.

“Are you afraid that Yingying will wake up later and become angry, saying that she was right here, yet you ignored her and went over her head?”

Seeing Zhu Hong become somewhat embarrassed, Zhang Shou chuckled.

“If I’m not mistaken, even if you had reported this to the manor, the message from the family would probably have been that Yingying should handle this matter herself.”

Even if Zhu Ying’s decisions regarding rewards and punishments were not completely fair, the Dowager Madam and Ninth Madam would not consider it a serious issue.

After all, since Zhu Ying had already clearly expressed her desire to grow up and take responsibility, and considering the turbulent situation they were facing, they would naturally use this opportunity to train her.

Besides…

No matter how one looked at it, Zhu Ying was far more reliable than her second brother, Zhu Er.

Previously, Zhu Hong had only been trying to act cautiously.

He feared that if Zhu Ying discovered Zhao Garden was filled with corruption and all kinds of filthy affairs, she would become furious.

But after hearing Zhang Shou’s words, Zhu Hong suddenly realized something.

He had made a mistake.

He stood frozen for a long while before lowering his head.

“It was my mistake. I was confused for a moment and forgot that this is a matter of the Zhu family. The Young Lady should never have been kept outside of it.”

“Now that the Young Lady has not yet awakened, Master Zhang, could you perhaps…”

His voice grew quieter and quieter.

He found it difficult to say the rest.

Why would Zhang Shou help someone who had made a mistake?

Zhang Shou stared at Zhu Hong for a while.

Before the man could finish hesitating, Zhang Shou took the initiative.

“I’ll wake her up and explain everything.”

“But you should prepare yourself. She will definitely scold you afterward.”

Zhu Hong felt extremely uneasy.

If it were only being scolded, that would actually be fine…

What he feared was that the Young Lady would become angry and decide he had acted on his own and intentionally concealed the truth.

Even worse, he feared the Dowager Madam and Madam would also think he had handled things improperly.

After all, it was because Lord Hua Qi had taken away the most important prisoners and left him with this mess.

He had been too busy. When he discovered Zhu Ying had already fallen asleep after burning calming incense, he thought over the matter repeatedly.

In the end, he decided not to wake her and simply sent someone to report to the main manor.

When Zhang Shou knocked on the door of Autumn Refresh Studio, he waited outside for a full two quarters of an hour before Zhu Ying finally came out.

Naturally, a young lady could not casually appear before others immediately after waking up like a man could.

She had changed into a completely different outfit from yesterday’s male disguise.

She wore a begonia-red dress, and a red agate hairpin adorned her glossy black hair.

At first glance, she looked as beautiful as a blooming flower.

However, she clearly lacked energy.

She obviously had not slept well during the first half of the night, and now she was suffering from a serious case of morning grumpiness.

“A-Shou, why did you wake up so early?”

Zhu Ying suppressed a yawn and spoke weakly.

“Anyway, today is still your day off. It wouldn’t matter if you returned to the capital later.”

“Not early. Look at the sun.”

Zhang Shou pointed toward the sky.

Zhu Ying glanced up, immediately covered her eyes against the glaring sunlight, and complained softly: “I was planning to sleep until noon.”

“I stayed awake for half the night. I’m exhausted.”

The two maids inside the room saw Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying talking. They quietly carried out water basins and then tactfully left.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Shou could not help thinking:

Although Zhu Hong truly had not considered things carefully enough, if Zhu Ying had stayed awake through the night, then after discovering the results of the investigation, the anger of the Young Lady who had not slept would probably have been even greater.

She might really have gone on a killing spree.

So Zhang Shou carefully chose his words and repeated Zhu Hong’s explanation in a softened manner.

As expected…

The moment Zhu Ying heard what happened, her previous sleepiness instantly vanished.

“These damn people… they all deserve to die!”

Zhu Ying’s face burned with anger, and her chest felt heavy with rage.

The fury that had been suppressed because she fell asleep last night now surged back all at once.

“Zhu Hong deserves punishment too! Something this serious happened, yet he didn’t wake me up. Instead, he sent people to report to Grandmother and Mother!”

“Am I, the person staying here, just a dead person to him?”

“The servants who committed crimes cannot be executed, but does that mean I can’t punish them?”

She clenched her fists, her anger rising.

“Besides, the Zhu family has farms and stone quarries outside the capital. Couldn’t we simply send them there?”

“Those who were greedy for wealth and accepted bribes should have their fortunes confiscated.”

“Those who were tempted by women should be sent somewhere without women, like the mines, to dig coal.”

“Those who deceived their superiors and hid the truth should be made to do the hardest labor.”

“In short, whatever they value most, take it away from them!”

“Father once told me that laws are actually very simple. The difference between serious crimes and minor crimes is only the punishment.”

“If it is a beating, it is only a matter of how many strikes.”

“If it is imprisonment, it is only a matter of how long.”

“And the heaviest punishment is losing one’s head!”

Zhang Shou could not help laughing.

“I originally planned to persuade you not to get angry. I didn’t expect you had already thought everything through.”

“Then go ahead.”

“The matter of Zhao Garden is your family’s internal affair. As the Young Lady of the Zhu family, you should handle it.”

“I believe that if the Dowager Madam and Ninth Aunt know about this, they will support you.”

Only after Zhu Ying finished venting did she realize how fierce and domineering she must have sounded.

She hesitated slightly before asking directly: “Then what about you, A-Shou?”

“Would you think my methods are too harsh?”

“Me?”

Zhang Shou was startled for a moment.

Then he smiled warmly.

“If I didn’t support you, I wouldn’t have come here to find you.”

“As for whether your methods are too severe, I believe you understand how to judge that.”

“Go handle it.”

“After you cut through this mess quickly, I’ll still be waiting for you so we can return to the capital together.”

“Alright. Wait for me!”

Zhu Ying immediately became cheerful again.

A smile appeared between her brows.

After leaving those words behind, she quickly walked away.

Not long afterward, Zhang Shou could hear her voice coming from beyond the wall.

“Pass on my order!”

“Bring everyone to Dawn Emerald Hall. Not a single person is to be missing!”

“Within one quarter of an hour, if anyone arrives late, they will receive ten strokes for every breath of delay!”

“I want to see who dares waste my time!”

“And send my breakfast to Dawn Emerald Hall as well.”

“I do not have time to deal with those people while hungry!”

When Zhang Shou quietly left the courtyard gate and returned to Warm Fragrance Studio, he found that his breakfast had already been delivered.

While eating, he could faintly hear various cries coming from Dawn Emerald Hall to the south.

But without exception, every shout disappeared almost immediately, as if someone had cut the sound off the moment it began.

After finishing breakfast, Zhang Shou brought A-Liu with him and wandered northward through Zhao Garden.

They walked for quite some time, circling around half of the enormous garden while admiring the scenery and architecture.

When they finally reached the southern garden gate, they happened to run directly into a group of people who had just dismounted in front of the entrance and were hurrying inside.

“Master Zhang?”

The leading person, Nanny Li, clearly had not expected to see Zhang Shou standing there.

She exclaimed in surprise.

Seeing Zhang Shou slightly nod toward her, she immediately stepped back and bowed.

“The Dowager Madam and Madam received the carrier pigeon message in the middle of the night, so…”

Before she could finish, Zhang Shou smiled and interrupted: “Yingying is currently in Dawn Emerald Hall, interrogating and handling those people.”

“Nanny Li, you may go there and see whether her judgments are fair.”

Nanny Li was stunned.

Then she hurriedly nodded.

“Yes, yes.”

But she no longer had time for small talk and quickly headed toward Dawn Emerald Hall.

However, after walking only a few steps, she suddenly stopped.

The Madam had originally intended to personally come here.

But after discussing with the Dowager Madam, they decided that it would be better to guide the Young Lady into handling the matter herself.

They had not even had a chance to deliver their instructions.

Yet the Young Lady had already acted decisively.

If that was the case…

Wouldn’t rushing over immediately make it seem like she did not trust the Young Lady?

Thinking this, Nanny Li immediately turned around.

With a warm smile, she approached Zhang Shou again.

“Since the Young Lady has already taken charge, whether I go or not makes little difference.”

“But what exactly happened last night? Master Zhang, could you personally tell me?”

Zhang Shou was just about to answer when a commotion suddenly came from outside the gate.

Not long afterward, a family guard hurried inside.

He looked at Nanny Li, then looked at Zhang Shou.

Finally, he lowered his head and bowed.

“Outside, Young Master Zhang from Qin Garden has personally arrived.”

“He asked whether something happened at Zhao Garden, and whether there is anything he can help with.”

Zhang Shou’s expression immediately changed slightly.

Young Master Zhang from Qin Garden…

Was it Zhang Chen?

If so…

This was actually a perfect opportunity to shift the blame.