Chapter 60: Chapter 60: A Thief Crying ’Stop Thief

"Wh-what did you say?" Mrs. Zhang’s legs gave way. She nearly collapsed to the floor, but Liang Jing and the Madam of the He Family hurried forward to support her.

The crowd was astonished. For a Lady from the Liang Mansion of a fourth-rank official to be abducted amidst the chaos—just who would have the audacity to do such a thing?

Liang Cheng stepped forward and grabbed the servant girl by the collar. "What on earth happened? Explain yourself right now!"

Tears streamed down the maid’s face as she sobbed, "The Lady hasn’t been feeling well these past two days. She retired early tonight, just like yesterday. I was keeping watch by the door when two men in black suddenly burst in. They held a knife to me and demanded to know which one was... was..."

She broke off mid-sentence and cast a timid glance at Mrs. Zhang, as if unsure of how to continue.

Liang Cheng saw her hesitation clearly. He tightened his grip on her collar and frowned. "Was what? Spit it out! Why are you looking at the Madam?"

The maid’s face turned pale, her eyes darting around in a panic. "They said... they said..."

Mrs. Zhang’s expression instantly turned ghastly.

"What exactly did they say?! Why are you stammering? What are you trying to hide? Do you have a guilty conscience?" Liang Jing snapped angrily.

The onlookers were growing anxious as well. The maid’s evasiveness strongly suggested something was amiss. The servant girl bit her lip hard, but her gaze kept flickering toward Mrs. Zhang.

"If you can’t speak clearly," Liang Jing said coldly, "we’ll beat you until you can!"

Liang Wan glanced at her, then stepped forward and gestured to Liang Cheng. Taking the hint, the Family Head tossed the maid aside.

"We’re at a critical juncture," Liang Wan coaxed gently. "What are you still hesitating for? Only if you tell us everything clearly can my uncle hurry to save her. Aren’t you worried about the Fourth Lady too?"

Tears welled up in the maid’s eyes. Clenching her teeth, she finally blurted out, "They demanded to know which one was the Third Lady—"

"What?" Liang Wan’s eyes widened in shock and disbelief. "They were looking for me?"

The maid nodded. "They even ordered me to lead them to the Third Lady. They said... they said the Madam had already sold the Third Lady to them! They were here to make the exchange—money for the goods!"

The color drained from everyone’s faces. One by one, they turned to look at the Madam of the He Family in sheer astonishment.

Following the crowd’s gaze, Liang Wan slowly turned her eyes toward the Madam of the He Family as well.

The Madam of the He Family looked bewildered. "Why are you all staring at me?"

Liang Jing’s face darkened, and she raised her voice. "You wretched slave, how dare you slander the First Madam! Not only is the Third Lady her biological daughter, but our Liang Family has been a family of scholars for generations. How could we possibly engage in the despicable, lowborn act of selling our own children?!"

The Liang Mansion was a prestigious and noble household; they had absolutely no reason to sell their daughters. Liang Jing’s words made perfect sense. As the crowd nodded in agreement, they couldn’t help but wonder if this was another treacherous servant trying to frame her master.

They cast suspicious glances back at the maid.

Liang Wan also put on an expression of displeasure. "What nonsense are you sprouting? How could my mother do such a thing?"

Liang Cheng’s eyes gleamed with a chilling hostility. "If you dare spout any more lies, I will not spare you!"

What was supposed to be a joyous occasion had turned into a complete farce. First, a scandal of catching adulterers, and now a kidnapping! It was as if this endless string of dramatic events had been staged just to keep the guests entertained. After tonight, the Liang Mansion would inevitably become the laughingstock of the entire Jinye City!

The veins on Liang Cheng’s forehead bulged as he clenched his fists tightly. The fury and coldness radiating from him were enough to make anyone tremble in fear.

Terrified yet feeling deeply wronged, the maid cried out loudly, "I would never dare deceive the Family Head! That’s exactly what the men in black said. But they weren’t talking about the First Madam. From what they said, it sounded like... like it was the Second Madam—" Her voice instinctively trailed off into a whisper by the end.

"The men in black said... on the joyous day of her own son’s wedding, she was actually selling another family’s daughter. That’s exactly how they put it..."

With such blatant clues, it was self-evident which Madam they were referring to.

Liang Wan widened her innocent, watery eyes, staring at Mrs. Zhang in disbelief. "Aunt, you were actually planning to sell me?"

The Madam of the He Family shoved Mrs. Zhang away violently, pointing directly at her nose as she demanded sharply, "Zhang Yulian, why did you want to sell Awan?"

In an instant, all eyes converged on Mrs. Zhang’s face.

"It wasn’t me! I didn’t do it!" she vehemently denied. "How could I possibly do such a thing? This wretched slave must have been terrified of dying and sold out Ajiao to save her own skin! Now she’s twisting the truth, trying to clear her own name!"

Liang Cheng slowly began to piece the situation together. He cast a faint glance at Mrs. Zhang, his expression growing increasingly gloomy.

Though he didn’t know for certain if she was the culprit, now was clearly not the time to continue arguing in front of an audience. He was deeply concerned about Ajiao’s safety, but he was equally terrified that the Liang Family’s reputation would be dragged through the mud and completely ruined.

The most pressing matter was to dismiss the guests first, then find Ajiao and uncover the truth behind all of this.

Having made up his mind, Liang Cheng maintained a stern face. "Look at how you usually spoil these servants! They’ve all become lawless and spout utter nonsense! Our mansion is guarded by skilled men—how could ordinary thugs just waltz in and break into a Lady’s boudoir? What a joke!"

After pondering the situation for a long moment, Liang Jing took a step forward and chimed in right on cue. "My uncle is absolutely right. I also think that since Ajiao has been ill these past few days and you forbade her from leaving her room, she must have felt stifled. Taking advantage of the wedding festivities today, she probably sneaked out for a stroll. Fearing your reprimand, her maids concocted this ridiculous excuse. But they are young, after all; they don’t understand that such jokes shouldn’t be made!"

If she didn’t share the same surname, she wouldn’t have spared a single glance at this horrible mess. Left with no other choice, Liang Jing suppressed her anger and continued to smooth things over. "Uncle, you should find some time to thoroughly screen the servants in the mansion. After all, it’s impossible to truly know a person’s heart. Over time, there are bound to be a few restless ones who harbor greedy thoughts and bring disaster upon their masters!"

"Yes, a thorough investigation is indeed necessary," Mrs. Zhang forced out the words stiffly. Her heart, however, was burning with anxiety and frustration as she shot a meaningful look at the maid beside her.

Understanding the cue, the maid immediately stepped forward and grabbed the crying servant girl by the arm. Yanking her roughly, she scolded, "Even if outsiders don’t know the Second Madam’s temper, those of us in the mansion know it best! Yet here you are, slandering the Second Madam just to escape punishment! For all we know, you conspired with outsiders to kidnap the Fourth Lady, and now you have the gall to cry thief here!"

The kneeling maid shook her head frantically, crying and screaming, "I’m not lying! I’m really not lying! That’s exactly what the men in black said! I’ve served the Fourth Lady for so long—how could I ever betray my master for glory or bite the hand that feeds me?"

Unwilling to drag this out any longer, Liang Cheng ordered sternly, "Gag her, tie her up, and lock her in the woodshed!"

However, Mrs. Zhang’s heart did not settle down.

The original plan was to catch Liang Wan in the act of adultery, tie her up, and sell her off. But even if they were selling her, it should have happened at the agreed-upon time! How could those men have barged in without permission? And they had taken Ajiao—

Ajiao... Just the thought of her daughter falling into the hands of those people made Mrs. Zhang’s hands and feet turn ice-cold. It was as if she were frozen solid in the dead of winter, unable to move an inch.

"I can testify! This maid isn’t lying! The one who wanted to sell the Third Lady was indeed the Second Madam!"

Hearing that voice, Liang Wan and Qiuxi were startled. They followed the sound and saw that it was really Cui Hao!

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.