On the twentieth day of the first lunar month, the carved bronze brazier in the main hall of the Lu Mansion was burning with borneol incense. Old Madam Lu sat in the center of the room, flanked by Fourth Great-Uncle, Third Uncle, and other senior members of the family. Jiang Wan, dressed in a honey-colored ruqun skirt, knelt gracefully on the blue bricks, while Lu Jingyuan stood straight behind her, his burning gaze fixed intently on Lu Jinghuan in the lower seat.
"I called you all here today to clear the air," Old Madam Lu said, tapping her armrest. "Jiang Wan, tell us yourself what those rumors are all about."
Jiang Wan curtsied, her voice clear and ringing: "Reporting to Grandmother, all the rumors originated from the expelled maid Xiaocui. Because she was punished by me for stealing a gold hairpin from the storehouse, she harbored resentment and colluded with my cousin's valet to fabricate the rumors." She signaled Lüluo to step forward with a scroll. "This is the audit record from the Marquis's Mansion's financial department. The gold hairpin stolen by Xiaocui has been recovered, and we have the pawnshop owner's testimony."
Chapter 142