When Qin Yongtao entered, he saw Madam Xu lying on a chaise longue, with Jinhuan fanning her to calm her down. Yinhuan and Caiyue were attending to Qin Fangfang, who sat motionless, her once lively and charming demeanor now reduced to that of a puppet. Her eyes rolled bnkly, and tears streamed continuously down her face.
But none of this mattered to Qin Yongtao. After all, she was just a concubine-born daughter.
He fixed his gaze on Madam Xu, his voice calm but sharp: “Was it your pn to ruin Seventh Girl’s reputation, only for her to see through it and escape unscathed, while Eighth Girl ended up paying the price instead? Is that it?”
Madam Xu, already panicked, felt her heart race uncontrolbly at the sight of his piercing eyes. She instinctively clutched her chest. Nanny Liu hurried forward to help her breathe easier, pleading, “Master, the Madam cannot handle more stress…”
Qin Yongtao shed out with a kick, striking Nanny Liu square in the chest and sending her flying several steps back. She crashed against the table legs with a thud, the pain so excruciating she couldn’t even cry out.
“What are you doing? You might as well kill me!”
Madam Xu screamed, still harboring hope that her husband would defend them. Instead, he had come in, dispensing punishment without any consideration for her.
“Kill you? I’d rather start by killing these foolish servants! The fewer of them around, the fewer disasters they’ll cause. All of you, get out! Tell Seventh Girl to leave as well!”
Qin Yongtao pointed at Nanny Liu, veins bulging on his forehead, though his voice remained eerily calm.
Madam Xu shrank back in fear. Qin Yongtao was truly enraged—so furious that he was terrifyingly composed. Nanny Liu, on the verge of losing control of her bdder, clutched her chest and scrambled out, dragging herself on all fours. The three maids fled in panic.
“Crash!” Qin Yongtao swept everything off the table with a forceful swing, smashing the tea set into pieces on the ground. “Idiots!”
Outside in the courtyard, Nanny Liu, still reeling from fear, looked up and met Qin Shuying’s amused and mocking gaze.
Qin Shuying patted her legs as she stood, smiling faintly. “Nanny Liu, why do you think Uncle is so angry? Could it be that my apology wasn’t sincere enough?”
Nanny Liu, still shaken by Qin Yongtao’s fury, shuddered at the sound of Qin Shuying’s voice, staring at her in a daze.
This legitimate daughter of the third branch… is she mad?
Qin Shuying smiled lightly and said, “Since Uncle doesn’t welcome me, I’ll come another day.”
Even Caiyan, lying nearby, saw Qin Shuying’s meaningful smile and trembled even harder.
Inside the room.
Qin Yongtao sneered. “You still haven’t answered my question. Is it, or is it not?”
Madam Xu avoided his gaze, trying to change the subject. “Eighth Girl is in this state. Shouldn’t we focus on dealing with her situation first…”
Qin Yongtao’s eyes were devoid of any warmth as he cut her off. “Fine. Excellent! While I’m struggling to hold everything together outside, the Consort walks on eggshells in the pace, and the Sixth Prince suppresses his talents to avoid standing out—you, with just a few careless words, have undone all our efforts! Excellent! Excellent! Do you even know what people outside are saying about me now? Do you know how many officials have submitted memorials to the Emperor, demanding my impeachment? Do you know how many rumors the Consort has to fend off in the pace? Do you realize the immense pressure the Sixth Prince is under?
“And about the Second Girl—you think I don’t know? Do you think no one outside suspects? Do you think your pns were fwless?”
Qin Yongtao’s voice rose with each sentence, his tone cutting through the air like a bde. Madam Xu, trembling, looked up in terror. “No… no, that’s impossible…”
“Impossible?” Qin Yongtao’s sneer deepened. “Go tell the Consort it’s impossible. Go tell the Sixth Prince it’s impossible!”
Madam Xu stammered, her voice breaking. “How… how could this happen…”
Qin Yongtao brushed off his sleeves, his voice returning to its usual calm tone. “The incident with Yuan Zhen the other day—that was your doing too, wasn’t it? Haven’t you realized yet that Seventh Girl no longer trusts you?”
Madam Xu froze, still trying to defend herself. “I…”
“What? Still won’t admit it?”
Madam Xu opened her mouth but couldn’t utter a word. At this moment, Qin Fangfang cried out, “Father, what am I going to do?”
“What are you going to do? You’ll marry him! What else? Do you think you have other options? Becoming a nun? Drowning yourself?”
“No, I won’t! I won’t do it!”
Qin Yongtao, however, had no patience for further discussion. “This matter will soon be the talk of the town. I don’t have time to listen to your theatrics. I’ll arrange the marriage as quickly as possible. As for Seventh Girl, Madam Xu, she is the only bloodline my younger brother left behind and the fiancée chosen by the Liu family. You dared to harm her? What exactly are you trying to accomplish?”
Madam Xu stammered, “I didn’t… I didn’t…”
Qin Yongtao’s face darkened as he smmed his hand on the table. “Didn’t? You foolish woman! Are you trying to ruin my reputation, to make me a ughingstock? Seventh Girl is Third Brother’s daughter. When the time comes, she’ll marry out with a dowry—how does that inconvenience you? Wasn’t the st lesson enough for you? Very well…”
A sinister smile crossed Qin Yongtao’s face as he suddenly pulled aside the curtain and strode out.
Madam Xu watched the curtain beads sway back and forth, clutching her handkerchief tightly. Now Qin Yongtao had taken another beautiful maid into his service. Clearly, he’d been bewitched by that vixen…
Her thoughts seethed with resentment, but Qin Yongtao’s words still echoed in her mind. Seventh Girl doesn’t trust me anymore? How could she tell? What does it matter if she doesn’t trust me? She’s just an orphaned girl with no support. What could she possibly do?
Qin Fangfang knelt on the ground, begging bitterly. “Mother, what do I do? I don’t want to marry him! I can’t marry him!”
She understood too well—being a concubine-born daughter with a scandal like this meant she’d only end up as a concubine in that household. She had originally pnned to use this incident to bring down Qin Shuying and take her pce as Liu Junqing’s bride.
That useless son of the Sun family—how could he compare to Liu Junqing? He wasn’t even worthy of carrying Liu Junqing’s shoes!
“Enough! Stop shouting!” Madam Xu, having pyed the role of the doting mother long enough, no longer needed to keep up appearances without others around. She snapped at Qin Fangfang and then turned to the trembling maids who entered to serve. “Where’s Concubine Li? Why hasn’t she been called? Bring her here immediately to take her daughter away!”
Concubine Li soon arrived, sobbing as she took Qin Fangfang away.
Madam Xu smmed her hand on the table, her face twisted in fury. “Qin Shuying, you wretched girl! I’ll make sure you die a miserable death!”
Qin Yunyun, who had been silent until now, stepped forward and said softly, “Mother, Father told us not to provoke her, but I can’t just accept this. Mother, we should go to the pace and ask Elder Sister, ask Consort Lian. She must have a way to deal with Qin Shuying!”
Madam Xu hesitated, recalling Qin Yongtao’s earlier warnings.
Qin Yunyun added, “Mother, Consort Lian can personally teach her about virtues befitting a woman—what an honor that would be!”
Seeing Madam Xu still wavering, Qin Yunyun pressed further. “Mother, Father told us not to provoke her, but what if she provokes others? There are many noble figures in the pace. If she were to accidentally offend someone important, even Consort Lian would have no choice but to act decisively for the greater good!”
A sly smile crept across Madam Xu’s lips. “You’re right. Consort Lian personally teaching her—it shows such regard…”
Recalling Qin Yongtao’s parting words, Madam Xu’s expression twisted into a strange grin. “Mother promises you, I’ll make sure Qin Shuying neither lives in peace nor dies with ease!”
