Nanny Liu’s expression immediately changed. She had deeply experienced Qin Shuying’s sharp tongue, and now just hearing her speak made her scalp tingle with dread. She wished she could seal up her mouth, but this was at the main gate of the Lu residence, with people coming and going outside. Though it wasn’t as crowded as a marketplace, there was still a steady stream of passersby.

Nanny Liu shouted, “Seventh Miss, you’re spouting nonsense! All you nannies, what did Master Lu instruct? Quickly escort Seventh Miss into the carriage!”

Only then did these nannies somewhat recover from the shocking information Qin Shuying had delivered. They formed a surrounding formation, forcibly escorting Qin Shuying toward the carriage.

Qin Shuying was unwilling. Seeing that she was about to open her mouth to speak again, Nanny Liu was terrified and hurriedly grabbed her arm. Qin Shuying forcefully pulled back, refusing to get into the carriage. Nanny Liu shouted at the four old women, “Hurry up!”

The four old women pushed, pulled, and dragged. Qin Shuying was shoved about, swaying unsteadily, crying out, “No, no…”

In the midst of the pulling and tugging, the four old women practically carried Qin Shuying out of the doorway, then began descending the steps. Not far below the steps was the street, where a horse carriage waited.

Once they got her into the carriage and covered her mouth inside, they could do whatever they pleased.

Nanny Liu’s face showed a vicious expression, and she used her strength without restraint. Led by her, they lifted Qin Shuying, making her struggles useless.

Suddenly, Ziteng came running frantically from behind, shouting in terror, “All you nannies, my young miss’s clothing is worth two hundred taels of silver – don’t snatch it! The jade hairpin on Miss’s head is worth five thousand taels – nannies, don’t snatch it! Have the Lu family gone mad? Are they really going to rob even their in-laws’ jewelry and clothes?”

Qin Shuying cried out in terror, “No, no…” while Ziteng shouted loudly, “Come quick and see! The Lu residence is robbing their in-laws’ possessions in broad daylight…”

When Nanny Liu realized something was wrong and tried to stop Ziteng, Ziteng had already rushed down the steps crying out in alarm. Nanny Liu didn’t even manage to touch a corner of Ziteng’s clothing.

Suddenly, people began gathering from around the street corner. Ziteng rushed into the crowd, crying and shouting, “Physician Lu, you’re being completely unreasonable! You stole our mistress’s relics and put them on Old Madam Lu’s head, and now you want to steal my young miss’s jewelry! Is there any justice left under heaven? Everyone come judge for yourselves – Physician Lu stole our mistress’s jewelry to put on Old Madam Lu’s head, and now they’re coming to steal my young miss’s! Fortunately Miss ran fast, otherwise they would have already robbed her in the room… They stole from our mistress, and now they’re coming to steal my young miss’s jewelry…”

The passersby looked over and saw that Qin Shuying’s hairpins and ornaments were disheveled, her obviously expensive clothing already torn and messy from the struggle.

Nanny Liu could barely catch her breath. When she tried to cover Ziteng’s mouth, Ziteng proved quite strong and as slippery as a loach. Nanny Liu couldn’t get hold of her at all, letting her dodge while shouting wildly.

Nanny Liu’s old face turned red. She knew that these onlookers were basically servants from Chongde Lane, mostly from official households, and most of them from officials holding important positions.

Take Lu Changxuan, for example. Though fifth rank wasn’t considered high in the capital, he worked in the Ministry of Personnel, managing officials’ performance evaluations. Although he wasn’t the one making final decisions, he had many opportunities to manipulate things and could speak up before his superiors. As they say, minor devils are hard to deal with – many people were willing to curry favor with him.

Ziteng’s words had now been heard clearly by everyone, causing a buzz of discussion. This was practically killing her!

Nanny Liu couldn’t care about anything else. While chasing Ziteng, she desperately refuted, “You, you’re talking nonsense!”

Liang Yanjun stood calmly among the crowd of onlookers at this moment, watching the maid cry like a person made of tears, nimbly dodging Nanny Liu’s pursuit while accusing, “Fellow neighbors, please judge fairly – just because my master and mistress have passed away, should Miss have to suffer like this? Master Lu, you’re a court official – how can you bully Miss so? Old Madam Lu seized our mistress’s relics, and now she’s even directing these old women to steal Miss’s jewelry… Physician Lu, you’re going too far…”

Nanny Liu was so angry her eyes blazed with fire. Usually, she rarely heard this Ziteng speak, thinking she was taciturn. Who knew this girl was just like Seventh Miss – so eloquent that others couldn’t get a word in, speaking extremely fast. In the time others could say one sentence, she could say three, and her articulation was crystal clear, making everyone hear every word distinctly.

She naturally didn’t know that to train Ziteng’s eloquence, Qin Shuying made Ziteng practice speaking with stones in her mouth every day, practicing for a full hour in the study.

They had no other advantages, so they could only find alternative paths and practice diligently.

A middle-aged woman dressed quite neatly asked loudly, “Girl, are you relatives of the Lu residence?”

Ziteng quickly grabbed onto that woman, her face covered with tears, rattling off like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, “Madam, I can tell at a glance that you’re a kind person. My young miss is from the third branch of the Qin residence on Yong’an Lane. Both our master and mistress have passed away, leaving only Miss behind. Earlier this year, when Miss was unwell, the main wife in our household managed Master and Mistress’s property on her behalf. Who knew that Physician Lu somehow tricked quite a bit of Mistress’s gold and silver jewelry away from the main wife, directly giving it to Old Madam Lu to wear. Old Madam Lu is still wearing it on her head today! If you don’t believe it, the family members of Minister Zhao and Minister Zhong from the Ministry of Personnel all saw it with their own eyes! When Miss slightly mentioned it to Old Madam Lu, Physician Lu wanted to snatch what Miss was wearing today. Fortunately Miss was clever enough to see through it and brought me back to the Qin residence quickly. Who knew that Physician Lu would actually send four old women to follow us, insisting on snatching Miss’s jewelry… Madam, please judge for yourself – could it be that the Lu residence now lacks silver to buy jewelry for Old Madam Lu, lacks silver to pay the servants, lacks silver to entertain guests, so they have to steal from our young miss? Is there any justice left under heaven!”

With her making such a scene, Nanny Liu didn’t dare grab her anymore. After Ziteng finished her rapid, urgent speech, the crowd grew larger and larger, and everyone suddenly burst into heated discussion.

Everyone looked at Qin Shuying and saw her hair disheveled, jewelry askew, with a jade bluebird step-shake hairpin still being held by one of the old women. Qin Shuying hung her head, sobbing softly, appearing extremely delicate and pitiful.

The four old women stared at each other wide-eyed. With so many people watching, they naturally didn’t dare continue dragging Qin Shuying. The old woman holding the step-shake suddenly realized she somehow had a jade bluebird step-shake in her hand. Frightened, her hand trembled and she dropped it to the ground.

Ziteng let out a wail, “This jade bluebird step-shake is worth five thousand taels of silver! It’s a family heirloom that our mistress left for Miss’s dowry chest – you, you… you pay for it!”

The old woman was scared pale as earth, hurriedly bending down to pick it up. Only then did she breathe a sigh of relief – the jade bluebird step-shake was perfectly intact.