Qin Shuying suddenly smiled and said, “You’re still not leaving? If you don’t go and hear a few more sentences, I’m afraid you’ll die even faster!”

Nanny Peng and Qiao’er immediately crawled and rolled away, disappearing from sight.

Lu Ye and her two companions also walked out afterward.

Only Jinxiu remained, still carrying some unwillingness, her neck stiff as she said, “First Madam, this servant must say, you truly are formidable! No wonder Old Madam must avoid your sharp edge and no longer dares to walk around the courtyards.”

The stunned Liang Yunshan heard this and said, “What did you say? Old Madam has to avoid her sharp edge?”

Jinxiu replied, “My lord, exactly so. The First Madam’s imperial decree rank is now the same as Old Madam’s, and the First Madam is so formidable. Old Madam says one sentence, and she can retort with ten. She doesn’t even regard you, my lord, let alone Old Madam. Old Madam is old and can’t compete with the First Madam, so she can only stay in Ning Garden without coming out.”

If the timing weren’t wrong, Liang Qiong would have wanted to reward Jinxiu with a hundred taels of silver—truly a loyal and clever servant.

Qin Shuying only smiled faintly and said nothing, instead watching Liang Yunshan.

Veins bulged on Liang Yunshan’s forehead as he reached the edge of explosive fury. If not for the consideration that Qin Shuying was a woman and his daughter-in-law, that slap would definitely have been delivered!

Liang Zhen suddenly asked, “Jinxiu, if your mother were still alive, she would be in her thirties now, wouldn’t she?”

Jinxiu was puzzled, but she knew that Liang Zhen’s words weren’t easy to respond to, so she said briefly, “Yes.”

“I remember your mother was among the second batch of personal maids at Old Madam’s side. She died shortly after giving birth to you. If she were still alive, your family would be even more prosperous. Sigh, did she know something she shouldn’t have known, and then… was gone?”

Jinxiu was startled.

Liang Zhen sighed and said, “Years ago, all the people who served at my side died, all the people who served at my mother’s side died, and after my grandmother gave birth to Father and the steward concubine in the mansion gave birth to children, all the people at their sides also died. Then, shortly after the First Madam was born, except for a few who weren’t in the mansion, all the people at Old Madam’s side also died. Sigh, that child the steward concubine bore was said to be a boy too, only one day older than Father. Our mansion is truly strange!”

Qin Shuying added another sentence, “Indeed! No wonder Her Majesty the Empress spoke of Old Madam! Jinxiu, shall we make a wager? I bet you won’t live many more days. And as for who will make the move, I believe you already know in your heart.”

Jinxiu’s eyes went blank.

Liang Zhen’s words were like a heavy hammer striking her chest.

Qin Shuying’s words gave her another blow.

Jinxiu wasn’t stupid—she naturally understood the implications of their words.

“You, you’re talking nonsense!”

Liang Zhen smiled lightly, her smile mocking and cold. “Whether we’re talking nonsense or not, you’d better keep your eyes wide open to see clearly when the time comes. Well then, you may go.”

Jinxiu’s back turned cold as she looked hopefully at Liang Yunshan. “First Master, this servant, this servant…”

Liang Yunshan had long been stunned speechless, looking at Liang Zhen with eyes full of inquiry and fear, full of disbelief and confusion.

Getting no answer from Liang Yunshan and noticing his shocked expression, Jinxiu suddenly felt as if she’d fallen into an icy cave. “First, First… First…”

After several failed attempts at “First,” she turned around in panic and stumbled away.

Luo Meixiang and her three children were completely stunned, not knowing what to say.

The words of Liang Zhen and Qin Shuying, when combined, expressed an extremely veiled yet utterly unbelievable meaning that no one dared think about further, no one dared question.

Meng Shi, Third Lady, and Fourth Lady had remained silent throughout. Now they stood up trembling, and seeing no one paying attention to them, the three quickly fled.

After a long while, Liang Yunshan finally recovered some of his wits. “Zhen’er, what do you mean by these words? Do you know what consequences these words might have?”

Liang Zhen smiled sweetly. “The meaning is exactly what Father thinks it is. As for consequences, Father, haven’t you already seen the consequences? As the legitimate daughter of a Marquis’s household, I had no choice but to marry thousands of miles away, then suffer insults and contempt, ridicule and mockery? Does Father think I returned this time bearing glory to honor our ancestors?”

“Zhen’er, do you have some misunderstanding about your grandmother? She taught you so devotedly. When you were young and a bit mischievous, what could your grandmother do? She had no choice but to let you marry Qu Yi.”

Liang Zhen still smiled. “Father, you can believe even Jinxiu’s words, yet you question everything I say.”

“But your grandmother is definitely not the kind of person you imagine. You must have misunderstood her.”

“Then Father’s meaning is that Mother and I are definitely the kind of promiscuous women who chase after men relentlessly?”

Liang Yunshan was stunned. “You… I believe you are not.”

“Then your meaning is that Mother definitely was?”

Liang Yunshan pressed his lips tightly together and remained silent.

Seeing Liang Yunshan still wearing such an expression, Qin Shuying said coldly, “Elder Sister, don’t forget that regarding those two thread lines and red solid circle earlier, Father also thought the lines were one long and one short, the solid circles one large and one small.”

Liang Yunshan looked at Qin Shuying with cold eyes. “Eldest daughter-in-law, you talk too much.”

Qin Shuying was noncommittal. “My lord, you are too confused. Anyone can see the problems here, yet you cover your ears and steal bells, deceiving yourself and others. Elder Sister is a legitimate daughter through and through—what kind of family couldn’t she marry into that she had to marry into the Qu family? What exactly did Mother do? Even if you saw it with your own eyes, who knows if there wasn’t also the error of one line long and one short, or even deliberate manipulation? Yet you’re so certain? My lord, deliberately portraying others as despicable to cover one’s own ugly deeds is all too common. Your lordship’s disregard for facts is no wonder His Majesty was angered!”

Qin Shuying’s words were absolutely not what a daughter-in-law should say. Naturally, Liang Yunshan was quite angered, yet he found himself completely helpless against her.

Luo Meixiang said indignantly, “Eldest daughter-in-law, how can you speak to the Earl like this? No respect for size, no respect for elders!”

Qin Shuying said coldly, “When the old show no dignity as elders, when elders show no dignity as elders, must others still respect them? When the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam follows suit. Instead of reflecting on whether one’s own actions are right or wrong, one only blindly accuses others—is such a person worthy of my respect?”

“You…”

Both Liang Yunshan and Luo Meixiang were stunned, while Liang Yuan and Liang Jie were also dumbfounded.

“My lord, I have finished what I wanted to say. Since you are so muddled and unclear, being manipulated by women in the palm of their hands, believing whatever others say, what more is there to discuss? Elder Sister, being born into the Liang family is your misfortune. Elder Sister, I shall take my leave first.”

Having said this, Qin Shuying departed gracefully.

Liang Zhen also performed a courtesy to Liang Yunshan. “Father, Sister-in-law’s words are also my words.”

Then Liang Zhen also rose and walked away with unhurried steps.