Before long, Qinglan and Qingcao entered. After looking around, the two exchanged glances. Qinglan remained on guard while Qingcao left Ning Garden and headed straight for Songtao Residence.
At Songtao Residence.
Recently, Liang Zhe had been extremely busy.
Every day, Liang Zhen brought Qu Linglong to Songtao Residence to analyze various matters together with Qin Shuying.
Lu Ye brought Qinglan in. Qinglan curtsied to Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen, saying, “First Madam, First Miss, the Old Madam has fallen asleep again. She’ll probably sleep for about two hours before waking.”
Both Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen stood up. Qin Shuying said, “Miss Qinglan, please sit and speak.”
Qinglan revealed a somewhat shy smile. “Warden Liang instructed that once here, I must always remember I’m a servant, otherwise it’s easy to slip up.”
The Warden Liang that Qinglan mentioned referred to Liang Yanjun. Not long after Liang Zhe went to the garrison to serve as Deputy Assistant Commissioner, he brought Liang Yanjun along as well, appointing him to the ninth-rank position of Garrison Command Warden.
Both Qinglan and Qingcao were people Liang Zhe had recently transferred from the northwest—they were originally familiar with him in the northwestern army. Both Qinglan and Qingcao were orphans who had previously done various odd jobs in the military and had dealings with both Liang Zhe and Liang Yanjun.
To be precise, Qinglan and Qingcao, like Huiyun and Baiyun, were all soldiers, not servants.
With so many Qifeng Dynasty items found under Old Madam Liang’s bed, Liang Yunshan had thought it over repeatedly and decided not to immediately question Old Madam Liang about her past. Instead, he wanted to first lay out this matter and understand the full story.
Therefore, Liang Yunshan later approached Liang Zhe, asking him to thoroughly investigate this matter.
Liang Zhe assigned this task to Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen, providing them with two assistants.
The people Qin Shuying could trust were only the few close attendants at Songtao Residence, but Old Madam Liang would certainly not accept people from Qin Shuying’s circle, so they used Qinglan and Qingcao.
Qin Shuying knew Liang Yanjun’s reasoning was sound, but since they weren’t actually servants, she said politely, “Then we’re troubling you, Miss.”
“Qingcao and I came here with a mission. There’s no talk of trouble—First Madam needn’t mind.”
Liang Zhen nodded and asked, “Did the Old Madam say anything?”
Qinglan then related all of Old Madam Liang’s words and actions in detail.
After hearing these words, the three discussed for a while before Qinglan departed.
Qu Linglong was practicing calligraphy nearby, appearing dejected.
This child understood things too early. After hearing so much yesterday, she had been listless all day.
Qin Shuying and Liang Zhen racked their brains trying to divert her attention, but Qu Linglong only listened carefully and answered obediently. How much she actually absorbed, neither could tell.
Qin Shuying said, “Elder Sister, in a few days it will be my Sixth Sister’s wedding day. I need to return home to see her off. Why don’t you bring Linglong along to watch the festivities?”
Liang Zhen understood Qin Shuying’s intentions.
Now that Liang Zhen had returned to the capital, she definitely wouldn’t go back to Xianren County.
If they could defeat Old Madam Liang and Luo Meixiang and clear their mother’s name, Liang Zhen would have a place to stand and would naturally stay permanently at the Liang household.
If they failed, there was no point discussing it—they wouldn’t even keep their lives.
Since she wouldn’t return to Xianren County, Qu Linglong needed to begin socializing in the capital, going out as a guest and learning about various affairs of the capital. After all, she was already seven and would turn eight after New Year.
Having married out under such a reputation, Liang Zhen would certainly face others’ cold looks everywhere upon returning to the capital. Her daughter would naturally face the same treatment.
After returning to the capital, Liang Zhen immediately went to the Zhao family, who would naturally treat her well. But if she visited other families, they wouldn’t welcome Liang Zhen.
The Qin household was Qin Shuying’s maternal family. With Old Madam Qin and Dong Shi present, no one in the Qin household would dare show Qu Linglong any attitude. Once Qu Linglong went to the Qin family, she could gradually begin her life in the capital—this was a good gradual approach.
Since marrying, Qin Shuying hadn’t gone out to socialize much either.
First, because of the great earthquake, Emperor Delong had been temperamental. Any discerning family dared not hold grand banquets, so gatherings in the capital had sharply decreased.
Second, because of the princes’ bride selection, it was a sensitive time. Too much interaction between families might arouse the imperial family’s suspicion, so there was much less socializing.
Third, Luo Meixiang managed the household affairs and was the one who went out visiting. Qin Shuying certainly wouldn’t join her. During the days when Meng Shi managed the household, Liang Zhe was injured, and Liang Yuan and Liang Jie were also injured, so it wasn’t appropriate for Qin Shuying to go visiting.
Therefore, in over two months of marriage, she had gone out only a handful of times.
Now, with Qin Yunyun’s marriage, since this was her paternal cousin’s wedding, it was reasonable for her to return home to see her off.
Qin Yunyun and she had long since fallen out completely, so Qin Shuying had no real need to return for the send-off. Her return was ultimately out of respect for Old Madam Qin and to give Dong Shi face.
After all, Qin Shuying was now a fourth-rank titled lady, and Liang Zhe was someone Emperor Delong favored. With Qin Shuying’s return, Dong Shi, as the mistress managing this wedding, would certainly gain much face.
Hearing Qin Shuying’s words, Liang Zhen nodded. “Then I’ll trouble you, Shuying.”
Qin Shuying smiled slightly. “Elder Sister, Ziyu has so much on his hands. Since going to the garrison, it’s even rare to see his face. Fortunately, with your return, I have more courage. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have discovered the Old Madam’s strange aspects so quickly.”
Liang Zhe had particularly many affairs at the garrison. Being new and young, many people were unconvinced by him. For Liang Zhe to establish himself at the garrison, Emperor Delong’s trust alone was far from enough. With Liang Yunshan not speaking up for him, Liang Zhe naturally had to devote much time and energy there.
These were Qin Shuying’s sincere words. Without Liang Zhen, when Lu Ye and the others were framed, Qin Shuying would have had no way to clear Songtao Residence’s name so quickly and direct suspicion toward Ning Garden.
Moreover, they had forced Old Madam Liang to panic and reveal such a major flaw.
Without the eight white bones and Qifeng Dynasty items in the hole under the bed, even if Liang Zhen and Qin Shuying talked until the sky fell, Liang Yunshan would never have suspected Old Madam Liang’s character.
Liang Zhen sighed and put down the account book in her hands. “The Old Madam is truly formidable. With just one casual remark back then, she made father hate mother to such a degree.”
These past days, Liang Zhen had been deeply disappointed in Liang Yunshan, calling him “Earl” throughout. Now, knowing that Liang Yunshan had treated Zhao Wanniang that way because he misunderstood that she carried a bastard child, Liang Zhen’s feelings inevitably stirred, and she changed back to calling him “father.”
Qin Shuying didn’t point this out or offer advice. Liang Zhen had father-daughter feelings for Liang Yunshan after all. Since she would be leaving the Liang family in the future, let them untangle this unclear entanglement themselves.
Qin Shuying brought up the matter of that secret chamber. “Elder Sister, the Old Madam truly cannot be compared to ordinary women. Eight dead bodies under her bed, yet she’s never been afraid.”