“Fourth Miss speaks too highly of this.” Nanny Qin smiled warmly and respectfully bowed to Qin Yining, then brought forward the people following behind her.
“The Old Madam was concerned about Miss. Hearing that Master instructed no one from your side could accompany you to the ancestral hall, she specially ordered this old servant to bring two people over. This is Mrs. Ge, and this is Xiao Ling. They will serve Miss here for the next few days.”
Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling both respectfully bowed.
Qin Yining smiled at Nanny Qin: “I’m grateful for the Old Madam’s concern.”
“What words are these, Fourth Miss? The Old Madam is your own grandmother—how could she not be concerned about you?” Nanny Qin turned to instruct Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling to take people to arrange the side rooms where Qin Yining would be staying these days, then said: “The food boxes will be brought over these days. Miss need only rest assured.”
“With the Old Madam and Nanny Qin looking after me, how could I not be at ease? This place is perfectly quiet, and I can concentrate well on my studies.”
Seeing Qin Yining’s calm demeanor without any resentment at being punished, Nanny Qin felt she conducted herself with great magnanimity, truly sharing the same temperament as Qin Huaiyuan in his youth.
Nanny Qin carefully instructed Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling to serve well, and also told the rough servant woman guarding the gate: “Don’t think that just keeping watch and not letting Miss leave counts as doing your job well. Serving Miss properly is what’s important. Even though Miss was ordered here by the Prime Minister to memorize texts, she’s still the Prime Minister’s darling!”
The rough servant woman had already been awed seeing Nanny Qin come specially, and now felt as if she’d been enlightened, repeatedly promising: “You can rest assured!”
Seeing everything arranged properly with no oversights, Nanny Qin bowed to Qin Yining: “This old servant must return to serve the Old Madam. It’s getting late—Miss should rest early.”
Qin Yining quickly returned the bow, saying gratefully: “Thank you, Nanny Qin, for making this trip.”
“This is all within this servant’s duties.”
…
After exchanging pleasantries, Qin Yining politely escorted her to the ancestral hall courtyard gate before returning to her side room.
Nanny Qin returned to the Garden of Filial Kindness and went straight into the main hall to check on the night duty arrangements.
In the warm pavilion, Qin Huining knelt on the imperial concubine couch by the window, opening it just a crack to look out, seeing everything clearly.
“The Old Madam is truly compassionate. She really does treat her own granddaughter differently.” Slowly closing the window, Qin Huining walked toward the inner room with a cold smile.
Nanny Cai said: “Miss needn’t take it to heart. The Old Madam must put on an appearance after all. She still needs her reputation for virtue, especially with such a big incident—so many eyes watching from top to bottom.”
Qin Huining sneered: “Even nanny knows how many people are watching that wild hoof’s affairs, but how is it that the Old Madam and my father don’t know! Daring to privately visit a prince’s mansion to meet outside men—she really has the gall of a tiger! Born with that fox-like seductive appearance, who knows what shameful and filthy things she did!”
“Ever since she returned, she’s been overshadowing me. She hit me, and the Old Madam didn’t punish her severely. When she makes mistakes, she’s only punished with memorizing texts! Even Grandmother gave her Zhaoyun Company. After raising me for fourteen years, I’ve never seen her give me anything!”
“Now the whole family favors her. If I don’t act while she’s confined, there probably won’t be such a good opportunity again!” Qin Huining’s eyes were sinister.
“Miss, Master is currently angry. Should you perhaps wait a bit?” Nanny Cai was somewhat worried.
“Wait, wait, wait—how long should I wait? Should I just let that wild hoof trample me underfoot!” Qin Huining choked back a sob, tears falling like pearls: “Nanny knows my suffering best. The humiliation I’ve endured these past days exceeds what I’ve suffered in my entire lifetime combined. How can you ask me to wait!”
Seeing Qin Huining in such a state, Nanny Cai felt a sharp pain in her heart. She pressed her lips together and thought for a moment, then said: “Miss, rest assured. Actually dealing with her is easy. She’s now confined in the ancestral hall where we can’t touch her, but we can clip her wings so she has no one to use.”
Qin Huining’s eyes brightened: “Nanny has a plan?”
Nanny Cai nodded: “Isn’t this easy? Miss, think about it—she just returned to the mansion and doesn’t have any close confidants around her. If we remove her most capable people, she can’t even protect those around her. Who would dare serve her wholeheartedly in the future? In such a large mansion, without the support of trusted people, I think she’ll be finished for life.”
“Nanny speaks truly. Without capable people around her, she won’t be able to make waves anymore. Won’t she be at our mercy in the future?” Qin Huining coquettishly leaned against Nanny Cai’s side, sighing: “Fortunately I have you by my side, otherwise I wouldn’t know what to do.”
Nanny Cai was also very moved: “Miss is the one this servant nursed. If this servant doesn’t serve Miss wholeheartedly, whom would I serve?”
Thinking of Nanny Jin’s situation, Nanny Cai took the opportunity to say: “Just as I serve you wholeheartedly, my aunt also serves the First Lady wholeheartedly. Whatever she does, she’s only following orders. Please don’t blame her, Miss.”
Qin Huining naturally understood Nanny Cai’s concerns. That old crone Nanny Jin had changed faces too quickly, but wasn’t it also because Sun Shi’s attitude had changed?
Qin Huining felt resentful, blaming Nanny Cai for not managing her aunt’s affairs well, but couldn’t say it outright. She just smiled and comforted Nanny Cai, then turned to carefully consider how to proceed.
Qin Yining lived quite contentedly during her days of punishment memorizing texts in the ancestral hall.
First, her food and lodging were not neglected here.
Second, she had a photographic memory.
Not to mention the thin volumes of “Admonitions for Women” and “Instructions for the Inner Quarters”—even memorizing all four women’s classics would be easy for her.
The only disadvantage was being out of touch with outside news.
Even Sun Shi’s return to her natal family was something she only learned about three days later, overhearing Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling chatting quietly.
She felt Sun Shi’s way of handling things wasn’t good—making a big show of returning to her natal family every time they quarreled. In just the few days she’d been home, she’d already witnessed this twice. Forget how annoying it was to the in-laws—even her natal family would grow tired of her.
Sun Shi was completely relying on her birth status, wantonly squandering the benefits Duke Dingguo had accumulated for Qin Huaiyuan.
Qin Yining felt she also had a good background. If she truly married in the future, she must take this as a warning and absolutely not learn Sun Shi’s annoying ways.
She wondered how Snow Pear Courtyard was doing now.
However, since Father had ordered the maids of Snow Pear Courtyard to stay confined for reflection, it was probably also a form of protection. Not seeing people naturally meant no danger.
Such peaceful days passed for another three days. During this time, Qin Jianing had her coming-of-age ceremony, and her marriage to the second son of Earl Jian’an’s mansion was put on the agenda.
This news was also learned by overhearing Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling talking.
Today was the seventh day of Qin Yining’s confinement in the ancestral hall.
Qin Yining had just finished breakfast and was accepting the hot tea Xiao Ling brought for rinsing her mouth when she suddenly heard a sharp cry from the courtyard gate:
“Fourth Miss! Please save Rui Lan!”
Qin Yining’s heart skipped a beat. She recognized this as Qiu Lu’s voice and hurried out.
Weren’t the people from Snow Pear Courtyard supposed to be in confined reflection?
How could something have happened?!
“Fourth Miss! Slow down, be careful not to trip!” Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling also hurried after her.
Pushing open the ancestral hall’s courtyard gate, Qin Yining saw two sturdy matrons holding Qiu Lu between them. Qiu Lu’s hair was disheveled, her face streaked with tears. This normally steady and reserved person was now crying like a child.
Seeing Qin Yining, Qiu Lu was about to speak when the rough matrons covered her mouth. She struggled desperately, her eyes red with urgency, making continuous “wu wu” sounds as tears fell even more fiercely.
Qiu Lu must have risked her life to come report!
“Stop.”
Qin Yining pushed away Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling, stepped forward in two strides, grabbed one of the sturdy women’s wrists and applied force, immediately making the woman cry out “Aiya!” in pain.
The two sturdy women no longer dared to restrain Qiu Lu.
“Qiu Lu, what’s happening? What’s wrong at home? What happened to Rui Lan?”
“Miss, last night Bi Tong from Miss Huining’s side came and called Sister Rui Lan out. Sister Rui Lan didn’t want to go at first, but I don’t know what Bi Tong said to her—she finally had to follow. As a result, Sister Rui Lan never came back all night.”
“This morning, news came from the Old Madam’s place that they caught a thief in the Garden of Filial Kindness trying to steal the Old Madam’s things. Someone from Miss Huining’s side caught them, saying the thief was Rui Lan. The Old Madam was furious and ordered Rui Lan to receive forty lashes, then be thrown out of the mansion after the beating!”
“Miss, Sister Rui Lan must have been framed. Forty lashes could be fatal!”
“Sister Rui Lan still has an elderly mother and younger siblings at home. If something happens to her, their family is finished! Please save her, Miss!”
Qiu Lu was kind-hearted and honest. Not knowing to avoid others, she cried out everything.
The sturdy women nearby, Mrs. Ge and Xiao Ling, hearing this, already had their suspicions.
Qin Yining also understood clearly. It must be Qin Huining taking advantage of her absence from Snow Pear Courtyard to use her servants as scapegoats—not only to remove her right-hand support but also to make the Old Madam think that with her as a crooked beam, Rui Lan as the lower beam would naturally be crooked too.
If Rui Lan was really taken down by Qin Huining, all her previous efforts would be wasted!
If she couldn’t protect her own people, how could she manage subordinates in the future? She had finally gained trusted confidants—would she have to go it alone again?
No! Rui Lan must be saved!
Although Qin Yining was confined to memorize texts, in her anxiety to save someone, she couldn’t care about such things and was about to leave.
Just then, a voice came from the alley entrance: “Miss, please wait.”
Qin Yining looked over—it was Nanny Qin. She didn’t know how long she’d been there or how much she’d heard.
“Nanny Qin.” Qin Yining suppressed her anxiety and politely greeted Nanny Qin.
Nanny Qin bowed and said solemnly: “Miss, don’t forget that your confinement here was personally ordered by the Prime Minister. Without passing the Prime Minister’s examination, you cannot leave the ancestral hall. Besides, even if you went, what could you do with just words? Over there, Miss Rui Lan stealing the Old Madam’s jade bracelet has solid evidence—she was caught red-handed with the stolen goods.”
Hearing this, Qin Yining felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head.
Without evidence, how could she save anyone?