Madam Qin had always been shrewd and meticulous, handling matters in an orderly fashion. This was the first time Old Madam Lin had seen her in such a state. She quickly helped her up and had her sit beside her, asking with uncertainty, “What happened to you? Could it be… could it be that Second Miss…”

Madam Qin shook her head while crying and, holding Old Madam Lin’s hand, said, “Old Madam, you must seek justice for me and Miss Yi… Miss Yi has fallen victim to deliberate harm this time…”

Old Madam Lin’s face turned slightly pale as she asked, “What happened?”

Sobbing, Madam Qin explained, “Today, we invited several ladies to celebrate my birthday. It should have been a joyous occasion, but Hong Jian came to tell me that a young maid saw Miss Huan steal a peach. She took it to the washroom, squeezed out the juice into a porcelain bottle, and then mixed it into the grape wine, tricking Miss Yi into drinking several large cups… I was skeptical but didn’t dare disregard it, so I had someone give Miss Yi two pills first. Sure enough, not long after, Miss Yi broke out in severe rashes and her entire body became so swollen she couldn’t be seen… Old Madam, fortunately, she took the medicine in advance. Otherwise, if it had developed into a serious condition, what would we have done? This… this was attempted murder…”

Old Madam Lin’s expression changed drastically. “Is this true?”

Wiping her tears, Madam Qin continued, “How could it not be true? At this point, I’ll risk losing face to tell you everything. You’ve always thought Cao Li Huan was good, finding her personable and skilled at pleasing you with various things. Out of respect for your fondness for her, we never said anything, but do you know what she’s really like outside? She’s imperious toward the servants, showing no dignity befitting a young lady from a good family, and she even beats the young maids to vent her temper… But let’s not dwell on these minor faults. This girl is truly audacious – despite being engaged and awaiting marriage, she somehow took a fancy to Young Master Ting. She actively pursues him with poems, deliberately waits in places he frequents, and even pays several old women and maids to spread gossip about her and Young Master Ting! This… this…”

“Bang!” Old Madam Lin slapped the pixiu carved on the arhat bed in anger. “Why didn’t you tell me about this earlier?”

Madam Qin thought to herself that she had been accumulating Cao Li Huan’s misdeeds, waiting for the right moment to strike decisively. Maintaining a grieved expression, she said, “I was concerned about both children’s reputations and didn’t want to worry you, Old Madam. As soon as I heard the servants gossiping, I had Young Master Ting move out, and even gave the bribed maids directly to Miss Huan, intending to teach her a lesson. Who knew my good intentions would be wasted? Not only did Miss Huan not listen, but she also harbored resentment toward me, causing Second Miss to suffer such misfortune… You know Second Miss best – she’s the most kind-hearted person, she… she wouldn’t do such things…”

While speaking, Madam Qin watched Old Madam Lin’s expression, noting how her face had turned ashen. She had guessed correctly – over these years, Old Madam Lin had become softer-hearted from practicing Buddhism and chanting sutras. She enjoyed lively company and thought taking in a girl meant just adding another bowl and pair of chopsticks, and eventually providing a dowry – how could the Lin family mind such a small expense? Moreover, Cao Li Huan was skilled at speaking and pleasing others, keeping her entertained while earning merit and a good reputation. But no matter how charming Cao Li Huan was, she remained an outsider, distantly related, and from a declining family. Thus, while Old Madam Lin was fond of Cao Li Huan, she treated her like a pet – overlooking minor mischief when it was harmless, but everything changed once it involved her children and grandchildren!

Madam Qin quickly exchanged a glance with Xue Zhan, who stood nearby. Understanding the signal, Xue Zhan brought over a bowl of soup and said, “Old Madam, don’t be upset. She’s not worth your anger. Have some soup to soothe your lungs first.”

Old Madam Lin frowned and pushed away Xue Zhan’s hand, saying, “I don’t want to drink it.”

“Please drink some, Old Madam, to calm your anger, because I’m afraid… I’m afraid what comes next will only upset you more…” Madam Qin lowered her head and twisted her handkerchief, appearing reluctant to continue.

Old Madam Lin raised her eyebrows in surprise: “What could be worse than the two incidents you just mentioned?”

Madam Qin lowered her voice and said, “Just now during the birthday feast, Young Master Lou caught Miss Huan’s manservant molesting a maid in the courtyard. It was… quite unseemly. When Young Master Lou questioned him, he discovered that the manservant had an affair with Miss Huan! He had sneaked in today during the household’s festivities for a secret meeting, but got drunk and confused, mistaking that maid for Miss Huan…”

“Absurd! Outrageous! This is completely unacceptable!” Old Madam Lin was furious, repeatedly slapping the bed rail. Such a scandal would tarnish the reputation of all the young ladies in the household. To think Cao Li Huan would be so shameless! “I thought she was just competitive because her family had fallen on hard times and she was too proud, but who knew she was rotten to the core!”

While patting Old Madam Lin’s back to calm her, Madam Qin said, “Please calm down, Old Madam. Young Master Lou has already handled the matter properly, and besides, she hasn’t lived in our compound for long and has moved out of our garden, so the connection isn’t too serious.” She carefully watched Old Madam Lin’s expression and added fuel to the fire: “Old Madam, everything I’ve told you is true, without a single lie. If you don’t believe me, I’ll swear an oath right now…”

“Tell her to pack her things and get out of the Lin family immediately!” Old Madam Lin was breathing heavily. “Our family has no place for such shameless relatives. Have a carriage prepared at once and send her to her brother’s place. She is not to set foot here again!”

Madam Qin secretly rejoiced while maintaining a worried expression: “But what about the Old Master…”

Old Madam Lin glared: “Leave that to me! Now go quickly!”

“Yes, yes.” Madam Qin thought to herself that this was exactly what she had been waiting for. She hurriedly stood up to leave, but suddenly heard Old Madam Lin call after her: “Also, invite two good doctors to examine Miss Yi. As for Young Master Ting, it must have been difficult for him to move out because of this troublesome matter – living outside can’t be as comfortable as at home. Once we’ve driven her out, have him move back.”

Madam Qin agreed to everything, barely containing her smile.

As for Cao Li Huan, after Lin Dong Yi fell ill, the birthday feast ended unhappily. Cao Li Huan felt completely satisfied and walked back proudly, wondering if Si Shun had succeeded. She had instructed Si Shun to use sleeping incense on Xiang Lan, roll her up on a mat, and take her away along with two bundles of cloth from her room. Now that Xiang Lan was nowhere to be seen, she assumed the plan had worked.

She walked back gracefully, fanning herself, only to discover two rough-looking old women guarding the courtyard gate, along with Shuang Xi, a favored servant of Lin Jin Lou. Cao Li Huan immediately became nervous and approached with a false smile, saying, “Why are you all standing here? Please step aside and let me enter my room.”

The old woman blocked Cao Li Huan’s path with a stern face, saying emotionlessly, “Wait! Miss Huan, please wait. The masters have ordered that no one is to enter this courtyard.”

Cao Li Huan raised an eyebrow and asked, “The masters ordered this? Which master?”

Shuang Xi rolled his eyes and said, “Which master doesn’t concern you, Miss. The courtyard is sealed off and no one can enter.”

Cao Li Huan’s expression instantly darkened, and she grew increasingly anxious. Just then, she heard crying from inside: “Miss! Save me! Please save me!”

Cao Li Huan’s heart jolted – this was bad! In an instant, several thoughts raced through her mind. If the matter was exposed, she would insist that Si Shun, that slave, had lustful intentions toward Xiang Lan, and she would at most be guilty of poor supervision. She would probably have to cry before that despicable Madam Qin. But the panic on her face was genuine: “What exactly is going on?”

Shuang Xi sneered, “What’s going on? You know best, Miss. Our master has already gotten to the bottom of it. We’re here to protect your reputation. If you’re smart, you’ll keep quiet. If you’re thinking of making a scene like last time when you barged into the Shou Xi Hall and injured Sister Liu Bei, you’d better ask yourself if you can get past me first.”

These words were extremely discourteous. Cao Li Huan’s face changed dramatically – normally she would have slapped him immediately, but now she felt guilty and truly didn’t dare make trouble. She looked at Shuang Xi, her face alternating between white and red.

Shuang Xi snorted, not even glancing at Cao Li Huan. From inside, Si Shun was still wailing, and Shuang Xi shouted, “What are you wailing about? Is this a funeral? Your miss isn’t dead yet!”

Si Shun immediately fell silent.

By now, Cao Li Huan had completely forgotten about confronting Shuang Xi. She stood there sensing something was wrong, cold sweat running down her back. Just as she was about to leave to gather more information, she saw Liu Bei approaching with seven or eight servants and old women.