Cai Luan knelt on the ground, her knees aching as if stabbed by needles. Not daring to say more, she trembled: “Yes, Miss. This servant will go right now.”

The pond’s location wasn’t particularly secluded. If she went now, as long as she was fast enough, people would surely see her. Even if seen, she could say her own belongings had fallen in.

Qin Yunyun kicked her knee again: “Go tonight!”

Cai Luan’s mouth gaped open. Wasn’t that sending her to her death? Though the water wasn’t particularly deep, she couldn’t swim, and at night she wouldn’t be able to see anything!

“Clean up the mess you made yourself!”

Leaving these words, Qin Yunyun also strode away.

Cai Luan knelt for a while before slowly rising, rubbing her swollen, aching knees, filled with both regret and hatred.

She hated Qin Shuying’s relentlessness, and also hated Qin Yunyun’s bullying within the household. If Seventh Miss’s maid was bullied, Qin Shuying would certainly find a way to turn the tables! How could she let others bully her servants to death?

Composing herself, Cai Luan lifted her skirt to look—terrible! Her knees were bruised purple and blue, hurting terribly!

Chang Daocheng would soon leave the capital.

If this matter couldn’t be ruined before he left, once Qin Yongtao made the decision, Qin Shuying would have no choice but to marry Chang Daocheng.

Therefore, Ziteng was particularly anxious. Despite Qin Shuying’s objections, she went out once, not returning until evening.

Rushing breathlessly to Yilan Garden, Ziteng was nervous and uneasy: “Miss, Liang Yanjun said not to worry. No matter how hard this servant pressed him, he just repeated this one sentence.”

Qin Shuying comforted her: “Don’t be anxious. When soldiers come, we’ll fight them; when water comes, we’ll dam it with earth.”

Ziteng listened absent-mindedly to Qin Shuying’s words, rubbing the handkerchief in her hands with uncertainty, pacing back and forth anxiously.

Though Qin Shuying consoled Ziteng, she wasn’t as composed as usual either, occasionally glancing at the sky.

After dinner, as dusk gradually fell, cicadas shrieked incessantly in the trees, hot wind gusted intermittently, making everyone more irritable and restless. Ziteng stood dazed by the window, no longer reading.

Lu Ye came in saying: “Miss, Cai Luan is alone at the pond retrieving the bracelets. This servant secretly went to look.”

Qin Shuying instructed: “This matter—no one knows about it. Lu Ye, do you understand my meaning?”

Lu Ye stuck out her tongue, quickly saying: “Miss, this servant was careless.”

The next day.

Just as dawn broke, with a servant woman’s terrified scream, the Qin mansion immediately erupted—a maid had drowned in the backyard pond!

Male stewards and servants came to the outer courtyard, fishing out the drowned maid. Upon looking, though the body was already swollen from soaking, they could still vaguely recognize this was Sixth Miss’s personal maid, Cai Luan!

Qin Yongtao hadn’t yet had time to go to the Court of Judicial Review, and Qin Kaiyu was also home. With such a major incident, they both hurried over. Hearing Steward Qin say this was Qin Yunyun’s personal maid, Qin Yongtao’s expression immediately changed, and he strode toward Qin Yunyun’s quarters.

Qin Kaiyu followed, Dong Shi followed too, while the others looked at each other, pointing and discussing among themselves.

Cai Luan’s parents, who were mansion servants, soon arrived wailing, crying breathlessly over Cai Luan’s corpse.

Fangfei Courtyard.

Qin Yunyun hadn’t slept all night because Cai Luan hadn’t returned.

She had sent Caiying to the pond in the darkness, but Caiying returned saying she saw nothing. So Qin Yunyun had a bad premonition—had Cai Luan drowned?

Thinking of Cai Luan drowning, Qin Yunyun became even more panicked, not closing her eyes all night.

When Qin Yongtao entered, she was like a startled bird: “Father, Father…”

Qin Yongtao’s expression was grim. The maids quickly withdrew.

Qin Kaiyu urgently asked: “Sixth Sister, where is your maid Cai Luan?”

Qin Yunyun stammered, watching Qin Yongtao’s expression: “Cai, Cai Luan… she… she hasn’t been seen all night. I don’t know where she is…”

Qin Kaiyu said urgently: “Where is she? You don’t know? She’s dead in the pond!”

Qin Yunyun’s face went pale. Though she had been mentally prepared, she was still caught off guard by the news Qin Kaiyu brought, too shocked to speak.

“Girl Yun, what exactly happened? She’s your personal maid—you know her whereabouts best. Why would she go to the pond for no reason?”

Looking at Qin Yongtao’s stern face, Qin Yunyun remembered how several months ago, this father of hers had confined her without any regard for father-daughter affection.

Only because he needed her now had he conveniently released her and actively planned her marriage.

She was very afraid of him, truly afraid. If she angered him, he could completely marry her off to some powerful old man, or even send her as a concubine…

Qin Yunyun supported herself against the table, her legs going weak: “Father, Father…”

Qin Yongtao’s eyes darkened, his voice like thunder: “Speak!”

Qin Yunyun collapsed.

“Sixth Sister! How could you be so foolish!”

Seeing this scene, Qin Kaiyu immediately understood that Cai Luan’s death was inseparable from Qin Yunyun.

Dong Shi, who had followed behind, also understood.

At this point, Qin Yunyun knew concealment was useless and told the whole story from beginning to end.

Several times she wanted to distort the truth and shift blame to Lu Ye, but under Qin Yongtao’s frightening gaze, she was psychologically intimidated into complete surrender, ultimately telling the story with reasonable accuracy.

Qin Kaiyu was frustrated: “It seems releasing you was a mistake! The generosity, propriety, virtue, and gentleness a young lady should have—you’ve thrown it all away! Why did you throw away her things for no reason! Do you really not want me to have good prospects!”

Qin Yunyun stammered “I, I…” for a long time. She regretted it now too, but regret was too late! How could she have known those were things Qin Shuying intended to give Princess Yongjia?

Qin Yunyun hurriedly sought a scapegoat: “It’s all Cai Luan’s fault. If Cai Luan hadn’t stirred up trouble, this wouldn’t have happened. Yes, it’s all Cai Luan’s fault.”

Qin Yongtao withdrew his man-eating gaze, took a deep breath, and said: “Enough! This matter ends here. You’ll say you knew nothing about Cai Luan going out at midnight. Afterward, I’ll investigate her for dereliction of duty! Cai Luan was your right-hand woman. Now that she’s dead, you should go see her. You had deep master-servant affection—I shouldn’t need to teach you what to do!”

Qin Yunyun’s heart finally settled: “I understand, Father.”

Qin Yongtao looked at Qin Kaiyu and Dong Shi: “The backyard affairs can be handled by your sister-in-law and Steward Qin. We should go.”

Qin Kaiyu said: “Yes, Father.”

Dong Shi remained behind, her head aching. What kind of mess was this!

Though Qin Yunyun hadn’t killed Cai Luan with her own hands, how much difference was there between this and killing her personally?

Why had she gotten so hot-headed as to make Cai Luan retrieve things at night? If she had gone during the day, even if seen, she could have just said they were Qin Yunyun’s belongings!