The official runner’s voice rang like a great bell: “Oh, you mean the child in Cai Luan’s belly belongs to Second Young Master Qin? Magistrate Cao, the matter has been clarified. Scribe, record it!”

The scribe who had been writing furiously looked up at Magistrate Cao. Seeing Magistrate Cao nod, he quickly wrote it down.

Qin Kaiyu jumped up to snatch the scribe’s brush: “She didn’t say anything! What are you recording nonsense for!”

The scribe watched the brush drip ink through his palm and said slowly: “Second Young Master Qin, you’ve dirtied my hand! That the child is yours isn’t such a big deal—why are you so anxious?”

Qin Kaiyu couldn’t be bothered to deal with him and said ominously to Magistrate Cao: “Magistrate Cao, don’t go too far!”

But Magistrate Cao said methodically: “Case closed. Return to the prefecture!”

“Don’t leave…”

Qin Yunyun and Qin Kaiyu shouted in unison.

The official runners and scribe quickly packed their things, and Magistrate Cao stretched his legs and stood up.

Cai Luan’s mother stared blankly at everything before her. Was this how the great lords in the yamen decided cases? From the looks of it, being an official seemed quite easy.

She murmured: “My lord, my lord, you haven’t yet sought justice for my daughter…”

The official runner shouted: “Cai Luan died by accidentally falling into the water while retrieving a bracelet, and the child in her belly belongs to your Second Young Master. Didn’t you hear clearly? If you want to seek justice for the child in her belly, go find your Second Young Master!”

Then Magistrate Cao led his people in a swift retreat.

What?

The matter was concluded just like that?

Cai Luan’s mother knelt on the ground, unable to recover her senses for a long while.

The others also couldn’t recover: Magistrate Cao had come with such great fanfare only to finish so anticlimactically? What was the result?

By the time Cai Luan’s mother reacted and wanted to find the Second Young Master, he had long since disappeared.

When Cai Luan’s mother wanted to cry and complain again, several women came in and lifted her up. Among them was a capable woman from Dong Shi’s side who consoled her kindly: “Aunt Zhou, Cai Luan is dead, and no one really knows whose child it was. Your second daughter is only eleven years old—her words can’t be taken seriously, and no one would believe them. We’ve looked at those things—they’re ordinary jewelry from the market, not worth much silver. How could the Second Young Master give such things as gifts? You’d better stop making trouble. Steward Qin just had someone fetch a hundred taels of silver—it’s already been brought. Count it first and go back to handle the arrangements properly.”

Cai Luan’s younger brother and sister Er Ni had followed along. Though indignant, they were servants of the Qin household and dared not say much.

Cai Luan’s father sighed. In the end, after discussing among themselves, they demanded three hundred taels of silver. Steward Qin negotiated with them for a long time and pressed it down to two hundred and fifty taels. With that, the matter was settled, and the Zhou family carried Cai Luan’s body back home.

In Qin Yongtao’s study.

Looking at Qin Kaiyu kneeling on the ground, Qin Yongtao remained silent for a long time.

“Father, I was wrong. I, I was bewitched, confused by lust.”

Qin Kaiyu repeated this many times, but Qin Yongtao paid him no attention.

Qin Yongtao sat behind his desk, gazing at a piece of calligraphy hanging on the opposite wall as if in meditation.

For a long while, until Qin Kaiyu’s legs were swollen from kneeling, Qin Yongtao finally sighed deeply: “Kaiyu, do you know why I haven’t arranged a betrothal for you yet? A man born between heaven and earth must accomplish something. You can have romantic feelings, but you cannot let romantic feelings ruin your future. You need a good marriage to bring you more support. You were like this several years ago. I thought that after going away for a few years you had changed, but how is it you still don’t understand the need to avenge past humiliation! You don’t understand your father’s efforts and painstaking care. You truly disappoint me!”

Qin Kaiyu naturally understood this principle.

But what young man didn’t have romantic feelings? It was just for fun—she was merely a servant, not something to take too seriously. Who knew this world would be so unfair to him, Qin Kaiyu?

Several years ago, he had gotten involved with a servant girl, causing an uncontrollable mess. Due to coincidental circumstances, he had even offended someone he shouldn’t have, which led Qin Yongtao to send him away, hoping that with time everyone would forget that incident. He had gained knowledge and experience and thought he wouldn’t make mistakes again. But he hadn’t expected that Cai Luan’s alluring figure and fox-like wiles would seduce him, causing him to err once more.

“Father, rest assured, from now on I absolutely won’t do it again!”

Qin Yongtao waved his hand: “Get up.”

He didn’t truly believe his son—it was just that saying anything now was too late.

Father and son talked for a long while. Steward Qin came in to report the handling results to Qin Yongtao, who waved his hand, indicating that Steward Qin should handle it as he saw fit.

As long as that person’s death had nothing to do with Qin Kaiyu, nothing else mattered. As for the household possibly spreading rumors about Qin Kaiyu getting Cai Luan pregnant, that was unavoidable—it was impossible to cover everyone’s mouth.

Never mind. Which household’s young master didn’t have servant girls as bedwarmers or concubines? After spreading for a while, when people found it uninteresting, it would end. Were such things rare in wealthy households?

Then Qin Yongtao said to Steward Qin: “Investigate Magistrate Cao for me—find out who’s behind him!”

At this moment, Magistrate Cao’s group had left the Qin residence.

Returning to the yamen, Magistrate Cao worked normally.

When the afternoon work period ended, he took a carriage and traveled far to a wine shop, walking directly toward a private room on the second floor. He knocked gently, and the door opened from inside.

Liang Yanjun was alone inside: “Magistrate Cao!”

Magistrate Cao entered and sat down: “Lord Liang, I’ve completed the matter you mentioned.”

“This official thanks Magistrate Cao!”

Magistrate Cao said: “Lord Liang need not be polite. However, I’m curious—after all this, there’s no harm to Qin Yongtao, just causing chaos in his household for a few days. Does Lord Liang enjoy watching family discord?”

“Ha ha ha! Magistrate Cao is truly interesting, interesting! Magistrate Cao has clarified the case and can report completion. As for how the Qin household fares, that’s hardly our concern, is it? Magistrate Cao, wouldn’t you agree?”

The two men looked at each other and laughed heartily.

While Liang Yanjun spoke these words, he thought to himself: This Magistrate Cao is no ordinary person—a slick old official. What exactly does he owe Master? Why would he obediently listen… I don’t know what benefit there is in the Qin household being in chaos for a few days either. Master isn’t here and told me to listen to Madam in everything. Since Madam told me to do this, I’m doing it. However, there is benefit in the Qin household being chaotic for a few days—with all this chaos, no one will pay much attention to Madam, allowing Master to concentrate on his affairs.

Fangfei Garden.

Qin Yunyun looked at Caiying kneeling on the ground. She wanted to beat her but ultimately didn’t strike, instead splashing a cup of cold water over her: “Lowly slave! You dared to run away? I see if you can escape the monk but not the temple!”

Caiying trembled, letting the water trickle down from her head without daring to make a sound.

“Do you think that because I’m not beating you, you can be happy? Get out and stand in the sun in the back courtyard! Without my permission, you’re not allowed in the shade!”

Caiying bit her teeth and walked out trembling, her mind filled with only one thought: Sixth Miss has truly gone mad. Has Second Miss possessed Sixth Miss’s body?

Qin Yunyun angrily slapped the table. Now she didn’t dare casually break cups—if a cup shattered, no one would clean it up. Though there were still second-class maids, she didn’t want those lowly wenches to see her humiliation.

After sitting for a while, the more she thought about it, the angrier she became. It was all that wretch Qin Shuying’s fault!

She had been too afraid of her father and second brother finding out, actually falling for her scheme! The death of one Cai Luan wasn’t important—what mattered was that in her father’s and second brother’s eyes, she was even more useless!

Thinking this way, Qin Yunyun rushed out and ran directly toward Yilan Garden.