The events at Yanfei Pavilion naturally couldn’t be hidden from Qin Shuying. After listening to the plans between Xu Shi and Nanny Liu, she said quietly, “This Nanny Liu—I really underestimated her. Ziteng, tomorrow go see Mi Luo and have someone dig up the matter of her husband’s philandering. Let Nanny Liu have a good bout of chaos.”
Ziteng carried out the order without fail.
A day later, upon learning of her husband’s infidelity, Nanny Liu merely sneered coldly. She knew this was Seventh Miss striking back.
Of course, she couldn’t let herself panic—otherwise she’d be falling right into Seventh Miss’s trap.
Their family had originally been well-off, and her husband had been handsome in his youth, which she had always taken pride in. If he was philandering, so be it—it wasn’t like their family lost anything by it.
Having witnessed all the sordid affairs in grand households, Nanny Liu didn’t care much about this matter.
However, when she learned two days later that her husband had been philandering with several women, including the widow at the village entrance, she could no longer keep her composure.
That widow’s family had originally been dirt poor. Yet in recent years, she had gradually become prosperous and had even bought land in the village.
She had previously thought this widow had hooked up with other men who gave her money.
She never imagined it was actually her own husband.
Moreover, her husband took this and that to give to the widow every month—who knows how much he had subsidized her. Otherwise, how could she afford to wear such fashionable clothes?
Nanny Liu held it in for a day and night but ultimately couldn’t contain herself and went home to raise hell.
Her husband wasn’t one to be trifled with either—otherwise how could he philander so often? The household was immediately turned upside down. Nanny Liu was slapped several times by her husband, her face injured, and she hid at home for two days before preparing to return to the Qin manor.
Nanny Liu hated Qin Shuying and also hated her own husband. If she hadn’t been scheming beside Xu Shi and gained some benefits, especially receiving much silver from Qin Shuying over the past three years, how could her husband have lived so carefree and extravagantly?
Now she was being retaliated against by Qin Shuying, and instead of helping her, her husband was holding her back.
Just as she reached the back gate of the Qin manor and was about to enter, she was stopped by Aunt Wu: “Nanny Liu, stop right there.”
Nanny Liu said irritably, “Aunt Wu, what’s the matter?”
“Come with me to the accounting room, collect your things, and go home. The Great Madam no longer needs your service.”
Nanny Liu didn’t react immediately, “Aunt Wu, what nonsense are you spouting!”
Aunt Wu looked down her nose at her, “The Great Mistress has spoken—pack your bags and leave! Don’t you understand? If you don’t understand, go ask Miss Lanxiang who serves the Great Mistress!”
Nanny Liu staggered—how could this be?
She had gone home the day before yesterday to settle accounts and only then discovered that their savings over the years had been completely depleted.
Her son had been imprisoned, costing ninety percent of their wealth—such a place wasn’t somewhere people like them could afford to get involved with! Even though she had secretly helped Xu Shi plot against Qin Shuying and received many benefits from Qin Shuying—over a thousand taels of silver—with the back and forth in prison and later buying connections, very little remained.
Subsequently, her husband’s philandering had cost so much more, and now their family had only about a hundred taels of silver left.
With her husband’s broken leg preventing him from working, her son drowning his sorrows in alcohol daily, and her daughter constantly sulking… a whole family of eight or nine people all depended on her monthly wage of two taels to survive.
Now, if they didn’t want her at the manor, wouldn’t this cut off her entire family’s livelihood?
Nanny Liu made a scene at the back gate, but finally Manager Qin came personally and subdued her.
Manager Qin brought her to his office. “Nanny Liu, the day before yesterday you instigated the young maids to deliberately let the Great Madam overhear about Third Young Madam’s affairs. Is this true?”
Nanny Liu denied it.
Manager Qin sneered coldly, “Nanny Liu, everyone in the manor now hopes for peace. I won’t expose your purpose in doing this. Also, I won’t mention the things you’ve done before. This is the Great Mistress showing mercy considering your years of hard service to the Great Madam. Otherwise, given what you’ve been involved in, it would be enough to cost you your life!”
Nanny Liu was stunned, “Manager Qin, what do you mean by this?”
“Nanny Liu, you’re a smart person and should be able to see that Seventh Miss isn’t someone you can provoke. If you’re sensible, you can live a few more years. If you’re not sensible and insist on fighting to the end, once you walk out that door, your life will no longer be your own. For the sake of our years of working together, I’m kindly reminding you—don’t bite the hand that feeds you and fail to recognize good intentions.”
Nanny Liu broke out in cold sweat and didn’t dare say another word. Finally, she couldn’t help but ask, “Manager Qin, what about the Great Madam?”
Manager Qin said coldly, “The Great Madam will naturally have someone else to serve her. Considering your years of service to the Great Madam, go kowtow to her.”
With that, Manager Qin went to make arrangements.
Walking along the path, Manager Qin felt even more admiration for Qin Shuying.
Such a young girl, yet her methods were ruthless and extremely measured.
Nanny Liu had previously helped the Great Madam harm her, and Qin Shuying had kept it all in mind. One blow here, one strike there, she had utterly destroyed the Liu family.
Yet Qin Shuying never harmed lives, and everything she did was well-founded, leaving no fault to be found. Her sense of proportion was perfect.
She probably knew long ago about Nanny Liu helping Xu Shi plot to harm lives, but she didn’t say so directly. Instead, she hinted to the Great Master. At that time, Manager Qin was present when Seventh Miss said:
“Great Uncle, your niece heard that Nanny Liu has gone home, and your niece also heard that her family is full of scandals. Great Uncle, with Second Brother and Sixth Sister about to marry soon, the Great Madam should also come out to manage affairs. If someone like Nanny Liu stays by the Great Madam’s side, not only would it disgrace the Great Madam, but if something went wrong, it would harm Second Brother and Sixth Sister.”
She had accurately judged that the Great Master wanted to let the Great Madam out of confinement.
She could also grasp the Great Master’s weakness. The Great Master immediately made his decision, then had Dong Shi and Manager Qin investigate Nanny Liu’s faults, making her departure logical and natural.
No wonder the Great Master was so optimistic about her marrying into the Liang manor.
If things truly went as the master hoped—with Qin Shuying helping Liang Zhe win the heir’s position and establishing a firm foothold in the Liang family—she would indeed be as powerful a supporter as Consort Lian, if not stronger.
If that could happen, the Qin manor’s status in the capital would advance by leaps and bounds.
Manager Qin also looked forward to that day.
Nanny Liu went to kowtow to Xu Shi.
When Xu Shi saw her come, her expression was complex. To exchange Nanny Liu’s departure for her own release from confinement—Xu Shi was naturally willing.
Remembering that Dong Shi had told her that what she overheard by the wall that day was all arranged by Nanny Liu, Xu Shi felt somewhat angry.
Knowing the situation was irreversible and wanting to leave herself a way out, Nanny Liu reminisced with Xu Shi about their past master-servant affection.
She only hoped that if Xu Shi ever gained influence in the future, she might remember her fondly.
As for Qin Shuying…
Nanny Liu was truly frightened by Manager Qin’s words and remained docile for a very long time.